LAND DRAINAGE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4429, 19 June 1922, Page 3

LAND DRAINAGE.

NEW ZEALAND AND AMERICA. MR. J. B. THOMPSON’S REPORT. No. 7. The following contracts were entered into, together with requisitions for spares, etc: 1. Bay City Dredge-works : One walk-ing-dredge, $11,600.00; one dipper dredge, $9,000.00. 2. Bucyrus Company : Two gasolene excavators at. $22,020 each, $44,040.00. 3. Monighan Machine Works : Two walking excavators at $ 21,150 each, $42,300.00. 4. Michigan Dredge Company: One walking dredge, $15,239.00. 5. Rood Construction Company: One walking dredge,s2l,3ls.oo. 6. American Steel Dredge Company: Two oil dippers at $20,250 each, $40,500.00; two steam dippers at $16,250 each, 32,500.00; two steel hulls at $7,500 each, $15,000.00. 7. Not placed. 8. Bucyrus Company: Three steam shovel dragline excavators at $19,725 each, and one set of spares, $2,850, $62,025.00. 9. Ingersoll-Rand Company : Complete gasolene-driven rock-drilling equipment, $32,606.50. 10. Fate-Rpot-Heath Company: Two petrol locomotives at $2,850 each, and one set of spares, $4'73.49, $6,173.49. Requisitions Issued.—-1. Bay City Dredge-works: Spare parts, $642.00. 2. Michigan Dredge Company: Spare parts, $862.20. 3. Monoghan Machine Works: Spare parts, $1,689.35. 4. Sanborn Company: Flow recorders, $314.10. 5. Commercial Camera Company Photostat,- etc., $1435/50. .6Bucyrus Company: Spare parts, $2,637 00. 7. W. and E. Gurley: Current meter, etc., $214.95. 8. Fate-Root-Heath Company : One petrol locomotive, $2,850.00. . 9. Bay City Dredge Works: Spare parts and extras, $727.13. 10. Sullivan Machinery Company: Drills and spare parts, $l,277.00. 11. Michigan Dredge Company; Spare parts, $679.35. 12. In-gersoll-Rand Company: Spare parts, $1,845.17. Total amount, $347,472.74. The foregoing represent quite the most up-to-date plants available, and all are standard equipment. No single item is experimental; all are In common and daily use in the United States. They are all) up to their work and proven out. Necessarily, there will be breakdowns and stoppages, however Well handled ; but allowance must also be m.ade for delays in first instance due to machines (having crews who are entirely new to this class of plant. The crews will have to master each machine ; and, outside of structural failure, it lies entirely with the personal element to operate the machine as it should be. operated. Everything depends on the operator, as he will, undoubtedly have a good tool in his ha ( nds. The internal-combustion plants are intended for localities where, op account of transport difficulties, coal delivery is, difficult. The Bureau of Public Roads, Department of Public Roads, Washington. D.C., very; courteously attended to the inspection and passing of each plant at the factory, but our contracts cover replacement of any structural defects that occur within three months of erection in the Dominion. The various machines, etc., had to come under such weights as we could handle and transport at this end, and this is limited. Machines of greater capacity than that selected would have been beyond our means of) local transport and handling. PROPOSED DISTRIBUTION.

Consideration.: —In the past the Lands Department has been forced to open up further construction works on several areas owing to the success attending the Hauraki Plains drainage. Attempts have uniformly been made to let contracts fpr the maijor works, but have failed on account of no contractors possessing the necessary machinery; and no doubt labour troubles have contributed. The Department was thus compelled to undertake its own operations, and as far as possible procured machinery for the purpose. Such operations have been very successful, considering the lack of plant, in comparison with the many projects involved. A visit to similar works in the United States has resulted in the choice and purchase of plant calculated to allow of greater concentration on certain areas, and the following proposed distribution of such plant, is recommended : Hauraki Plains.—One Rood walking land dipper dredge; one Wilson walking land dipper dredge ; two Bucyrus caterpillar drag-line excavators; two steam dipper dredges', 1%-yards capacity. Rangitaiki Plains: One Bay City walking dipper land dredge, 1yard capacity; two Monighan walking drag-line excavators. Kaitaia. area : One Bay City dipper dredge . one Priestman grab-dredger (front England). Waihi area: One steel dipper dredge (oil-driven), with’ steel sull. Poukawa area: One steel dipper dredge (steam-driven). Hlkurangi area: Three Bucyrus steam navvies, convertible to drag-lines. two petrol locomotives; seven gaso-line-driven air-compressor and re-* ceiver units, with jack-hammers and steel drills, etc. Spare parts will be allocated io various machines, and as each, plant arrives it will be conveyed to its apr proved destination. This distribution will materially accelerate work and hasten completion of main projects, and thus release plant from tipie to time for other undertakings. Photographs of these machines will be found appended hereto. Office.—The No. 3 photostat will lie installed as soon as a suitable room is available. This outfit’is a fine one, and has innumerable purposes of. application. It is proposed to do much work of direct reduction of all descripitons of plans, not only fpr ths Land Drainage branch, but for the two District Offices and the Standarl Survey branch. Plans of 36in by 48in. can be reduced to sizes of 18in ny 24in and smaller, and portions of plans can be photostated to various scales. AH classes of documents can also be readily copied, and, ip fact, there are a thousapd-and-one ways where time and money can be saved. The operation of this machine is a most suitable occupation for a young woman. Quite a feature of this machine’s use is the reduction, of plans

for binding in atlas form for either file or field use. This application is general throughout the United StatesA report on the scope of the instrument by the Taft Commission to Congress is attached hereto. Two flow recorders and one current meter were purchased for use in connection with investigations of this branch. It is unnecessary to state that these instruments are absolutely essential, and should form part of. the scientific equipment of apy’engineering office.