NEW ENGINES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2373, 1 February 1915, Page 6

NEW ENGINES

THE PURCHASE IN AMERICA

WHY IT WAS NECESSARY

STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER NO "UNPATRIOTIC PREFERENCE"

Answering criticisms recently published on the action of the Government in purchasing engines for the New Zealand railways in. America tho Prime Minister (tho Right Hon. W. F. MasRcy) has issued the following statement :—

. "As inaccurate statements, unfairly misrepresenting tho Government in regard to tho importation of locomotives, have been published by a number of newspapers, it is necessary to place tho facts before the general public—tho owuers of the railways. Suggestions havo been made to the effect that tho Government and tho Geueral Manager havo given an unpatriotic preference to America to the disadvantage of Great Britain and New Zealand. A sufficient answer to such insinuations is tho simple truth of official records. The wholo position was explained in a special report by tho General Manager. (Mr. Hiley) last year, and tho Railways Statement for tho year ended' March 31 last. Both these reports were issued before the date (October 23) of the debate on tho Railways Improvement Authorisation Bill in the House of Representatives.

"Mr. Hiley's report had the following statements: —'The locomotive stock includes a considerable number of engines of types that are obsolete— altogether tmsuitable for existing requirements. They aro deficient in power and consequently costly to operate. Their low tractive power and inability to take what is now considered a fair load retard the movement of traffic, cause congestion, and add greatly to the difficulties inseparable from single-line working. Altogether some 72 engines of various types como within the scope of these remarks.

" 'It is imperative that 33 of these should be scrapped and replaced at the earliest possible moment, the- balance (39) being similarly treated as opportunity offers. The present shortage of haulage power embarrasses the Government to a considerable extent and emphasises the shortage of wagons. "The manufacture of locomotives in New Zealand is confined to the Addiugtou and Hillside Workshops, and private workshops of Messrs. Price Bros., Thames. Each of these workshops is at present going at full pressure building locomotives.' The rate of output of new engines from this source is insufficient to keep abreast of current requirements.

" 'In view of the seriousness of the position, 1 am constrained reluctantly to recommend the importation of 20 locomotives from abroad, 10 of these to be Class A, ten to bo of the Garrett type. If a contract for the Class A type is placed in America, these engines can bo delivered in a few months. A measure of relief of the existing pressure will thus l)e obtained at an early date. The Garrett type of cngino is manufactured in England, and my inquiries indicate that the makers cannot give delivery of the engines for at least eighteen months. • " 'The engines now on order in the railway workshops are moro than sufficient to keep the shops at Hillside and Addington going at full pressure for the next two years, and the contracts already let to the outside engineering firm will similarly keep their establishment going for the same period. There is no reason to doubt that engine-build-ing at the shops within the Dominion will bo continued at high pressure for a considerablly longer period.' "A postscript to Mr. Hiley's report stated; —"This report was completely drafted before a European war was contemplated, and the proposals were based on the assumption that the financial position would bo normal. I have not modified the report in any way, because the necessities for improved equipment still remain, and will, in fact, become more urgent by the time that the European money market has recovered its equilibrium.'

"The Railways Statement showed that at March 31 the number of locomotives was 534. During the year the entries of locomotives at the shops totalled 712. including 76 thoroughly overhauled and 228 heavy repairs. As the comparatively new engines would have figured lightly in the long list, it is clear that the stock comprises an expensive number of defective engines, including a proportion of almost chronic cripples.

"During the debate of October 23 the following remarks, reported in Hansard, were made:—

"Mr. Massey: I shall regret exceedingly if we have to go outside New Zealand for our engines, and no one would regret it more than myself. I was pleased to hear the Minister of Railways say—it was during the debate to-day— that before going out of New. Zealand tenders would be called for in New Zealand.

"Mr. Herries: Not now; not after the replies that have come in. It would he useless. "Mr. Massey: The Minister informs me it is no'use calling for tenders here

after the replies he has received from the owners of the principal shops; There, then, is the position with which the General Manager of Railways is faced. ■ "The replies to which reference was mado were read during the debate. It should be explained at this point that the tenders mentioned by Mr. Herries wore in regard to engines additional to the orders which were sufficient to keep the State shops and the firm of Messrs. Price Bros, fully employed for two years and longer.

"Since the middle of 1912, when the Government came into office, the State shops and Messrs. Price have completed 5-1 locomotives. At present Messrs. Price are engaged on an order for 20 engines, and the State shops aro build-, irig another 20. "The rush of work at all available establishments since the Government took office and the present urgent need of importations are diie to tho fact that the locomotive stock had not been kr >t up-to-dato by tho Government's pre -, cessors. Evidence of this truth wis given last session. "It is again .necessary to draw p." ' lie attention to 'the surprising differr between the American and English ;"";.. dors. Tho American firm quoted per engine, and -undertook to complete tho contract for 10 locomotives in sixty days. Tho best English offer was £4780 per engine, tho contract to he spread through seven mouths. ■ Tho English quotations indicate that tho British shops aro exceedingly busy with war orders of various kinds, ltcports state that engineering firms are exceptionally busy with an enormous pressure of work brought by the war, and this activity must" continue for a long time, liven after the war is over the engineering firms will bo necessarily very busy with hn-'o orders duo to the havoc of wa in Hiiropo and elsewhere. Thorelcro 'o argument about the need ol woi\ tor men in the engineering trade in Britain is- made in ignorance ol laets which should be self-evident to anybody who pauses In think. The facts provo clearlv tlmi. the Railway Department and Iho CiiveniiiKMit have acted to the best nclviiiitago of Now /.eiilund witlloul. liny Jnjjirj, w.lialovoi' to JJriliik iutorests.'^