COMING FROM AMERICA

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2369, 27 January 1915, Page 3

COMING FROM AMERICA

BEASGSSmHiKEB A statement relating to the purchase by the Government of ten locomotives from the Baldwin Works in America was given 'to a Dominion reporter by tho Hon. W. H. Herriea (Minister of .Railways) yesterday. "In acoepting a contract from tie Baldwin Company, United States of America, for. the construction and delivery of ten engines, the Government are following the procedure adopted by the Bight Hon.. Sir Joseph Ward in a similar situation in 1902," said Mr. Herries. "In that year Sir Joseph Ward imported from the United States no fewer than 47 locomotives and 60 passenger carriages, to meet congestion caused by the increased traffic; 10 engines were also imported from luigland, and only two were built in the Dominion. In 1899 Sir Joseph Ward also imported from the United States 16 engines. The Government do not propose to import- any passenger or wagons as they have been for some time making special and successful efforts in their own shops to cope with the shortage j for instance, no fewer than 126 additional sheep trucks were built in tlio Dominion railway shops last year. In the General Manager's report, laid ou the table of tho House last year, tbo acuteness of the position was pointed out. It "was shown that the enginepower was woefully deficient, and ac-' counted for the greater part of the complaints which were rife about the shortage of trucks. It was recommends ed that twenty engines should be imported, as the local Government shops were going at full _ pressure, aad bad two years' orders in hand, also that the only private firm that had _ complete equipment for engine-building would be fully employed to fulfil the Railway Department's order of 26 engines placed with them. The ■oositlon the Government then bad to consider was this, that it was absolutely necessary that the engines, or some of them, should be obtained in the shortest possible time. The General Manager had stated emphatically that it was absolutely, necessary for the safety of the public and the requirements of the customers of the Department that ,the engine-power should be' at once increased. , ' The Best Offer. .

"It was impossible in a short sjMoeof time to have the engines made in. the Dominion. Inquiries had been instituted in Great Britain and the United States as to prices and delivery. As will be seen by the Departmental report subjoined, the Baldwin Company's offer was immeasurably the best both as to price and time of delivery, the latter being the important point, as time was the essence of the contract. The best English offer was from the North. British Company, which was to complete the. 10 engines in seven months ready for shipping at a cost of £4780 per engine, whereas the Baldwin offer was to complete the 10 engines in 60 days at. a price of £3229 per engine. It was considered important to get the engines out in New_ Zealand in time for Easter, and it is , practically certain that this will be done. The Baldwin engines that have been previously imported by the Government and the late Manawatn, Company have given general satisfaction. : They are Eked By the railway employees who have been using them. Tho 10 Garratt engines mentioned in the General Manager's report will be obtained from Great Britain, so that the "total number authorised will be equally divided between Great Britain and the United States. These imported engines will all be of a l'eavy type equal, if.not superior, in tractive power to the heaviest engines at present on the New Zealand railways. In future, the old policy of keeping low tractive power engines in good repair by re-boflering and refitting will be abandoned; and the money used for building new powerful engines capable of hauling the maximum loads which the permanent way will permit. After this shipment is received there will be no more-need to import engines, as they will be all made in the Dominion, either at the Government or private workshops. . "I append for the information of yonr readers a report that I have had prepared by the Department on the subject, which gives additional details." 1