THE RAILWAY RESTRICTIONS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVIII, Issue 16882, 1 August 1919, Page 3

THE RAILWAY RESTRICTIONS.

To theOESdjtor of the 'Timani Herald " be more ludicthan, the coal saving devices of the Minister Manager ol Railways? They have.sdecreed that travelling by be stopped. You must rise early and be at (the station more than-15 minutes before the train starts. You must satisfy the railway official tha/t your business is of sufficient importance.. iri b'is eyes, to justify tys issuing a ticket. The Minister suggests if you want ta go to a race meeting and say your aunt is dead a tickeic will be issued . AYhat a premium is thus being: put supon; dishonesty! I' Why these severe/restrictions on pasI "=pnger', traffic _ when one would think i that the last thine: one would undertake | for pleasure, at the present time, is a, railwav "jaumev with all i + s tediansness land inconveniences ? The ostensible I reason is thalfc the authorities m'ay be I able to cut out a passenger car jn order to carrv 16 tons of essential troods—such as "beer, wine and Spirits." The action of the authorities in cutting down passenger traffic while - • continuing to carry beer, wine and spirits freely, ran onlv be characterised by one word—fidd'ing. It used to be "women and children first," buis „with the- Minister and Manager of Railways it is "beer first." The President of the Auckland .Oh'amb'ei-' of Commerce; said that a consignment of lemonade was refused by the Railway Department, bu't the consignee was told that if he altered the consignment note to read "beer, 1 ' it would be accepted. This was done and the lemonade was-carried by train. The tx-cihairman, Mr H. Burns,' who was quoted in your columns-last as an authority .by the secretary of. ihe Licensed Victuallers' stated •that his firm had been iof used carnage on the railway for hosp'itali necessities while liquor was -beings carried. How long* will an indignant public tolerate this? Happily a day.reckoning both for the Government and the, liquor trade .draws near .—I am. etc., CONSISTENCY.