RAILWAY APPEAL BOARD.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11839, 20 April 1909, Page 7

RAILWAY APPEAL BOARD.

(Per Press Association.) ■ WELLINGTON, this day. .Two appeals were heard by the North Island Railway Appeal Board yesterday, each case being that of a train examiner classified in grade one classification test of 1907, but placed in grade two during the. following year. The Board comprised MV Eyre Kenny, S.M. (chairman)", Messrs C. P. Ryan (representing the first division), and D. McKenzie (representing the second division). Thos. Edward Hutchings. train examiner at Woodville, was represented by T. W. Wilson, ana complained of a re-, duction in gi'ade wliich preven ted him receiving a further increment. He. had been a train examiner for 12 years, and there had been only one complaint against him. He was in charge of the staff of three examiners and a noj> He had never heen informed of the reason for 'his reduction.

Replying to Mr R. W. , AlcNilly, who represented the. Railway Department, appellant said his wa^es had hot suffered by the reduced grading. George A. Pearson, locomotive ' engineer, Wellington, gave evidence on behalf of the. Department tq the effect that the work at Woodville was unsatisfactory, 'and YHutchings was informed that, unless -things . improved' ne woujd be transferred to the workshops. The Board's decision w'as reserved.

A similar appeal was .made by train examiners H. kj. Seat-on, of Cross Crfeek, who stated his. work Wjas moife responsible than that of tr^ain examiners in other places, yet 17 men of less experience than himself had Superseded ,_jun' by being gi*aded in grade one on Ythe 1908 list. When he complained he ;'. was informed he had been passed over 'because ho lacked experience in lifting;, and had not been long enough in tho examiner's position. '**"', * Several witnesses were called by Mr Lee,'<who conducted- the appeal, to show that Seaton had done "lifting" of locomotives at Cross iCreek, a riiore intricate operation tlian ordinary "'lifting." A letter was produced indicating that appellant was in July, four months after his reduction to grade 2, regarded as senior train examiner at Cross Creek.

The hearing was adjourned until; next morning. An Auckland clerk, J. H. Harris, had lodged an appc'il against his dismissal: Being unable to attend owing, to illness he forwarded- a statement of his case, which was accepted as evidence by the Board, and iMr McNilly (chief clerk in the General* Manager's office) testified briefly to the Department's attitude. Decision was reserved.