A SIGNALMAN ON THE HAWES JUNCTION DISASTER.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR:1
Sin,—On bearing of the tragic " mistake " made by Sutton at Hawes Junction, I wrote to a signalman in whom I am interested to ask his views of this terrible occurrence. If you can find space to publish these extracts from his reply, perhaps it may help to call attention to the conditions that
handicap this important body of men :—
"During my twenty years of service as a signalman I have often wondered why it should take a terrible accident, with such sorrowful results as this one, to make people realise the very grave and responsible position we are placed in. At any other time the name of signalman is never mentioned. The travelling public never seem to think that every time they enter a train their lives are placed in our hands, and if we make a mistake it is of the saddest nature possible. I have often wondered why such respectable work requiring such an amount of thoughtfulness and skill should be placed at such a low standard compared with other work in this country. When you come to think of men of the very best intelligence being paid barely a living wage and given the small amount of four days' holiday in the year, I don't wonder under such worrying conditions that mistakes are made. I do not know Sutton, but I know the work he had to perform and the state he would be in at that hour of the morning, having been on duty since 8 p.m. I have had seventeen years' experience of night duty, and eight hours is long enough for any man to stand, especially if you have passenger traffic to deal with. Usually the only result of these sad disasters is more rules and regula- tions and responsibility upon signalmen, and they have enough already."
Surely this is a very neglected branch of a service where fees and thanks are lavished upon some of the inferior grades!
Is four days' holiday in the year sufficient P—I am, Sir, &c., L.
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