RAILWAY APPEAL BOARD.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 451, 9 March 1909, Page 6

RAILWAY APPEAL BOARD.

« TACTLESS SPEECH BY A GUARD. (Br TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL COBUESPONDEXT.) Clirlstchurch, March 3. An appellant at tho Railway Board of Appeal this morning, in his final summing up of tho case in which he was claiming to bo classed in a higher grade' as guard,* had tho tactlessness (reports tho "Star") to remark that he realised tho uselessness of endeavouring to win his case against tho district traffic manager, Mr. S. F. Whitcombe. Judge' Haselden, who had been obviously nettled by a number of tho appellant's iemarks, interrupted him by saying: "Does it not strike you as tho height of folly to como here and impugn tho honesty and integrity of a District Court Judge and two men, ono representing the higher grade and one tho internicdiato grade of tho service? Do you suppose wo know anything about Mr. Whitcombo and could be influenced or biased in any way?" The appellant replied that ho had not intended to convey that meaning, but lie had in - mind a caso where, when a man had beon superseded, it was held to be out of the Court's jurisdiction. Judge Haselden said that ho was not certain now how that matter should bo' determined. If tho board was ablo to give a decision on the merits of tho case, it would do what it thought right. Ho really believed that tho appellant believed in the honesty of the Court, because he would not bo so foolish in saying things if ho did believe that he would not suffer by saying them. "Tho only way you can suffer," added his Honour, "is by the impression your sayings mako on our, mind that such a man as you are, with such a want of judgment, would not be a for a passenger train."