MATAROA RAILWAY ACCIDENT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 44, 16 November 1918, Page 2

MATAROA RAILWAY ACCIDENT

Sir—With reference to Mr. E. S. Itulh.'rfurd'.s letter in your issue of 15th inst.,' re Matai'oa. railway accident, ami liis rel'ereiices' to the number of hours which were worked Ly the fireman and the engineer on that (late, I am astounded to think that, after all the publicity which these, men's organisation has given to the conditions wider which the locomotive men work in New Zealand, such a question would be. necessary. In the interests of the public and tlte men (themselves, and their wives and children, everv effort has been made to obtain the co-operation of the public with the men towards bringing about improvements in the men's conditions, which will be .beneficial to both The officials have been approached scores of times,- and Parliament more than once, but up ,to tho present no real eifort has been made, to do anything £s.d. is tho main objection; and, in fact, tho only objection raised to the request of the union to put the service on a high standard of efficiency, and give to the men on the locomotives some social life. Mr. Euthorfurd mentions twelve hours a day as being too much for men to be on duty, whereas as,a measure of reform tho men's organisation is asking for that time to bo the maximum, and restrictions bo placed upon the men working tho longer hours in existence For the information of the unthinking, uncaring travelling public who wait for a loss of lifo beforo asking what conditions the men work under whp whirl them through space at forty miles per hour in the dead of night; through storms, frosts, and fogs. The men running the Taihapo to Taumaranui express, and vice versa, work from libont fi p.m. until about 7 a.m.-a total night's work of thirteen hours; mid during that period of time their only sustenance is what can be carried in a lunch-bag hung up in the cab of the engine in ft humid atmosphere. Still, the men do their duty faithfully to an ungrateful public, who caro nothing of the engineers and firemen's conditions as 'long as the train runs smoothlv and safely to its destination. If anything happens they blame tho engineers, and it is refreshing to note eomeme has the courage to blame .thoso who are really instrumental and responsible for tlie conditions, under which the men work, for, after all, • the _ publio places its confidence in the .officials appointed. However, while it is conceded that long hours on duty should be avoided by men holding such responsible positions, yet I am positive that no matter how long these faithful servants, of the public were on duty, it had nothing to do with the accident, as however trying it is on the men's nervous system, their huge responsibilities compel them to do their duty, and remain ever vigilant as far as storms will allow. However, the men ore now trying to induce the officials and Parliament to improve their conditions of work, and if this fails, then Mr. Rutherfurd will have an ■opportunity of assisting to remove an evil which has come under his notice by this accident, as the men arc determined not to tolerate their' present conditions any longer—l am, etc., W. M'AHLEY, General Secretary, N.Z. Loeomomotive Kngiiieers, Firemen, and ■ Cleaners' Association.