THE ONGARUE REPORT

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 53, 31 August 1923, Page 6

THE ONGARUE REPORT

The report of (the Board of Inquiry into the Ongarue railway disaster should give satisfaction to the public in so- far as it shows that the Railway Department has not been sacrificing safety to. speed or economy. A big transport undertaking, whether under private or public management, is always liable'to temptation to make such a sacrifice. Its customers generally have no appreciation., of transport risks or dangers until" a disaster occurs, and they always press for speed and lower charges. If the management weakly reduces the margin of safety, in order to accede to the demand for speed and cheapness, public pressure which forced that reduction is counted no excuse when a disaster brings the danger factor prominently under notice. The report in this instance proves that neither the Department nor its servants relaxed their precautibns, and that those precautions were sufficient,to guard against any/reasonable risk. Certain further precautions are recommended for future observance, but it is not suggested that any of these extra measures for safety should have been adopted before. The disaster and the subsequent investigation revealed the necessity for them,; but they could not have been deemed evident previously.

The Board's recommendations are in two groups: (1) Measures for the prevention of accident; (2) .measures to reduce the ill-efects if such an accident should occur. | In group (l) the Board suggests only engineering measures (which'i are not specified) to make pumice { and papa' cuttings more secure, j In group (2) it i s recommended that designs should be prepared for a stronger type of car to be used, on fast mail trains. It is not suggested that such a car would pi-event an accident, but in certain circumstances it would lessen the damage if the engine should be derailed or a collision should occur. In particular, there would be less danger of cars being tele--scoped. The disaster ' certainly proved that some such improvement in the type of rolling-sto.ck had become necessary. Greater speed in travelling is constantly demanded, and speed necessarily increases danger unless additional precautions counter that risk. Bailway lines in New Zealand are so t constructed that speed cannot be

greatly increased without extentsive alterations in the runuing track, and it is for the Railway Department to decide how far speed may be secured by reduction in the safety margin. Stronger' cars do not really have a bearing upon this point, for derailment caunpt be risked even when ail steps have been taken^ to reduce the consequent damage. Nevertheless there is ground for urging that the cars should be strengthened to guard against the worst consequences in a disaster which cannot be foreseen. The same justification applies to the minor recommendations of the Board respecting the supply of rescue implements and first-aid equipment.