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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 5, Issue 5 (September 1, 1930)

Service and Patronage are Allied

Service and Patronage are Allied

The Te Awamutu (Waikato) Chamber of Commerce has been actively urging the claims of the South-of-Frankton area of the North Island Main Trunk railway system for a listing of trains more likely to suit public demands and thereby secure greater patronage. A delegation from the Chamber recently conferred with the Department, and its report was considered at the last meeting of the Chamber. It was thought that the significant factors stressed in the report were of much wider importance than to the people within the immediate area affected by these representations. It was therefore decided to circularise all Chambers of Commerce in the Dominion, urging upon the business community, through their Chambers of Commerce, the pressing need for a greater patronage of the railways.

The Te Awamutu delegate to the recent conference reported to his Chamber as follows:—

The Department, I may say, placed before us all information to enable a complete investigation of the claims. One cannot fail to be impressed with the difficulties encountered by the Department in the arrangement of its traffic schedules, interwoven with which are the varying classes of traffic for which the Department has to cater. Looking on from the outside it would appear quite simple to arrange a timetable serving a given area, but when seen from the Department's records, local trains become directly involved in the planning of the main traffic service, which in their turn must make connections with all branch lines. It is well, in the consideration of every local application, to bear in mind these important facts, for we can very properly appreciate that the Department is faced with the problem of serving a very wide area.

In connection with the railway services there is one fact which I do not think can be too strongly stressed, and that is that patronage of the railways must be a vital factor in the nature of the services the Department can provide.

Therefore, it is a logical conclusion that every resident of this district who diverts his patronage to the road services makes more remote the prospect of improved railway services. I think we can concede, no matter what claims are made to the contrary, that the railways are, and must remain, the chief mode of transportation in this country, Therefore, the responsibility is on the people to determine the extent of those services. It would be indeed inconsistent for us as a Chamber to ask for improved railway facilities unless we are prepared to encourage added patronage to justify these services… What I would like to emphasise particularly, is that whereas we expect from the Department improved services, we, for our part, must be prepared to give increased patronage.

The circular goes on to suggest that every Chamber should urge the retention of traffic for the railways, so that transportation may be kept in the channel which will afford the greatest measure of advantage to the community as a whole. “We feel it would be needless to elaborate on the fact that the railway maintains its own permanent way, whereas other forms of transit have constituted a very serious drain upon the Dominion's general taxation. Nobody can estimate what the real cost is of these forms of traffic. The railways belong to the people; are conducted to serve the people, and should therefore have the full support of the people.”