RAILWAY SERVICES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12707, 31 July 1919, Page 3

RAILWAY SERVICES.

GENERAL MANAGER'S STATEMENT.

[Per Press Association.] WELLINGTON, July 30. The General Manager of Railways said to-night that before very much could he done in removing, the restrictions on the carriage of goods by rail the Department must be able to get a considerable quantity of coal, say 16,000 or 20,000 tons a week for sis or seven weeks, and then have a regular supply in sight for some time ahead. Coal was dribbling in slowly at present, and very frequently the amount arriving was not equal to the consumption. Mr M’Villy added: "We are hopeful that people will accept the invitation that has been extended to them to stay at home in order that we may carry more goods. If it is found that people do not accept our imitation, the Deparraent will be forced to take more drastic measures. We shall have to restrict the number of carriages to he put on trains. We cannot go on carrying unessential passenger traffic, because the haulage 'is needed for the carriage of goods, which are necessary to keep the industries of the country going and so keep a large number of men in employment.'"’

POSITION IN MELBOURNE. A statement appearing in the Melbourne “ Argus ” of recent date states : that from Sunday last arrangements were to be put into operation to pro- ■ vide that on Sundays approximately 50 per cent of the suburban train services will bo cancelled, also the whole of the trams on the St Kilda-Brighton and Sandringham-Black Rock lines. The Sunday trains run outside the suburban area which are not required for milk traffic will be cancelled. On week-days' approximately 50 per cent of. the suburban trains after 7 p.m-, and the ! whole of the St Kilda-Brighton and Sandringham-Black Rock trains after 7 p.m. will be cancelled. A proportion of the Country _ passenger and mixed trains will be discontinued. * : The Victorian railways hold a reserve ' of coal sufficient to last for full requirements for approximately five weeks, and this reserve has been maintained, notwithstanding the continuance of the regular services, by reas'on of the large quantities of coal that‘the .'Railways Commissioners have been and are still bringing overland at considerable expense from New. South Wales. The , continuance of this source of supply , and of the Output from the State mine at Wonthagoy will enable the railway services to be maintained with comparatively little interruption; but if the coal miners ceased working and all | sources of supply wore thereby cut off, it would he immediately necessary to drastically curtail the train services in order to enable the most pressing transport requirements of the State to bo carried on for as long as possible.

These curtailments would be. such that all non-essential goods traffic woiild require to be declined, and the train service for passengers reduced to such an extent that passengers would onlv be able to travel when necessary for urgent business reasons. The Piailwnys Department is already carrying large quantities of firewood and raallee roots by rail, and is affording transport for the black coal from the Victorian mines and for a.II the brown coal that is being mined at Morwell. and it will he able to effectively handle the increased quantity of brown coal which the Government is arranging to produce there. The Ministry hopes that by the utilisation of the surplus slack coal from AVoiithaggh the use of coal from other Victorian mines, and the extended use of brown coal, also of firewood, mallee roots and oil, the needs of the electric supply Companies and other essential industries. as well as domestic requirements, will be met in such a way as to enable the present state of affairs to be maintained. or even somewhat improved. No tramcars, whether cable or electric, will be run in Melbourne after 7 •o’clock in the evening as long as the present position continues, and there will also be no tramcars running on Sunday. This means a reduction of between 25 and 30 per cent in the hours during which tramcars are running; From this follows a similar reduction in the time worked by the employees- As far as the employees are concerned, this difficulty will be met by the men working shorter hours, and. of course, receiving smaller wages- The reason for stopping the trams _in the evening in preference to reducing the service during the “ slack ” hours is that the latter course would hot mean any appreciable reduction in the consumption of coal. Under the arrangements made the fires in the furnaces will he allowed to go out at seven o’clock, and-he relighted next morning. Any other course would mean that they would have to be kept up,' or at best “ banked.” and little or nothing would he saved. .

TRAGEDY AT SPREYDQN. _* : : GIRL- FATALLY SHOT. A distressing tragedy occurred yesterday afternoon, as the result of which a child named Eleanor' Coventry, ten Tears and eleven months of age, met her death through receiving a gunshot wound in the abdomen. The father of the child, Frederick .' Coventry, a joiner, who resides at ISO, Selwyn Street, told the Coroner; Mr T. A. B. Bailey. S.M., at an inquest opened last night, that at 3.45 p.m. yesterday his son came to him at his work and told him that " Helen had shot ; herself.'" 5 He went home immediately, and there learnt from his wife that she had gone .out at 1.45 p.m., when the deceased was preparing dinner. "When she reached home, sho leamt that deceased had been shot. The gun produced belonged to witness. It was kept in the front bedroom, unloaded, and had not been used for over ten months. Deceased had been told not to touch it. She had never been Ehown how to us* it. She was always of a cheerful disposition. Evidence was also given by Olive Rita Jenkins, sixteen years of age, who stated that at about 2.40 p-m. yesterday she heard a shot, and then heard the deceased call out for help. She looked through the fence, and saw deceased lying covered in blood. She asked her what she had done, but she made no reply. "Witness then asked her where her mother was, and she Said she was | away from home. "Witness went and got a Mrs Kirbv to come to the de- ! ceased. Mrs fcirby asked- .deceased what bad happened, but she made no reply. The police had by this 1 time been communicated with, and deceased was removed to Vie Hospital, where she died soon after admission. -.'"..'v.; • At this stage the inquest was adjourned till 5.30 p.m. to-day.