Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Third of A Century.] FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 1911. THE RAILWAY TIME-TABLE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXIII, Issue 9895, 27 January 1911, Page 4

Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Third of A Century.] FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 1911. THE RAILWAY TIME-TABLE.

As a result of the conference of representatives of public bodies, held yesterday, a deputation of three gentlemen will wait upon the Minister of Railways, and, on behalf of the Wairarapa, will request the following additions to, or amendments of, the present railway time-table :—

1. That the train leaving Mastertou at 7.30 a.m. leave at 7 a.m., and make faster time ou th 9 journey to Wellington than at present. 2. That the train now leaving Wellington for Masterton at 3 36 p.m. leave at 4.7 p.m. 3. That the train now leaving Woodville for the south at 8.15 a.m. leave about 7 a.m. arriving at Masterton soon after 10 o'clock. 4. That the train now leaving Cros3 Creek for the uorth at 5.25 a.m. take its departure five minutes earlier, departing from Masterton at 7.15 a.m., aud arriving at Palmerston at 11.30 a.m. 5. That the old 4.45 a.m. Well-ingfcon-Woodville train be reinstated.

According to the report of the proceedings, certain resolutions had been prepared, iv readiness for this conference, aud there is reason to suppose that the alterations to the time-table they suggested, had been very carefully thought out in all theii bearings. The members of the sub-committee which undertook this duty, probably fully appreciated the difficulties in the way of making alterations in a timetable, and understood how a scheme that seems to a layman to be quite feasible is, in the eyes of a railwayman, altogether impraoticable. The sub-committee, therefore, very wisely based its proposed resolutions oo the time-table drawn up and submitted to Parliament some months ago by Mr R. B Ross. M.P., a practical railwayman; and had all except oue (No. 4) of those seven resolutions been accepted and given effect to. Mr Ross's scheme, with a few infinitesimal ameudmentß. would have been brought into operation. Instead of this course being approved of by the members of the conference, however, and tho deputation being in a position to place before the Minister a complete and comprehensive and (what is more important in his eyes) an economical scheme, which we are assured would have withstood the critical attacks

of hostile railway experts, the conference adopted a series of resolutions which, considered altogether, fit into no parfeiouiar scheme, and whioh have not the merit of being urgently demanded by the district. We think we are correct in saying that what Masterton really wants are a 6.80 a.m. and a mid afternoon train northwards, and a very early train from Wellington. All of these were included in the resolution submitted to the meeting (for the 7 a.m. from Gross Creek probably meant the 4.45 a.m. from Wellington), but the deputation now has only authority to advocate the 4.45 am. from Wellington. This latter request has been made before, aud has bnen unfavourably received. In what manner, then, does the deputation expect its further representations oonoerning this train to be received by the Minister, when it is to ask at the same time for a 5.20 a.m. from Cross Creek to Masterton? Of the seven resolutions submitted to the meeting, only three survived, and they, thus isolated, are from the poiut of view of a man constructing a time-table, practically useless.

We may be unduly pessimistic; yet it Beems to us that this deputation, though composed of able and resourceful gentlemen, may meet the fate of other similar deputations—i.e., will prefer its reasonable request, and then will be overwhelmed by the ready figures and official data and clever defence which ova expects of the Hon. J. A. Millar. We think it rather a pity that the conference did not listen to the excellent practical advice tendered by Mr Hogg; and, when it beoame apparent that the members were not going to agree to the whole of the resolutions brought forward, to adopt in toto either the old time-table or that proposed by Mr Ross. Armed thus, and being thoroughly conversant aud guarded at all poiDts with every detail of the scheme proposed, the deputation might have waited upon the Minister of Railways with some degree of confidence and reasonable hopes of success. As Mr Hogg pointed out, there is little doubt, that the policy followed by the Department, of taking considerable Wairarapa traffic through the Manawatu Gorge, is proving unduly expensive, aud it is probable that the Minister is fully aware of the fact. If the deputation, while doing all iv its power to convince the Minister that the present time-table is the cause of considerable dissatisfaction, was also able to suggest a mutually satisfactory re-arrangement of the service, there is little doubt that the main idea would have been carefully considered, and all local conditions ("details," as Mr Hogg said) very closely studied by the Departmental officials. The Department might have been given a solid ground on which to work, instead of half-a-dozen disconnected suggestions. The only material change foreshadowed by the present proposals is the reinstatement of the old 4.45 train. However, if the deputation catches the Minister in a pleasant mood, all may yet be well.