I.—6a.

40. We understood you to say this is a general practice ?—Well, it is a well-known fact amongst the men, but I do not know that it has ever been known outside the service. 41. Well, we want to know now? —Well, I cannot give you the exact time and the men who did it, because I do not remember that, but I know they did do it. 42. You say this is a general thing, going on day after day, yet you cannot tell us the men who did it ? —I cannot bring it to mind. 43. How many years has this been going on ?—A good few. 44. Still, you cannot remember one case ? —I cannot bring it to mind ; I kept no notes of it. 45. Cannot you remember any occurrences that obtain daily except you keep notes—anything connected with your general labour?— Anything connected with my work I kept notes of, and time, and so on. 46. You cannot remember anything unless you keep notes ?—Not for a long way back. 47. How long back is this?—lt is a good bit back now. 48. Well, you have forgotten, yet you can come here and tell us this—you tell us one minute you have forgotten, and yet say something that has occurred twelve months ago the next?—lt has been done, but I cannot bring to mind anything. 49. Mr. Taylor.] Were you put on to the Culverden line for seven weeks in succession, with a view to doing away with the complaints of the public in regard to the slow running on that line ?—I was for seven weeks and four days on that line. 50. Hon. Mr. Cadman.] Did any one tell you that; who told you that ?—No one told me any more than it was said amongst the chaps that it was done for that. 51. Had there been complaints?— Yes. 52. And were you put on?— Yes, for seven weeks. 53. Was that unusual—for a man to be put on the same running for seven weeks ?—lt was unusual; we had very heavy loads too. 54. Did you run to time ?—Yes, to time; and you might see in some of the papers where I got praised for bringing up big loads for Waikari over the hill. 55. Now, will you tell us some of the names of the chaps ?—I could not bring it to mind. 56. Mr. Graham.] Were the chaps belonging to the service ?—Yes. 57. Hon. Mr. Cadman.] What were they—engine-drivers, guards, or what ?—-It might have been both; I cannot bring it to mind. That is what I was put on there for. I had a good engine, and used to take a pride in her and keep her well, so that she could work well. 58. You have no authority in making the statement ?—No. 59. Can you tell us the date when you were on this train ?—No; but I have the books at home with all the running in—all that seven weeks I was on driving the engine, and I think I could tell you the coal I burnt. I kept a record of the mileage, the time, and all. Mr. A. L. Beattie called and examined. The Chairman : Mr. Cadman has called you, Mr. Beattie, to give evidence before the Committee. Mr. Graham : Who and what is Mr. Beattie ? , Witness : Mr. Chairman, I am Locomotive Engineer for the Hurunui-Bluff section of the New Zealand Bailways, and am stationed at Addington. Mr. Carter has been under my jurisdiction for the last two years and a half or thereabouts. Perhaps, Mr*. Chairman, I might as well begin at the beginning of the affair. On that particular day of the accident, the 11th March, I was a passenger from Dunedin by the express. On the arrival of the express at Chertsey Station I was called out of the train by the Stationmaster, and informed that an accident had occurred at Bakaia. We proceeded on in the express to Bakaia. On my arrival there I made a hasty inspection of things generally. I saw the Stationmaster and told him I was there, and that I would take all responsibility, which I did—remaining at Bakaia that night. Very shortly after my arrival I made my way to Carter, and questioned him as to how he came into the accident. I also satisfied myself that at that time Carter was sober; I had every opportunity of judging that then. That was about twenty minutes or half an hour after the accident. I also asked Carter how he came to enter the station, and he told me that he thought the previous train had made the rails slimy, and that his brake had not held — that is to say, his brakes had not held as well as he had anticipated they would hold—-and he gave this as his reason for entering the station without being signalled to do so. I at that time made certain inquiries as to the condition of Carter's engine, and satisfied myself then by inquiry and inspection that the engine was in good working-order, and, having satisfied myself of that, I allowed it to go on to Christchurch with the train. On the arrival of the excursiontrain which Carter was driving—viz., on its arrival in Christchurch—the foreman who was Carter's immediate superior officer boarded the engine, and replaced Carter with another driver, and took Carter away to the office to answer certain questions, so that information could be wired to Wellington to the General Manager and Locomotive Superintendent. Carter at that time gave as his reason for coming into Bakaia Station without being signalled in that he misjudged his distance. This explanation was given to the traffic-clerk, Mr. Stringleman, in the absence of Mr. Gaw. It was stated to Mr. Stringleman in the hearing of Mr. Dickenson, Bunning-shed Foreman. The gist of Carter's statement was this: that on seeing the lights of the standing train he thought that train was further down the station-yard than it actually was, and when he found out his mistake he could not stop in time. That was Carter's explanation to the traffic-clerk in Christchurch immediately on his arrival after accident. The explanation is sworn to by Mr. Dickenson, foreman, who heard it made. On the Sunday afternoon- I got back to Christchurch, and on the Monday morning I made special inquiry. I had Carter before me. I took down from Carter his version of what had happened, and how it happened. With your per--3—l. 6a.

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