I.—6a.

52

H. I. WYNNE.

18. You, as an expert, would expect any application for distant signals to be sent to you aftei it had been through the Department ? —Yes, for report. 19. Are there any other experts in connection with signals in the Department ?—Only those who are under my supervision. 20. Do you think the Department xvould be right in keeping back any of those letters?—l do not think they xvould do so. 21. Mr. Kennedy.] You knoxv New Lynn Station? —Yes. 22. Is it near the foot of a grade?— Not what I term near the foot of a grade. 23. You have heard all about this collision and the way in xvhich trains 5 and 6 were shifted on that morning?— Yes. 24. If there xvas a dense fog at Nexv Lynn do you consider the practice followed waß a safe one?—No, not if there was a dense fog. 25. Mr. McVilly.] Under the conditions that have been stated by the tablet porter, the guard, and the engine-driver of No. 5 to have existed that morning—that is, that a viexv from the stationplatform to the home signal (something like 300 yards) could be obtained —the tablet porter said he could see the signal and see the signal-arms—would you consider that those conditions necessi tated fog-signalling? —No, certainly not. 26. You would consider that the ordinary precautions were quite sufficient for all purposes of safety ?—Yes.

William Scott sxvorn and examined. (No. 18.) 1. The Chairman.] What are you? —Locomotive Foreman. 2. Where do you live?—At Prospect Rise, Mount Eden. 3. Mr. McVilly.] You are in charge of the Locomotive Running Branch of the Auckland Section? —Yes. 4. The allocation of the drivers to the various runs conies within your jurisdiction?— Yes. 5. Do you remember arranging for Driver Corich to run No. 6 train on the HendersonAuckland line on the 28th May?— Yes. 6. Had Corich at that time ever been on that line before? —Yes; not on this particular No. 6, but he had been over the road. 7. How frequently?—He had run twenty-one different trains prior to the 28th May. 8. What class of trains xvere they?— Passenger and mixed trains. He had not touched the express train. 9. Was he on the xvork train? —Yes. 10. What was he doing on that train? —Driving. 11. If you want a man to learn the road is the work train a good train to put him on?— Yes; he had a good opportunity then. 12. Where xvas this work train running?—On the Kaipara line between Auckland and as far north as Helensville and Kumeu. 13. When you instructed Corich to run No. 6 on the 28th May did he make any complaints? —No, he did not to me. 14. Did he at any time pass any remark to you that would indicate that his knowledge of the road was insufficient? —No. 15. Did you have any report from the Traffic Department that the way he ran such trains over that road was unsatisfactory?—'No, I had never heard of any complaint. 16. When did you first get xvord of this accident?— About 7.15 on the morning of the 28th May. 17. Did you go out to New Lynn?—Yes, I went out with men and material by the first train going north, arriving there about 9 o'clock. 18. When you got there what xvas the position of the two trains 5 and 6?— The engines still remained in the same position that they wore in when the collision occurred. 19. They had not been shifted at all?— No. I inquired from the drivers. They were still in close contact. 20. Were the engines locked together at that time?—Yos, to some extent. We had to do some work to them before I could move No. 6 back from No. 5. 21. Were any of them derailed?— Yes, the leading bogie engine, No. 5. 22. Did you examine the air-brake when you got there?— Yes, I examined both engines, and the brakes were all right. I could not make a test of the brakes. 23. Was the air-cock open or closed? —It was closed on engine No. 6. 24. Did you make any inquiry to ascertain whether it was closed after the collision? —No, not at the time. 25. Judging from the position the engine was in at the time, do you think the collision would be likely to close the cock? —I hardly think so. 26. Did you take engine No. 6 into Auckland?— Yes. The car was about Bft. back from the engine. 27. The collision had broken the coupling?— Yes. they had become detached through the collision. 28. What distance was the engine in front of the signal—was it to the north or south?— It had run inside the signal about 230 ft., probably. 29. You have heard the evidence given as to the testing of the brake at Henderson?—Yes. 30. Assuming that that brake was properly tested before the train left, do you consider that the driver of No. 6 should have been able to stop his train before he ran past the home signal? —Yes.