“SCHOOL CHILDREN ON TRAINS.”

Southland Times, Issue 20617, 16 October 1928, Page 3

“SCHOOL CHILDREN ON TRAINS.”

To the Editor. Sir,—I do not know the facts of the actual leading up to this discussion but the wonder is that the travelling public did not lodge complaints years ago and Mr Jones is to be highly credited for having even at this late stage made a move that may lead to the Department giving this nuisance attention. Why should the poor unfortunate passengers (the only persons who pay their fare) be subjected to annoyance by being compelled to travel in the same carriage with these lawless boys, many of whom should be following a team. The financial side would be humorous if it were not so serious to the country that in a carriage full the guard comes through and collects a few shillings from the few passengers that now use the train while he examines the free passes of scores of others, and yet these free riders are allowed to act in such wav? as to annoy the few who pay. The following is a true case of which I know personally. A widowed lady had taken a position as housekeeper in the backblocks and a daughter about 15 was going out to see her. Her mother had arranged with her to meet her at a certain station. It was a dark night in the middle of winter. The girl had never been along that line before. The train stopped at a station and the girl asked some boys that were in the same carriage if this was . ‘Yes,” they replied, knowing perfectly well it was not. She accordingly quickly seized her dress basket and jumped off. It was only a flag station. The train went on its way and she found herself left there alone in the dark. She started to walk not knowing where and after walking several miles along a road well known to the writer on which there is not a house, she came to the first homestead. She made her way to a light and found it to be the men’s hut. She stated her case and found she was a long way from her destination and on the opposite side of a river. One of the men put a horse in a dray and put her over the river. She had still three miles to walk in the dark and reached there towards midnight almost in a state of collapse. Her mother, who had long been in bed, had gone to the right station and thought she must have missed the train. What would be fitting punishment for such boys whose parents would perhaps never known of what they had done? Now while it is only fair to say that there are many, especially country boys, who behave quite nicely, yet they are not all the exemplary youths who step into the trains and sit as quiet as mice that “Izay” and “Justice” would have us believe. It really does not matter a great deal now because few, except school children, use the trains on the branch lines, but the time was when there was much need for discipline to protect the paying public. As far as girls are concerned, with exception of perhaps an isolated case, they behave like little ladies and, as before stated, many of the boys are little gentlemen and speak politely and raise their caps to their elders; but there are those who are over-fed and underworked.—l am, etc., CONSTANT TRAVELLER.