THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF LOCAL INDUSTRIES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 416, 28 August 1877, Page 2

THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF LOCAL INDUSTRIES.

TO THE EDITOR OK TUB EVENING MAIL. Sir, I beg leave to endorse what you have said at different times on the abovo subject ; and also what Mr. Sheehan's motion aims at in the Assembly. With regard to that part of his motion which refers to the burning of New Zealand coal 011 the different railways, I do not know whether he refers to the Grey River coal or to some of the lignites, but if to the latter it is desirable he should be in a position to show how his object may be accomplished. What I wish to do now is to assist him and others in that matter, and tho remarks I am about to make apply to stationary engines on shore, but still the same remarks will apply to all engines whether ashore or ailoat, so far as the generating of steam is concerned ; but not equally so to loco- v motives, so far as tho application of tin steam is concerned, inasmuch as locomo-* tives must always have steam, which is not an absolute necessity with stationary or marine engines. Well, now, suppose we have a boiler with a firegrate under it, <>r in it ; the grate is three feet long and three feet wide, which is one square yard in area. We will assume that it is as much as that boiler and grato can do to generate steam enough to keep tho engine going up to its work, burning all Newcastle coal. Well, it is evident that Shag Point coal (lignite) would be of no use under those circumstances ; then all that is required to be done is to increase the size of the grate from one square yard in area to one square yard and six-tenths of a square yard, and then the work will go on just as well with the Shag Point as with the Newc stle coal. 100 lbs. of Newcastle coal is equal to 160 lbs. of Shag Point; thus the Shag Point being inferior six-tenths, tho grate requires to be superior six-tenths, and then all is equalised again. The Newcastle coal contains about 90 per cent, of carbon, while the Shag" Point only contains about 'JO, and henco the difference. Well, as to cost, take one ton of Newcastle coal at 445. shillings per ton, and one and sixth-tenths of a f ton of Shag Point coal (which moans 32 cwt.) at 275. per ton ; the cost of the former is 445., and that of the latter 435. 3d.,

a fraction in favour r.f New Zealand. If the people of New Zealand would only employ boilers., grates, and engines of the best construction, they need not carry their money out of New Zealand —'.nd thus impoverish it—to buy coal ; nor yet to buy the engines or boilers, as I know as good engines car. be made in the Colony as at Home, the designs for which can be had on the sain:; terms as all otf.tr designs are had, and the engines can be made either in Dunedin, Ohristeliureh, Wellington, or Auckland. All that is required is to adapt one thing to another. If that were done it would give an impetus to industry, and prosperity would still claim a home in New Zealand. I append six classes of engines, five of which are fuel-savers; but the whole five are almost, if not entirely, unknown in New Zealand. I can only hear of one fuelsaving engine in New Zealand, and that is in Oamaru, and is by no means the best amongst the classes enumerated. The first, or class A, is the high-pressure, or standard of comparison :

A wish to contribute m y mite to the good work must be my excuse for trespassing on your space, which T hope I have not done unduly.—l am, Ac Alpha. Oamaru, August 23, 1577.

Class. Consumes Fuel per cent. Saves per cent A 10000 ... 000 00 B 57 '50 42-50 C 45-00 ... 55 *00 D 33-40 ... G6 60 E 32-50 ... 67 "50 F 1000 ... 90 00