ANOTHER SHUNTER KILLED

Horowhenua Chronicle, 14 August 1925, Page 3

ANOTHER SHUNTER KILLED

Fatality To-day at New Fiymouth A MARRIED MAN. (Per Press Association.) • NEW PLYMOUTH, Aug. 14. A, shunter named Arthur Felix Eley, a married man, was run over while (shunting this morning. He was removed to the hospital and died about noon. DANGERS OF SHUNTING. HARASSING METHODS ALLEGED. CORONER ASKS FOR PUBLIC * ENQUIRY. The inquest took place at Palmerston on Wednesday into the death , of Thomas Carmichael, a shunter who was fatally injured by a tail rope attached to some waggons getting entangled in the points and crushing him against the trucks. Ernest Lepper, a brakesman working with deceased, described, how toe accident happened: To the Gqroner, witness said deceased was experienced but not capable. If he had, had more experience he would have ■ seen that toe points were likely to foul the rope. Witness was a porter as well as brakesman and had had five years in the Palmerston North yard. He was learn mg tq become a shunter, but there was nobody to teach him. He would be quite willing to go to classes in shunting. There were, examinations in ticket .punching, but a man could apparently become second. shunter without any experience at) all. There were two foremen in the yard, but neither was a competent shunter, JJiey not having been shunters themselves. These foremen were not capable of instructing shunters. Does the incompetency of those foremen make the work in the yard worse?—lt makes it twice as hard. Have you had experience under competent foremen—Yes, we have one this week. What is the difference in working conditions?—The difference between a. picnic and a riot. The work is .none quicker and with less danger. HARASSING METHODS. 11 deceased was left alone to do his work he would have done it al-right?—-Yes. vVas deceased excitable?—Yes, very. .Was lie harassed by the foremen at all?—Yes, he was, and then lie would work regardless of risk. An accident under these foremen was not unexpected in the yard?--That is so. A few days before this, one foreman, De Rosa, was told to leave deceased alone or he would be killed. - Us, lie was. The Coroner; This particular foreman had harassed deceased?—Yes. What attitude did the foreman adopt?—He was like a dog training a cat. ■ Do these two foremen insist on shunters taking unnecessary risks?— They do. Are men threatened with dismissal if they do not do work full of risks?— Yes. A man was threatened because he would not get through a train going at 20 miles an hour. This operation meant jumping between toe moving carriages. For the last two and a-half’ years tiie shunters have been trying to get a. public enquiry into shunting conditions in the local yards, but would not give evidence behind dosed* doors. To the Coroner, witness stated that ihe method adopted by the foremen to deceased applied to other shunters as well. They were continually ‘bully ragging’ and were not fit to control men. What treatment do you expect to get after the evidence you have given today?—l don’t know. 1 am ready lu put lip w:ith ihe consequences in order that the truth may be told. Why has an inquiry into the shunting conditions been neglected?—l can give no reason at all. To Mr Ongley; The whole of the men of toe Palmerston North yards endorsed his opinion about the acttions of the foremen. He was not singular in his complaints. There had been no refusal to work under the foremen, but complaints had been made tq the stationraaster without result. Evidence was given that considerable delay took place after the accident in obtaining medical aid and getting a stretcher to fit the ambulance. During this time the injured man lay in the ticket lobby, and the medical evidence was that had the bleeding* been immediately stopped - he would have had a better chance, of recovery. W. W. Roberts, a shunter, who was operating the points, said he had been a shunter for two months only, and since the accident had asked to be transferred to a porter’s position as lie did not consider the yard safe to work in. He objected, as well, to the whole atmosphere of the yard. There was a distinct undercurrent of feeling against the foremen from one end of the yard to the other. He had not that confidence in those two men that should be necessary, and he had found them more of a hindrance. than a help. - The first thing on going on duty, one would be met with the query, “Have you had a row with So-and-So?” and on going off the question was “How have you got on to-day?” That was no- atmosphere for proper work. , , . The coaching foreman denied that there was delay in sending for the doctor. ENGINE DRIVER’S WARNING. M. J. Firth, engine driver, stated he was in charge of, the engine shunting at the time of the accident. He did not consider Carmichael a capable shunter, but he appeared to do his, work better when there was no foreman , on. It appeared to him that deceased’ was harassed top much by de Rosa and witness warned the foreman to leave deceased alone. De Rosa followed Carmichael around all day, and on several occasions he had to stop the engine to avoid an accident. When de Rosa was present, Carmichael became -excited and didn’t seem to know what he was doing. It was witness who suggested a porter ’accompanying deceased to the hospital, but Foreman Robertson replied that there was no need for anyone to go as there was no Departmental property going away with the ambulance. PINPRICKING DENIED. Joseph de Rosa, goods foreman, called by Mr Voltz, stated that the shunters in toe yard came under his jurisdiction. In the course of his duties he had found it necessary to keep in direct contact with the men, and if he didn’t speak, it would mean that they would just please themselves in what they did. He had, to walk round the yard and see that things were going on properly, but he never asked shunters to take ; unnecessary risks. The engine driv- * or had asked him why he didn’t keep i out of the road, remarking further that every time witness appeared, i Carmichael got excited. Deceased • was a very conscientious worker. ; Witness had been in 'charge for the i last 2$ years, and had been a shunter for 9 years. As a guard, he had also had to do shunting. He had had occasion to take Lepper to task and thought that perhaps his attitude ■ to him was a result of that. Mr Ongley: You think Lepper had i an axe to grind here this morning? Can you find me one man in the yard

who will say yQu are a competent shunter? Witness: If they have any complaint they can make it to the proper quarters, but they seem to resent my interfering in their routine. Mr Ongley: Has Driver Firth an axe to grind?—He has his opinion I suppose, and is, entitled to it. This concluded toe evidence, CORONER’S VERDICT. The Coroner returned a verdict of accidental death and stated that he did not propose to comment at length 1 uporii the evidence, except to say that 1 in view of the evidence given by Lepper and corroborated by other witnesses whose sincerity and truth- j fulness be had nq. reason to doubt, i it was not to be wondered at that there was a state of unrest existing among the men of the railway service. The number of accidents that had happened to shunters in various parts of the Dominion was not entirely due to toe fault of the men, but indicated that there was something radically wrong with the system. Whether it was due to the ihcompetency of the shunters, themselves or the foremen in charge, he was not prepared to say as it was a matter entirely for the Department. The evidence showed that - they lacked training and that incompetent shunters were engaged in extremely dangerous work. He felt that toe relations existing between toe shunters and two of the foremen were not conducive to the welfare of the men. He was strongly of the opinion that in the interests qf the Railway Department, and the men of the service, a public inquiry should be instituted into the work of shunters, more particularly with reference to the working of the Palmerston North yards. The delay in telephoning tor the doctor was regrettable, and toe lack qf first aid knowledge on the part of the railway staff was deplorable. He thought the intentions of Foreman Robertson were of the best, but he considered he showed a little lack of sympathetic -consideration tor the injured man. The stretchers too, should be of such a uniform pattern that they would fit the ambulance as well as toe railway vans. SENSATION IN PALMERSTON. JUDGMENT SHOULD BE SUSPENDED The Palmerston Times says the allegations made at the inquest have caused something in toe nature of a sensation, “The whole matter of shunting conjditiions,” a prominent railway official said in reply to a question, “is at present sub rosa. I would like to say also that these conditions are not peculiar to the local yard. All I can divulge is that a definite statement will be made on the subject at tlie proper time and in the proper place, and that statement is likely to place a different complexion on some aspects of the case. “The public has heard one side of the question only, and in fairness to all concerned should suspend final judgment until such time as all the facts are placed before it. “Thu Coroner,” continued the speaker, “has to deal with the evidence Drought before him, but at the .-.line time it must be admitted that he has no- first-hand knowledge of his subject, and as the whole question of shunting conditions is being investigated by a board of experts (including two practical shunters) the public can rest .assured that everything humanly possible is being done to safeguard toe men, and that in this respect the question of expense is never considered.” PUBLIC ENQUIRY TO BE HELD. The question was raised in the House last night by Mr Nash, M.P., and the Prime Minister, said he proposed to arrange for the board of inquiry which had been set up immediately to visit Palmerston North and take evidence publicly. Mr Forbes: “Why not make all the inquiries public?” The Prime Minister said he did not think that was necessary, and moreover, much of the matter to be Inquired'-into was technical. Ite knew the yard was congested and that it was a bad one, but it was not the worst in New Zealand. The Department was now endeavouring io get the most modern yard the human brain could devise, 'ideas were being worked out now and as soon as they were ready the surveys could go ahead.