RAILWAY EMPLOYES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 5010, 10 March 1877, Page 5 (Supplement)

RAILWAY EMPLOYES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LYTTELTON TIMES. Sib,—There is a subject of importance to railway travellers reported in your issue of to-day under the head of Kaiapoi Barough Council proceedings to which I wish to draw tho attention of your readers. It lias reference to the person appointed to tho vacant office of ponndkeopor, Mr J. Blackmore, who, holding previously a Government appointment, undertakes to fulfil tho twofold duties of gatekeeper on the railway and poundkoeper to the Borough, Now, Sir, assuming that tho Government has sanctioned this union of diametrically opposed duties in tho person of ono of its humble servants, I would ask whether he is a favoured individual ? or whether it is usual to grant a like privilege to other railway cayiloyi's ? and whether more prominent, though scarcely more responsible, officers have a division of Governmental and Corporate duties to perform, and double uniforms to don according to which master they aro serving for the time being ? Bat to confine myself to tho consideration of the question of tho gatekeeper's duality of offices, I submit that his Government place as gatekeeper is a most responsible one; he must bo true to his time, at his post day by day continuously, and unerring os the Traffic Manager himself, or accidents are inevitable. Can the public feel confidence in a man who perhaps may be in the act of impounding a mob of horses, or cattle, or pigs, which might give him trouble, try his temper, and eventually escape because the engine driver’s whistlo had warned him to hurry from the pound te tho railway gates, which is a distance of about 12 chains ? Such an occurrence is possible, even probable, and the bare possibility of an accident happenning through the man’s absence from such a cause should not be allowed to exist, for I am informed that Government will not allow substitutes to be employed without permission from tho Traffic Manager be obtained, which would be impossible to be given at the spur of tho moment when emergencies arise. The busy season has just arrived, and it may find Mr J. Blaokmore, tho ponndkeeper, employed os described, and Mr J. Blackmoxe, the gatekeeper, absent from tho railway at a critical time. There is no necessity for such risks ; the office of ponndkeopor does not require a man to bo in the full vigour of life. Many men past their prime, who cannot do a bard day’s work, would bo well-fitted for such light duties, to whom such an appointment would bo a boon, nnd might probably protect them from being compelled to seek charitable aid. In that point of view it might be good policy for Government to cancel the appointment, but more especially so in tho direct interest of the public themselves, on the ground of danger to life and limb by the gatekeeper's possible absence from his post, at a time when his presence is imperatively demanded. In conclusion, I would observe that tho tendency of officials holding other than their Government appointments is to build up a system wherein private interests must necessarily clash with their public duties.-! am. Ac.. MONITOE,