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Picnic Traffic in Canterbury
Staff Enterprise Brings New Business

This season a special effort is being made in the Christchurch district to increase the passenger traffic by inducing schools, trade unions, factories, business houses and friendly societies to organise picnic parties.

Early in November last a member of the District Traffic Manager's staff was detailed to canvass all firms, etc., in Christchurch likely to hold annual excursions, and a similar canvass was made by stationmasters at other stations in the district. Prior to this the secretaries of all schools, etc., which had held picnics during the previous season had been communicated with by letter and advised to make arrangements as early as possible for their excursions. It was therefore decided not to call on these firms in the meantime, but to explore new ground by interviewing the employees of those firms who had never patronised the railway or travelled by rail during the previous year or so.

Each firm interviewed was supplied with a list of the various picnic grounds of the district, a schedule of the special picnic party rates, and a form of application for an excursion. The list of picnic grounds contained all the information that could be obtained concerning the places, such as distance from railway, name and address of controlling authority, shelter available, whether hot water and milk were provided, ground accommodation, and intimation of any special facilities.

In almost every case the visit of the Department's representative was appreciated and the managers of the various firms agreed to pass the information on to their staffs. It was found that it was not generally known that parties of 20 or more would be carried at the special low fares, many firms being under the impression that the rates applied to special train loads only.

In some instances it was found that the principals of business houses, etc., were reluctant to take the initiative in connection with the organisation of picnics, preferring that the first move should come from their employees. It was then decided to insert an advertisement in the daily papers calling attention to the special low rates for picnic parties, and it is considered the results have amply justified the expense.

By interviewing the various picnic committees the Department has been able to give more satisfaction and a wider choice of grounds to those firms who were unable to secure sufficient traffic to warrant a special train. Arrangements have been made for two or more small picnic parties to travel to different destinations on the same line of route thus obviating the provision of a guarantee as in the past.

In addition to factories, trade unions, business houses, etc., the following organisations have been interviewed:—Returned Soldiers' Association, Commercial Travellers' Association, Public Service Association, Post and Telegraph Association, Public Trust Training Class, Working Men's Clubs, Christchurch Postmen's Social Club.

These organisations were considered as coming under the heading of “other bodies approved by the Department.”

When it was found that the available car stock was being rapidly booked up the secretaries of all picnic committees who had held excursions the previous year were interviewed and persuaded to complete their arrangements in order that they would not be disappointed as far as dates were concerned.

Almost all factories and trade unions have to hold their excursions on a Saturday. During January and February school picnics have been accepted for other days of the week only. In November and December, however, applications for school excursions on Saturdays were granted as the demand for trades picnics had not set in.

In regard to school excursions a list has been prepared of all the schools in the district within reach of the railway, and as each school holds its picnic its name is struck off. Practically all the primary schools are utilising the railway for their picnics this year. It was found that many schools were unable to organise their own picnics by rail owing to the ordinary train services not being suitable and to the number of excursionists being insufficient to warrant the running of a special. To meet this position a number of small schools from adjoining stations were grouped and the chairmen of the school committees were advised that, providing sufficient support was forthcoming the Department was prepared to run a special excursion train to Christchurch on a certain stated date. They were also advised of the approximate times the train would leave and return to their station and the special fares applicable to their party. The committee then had practically all the information in front of them when the question of participating in the excursion came up for discussion. The response to this innovation was page 39 very satisfactory, the children from several schools travelling by rail, for the first time, for distances up to 82 miles. This method of inducing excursion traffic is capable of extension, particularly when applied to schools in isolated districts.

It must be admitted that the motor bus regulations have been responsible for the diversion of several small picnic parties to the railway this year, but there is no doubt that the canvass has been the means of increasing the excursion traffic. As an illustration of what a “Word in Season” may do, the recent Rangiora United Friendly Society's Picnic may be quoted: Whilst the officer who was canvassing was on a visit to Rangiora he made inquiries as to why the Friendly Societies in that town did not hold a picnic, and was informed that a meeting had been held the previous week and that it had been decided, owing to lack of enthusiasm, not to hold an excursion. It was then suggested that a further meeting should be called for the specific purpose of holding an excursion to Otira. The picnic fares were quoted and members of the various societies were agreeably surprised at the low rate. The suggested meeting was duly called and arrangements made with the result that on 3rd January two trains with a total of 1,000 excursionists left Rangiora for Otira. Owing to load restrictions over the Oxford-Sheffield line, the committee was requested to restrict the sale of tickets to 1,000, and that number was sold about 10 days before the excursion was run. It was estimated that about 400 more tickets could have been sold had they been available.

The following figures indicate the position in regard to the picnic traffic in the Christchurch district for the past few years.

The visit of the Light Cruiser Squadron to Lyttelton in May, 1924, was responsible for the increase in the number of passengers in the period ended 6th Dec., 1924, whilst stop-over school excursions to the Dunedin Exhibition were responsible for a portion of the increase for the current year. It is too early for returns to show the full results of the canvass, but the figures for the period ended 11th December, 1926, indicate the increase that is likely to result.