18 JUNE 1927, Page 16

BRITISH RAILWAY TIME-TABLES [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]

Sm,—Lord Strathspey is, if I may say so, voicing one of the ill-founded conventionalities. That• Scotsmen are mean, that curates are fools, and that time-tables are obscure, are all equally without the least sound basis.

I- may claim to have travelled quite as much as -most men, so far as Great Britain is concerned—for over twenty years I did well over 20,000 miles annually— and I have no hesitation in claiming at least clarity for our British railway time-tabld I hold no brief for Bradshaw, bat I. hold that any person of ordinary intelligence ought to have no difficulty whatever in working out any kind of journey—e.g.,_ fcom this town to Norwich, which would serve as quite a good instance.

The fact is that so many people refuie to go to the index first, but muddle about and make themselves irritated till they fling the thing away, but the fault is not with the Guide but with the free and independent citizen who ignores the index. Would it be asking too much to invite the noble lord to give us a specimen time-table as he wculd have it arranged for criticism ?—I am, Sir, &c., F. J. PArE. Cockermouth.