D.—7

31

questions, and find out what is wrong from him. I consider in that way the fitter gets experience of drivers. A fitter is always among the repairing of brakes, and becomes competent to form an opinion about the brakes. And the opinion I have formed is that the Westinghouse Instructionbook is not generally understood by drivers. The Book of Instructions is complicated, in the early part, at any rate. It is written in rather v complicated way. I came to that conclusion by the questions I have been asked by drivers. I think the Instructions might have been written more clearly. On the spur of the moment I cannot suggest where it can be improved. I found the book difficult until I had a little practical experience of the trade. Prendergast: I left the service nine years ago. At that time the Westinghouse was not fitted Id trains—only to some engines. Five or six drivers asked me questions, and from those questions I found them backward in their knowledge of the brake. I always enlightened them. F. Stmonds, Jun. Taken and sworn at Auckland, this 30th day of August, 1907, before me —Chas. C. Kettle, D.J. This deponent, Fkank Skeen, being sworn, saith: — I am a porter in employ of Railway Department for last eighteen months. I am nineteen years old. I am stationed at Putaruru for the last seven months. I have read the papers twice. J saw the evidence of Enginemen Cooper and Taylor and Boiler Tysr and Surfaceman Rappard. That is all I have seen. I remember on the 3rd August Guard Lowe getting a train ready for Rotorua. Taylor's train arrived at 5.20. I was on duty until 8 p.m. I was engaged in shunting operations in which Guard Lowe, Acting-guard Dwyer, Porter Tyer, and myself were engaged. I remember Taylor's train being marshalled and put on a side track. I did not couple up a vehicle that night. I was assisting Guard Lowe in signalling with my hand-lamp. I did no coupling or uncoupling. 1 remember Cooper coming on duty that night. I saw his engine pick up his van after he had finished shunting. 1 could not say who coupled the engine to the van or who coupled the van to the train. I could not say who actually did coupling in respect to any particular vehicle. Dwyer and Tver were at the points at one time while Lowe and T did the shunting. 1 do not know who did most of the coupling. I was working with Guard Lowe most of the time. That night I had nothing to do with the points. I cannot say if an inspection of the train was made. I was walking along the train and looked at some of the couplings, but found they were coupled up. I examined them in a casual way as I was walking past. J was not instructed to do so. I consider it was my duty when I was passing to see that the vehicles were coupled up, and if not coupled to couple them. As a railway servant it is my duty to have an eye to these things. I heard the release of the brakes. I heard the hissing noise when the brakes were coming off. I could not say how soon before the train started the test was made. I should say it was immediately before the train started. The van Cooper picked up was standing on the main line from the time Leydon's train came in. Courts That night I looked at cocks and couplings of Westinghouse brake. The cocks were down—that is, of all I did see. It was a fairly busy night. I heard Engineman Taylor say to Cooper that Cooper's headlight must be turned down. Mr. Harris was doing office-work. He was there when the train left. I did not see him making any examination of anything. The train was made up on the line next to main line. Taylor's train came in, and one or two wagons for Putaruru were put off and put in the shed, and his train was put off main line on to the through road. In Cooper's (Leydon's) train all the empties were for Putaruru, and they were put off, and the loaded wagons were shunted on to Taylor's train. There were not extra many vehicles taken off the train. Baume: The train would be marshalled at Frankton in the order in which wagons were to be dropped —that is the ordinary way, but I could not say if it was so marshalled that night. F. Skeen. Taken and sworn at Auckland, this 30th day of August, 1907, before me—Chas. C. Kettle, D.J. This deponent, Richard Edward Robertson, being sworn, saith: — lam Westinghouse Brake Superintendent for New Zealand. lam employed by Westinghouse Brake Company. My duties are to instruct drivers generally on brake matters, and assist Railway Department, and look after interests of company. lam an engineer, and have been fourteen years with the company. The brake used on New Zealand railways is Westinghouse automatic quick-action brake. The instruction is given by lectures, and when I am in the centres the men come to me and ask questions, which I answer as far as possible. The instruction-book produced (Exhibit No. 4) is that issued on railways in New Zealand. It is up to date. I know of the Instructions to Trainmen, issued by the Railway Department. A good deal of it is repetition of the instruction-book (Exhibit No. 4). My experience has been that there is no brake in the world better than the Westinghouse. It is the best brake in the world. Assuming all the parts are properly put together and in perfect working-order, then in the hands of persons who understand it, it can never fail. The working of it is very simple. In New Zealand it gets proper attention. I say so from experience of travelling frequently. It has been about seven years in general use. I have never during that period had complaints about the brake —not one. As a rule, defects and leakages will stop the train. There is only one part likely to leak and that is the coupling. The cylinders and appliances work with as absolute certainty as you can get, and are not easily put out of gear. About twelve thousand vehicles passed through my hands in New Zealand, and many thousands in New South Wales, including one line of 7,000 of one class. I do not know of any accidents in New Zealand consequent on the failure of the brake. My experience of railwaymen in New Zealand is that they are very careful. The efficiency of the brakes depends principally on the