RAILWAY EXCURSION

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 27, 31 January 1929, Page 5

RAILWAY EXCURSION

STRATFORD CRITICISM. NEW PLYMOUTH EXPLANATION The. remarks made by a local business man in Stratford regarding New Plymouth's part in connection with Mountain Excursion on Sunday,, and published in the Post, were referred to Mr. G. M. Sjpence, President of the New Plymouth Tourist League, and Mr. Val Duff, Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, by the Taranaki Herald- It was ascertained from them, says the Herald, that on Dcceber 20 Mr. Duff reported to the Chamber of Commerce having had a conversation with a representative of the Railway Department regarding the possibility of an excursion being run to New Plymouth similar to those being run elsewhere. At that time he had! v.o knowledge whatever that an excursion to Stratford was being considered- Mr. Duff was instructed to communicate with the department asking if an excursion could bo arranged, and later an official came to New Plymouth and said an excursion was being run. to Stratford on January 2 (J, and that pas-

sengers %vere also being booked through to New Plymouth, although New Plymouth was not being included as an official part of the excursion. TRAIN] HAD TO CO ON. It was pointed out that lur departmental purposes vne tram i*uu to come to iNev Plymouth; uie engine had to be turned and the carriages cleaned, and that under the circumstances .they were giving people an opportunity of coming to New Plymouth if they so* wished. This was reported to the January meeting of thq Chamber of Commerce and ii>. was decided that, as it wa» not an official excursion to New Plyouth, and as time was- so short, it would be better to leave the matter of a definite excursion over until next season.

; Tliis decision was conveyed to th© Railway Department, A representat-

live of the department arrived in New Plymouth, on January 12 and, getting in touch with Mr. Duff, explained that his chief would not' agree to passengers being brought to New Plymouth in excursion trains unless provision was made, for handling them on arrival.

Following upon this conversation a conference took place between the department's representative and the chamber, and the railway officer asked what Could bo done for tourists whilo they were here, and what accommodation was available. He was supplied with the names of hotels and boarding-houses in New Plymouth, and he himself obtained information as to other accommodation and tariffs. Tt was arranged with the White | Star service that they would provide motor transport to take any tourists who might arrive round New Plymouth on a sight-seeing tour en the Sunday morning, the amount of the faro to be included, in tho railway faro. NEW PLYMOUTH'S PART. An tuao the wiuuiu« 01 uouuuercb ana the '.tourist, were asKWI to do was ,0U receipt of a telegram stating tiio luimuer of tuimsis lor. iNew l'lyniouth on tuo tram, \o arrange lor transport of. viu» visaors U, tneir hotqb and the requisite amount ol niuLor transport to be teady on the Sunday morning. No udormat/.on had been received by the chamber or league en Saturday, and no arrangements of w»y kind were made until 7.30 on Saturday night, when the secretary oi the chamber received advice that o 9 excursionists would bo arriving by the train at 8.30. The Tramways Department was advised to put on buses to handle this number of people, and the White Star was also advised. Mr. Duffi was asked to arrange accommodation. It should be. made quite clear that 1 the Chamber of Commerces and the I Tourist League never lilted one fingUr to get the tourists to, come to New Plymouth. They recognised that this was a. Stratford excursion | and had net desire to draw to New Plymouth any visitors who might be desirous of staying at Stratford Those who came to New Plymouth came, entirely on their own initiative, either because they wanted to visit friends here or to .see the; town, aind were unanimous in their expressions of satisfaction with the arrangements made by the Railway Department. So far as the Railway Department was concerned, it should be stated that for departmental purposes it was necessary for the train to come on to New Plymouth. Under the circumstances was the, department to run an empty) train from Stratford to New 1 Plymouth, m to give those who desired "an opportunity of coming on to Now Plymouth.