NEW RAILWAY ENGINES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15746, 22 October 1914, Page 7

NEW RAILWAY ENGINES.

PLEA FOR LOCAL INDUSTRY. [BY TELEGRAPH.SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] ! Wellington. Wednesday A question in regard to importing railway locomotives from abroad was put to the Minister for Railways to-day by Mr. Myers (Auckland East). He asked whether, in regard to the proposal of the General Manager of Railways that 20 locomotives should be imported from abroad— ten to be of the class A type and ten of the Garrett typehe will make careful inquiry, with a view to seeing if there are no foundries or workshops in the Dominion possessing the necessary machinery and equipment to enable them to supply at least a portion of the order.

The Hon. W. H. Herries made the following reply: "Before any proposal for the importation of locomotives was made it was definitely ascertained that, with one exception— Price Brothers—the leading engineering establishments in the Dominion were not equipped with machinery suitable for the manufacture of locomotives; also, that Messrs. Price Brothers could not appreciably increase their rate of output with their present plant. Orders in hand will keep this firm busy building locomotives for the New Zealand railways for at least two years. Even if the engineering firms decided to incur the expense necessary to instal machinery, it would take several months before they would be in a position to commence the manufacture of engines. The ten class A locomotives it is proposed to buy to enable the Department to give immediately better transport facilities. The Garrett engines can only be built in England. It is not the desire of the Government to go outside of the Dominion if its requirements can be fulfilled in the country. I am, however, quite willing to call for tenders, but time is the essence of the contract."