91

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APPENDIX F.

EEPOET OP THE CHIEF INSPECTOE OF MACHINEEY.

The Chief Inspector of Machinery to the Under-Secretary for Public Works. Sir, — Office of the Chief Inspector of Machinery, 31st March, 1898. I have the honour to submit my annual report on the working of "The Inspection of Machinery Act, 1882," during the financial year ended the 31st March, 1898. A very good year's work has been accomplished, and the arrears are now all but wiped off. A large increase of new machinery has to be recorded, the most of it being for mining purposes. The boilers and engines have, for the most part, been imported from Great Britain and America, which militates against the manufacturers and tradesmen in the colony. Every boiler and engine imported means a loss of weeks of good skilled employment, and prevents engineers in the colony making permanent additions and improvements to their plant, as it would not pay to have this extra costly machinery standing idle. This is to be regretted not only owing to the non-employ-ment of tradesmen and loss of business to employers, but also on account of the education that our rising engineers lose while serving their apprenticeship through this high-class machinery not being made here. This is a matter that should be looked into. The whole of the imported boilers and machinery could be made in the colony, in my opinion, not only to equal, but perhaps to exceed in usefulness, the imported article, as the local requirements are better known to those interested in the colony. I would again call attention to the necessity of gas- and oil-engines being brought under the Inspection of Machinery Act. Several accidents to life and limb having occurred during the year in manufactories where this class of machinery has not been inspected, and as these engines are generally used in places where the work is intermittent, and are now numerous, I think that something should be done to have inspection made compulsory. Permit me again to point out the necessity for all boiler-attendants being certificated, so as to insure safety to the public and to those engaged at work in the vicinity of boilers. The certificates should be of two grades —first and second—the first grade being the highest, and would be granted, after examination, to those in charge of large works, such as woollen-mills, freezing-works, &c.; and the second, to those in charge of less complex and smaller engines and machinery. The system works very well in Victoria, and is worthy of adoption in New Zealand. The method of boiler-inspection is now uniform throughout New Zealand, the latest Board of Trade rules being used. Nothing is left to rule of thumb or local opinion. The Board of Trade has the very best means of ascertaining by observation and experiment the qualities of the material of which boilers are made, both at manufactories where made and after manufacture. We have no such means in New Zealand, and on that account should adopt the highest standard. During the year a dispute arose regarding the construction of an imported boiler, which was objected to by a New Zealand Inspector. The Engineer-in-Chief of the Board of Trade in London was asked to give his opinion thereon. He upheld the decision of the New Zealand Inspector, and the boiler referred to was altered to suit our standard. Explosions in New Zealand traceable to faulty construction of boilers have up to the present, I believe, never occurred, and this in itself should be a sufficiently high eulogium to satisfy the most bitter enemy of compulsory inspection. The very fact of explosions hardly ever occurring may perhaps give some the impression that there is nothing in it; but, as a matter of fact, however, the discoveries made, although only a year elapses between inspections, show that if neglected they would have led to many disasters that would no doubt have caused much loss of life and destruction of property. During the year 3,261 boilers were inspected and certificates issued for them, and the machinery attached all attended to. The guarding of machinery in motion is an important part of the Inspector's work, more especially where gearing and revolving shafting is near a thoroughfare. Sometimes additions are made without the owner informing the Inspecter, which have caused accidents to happen ; but this neglect does not often occur. Three hundred and twenty water-powers, including hydraulic lifts, were inspected. There were 315 new boilers, of 4,168-horse power, started during the year—lB3 made in the colony, and 132 were imported, and include the following classes: Portable, traction, locomotive (return, water, Cornish, and vertical tubular), and marine, which shows a large increase on former years, and bears testimony to the progress and present prosperity of the colony. I regret to have to record several accidents to life and limb through machinery (three of which terminated fatally). Full reports of all are appended. The special attention of all owners of machinery in motion is directed to the necessity of their employes wearing suitable clothing while at work, and more especially the discarding of long aprons and long coats, and that all girls should have their hair done up in a net, and not hanging down their backs. No accident to life or limb, or explosion of any sort, took place during the year in connection with boilers, which is a very satisfactory record. In the latest report of the Board of Trade London, dated January, 1898, for the year ending the 30th June, 1897, the total number of cases dealt with under the British Board of Trade Boiler Explosions Acts was eighty, and by these explosions twenty-seven persons were killed and seventy-five injured during the year. This represents 102 persons killed and injured, and exceeds the average (90-5) for the fifteen years during which the Act of 1882 has been in operation by about 16—D. 1.