THE RAILWAYS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16919, 19 December 1922, Page 4

THE RAILWAYS.

CANTERBURY COMMITTEE MEETS. \ The Railway Committee of the Canterbury Progress League met yesterday; present—Messrs H. J. Marrinev (in the chair), W. Stringieinan, J. D Mitchell, H. Holland, W. H. Nicholson and P. R. Climic. Mr F. A. Grant, Railway Commercial Agent, was in attendance, accompanied by Mr J. B. Mitchell. District Traffic Manager. The clerk to the Riccarton Borough Council wrote asking if the committee could meet members of the council at the Riccarton railway station on a date to be arranged to confer regar 1ing certain improvements which the council intended to propose. These included provision of a loading bank for drays. The committee decided to meet the council as proposed on Thursday, January 18, the time to be fixed later. exhibition excursions. A Dunedin visitor to the Exhibition wrote stating that at Dunedin he lia 1 asked for a return tourist ticket for the Exhibition, but was told that these tickets were not issued from Dunedin. As he thought the Exhibition would ’ e of interest to Otago and Southland visitors, a* well as residents of Canterbury. the question of the tickets might be considered. It was stated that excursion tickets were now in force.

OXFOED-R ANGIORA. The Eyre County Council wrote bringing under notice the following suggestions:—(l) A train leaves Oxfor t lor Rangiora in the mornings, passing Bennetts 1 at 7.24. The train from Bennetts to Kaiapoi leaves at 7.17, thus not allowing passengers from Ox--ford to make use of the shorter route to Kaiapoi or leave the train at the intermediate stations. As the Bennetts train waits seventeen minutes in Ka : apoi before the Oxford-Rangiora one come along, there seems no good reason why the train should leave Bennetts seven minutes before the Oxford train reaches there. It looks rather as if this were an instance of the working of that official mind which Mr Stringleman claims does not exist. (2) There being no trains on the Bennetts-Kaiu - poi line on Tuesdays, stock cannot be run down to Addington on that day for Wednesday’s sale. The Wednesday train does not reach Kaiapoi till 8.60 and cannot catch the stock train thai leaves there at 8.3. and as stock will not be taken by the express leaving Kaiapoi at 9.7. none can go down on Wednesday in time for the sale, .-s stock is held back until a goods train leaves during the morning, but too lat-' for the sale. It is suggested that the Bennetts-Kaiapoi train should continue through to Addington immediately fo’lowing the express on Wednesday at Mr Olimie said the matter had been under consideration by the Department before. Mr Grant said the timetable had been arranged some years ago at the request of the local bodies and residents concerned. Statistics showed that really tjiere was not one passenger a month travelling by the route suggested. The average number of passengers from Bennetts to Kaiapoi wa> 16. With regard to stock Mr Mitchell said a trial was made of running a special train. Tt ran ten times and carried fifteen trucks, or an average o-f a truck and a half a trip. Apparently there was not sufficient stock to warrant a special train.

Mr Nicholson said the previous train did not get to Addington early enouga 1 ( a train scheduled to get the stoex to the sale in time was arranged it might be supported more. It was decided to arrange a meeting with the council to discuss the proposal. SINGLE TICKET PERIOD. The General Manager of the Rad ways wrote stating that the extension of the period of availability of single tickets was at present under considers, tion with a view to increasing the time now allowed. There were, how ever, objections to reverting to th*» period of one month. A QUESTION OF CHARGES. A letter was received from the New Zealand Motor Trade Association asking for investigation into charges of 26s 8d for haulage and wharfage of a stated that the. shipper would have preferred to drive the car to the ship’s side, but owing to some railway regulation the car had to be put on waggon and shunted to the wharf. Ar Christchurch the practice was to drive cars to Lyttelton, alongside the ship,* the driver returning by train, tlio cost being (A 3d, whereas if it was raileJ from Christchurch the charges woul 1 be Cl Os 9d. Air Mitchell said the Timnru wharf was not constructed for vehicular traffie. Mr Climic said the matter involved an arrangement between the Tim am Harbour Board and the Department. ‘

SEASON TICKET REGULATIONS. Correspondence was rend dealing with the practice of the Railway Department in regard to the issue of season tickets. Tt was stated that a ticket issued in the middle of tb" month was ante-dated the first, of the month of the day of issue. Mr Grant said the principle was the same as adopted by English and Australian railways. Mr Mitchell said the tickets were all marked in such a wav ns to indicate the particular month in which thev expired. It was a business arvnu.gemen l for the examination and collection of tickets. The expiring month was printed on the ticket in two-inch letters. so that a person fading to renew hi* ticket had only himself to blame., The letter was received. MOTOR CARRIAGES. The General Manager of Railway* ir reply to a communication from th rt committee, wrote stating that the question of adopting motor passenger carriages to compete with motor transport bv road had been engaging the attention of the Department already, and on completion of investigations he would report the result. NO REDUCTIONS.

A further letter from the General Manager dealt with the question or issuing return tickets at reduced rates and the reservation of seats. In refer, ence to the former, he stated that no alteration could be made at present. Tho time was not opportune for making a reduction in passenger fares ■which on the whole were lower than those charged in any of the Australian States. RESERVED SEATS. With regard to the reservation of seats, tho General Manager’s letter stated that this system was introduced primarily in the interests of the long distance passengers, and for this reason was confined entirely to mail and express trains. The distance limit of 100 miles had been decided upon as the most practicable. He was cf opinion that to bring the limit down to. say, fiftv miles would at rush times be quite unworkable. Mr Climic said his idea in asking that the limit be reduced was to in-

clude some of the Canterbury branches which were not one hundred miles in length. A notable ease was the Arthur’s Pass line, on which *eats could not be reserved at present. Of course the line would extend when the tunnel was opened. A member mentioned the Culverdeu line as one on which one right of •e----servation would b ■ of benefit in th • case of invalids travelling to Hanmer. It was decided to bring this case under the notice of the Department.