RAILWAY PORTER’S DISMISSAL

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23918, 9 April 1943, Page 4

RAILWAY PORTER’S DISMISSAL

APPEAL TO MANPOWER COMMITTEE

(P.A.) AUCKLAND. April 8. Suspended from his work on Saturday, February 27, on a charge of being under the influence of intoxicating liquor while on duty, and subsequently discharged with the consent of the Manpower Officer, a railway tablet porter stationed at Swanson. Albert Almond, married, aged 37, appealed against his dismissal at a sitting of the Auckland Industrial Manpower Committee. Mr J. P. McAloon. staff inspector at Wellington, represented the Railways Department, It was stated that the appellant, who was of military age, had' been with the department for 10 years, and an appeal had been lodged for him. Evidence was given that complaints had been made concerning the conduct of appellant, and the traffic inspector for the Auckland district (Mr M. E. Carroll) and his assistant had paid a surprise visit to the Swanson station to ascertain the position. Their presence coincided with that of Sergeant Adams and Constable Keogan of the Auckland police. All these witnesses testified that they had seen the appellant coming down the road from the direction of the township on a bicycle. When he was spoken to on the platform and in the signal box he was obviously under the influence of liquor. Mr Carroll had handed appellant a notice of suspension to sign and another porter, from whom he had taken over at 8.30 p.m.. was brought back. Appellant said that with four other men he had gone to Kumeu in the afternoon, where the five men had consumed four quarts df beer. He hacf had no drink since 6 p.m. He brought none home to Swanson and there was no liquor in his house. Almond said that from _ the Monday to the Saturday on which he was dismissed he had worked a total of 71 hours. If a constable and other witnesses swore he was under the influence of liquor they were definitely perjuring themselves.

The committee dismissed the appeal,