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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 4, Issue 11 (June 1, 1930)

[section]

There were some rates which were not intended to give even the community a financial return, but were held to be justified on other grounds. For instance, there were the workers' weekly tickets under which the Railways carried people for distances up to 10 miles for about 2 ½d. A 12-trip workers' ticket in certain areas costs only 2s. a week, which would enable a worker to make six trips in and out. If a bus owner were asked if he could produce transport at that rate he would not be long in giving an answer. The return to the railways was not remunerative, but would anyone dare to say that these tickets should be abolished? He did not think anyone would have the temerity. What was the justification for those fares? It could not be stated in terms of money figures, but everybody knew that the social service rendered by those tickets made it worth while for the community to pay something to secure the social benefit resulting from the prevention of slums and slum conditions.—Mr. H. H. Sterling.