RAILWAY INQUIRY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2996, 6 February 1917, Page 6

RAILWAY INQUIRY

ROYAL COMMISSION OPENS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, February 5. The Royal Commission to inquire into the allegations that the rolling .stock on the railways of the Dominion has been allowed to deteriorate held a sitting to-day. The Department was represented by Mr. M. Myers, of Wellington, Mr. Jackson, Chief Mechanical Engineer of Railways, assisting in an advisory capacity.

Frances Taylor Morison, locomotive inspector, said the section over which he had control included all the lines north of Tauniarumii. He looked, to the car and wagon inspectors to carefully inspect rolling stock. The train examiners were under the car and wagon inspector, and there were six in Aucklaud. Train examiners were also stationed at Mercer, Frankton, Tβ Kuiti, Taumarunui, Huntly, Morrinsville, Pacroa, and Rotorua. In, addition to the inspection of rolling stock by himself, the car and wagon inspector and the train examiners, the Chief Mechanical Engineer had during the past three years made frequent inspections, He was sure the rolling stock was. as good, if not better, than when lie came to Auckland. four years ago. He was certain no expense had been spared in the interests of public safety. There had never been any difficulty in procuring' spares. Bearing springs broke, very rarely, and when this occurred the carriage was repaired at once. He' had never knoivn of a carriage being run under any circumstances with a broken bearing spring. He had never known of two pieces of bearing spring being pieced together and used .is one spring. The practice, however, had been common for many wars in resnectof draw bar springs. This : did not affect in the' slightest the safety of the train, and ho had never known of any accident arising from the practice. .■-,,, F/vidence was also given by the car and wagon inspector at Auckland, the workshops manncer at Nfcwmarket Workshops, the foreman of the carshop nt Newmarket, the brnlc inspector in the Auckland district, and a lifter, and nil these witnesses expressed the opinion Hint the rolling stock which had'come uncW their notice wnsin n thoroughly efficient state, and had shown'no'deterioration during the past three years.