THE FLOODS AND THE TRAIN SERVICE.

Waikato Independent, Volume V, Issue 327, 22 January 1907, Page 5

THE FLOODS AND THE TRAIN SERVICE.

(TO the kdttoh.)

Sir,—Under the heading of " N.Z. ltailwavs—lnterruption by Floods," in Saturday's issue of .your paper, appears a notice intimating that persons holding through tickets issued on or before Monday, January 14th, will be conveyed free by steamer past ttie impracticable part of the railway line. Passengers who do not hold through tickets, issued on or before the above date, will have to pay their own steamer fare—a slight matter of seven shillings! Of all the impositions this is one of the most glaring. In strict observance, persons using tickets now for the first time that were issued on or before above date are liable to a fine, for does it not say on tickets that they must be used on day of issue to travel" a distance oj 25 miles ? On and before Monday, January 14th, the train service was not interfered with by floods and trains were running as usual. Is it likely that any person would have the foresight to make use of this magnanimous offer of nothing, whereas persons leaving Cambridge on the loth and 16th were not apprised of the impracticable state of the line, but were allowed to purchase their tickets without a negative word of warning and proceed as far as the water's edge, and then turned back with snipped tickets. Then, when a promptness of action was needed and a correct statement of affairs made public, the official ability seemed lost in meditation about the flood. Now, when some amendment can be made to establish a river service and allowing foremost those persons whose time and money was thrown away on futile travelling to make use of it with their already purchased through tickets, they cast up the tone of perversity, knowing full well there will be few, if any, to accept it. Thus a trivial play of Nature seems to cripple human understanding, but "fiat justitia, ruat coelum."—l am, etc., Nota Bene: