THE REGIMENTAL BAND

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2147, 13 May 1914, Page 8

THE REGIMENTAL BAND

HOW IT WAHEFT BEHIND, STATEMENT BY THE RAILWAY DEPARTMENT. ST ATE MSN* BY THE RAILWAY DEPARTMENT. In regard-to the oirctttoßtsuiccs connected with the on-training oi' the sth Regiment at Takapan on Sun-day, when the band was loft behind, the Railway Department yoisterday issued tho following statement:—'"'The actual position was this: The whole of the train by which.the regiment was to he convoyed back to Wellington was placed in the siding at ? a.m. in readiness far the troops.' The train was timed to leave Takapau at.7.30 a.m. The. rail* way officer who was in charge of tho troop trains bad taken the pr-eeaution of supplying t4ie officer controlling tire entraining arrangements of tho troops with the actual number of carriages and other Vehicles on the train by which ■they were to travel. There was, ther%r I'oro, no room for any doubt or any necessity for confusion." When the. troops were approaching the- station the railway.officer met them at the Crossing and directed them by signs as to the best way to get .to the train, Tito band-was drawn up and. stood at attention right . opposite an empty, car-. riago, which it could i-iavc entered had proper, arrangements been made by tho officers who wore responsible for seeing their men.oh", hoard the train. _ As. a matter, of absolute fact, the train.was. six minutes late leaving Takapau, owing, to the time occupied in the operation of entraining, Uic railway officers assert that at the time the starting signal was given all the- officers were seated in their carriage, next. to tho van. "They (Jenv Colonel Turner's statement that the oilieers had •to - ran in catch tbe train. If any such incident did happen it would only reflect on.tho officers. themselves.' "It is further asserted, on evidence given to the'officers of the Railways' Department on the. spot, that the. members'-of the baud actually made an attempt to get <on board the train, but wore ordered back by somtvof the regimental officers, "No application to stop the train was made by: Colorel Turner to the 'guard, aiid ; the lirstth.it that official knew of the desire "to stop'was wlien his train vvas brought sndd&ily to a standstill by the unauthorised application of the Westuighouse brake by a Territorial acting, it is understood., under Colonel Turner's orders.:. The stopping of tire train brought t.!'i<i matter under, the notice of the guard,' who, on: leaving Takapau, ha<{ entered the froirt vehicle in the peTforniaiaco of his duties, fie, rightly, declined to set the train bask to Takapau or to recognise Colonel 'Tutiter's authority to interfere iiv any vay with the railway arrangements. . ('Captain Wilkinson having' left the train when ft stopped hi order to return to. Takapau, could hardly . expect the Railway iJepartment to keep tho train, standing on the mam: line; especially in. view of'the. fact- that after Ibs train left .Takapau. the .whole 'of tiro other Arrafigebniiits ■ ivcre dependent ok its maintaining punctuality and that every following train would have been thereby delayed. "Colonel Turner's statement that'ho requested the officer controlling the train: arrangements to. hold his train at Palfuerstori North to airaifc iihfi arrival of tilts band by the train conveying the Territorials, jwhile at the sains time two other specials, bringing h'oops to Wellington _ wore following, may be ■ take/jr a-s. -a fair-indication, that Colonel Turner does .not realise, tho serious' consequences that may result, from the carrying out of ilkft'dvisod.suggestions involving sodden alterations in the train arraßgenients tor the transport of the troops. The railway officer who was on tto spot states that the bandsmen watched the regiment entrain and afterwards stood at attention foi half an hour .prior to tji-0 departure of. the train, ■ After it bad gene the railway officer asked the bandmaster what bm'ul it was, and was then informed that it was the .hand of the sth Regiment, I and that they bad bad no instructions ' from their officers to entrain. "A& an indication that thnre was ; ample time given to tho regiment to entrain,,it may.be pointed ant that they had practically tody ni'inntes to low! G horses and 600 men, '.In contradistinction to this. another trenp loaded 125 horses and,-, SDO men in' loss titan half an hour! "Thn Hallway Department emphatically disclaims Wny respoiisibility whatever in eoimect-ion with ttw incident, Jf the «Js'ieei: in. cba.rtre of tho -sth Sepmint wanted, bis band to travel with the regiment to the responsibility for seeing that it did so clearly rested with him, and any iniscairjrij'o fcliftt teak -place resulted from some failure of his arrangements. 11 '