17

I.—lα

85. You have no New Zealand-made engines in any of your vessels ? —We had a winch made in Auckland. It is on a punt used in connection with our works. 86. Do you own, or partly own, any of the vessels which you have built ? —We own the " Moana." 87. Trading where? —In the intercolonial trade, across to Newcastle. 88. What is her tonnage ? —96 tons register. 89. What power ? —Eighteen horse-power, I am sorry to say. 90. Is it too much?—No; a great deal too little. Some one has to do the experimenting. 91. Is she a schooner?— Yes, a topsail schooner. 92. How many hands does she carry?— Eight, all told. 93. Is one set apart to drive the engine? —I think there are only seven now. One of the men drives the engine, and we do not get him for £6 a month. There are no such wages paid for driving engines. 94. What do the seamen get?— The intercolonial wages just now are £4 a month. We pay him £8, but I am sorry to say he is not able to do the work. 95. Why not?—He does not understand the engine. The Priestman is a very complicated engine. 96. How long has he been in the vessel ?—About two years, I think. 97. How long has the vessel been running?— About four years, but she had not engines in her when she was built. We put them in afterwards. 98. How long have the engines been in?—A little over two years. 99. Has this man been in charge the whole time ?—No, there was another man in charge at first. Stevenson, I think, his name was. 100. Was he a certificated engineer?—No, but he was competent to do the work. 101. How long was he there?— About six months. 102. What wages did you pay him ?—The same as the present man. 103. Then, the man who is in charge now has been in charge eighteen months?— Yes. 104. And he does not understand the engine ?—No, and neVer will; but he generally has one engine going like a lame duck. I consider they have saved the vessel when going over the bar through having one engine going. 105. What wages do you pay the mate of that vessel ?—Some £8. 106. When the engine is not working does the driver do duty as a seaman and take his watch? —I suppose he does. 107. You know the prayer of the petition : What do you think the Committee should recommend ?—I think they should recommend what is asked for, seeing that I drew up the petition. 108. You have heard the suggestions by the Chief Inspector of Machinery, as well as Mr. Glasgow, the Under-Secretary: Do you see any objection to them—that is to say, new regulations to come into force as from December next giving certificates to all drivers who are now in charge, and that in future all drivers should have certificates upon showing a knowledge of the engine and with shop-experience in the handling of tools ? Do you see any objection to those proposals ?—No, so long as the regulations do not apply to vessels of small tonnage. 109. Will you state the tonnage you think the regulations should apply to ?—lt is not so much the tonnage of the vessels as the size of the engines. In a vessel of small power you have no benefit with it. . 110. What do you consider small?— Anything under twenty-horse power. 111. Would not the same danger arise with a vessel of twenty tons as with a larger one?—l have never heard of an oil-engine blowing up. 112. You have heard the Inspector say that there is as much danger of explosion in an oilengine as in an ordinary steam-engine ?—I did not understand him to say so. Certainly, so far as the engine is concerned it is the same, but an engine does not explode—it is the boiler, and we have no boiler, with an oil-engine. 113. The impression I have gathered is that there is the same amount of danger with oilengines as with ordinary steam-engines, under certain conditions?—So far as I am aware, there is no danger. The only possible danger would be in the event of fire through the oil being stowed below, and that is arranged for by the department, which compels us to stow it below. 114. You say the only restriction should be as to the power in granting certificates to drivers? —Yes. We would not put small power into vessels now. 115. What power has the " Huia " ?—Sixty, I think. 116. In the other vessels you have the power ranges from eight up to what ?—Up to fifty. We have sold the " Toroa." She belonged to us until recently, and ran six months without a hitch. 117. About what speed was she? —Seven miles in smooth water. 118. Mr. Croiother.] How many hours would she run under sail, and how many under the power of the engine?—l am sure I could not say. I did not travel in the boat. 119. Still, you can gauge it in some sense by the consumption of oil?—We had nothing to do with that. Subritzky, who chartered the boat, will give you some particulars on the subject. 120. Supposing two vessels start from the same point and run to the same point, one under steam and the other under oil—say, of forty-horse power—can you give the Committee an approximate idea of the relative cost of that journey?—l have had no experience at all of steam in large vessels. I have a steam-launch, but Ido not know the cost of running steam-vessels. 121. When you say that smaller vessels use too much expensive oil, what size do you designate as smaller vessels? —It is not so much the size. Any will run on benzine :I do not know any that will not. But naphtha is much easier vaporized on a cold morning, and with small launches they run better if they use naphtha; and some of the larger vessels, such as the " Toroa," have a little naphtha-tank for starting purposes.