H.—ls.

worked at a pressure of 200 lb. per square inch, and was engaged in city road repairs. A leak developed in one boiler in April, 1932, when the boiler was seven years old, and, on examination, it was found that the shell-plate had cracked at the outer lap of the longitudinal seam in the barrel. A similar defect occurred in the other boiler in June, 1932, when the boiler was six years old. Fortunately, both defects were found, and the barrels condemned for further use before complete rupture occurred. A third case of a lap seam crack, which has quite recently occurred in a threshing-engine boiler, is under investigation. The matter of the detection of lap-seam cracks in boilers of this class, which are invariably covered with insulating material, has give.n the Department much concern, and after the experience from these two boilers it was decided to require the removal of lagging from locomotives and locotype boilers with longitudinal lap seams which cannot normally be examined internally when the boilers are first inspected after they are five years old. In the case of boilers with lap seams which can be inspected internally the stripping of lagging is not required until the boilers are ten years old. When the boilers are stripped at the periods stated hydraulic tests are applied and further tests made at five and ten yearly intervals thereafter. The instruction has now been in force since August, 1932, and the majority of the boilers of the locomotive type with lap seams have been examined and tested in accordance with the requirements. Many defects have thus been brought to light and cases of deterioration have been arrested before they had progressed to a stage requiring costly repairs. Some owners expressed dissatisfaction with the Department's requirements, mainly on account of the cost of removing the pulp asbestos with which most of the barrels of the traction boilers were lagged. The advantages of a mattress filled with asbestos were pointed out, and a great many boiler barrels have now been so lagged. The asbestos mattress can be easily removed, has superior insulating properties, and a longer life and is not much more expensive in first cost than the pulp asbestos. It is ultimately much less expensive than pulp, as the pulp soon dries out and cracks with the jarring of the traction on the roads, and thus loses a good deal of its insulating-capacity. To save owners inconvenience and delay, the Department has supplied light and portable testing-pumps to Inspectors for use in the field where it is necessary to carry out hydraulic tests. Towards the end of the year a mishap occurred to a large Lancashire boiler used at a colliery. The boiler was under its usual steaming load when the fireman attendant heard a thump and on investigating the cause found that the crown of the left-hand furnace had collapsed. The damage was examined by the Department's officers, and the cause of the collapse was fully inquired into. Three rings of the furnace collapsed inwards and the metal of the crown was found discoloured, pointing to the material at this part having been heated to a red heat. The damage was extensive, but the metal, although forty years old, was in good condition and did not rip. The distance of the water-level to the crown of the furnace was measured and found to be 20 in. There was no undue accumulation of scale nor any evidence of grease or oil having found access to the boiler. The right-hand furnace carried a small fire at the time of the failure, and was not appreciably distorted, and no other parts of the boiler were seriously damaged. The collapse of the furnace was due to overheating of the plates through shortness of water within the boiler. There was no evidence to show how the shortness of water had occurred. It was estimated that at least two hours and three-quarters elapsed from the time the water disappeared from a visible reading in the water-gauge glass to the time of the accident, and the conclusion was come to that during this time the boiler-attendant did not give proper attention to the level of the water in the boiler. Machinery. The total number of machinery inspections for the year was 24,559. Among these 15 cranes and 12 lifts were inspected for the first time. Nine fatal accidents and fifty non-fatal accidents were reported and investigated during the year. The corresponding numbers of accidents for last year were 5 and 42 respectively. Four of the fatal accidents were connected with machinery which had not been inspected by the Department or for which certificates were not in force, and one fatality occurred with farm machinery not now subject to annual inspection. Another fatality, the cause of which was investigated, was due to a fall from a window opening out from a lift-well, and could not be classed as a machinery accident. The remaining three fatal accidents were connected with certificated machinery. In one case a boy aged twelve years, after delivering his father's tea at a sawmill, wandered about the mill and became entangled in the driving mechanism of a saw. The machinery was efficiently guarded, and there was no evidence to show how the child got into the position in which he was found after the accident. In another case, a manager of a sawmill descended into a pit containing transmission machinery in order to clean a belt while the machinery was running. He was caught in the machinery and received injuries from which he died. The pit was adequately guarded, and a notice was posted nearby warning employees against entering the pit whilst the machinery was in motion. It is somewhat disturbing to find a manager of a plant taking such grave risks with running machinery. He should have been the first to set a good example and enforce safe practices. The third fatal accident connected with certificated machinery occurred at a colliery. A steam locomotive, with a certificated engine-driver in charge, was engaged in shunting operations making up a train of loaded coal-wagons. The operations were being carried out on a slight incline and, when a load of approximately 60 tons was connected and before the air-brakes had been coupled to the six trucks containing the load, the train got out of control and moved down the line. The

2—II. 15.

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