Those who, in their search after strange gods, have been overlooking the manifold advantages of train travel, will welcome the stories which “Mr. Goodseat,” the latest character in railway advertising in this country, has to say regarding the better way to get about.

He is a man of wide experience, like the Tramp Royal in Kipling's “Sestina,” who “has turned his hand to most … in various situations round the world …. and found them good,” and this knowledge he is now placing at the disposal of the general public to help them in their journeyings.

“Mr. Goodseat” is a well-grown, cheerful human being, who does not like to be cramped. So his vote goes to the train, which provides him with a seat all to himself, where there is plenty of room for his legs and elbows. He has recollections of trips he has made by other means of transport where, crowded together at the start, and unable to change position freely for fear of disturbing the rest, he and his companions have had to be “shaken down” as the journey proceeded into a kind of conglomerate of humanity that never reached journey's end without a sigh of relief to be well rid of a trying time.

In any case he is not a good sitter—even a long sermon makes him fidgety—and he rejoices in the chance he has on the train to get up whenever the fit takes him and stroll along the corridor either to see a pal in another car or purely for the pleasure of stretching his legs. Of course, on our trains he can have a drink of filtered water whenever he likes, using a new paper cup supplied each time for the purpose. Or he can admire himself in the looking-glass, comb his hair before it, and appear as spick and span as he pleases at any stage of the run. None of these things can be done on a service car, and so “Mr. Goodseat” (who has quite a liking for himself as well as for his friends) again casts his kindly eye towards the train whenever travel is mentioned.

As he is a good business-man with sound ideas of values, he holds his own physical well-being in high regard. Hence the wonderful safety record of the N.Z. Railways, which have run during nearly six years without one fatality amongst the 150 million passengers, appeals to his commonsense as something not found in road travel and he scores gleefully another mark for the railways and one for himself as well.

His particular pleasure it is to take a hand in the announcement of new low rates of fare for train travel. When his surplus cash runs low, a saving of four or five shillings in the pound for fares is a page 7 very present help in time of trouble. And when times are flush, why, for the same money he can make five trips where only four could be made before, and that, to a man who is fond of travelling, is one of the nicest ways to be treated. It makes every fifth trip a free ride—or that is how “Mr. Goodseat” regards it.

The campaign for more business on all passenger trains is one in which every friend of the railways can help, and railwaymen as well as others will be glad to have the active assistance of every well-wisher in endeavouring to have each of the good seats supplied upon the trains well filled with contented passengers.