a. Carter.]

51

L—9a.

7 Will you explain further minimum-fare car is a car that runs two, three, or four sections, and the least fare charged would be 2d. They are running them now, but the company has to do it at its own risk, and occasionally a man will get on and pay his penny and then refuse to leave. This often causes friction between the employees and the public. 8. Is there a notice on the car that the minimum fare is 2d. I —Yes, there is " 2d. minimum fare " on the front of it. There is another point 1 should like to add, that the continued bookings of a car are not always attended to. I will give particulars of this. Car 92 has been systematically booked for a defective brake-staff. 9. Is that the car you drive?— Yes. This has been systematically booked for a considerable time for the same defect. 10. The What do you mean by "systematically"?— Continuously booked. It will be run in off the road to be repaired, and will come out with the same defect existing, with a result that it injured me, and I put a month in the hospital, and when I came out of the hospital and went to work again the defect was still existing 11 Mr. Rosser ] How long have you been out of the hospital?--About three months. I went in about the 19th March, and was there four weeks. 12 What were you in for?— Strain, and I contracted pleurisy 13. Have you any opinion to offer as to how the strain was caused?—By applying that brake. That is all I wish to add. 14. Mr M Myers ] Mr Carter, you say that you saw a barn hand tampering with a loose-leaf defect-sheet ?—Yes. 15. When was that?—A few weeks ago. 16. Can you not be more accurate? —I cannot give you the definite date. 17 Can you give me the month?—No, I could not. 18. Can you tell me whose car-sheet it was?—A motorman's, but I do not know the particular motorman. 19 Did you look at the sheet at the time?—l just saw him rub it out. I did not examine it, 20. Do you mean to say you do not know whose car-sheet it was?—l dare say I could find out. 21 Did you not know the barn hand's name at the time? —No. 22. Did you report it to anybody?— No. 23. Do you think that is fair?— Yes. 24. Why?—lt is not my business to report men. I am. a motorman. 25 You are a motorman and a member of'the union? —Yes. 26. And I suppose it would be honourable on the part of one member of the union to protect another member?— Both may be members of the union, and it would be dishonourable to report either 27 According to you, was he not doing an improper and dishonourable act towards this man 1 —Most decidedly 28. Then why should you hesitate to report him? —Because it was not my business to do so. 29. Did not the car defect-sheet come under the notice of the barn hand in the ordinary course of business? —Yes. 30. Then, suppose it had been a leaf in a book, could not the same things have happened?—• He could have erased the line, but it would have left the motorman an opportunity of seeing it if he happened to look over the book again. 31 You can give me no particulars which would enable the company to verify or disprove the correctness of your statement? —I cannot give you the name of the barn hand, because Ido not know his name. 32 Then does it not come to this: that you cannot or will not give me any particulars which will enable the company to verify or disprove the accuracy of your statement? —It is not "Will not," it is "Cannot." 33 Did you think it was at the moment of such importance as to impress it upon your mind so that you would not forget it?—l have not forgotten it. I remember the instance very well. 34. Do you not think it is somewhat curious that you should not have made yourself acquainted with, and remembered, the names and something more of the particulars, such as the date and so on? —I do not think so. There are any amount of occurrences. 35 Did you, yesterday, think of this when you were giving evidence?- —I did not think of it until afterwards. 36. Did you consider it was not of sufficient importance to mention it?—l did not think that. 37 You have remembered just enough of the circumstance which is calculated to prejudice your employers, and you cannot give them any details to enable them to disprove your statement? —The position is this • There are hundreds of things that have occurred during my tramway experience that I cannot be expected to remember in every little detail. 38. Can you give me the date when you were in the hospital?—l went in on the 19th March, and was there four weeks. The 10th March was when I was sick and went home, and afterwards I went to the hospital. 39 In your opinion, which is the most competent body to manage a tramway system —the owners of the tramway, the Minister, or the Tramways Union of Employees?—l never considered the tramway employees could manage it. 40. Do you not think that the statements you made yesterday go to show that the tramway employees are desirous practically of taking over the management of these tramways?—l do not view it in that light. I want the Government to step in and rectify things which we do not consider right at the present time. 41 We may take it, then, that in your opinion a person appointed by the Minister, or the Minister himself, is more competent to look after the tramways than the local bodies themselves! —Yes.