I.—6a.

Thursday, 24th August, 1899. Mr. Charles Henry Carter's examination continued. The Chairman : I think, Mr. Cadman, you were engaged in examining Mr. Carter on the petition at the time the Committee adjourned yesterday. Hon. Mr. Cadman : The only thing is the list of the regulations that were not complied with. 1. The Chairman.] The officers of the department were instructed yesterday to supply you with copies of the regulations, Mr. Carter. I suppose you got them ?—Yes, sir. 2. Mr. Taylor.] I will just ask Mr. Carter about these regulations. Bule No. 74 : " When a distance-signal is at ' danger ' an approaching train must be brought to a stand before passing the signal-post; and then, if the driver sees that the way in front of him is clear, he must proceed slowly and cautiously within the distance-signal, having such control of his tram as to be able to stop it short of any obstruction until the rear of the train is protected by the signal. If the line is still clear ahead, the driver must proceed in like manner until reaching a home-signal, where he must stop until either the home-signal is lowered or other signal given according to Bule No. 70. In thus passing a distance-signal at ' danger ' the driver must pay particular attention to the gradients, state of weather, condition of rails, and weight of his train." Is that rule obeyed?— No. 3. Were you in the habit of observing Bule 74, that provides for your bringing your train to a standstill before passing the signal-post ? —No, that I have never done. I have always run inside the distance, and drew up as far as the home-signal and stopped there. 4. Do you know whether that has been a practice with other drivers?—l have never seen them. Of course, if there was a train standing inside between the home-signal and the distancesignal they would stand outside. 5. Bule 141 reads: " In addition to any circular memorandum that may be issued, special trains are to be timed on to and from all telegraph stations, and before any special train is despatched notice must be received and acknowledged, if at all practicable, by every Stationmaster on the line. Where there is not time to get written acknowledgment, the telegraph must be freely used, and the guard (if there is no guard, the driver) of special train or engine must receive written instructions from the Stationmaster who despatches the train, directing him when to leave each station and where to shunt for crossing trains." Is that rule strictly observed?— That rule was not observed on the night of the accident, or I should have been stopped at Chertsey. 6. Bule 163: "Should a passenger-train, in stopping at a station, overrun or stop short of the platform, the engine-driver must not move the tram back or draw it forward until he receives instructions from the guard in charge to do so. Stationmasters, guards, and others must at once take steps to prevent passengers leaving the carriages ; and as soon as the guard in charge has satisfied himself that all carriage-doors are closed and that no passenger is entering or leaving the train, he must instruct the engine-driver to put back or draw up to the platform, as may be required. The engine-driver must sound his whistle before moving the train." Is it common for trains to overrun the platforms ? —Well, they do sometimes. 7. Now, as a matter of fact, on the night of the accident at Bakaia were there not two sidings available for that first excursion train to be put on to ?—There were two sidings that had an outlet besides the excursion-train's—one to the right and one to the left. 8. If they had been used would the main line have been left clear ?—There was plenty of standing-room there in that same yard, and the train could have backed up to the line had it not been otherwise. 9. Bule 197 : " Stationmasters are required to see that rails are sanded in slippery weather, so as to prevent the engine slipping"?— That is never done ; not to my knowledge. 10. Bule No. 137 : " Where the block-system is not in operation, no train or engine must be allowed to follow any other train or engine on the same line within fifteen minutes " ?—-I cannot say if those rules are obeyed. 11. Bule 291 says : Where the block-system is not in operation no train or engine must be allowed to follow any other train or engine on the same line within ten minutes." Which of those rules are obeyed, 291 or 137 ?—Sometimes one and sometimes the other. 12. Bule 317 : " The speed of trains must never exceed that shown in the time-tables, nor are drivers on any account to make up lost time by increased speed." Is that rule observed?— That rule has not been carried out. 13. Is it very commonly disregarded ?—Oh, yes. 14. Now, in connection with that rule, is there a practice obtaining that results in Stationmasters and engine-drivers falsifying their time when they are either early or late ? —We do not book the time between each station ;we book the time of departure and arrival. If we have any great delay that causes us to be late at our destination we make a report to show where the time was lost. 15. Bule 390 says: "Engine-drivers and firemen will be required to have at all times a plentiful supply of dry sand, and in addition to that in the sand-box a quantity must be dried and kept in reserve in the smoke-box of the engines ready for use. No excuse can be admitted for time lost by engines slipping." Is that rule conformed to?— No. 16. Has it ever been conformed to ? —Not to my knowledge. 17. There is a rule providing for engine-drivers being supplied with written running-orders. Do you remember the number of that rule ?—No. 18. Bule 11 in " Appendix to Working Time-tables " : " Where a junction intervenes between the terminal points of a special or altered train, and at such junction any other train or trains enter upon that portion of the line over which a special or altered train is running, the Stationmaster at the junction must satisfy himself that the guard and engine-men of every train entering

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