RAILWAY ENGINES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11763, 29 July 1916, Page 9

RAILWAY ENGINES.

SELF-RELIANT POLICY. URGED BY TRADES COUNCIL After careful consideration of the methods adopted for the supply of New Zealand railway rolling stock, the Wellington Trades and Labour Council has forwarded the following statement to the Minister of Railways (Hon W. li. Herries) i—"lt is now four years since the "Wellington Trades Council petitioned the Minister of Railways to adopt a soUreiiant policy in connection with the manufacture of rolling stock. VVe were then concerned with the growing practice of relying upon a private firm for the manufacture of railway engiavs. We urged the Minister to initiate a scheme whereby the building of locomotives would be carried on more in keeping with the demands of our railway system. So far as wo know, no alteration has been made in the method of work. The private firm in question continues to supply the service with locomotives, and, in addition, a very large order was placed,on the American market last year. " We protest against this method of managing an important State entexprise. "First: Because the most efficient •service cannot be obtained from the Government workshops as at present arranged. "Second: Because fostering the interests of a private firm at the expense of the State is not wise.

•"And third: Because the -whole history of the last two years lias shown the wisdom of self-reliance an 'he folly of buying ir. foreign markets. 11 To Messrs A. and G. Prico a contract was let in 1906 for twenty Class A four-cylinder balanced compound engines. Since that time this firm ha? been continuously and mainly on Government work. Most remarkable of all is that under the contracts it has been arranged for the Addington Railway Workshops to manufacture all the particular parts, such as wheels, axles _ and *?rank pins, bronze castings, sight _ feeders and heavy forsings, whiJe the Hillside Railway Workshops have had to supply the laminated springs, lamps and' so forth. In the Newport Railway Workshops, Victoria, the authorities consider that if they can lay down ten locomotives at a time they save 25 per cent in the cost of labour. Our own workshops have never yet been given an opportunity to put in hand _ a set of twenty engines. Yet the Minister of the day saw fit to give this privilege to a private firm at their own price. To show the extent to which the Railways .Department is dependent on Messrs A. and G. Price for'supplies, attention is called to the Railways Report for the yeax ending March 31, 1914. In that year the firm delivered seven Class A 72-ton tender engines, six others of a similar design were under construction, and a further contract for twenty Class R tender locomotives was taken up. " We expected tho new General Manager to effect a prompt reform in this matter. Instead of that, his first notable achievement was to persuade tho Minister to buy in a foreign market, and in 1915 ten Class A locomotives were imported from America. The Minister of Railways pleads urgency in support of this order. The next order will also be a matter of urgency unless the Department exercises enough foresight to install a manufacturing plant. When tho Trades Council approached the Miu ' ister on this matter four years ago, lie that the money could not be found just then. Wonderful how quickly the money was found to pay the Americans for a rush order for ten engines! " Seven years ago a commission of engineers recommended the laying out of works specially for manufacture. It was pointed out that existing railway workshops were mainly repair shops, and that new work had to stand aside when repairs were needed. This hampered the general efficiency and discredit the Government control. Nothing has been done, so far as we know, to carry out tho recommendations of the commission.

" As a contribution to the discussion on trade with aliens and neutrals after the war, we aca ; n recommend these points to the Minister of RailwaysTrading with American firms is undesirable. and unnecessary, if preparations for local manufacuire are mod's in time-. Trading with a local firm which is without local competition in this class of work is also undesirable and unwise, more particularly as the important parts have to be manufactured by the Government- workshops- When the war is ended we mav reasonably expect a. serious slump in the industrial world. Engineering will bo an occupation that will suffer heavily from the backwash of war. It is the duty of our public men to mako preparations where possible fo> meeting some of the difficulties. There is considerable scope, in our opinion, for some such preparation on the part of the railway authorities in this Bominion."