The Waipa Post. PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY. TUESDAY, MAY 2, 1911. OUR RAILWAYS.

Waipa Post, Volume I, Issue 5, 2 May 1911, Page 2

The Waipa Post. PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY. TUESDAY, MAY 2, 1911. OUR RAILWAYS.

WE are led to understand that the railway authorities in Auckland are going to try a new method of handling the goods and parcel traffic for the country. Instead of forwarding right away as at present, merchants and others are to be advised that on certain days, trucks will be made up for different places on the line, and any goods sent in are to be detained until the truck is made up, save and except when a full truck load is sent in. That will secure immediate despatch. We hope that the new system will give better results than the one now in vogue, but we have our doubts. Perhaps if the Minister of Railways was to make an appeal to those who travel, something of the same kind might be introduced in the handling of passengers. If all those who travel to Te Awamutu, say, could be induced to do so on certain days, it, might be possible to get the Department to run a train right through from Auckland, without making “ all change” at Frankton. At all events, we may rest assured that any improvement in the passenger service will have to come from the people themselves. The method or want of it —shown by the authorities in handling the passenger traffic, must have convinced anyone who thought about the matter at all/that thbse who are in charge of our railways have not the faintest idea how they should be managed in order to give comfort and convenience to the traveller and good results to the Department. It only requires a few extra people to make up their minds to move round the country a little and the whole service is disorganised. As witness what must have been patent to everyone who used the railways during the recent holidays. All trains running late, all travellers put to inconvenience, the majority of them annoyed because there was no accommodation for them on the train, and then the worry of getting to their destinations hours late, missing connections by boat, etc. We do not blame the railway officials for this state of things, which is a disgrace to us as a civilized country. Some of the higher paid officials are doubtless in fault, as the Minister in charge can have no practical experience of running railways ; but if Mr Millar desired, he could very soon alter this state of things, either by replacing those who are responsible, or waking them up to a sense of their responsibility. But without question the blame rests on the shoulders of the Minister himself. And as he persistently refuses to see that the service is brought up to date, there is only one other alternative, and that is for the people to insist upon a change being made, and a live man put in chai'ge of the railways. We hear of discontent in the service, and men who should be worth keeping, leaving by scores, and we cannot wonder at it. The way the service is mismanaged is enough to

worry the poor rank and file official into his grave, and the person who is the cause and source of all the trouble, looks on with placid content, and smilingly says, I have realised my ambition ; the railways are paying interest on their construction. And he thinks the whole end and aim of existence is realised. We shall return to this subject again, but we hope the efforts that are being made by the Press to rouse the minds of the people on this subject will be successful.