D.—4a.

38

[g. c. bichaßdsoN.

91. Have you the same idea with regard to the other lathes ?—As opportunity offers we will do the same to all of them. 92. Will that result in an increased output from the old lathes ? —Yes. 93.Q1b the slipping of the belts one of the drawbacks at the present time % —Yes, it is. The belts are too narrow. 94. Have you improved the steam-supply to the steam-hammers ?—We have. 95. Are you thoroughly satisfied with the output of the moulding-work in the foundry ? —Yes, iron, brass, and steel. 96. Have you found that the foreman moulder uses his brains ?—He is a very capable foreman. 97. From your own research, reading, and inquiry, are you satisfied that the work in the foundry is being efficiently dealt with ?—I am quite satisfied of that. ■ t>B; Can you tell me the working-speed of the overhead crane in the foundry ?—With a 4-ton load it will travel practically at the rate of a foot a minute—that is, hoisting—seventeen minutes to lift 18 ft. It will lower at the rate of 2 ft. a minute. 99. Is there an air hoist for that crane ? —There is. 100. What is its capacity—either sor 7 tons ?—1 am not quite certain. 101. If you get that air hoist for the foundry will you be reasonably provided for in the meantime ? —Yes. ■•:,■'■■ 102. Would it be as good as electrification ?—No, but it would help us considerably. 103. Are castings made to the Manufacturing Account ?—Yes. 104. Has that Manufacturing Account been debited with all repairs, renewals, additions, and tools for the foundry ?—Yes. 105. Was there a balance of profit to the foundry after entering up all charges ? —Yes,- a profit for the year of £650. 106. That is after charging everything that is chargeable ?—Yes. 107. At what rate are the compound-engine cylinders issued ? —Twelve shillings and sixpence per hundredweight. 108. Can you tell me what you consider the metal costs in the ladle ? —Four shillings and ninepence per hundredweight. 109. Can you give an instance of the cost per hundredweight of representative castings ?—The compound cylinder for the X engine—that costs us 13s. 2d. per hundredweight to produce. That is the net cost. The heavy casting for a turntable costs ss. Bd. per hundredweight net to produce. 110. Have you any figures with regard to steel castings ?—They cost us lfd. per pound, and it costs us jTjd. to anneal. 111. That is the average cost of castings ? —Yes. 112. How many locomotive-cylinders have been cast at the Addington foundry ? —Ninety. 113. Do you remember how many " wasters " there have been ?—Four. 114. Have you made comparative tests of New Zealand and imported coke ?—I have. 115. What is the result ? —New Zealand coke gave us the best results. ; 116. Are you satisfied with regard to the output, and so on, of the brass castings ? —Yes. 117. How many pounds of brass castings were taken out for the year ending 31st March, 1908, the term " brass castings " including bronze ? —149,169 lb., at a net cost of £6,224. 118. Can you state the profit made on that ? —£1,918. The issue-rate is Is. 6d. for bronze, Is. for brass, Is. 3d. for copper, and 2d. for lead. 119. When you were at Hillside, did you have any big work there—say, in the shape of the verandah for the Dunedin Railway-station ?—Yes, we built the steel frame for the Dunedin Station verandah. The weight of the steel in that worked out at 200 tons. 120. What did that work out at per ton ? —£7 11s. 3Jd. per ton for wages and material supplied. 121. Was it, a complicated piece of work ?—Very much so ; there were scarcely two pieces alike. 122. Can you give any information with regard to the forgings ? —General forgings cost us in wages alone fd. per pound ; stampings, Id. per pound ; bar iron, per pound ; and blooms, £d. per pound. 123. Mr. Roberts.] Why do you say " bar iron " ? —We manufacture bar iron for other shops out of scrap-iron. 124. Mr. Beattie.] The bar iron to which you refer is for special purposes, and is unobtainable in the ordinary market ?—That is so. 125. Have you given any special attention to the running of the machines at the highest practicable rate ?—Yes, we are running the machines as hard as we can run them. 126. Did you some time ago have a visit from an expert engineer representing certain steelworks in Sheffield?— Yes. 127. Did he show you what he thought were the best methods of dealing with certain high-speed steel, and the best way in which to handle it ?—Yes. > ■ ! 128. Have you since found that your men can work up the same rate of speed as he demonstrated ? —Experience has proved that we have done considerably better than that expert engineer showed us how to do. We harden it to better perfection than he did. 129. He was a practical man ? —I understand so. 130. Did he dress his own tools and harden them himself ?—Yes, arid watched our men do the same. 131. You got a distinct benefit from his advice and demonstration ?—Yes. 132. And have been able to still further improve on it ? —Yes. 133. Can you quote certain cutting-speeds at which you are working ? —The wheel-lathes are averaging a cutting-speed of 29 ft. a minute.