VIEWS DIVIDED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19623, 5 May 1938, Page 17

VIEWS DIVIDED

SPEED OF. TRAIN SMASH NEAR RATANA OPINIONS OF PASSENGERS INQUIRY ADJOURNED (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. After the evidence of three more passengers had been heard, the inquiry into the railway disaster at Rat ana on March 2G was adjourned late in the afternoon. It will probably be resumed during the second week in June.

The inquiry opened at Wanganui on April 13, and after a one-day sitting was adjourned to Wellington, where it was resumed on April 2(3. So far 37 witnesses, including departmental experts and railway workers, have given evidence before the board of inquiry. The passengers heard yesterday were called by the board at the request of Mr. G. G. G. Watson, counsel for the driver, Mr. E. Percival. Speed of the Train The chairman, Sir Francis Frazer, said the board could not go any further in the meantime. The statements made by passengers to the police had been examined, but there was not a great deal more on the police files than had been disclosed at the inquiry. About half the passengers. whose statements had been taken, said the train was travelling too fast. The other half maintained the speed was moderate.

At the instigation of the chairman, counsel engaged on the inquiry will examine the police file to-day, when a decision will be made as to what additional witnesses will b'c called when the inquiry is resumed.

Use of Steel Cars,

Mr. F. J. Foote, who is appearing for the relatives of one of the victims, asked if the board thought it was within its order of reference to consider whether steel cars should be substituted for wooden cars, in order to prevent loss of life in future derailments, and whether the department proposed offering evidence on this question. The chairman replied that though this was not in the order of reference, he did not think there would be any objection if the board decided upon making any recommendation regarding the use of steel cars, cars with steel ends, or steel in any part of their construction.

Members of the board, said the chairman, had inspected the ears damaged in the Ratana accident and some were badly knocked about. The board had examined protographs that morning which showed the damaged received by steel and wooden cars in other accidents. "Steel cars," he added, "do not seem to get knocked about so badly, but that depends on the violence of the collision "