GAS POISONING.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 827, 4 October 1916, Page 3

GAS POISONING.

A HEAVY INDICTMENT.

CONDITIONS AT ADDINGTON.

Following on the disclosures made in The Sun with reference to the existence of gas poisoning at Addington Workshops, and Mr L. M. Isitt's statements in connection therewith which appeared in Saturday's issue some further information on the subject was offered to our representative by an ex-employee of the shops. His statement was to the effect that he had been employed at the workshops for a period of 10 years, and that he had contracted gas poisoning, and had spent a sum of approximately £BO in trying to get it from his system, so far without result. He produced certificates from medical men in support of his statements. One was signed by Dr Grookc. It was dated February 1, 1915, and concluded with the paragraph:—"Evidently the gas poisoning has largely caused his illness." Another, signed by Dr Thomas, and dated December 27, 1915, said:—'This is to certify that is suffering from chronic carbonic oxide poisoning, and will be unfit to attend to his work until he has had a change." Our informant asserts that the fumes pervade the whole of the Addington Workshops' yards, and could be smelt as soon as the gates were entered. There were eight gas engines in the establishments. He pointed out that each of the engines had attached to it a notice giving instructions to be followed in the event of men fainting whilst engaged on them or working in their vicinity. He asserted also, and his statement was backed up by another employee of the shops, that it was no uncommon occurrence for men to faint on the work and that on many occasions doctors had been summoned, and had pumped oxygen into the unconscious patients.

Our informant's rough sketch of the lay-out of the fitting shop in which he had been employed, showing sewers connecting the engine pits with the lavatories, and gratings opening from the sewers into the tilting shop. lie expressed the opinion that these sewers and gratings were very largely responsible for the diffusion of the gas fumes over the establishment. He went on

to quote instances where men engaged on the engines had found it impossible to continue their work, so strong were the fumes. The leading hand had ordered them to discontinue until disinfectants had been poured into the pits and sewers. He was certain that one out of every eight men in the shops kept medicine in his home for the express purpose of neutralising the effects of the gas poison. [

CHARGES DENIED. STATEMENT BY OFFICIALS. The various statements made in connection with the reported gas poisoning at the Addington Workshops were submitted yesterday to officials :>' the works. They were asked to slate their views on the subject. This suiue of them were prepared to do, and the substance of their remarks amounted to a tlat denial of the truth of the charges made. This matter of gas poisoning, they said, had been under careful review for at least a couple of years, and, boiled down, it was an attempt by certain men to get sick pay from the Government to which they were not entitled. The authorities had gone so far in their investigation as to have the air in different parts of the shops analysed by Mr Bickerton, the Government analyst, and on two occasions the expert had reported that there was an absence of gas. They also slated that the one place in the shop where the existence of gas might be expected, namely, in the gas producer shed, the two men working there almost every day throughout the year had never had a day's illness. Within the past few days another sample of air in the shops had been taken away for analysis and report.

The odicials were insistent that had there been any reasonably satisfactory evidence that poisoning was resulting from the presence of the gas engines, steps would long ago have been taken to counteract it. The analyst's report, however, coincided with the previous report of the Government doctors, and until heller evidence than thai already produced was forthcoming from those making the allegation the analyst's conclusion would he accepted.