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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 10, Issue 1 (April 1, 1935)

An Appreciation

An Appreciation.

Writing to the Chairman of the Government Railways Board, Mr. H. H. Sterling, C.M.G., Mr. Garth Hail, Koromatua, commends the services rendered by the stationmaster at Eltham, in the following appreciative terms:—

I am prompted to write this letter to you personally, commending the action of one of your responsible òfficers. My small son, aged five years, had been spending the summer holidays with relations near Patea, Tara-naki, and was to have come home with friends by car. The arrangements that these parties made over the telephone was that the boy be put on the train at Patea and met at Eltham. However, the boy was put off at Eltham by a passenger (who apparently was asked to do this) and no one was there to meet him. The stationmaster, Mr. A. W. Jackson, seeing the boy alone, took it on his shoulders (fortunately) to find an owner for him. Just what trouble this entailed may be gathered from the fact that the boy did not know at which station he was put on the train, could not give any information as to who put him on the train (other than Aunty), and did not know who was to meet him. The station-master was kept busy for two hours ringing up, finally ascertaining (through the guard of the train) that the boy entrained at Patea, and then, with the co-operation of the Patea Post Office, the telephone call was traced and our friends arrived at Eltham for the boy three hours after the train.

Without the kind consideration shown by the station-master of Eltham anything may have happened, as it was 6.30 p.m. when the boy arrived.

The lad is now home and quite innocent of the trouble that was made over him. The action of the station-master concerned is appreciated and serves in still another manner to demonstrate what thoughtfulness is now given to the users of the New Zealand Railways.