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boilers recently ordered from England by the Eailway Commissioners, and, at the same time, to forward herewith, for your information, a copy of a memorandum which was addressed to the Commissioners in reference to this matter on the same date as your letter, together with a copy of the reply which has been received thereto. I have, &c, W. P. Eeeves, W ; B. Perceval, Esq., M.H.E., Christchurch. (for Minister for Public Works.) [Note. —The enclosures referred to form part of the correspondence between the Minister for Public Works and the Eailway Commissioners which has already been laid on the table of the House.] __^^^^__^^^^_«____

No. 4. The Secketaey, Knights of Labour, Christchurch, to the Hon., the Minister for Public Works. Deab Sir,— Christchurch, 30th April, 1891. Now that the action of the Railway Commissioners is under the consideration of the people of the colony re boilers from England, I have thought it expedient to supply you with the following information relative to the railway boiler-making shops, Addington. A boiler-making shop has been specially constructed for carrying on this kind of work there, and contains the latest improved appliances. The following will, I hope, be of special interest to you:— There are six boiler-makers and seven apprentices working, and not fully employed. There are two drilling-machines to drill one hole each; one drilling-machine to drill two holes each; one drilling-machine to drill six holes each; three combined punching- and shearing-machines, they punch one hole each and shear at the same time—it takes two men to work each machine ; one set of rollers to roll plates any given circle ; one plate planing-machine ; one cold-iron saw (circular), to cut any kind of plate; one hydraulic-riveter; one overhead travelling-crane ; eight fires available for angle-iron smiths and boiler-smiths—one half of them standing idle. No new boilers have been made since those turned out for the Dunedin Exhibition, unless some have been put in hand recently. In the fitting-shop there are no less than eleven machines standing idle ; and there are two new lathes lying yet unpacked. From the above, I think, it will be just to conclude that the Commissioners are perpetrating a gross criminal injustice to the colony to order such work from outsiders when they are in possession of the necessary plant and skill for carrying out such work with economy and expedition. lam speaking for a large number of men here who are cognisant of these facts, some of them boilermakers out of work, with wives and families to support. I say that the present Government are looked to to do something to put a stop to this exploitation of our money by the Commissioners; and I feel sure that the country would be well rid of them at almost any cost. It is a sin and a shame that men, who are contributing towards the taxation of the colony, should be compelled to walk about our streets month after month in the hopeless endeavour to find the means of feeding and clothing their families, and work that they could accomplish be given to strangers. I have, &c, W. T. Gale, The Hon. E. Seddon, Minister for Public Works. Secretary, Knights of Labour. [Approximate Cost of Paper.— Preparation, nil; printing (1,200 copies), £1 Is.]

By Authority: Geobge Didsbury, Government Printer, Wellington.—lB9l. Price, 3d.]