WHY?

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXV, Issue 13058, 28 April 1910, Page 4

WHY?

The Hon. J. A. Millar,, Minister of Pailways—let the fact be also borne in mind that he is a South Island member of a mostly South Island, Cabinet!—immediately after his return from Australia gave some of his impressions on railway management there. Some of his conclusions arc easily open to criticism, but just now wo propose to refer to only one point raised by the Minister. Ho. remarked 11 at ho was more than ever convinced of the unreasonableness of the demand for a second express between Wellington and Auckland —North Island cities. His reason was that he found one express per day sufficed between Sydney and Melbourne, remarking that their combined population amounted ■ to over -a million. Between Christchurch and Invercargill—•• South Island towns—there arc what, may bo described as H expresses a day. That is to say, one express goes right through; the other, say on the southward run, goes to Dunedin, and an early express completes the journey next forenoon. The same applies going north. Even that concession is not given on the AucldandWcl.i.’.gton run. Christchurch and Invercargill haven’t half a million of population each; net by a distance. Why is it, Mr Millar? Is the poor South Island again suffering in railway expenditure ?.i comparison with the North?