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Through Booking and its Advantages

Consignors who have taken advantage of the Railway Department's through booking system —Island to Island—have highly praised this service, which cuts the lug out of luggage; puts the go into goods; and takes the fright out of freight. It puts worry to flight and saves time and money.

With the exception of Gisborne and Kaihu Sections in the North Island and Westport Section in the South Island, a consignment note to destination may be tendered at any railway station for transit of goods or parcels to any other railway station of the North or South Islands.

Thus the sea-way between the Islands is practically merged into the Railway service.

The Railway Department makes all arrangements for shipping, handling between railway and ship, and any other incidental service until the freight reaches the destination station.

A saving of money to consignors is made by this system, because the Railway Department's shipping in bulk assures reductions in charges such as sea freights, wharfages, and intermediate carting.

Deliveries are facilitated, because payment of all intermediate charges—sea freight, wharfages, and carting (if required)—are arranged by the Railway Department.

All charges from forwarding stations to destination stations can be prepaid, or, if the destination station is officered, all charges may be made payable at the destination station. Consignments for delivery to a non-officered or flag station must be prepaid.

This combined rail-and-sea service applies also to livestock, except that the owners are required to make their own arrangements for taking the animals from the rail to the ship or from the ship to the rail. All of the livestock from the North Island for the Royal Show at Christchurch made the journey on the Railway Department's through-booking system, and so well was the transport effected that the Department was specially thanked by the President of the Royal Agricultural and Pastoral Society.

This inter-Island booking has proved a boon to owners or attendants travelling in charge of horses. The Railway Department attends to arrangements for space on boats, compiles shipping papers, and tenders them to the shipping companies and arranges payment of wharfages at port stations, in addition to providing railway wagons to complete the journey.