FEATHERSTON STREET ACCIDENT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 556, 10 July 1909, Page 10

FEATHERSTON STREET ACCIDENT.

Sir, —In your report in to-day's issue of lire Dominion of tho inquest it states that "tho scaffold was quito sate," whoro W. Loveday fell from and met his death through injuries" received by tho fall. How can a scaffold bo quito safo which allows a man to fall from it, and which, in my opinion, should have a guard-rail on tho ends, and no ' boards allowed to jut over tho putlog for , a. considerable distance, tho samo as tho ond where tho unfortunate man fell? I notice ' that witnesses employed on tho building were called, who did not' sco the acoidont, and how could they .throw any light on tho subject? No one who actually saw tho, accident

, gave ovidonco; yet. it. is allied that a lad. saw the man fall, and some men employed adjacent to tho scoiiqr. Yot tho officials whose duty it' was to collect oVidenco did not trouble about making inquiries other than thoso gentlenion at whoso foot tho victim fell, and men ! on tho building. I thinkjf tho lad's evidenco ( , had been taken -a difleroiit view of tho mat- . tor m ould havo been taken by the jury, who \ could only bring m their verdict m accord- ! anco with tho evidenco tendered boforo them. A most ridiculous question was asked by tho Scaffold Inspector of <1110 of tho witnesses: ( "Was Loveuay sober?" Did ho for ono mo- ( ment think that a man engaged in a picco of artistic work was tho worso for liquor? Bet- , tor 110 had seen that tho boards 011 tho scaffold- wore not ovorlappuig tho- putlog too ' far, so as to cant when a person trod on it, ;; and bo precipitated to the footpath.—l am, etc., ■ .■■ PRACriCAL SCAFFOLDER. ... ■ July 5. ■'.-