South Canterbury Times WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 1893.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7270, 26 July 1893, Page 2

South Canterbury Times WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 1893.

A question of railway management, which involves a question of social policy, has been raised by a letter to a Dunedin paper, in which a working man points out that he and others who have to travel to and from their work by rail, have to pay a good deal more for the accommodation than well-to-do people who use the railway equally often for business purposes. Giving a local example, he points out that between two stations four miles apart the time passes or season tickets now issued work out in this way : —“ Second class, for six months, £2 9a, a little over Is lOd a week ; for three months, £1 10s, or nearly 2o 4d a week ; for one month, 18s, or about 3a a week ; a daily return ticket 10d, which comes to 5s a week. There is also a fifty trip ticket, or, to put it plainer, twenty-five return trips for 10s, which gives little to choose between this and the monthly ticket.” The writer points out that wo»k people are practically shut out from cheap railway travelling, as they rarely have money to lay out in a six months' pass, and in most cases it would be too much a speculative investment, as few men are sure of their work six mouths in advance. He suggest the issue of workmen’s passes for a week at the same weekly rate as the six months’ passes. Looking at this question, “by and large,” it does not seem the right thing that the man who. can least afford it should have to pay more for his carriage by rail. It is a case of “ one law for the rich and another for the poor.”

Another question of railway rates was raised in the House of Representatives

last week by the member for Ashley, Mr Meredith, putting a question to ascertain why the rates for goods carriage on the branch lines in the South Island ftre higher than on the main line. The Commissioners furnished a reply, that the additional rate was put on in 1884 (before their day) to make the returns more nearly approach the cost of working and interest ; and that North Island branches were excepted because of the strong opposition offered. Mr Meredith protested against the distinction made between North and South, and John Bali, the Pwwler, thp Minster of fcands, ©nd Messrs Dungan and Rhodes tpojc a j wide* view; and condemned the extra imposition as policy, es if permitted traction engines and ' e ' ißls to eom ’ /' pete successfully with the railways. And, i as Mr Rhodes pointed out, not only do I

the railways lose traffic, but the local bodies, and through them the settlers, are saddled with extra expense in keeping the roads in order.