WEDNESDAY TRAIN

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19803, 19 May 1934, Page 21

WEDNESDAY TRAIN

SCHEDULE NOT SUITABLE FOR FARMERS. “Farmers who travel by the special train from Timaru to Christchurch on Wednesdays, for the purpose of attending the Addington stock sale have, through the late arrival of the train, to pay 2/- a head more for store sheep, than the man who travels by road and reaches the sale earlier,” declared Mr J. C. Bisdee at yesterday's meeting of the South Canterbury executive of the Farmers’ Union. The matter was introduced when a letter was read from the district railways traffic manager in reply to the Union's representations that the train leave Timaru earlier. It was pointed out in the letter that careful investigations were made when the service was first inaugurated, and it was found that the present schedule was the most suitable for the majority of the users of the train. Timaru businessmen would not favour any extension of the time available in Christchurch involving almost a start of an hour earlier from Timaru. It was pointed out that farmers If they desired earlier attendance at the sale would be obliged to travel by road. Mr J. Trotter suggested that the matter be brought under the notice of the Chamber of Commerce, and this was unanimously approved. It was mentioned by Mr F. Charles that in his opinion the train should be speeded up. On one occasion the train was held up for quite a time waiting for a racehorse float.