B727-2322 RETURNS TO RAMP TO CORRECT AN ACFT EQUIP PROB OVERLOOKED IN THE LOGBOOK.

Narrative

TAXI OUT ON COMPANY RAMP TO ARPT'S TXWY. FE CALLED ATTN TO RUDDER LOAD LIMITER LIGHT 'ILLUMINATED' AND THAT THERE WAS AN 'OPEN' LOG WRITE-UP FROM INBOUND CREW THAT SAID LIGHT HAD ILLUMINATED IN PREVIOUS FLT WITH FLAPS UP. RETURNED TO GATE AND AFTER LENGTHY PROCESS WITH MAINT; DEPARTED AGAIN WITH SYS ON MAINT CARRY-OVER AND LOG PROPERLY SIGNED OFF. WHY DID WE INITIALLY LEAVE GATE WITH OPEN LOG? WE DIDN'T MAKE PROPER LOG CHK DURING A VERY HURRIED TURNAROUND AS INBOUND FLT LATE; ETC. HURRIED TURNAROUNDS TYPICAL! ALSO; COMPANY NO LONGER HAS MAINT MEET ACFT AT MAINT STATIONS ON TURNAROUNDS OF ACFT UNLESS INBOUND CREW RADIOS PROB. SO; OF COURSE; QUESTION IS; DID INBOUND CREW CALL IN PROB OF PREVIOUS FLT OR WAS MAINT TOO BUSY AND MISSED OUR FLT. WE ARE VERY SHORT OF PERSONNEL; ESPECIALLY AT THIS TIME OF DAY WHEN MANY INTL FLTS ARE DEPARTING. SEEMS LIKE ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF DOLLAR SAVINGS (THEY THINK) OVER COMMON SENSE OF SENSELESS DELAYS DUE TO UNDERSTAFFED MAINT. IMPORTANT; AS CAPT; TO MAKE SURE BOOKS HAVE BEEN CHKED; EITHER BY LOOKING MYSELF OR POINTEDLY ASKING THE SO ON CHKLIST CALL FOR LOG THAT HE HAS LOOKED AT PAGES AND VERIFIED ALL WRITE-UPS TAKEN CARE OF CORRECTLY!