The Daily News. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1901. NEW ZEALAND RAILWAYS. HOLIDAY ARRANGEMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 289, 7 December 1901, Page 2

The Daily News. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1901. NEW ZEALAND RAILWAYS. HOLIDAY ARRANGEMENTS.

Feb favour of the local station master, Mr Day, wo are in receipt of a lot of printed mitter (including the timetable for the month) relating to tbe running of trains during Christmas and New Year. As usual, tha department I bas made admirable arrangements for the holiday season. Excursion rates will be issued from Wedoes ay, 18th December, till Thursday, January 2nd, both days inclusive, available for return up to Wednesday, February 19th. These tickets, at tbe rate of 2d and Id per mile, are issued from any station to any station not leas than 24 miles apart. In other words the penny or twopence is based on a minimum of two shillings or four shillings, the mileage being counted one way only. We hope to see the day when these excursion fares will apply to all stations irrespective of mileage. Why should not the penny and twopence a mile rate be universil, and apply ti even one mile. This would be a reil Christmas box that the people of New Zealand would appreciate, and would make Sir Joseph Ward's name as famous in irailway matters as the penny postage I has in another direction. As the thing works now, it means that Ingle woodNew Plymouth passengers during Christmas have to pay the minimum of four shillings or two shillings, according to class, while those to and from Stratford only pay five shilliogs end two shillings and sixpence, although the one is 17 and the otber3o miles from New Plymouth. Why should mot Inglewood passengers pay twoIshillings and tenpence and one shilling and fivepence ? It has besn shown that what makes a railway pay is the number of fares a siog'e seat earns |in the course of the train journey from terminus to terminus, and v, e feel sure iif the -fenny and twopence per mile system was adopted for all distances between stations from Hawera to New ' Plymouth, the profit on the local section would be largely increased. As regards long distance rates, we consider the department bas been exceedingly liberal, and all the arrangements for .visiting the principal attractions of the colony leave nothing to be desired. For the sum of £B, anyone can travel for six weeks over the whole Government railways, for £5 they can travel over the North Island lines for four weeks, and for £6 weeks over the Middle Island lines for four weeks. Special arrangements are made to enable touris's to reach Rotorua in the North Island, the Hamner Springs in the South Island, or the Southern Alps and the Like Districts of Otago, at very moderate cost. The people of New Zealand have every reason to be satisfied with the efforts that have been made to enable those who can get away from home to sea so much of the beautiful land in which they live, at so small a cost in time or money.