CHEAP FARES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 June 1942, Page 4

CHEAP FARES

TO CONTINUE FOR VISITS TO CAMPS ELIMINATION IN CANTERBURY AN ERROR. STATEMENT BY RAILWAYS MINISTER. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. “Through some mistake, the special excursion fare on railways for visitors to the Canterbury mobilisation camp has been eliminated,” said the Minister of Railways (Mr Semple) this morning. He added that he regretted exceedingly what had happened, and had taken immediate steps to see that the former cheap fare was restored. It' had never been intended that the abolition of excursion fares should apply .to trains going to any camps in New Zealand. “We have had to cut out weekend excursions all over the Dominion because of the shortage of coal and the tremendous strain on the railways, at the moment, particularly as engine drivers are working over sixty hours a week and have been doing so for months past,” said the Minister. “The main thing is to conserve coal and stop needless pleasure trips, but through some mistake the elimination of excursion provisions has been applied to a trip to a camp where soldiers are visited by their wives, families, relatives and friends. I have communicated with the General Manager of Railways (Mr Casey) and he has taken steps to have the cheap fare restored. If trips to other camps in the country are affected, the old fares will be restored there too.”