THE MAIN TRUNK MUDDLE.

NZ Truth, Issue 173, 10 October 1908, Page 4

THE MAIN TRUNK MUDDLE.

AN ACCIDENT AND ITS RESULT.

Why Was Not an Inquiry Held?

Hall- Jones' Supreme Indifference.

On March JJnd, 1907, two men, M. Clarlun and J. Caples, were prpceeding to work on the North Island "Main Trunk line per medium of a jigger, when a train," which N was proceeding to Taumaranui knocked them off ' the line and injured them. The following paragraph relating to the accident, appeared m the "Taumaranui Press" at* the time :— , ACCIDENT ON THE LINE. Last . Saturday morning a mishap occurred on the railway- line near Piri.aka. Two linemen, named M. Clarkin and J. Caples, were proceeding to*vyork on a jigger, and, at a sharp bend, were, met by a train, which was proceeding to. Taumarunui for a specific purpose. The men hastily jumped off the trolley ; just as 1 they did so the, engine dashed into the machine and smashed 5 it to pieces. It is stated that both' -. men were injured— Olarkin receiving injuries to his hip, spine, and' hand; and Caples 1 ,hip- being hurt. « If is alleged the men did not. receive any- intimation of a special train, and, therefore, did* not' expect it. Frpru the present'aspectpf.the matter, it seems as if tlie 7 . two men are entitled ;to some consideration from the Department. - '' : . rti From Clarkin's , statement it appears that the men were proceeding to work when the special engine ran into them at a steep curve.^ and KNOCKED THEM DOWN THE EMBANKMENT among a : lot. of stones, the jigger itself, being smashed to matchwood. It would.; appear . that the . engine and van,' accord- r ing 'to.our infarinant, 1 Was being used for, the purpose of conveying Mr Louch, en-" gineer. m charge of the section, to. Aucklahd. „ it appears that Louch 1 warned . Michael' Hickey, Inspector of the Public Works, staff on the. section, that the special , would .be running, and) ■told to yrara the .surfacemen^ but ■this Rickey failed to do*, and the result was an accident which might have; resulted m the. death of both men who were! on the -jigger;'.: When the . accident; oc-! curred, Mr Louch said, "I'll -dismiss officer Hickey," -but the same officer .still, retains his office. ' ' Cl^RKp^ RECEIVED FULL PAY for eight days and then resumed work^ or, rather, attended for duty ' at Hick.ey's request, he i asserts, so that an enquiry would be ; burjied. Clarkin has written, to Mr McGqwai^r-the X t wooden' man of the Ministry—who was actingMinister for, Railways at the iitime, .askihs for an . enquiry, but this w#s; refused. S iacc Mr- Hall- J ones' return, Mr ', F .; .AY . Lang, M.p. for Manakau,, has approached him on the i subject, but the bnlysatisr; faction he got ■ was a letter dated 3rd September,;. 1908, :as follows '.i-^' ' • >' : - 3rd September, 1908.Minister's ■Office'," Wellington-, Dear Si?,— ln reference', to your interview with me on behalf- of Mr Clarkin; 'who, I .understand desires that an- in-:; quiry should be held m connection with the accident which Happened to him on the Main Trunk. Railway, I have to advise you that ''the accident 'occurred lii; February, 1907, a special tram ran into a jigger * ctfn'veyinfc workers. ' Al-."' • ; : though Some of the men oii ; the jigger were shaken . by the cdllisiohV,' none ' of V them, 'so far as we are ' aware, was •in-, 1 . jured to any extent. , The Resident Engineer at the time of the accideirjii gave each of the men concerned a week's leave on pay to recover from the shock.' iand no furthrer claim m respect to the- ■■ accident, was made by the men. I recently received a communication fromOlarkin .himself concerning' the matter. He V makes no claim with respect to any injury received. "iAIL that he apparently desires is that the overseer, who was responsible far the occuricncc, should' be dismissed. As no serious conse* , quence arose' from the accident and Wo Overseer was otherwise a good; pflicer, it /was not considered necessary to do more than reprimand him in' ■the: mat-; ter. In view, of the circumstances of the case I have to say that I do not " con--.'aider that the inquiry, asked, for is nficessary. •■ ' All the facts of the case ar& known to the Department, and it does • not apr-"a.r that any good purpose would 1 3 served by holding an ""inquiry into ah accidciit which: occurred so-long ago. — Yours faithfully, . ■•; • '■•-. ■■■■■-. ■ '■■'■:'■ ■'■■■■ YUM. HALL-J ONES. F.W. Lang, Esq., M.P., „ I Wellington. From the 'above letter ,it will be seen that Mr Hall-J ones states the accident occurred m February, "whereas Clarkin maintains that it was on- the ; 2nd March 1 . Mr HaH- Jones ' also says "some of. the men" were shaken, whereas' there were- , only two- men on . the jigger. ■ But the • most scandalous statement of all is that Mr Hall- Jones consulers that a man wlio,' . through gross carelessness, failed to warn men of Nan approaching train and risked: their lives, ' ; SHOULD ONLY BE REPRIMANDED for his offence. Surely it is the duty of' the Minister of Railways to see that the public and iworkingmen are safeguarded from any chance of accident through the tarelessness of one of the officials; Recently a special train left Wellington for Auckland, carrying the Cabinet and members of ; both Houses of the Legislature, said it, arrived safely, a feat on which Mr Hall- Jones prided himself to a remarkkble extent, and he chucked iput -his chest • and patteUhimself on the back. But sup»pose, paving to the 'carelessness of a siglialmari, that train met with an accident which resulfed m the death, or injury of Sir Joseph Ward, or. Mr Massey, Leader of the Opposition, would Mr Hal!-J«n&s, m the former person's , case, have <pnsid'ered that ; a reprimand administered to thp careless signalman; would have \ been sufficieft ? '"Trivth'.' oflers no ppipion, of what might suffice m Mr Massey.'s casfe, buib hazards the opinion that m the case, of Sir i Joseph Ward, the signalman would have been instantaneously relieved from duty, and'put on his trial -for. >nmnslaagfeter." But m the case of an injury tp. a poor surfaceman a reprimand is su^hi cient. However,' Mr Hall-J ones can .expect to hear further of this .case- and also more. about Mr Inspector MichaeJL Hickey.