SHUNTING CONDITIONS

Evening Star, Issue 19025, 21 August 1925, Page 10

SHUNTING CONDITIONS

EVIDENCE OF WORKERS HOW HANGERS AT? (SR. [Per Ujcitbd I’jikss Association.] PALMERSTON, N., August 20. At the shunting inquiry tins morning further evidence was given by employees concerning shunting conditions in the local yard. . Percy Harthmd, assistant district traffic "manager at Wellington, said that De Kosa had given every satis!action at Erankton, where previously ho was foreman. As far ns ho knew, Do Rosa performed his work at Palmerston satisfactorily. Other evidence was aduccd to show how the yard could bo made safer for working. .. T Cyril Pepperel, shunter, saidi “1 should like to place on record a protest against placing inexperienced men at certain stations. Insufficient time is allowed them to become conversant with the routine of a yard and to acquire a general knowledge of shunting. It imposes a great deal of extra work upon senior men as well as increasing their anxiety. At the present time there is only one gang m the vard containing two experienced men.” " Sir Mack: Ju addition to there only being one gang with two experienced men, is it not a fact that another gang has a porter running as third man? Witness: At the present time one gang has two porters. To-morrow night there will bo one gang working in the dark which will comprise a shunter in charge. His second man will bo a man who has only had three weeks’ experience. The third man, although he has been a pilot, has only had Tour weeks in the yard The shift is a heavy one, and will entail working fivo or six hours in the chirkness. Anxiety for the other men in the gang increases the personal risk of the man in charge. Mr Alack; Has no endeavor been made to train the men as shunters?.— No, they are sent on ns spare men. It is not possible for the shunter in charge to give personal supervision _oi instruction to these men. What instruction they do receive is largely from the third man. It is a case of the blind man leading the blind. Questioned further by Air Alack, Pepperel stated that ho thought a “ spare ” man should have at least two months’ training before being appointed fourth man of a gang. Air IT. L. P. Smith: How is it that the shunting strength is so weak in trained men ?—There have been numerous transfers and some promotions. Three shunters have gone away, and their places were filled by tablet porters. Evidence given on this point at the previous day’s sitting of the board was to the effect that no sooner had a man become experienced as a shunter than he was promoted to guard or he was transferred to another station with which he was unfamiliar,_ and had to spend a. groat ileal of time learning new conditions of working. The opinion was expressed that shunters should be allowed to take their promotion through the yard.