RAILWAY COMMISSION.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 September 1919, Page 6

RAILWAY COMMISSION.

* gUBIHEB EVIDENCE TAKEN. ■ t Wellington, Yesterday. Ernest GUlon, chief mechanical engineer of railways, at the Commission to-day, said he was of opinion that the information in the railway statement regarding rolling stock was true. He .. concurred with the finding of the pre. . vionj'icommission relative to the rolling stocß. He considered now that the rolling stock was in safe and efficient condition, and that all conditions to safeguard its efficiency had been maintained. The .{workshops were in an efficient state, and the Department was better off now than in 1916 with regard to engine power and carriages. The Department bad now 620 engines, against 585 in 1916; 4he carriages had been increased by a capacity of 2854 passengers, and waggons by 9381 tons carrying capacity. Two kinds of coal were used —hard coal lor the fast passenger services, which came from the West Coast and Newcastle; supplies of bituminous coal were obtained from Japan, America, and South Africa. "He thought that 80,000 tons ol hard coal should be -tad for both islands. 4 ■ He knew of no repair work held up 'for want of stocks. The Department had been able to obtain all the.supplies required. There were about 50 fitters ' ' abort throughout the country, but the -Department was well off for blacksmiths and boiler-makers. No repair work had , teen held up for want of labor. The '•upply of drivers and firemen was improving eveTy day. There was a slight . shortage of cleaners. Tho ."Department used as much brown coal as it could get. It would be better If tie Department could get Newcastle eoal entirely. With normal running the average weekly consumption of coal was .MOO tons of hard coal and about 2000 •■tons of brown coal; thus the reserve .stocks should provide for about 11 or 12 •weeks' running. Sidney Percival Evans, locomotive engineer, Auckland, said that there had been a fair number of drivers and firemen . .leaving the servicfe, but he could not eay if the proportion was larger than ' formerly. Some of those leaving were oiler men, the reasons given being that there were better openinp outside the , service. At -the same time, there was quite a sufficient number of drivers, fire- , men, and mechanics generally to carry on .the service. Mr. Gillon, continuing his evidence, Stated that the rolling stock was as good now, if not better, than before the *fni. The Department had called for tenders for the ensuing year for coal, f but some mines refused to tender. The Department 1 refused to supply the mines With wagons if they would not supply > it with coal. Newcastle coal was preferred to Westport; there was a less proSuction. of power from brown coal, and ; then there was the danger of using it if the. summer months. The engine power to-day was by much in excess of anything required. No adverse reports bad been received from officials as to the inefficiency of the rolling stock. In all ,the workshops there had been a sufficient eta ft to do all necessary repairs. Brown coal was not generally used alone. Hard coai used throughout the service would certainly tend to greater efficiency and , (economy. The number of engines, carriages, Iwagons under repair in the winter months was, under the normal conditions, greater than in the summer months. There bad been no written or verbal instructions since July 2 to push as many vehicles through the shops as possible. The matter had just gone on in the normal way.