THE "GOVERNMENT STROKE."

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 4, 29 January 1909, Page 2

THE "GOVERNMENT STROKE."

TIIK CASK FUJI Til 10 MKX. | OBSOLETE MACIIIXKUV AND NO METHOD. 15y Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. One of the men engaged at the Adding'lou railway workshops made a >lalenient to a representative of the Press to-day, in the course of which he put the case for the men in a nut j shell. Jn view of the feeling that exists at present amongst the men as the result of ihc charges contained hi the general manager's letter, and in justice to the men, he considered that, one line of their defence should be mad:- public a! once. That defence was the obsolete character of the appliances at the workshops, appliances \\illl which tiie men at Addinglon were expected to turn out work equal hi cheapness and quality ■to that turned out at other works. '" Take the cost of one of the express engine* constructed for the North Island Main Trunk line," he said. "One of the boiler plates was in the rollers at Addington /about- eight weeks, simply because the machinery is hopelessly out of date in rolling boiler plates.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 Ms per day, and will ilo a plate a day. At Addinglon, on the other hand, with the machine u-ed there, the cost is five men at £2, J'is per day. They may be three weeks on tlie job. Again, the punching machines at Addinglon have been in the establishment for the last thirty years, and are entirely oat of date, it is impossible to do any quick work with the obsolete machinery we have to work with."

lie described ilif manner in which rivets arc put iu by one of the hydraulic amichiues, and stated that the cram's used for lifting the boiler are sometimes <manned hy. three or four men in ail outside linn. With the same Amount of machinery these cranes would he driven either hy electricity or by an endless belt, requiring the attention of only one man and an attentat to look alter the boiler, lie also alleged that the steam hammer does not perform iU duties satisfactorily. A blacksmith lias been , known to take absolutely half an hour to heat uj> a piece of !)-inch round steel and plans it under the large steam hammer. As soon as the, steam was released in the cylinder of the hammer it would come down with a thud and stav ill that position until the steel was so cold that the men would be absolutely disgusted with the whole show. In the meantime a largy number of blacksmiths and their mates would be waiting with their "heats'' in the lire for all opportunity to use the hammer. With regard to Hanging large plates, this is still done by manual labour at Addiugton, though iu up-to-date shops hydraulic machines are used. Three or four men an- ie<|iiired for a Hanging machine. and tin- process is over in a few minutes. liy the Addingtou process about eight men are required, and about half a day is taken.

tonlinuing, he -aid thai comparing ( Ihe cost oi engines built by Price Pros, with those built at Addingtou it has never been I a ken into considered ion that Addinglon hats to b, c .r t.V rost of a huge stall ol ollie'ers. There is a very large stall' of foremen at Addingtou which you would not iind at Price Pros. ! Regarding the enquiry, he said that ! the men would be .satisfied with nothingless than a public enquiry or a Uoyal Commission. If it was a departmental in«|uiry. what would ru the position of the men who came forward? Who were jioing to be on the bench? Were the men who were really on their trial going to try the men lower down, or were the olliccrs going to be tried as well as the men? The men thought that there should be a magistrate or even a judge of the Supreme Court on the tribunal, 'file men alleged that the machinery at Addingtou was obsolete, that there was no system or method, and that given up-to-date appliances they would be able to compete with anv outside or private linn.

a i-riiuc i-:\()ni!V. Ohristeluu'ch, Last Xi^lil. To-ilav a telegram, signed jointlv by Messrs.' Laureuson, Ml.' Witty, Russell, and Davcy. MVI 1 ., was despatched to tlie lion. (!. A. Millar. Minister of Railways, asking liini to make the en<|uiry into the against the cniphiyees at the Adding!on railway workshops as public as possible. »o that the people of the l)oniiiiio;i would be able to decide w hetli- ('•■ or not tlie chaises wore "roniidlcss. Tile following reply was received: "lie cii(|iiii'y Addiiifjton,' it is proposeil to hold a public cnipiiry. not n departmental one. It will be held by persons altogether outside tbe railway service, and wiTl lie open to the press.'] think you will agree that it cannot, be more public -than tliis, and when details are puhlishi'd, I tbhil; you will be salislied.—.l. A. Millar."'