Operating.

Grand Trunk time inspection.

General Superintendent McGuigan has issued the following circular, dated April 1:—

To insure improved efficiency in train service & provide an additional safeguard against accident, affording greater security to life & property, this Co. will inaugurate a system or watch inspection, effective May 1, 1898, & employes designated below are required, on & after that date, to submit their watches for quarterly examination & for weekly comparison with standard time to the various inspectors, who have been appointed for the purpose, & will be under the general supervision or Prof. C. H. McLeod, of McGill University, Montréal, who has been appointed Superintendent of Time Service & Watch Inspection, with office at Montréal. All train & enginemen must submit their watches to local inspectors as required by this rule.

The minimum standard of excellence adopted by this Co., for watches, is of a grade equal to what is known among American movements as 17 jewel, patent regulator, adjusted to temperature, the variations of which must not exceed 30 seconds a week.

Each employe designated will apply immediately, & every 3 months hereafter, to his superior officer for a blank certificate & order for examination, which he must take, together with his watch, to the local inspector, who will, if the watch is satisfactory, sign the certificate & forward the same to the officer under whom the person is employed, free of charge to such employe. If the watch is below the required standard it will be rejected, & the officer in charge promptly advised. Any watch so rejected cannot be used in service, nor passed upon by another inspector except upon order of the Superintendent of Time Service. Employes, where no inspector is located, may send their watches, together with blank certificate, to the nearest local Inspector.

In addition to the quarterly examination, trainmen & enginemen must submit their watches to local inspectors weekly for comparison with standard time, as must also other employes who have the opportunity for doing so, that a record of the rating of their watches may be made. Employes in the train service who fail to submit their watches for weekly comparison & quarterly inspection, in accordance with the terms of this circular, will be considered as having violated the rules of the service, for which satisfactory reason must be given.

When watches need cleaning or repairing they may be left with the inspector if the owner so desires, or they may be taken to such watchmaker as the owner may select; but the watch carried in the meantime, & his own watch, after the same has been repaired, must be submitted to the Co's Inspector for examination & approval before such watch can be carried in service.

When watches are left with the inspectors of the Co. to be cleaned or repaired, a standard watch will be loaned to the employe until his own is returned.

Employes who so desire can obtain standard watches, guaranteed to give the required performance, from the inspectors on monthly payments, as may be agreed upon, not, however, exceeding 4 in number, or $20, the amount of such monthly payments to be deducted from the pay-roll.

The officers having direct charge of employes, who are subject to the above provisions, will see that certificates of the quarterly examination of watches are filed with them for. watches of employes under their charge, who are subject to the rules of watch inspection, & such officers in all departments will be held responsible for the collection & filing of watch certificates.

Trainmasters must require conductors & brakemen, & master mechanics must require engineers, to turn in, regularly, certificates of weekly comparison of their watches, & will enter in records to be kept for the purpose the dates when such certificates are received.

Employes whose watches do not conform to the required standard will be given until June 1, 1898, to provide themselves with standard watches, as on & after that date all employes subject to the provisions of this circular must be provided with standard watches & the quarterly certificates to that effect must be in the hands of the officers to whom they report.

The hearty co-operation of employes in making the operation of the system successful is earnestly enjoined. The desired results can only be obtained by observing carefully the rules as to inspection & comparison & refraining from any attempt to set or regulate their watches themselves.

Railways: G.T.Ry.

Results