DISMISSAL OF A POUTER

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15411, 20 September 1913, Page 8

DISMISSAL OF A POUTER

»• NEW LYNN OFFICIAL. MEMBER WANTS REASONS. : 6 MATTER ARGUED HEATEDLY. e o .6 [BY TELEGKAPH.—SPECIAL CORRESPOND.] Wellington, Friday. ir A lively incident, centring round the dis-, '" missal of the tablet porter who was ok ,s duty at the time of the accident, occurred j '• at the close of the New Lynn accident 11 inquiry before the Railway Committee of 6 tne House of Representatives to-day. '» The chairman, Mr. D. Buick (Palmer's ston North) asked if there was any more '• evidence to be adduced, whereupon Mr. ! J. S. Dickson (Parnell) said he wanted i n evidence from the Department as to why I, the table porter (Mortimer) had been diss missed. 7 Mr. W. A. Veitch (Wanganui) conIs tended that it was for the committee its self to decide why the porter, and also the >, enginedriver (Coritch), had been dismissed. lS The Cliairman : The point is, Have we '» had all the evidence? ' Mr. E. W. McVilly (chief clerk of the e Railway Department): The evidence is l ; closed. s Air. Dickson : I have asked that a witl, ness be produced to tell us why the porter s was dismissed. The whole thing rests on whetner he was or was not dismissed for d a breach of the regulations. The Depart- {- ment guaranteed to produce a witness to e give that evidence. i, Mr. G. R. Sykes (Masterton) : I think e we should deliberate irrespective of Dee partmental evidence on this point, s The Chairman (to Mr. Dickson) : Whom e do you want to call? 0 Mr. Dickson : I want a witness. I will e call on the General Manager to produce f the papers I want. 3 Mr. McVilly : I can giv© the Depart--1 ment's reasons for dismissing the men, but I suggest it would be wrong for me now t to give them to the committee, which is • an independent tribunal. If I give the 3 reasons why Mortimer and Coritch were 3 dismissed I shall have .to give also the Departmental view of the circumstances, > and to do so might influence the comi mittee's deliberations. If the committee i desires it, however, lam ready to go into 1 the box. " j Mr. M. J. Mack, general secretary of " | the A.5.8.5., pointed out that no railway ■ | man can be dismissed without the warrant > of the Minister. Since, therefore, the ' Minister in question was a member of the " committee, "could not the information sought by Mr. Dickson come from him? ' J Mr. McVilly, in reply to a question,, said that both the men had appealed ' against their dismissal Mr. Veitch : It, would not be fair to " those men. I contend that the Department- should give this committee its rea- ' sons for dismissing them. We ought not ' to allow ourselves to be biassed in that way. It is .for us to decide how they ' should have been dealt with. \ Mr. Dicftson (heatedly) :We are here ' to take evidence. If the Department refuses to produce the evidence I am asking " for. I can only say that the Department has something to hide. I will thrash it • out on the floor of the House. We ought to have the Department's reasons before arriving at our decision. I want the papers of dismissal produced, and the Minister promised be would have them produced. . Mr. Veitch : Our duty is to find out the cause of the accident and apportion the " blame to the individual we consider Blameworthy. The Chairman : We have heard all the . evidence the Department is able to give. I would rather not hear this evidence Mr. Dickson seeks. I think- Mr. Dickson would be wise to withdraw. his request. ' Mr. Dickson (with emphasis;).: No, I will not withdrawn.' I want' to call the tablet porter. > The Chairman: Oh, we have had all > that. This inquiry is now closed, i A point was raised bv Mr. S. Kennedy, } secretary of the Enginedrivers' Union, who > said he had had no opportunity of calling 1 the witnesses whom he wanted. ' Finally; the committee -adjourned sin© > die, Mr. Dickson intimating that he in- " tended to carry the matter further. ' \ — - i . I ,'■'''.