The Board of Inquiry appointed by the Acting Commissioner to investigate the recent railway collision, commenced and terminated its proceedings within a week. The evidence given day by day has been eltsely followed by the majority of the reading public, since up to date the working of the railway department has been a closed book. The Board found that the signalman in charge of that particular line at the terminus was mainly responsible for the accident.
Two trains were timed to leave together, and one obscured the other from the signalman's view. Signals were made for both trains, and the nearer one left to time. The engine of the other, however, centred, and delayed about one and a-half minutes. Engaged in making entries in his hook, this fact escaped the signalman's notice, and without thinking or seeing anything wrong. he "made the road" for the up-train, due in a few minutes, The ult way that the centered engine and train left the station on the up-road_instead of the down. Driver, fireman, and guard of the down train were all busy doing something or another, and failing to notice they were on the wrong line, only pulled up in time to save a disastrous and appalling catastrophe. The Board found the men in charge of the down train guilty of carelessness in not keeping a better lookout. Their report was sent on to the Chief Traffic Maniger, for his action, and he in turn sent it on to the heads of the men's respective departments. who alone have power to deal with the delinquents.
Literary Prosecution, The well-known firm of G. Robertson, importing booksellers, were charged last week at the instance of the Minister of Customs with importing books calculated to injure the public morals. The books on which the charge wus based were Bal-Droll Stories" and Paul de Keck's Monsieur Dupont." Mr. Croker, who appeared for the prosecution. said the Minister bad taken up the case in the interests of public morality, and to prevent the circulation of a series of literary filth. The information was laid under a Section of the Customs Act which provided for a penalty of £100. Professor Morris, who holds the chair of Literature of the Un versity, was called by the prosecution, and stated that in his opinion both books referred to were indecent and grossly _improper. They demoralised his mind, and after reading them he felt he needed a bath. Similar evidence was given by Mr. Lake (consulting editor for Austrilia Webster's Dictionary)- also by the Librarian of the Public Library, who. however. admitted that a copy of "Droll Stories" in French was in' the Library. Council for the defence pointed cut that the importation of these hooks by the defendant firm kad gone unchallenged for forty years. They were sold only to adults and the trade. Mr. Pauton, P. M., in summing up, recognised that there was strong evidence that the offending works were of such a character as was maintained by the prosecution, and on it he had onto order the penalty prescribed by the Act. This, under another section of the same Act,' was reduced to £25, without costs.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.