H. OABTEB.]

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88. Do you approve of that overcrowding, with regard to the conductor's duty, for instance 1 .ho, not in any way 89. What about subclause (d) of clause 5 : do you consider there is any need for the limitation of speed in Auckland at the present time?— Yes, we run too fast. 90. What line are you on? — Heme Bay at present 91 That has College Hill in it?— Yes. _ 92. What is the grade of College Hill?—I think 1 in 14 is the steepest part; it might be slightly less. r 8 93. What time do you have for your journey ?—Sixteen minutes for three sections, 2"5 miles 94. How many stops have you got?—l have not counted them. lam not quite sure • 95 t,, D 0 ° 7 at U oonsider y° u run at a Proper speed down College Hill in order to maintain your time-table?—No, we are running too fast, and the Brakes Commission in 1908 said as much 96. Are you a pretty good judge of speed?— Yes. 97 What rate do you think your car would have to go on that run to enable you to maintain your schedule time?— From twenty to forty miles down College Hill. That is admitted by the general manager. 98. Do you remember the first Brakes Commission—being on the car there? Yes 99. Do you remember what the speed was then?— Yes, 40"7 miles. 100. Have you seen cars going at that speed in the ordinary traffic?— Yes, plenty of times 101 Do you consider that the time allowed for the run is not sufficient?— Quite insufficient 102. Do you know whether the Council has been asked to extend the time?— Yes asked by the union. J 103 Has there been any result?—No, it is still going on. 104. Have the company been asked to do so?— Yes. I was on the deputation myself 105. What did the manager say?— That he would consider it. That was about two years ago 106. Is he still considering it ? —Yes. ' 107 You were on the Kingsland line some time ago?— Yes, for about five years. 108. Did you consider that they were running too fast on that service? Yes _ 109 Did you take any action?—l went to the general manager and asked him for an extension or the running-time. 110. What reply did you get?— That he would consider it. 11l Seeing that the company cannot do anything to increase the time, and that the Council lias refused to do so, do you take that as a reason why subclause (d) should be in the Bill ?—Yes we want independent control there. ' 112. Take the Appeal Board, clause 6 : are you in favour of that ?—Absolutely 113. Will you just state your reasons as near as possible?—An Appeal Board should be set up to give a man the right of appeal from the findings of the general manager This Appeal Board should consist of an independent chairman and a representative of the employees and a representative of the employers. l y 114. Have you had any experience of such a Board?— Yes, we have one in Sydney 115. Is that on the lines indicated?— Yes, similar to that proposed in the Bill 116. Now, a good deal has been said about the Sydney system here : will you o-ive your experience as an employee, as far as you can, of that Appeal' Board, and state whether you consider it was satisfactory to the employees?— Yes. It gives the men a sense of security with regard to their position, and m many cases it has been the means of redressing grievances" 117 Can you tell the Committee how that Board is constituted ?—There is equal representation of employers and employees. At the time I was there the employees' representative was Mr Richards, of the Eveleigh Workshops, and I think Mr Harper represented the employers I am not ofuite cert Tin. UnderStand he was a PP oint ed by the Government. of several **"" """ '""* **" *" ApPeal B ° ard reTOd the decisi ™ 120. Did the manager resign because of that?— No. * 121^ D °a7 OU nm l whether !t destroyed the discipline of the service by the appeals beins? sustained?—No, they have the best discipline of any service that I have seen g 122 In fact, you consider you would be safe in saying that it compares favourably if not more so, with any of the Dominion services?—l think so. vourawy, it not )ll 5° y S U ™ der there ™ a need for it in the Auckland system?— Yes, we require it IJ4. Mr Richardson has placed on record what the present system is : are you satisfied with the present It leaves us in the power of inefficient officers, and not wise ones very lV M T?V j""" a PP° in *f d a man who is a bad motorman to make a good inspector " U5. Mr Kiehardson said that, and you corroborate his statement ?—He promoted a' bad motorman to make a good inspector. piuinorea a Dad 126 ; His opinion was that a bad motorman might make a good inspector ?—Yes he made that statement at the Conciliation Board in 1908. Ile maae )ll' w-^ at all y l ° U have to say with re S ard to the Appeal Board?— Yes 128 With regard to clause 9, the car report-book : do you consider that clause is necessary? Yes, we need that particularly, so as to know a car's history. y v, + t, 129 J° U .*. hin . k lt is essential to know a car's previous history?— Yes That is smmnrteA by the authorities in Sydney, who keep a book in which the defects are entered b the moto-men and this is mno wise allowed to be removed. If a man signing off a car at night books defeats' the morning man taking that car out sees that the defects have been booked and examines the car before taking it out of the shed to make sure that it has been repaired « a the MO. Did that system work well in Sydney?— Yes. satisfactorily

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