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By Those Who Like Us

From G. McClatchie and Co., Christchurch:—

We wish to express our very great appreciation for the assistance of your Department in connection with the despatch of a special consignment of coal to Islington, Smithfield and Pukeuri. The coal was required at these works for a special purpose and ways and means were a source of considerable anxiety to us, but your offer to run special trains has relieved us of any embarrassment.

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From the Managing Secretary, Royal Show, Auckland, to the Railway Board:—

I am directed by my Committee to ask you to place on record the very able manner in which the officials of the Railway Department at Remuera station coped with the transport of stock at that station during the Royal Show …. Working as they did under great disadvantage owing to the very small space for trucking, and being the largest stock train which ever arrived at Remuera station, it is something to their credit that no hitch or serious delay was caused. The stationmaster (Mr. C. C. Felton) is especially to be commended for the very fine organisation of those under him.

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The Secretary of the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society writes to the District Traffic Manager, Dunedin, as follows:—

I have very much plesure in conveying to you the following resolution passed at an executive meeting held this morning.

That this meeting place on record its appreciation of the satisfactory arragements made by the Railway Department in the handling of all show stock both in regard to the arrival and departure, and desire to express their thanks to all officers and men for their assistance.

The committee desires to express its special thanks to all those engaged in the loading of the stock, especially under such unfavourable conditions.

From the Secretary, Canterbury, Owners' and Breeders' Association, Christchurch, to the District Traffic Manager, Dunedin:—

At a recent meeting of the Committee of the Canterbury Owners' and Breeders' Association, I was directed to convey to you their appreciation and thanks for your good work in putting on a large horse train with ample accommodation for all passengers on the night of Saturday, January 29th.

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From Mr. T. H. Lynskey, Headmaster, District High School, Taumarunui, to Mr. E. J. Guthrie, Stationmaster, Taumarunui:—

On behalf of my staff of the above school I wish to thank you for the excellent arrangements you had made for transporting children during the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York. Nothing better could have been wished for.

From Mr. Clem. S. Johnson, Tokoroa, to District Traffic Manager, Ohakune:—

I should like to bring to your notice the courtesy and kindness I recently received from members of your staff at Te Kuiti. I was travelling with stock from Feilding to Putaruru and at Te Kuiti I noticed that a valuable animal was down. I saw the Officer-in-Charge, Mr. Thompson, and expressed my desire to have the stock taken off. Mr. Thompson immediately gave the necessary instructions and the wagons were promptly and most carefully shunted to cattle yards, and I had the cattle out of the trucks within ten minutes from the time I first noticed the beast down. After I had retrucked stock for a later train the necessary shunting on to train was carefully and quickly performed.

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From H. L. Tapley and Company, Dunedin, to the Goods Agent, Dunedin:—

We desire to express our appreciation of your assistance given us with regard to some wool which was urgently required for shipment per s.s. “Canadian Planter.” This assistance, given when we were in a difficulty, has helped considerably, and we do not wish the opportunity to pass without expressing our appreciation.

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From Dr. W. P. Gowland, Hon. General Secretary, Australasian Medical Congress, Dunedin, to the District Traffic Manager, Dunedin:—

I am directed by my Executive Committee to convey to you their sincere thanks for the help your Department has given them during the recent Medical Congress. Perhaps you will be kind enough to convey the same to your Chief Clerk whose courtesy and consideration has been much appreciated.

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From the Secretary, Dannevirke Friendly Societies' Council, Dannevirke, to the District Traffie Manager, Wellington:—

My Committee have instructed me to convey to yourself, also to the staff, both at Dannevirke and Napier, our sincere appreciation of the excellent arrangements made for the conveyance of our excursionists. All concerned were unfailing in the manner in which they carried out their duties, being both courteous and attentive, which has given our yearly functions a very popular name. Everyone is well pleased with the arrangements, and as our excursion is now a well established fact we hope when the time arrives for our next venture we will be able to keep up the good reputation now gained.

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The following appreciative letter was sent by Mr. W. H. Haddrell, Westown, New Plymouth, to the Railway Board:—

I should like to express through you my appreciation of the courtesy and attention received from the two railway porters at Te Kuiti on December 14th when boarding the Daylight “Limited” for Auckland. As a blind man accompanied by my wife, I was thankful for the assistance received which was only possible through the porters dividing their work in order to see that I was safely on board the train. I have travelled a good deal and believe that these porters are a great credit to the New Zealand Railways.

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The Secretary, South Wairarapa Trotting Club, Greytown, writes to the Secretary, Railway Board:—

I am instructed by the stewards of the above club to convey to your Department their sincere thanks for the able and courteous assistance rendered by your officers at Carterton in the detraining and railing of horses on the occasion of our annual meeting.

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From the Secretary, New Zealand Public Service Association, Southland, to the District Traffic Manager, Invercargill:—

I am directed to convey to you our appreciation of the splendid arrangements carried out in connection with our excursion to Queenstown. Every member of the train and steamer staff did their utmost for our comfort; but I would especially like to mention Mr. W. Rodgers of the Transport Office, Inspector Railton, and Mr. Wilkinson, Stationmaster at Kingston, for their kindness and consideration. The gramophone on the “Earnslaw” was also an enjoyable innovation.

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From the Rev. J. A. Jermyn, Westport, to Mr. A. Steven, Stationmaster-in-Charge, Westport:—

I wish to express my thanks to you for your kind attention to all the details in connection with the picnic train to Carter's. The courtesy and patience of your staff and officials made the train journey not the least pleasurable part of the outing.

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In an interview with the Railway Board at Oamaru, Mr. S. Walton, of the Beautifying Society, paid the following tribute to the courtesy and officiency of the Railway staff at Oamaru:—

While I am on my feet, just let me say that a number of retailers in this town asked me to express to you the general appreciation of the business community of Oamaru of the courtesy and efficiency on the part of the railway officers in this town. If we look for courtesy and willingness on the part of the railway staff from the Stationmaster down we do not look in vain.

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From the Secretary, Feilding Industrial, Agricultural and Pastoral Association:—

I am directed to express the high appreciation of my Committee for the courtesy and efficiency accorded the stewards and officials of this Association by the Stationmaster and his staff at the local railway during our recent Show. Also my Committee wish to especially thank Mr. Pringle, Business Agent, for the better railway facilities he placed at our disposal which made for the more expeditious handling of Show stock.