RAILWAY APPEAL BOARD.

Mataura Ensign, 18 March 1909, Page 3

RAILWAY APPEAL BOARD.

CAS (v.; AT IX V ERCAhU! Lithe iiad'.i'/iy Appeal iioai'd sat at lnvereai'giU yestci'lay u> liear appeals arising oi:: ..'1 ;hc '.i. • o iwo rail way servants :a lumcargiii who have oeeu punished and luiuced in rank lor alleged oHeii'Vs. iiis Honor District Judge liasclden presided, assisted by Mr J. Gray, ieyesenring tho first division of the Railway Department, and Mr .J. 11. .lones, teprcsenling the sec-

o'.i'i division, Workshops l»ninuii. tfuchiH ItppOilU''.! \\w> ni lli, rtineiu, iu punishing liiin lor alleged i<! 1 inhi iiu'erton on Ue.tub.H' 8 by reducing hi;n in rank ana lining him t'2. Mr AL Thomas (of the Una! branch ol' thr, A.S.U.S.) appeared lor the appellant and Mr H. Davidson t,ehief uceouutsuit- lor the X.JS. Jvn.ilivays) appeared for (ho Department, .'tlr Davidson sislctl tlio facts <il' tho case from the jioinl of view 01 tin: ])•>- nartnicnt. liio 8(ii>olia«l, Thomas Uiteliie, held lii" rank <■! loa<linn plumt>er ami had been lined i'2 lor idling nn duty. This in il:;eir would not eour.tituto a ground tor appeal, hut Hit imposition of tho tino tor such an offence invoked hi:, induction from tho rank of leading nhuuber io that of ordinary plumber. Clearly if ho were guilty of idling ho «as unhUed for a. position of • command. This war, the Department's case ; ii would br> for tho appelliiut tn say what thr grounds of appeal were. Evidence was heard at '■mt tho iiuavd did not i.ltul"';' their find■ng, tlw usual wstffo being to send it, *>v way of recommendation, lo iho Uiuistor for Kailwa kn gixk-du i v i r ,ir sc a si-; . ,1. 11. Stone. eugiiie-drivei', appealed against Liie decision el the Di-pai'tiaem ininishiug hini io;- aliened unsKiilul euiiiKmiiwsliip i'.v disrating iiim Irom the rank of drm-i- to iliat oi lij-ejnau for period of six months deliiijtoiy and alter that for an indelinite period, until he diould he lavoi'ably reported on by his mperior oiiicer.s ami recommended for reinstatement. Air n. Kennedy, enginedriver, oi' Christchiuch, appeared lor iho appellant and .Mr Davidson for the department. 'the Department vei'Mou of the lacls issupplie.il by the Pillowing statement: ■'flu October 1.1. li'DS, No. (-1.0 a.m. goods uO".:ji.) a.m. goods) Goro- ; nveje'.u'gill, was worked by engine " I " -V-l iu charge oi engine-driver J. H. Stone ami Cut man J, il. .Sim and when running past One. free Point with No. )';7 train both injectors tailed to work, i'ho train ran on to Mill road ami at neither injector could he got to work ■he train was shunted into the siding and a message sent to lnvcreargill l'or assistance. Alter assistance had been -out lor the lire was drawn and while I 111:; was being done tlio liroiuau noticed '.hat, two lire-bar- were out of position, file liromaii then went ahead to protect iho train and on the driver making u Mirtiler examination he iomid the ash ( an was hill and the ends of the iujee;or overllow pipes buried in ashes. As. however, assistance had been sent l'oi nothing could !>•> done till it, arrived, No. was too long for the siding at Mil! load, consequently No. 134 up expre.-.-, had to bo hold at lnvercnrgili i,H the mad was clear and was delayed 1 hour 'J'I minutes in consequence alio it; turn this tr.un delayed No. 000 i.lowr liiad. which arrived ai- i.in orcargill of n-.iu'iiies b,v. . iho ii'iectors on "t J.'i are or the "initnx ' type and the}

?■ . [ worked >at intacttK il,y on lb* l ,ioitr-!:-v from lnu roay.till to Gore and back n-.'iiii a, iar as Olio T.-ft* Point and on ..':lam:::a!i"ii oil October IS were found 1,.. ;ii perfect order. Driver Stone apoatvrnly took no steps to ihrd out liv the injectors had railed and did nut wen uncouple tli'- overflow Pipe- V to ; if v ater "'a ■ running through the lectors and it was otllj; the fart of the i\i..man antieiie.i the ftre-bars out oi that caused him to look into the

id: pan- En;:ine-dnver Stone slates that lie cleaned*th" »sb pan out at Gor»1 hat the bars appeared to U> all

I'i dn. lie telegraphed for assistance] ••juicUly i'O avoid dolayi)]" the mail. As! Jimu as he examined ihi.-' ash. pan he the cause of the injectors failing. ] The locomotive engineer considers that Siouo showed areat want of judgment and skill and is entirely to blame lor the delay/' Evidences was gH>n hy a multitude of witnesses. mostlv locomotive men■ 'h p Departmental vieiv of tho case <vas that Stone could have '.'cry easily discovered the uausc of the defect and could have o\-<Tcoine it in a very simple manner. Th>- Board reserved its decision.