THE RAILWAY SERVICE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9507, 6 May 1911, Page 6

THE RAILWAY SERVICE.

•THE DETECTIVE SYSTEM.

RESENTED BY THE GUARDS,

MODUS OPERANDI EXPLAINED.

Interviewed by a "Standard" representative, a.railway-man explained how it is that the guards on the railway tako such strong exception to the-' detective system now in vogue, "It is this way, said the railway-man, in the' course of a chat, "I don't believe thoro is a wilfully dishonest guard in tho service, It wouldn't be worth their while to be so, for they would be sure to get found out, and then it would bo instant dismissal, and the accompanying disgrace. You remember that poor fellow in Wellington who committed suicide not long ago,-all through a slip of that kind. But what the detective is for is to catch the guards allowing passengers overriding the stations to which they have taken tickets. For instance, suppose a passenger for Otaki or Waikanae buys his ticket, say, for Levin, and takes the chance of escaping detection py [ "beating" the guard for the difference. Has thero been much of that sort,of thing going on, do you think? I don't think so,. and the guards have such a tremendous lot of responsibility of other kinds that holding them responsible for passengers occasionally evading their fares is really most unjust. I thought the guards did nofhavo much else.to do but watch for evasions of that kind? • Oh, haven't they! Now, I'll ]iut enlighten you on that point. Wo will just take a case in point. Wo will, take tho 6.25 from Thorndon (Wellington) to Paekakariki, always, a pretty full train. Generally there are about five or six carriages on, say, from 120 to 150 passengers aboard. Well, tho guard lias got" just thirteen minutes in which to check all his tickets before the first station Ngaio, is reached. Now, there will be all sorts of tickets.. _The ordinary card-board, such as is issued to passengers at the booking offices. Then there mav be.tourist excursion season tickets, annual tickets, family season tickets, -single and family commutation tickets, workers' commutation, season tickets for apprentices, pupil teachers, articled clerks, and young persons in employment, probably there will be reporters on board having special privilege tickets, newsbovs with their tickets, school season tickets, commutation tickets for technical school pupils, free passes, special tickets for school parties, factories, and friendly societies, lor delegates to meetings of religious Maoris attending Native Land lAnffte and Maori Councils, judges of exhibits proceeding to shows, members Cn football, cricket, tennis, hockey, and} bowling teams, golf, rowing, and rifle and pleasure parties, theatrical, concert, ?nd circus companies, students/of agricultural and technical colleges Ravelling for field ! instruction, navy recruits, etc., for all of whom special concessions have been arranged. Well, sacral of these may bo on the one jjfain. A fifty-trip ticket holder, or ajworkcrs' commutation ticket, holder, may'have used their tickets nmre than once on the same day, and ;ialurally, wilt try to "beat" the guard if they cast -Now, besides all this, tho guard has to attend to the lights in the carriages, packages to be left at wayside stations, parcels of newspapers to bo put oft'here and there, mails to be received and delivered, answer questions to passengers about various matters on v.-hich a .guard is supposd to bo a peripatetic encyclopaedia,. And will you tell mo how is it possible for him to attend to these multifarious duties and prevent an occasional passenger "beating" the Department for a portion of his fare? Yon haven't told mo how the detective gets to work? He'll take out his ticket in the ordinary way at Thorndon (Wellington), say, for Jolinsonville, and, unobserved by the guard, will remain, say, till Porirua is reached. He will then send in his :e----port, and shortlv afterwards guard So-and-So will bo officially asked how he camo to allow a passenger by the train indicated to travel so far as Porirua, when he only had a ticket to Jolinsonville? When tho guard goes through each carriage successively after the 1 vain starts, saying as he enters,. "All lick?ts, please," one may say "season," another "commutation," another "worker's, ml other "press," and so on, and if he were to challenge each to produce his or her ticket there would be a storm of protests, and such remarks as, "Don't you know me by this time?" etc. Besides, he would not be half through the train before the first station was reached. Well, what chance has-he got to watch every passenger as he alights and tain'that he has paid his full fare to his destination? It is a sheer impossibility. You would require an assistant guard", or perhaps a couple of them on every train. This detective sets himself to lay a trap for the guard. The average passenger does not seek to "beat" the Department. Now and again a case may occur, but in my opinion very seldom. With theso detectives on board the unfortunate guard is 60 harassed between his multifarious duties and responsibilities, and the knowledge that a trap may bo laid to catch him napping, that he doesn't know whether he is "on his head or his heels." so to speak. And if ho is challenged with having allowed a passenger to over-ride the station to which his ticket was taken, w_cll, what reply can lie make All he can'say is, "Possibly I did." But the knowledge that a detective may be on the train watching for his slips docs not tend to increase his self-possession in what is manifestly a verv trying position. With very few exceptions there is not a guard on any of our trains who has not more to attend to than he has any right to bo expected to do. Should a case of direct dishonesty bo discovered, in which a guard is the culprit, my advice would be to show him no clemency. Make 1 an example of him. But when a man is honestly trying his level best to do what'' is required of him,.under very difficult surroundings,he should be shown some consideration, and not be alwavs under the suspicion of neglect of duty. This detective system is deeply resented by the guards, arid will be the means of the best of them leaving tho service, when opportunity offers. A. guard has a most difficult position to fill, being one of great responsibility, and to harass him with detectives laying in wait for him is deeply resented by the men as a cruel and entirely unnecessary innovation. I don't know if it is m vome on English lines, but if, so the system of locked carriages and requiring passengers to produce their tickets Lefore leaving the railway platforms renders any such system superfluous. On most of the trains on which only guard is employed on the New Zealand lines, an assistant, is required, and there will be plenty for them both to do, if this objectionable espionage is to be pursued in future.