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adjusted by Guard Jones. This probably refers to Guard J. W. Jones, now at Masterton, but formerly stationed at Waikari. Will you please examine him, and let me have your report as early as possible ? T. Bonayne, General Manager.

The District Traffic Manager, Christchurch. 30th August, 1899. H. Carter's Petition against his Dismissal. —l forward you herewith notes of statements made by ex-Driver Carter before the Bailways Committee of the House of Bepresentatives. From these notes you will see that Driver Carter states it has been the practice on your section for the guards to arrange with the Stationmasters to book false time, so as to make it appear that the speed of trains between stations was less than was actually the case. The Minister desires that you will immediately investigate the allegations, examine the men concerned, and report result by next mail, enclosing all the evidence you can possibly procure. T. Bonayne, General Manager.

Notes of Statements made by ex-Driver Carter before Bailways Committee. Carter stated: Say we are running a special between Christchurch and Timaru. We have stopped at some stations, perhaps shunting or something like that, between ten or fifteen minutes late. We must gain and make up that time, and if we overrun the speed the guard generally marks it on a piece of paper, and throws it off as we pass, to enable us to make up our time. Carter, with reluctance, said that it has been.done on the Culverden line many times. Knew for a fact at Balmoral the time has been booked away there, and made the time longer between Balmoral and Culverden. The sheets have often been adjusted by Guard Jones and another. I know, in passing Orari and Winchester, the same thing was done there—one day when we were very late, but we got in at the right time. It was a special, and the guard came and told me he had made the time right with the Stationmaster, but I forget what guard it was. Could not tell the name of the Stationmaster. It occurred a good bit over twelve months ago. The practice was or has been a regular thing. Hobbs was one of the guards, and Brittenden another. The guard on the Culverden line was Walter Badford. The porter of the station used to run part of the way. I cannot remember his name. Mr. Cadman : Did any of these men that you have named throw off the paper ? Carter: Well, I could not say they have. I know it has been done, but do not remember, correctly the man that did it. It was a general practice, but known outside the service. It has been going on for a good few years. Carter stated there is only one of the regulations strictly carried out, and that is with respect to signals and semaphores. That is a thing that is always carried out.

[Extraots from Locomotive Engineering (New York) for August, 1899, page 373.] hi . Questions and Answers on Air-brake Subjects. (53.) J. D., Christchurch, New Zealand, asks: Do you know of any instance of the triple piston being stuck through obstruction getting on the feed-port?— A. —No. If other persons have had such experience, we would be pleased if they would write us, giving full particulars. (57.) J. D., Christchurch, New Zealand, writes : (1.) Is it possible for pipe-scale or fins to get into the feed-port of a plain triple valve and prevent the piston going down when pressure is reduced in the train-pipe? — A. —(1.) While remotely possible, it is practically impossible, owing to the shape and small portion of the port exposed, and great pressure exerted to move thepiston downward. (2.) If, on the train-pipe being again charged, and-the piston moved up, so that it did not bear on the obstruction, that the obstruction would fall into the bottom of triple valve and cause no further trouble? — A. —(2.) As this would depend upon the .ability of the obstruction to first get into the feed grove, an answer may be taken from A. (1).

[Extract from Railroad Gazette, 30th June, 1899, page 464. Meeting of the American Bailway Master Mechanics' Association. Has not the time arrived when air-brake instructors can accomplish more by instructing those who maintain brakes how to maintain them than to instruct those who use them how to use them? Mr. B. W. Bayley (Westinghouse Air-brake Company): I think it very proper to teach not only how to repair brakes, but how to operate them. There are those who have to maintain them, and there are those who have to operate them. Each of them occupies a different sphere. We take the Inspector and tell him how to repair brakes, but we do not bother to tell him particularly how to operate them, because he is not in a position to do that. The enginemen and firemen we do tell how to operate them, while it would be a useless task, as a rule, to tell them how to maintain brakes, because they are not required to perform work of that character. This course of instruction is carried out in our air-brake instruction car—namely, the engineman is taught to manipulate the brakes, while the Inspector, on the contrary, is taught how to maintain them. To add to the instructions of the engineman how to maintain brakes and of the Inspector how to operate them is an entirely unnecessary proceeding, and is a waste of time. Approximate Cost of Paper— Preparation, not given; printing (1,875 copies), £22 is

By Authority : John Mackay, Government Printer, Wellington—lB99. Price Is.] s—l. 6a.