TRAIN TIME TABLE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 3809, 21 April 1913, Page 4

TRAIN TIME TABLE.

THE ALTERED SERVICE. SETTLERS UP IN ARMS. Settlers living beyond Te Karaka are up in arms regarding the new train time-table, by which the morning train going up will proceed only as far as Te Karaka on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The new time-table, which is announced to commence as from May 1, is, in brief, as follows: —The morning train leaving town at S o’clock will proceed only to Te Karaka on TuesdaySj Thursdays, and Fridays, preceding on other days of the week right through to Otoko, where it- is due at 10.35 a.m. There will be a train from Otoko to Te Karaka on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, leaving Otoko at 4.1 S p.m. The afternoon train from Gisborne leaves at 4.5 p.m. instead of 4.10, as formerly, and proceeds through to Otoko. reaching there at 6.35 p.m. Messrs T. Spence and A. Hegarty. members of the Waikohu County Council, told a “Times” reporter that they could scarcely believe the truth of the report. Why the service was to be curtailed, they could scarcely imagine. It was an important district. It was frequently said that the line was one of the best' paying in the Dominion, and both were of opinion that a greater amount of freight was taken by the train from Puha than any other station on the line. Why, then, should the best source on the line be penalised? ilr H. Telford told the reporter that ho did not consider any alteration to tho time-table should take place until the new section to Matawai was taken over, because it would necessarily mean further re-adjust-ment and inconvenience in the matter of a few months time. There wqs also the matter of a man being called on, say, on Saturday, to forward s<» many slisep to town from Waikohu or Otoko. It would very probably mean that they could not be got to town before Wednesday, and great inconvenience would Ik? caused. If he got the trucks on Monday, it would certainly mean Wednesday before the sheep could be got down. A still further sore point with settlers is that they may Ik? deprived of their daily mail service. The Motu coach at present leaves Waikohu on I uesdays and Thursdays, and tlie mail would thus bo missing on those days. Feeling is decidedly high over the matter and a movement is already atoot, to have representations made to the Department with a view to having what is regarded as a wrong rectified.

Settlers allege further sJx>rteom- ; ings’ in the service which will form portion of their protest.