A VISIT THE TRAMWAY CO.'S DEPOT, PONSONBY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7828, 23 December 1886, Page 6

A VISIT THE TRAMWAY CO.'S DEPOT, PONSONBY.

ALTERATIONS AM) IMPROVEMENTS ie On Tuesday last we paid a visit to the Auck of land Tramway Company's depot, Walks d- street, Ponspnby, and ■ were agreeably sue ib. prised to find that a large number of ira in provements and additions have been effeotei a. since our last visit. a The first place we inspected was the it . . NEW MACHINERY SHOP, in which a quantity of new machinery ha * been fitted up, namely, a general joiner which bears out its name, as it will do almos ie anything. It has an attachment for cnttinj jb. the tenons for morticing, from 6 inch to ; ge * nCQ » a Boult's carver and moulder, whicl l_ does all kinds of scroll, moulding, and pane work; a planing machine, handsaw, am sharper— latter a most ingenious ma ie chine, aelf-aotlog, for sharpening and puttin| io the proper level on plane irons, and the onl) Q, tool of the kind in Auckland. The lath »1 has a lOfeet bed, thus enabling the oompan; id to turn up the car axles. These additions t' is the machinery department now enable th superintendent of the carriage departmen 7, to manufacture the cars from top to bottom ill A new Otto Silent gas engine, of 6 how I- power, has been put in, which not only drive ig the,whole of the machinery, but works th< «» chaff cutter, oat crusher, kibler, and lift, at: ill cost of only 4s 31 per diem. The forme; in gas engine has been placed in store, beihf ie intended for the Newmarket depot when i ■t is erected. ;

it FEED DEPARTMENT. in In going through the feed department w< it noticed that the company had made severa ie alterations. They now cut nearly all thel) ,D own chaff, which arrangement makes them cer is tain of receiving unthreshed oaten straw It appears that there are tricks in all trades '■ and there is chaff and chaff, as the company '■ as well as the horses know to their sorrow s, There was another peril whioh can only b< »l hinted at. On a weighbridge being erecte< m at the depot, and the purveyors of horse feec Jt made to walk the plank, it was found, as o: y old, that when weighed in the balance thej jf were found wanting. The company alsc d supply all the feeds ready mixed from tht '» Ponsonby depot to the Onehunga and Kama ' 0 stables and St. Helier's Bay, which enables h an accurate tally to be kept of all expendi d ture for feed. Further alterations are being i, made in this department for effecting a n saving of labour and centralising operations. 11 The company now grow their own green stnfl >' at St. Heliers, and a progressive crop it 1> coming on to keep up a steady supply. It has 0 turned out first-class. Nine acres of maize h are coming up to take the place of oats. If the land is not disposed of, it is seriously if contemplated to grow on the estate a portion ; of the chaff, as the one set of employ6a >• would do the whole work, it being a matter e of necessity to keep up the staff to look after ° the grazing. There are at present close on t 200 horses on hard feed, and close on 100 at St. Helier's, a number of the latter having - been brought in on the day of our visit, for e extraservioe during the holidays. As there has > been some newspaper controversy over the ■• feeding of the horses, we inquired as to the t daily ration, which was given as follows : — f lOlbs oats, Jibs maize, lib beans (weighed » alter crushing), 141bs chaff (proper chaff), ' and 41bs hay, 21bu bran, or an equivalent 8 of greenstuff, and carrots are also fciven. 8 This ration is said to be more liberal * than that issued to horses in the tram--3 car service in England or America. ADDITIONAL, ACCOMMODATION 1 has been provided in stabling for six 9 stalls and four loose boxes, which are 7 used as a horse hospital when required. - I' hey are unoccupied at present, , there f being little or no sickness among the 1 horses during the past winter. There is here a also a paint shop, which will accommodate two 'buses together, and storeroom attached, i where extra car renewals and car requisites - are kept. On going to the > SMITHS' DEPARTMENT. 1 we noticed that the company have erected a 1 large lean-to shed against the main building, ' as shelter shed for 'buses, buggies,' and ■ waggons to save them from exposure to the weather. In the smiths'department another i fire has been added since our last visit, as ' the extra work from the Onehunga 'buses f necessitated it. The company are now doing 1 ail their own iron work and tireing in connection with the 'buses, having put into the ! workshop a tire-bender and tire-jumper. The latter seems to be a great labour-saving machine, as it enables tires to be tightened without going through all the old process of cutting and re-welding. A driver, owing tj the increase of work, has been added in the > shoeing department In the OAR SHtD 1 we noticed another summer car under way, which is to be a specialty. Some persons 1 have been complaining about the height and draught of the present summer cars, and this one will surely satisfy the most fastidi--1 ous. It will have glass ends and steps of same height to ground as the ordinary ' oars, and panelled upon the sides. The occupants will sit vis-a-vis. Owing to wear and tear, thecars need re-decorating, and this is now being done by degrees, the sixth oar being now in hand. A growing demand for trade advertisements on the cars would seem to indicate an improvement in trade. On going outside we saw a number of workmen cutting trenches for the rail work for a new oar shed, which is to be erected at right angles to the present one, and which will have sufficient accommodation for all the cars likely to be required now or hereafter for the western circuit, and it is the intention of the company to turn the present shed into a oar building shed, and remove the machinery from the present temporary shed to it. Three of the new oars recently lauded from New York have been fitted up, and are now running, but the fitting up of the remaining three has been deferred till after •he holidays. MUTUAL BENEFIT SOCIETY FOR EMPLOYES. The company propose to inaugurate after the Now Year a mutual benefit and sick society, for the employ It is proposed that the employed shall contribute a certain weekly payment, the company on its part contributing pound for pound from which joint fund sick pay will be paid and balance, at end of year, made a special prize for general good conduct, attention to duty, and least frequent absence from duty through illness. It is hoped this step will strengthen a feeling of esprit dc corps, besides giving the company a good reliable staff of men, the latter on their part being certain in such case, of steady and remunerative employment. It is further contemplated by the company to insure the employe's with the Accident Insurance Co., out of the quota they will contribute to the Mutual Benefit Fund, by which, in case of death on duty, the widow or survivors of such employ 6 would receive a year's pay; if he wax seriously disabled, he would receive six months' running pay ; if partially disabled, pay until return to duty, within reasonable limits ; and when sick, two-thirds of salary. These details, however, will be settled by a Board appointed by the employe's, the company having a delegate on it to represent their interests. The contributions in the first instance will be made purely voluntary, and of course only contributors will reap the benefit, the contribution being about 4£d per week. It is the company's desire to organise and keep in its service a good, reliable corps of drivers and conductors; and from the almost complete immunity experienced from accidents for months past, this desire la apparently being fully realised. EXTENSIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS. The company are now getting a new Order in Council through, and intend going on the London market for a loan, the City Council having granted permission to , mortgage. This loan will be devoted to paying off the • < existing liabilities, and completing the following new works »-* College Koad ' and Patteson-atreet, western' circuit; the Parnell ' portion of eastern circuit ; the extension to Queen street Wharf and Upper Queen-street; 1 « and the extension to Bird Grove, Epsom, it i being contemplated to build the new stables « in that locality. This has been deter- J mined on for two reasons:—(l) Owing to the increase of population in that dis- { trict; (2) as dispensing with a number of t 'buses to Onehunga, and giving a speedier service with better accommodation. It is contemplated with the extension f(om Wai- { terrata Hotel to Queen-street Wharf, and that from the foot of Wellesley-street to the site of the old Army and Navy Hotel, Upper Queen-street, to inaugurate a penny car service for Queen street. After the holidays it is intended to shorten the Newmarket outward time-table by over five minutes, by running the cars with " leaders" from the foot of Wellesley-street to the too - ofKyberPass. TRAFFIC PROSPECTS. < It will be seen from the above description of the alterations and improvements being I £ effected, that the Tramway Company are doing their utmost to meet all the reason- 1

able demand! of the t r &«*iis ~— LJ5 * Over thirty tramcar, i. ,Dg **«* JDS', and there are still three $„ *S7 „ *■*■ The traffic i. improving of K. \£* ****» teaching what P w..? 0 l^^no1 ! annual meeting of the comply? *• wholly from the general '•'•"Hen of the travelling pabTo SPStTS* tram fares to the benefit of eir It i. to be hoped that the aharlhSr'have had to "the manifold dffioumS' s*' have had to encounter, will soon reward of their enterprise: for if IK* not yet commanded BuoceM-!in ,17 h ' V ' dividend.-they have a l7aX n6 *ft? best to deserve it. In addition totft*ft the company has conferred upon the iS by cheapening the rate, of travel Son' cent, .nd giving better accommolttet dutnbutes a large wage, fund to aSi 100 men-no inconsiderable item Th farmer, are also benefited by finding 'a tiJit sale for certain classes of their prodaoe-Z consumption of chaff at the de D >J fully 500 tons per annum. P beio «