MERIT "REWARDED."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 443, 27 February 1909, Page 5

MERIT "REWARDED."

- /AN INVENTOR'S EXPERIENCES. INCIDENT IN RAILWAY ' DEPARTMENT. ' ; i '' r ■ IMPROVEMENT MADE , "WITHOUT ' < AUTHORITY." The experiences of a railway inventor, who had inorcased, by his ingenuity, the celerity of hydraulio cranes, and was dismissed from the ' service as % tho indirect result of his invention, are rolated in the "Railway Reviow" for the coming month, as an example' of how zeal and brains aro rewarded in tbo service. Early in the session of 1908, the Hon. Hall-Jones—thon Minister for Railways, combating a suggestion that Tailway employees of an inventive turn of mind were cot being sufficiently encouraged, mentioned that noticos.'were, being placed in each railway workshop inviting from the employees any suggestion by which operations could be quickened or more economically conducted. A fitter, named Stanley V. Croft; while making some alterations/to one of the Department's hydraulio cranes on the Greymouth wharf t discovered a method of greatly accelerating its "slewing" or turning movement.' The improved' crano did so well that a' shift called for 1' a.m. to complete loading a steamer, found that the work had been completed two hours' before,, though previous experience with that vessel had led' them to suppose that two shifts would be wanted. On September 27, 1908, Croft wrote, to the Minister reminding him of his invitation to inventors, and submitting a description of improvement, with statements of its demonstrated success. He concluded by stating that if the Minister should find his claim a just one, he bogged to apply for whatever reward might be thought appropriate. ~, » But Departmental "red tape" hero intervened for the ultimate undoing of the hopeful Croft." His communication, says the "Review,"- was apparently referred to' the General Manager,-, and its contents evidently filtered through to the Workshop Foreman lit Greymouth, l who wrote:—-

Greymouth, . , 29th September, 1908. Casual Fitter S. V.' Croft, GroymoUth. It has been stated that some alteration has been made to 'No. 1 hydraulic crane, so as to enablo it' to havo" a faster action when 'slewing. Please let me have a full detailed report of' alterationl made;' also give skech of same. Kindly-reply early. . . ,

■W.'J. -WATSON, ' 1 ' > Workshop Foreman. Croft had personally, it is said, mentioned the alteration to his foreman, who had received the proposition' without any expression of dissent. However Croft wished to make sure of proper recognition from headquarters, and therefore replied to his fore-man-as follows:— , ' Dear -Sir)—Ro your' supplication for' detailed information and sketch regarding faster'turning movement in No.il hydraulic crane, I beg to inform you that I have applied to the Honourable Minister -for Railways for reward for tho said faster turning movement, which I have claimed as a "material improvement," and therefore defer supplying yon with skotch, information, etc., pendang reply. . > , _ I have an exaot copy of my application' to the Minister for Railways, and ' Bhould you wish I will only bo too willing to supply you with it.—l have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, • ." -STANLEJLV. CROFT. - Then ensued a fusilade of-memoranda, with at least one lively dialogue, as can be guessed from tho tone, of Croft's letter of October ,6 ; printed below.' The correspondence continues':— ' , ■.. '

CasualtFitter S.«V.-Croft,. >....- .- 7 . I ~ Greymouth. ~, . \ tour reply to my of September , • 29 ls.not satisfactory; Please supply the ' information asked for at'once. ' W. J. WATSON, , „ , ' W.S. Foreman. , October 5, 1908. „, , " October 5,' 1908. ! W. 3. Watson, Esq., , Workshops Foroman. ' Dear Sir,—Ro your memo, of, to-day, I beg to state that I have had no reply from the Honourablo Minister for Railways, and defer supplying you with information, sketch, regarding improvement in No. 1 hydraulic crane ponding that reply.—l have the honour to be, Sir, , • ' Your obedient servant, i . ■ S. V. CROFT. Casual Fitter S. V. Croft, Greymouth. - ■ > Further to my memos, of 29/9/08 and 6/10/08, I havo been instructed to call upon you for an explanation as to why, without authority, you made an altera- - • tion in No. lvhydraulio crane. Kindly ' reply at once. • - ~ W. J.'WATSON, . W.S. Foreman. ' October 5, 1903. , ' October 5, 1908. Dear Sirj—ln reply to your second, memo, of to-day, I beg to tako exception to the domineering, dogmatic, and despotic manner in which you havo threatened to suspend mo for not supplying , you with the detailed information and sketch of the improvement mado by mo in tho turning movement of No. 1 hydraulic crano. As to making an alteration without authority, I beg to state that it was my duty to work faithfully, - as I, thought, to the advantage of the Department. I challengo you or any other individual to dispute whether my work has not been advantageous,-r-I have tho honour to be, Sir, 1 " , ,' Your obedient servant, ' „ ,„. s. v: CROFT. - Casual Fitter S. V. Croft, Greymouth. Please noto that you are suspended from to-day until further notice for rooH?i n & *° cora P 1 J' with- my memo, of • 29/9/03 and 6/10'fe, re alterations mado by you to No: 1 hydraulic crane. '' W. J. WATSON, ' r» * t '~,,„.„ '' W - S - Foreman. October 5, 1908. '. T^|-.'1 ! 3tor y 0I this extraordinary record of official blundering is briof from this point (Btatcs tho "Review"). Representations to tho general manager of tho A.S.R.S.- enabled ' tho' real position .to ".be. gauged at headquarters at last, and Croft, who had been tinder suspension fr'pm October 5, was reijnstated eleven dayn, later. He complained, 'however,, that his-working conditions were mad© intolerable, 'he >vas not allowed to go near the crane on which he,had displayed exceptional ability, and. tho pay lost through suspension was not refunded,, though the unfortunate man got; into further hot water through demanding it.' "You are'not entitled to pay during suspension" was all the explanation ho could extract from his hostile superior. They were badly at loggerheads, and a Departmental inquiry was held by two first division officers, which resulted in Croftfs dismissal. As a casual employee, Croft is unable to take his case to the Appeal Board.