D.—2

VI

on the British railways, and have, as a commencement, arranged for a supply to be placed in service on some of the expresses. Refreshment services, whilst being expected to pay, must also be looked upon as a very necessary service to the travelling public, and do offer, if fully utilized, a very valuable saving of time to busy men and women travelling by the express trains. The refreshment section of the English railway systems is taken full advantage of in popularizing train services, and administrative officers know the value of giving rapid transit to passengers, while at the same time so arranging matters that the travellers land at their destinations fully equipped for the prosecution of business without avoidable loss of time in the partaking of meals. It is, of course, anticipated that a higher standard and increased conveniences will cost a little more, but experience gained in other countries goes to show that where these are desired by the travelling public and are provided by railway systems no objection is raised to charges being fixed reasonably to cover the improved service. Smoke Nuisance. In the vicinity of Thorndon locomotive-depot and in other parts of the Dominion the smoke nuisance has been for some years past a very difficult problem, and one that has caused a good deal of complaint I Every reasonable step has been taken in an endeavour to reduce the trouble, but the large amount of expenditure involved has precluded the possibility of absolutely avoiding inconvenience. Higher chimneys have been erected in many cases, and as much smoke as possible directed through the main stack. Consideration has been given also to the practicability of removing the depots to other localities, but the estimated expense has been too great. In other countries I saw the most modern equipment, which is satisfactory so far as the main smoke-stacks are concerned ; but the difficulty still persists in the case of locomotives that are fired outside the sheds, which latter practice is quite common and indeed unavoidable. I noticed, however, that at the main railway-stations in London the smoke nuisance was non-existent, and I was struck by the possibility of using smokeless fuel in the preparation of engines at our main depots. If some kind of smokeless fuel is found practicable, I feel sure that the absence of smoke and soot will make railway travel in the Dominion much more comfortable for the travelling public, besides giving relief from a very real cause for complaint to those residents living in close proximity to railway locomotive-depots. There are several kinds of smokeless fuel under consideration at the present time, with which exhaustive tests are being carried out to ascertain their possibilities both for general purposes and for the more restricted use at locomotive-depots. Consulting Engineer, Great Britain. During my visits to manufacturing-works in Great Britain I was accompanied by the Consulting Engineer to the New Zealand Government, and had the advantage of personally gauging the value of the services rendered by this gentleman and his organization in the various manufacturing centres. I was struck by the thoroughness of the work, and feel satisfied that good service is being rendered, and that the safeguards secured by the Government in the inspection of its machinery are well worth the expenditure. The march of progress necessitates that countries situated so far from the Mother-land should possess means of learning at the earliest possible moment the changes and improvements that are continually taking place, and, although the High Commissioner's staff promptly investigates such questions and forwards full information, it has no qualified technical engineer to supply drawings and supporting technical information ; nor has it the opportunity of obtaining the necessary knowledge, and appreciating the value of improvements in alterations to workshops machinery, locomotivedesign, &c. As I have already stated, it is very desirable that such matters should be inquired into and passed on without delay, and from my own personal observations I was able to appreciate the possibility of extending the liaison between the manufacturers and the High Commissioner's Office by definitely utilizing the organization of the Consulting Engineer for this purpose, and at very little additional cost by way of retaining fee.