EAST TOWN WORKSHOPS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 82, Issue 305, 24 December 1938, Page 6

EAST TOWN WORKSHOPS

REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES HOX. D. G. SULLIVAN'S VIEWS The opinion that if the increasing turnover of rolling stock on the North Island railway lines can be maintained the East Town railway workshops would get their fair share of the additional work was expressed by the Minister of Railways, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, in an interview. "Some time after taking over the portfolio of railways,” states the Minister, "the members for Wanganui (Mr. J. B. Cotterill) and Rangitikei (Mr. G. H. O. Wilson), the Hon. M. Connelly, M.L.C., and representatives of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants interviewed me with a view to making arrangements for a greater amount of work to be undertaken at East Town. It was eventually decided to increase the facilities for the handling of more wagon repair work, and early this year £12,600 was provided for a substantial extension of the wagon shep and the provision of additional machinery.” The number of men employed at East Town in November, 1935, was 130. By July, 1938, the staff had increased to 185, and at November 30, the total was 204, made up of 93 skilled and 111 semi-skilled employees. Particulars of wages and salaries paid out at East Town furnished by Mr. Sullivan are: Year ended March 31, 1935, £28,119; year ended March 31, 1938, £49,189. For the current financial year, ending March 31, 1939, the wages bill will be approximately £58,000. Output of Workshops The output of the workshops from April, 1938, to November 12, 1938 (32 weeks), was: Light repairs to locomotives, 14; car and brake-van repairs, 83; wagons repaired, 1430; tarpaulins repaired, 5417; tarpaulins manufactured, 2679. The total wagons repaired at East Town by March 31 next year should exceed 2200, which is 300 more than the average annual output covering the years 1933 to 1936. “The East Town workshops have in hand the construction of 30 new ■H' class four-wheel cattle wagons, al! of which will be available for traffic before Christmas,” remarked Mr. Sullivan. “The building of this class ot rolling stock at East Town represents a new field of industry there and one that is capable of expansion. "It is also interesting to remember," continued Mr. Sullivan, “that East Town makes and repairs all the tarpaulins required by the department in the North Island. There were over 24,000 tarpaulins in use throughout New Zealand at March 31 last." The East Town workshops comprise a general machine shop, blacksmith and boilermaking department, tarpaulin shop, wagon repair shop, timber-drying room, carpentry shop and wood mill, and general erecting shop, and a district stores depot. “These workshops rank next in size and importance to the shops at New Zealand's four main centres," concluded Mr. Sullivan. “That further extensions may later become necessary is indicated by the wagon mileage in the North Island, which increased from 120,023,000 at March. 1937, to 133,914,000 at the end of March this year. If this increasing turnover of roiling stock be maintained, Wanganui will, of course, get its share of the additional maintenance work involved, thereby contributing further to the prosperity of the city.”