Other formats

    TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 3, Issue 6 (October 1, 1928)

[section]

Much has been written and said upon the value of railways for developmental and commercial purposes, but their capacity for assisting in the education of a people has not been so fully considered.

The facilities they provide for gaining general knowledge regarding the geography of the districts they serve is, of course, easily appreciated, but that is a function which the motor can also (though to a more limited extent) perform. But the special educational value which the railways possess is in their adaptability to the purpose of mass movements of people and things—at low prices. In this the rail has no land competition.

The extent to which this facility has been used in the past is the measure of each nation's educational progress—the most backward countries being the least railroaded. But, although Bacon understood travel “in the younger sort” to be a part of education, it is only in comparatively recent years that an effort has been made to turn to practical account—as a definite objective—the educational value of railways.

In Great Britain a practice is now developing for the conveyance of trainloads of school children to the different manufacturing areas in order to give them an insight into the source from which so much of the material wealth of the Homeland is derived. In this country it has been customary for many years to take the pupils from outlying districts at the cheapest possible rates and, frequently, by special trains, to the principal agricultural, pastoral and industrial shows of their province.

An adult turn to the movement is now lent by the week-end trips at low rates featured by the Department for enabling the people to increase their knowledge of their own land, and by Farmers' Trains that have been run during recent months between one producing district and another.

A further swing towards educational travel will take place this month with the introduction of a “Commerce Train” in the Auckland District.

It might be said that any business man who wants to become acquainted with the district in which his commercial interests lie can do so quite well by travelling round as a lone explorer. But to do the work thoroughly would be costly in both time and money–and probably the less the latter mattered the more the former would. So the “Commerce Train” was devised, upon which will be drawn together representatives of leading city commercial interests intent upon gaining knowledge of the country they serve. Opportunities for association and transit, not available to them as individuals, will be at hand in every direction throughout page 7 the nine days of their province-scouring tour. A royal welcome awaits them at every town, village, factory and farm, whilst the train will be their home, to which they return from every cross-country jaunt and in which, surrounded by the comforts and aids to enjoyment of modern rail travel, they will have better opportunity for an exchange of ideas and a better atmosphere for educational stimulus than could be obtained by any other means.

This, and similar trains that are bound to follow, should help greatly towards business betterment in every direction.