D.—4a

60

A study of the returns already furnished for the information of the Commissioners will show that the cost of manufacturing is being gradually reduced on each successive order for new engines of similar types. Mr. Beattie put in returns dealing with the commission charges in the various Railway Workshops. The Chairman : Can you give us the references from which, this data is extracted ? Witness : It is partly from correspondence with Chief Mechanical Engineers in other places. In some cases they are from published data. The Chairman : You will give us the references ? Witness : I will if I can. I have not them with me. [Comparison of costs of A locomotives put in ; also statement showing charges made in New Zealand Government Railway Workshops as compared with charges made in other Government Railway Workshops.] Continuing, Mr. Beattie said, in the Newport Railway Workshops, Victoria, they consider that if they can lay down ten locomotives at a time they save 25 per cent, in the cost of labour. Whether that 25 per cent, is an exact figure or not, it will be obvious, 1 think, to the Commissioners as practical men that the more locomotives which can be carried out at one time the cheaper many of the charges will come. I do not think there is anything else that I can say, except that I should like to express, on behalf of myself and the officers I represent, appreciation of the very courteous and thorough manner in which you have conducted the inquiry, and our entire confidence in the fair-minded manner in which you have approached it. We in our turn have endeavoured to do our best to supply you with all the information which you desire, or which we thought would be of interest to you.

EETUENS.

RETURN I. [All particulars furnished by Railway Department.]

Salaries of Officers in Workshops.

Name. Grade. Salary per Annum. G. E. Richardson J. T. Henderson D. Handisides .. G. V. D. Butts .. W. H. Cole J. S. Clarke J. Barbour D. J. Round J. W. Lowry S. T. Callaway .. C. W. Johnston. . A. F. Fitzpatrick H. A. Trewern . . A ddingtor. Workshop Manager Foreman Foreman Foreman Foreman Foreman Foreman Foreman Clerk .. Clerk .. Clerk .. Clerk .. Cadet £ 400 300 255 255 220 220 220 210 180 190 180 135 50 Hillside. Workshop Manager Foreman Foreman Foreman Foreman Clerk .. Clerk .. Clerk .. Cadet Casual Clerk 370 290 260 255 210 180 120 120 80 S. P. Evans J. Carson R. Johnson S. Nicholson H. F. Holder . . C. H. Virtue .. J. M. White .. F. E. Bowen L. A. J. Emery. . D. H. Hastings .. 10s. per day.