RAILWAY DIKING GARS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2690, 21 December 1909, Page 2

RAILWAY DIKING GARS.

DO THEY PAY? There is now, in at least a technical sfense, a dining car on the Napier-Wel-lington express (remarks > the “Napier Telegraph”). It is a- experiment. The Minister, for a long period firmly—if that is the word—setting his face against all suggestions for a dining car, at last consented to place one on the train for a few months to see if it would “pay.” If at does not it is to be taken off. As present a-rrangements stand it is difficult to see how it can pay. It runs only from Napier to ■Waipukurau. There it is taken off, the train goes on for the remaining 150 miles without it, and the car itself waits at Waipukurau till the evening, when it is picked up by the Welling-ton-Napier train and brought on to Napier again. Such an arrangementalmost of a certainty involves that a bookkeeping statement cf profit and loss must show the latter. Instead of the car being a dining car it is only a car for providing breakfast and teas. Apparently the Minister, or the Department, or whoever should be blamed, . has something to. learn yet. Before the Manawatu line was taken over by the Government the directors of that undertaking ran a dining car on the line, and apparently it- paid. If it would not pay now what is wrong with the new management.

On general grounds the contention of the Minister that the lines should be made to pay at least 3 per cent is wise. That being so, why is it not put into practice? In the South no lines pay. In the South lines that do not pay run dining cars. In the North, all the lines pay. The Napier-Wood-ville line pays handsomely, pays far more than the 3 per cent minimum. If this line is to be tested for its right to a dining car, on the “pay” principle, then the total earnings of the line furnished with a dining car should be taken into account. Suppose, for example, the line now pays 4 per cent, and a fraction over. Further assume that if a dining car is kept on the fraction will be lost. Then the line will still be paying one per cent oyer the official minimum, and be returning an actual profit over cost cf construction and maintenance. It is from this point of view the problem should be considered. From that point of view also, the dining cars on the Southern lines should be taken off.