THOROUGH INQUIRY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 3, 19 January 1937, Page 7

THOROUGH INQUIRY

-Preas Asaociation.)

Generai Manager Flies To Scene of Smash MINISTER'S STATEMENT

(By Telegraph-

AUCKLAND, Jan. 18. The Minister of Railways, the Hon, D. G. .Sullivan, to-night stated that the Generai Manager of Railways, Mr G. H. Mackley, had communicated the news of the rail-car accident to him hy telephone and had conveyed such details as were, up to the time of telephoning, available and verifled. The cause of the accident had np to the mornent not been determined, and at his request Mr Mackley was leaving Wellington by air at 6 a.m. on Tuesday for Hokitika to make a personal examination and investigation on the spot. Technical executive officers of the department concerned had already left Wellington by steamer express, and would reach the scene of the accident later in the day, when, following upon Mr Mackley 's examination of the position, they would be constituted a departmental inquiry board to investigate and report upon the accident and its cause. Upon receipt of the. report and evidence supporting it, the Minister stated, it would be considered by himself and subsequently by Cabinet, and such action as was considered necessary in the interests of the travelling public would immediately be taken. The Minm|er expressed deep regret at the unfoltunate .accident and the cincerest sympathy with those injured but, more particnlarly, with the family and relatives of the late Mr Jeffries. Discussing main-line derailments, the Minister said that flgures showed that the major cases were mechanical failure? of vehicle equipment, or a fault in the track. "The department and myself, ' ' said Mr Sullivan, "have been giving special attention to the question of main-line derailments and the generai manager recently called district technical officers and the inspectorial staff to Wellington to dis* cuss the matter and o hear an address by the manager on the subject, when the necessity for maintaining the highest standaxd of effioxency was stressed.1' Following derailments a most thorough and searchink inquiry was held. The same thing would 'take .pl&ce in this case. He had directed the manager personally to visit the scene of Ihe accident to-morrow and report to him as quickly as possible on the ascertainable cause. No effort would be spafed in an endeavour to reduce the number of derailments, which was a problem giving great Coneern to every railway administration in the world despite the woiderful advances made during the last decade in improving the standaTd of railway track equipment.