RAILWAY ACCIDENT VICTIMS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22367, 2 April 1938, Page 22

RAILWAY ACCIDENT VICTIMS

TO THK IOITOB 01 THK PBESS. Sir,—ln your comment on the Ongarue train disaster of 1923 you state, “When the disaster occurred the train was travelling at top speed on a down grade.” This I know was the opinion of many travelling on the train, but having myself travelled in one of the wrecked carriages and having afterwards appeared at the inquiry, I should like to point out that the Government took some considerable pains to prove that, according to travelling instructions, the steam ■ was shut off and brakes applied while travelling the down grade into the sharp double curve where the disaster took place. This was the more necessary in that the whole main line had been more or less flooded, causing the tram to be four to six hours late. Had the train travelled at top speed under such conditions, and it could be proved so, then it must necessarily have affected the findings of the commission that it was entirely an act of God. Therefore, also, it would have affected the claims of those injured. As it was, they received no compensation beyond having free hospital treatment. However, my mam reason for writing is to point out-that at that inquiry, while the commission was helped by legal advice representing the Railway Department, there was no such representation of those killed and injured. At the time of the inquiry and while I was assisting at the hospital a number of the injured spoke to me of the need of this, but being in pain and without funds, and in such circum-

stances unable to co-operate, nothing was done. , It does seem to me that whensucn an inquiry is held as either that of the disaster of Ongarue and now of Batana the Government should provide legal advice for the injured as well as lor the railway authorities, thus enabling the people to be fully satisfied that every effort has been made to get near the reel factr.-Yours. Lyttelton, March 29, 1938.