EXTENDED RAILWAY FACILITIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2861, 13 January 1909, Page 52

EXTENDED RAILWAY FACILITIES.

THE MINISTER'S ATTITUDE. WELLINGTON, January 11. Replying to-day to a deputation from 1 residents along the Manawatu line asking j for increased facilities especially in the I way of additional trains, the Hon. J. A. ! M.ular made some remarks applicable to I the railways of the Dominion at large. - , So far as the demand for an increased ; service on the .Manawatu line vra-s con- | cerned, he said there would be. no in--1 crease until tlie improvements now in j hand had been effected. In the mean- • time there would be no great acceleration lof speed. At the piesent time the line ! was eairving up to its maximum capacity, and it had to be remembered that no i timber was coming down from the Main Trunk country. He had laid it down as a principle that the suburban area was uot to extend beyond 20 miles. That was ' a wide aiea. He marie it dear that he 1 did not expect a train to pay every day, but if there wa^ a loss over thiee months j the ■whole pubic should not have to pay a dead loss for a small section of the community. Pie wanted to do as i much a* he could, while carefully coni siderin^ the whole of the country. He , did not &ay that he could make the railways earn any more than they were earning, but he would not make them lose any more than they were losing. Sunday was a day of re?.t, and the staff had a night to be considered. He wa« not in favour of Sunday trains to any great extent. Ha did not know of any inland. Sunday service in New Zealand (excluding tho?e to the shipping port*) with the exception of 'that to Otaki. Certainly lie knew of no train from the country into the city. Such a service would not pay to conimsn.e with, becau.se people preferred, fo he had always urxiorstood, to remain in the country. The men were hard worked now, and he did not wish 10 ca=t additional buidens on them.