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THE ALLEGED RAILWAY "RAGGING"

So far as the report of .Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., gees it is satisfactory. If it does not disprove the statements of Bray, whose allegations aroused interest throughout the Dominion, it >jx any rate exonerates tha railway workers of having been guilty of mosb brutal conduct- The Commissioner states that hei examined 17 cleaners, and one and all, without equivocation, positively denied having taking part in the acts complained of by Bray, or that they saw anyone else do so. "Taking the • evidence throughout," says the report, "there is. an absolute and entire absence of the slightest corroboration of Bray's statements. All the lads ga.ve their evidence in an absolutely" sfcraaghtfonvf.ard manner." The Commissioner adds that he watched dosely the deme&nor and action of the witnesses, and with his 26 years' experience in taking ovidence in Courts of Justice, he -was bound to say he could detect nothing in any one of these young witnesses that could tend to raise a doubt in his mind as to their entire truthfulness To believe in the main the allegations of Bray one would have to find that there had been a conspiracy of silence on. the part of all concerned, and a deliberate intention to commit perjury, with regard to all matters, great or small. This, it is stated, is inconceivable. The Commissioner points out that it is incredible that, no one should ha.ye seen the alleged occurrences. "So far as the duties of the night foreman are concerned/ Mr Bishotp added, "it seems humanly impossible that he alone can exercise such complete supervision ever the two sheds as may be consideied desirable. Night, after night sortie 36 young men are engaged in the sheds. They are of all sorts and conditions, and of an age when they are full of animal spirits, and prone *o rough play and sky-larking Thar, however, does not. imply that they are vicious, or likely to indulge in very seorious practices." We find it very difficult to believe that Bray's charges had no foundation in fact, but it is not hard to conceive* that a new-comtfr to the works would fail to appreciate "rough play and sky-lariing" and exaggerate the acts of those assailing him "in fun" into a vicious assault.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HNS19071203.2.11

Bibliographic details

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LIII, Issue 9480, 3 December 1907, Page 4

Word Count
380

THE ALLEGED RAILWAY "RAGGING" Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LIII, Issue 9480, 3 December 1907, Page 4

THE ALLEGED RAILWAY "RAGGING" Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LIII, Issue 9480, 3 December 1907, Page 4