RAILWAY APPEAL BOARD.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17114, 8 April 1921, Page 6

RAILWAY APPEAL BOARD.

AN EWPOBTANT DECISION. (SPECIAL TO "THE WUt6S."i AUCKLAND, April "• An important decision was given I l .* the chairman of the Railway Appeal Board, Ml E. Page, S.M., upon certain . vital points regarding sections 48 and 01 of the Government .Railways Act ami the regulations made thereunder, whtcn were formally referred to the Board. tor Mr C. R. Dell for tho appellant, C. V. , Ryan, at a recent sitting at Melting- i ton. „ ... The effect of the Board's decision was j adverse to tho whole of the contentions, four in number, made by Mr Bell. According to the Board's decision tlia onus is upon all appellants before th» Board to challenge the General Manager's decision by actual evidence, and that the General Manager has, in effee?, complete power of selection of officer* for promotion, irrespective of tho Gasification Act of 1896 and any subsequent ■ amendment.* of that statute. t • Mr Bell announced '.hat it was m« tended to appeal to the Supreme Court upon these points, and thnt tho organ- , ised body o"f railway officers would lo very keenly interested in putting thtf . matter upon a definite footing. Th> • decision of the Board upset, in effect, - the efforts made by all railway societies for the past 30 years.. . _ Mr Bell expressed his appreciation of the clear and prompt dccisiou given by' \ the chairman, but stated tliat it wa* one which the staff would be obliged to oppose.