15.-4 a.

36

[g. c. bichaßdson.

8. Has he not been out since I—He1 —He was out one day last week, but I do not remember the date. 9. In connection with those visits of Mr. Jenkinson since you were Workshops Manager, did he call your attention to any idling ? —He never spoke to me at all on either visit. 10. From your own knowledge and observation, have you seen any idling as a general thing in any shop at Addington ? —No. 11. Any individual instance you have taken up, I suppose I—l1 —I have. 12. To say that any particular department at Addington was " going slow " —is that true or otherwise % —lt is not true. 13. Have you an intimate knowledge of the boiler-shop work ? —I have. 14. In your observation have you found Mr. Henderson an attentive foreman ?—Most attentive. 15. How about the men in the boiler-shop ? —They are a good working lot. 16. How many hydraulic accumulators are there in the boiler-shop ? —Two. 17. What are they used for ? —One is connected with the hydraulic riveters, and the other with the presses. 18. The one connected with the hydraulic riveter—have you any reason to suppose that that has been frequently inefficient ? —No. There are times when perhaps the pumps are not working as they should, and that causes a little trouble, but when put in order they are all right. 19. When out of order they are at once attended to ?—lmmediately. 20. Would you say that the Addington staff generally is efficient \ —Yes, most efficient. 21. Have you a quantity of pneumatic hoists in the Workshops ? —We have them distributed all through the shops —of our own make and imported ones. 22. These pneumatic hoists, I suppose, save a lot of labour and time ? —Yes. 23. You have overhead cranes in the erecting-shop ?—Yes. 24. There were certain lifting-speeds and travelling-speeds given to the Commissioners : did you hear them given ? —Yes. 25. Were they correct ?—They were practically correct. 26. The speed depends to some extent on the weight of the lift ? —Yes. . 27. How many times a day do you think the cranes in the erecting-shop are in use ? —Twice a day as an average all the year round. 28. If these cranes were electrified would it result in a considerable saving of time?— Yes. If electrified we should use them more. 29. We have been told that the big planer is a useless tool ? —lt is most useful. 30. Is it essential ? —We could not get on without it or a similar tool. 31. Have you any milling-machines out of use ?—No. 32. There has been a certain amount of evidence given as to the loss of time in changing from new to repair work when repair-work was wanted to be put through quickly ? —That is the case. 33. Is that inseparable from any shop doing new and repair work ?—lt cannot be avoided. 34. What would be a better method ?—To erect a new shop for new work. 35. As the conditions are at present you cannot avoid taking men from new work when repairs are required ? —That is so. 36. With regard to high-speed steel for tools, is full advantage being taken of the benefit of highspeed steel ?—Yes. 37. Do you find more than one make thoroughly efficient I—Yes,1 —Yes, we have several makes there. 38. You have not been restricted to any one make ? —No. 39. So far as you know, have you the best high-speed gear available I —Yes ; it has proved to. be the best after trials. 40. Has it resulted in a very much increased output of certain machines ?—Yes. It has doubled the output of certain machines. 41. It enables you to run at a very much higher cutting-speed ? —Yes, a higher speed and a heavier cut,. 42. Have you made considerable use of high-speed steel twist drills ?—Yes. 43. Of various makes ? —We principally use two makes. 44. What is the result you have found from the use of these drills ?—A big saving of time. 45. I suppose you have a lot of tank-plates to do : do you find it is quicker to drill them in sets, or do you find it is quicker to punch them ?—lt is quicker to drill them in sets or bundles. 46. Can you give any example of the time taken in drilling certain holes with these particular drills ? —I cannot from memory, but we have the results of trials. In one instance, in unannealed cast steel, an inch drill accomplished 4 in. per minute. 47. Have you found any difficulty in maintaining discipline at Addington ?—None whatever. 48. Have you had any insubordinate language addressed to you by any employee ? —No. 49. A question arose in the course of the inquiry as to the need of an additional leading hand in the boiler-shop : what do. you think of that ?—I do not think it is needed in the present state of things. 50. Taking the plant generally throughout the Workshops, have you found it to be efficient ?— Yes, generally speaking. . 51. What do you consider are the points most needful to strengthen ?—The lifting and the lathes. 52. And, with regard to the lathes, you want more of them I —Yes, more for the high-speed steel work. 53. Would you find it any benefit to have the machines in the machine-shop motor-driven ?— It is my opinion that it would be -an advantage to motor-drive them, or group them with a smaller power. 54. Do you endeavour to lay out the work in such a way that you will get it through in the least possible time ?—lt is laid out in the best possible manner to put it through in the least possible time and at the lowest cost.