RAILWAY MISMANAGEMENT AND RED TAPEISM.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 11821, 19 November 1901, Page 2

RAILWAY MISMANAGEMENT AND RED TAPEISM.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,— Allow me through, the medium of your paper to call the attention, not only of the travelling public but of those who are responsible, to the following mismanagement and red tapeism. I was at the Henwood Road railway station on, Wednesday, 6th inst., to meet the 7.25 a.m. train from New rlymouth to tnglewood. Bear this in "mind, the mail train has always and does stop at. Henwood ltoad to r-M<- U P and set down passengers, and on that day the train stopped to picli me up and after doing so the guard would not take mo as I only wunted to go as far as Inglewood. Ho said ho, could not book me unless I booked through to Hawcra. I told him I did not want booking at all as .1 had a return ticket, but ho would not let me travel by that train unless I booko-1 to Hawera. Now I fail to see why the travelling public cannot bo accommodated when this train stops at both stations required, nnd 1 fail to see why they could not have taken me to Inglewood as well as ITawera. Another injustice is if 1 had come to New Plymouth, a distance of 5 miles, I could havo travelled by that train, but because I. was ai Henwood Road I could not be booked nearer than* Hawcra, which Is 45 miles from Henwood Road, having to book through Inglewood, Stratford, Eltharu and Nornianby, which seems to mo quite a mistake, when you can book from Inglowood to Henwood Road by any 1 avenger train. Hoping this may have the desired effect of remedying an evil, thanking you m anticipation.— l am, &c, J. GEORGE, J ( nglewood. (Mr George overlooks the point that the express train is not intended to accommodate local traffic. The aim of the Department is to make as few stoppages as iossible, leaving the slow train to do tho local work. The fact tnat passengers for places on this side of Hawera cannot be booked at Henwood Road is advertised, and the guards have no option- but to carry out the regulation, which; after all, is intended for public convenience— Ed. T.H.)