ADDINQTON WORKSHOPS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 418, 29 January 1909, Page 6

ADDINQTON WORKSHOPS.

THE MEN'S POINTOF VIEW.

OUT-OF-DATE MACHINERY.:-: ' • ' (BT (TELEGEAPH— PBESS'ASSOCIATION.) "'. -'.'. ■■.;■••.-• : •■ Chrlstohuroh,.': January 28. ;■ One, of the.menengaged-attbe Addington Railway Workshops made, a-statement to a representative "of the''Press";tb-day, in the course of which he put the' case, for the men iff-a nutshell. In view, of .the .feeling that exists at present amongst'the: inen, as the result of the charges contained in the General. Manager's letter, and ".if justice to the men,-he .considered that one line'of their defence shouldbe made public'.at v once. That defence was the obsolete character; of the appliances' at' the : workshops—appliances with which -the men at expected, to 'turn out work equal ■ in; cheapness and quality to that turned out at' other works.-: : "Take the cost of one-of the enginesconstructed for the North- Island Main Trunk;" he said. "One of .the boiler plates was in the rollers at Addingto'n about eight weeks- simply because the machinery is hopelessly out of date. In rolling boiler plates an up-to-date "plant will do the: work with a. man and three lads at'3os.-per da>yand' : will do a plate a day. .' At Addington, on the other hand, with the machine used there the cost is five men. at £2 15s; -per day. They may be three weeks on the'job.; Again, the punching machines, at Addington." have been ii the establishment for'the'last-thirty years) and are entirely out-of date.V'ltis impossible to. do any quick work with" the'obsolete machinery wejiave to work.with. , ,' ■'■■''-;' ;:, "• ' '-''. Ho described the manner in'which, rivets. are put in by.one of the hydraulic machinis, and. stated-that the" cranes'.used for lifting the ■ boiler, are : sometimes manned by - three' or four men. , 'In an outside with the same amount of machinery,-these/.cranes: would .be , driven either'by',,electricity or by, an -endless, .belt, requiring: the'.attention'ot I only one man and an attendant -to' Took after. ,the-boiler.- He also; allegedJthat ; the;.steain' ',hammer.does, hot perform ife duties satisfactorily. ' A blacksmith-has been Known to .take absolutely- half an; hour to', heat' up- a piece/ of 9-inchround steel and. place ■ it■ under the large' steam.hammer.-.'-As-soon,: asthe 'steam. ! was'released.in the cylinderipfi-the hammer it' would .come" down'- with .a. thud,and'stay. in.-that', position , until: tho.-steel was so : cold.! that the men would be absolutely''disgusted with l the whole-..show.-.-In .the'r meantime 'a large number of-blacksmiths- and their mates 1 would be'waiting with:their- "feats'";.in; the fire .for an opportunity to .iise^the- hammer. ■With regard to flanging .large Opiates, this is' still done by manual labour; at; Addington/ though in up-to-date : shopsj;hydraulic mach.ines'are.used.■ -Three or: fourjjtrien are 'required for a' flanging machine, and the processus, over.-ih a few minutes;--.; J By .the Ad-' dington process, about, eight- men; are ' required "■ ■ ,;' Continuing, he said- in .comparing the cosV .of engines built by Price Brothers .with those built .at- Addington, : it; has .'never 'been taken :iuto -consideration. that,.-Addingtqh' has. to bear, the' cost'■' of' a large,. ; staff,.'of;; officers. Therei is- a- very■': large'-staff \ : .oi'. 'foremen Vat ; Addirigton, which you would not/fihd'at Price Brothers.', ■/■-. ' 'f'-r)' : /.[■■". '■■.'•'■/■.'. ':-i : - . ; :^The' ; ;;inqulr3^-.i''--'.^ ; :v ; . ' Regarding; the-inquiry,-, he .-.said : . that'.the men", would: be; satisfied, with -nothing : '.less than •a ■' public inquiry- bra'" Royal" Cornmis,sion; ■!If.;.it' , wa's"-a'. i would ■hethejpositiph" ofthe ■m'en ; :'whb.came forward? -.':Who/.were;:going r ::tb ,; ,be.-dn.-the :b«noh?;'-^'Wei» v;the;.''m'eh.'wK^-;vJMe'.'really.'.-'dn-their 'trial going to - try' th e :meh; lower down,' or were the officers going to r be tried -as- well ,as-'the.men? /The .men- thought; that there should. .be'a;, magistrate^, ori.'evjen', a : judge' of rthe'Snpreme,Court on the tribunal.' .Themen alleged-that'.th?' atAddingtonwasiobsoletej/ that- : there was -noJ-'/system: or Kmethod, and;: that, appli•ahce's thipy .would' be;.ablei. to'compete with lany^put^iqejorpnYate-fintti' - ;'.'.•'•:•■' ■''.Tchday S'.fele'gr'am "sighed Messrs. Laurensoh; .Ell, Witty, ■Russell, arid; Davey,: M'J.'v was dispatched to/tbe'Hph, .'J;' A; ffillar, Mihisttrfor'Railway.s, I .asking-'him-tb ; make.-the 7 inquiry into -the charges against' the;e,mployees■ at :the , Addington, Railway ; Workshops as public, as , possible, so that.the people of the Dominion would be able to decide whether or, not "the charges •'we.regt-ouhd-less'.''■'.'■.■■• ■"■< •"'.'■•;■'■'..'.:: ; : ;.-'\/ ■{.':':*■ '-■"';■■:..■:/;;. ■ .The.following reply.was received:—,', ; "■-' : "Re inquiry, Addington. It is .'-proposed.'to; hold , , a public inquiry, not a Departmental ;one.. It will be held by persons .altogether; 'outside the railway service, 'and- will be opon to .'the .press. ■.rthink'you'-.wiU'-agree that "it 'cannot ■'be more public than;this;' and. when 'the' details ; are' published -Ktnink: you will A.; '.;'-. \:<: .;■-;■ " :- ; ' /;;\1 RETRENCHMENT.-:";r : " :V ; >; '.- .'. , (BT TEMGEAPH—PRESS ASSOCTATION.] : . , \ : ■ 'v -v ' .' ''I'd'. January'2B.:v": :Asked -whether, the general: scheme of .retrenchment, which is reported $o :|i'ave'. been authorised, will be applied;tb_. the "Railway Department, the. Hon.- J. A.'-Millar" said ...that it was ■ now ; necessary . to' disßpse: ;pf.' some of. those workmen.- who..were r takeh J on to do a' particular :work. : . There, would'-be.no retrenchment as far as the; general, staff.of the Railway; Department was ..concerned.---Asked ..if-. 1 he could 'impart:.any..,infxjrniation> as to the constitution of the ; Commission of -.In- , quiry which he-has ipromised to-set up, in regard to the, allegation againstV the employees 'in the.. Addington. .workshopsj'; the Minister replied that •it -would consist -of three gentlemen outside the ;.rja.ilway_ service.;. It would,not be.d Magisterial:'inquiry, .and. would be''open to'the'press.; As'.soon as. he received -information". from' these : gentlemen he.wpuld-.be in;a-position .to'-'disclose their .names.v'.,...,; >■''■■:'■ ..:-;■;-.V';-.;•.-„'.'-■■; •;.•,■ '■'■■■..■