RAILWAY APPEAL BOARD.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1735, 28 April 1913, Page 6

RAILWAY APPEAL BOARD.

(By Telegraph.—Preos Association.) Dunedin, April 25. The Railway Appeal Board sat this morning to consider two appeals. Tho first case was that of Georgo Andrews, chief clerk at Oamaru, whel com-, plained that a vacancy had occurred in tho offlco of the Traffic Department jit Invercargill and lift was passed over in favour of a man three mouths his junior in the service. \

Mr. Davidson, who appeared for tho Department, said that the General Manager had exercised his discretion conscientiously in selecting J. B. Mitchell for the position. Mr. J. P. Matheson, for appellant, combated this. The records would, ho urged, show that Andrews had had wider experience, and on every ground, was entiled to the appointment. Tho chairman (Mr. W. E. Haselden): There are two gentlemen who are very good men. A vacancy has occurred in an important office and the General Manager says—ho may be wrong or right, but he is using his best judgment—that ho decides to appoint Mr. Mitchell. The next case was that ill which Harry L. Gibson, stationmaster at SeaclifT, complained that ho had been passed over when appointments of ticket inspectors were being made. Mr. Davidson said it was not necessary to bring cvidenco as to ability. Tho Department was quite satisfied I hat Mr. Gibson had an excellent record. Jlr. P. Gaines, representing the Second Division on the Board, pointed out that when tickets inspectors were appointed, they were given JilSO a year, but it became recognised that an injustice was done to liiem because guards got nioro money through getting overtime. Inspectors wero then given ,£2lO which put them ahead again of Gibson, of Division I, although they (the ticket inspectors) were taken from Division 2.

, Mr. Ilaseldcn said that in a vast service like tho railways anomalies lvero bound to occur. He did not think that it was right to try to exact logical rights as long as the spirit of the Act was justly administered.

Tho board unanimously decided to dismiss both appeals. 1