THE RAILWAY CUT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12754, 25 September 1919, Page 10

THE RAILWAY CUT.

COMMISSION OF INQUIRY. VISIT TO SOUTH ISLAND PROPOSED. [Prr Press Association.] YV ELLINGTON, September 2-t. Lrnest W. Gillon, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Railways, examined by the Ttaihray Commission to-day, said ho was of opinion that the information in the Railway Statement, regarding the rolling stock was true- He concurred with the finding of the previous commission relative to the rolling stock. Ho considered, now, that the rolling wnB , 7Tl a p:, f® and efficient condition, and that all conditions to safegiiatxi its efficiency had been maintained. The workshops were in an efficientstate, and the Department was better og now than in 1916- With regard to engine power and carriages the Depa.rtment had now 620 engines, against 58.5 m UHri. and carnages had been increased by the capacity of 2854 passengers, and wagons by 9581 tons' carrvmg capoerty. Two kinds of coal were used—the jiard coal for the fast passenger service came from the WesLoast and Newcastle, and supplies of coal were obtained from Jaoan. AroerS iS°« th Africa. He thought that oo,°oo tonp of hard coal should be held for both island*. H c knew of no relr hdd "P for want of stocks, the department had been able to obL! Up ? li( * T «9« ir ed. There were about fifty fitters short throughout the country hut the Department was well off for blacksmiths and boiler-makers -\o repair work was held un from want of labour. Tfao supply of drivers and fiiemen was improving every dav. 1 herewas :i slight shortage of deaners. Iho Department used as much brown ooat as it con id get but there would be better results if the Department could get Newcastle coal entirely. With normal running the average! weekly consumption of coal was 5000 tons of hard coal and about 2000 tons of brown coal. Thus, the reserve stocks should provide tor about eleven or twelve weeks’ running. Mr Gil lon stated that the rolling stock was as t3be d w?r r, 'r ,}ett ° r< than bcfore VxL 136 ( ’? rernmell t caUed for tenders at the end of the rear for coal, but some mines refused to tender. The Government refused to supply the mni?vTt lth -fT !,Sg TV f tl,ey °°^ d n( >t supply it with coal. Newcastle coal was preferred to Westport. There was le«Pr -? d a tCt l I E n P° wer from brown coal, and then there was danger in using it in the summer months. The engine power to-day was bv much in excess ot anything required*. No advice or reports bad been received from officials « ? , ''jcfficiency of the rolling stock. In all the workshops there bad been sufficient staff to do all necesaarv repairs. Brown coal was not generally used a*ono. Hard coal if used throughout the service would certainly tend to greater efficiency and economy. The number of engines, carriages and waggons under repair in the winter months was, under normal conditions, greater tnan in the summer months. There had been no written or verbal inst-rnc-yokkil Sm +u JlJ ! y pass as ™anv vehicles through tlie shops as possible. Matters had just gone on in the normal way.

Sidney Peroral Evans, locomotive j engineer, Auckland, said there had f been a fair number of drivers and W ! men leaving the service, but he could j not say if the proportion was larger than formerly. Some of those karma were older men. and some were the younger men, the reason given being tnafc there were better openings outside the service. At the same time there were quite sufficient drivers, firemen and mechanics, generally, to carry on the service. John Francis McCarthy, workshops manager at Newmarket for . twol?e jeans, gave evidence of the extension ,ot the works there. The shops now ; were much better than in 1917. The staff was now just back to about normal. There had been no falling off in the capacity of the men. The condition of the rolling stock now was quite as good as in 1916. It had been v well maintained during the last £ months. There had been no abnormal ruth of repairs, and at no time had work been held up through lack of supplies. "I jcced springs had been used to a small extent when necessary, and no bad results had followed. AU the machinery at Newmarket was now run by electric power. l )3ri ks: The\storcs had ate ays a sufficient, supply of materials, there had been plenty of engine and waggon tyres. There had been a slight shortage of boiler tubes. There was not an undue number of engines undergoing repairs at the shops earlv in July l ierc wore about eight in the shops then and the average number in at one tune was from six to nine. After an engine had beon thorough]v overhauled in the shops it should run for, say. t-lirce years. + f IU | nt: * T 5 e avera S e duality of l n °i be °? quite as it used to but the staff was now from iherg 0 aonual as aien returned John Spencer Carr, workshops manager at nanganut for twelve months, and previously at Addington, gave evidence similar to that tendered bv the last witness as to the efficiency of the rolling stock under his notice, the staff and supplies of material for repairs’, xiis stores were delivered from Petone jind there had been no difficulty or d<v in obtaining stores. 1° Mr Myers: H 0 had no instruo I ons, written or oral, as to increasing I tue repair work. Since early in J n lv the work had been carried on in just tlio ordinary way. J James I 1 ■ Mackloy, workshops forerr.un at Napier and previously brake ns-jiccter tor the whole of the .North J and said that the brakes were in just ss good condition now as when he r, ;lTe Iften° n mu talorc the previous commit I smn. I here had always been plentv of ! marena I, to do it with * .j To Mr March banks: There was no ’ d mculiy in getting repair supplies. I they were obtained locally. No trouble had been experienced m obtaining skilled titters to do work. | . In regard to the condition of the, roll-1 ing stocK, diaries Thomas Bargh, work- I shops manager at Petonc. spoke of it.’ as being quite. “up to the mark.” i J here had been a. shortage pf fitters ! but the staff was big enough to carry on neecssarv work. Very little new work, with the exception'of a few wao--gons was being undertaken at Petone At i clone repairs were done to engines from as far as Palmerston. Most of the Mam I mule engines and 'Wellington engines work had gone on normally without any serious difficulty arising through the depletion of the staff ov provision ol supplies. To Mr Marchhanks; The rolling stockno considered to he in good, safe running order. At present there were nob .is inshn men leaving tlic service jis formerly. Among men who had left were blacksmiths and fitters, and some ol them had gone into business ontsido the Department. Mr Hunt: How would the number of employees now compare with pre-war days ? Witness: We have less than in prewar days, but then there was a bw building programme on. ° What about the quality of the staff? —Oh, I would not say there was much difference. Are you still wanting more men**— Oh. yes. What class of men?—Weil, blacksmiths, .carpenters and others. I tbinV wc will get all wo need. Mr Marchhanks: If you were running the full service of 1916 would you be able to cope with repairs? Witness; I,am afraid not- I think we should want a bigger staff. Mr Hunt: If you were told next week that a nine million mileage was to be resumed, could you cope with repairs s

M'itness: No, I don’t think we could do it all at once. Mr Hunt: Then you see rocks ahead. In reply to the chairman, witness said that in the case of increased running a large number of casual hands w*ould have to be employed in. the shops. Francis Taylor Munson, locomotive engineer a»- Pe'.ont? ; and stationed at Newmarket, gave evidence, on the lines of previous witnesses, as to the condition of rolling stock and tho efficiency of the staff. To Mr Marchbanks: As much brown coal as could be obtained was used. More men were lost out of the shops than out of the running department. Them was no shortage of tyres or axles. There was a shortage of fitters, hut they were not all permanenthands. In reply to Mr Myers, witness said that the efficiency in regard to repair work at Newmarket had continued to improve. George Arthur Pearson, assistant chief mechanical engineer, stated that he agreed with the finding of the Ra.ilway Commission in 1917 that the condition of the rolling stock was good. There had been no trouble in regard to the maintenance of slocks. With the present engine power a greater mileage could be nm than in 191(1. More carriages had been put on. and the cars were in excellent- condition. In 191S two million ‘miles less were run than in 1919, and that would tend to reduce the number of engines, cais and waggons to be repaired- Jlrown coal was not suitable for fast sendees. Mest Coast- and NewoMstle coal wees absolutely necessary it fast services were to be maintained. The tendenev was to reduce the consumption of brawn coal Replying to Mr Myers, witness said that when, lie was in Auckland recently hd found the condition of the- engines and oche- rolling stock to be remarkgood. The Department- continued its building programme until a W e . n it’ was suspended. Should it be decided to proceed with a. fresh budding programme, the Department would lie in a position to commence operations. To. Mr Marchbanks: The position reganJmg engines was norma! in the Wellington district. • James Guinness, chief clera m the stores braaih of the Railway Department, said there were ample supplies of springs on hand. He dawned the various orders that had been given for drawbar and bearing springs, > a , ud a f sles A- • was absolutely .satisfied that sufficient stores were coming forward and were on hand to meet all requirements. At no time in the past two years had there been any shortage, and the branch had been congratula ting .tself on the position in which it found itself. To Mr Marchbanks: Stocks for railway purposes had received excellent dispatch from the Old Country during the war. In answer to Mr Hunt, witness added that- it a new programme of buildimr we? a ordered he would be in the position of being able to meet nearly ad the demands. -ALr Myers intimated that it was not. proposed to call further, witnesses at tnafc stage. Ib^ e i . ch »^ n the Commission ; + . shoald Xvisit the South island for the purpose of seeing tiic workshops at Addington and obtain- = - regarding the condition of rolling slock m the South Island. Some local witnesses might also wish ' a 3 ld Coiupiissioners did not want it to be said that tin* Island* 851011 DeVer W€ut llear tn e South