WELLINGTON TRAMWAYS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3246, 16 June 1911, Page 2

WELLINGTON TRAMWAYS.

CONDUCTOR’S APPEAL DISMISSED. LPEE PEERS ABSOCUATION.J WELLINGTON, June 15. The Tramway'Appeal Board, consisting of Dr.- McArthur, S.M. (chairman), Messrs. J. R. Palmer (Corporation representative), and; D. Dalton (tramway men’s representative), sat yesterday to hear an appeal by John James Ward, ex-tramwaY conductor) against lus dismissal. The charges against, appellant were contained in'.,several reports ol inspectors, amongst them being the following : Inspector Tucker reported on 7tli April that when he boarded the car at Wordsworth Street, the starting number of 10 green tickets were not entered for that trip. There were five passengers in the car. On 3rd April he boarded this conductor s car at Wordsworth Street on the 10.1/ p.m. trip from Aro Street. No. la green tickets were sold on that occasion. He cautioned the conductor. This report was minuted, “Severely cautioned. On 18th April Inspector Coyne reported Ward for failing to enter up the starting numbers red and yellow. . This report was minuted, “Severely cautioned, and told if it happens again he will be suspended from duty.” On 3>’d May Inspector Fuller reported: ‘ When going to town this,, evening I got on this conductor? s car by Luxford Street west corner. As Ward did not have a big load on, I got a seat in the second compartment from the rear-end platform. When going down Rintoul Street I saw Mr. Sutherland, of the electric lighting staff, sitting in the smoker next the rear-end platform, talking to a Mr. Cole, of the car sheds, Newtown. When they got to the end of the section of Rintoul Street, he (the inspector) got into the smoker to have a talk to Mr. Sutherland. As soon as Cole saw him get into that compartment he put his hands in his pocket, and pulled out a penny, as if he wished to pay his fare, but the conductor did not get off the back platform to take any fares till they got to the . Tramway Hotel door, and then he did not get into the compartment, but went on to the next. When the car stopped at the stoppingplace, just past the hotel,, Mr. Cole got out, but the conductor, did not have a look at his. ticket, to see if ,he were over-riding the section, or take the penny that lie felt sure the passenger took out of his pocket to pay his fare with, as he kept it in his hand all the time until he got off.” John James Ward, the appellant, said that he joined the service on 23rd February of this year, and was dismissed on 3rd May. He did not know Mr. Cole by name, but he knew that lie was in the corporation employ. Witness was on an Island Bay car when he first saw Cole, and he went to collect his fare. Cole put his hand in his vest pocket, and said he had a pass. Witness did not see the pass, but he took the passenger’s word for it. He knew that Inspector Fuller was on the car in plain clothes at the time, and he still allowed Cole to travel. He did not see Cole leave the car, and he did not thinl; any more about the matter. He though! that Cole was an electrical engineer ir the tramways service. Fuller did nof draw witness’s attention to the fad that Cole had not paid his fare, and lie did not hear any more about any trouble until two days later. He went dowr to the office to sign on as usual, anc the traffic inspector told him to reporl to the head office. He was shown intc a room in which'Mr. Richardson anc Mr. Cole were, and Mr. Richardsoi asked him if he remembered haying al lowed a man named Cole to ride in fron Island Bay without paying his fare Witness made a statement, which wa committed to writing and signed b; him. After that Mr. Richardson toll him to hand his uniform in, and sai< that he was unsatisfactory as a conduc tor. Witness did not hand in his uni form, but had ceased to work on tli cars.,. He had not had 'another chanc of clearing himself.. Since then ther was another charge made against hit by Mr. Aitken. About this he went t his union, and subsequently Mr. Cabl told him that he had no right’to go t his union, because he had ? not bee dealt with. In regard to the charge c having started without, entering up th numbers of his tickets, he stated tha the custom was to enter them up o arrival at the ’terminus on the Ar Street run. . He had not always tim to do so, but he used to enter them u later.

To Mr. O’Shea: The real reason for not entering.up the tickets was that he overlooked it. He did. not remember Inspector Tucker having cautioned him, Both of the occasions on which he failed to enter uo the ticket numbers were after 8 o’clock at night. At that time of night ten minutes were allowed for the run from Aro Street to the Duke of Edinburgh. On this run he was selling only “penny greens.” and he did not know how any check could be kept on his sale of tickets if he did not enter up the starting numbers. Other, evidence having been given, the Board dismissed the appeal. They held that appellant’s honesty was unnuestioned, but that though individually the charges might appear trivial, when taken collectively they showed appellant to be unfit for him position from which he had been dismissed. The Board recommended the engineer to find other employment for Ward if possible.