EXPRESS CURTAILMENT

Southland Times, Issue 19771, 20 February 1923, Page 5

EXPRESS CURTAILMENT

SOUTHLAND LEAGUE’S PROTEST NOT ENDORSED BY CANTERBURY (Special to the Times). CHRISTCHURCH, February 19. The curtailment of the ChristchurchInvercargill Railway Service was the subject of a brief discussion at to-day’s meeting of the District Railway Committee of the Canterbury Progress League. The matter was brought up by a telegram from the Southland League, stating that it had forwarded a protest to the Department against the curtailment and asking the Canterbury League’s co-operation, by endorsing that action.

Mr J. B. Mitchell said a sendee slightly curtailed had come into operation that day. The result would be that the through Christ-church-Invercargill express would, in future, run on three days, instead of daily. The service was a little better than that before Christmas, as there would still be the former daily connection with Dunedin. Mr H. Holland said that in view of the Minister’s statement in that morning’s papers, ho did not see how the League could endorse the Southland League’s protest. The chairman, Mr H. J. Marriner, said that when the whole world was clamouring for economy, the League had no right to ask any department to carry on something that meant a loss of £9OOO a week. Personally he would not vote for asking the Government to put the service on. He knew that in winter months, especially some of the trains, were poorly patronised, and in any case, after all the number of through passengers was very few. It was decided, in view of the Minister’s statement, that the League could not endorse the protest of the Southland League.