The Star. SEPTEMBER 12, 1903.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7808, 12 September 1903, Page 4

The Star. SEPTEMBER 12, 1903.

■"' In the absence of tf» full text of Sir ,f oseph Ward's reply to Mr T. E. Taylor, it b not easy to fathom entirely the Minister s ,*»«» for decliniug to extend the period during which Christmas excursion tickets „c issued on the railways. Mr Taylor, it WiU be remembfted, asked the Minister fco wtond the period by twelve days, from 2to January 14. Six Joseph Warn IpUod that the dates of issue were properly jpstrioted to the bona fide holiday season, pod tihat to extend the issue beyond January 2 would result in a considerable loss af avenue without conferring proportionate on those persons who did^not travel between CJhristmas and the New year. If, he added, workers were to ha*e •xcorsion tickets on other dates, the Department would have to require certificates from foyers, amd this system would be un- - -workable. The practice here was identical With that followed elsewhere, and the De'mrtmeot was of opinion that the public was already well catered for in the matter of extunm tickets. We purposely print the Wtofe available summary of the Ministers wply because we .beliaye it to be worth ■while examining categorically. The -Minister says the sale of excursion tickets is properly restricted to the "bona §de holiday Siaou."- This, after all, is a matter of tojdnion. If by "bona fide holiday season, ■hTmeans that period of the year between Cb*istanas Day and New. Year's Day, he will fiad that there exists a* very wide opuuon Ast the restriction is by no means proper. Jt prevents all but a limited section of the fvblio from t-iihg advantage of tbe railway : sonc-sssions, aad, what ; is more, there is wason to believe that the few who benefit fey them are practically the same ueraoms "#»& year. With regard to the Minister's f : ttri*-_B*ioa that as* extension, of the issue <WooVs *wul fc in considerable loss of revenue i?>rithout " conferring commensurate advajn*ayx" Sir Joseph Ward will find some diffi«jfltv in convincing the public that he is 1 jifcht. If the step resulted in a loss of re--renus tbe result would certainly be in direct >pporitK» to the effect of __esfly every simi3ar experiment tried during vie last three or four years j while as for its not coiif erring any advantage on travellers, the Minister Lmiwtiurely be joking. If it is only possible to : issue excursion tickets at the cost of obtaining certificates from an applicant's employer by all means insist on tho production of a certificate. W$ cannot believe that such Mi arrangement would prove unworkable or even tp&t it would cause the Department ftKteh -nconveo-ei-ce. The practice followed £v New Zealand may be identical with the krostom in use elsewhere, and the Department may be justified in declaring tihat the public is already well catered for in the matter of excursion tickets, but are these suffi- ;■ c|ent arguments against the step urged by Mr Taylor? We are sceptical enoujgh to (think ; not? The systems of other countries .fere probably open to improvement, and, well catered for as the people of this country are, there is surely no reason why still better -provision could not be made foe them.