31

D.—4

Statement of Mr. H. F. Holdek, Workshop Foreman, Newmarket. I am Workshop Foreman Carpenter, Newmarkot Railway Workshops. It is mv duty to see that all Vehioles —new, rebuilt, or repaired—are in thoroughly safe running-order before; leaving shops. With regard to the statement made in Parliament that repairs to rolling-stock have not been kept up during recent years, and that there is a shortage of spares, there are no grounds for such a statement as far as Newmarket Workshops are concerned. The instructions re upkeep of condition of rolling-stock affecting safety have not been in any way amended or relaxed during the last three years. We have not experienced any difficulty in getting the usual spares to maintain all rolling-stock sent to shops in thoroughly efficient and safe running-order. The condition and upkeep of rolling-stock has not in any way gone back, and is as good now as it was at any time during my experience. I am not aware of any rolling-stock running in an unsafe condition, nor can I supply any information to show that any vehicles are running in an unsafe condition. H. F. Holder, 19th July, 1916, Workshop Foreman, Newmarket. Chief Mechanical Engineer, Locomotive Engineer's Office, Petone, 20th July. 1910. Condition oj Rolling-stock. There are no grounds whatever for the statements made in Parliament that the repairs to rolling-stook have not been kept up eluring recent years, and that there is a shortage e>f spares. The instructions regarding the safe and efficient maintenance e>f rolling-stock have> not been amended or relaxed eluring the last three years. During thei fourteen months I have been in charge of this elistiict 1 have on fresquent occasions personally impressed upem Workshops Managers, Foremen, Car and Wagon Inspectors, and Train-examiners the absolute necessity for exercising the greatest care in the examination of rolling-stook, sei that no vehicle should remain in service in a faulty or unsafe condition. My officers have clearly realized their responsibility in this direction, and I can confidently state that the stock in this district has never been in a more efficient condition than it is at the present time. In any alterations in the design of rolling-stock made during recent years the chief aim has been to increase the efficiency of the various paits subject either to we-ar or strain, but no alterations have; been made that would be liable to impair the safety of any vehicle. There: has been no shortage of any material necessary for the safe running of steiek in this district, and, as 1 have' previously intimated, the statements maele in Parliament have no foundation in fact. S. P. Evans, Looomotive Kngineer. Statement of Charles Thomas Babqh, Workshops Manager, Petone. I read Mr. Wilfcrd's question re condition of rolling-stock, and I came to the conclusion that he had received some information re the use of broken draw-bar springs. I have been Workshops Manager at Petone since April, 1913, and out methods in keeping car and wagem stock in good and efficient running-order have not been altered. All vehicles sent to the Petone Workshops are put in goeid order, ami are passed by the Car and Wagon Inspector before being sent into service. The' Car and Wagon Inspector is just as rigid in his examination as obtained three years ago, and I am satisfied that ne> vehicle leaves the workshops in an unlit conelition. The instructions regarding the upkeep of stock affecting safety have not been relaxed or amended in any way. I have not noticed that any alteration in design of rolling-stock has affected the safety of the vehicle ; on the contrary, I consider they have been improved as regards the safety of the travelling public. The renewal of axles, tires, &c, has gone on just the same, and the only shortage we have experienced was with elraw-bar springs. Wagems have occasionally left the shops with pieoed draw-bar springs, but this does not affect their safety. Ne> car has been allowed to leave the shejps even with a broken draw-spring, while , the underfmmes and running-gear are maintained in first-class running-order. 0. T. BARejH, We>rkshe)ps Manager. 18th July, 1916. Statement of James Forrester Mackley, Brake Inspector (North Island), Wellington, I have relieved the Car and Wagon Inspectors in both the North and South Islands on several oocasions, and I am fully conversant with the Oar and Wagon Inspectors' duties as laid down by Instruction No. ,'!2B in the Loco. Codes. The first time I was sent to relieve a Car and Wagon [nspector was about three years ago, whon I relieved Mr. Turner at Dunedin, and since then I have relieved the Car and Wagon Inspectors at the following centres : Christchurch, Wellington, Wangnnui, and Auckland. As regards the upkeep of the rolling-stock, both cars and wagons, 1 consider the; methods of to-day arebetter than they were, three years ago, and I consider the' stock generally in first-class order. I have never received any instructiems to relax those regarding the maintenance of rolling-stcck, and I have never known of any vehicle being allowed to'run in an unsafe condition. I am relieving the Car and Wagon Inspector at Wellington at the present time, and I consider the condition of the rolling-stock is excellent in eVery respect. During the times I have relieved I have never known any vehicle to run in an unsafe condition, and I have never been debarred from sending vehicles to shops. I should not consider it at all unsafe to run vehicles with broken draw-bar springs, and no doubt many vehicles run for some time before the broken draw-bar spring is discovered. I would not allow any vehicle with a broken bearing-spring to run, and no car or wagon woulel be allowed to run even if one leaf of the spiing was broken. J. F. Maoklhy, Brake Inspector (Acting Car and Wagon Inspector).