H.—lB

24

The increase in the number of boilers during the year is almost entirely due to the flax-milling industry. Eepairs of a more or less extensive character have been effected in 36 boilers, and in 27 cases new mountings have been fitted. There have also been 28 notices given to fence dangerous parts of machinery. I regret having to report several accidents, some of a serious nature, to persons employed about machinery. Fencing will not prevent accidents of the description reported, as, with one exception, the sufferers themselves have been to blame—the exception being in the case of a man who had his head cut by a piece of machinery while attending to a stripper, the drum of which flew in pieces while he was in the act of feeding the green flax ; one of the flying fragments striking him on the head, and inflicting a serious wound. I made an examination of a part of the dram when inspecting the mill some time after the accident, but was unable, from the appearance of the fracture, to account for it giving way. Care and daily examination will be required to guard against accidents of this nature. No accidents to life or limb have occurred in connection with boilers, although two accidents have taken place from overheating of the plates, which, only for the high class of material of which they are constructed, might have ended in serious results. Appended are returns showing the number and class of boilers inspected, the horse-power, fees payable, number and description of machines inspected, number of notices given to fence dangerous parts of machinery, number of notices given to repair defects in boilers, return of accidents to boilers, and return of accidents to persons employed about machinery. I have, &c, H. A. McGeegoe, Inspector of Machinery. The Assistant Secretary, Marine Department, Wellington.

Return of Machinery Inspected during the Financial Year ended the 31st March, 1890.

'olllngton. Marl Ihoroi Igb. Nelson North. Tarana] ;i. Haw tin rite's Nelson w «stlnnil' ay. South. ] Westland. Description of Machinery. 3 9 7 h h ai* .* 8 to g O a - a3 o 3 S OQ - ca is i 1 411 > IT. ? 5 Total •A A . -A A 'A CJ 33 c. 33 V — a — «s 4r > — > +4 1f I I 5- IB ? Bark-mills Bone-mills Boiling-down establishments Briek-making machines Breweries Chaff-cutting machines Confectionery Coffee- and spice-mills .. Coach factories Cooperages Cordial factories Dairies Drain-pipe works Dredging-machines Electric-light machines Fire-engines Fire-wood cutting Flour-mills Foundries Gasworks Hauling-machinery Hoisting-machinery Hydraulics Jam factories Lifts (hydraulic) Locomotives Machine shops Meat-preserving works .. Mortar-mills Oil-works Phormium-drcssing Printing Pumping-machinery Quartz-crushing Refrigerating-machines.. Road-roller Sausage machines Sash and door factories Saw-mills Soap-works Steaming Stone-crushing Tanneries Threshing-machines Traction-engines Turneries Vinegar works Winding-machinery Woollen manufactory .. Wool-scouring machines 14 8 10 17 6 1 2 4 6 4 2 4 1 14 9 8 1 1 16 1 1 12 5 5 2 '2 1 3 1 1 3 a 1 '2 1 1 2 1 2 l l l 3 18 1 i 4 G 2 1 1 '5 '3 2 1 2 'i 1 1 1 '3 '2 i '2 2 3 0 i i i 1 3 4 2 1 '7 3 '2 3 3 i "1 24 io i 1 7 i i i i s '3 2 1 2 23 12 30 38 7 3 2 7 12 7 7 4 5 23 23 17 3 8 60 6 1 31 10 6 i i (17 3 5 "i 16 7 2 i 12 1 9 3 1 1 4 1 2 1 123 8 18 11 4 1 8 32 129 5 11 G 5 27 1 G 1 17 1 4 2 i 8 9 i 2 1 3 19 42 2 8 8 2 18 '2 2 1 8 2 G 21 2 '2 5 1 4 21 1 3 18 19 '2 5 3 1 G '3 "2 2 1 1 i 1 1 2 1 3 '9 5 i Totals* 330 4 l 53 79 88 60 l 767 ;,2 87 10 * Included in the aboi 5s. each, and three at £1 e totals a: each; tot re si ;al, i ;ven water-power machines, for which fees have been charged at the rate of ,8 5s.