D.—4a.

34

[j. BABBOUR.

72. What quantity of steel castings do you put out ? —On an average from 7 to 8 tons a month. 73. You stated that you had seen nothing to come up to Addington in point of efficiency. Have you been in any of the private shops in New Zealand I—Yes, in most of them. 74. Have you been in Anderson's ? —Yes. 75. You think that Anderson's is not so good as Addington ?—ln one respect Anderson's is better— they have an electric crane. Apart from that we have a better plant than they have. Eobbrt Donald McEwan examined. (No. 18.) 1. Mr. Beattie.] What are you ?—A turner employed at Addington. 2. How long have you been there ? —Since the 22nd June last. 3. Where did you work before you came to Addington ? —Glasgow. 4. As a turner ? —Yes. 5. Can you tell how the industry of the men at Addington compares with that of the men in the workshops on the Clyde ? —The men on the Clyde work harder. 6. Is it piecework on the Clyde ? —No, they work on the bonus system. 7. In saying that they work harder, that applies to the turners, of course ? —To all the machinemen. 8. Are the machines driven faster ? —The men keep steadier at it, and they adopt methods of labour-saving which means an increased output. 9. That is a result of the bonus system ?—Entirely. 10. Have you formed any opinion as to whether the turners here are good men ? —They compare every bit with the Clyde men. I may say with all truthfulness that the quality of work on the Clyde is falling very rapidly. It is becoming poorer every day as a result of the bonus system. 11. What do you think of the work turned out on the lathes at Addington ? —lt is very good indeed. 12. Is it a better class of work than is turned out on the Clyde ? —Yes, at present. 13. Mr. Roberts.] What class of work were you doing at Home ? —Mostly marine. 14. No locomotive-work ?—Occasionally cylinders ; that was all. 15. Mr. Niven.] Why do the management not see that the work is properly turned out on the Clyde ?—They do not desire it, and will not allow their men to do better work. 16. The primary cause, then, is not the bonus system ? —That is the impetus that the management employ to force work out of the men. 17. You say that the management get more out of the men through the bonus system than from keeping to standard work ?—Yes, but the quality of the work is much inferior to what it was under the previous system. 18. What was the amount of the bonus involved ?—lt gave us who were employed by the London and Glasgow Engineering Company from ss. to Bs. per week extra, and in B. and Y. Stewart's something less. 19. What was the weekly wage ?—Thirty-six shillings per week. 20. Mr. Hampton.] What is your estimate of what the employer received from the extra work of the men by reason of the bonus system ? —I could not give an opinion. 21. Have you any knowledge of the output on piecework ?—I never actually worked on piecework. 22. Before the bonus system came into operation with the men on the Clyde, did they work any harder or turn out a better quality of work than do the men at Addington ? —No. 23. Do you think that the work turned out at Addington, for quantity and quality, is equal to that turned out at the Clyde shops prior to the bonus system coming into operation ? —The output on the Clyde is really larger, owing to the machines being better. 24:. Apart from appliances, the men at Addington are doing work equal to that of the men on the Clyde works ? —Yes, in every respect. George Vandeebit Drury Butts examined. (No. 19.) 1. Mr. Beattie.] What is your position ?—I am foreman fitter at Addington. 2. What branch of the work are you in charge of ? —The riveter-work. 3. Mr. Clarke is in charge of the new work ? —Yes, we have two foremen fitters ; one is in charge of the new work, and one is in charge of the repair-work. 4. How long have you been in the service of the Department ? —About twenty-nine years. 5. What is your experience in the works ? —About seven years at Petone, two years at Addington, two years at Hillside, ten years at Greymouth, four years at East Town, and the balance, about three years and a half, at Addington. 6. In your time at Addington have you formed an opinion favourable or otherwise regarding the workmen employed at those workshops ?—Favourable. 7. Have you seen any evidence of going slow or want of industry amongst the men in the fittingshop ? —No. I have had no difficulty in maintaining discipline. On one occasion three men refused overtime work : one went back after being spoken to ; the other two, after inquiry, were dismissed. 8. You have not had any difficulty in the matter of discipline ?—No. 9. Generally speaking, for repair-work, do you find the appliances at Addington are sufficient ? — There are not enough lathes, and those we have are not sufficiently modern. If we had more modern machines we could get through a greater quantity of work with the same number of machines at present installed. Especially would that be so with the steel lathes.