THE THROUGH EXPRESS

Southland Times, Issue 19770, 19 February 1923, Page 6

THE THROUGH EXPRESS

FULL TIME-TABLE UNPROFITABLE. WOULD MEAN HEAVY MONTHLY LOSS. (Special to the Times.) WELLINGTON, February 17. The Hon. D. H. Guthrie, Minister of Railways, to-day made a statement in the House concerning the second southern express. He said that, after being approached by the southern members, he had lost no time before going into the matter. The question of keeping on the express was a much larger one than it had at first appeared. The proposal was that they should continue until after the Easter holidays the service instituted at Christmas. He had been inclined to favour the proposal if it could be nut into effect without loss. The extension after the Christmas holidays had been made to cover the period over which the excursion tickets were issued. To continue the service would mean a tremendous r loss of money, amounting to £BOOO a month. [At the present time he could not possibly recommend anything involving such a loss. The Department had curtailed the service in the North Island, and he could not recommend the General Manager to continue the southern express without recommending him to continue the northern express as well. If the business was sufficient to make it reasonable to put on another train, that would be done so as to meet the public convenience as far as possible.