The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5530, 17 December 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1878.

The railway system of New Zealand embraces at the present moment upwards of a thousand miles of working lines, and is being rapidly extended as time and settlement advance. It would be unreasonable to expect that this new order of things—this vast addition to the means of communication, should be unattended by the usual percentage of accidents. Let everything be done which ca-o and skill can suggest, and collisions will still take place, boilers will burst, and engines run over embankments. The colony cannot hope to be an exception to the universal rule; all that can be expected is the reduction of risk to a minimum. The list of disasters has already begun, and though fortunately neither lengthy nor serious, is attracting a considerable amount of public attention with a view to prevention in tho future. It is satisfactory to know that tho subject has been taken up thus early, when comparatively little mischief has been done. It is a very easy matter to Indicate with certainty the direction in which the principal safeguards against railway accidents are to be sought. The lines should be kept in the highest state of efficiency, both with respect to permanent way and rolling stock. The staff of officials of all grades should be sufficiently numerous, and should be well paid, in order that the best men may be induced to enter the service. The system of traffic management should be based on the latest and best proved models. Lastly, there should be searching inquiry into tho causes of every accident, in order to guard against its recurrence. There will, we trust, be no disposition to shirk the responsibility involved in carrying out any one of the suggestions contained in the above sentences. They are so plain, and commend themselves so readily to the understanding of everyone, that it may seem superfluous to have put them down in writing ; and yet to the neglect of something included under one or other of these headings a very large proportion of railway casualties is to be attributed. There is generally a temptation to reduce expenditure to the 1 lowest possible figures. Railway companies must declare good dividends if their stock is to maintain a high position in the market, and Governments who, like that of New Zealand, undertake the construction and management of railways, desire to make the greatest show for the least possible expenditure, sometimes from an honest regard for the due administration of tho public funds and for the value of public securities, and sometimes from the more ignoble wish to strengthen their own political standing. Economy in railway affairs is therefore constantly in danger of degenerating into niggardliness, and the latter is after a while certain to be followed by loss of life and destruction of property. The question to which some of our Chambers of Commerce have been directing their attention, and about which the Oamarn Chamber recently had an interview with the Minister of Public Works is—What sort of inquiry ought to be held after a railway accident! We published an abstract yesterday of what took place at tho interview, but it is necessary to recapitulate a little. The . Chamber of Commerce urged that there should be after every accident in the future a public investigation, and not as heretofore, only one conducted . by the railway authorities, and that such investigations might be conducted before the Resident Magistrate of the district, assisted by an assessor versed in railway matters. It was pointed out that this system was in force with regard to wreck inquiries, the assessors being in those cases nautical men. Finally, it was said by Mr. HlSLor, a member of the Chamber, that railway accidents, if not publicly inquired into, might shake the confidence of many of tho public in our railways. Mr. Conyers, the chief railway official in the Middle Island, was present at the interview, and was evidently very strongly opposed to public inquiries into railway accidents. His remarks may bo summed up in a few words. Ho said that if there were public inquiries it would bo necessary to have a Board of Trade ; that although nautical men were plentiful, good railway men are very scarce ; and that, “ if the public were to take these things “into their hands, he would consider “ himself relieved' of all responsibility. “It was as impracticable as to try to “follow tho advice contained in the rider “ of a coroner’s jury.” Mr. Costers is a man of considerable-intelligence, and has much special knowledge about railways. No one knows so much about the Middle Island lines and the routine work of the department as he does, but he is nevertheless entirely in the wrong about these inquiries, and wo are very much afraid he has allowed his.temper to get the better of his judgment. After a recent accident ha was asked to hold a public inquiry, and he administered in reply what may be considered as a quiet “snub” to his correspondents. He told them he was holding the inquiry himself. But that involves exactly tho point at issue. Let us suppose a case in which an accident, has taken place through some error in the Railway Department ; dr to go a little further, let tho supposition—we are willing to admit it is not a very probable one-—be that the mishap has been caused by some traffic regulation framed by himself, is ho in such circumstances the person best qualified to hold an investigation and draw up a report? ■ We think not, and believe that tho beat course the Government can pursue will be, during tho next session of Parliament, to introduce a Bill providing that these inquiries shall bo held in open Court either before a District Judge or a Resident Magistrate. Although, as wo re- • cently stated, some of tho decisions given by the latter gentleman when holding wreck inquiries are not entirely satisfactory, the reason lies in their not confining themselves strictly to the issues to be ’ tried, and not from their inability to oomj prehend those issues. If, as a rule, they have no special knowledge of either nauti- ' cal or railway affairs, they are in the constant habit of taking evidence on a mul- • tltudo of subjects and sifting it, an ac- ’ complishment which • wo suppose Mr. r Conyers and railway officials generally know very little about, as wo are ■ not aware that it enters into tho routine ' of their official duties. A District Judge or a Resident Magistrate could

obtain technical as well as general evidence from the examination of witnesses. To elicit such evidence would be a much easier task for them than it would be for the “good railway men” who Mr. Conters admits are so scarce. As for their ability to judge of the force of the evidence, and to detect perjury and prevarication, their superiority over the railway officials would, as a matter of course, be immeasurable. But the technical difficulties in these as in other cases form after all but a very small element in the investigation. We confess ourselves quite unable to understand what Mr. Conters is reported to have said about a Board of Trade, and about his declining all further responsibility “if the public were to take these things into their hands.” There can be no reason for New Zealand following in these matters exactly the system adopted elsewhere, and under very different circumstances ; and as for the responsibility, we suppose that is a question which is nob and could not possibly bo, for Mr. Conters to decide. The only interpretation we can put on these remarks is, that they were made by a gentleman who felt much annoyed at being interfered with in any way by persons outside the department, for which, unquestionably, he has done very good service. Wa do not doubt that if the public really desires the change which we have been discussing, they can obtain it without much difficulty. There is plenty of time for further venlilating the subject before the termination of tho recess, and it would be as well that the various Chambers of Commerce throughout the country, and other public bodies which may be interested in the result, should take the matter in hand and agree upon some united course of action.