THE ADDINGION INQUIRY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14441, 6 February 1909, Page 6

THE ADDINGION INQUIRY.

AN EXPERT OPINION. A mechanical engineer with a very wide Home and colonial experience in railway matters had some very jiuitinent remarks to make ancnt the Addington Workshops trouble in course of conversation with a Times reporter yesterday. The Hon. Minister of Railways had, ho said, annouirjed that an inquiry into the methods adopted iu the Addington Workshops must necessarily cover the whole question of working, and that was so far satisfactory. Further, provided tho board possessed the necessary qualiiications, and was of the right calibre, it could bo pretty safely, anticipated that tha present state of atlairs would bo fully remedied" when the inquiry was concluded. It would not bo quite understood why there should be any objection to the workshops men being allowed to bring forward an outsider as a representative. It was pretty generally known that the department had at times, when defending its position, to put it mildly, employed very doubtful tactics, and iu such instances the men were undoubtedly placed under very considerablo disadvantages, while there was always tha feeling that in giving evidence which might in any way be detrimental to the interests of the higher oflieials I hoy would render themselves liable to become marked men. There was also tho fact to bo considered that they did not possess tne knowledge regarding the inner workings of the department such as would enable them to fully justify their contentions. If there was any foundation for the serious allegations mado by one of the workshops employees in connection with faulty drawings, obsolete machinery, and the methods of supply of material, it should be an easy matter to account for tho excessive cost of work and the otherwise unsatisfactory state of affairs, and doubtless tho Minister would arrange for every facility being allowed for tho board of inquiry to make the most searching and complete investigations, and also for any officer who might be in a position to throw light upon any of the points at issue I o bo encouragod to give his evidence without, restraint.

The position iu which the heads of the department were placed was somewhat peculiar, Tho only possible assumption was that, prior to being informed of the state of a flairs exisling by an expert engineer who had passed through the Addington works, the general manager was unacquainted with'the position of things, otherwise it was only reasonable to suppose that he would have adopted corrective measures, and as the now notorious memo, was sent on by the chief mechanical engineer to the head of Ihe works at Addington, it must be assumed that ho also was ignorant of the existing stato of affairs. lie might, however, be able to show that he had soiiiq such previous knowledge and had already taken definite action with a view to bringing about improvement. After a carotid consideration of the whole question it was considered that, once tho board had settled tho question of the alleged incompetence of the workmen, the order of reference should ho sufficiently wide to permit, of a decision being arrived at as to whether the discipline of the workshops throughout the Dominion was being efficiently maintained and whether tho system in vogue for arranging and carrying on the work ly the present management was such as to enable the Government workshops to compare favourably with the establishments run by private firms.