H.—24.

88

[A. J. MCCREDIE.

are unable to tell beforehand whether matai is going to turn out good or bad. It takes the dry-rot, and very rapidly too. 21. How do your creosote-works compare with the Woodville? —I cannot say. I have hot seen the Woodville works. They are more modern and larger than mine. 22. If your works were on a more modern basis would not the cost of turning out creosoted sleepers be very much lessened? —I do not know that you could lessen it very much. The actual labour costs only 4d. and a fraction, so that you have not much to work on in the matter of reducing the cost. The sleeper costs Is. Bd., the creosote between Is. 2d. and Is. 3d.; and therefore there is only a matter of between 4d. and sd. left for you to make any decrease in. I have reason to believe, although you will probably be able to get the information from the Head Office, that the works under my control are as cheaply run as the Woodville works. 23. Do you take sleepers from others outside of sawmillers I —Yes, from anybody who will supply them. 24. You state that the creosote increases the ordinary life of our softwoods : that while the average life of a sleeper is about seven years, by creosoting it will last twenty years more?—l hope so. We only started these works in 1901, and the life has yet to be proved. 25. You state, also, that the life of jarrah would be double that of creosoted timber?— Yes. Of course, we do not creosote jarrah. 26. Would you be surprised to know that at a meeting of architects held in Australia dealing with the subject of j.arrah and ironbark sleepers they state the average life of an American oak sleeper in the Stales is about seven years, whilst that of such timbers as jarrah, wandoo, and ironbark and many others is from fifteen to twenty-five years. The superiority is therefore evident?—My experience is totally opposed to that. I have been only twenty-five years in this service. I consider jarrah sleepers will last as much as forty years. 27. How long is the life of an ordinary softwood steeper here, provided it is creosoted? —I should say about twenty years. We only started the process in 1901—that is, only eight years ago. Therefore I cannot speak definitely, but from observations of those already treated I think they will last twenty years. 28. Does the fact of creosoting, in your experience, have any bearing on the strength and tension of the wood?— None whatever. 29. Mr. Field.] These were private works up to 1901 ? —Yes. 30. How long had they been in existence prior to that?— Roughly, twenty years. Of course, they have been very much improved since the Railwa) 7 Department took them over. 31. Do you think the machinery and methods are up to date?— They could be a little improved upon, but not very much. I consider that the plant is not bad—it is small. When you speak of improving I presume you mean replacing with more up-to-date plant. On that point I would say I doubt if it would be profitable to do it, as the cost would not compensate for the very slight decrease in the expenses. 32. Would it be too much to say that if you put in an up-to-date plant you could get the work at half the cost and better done? —You could not do it. In answer to a previous question I pointed out that there is only 4d. or to work upon, and you would only make a very slight reduction on this amount. 33. You say that creosoting will increase the life of a sleeper from a decaying point of view, but would not strengthen it. Would it not have the effect of holding better ? —I do not think so. Of now that-we are using both New Zealand and hardwood sleepers we use the creosoting in the most suitable places. I do not put creosoted sleepers on curves if I can avoid it, nor on heavy grades. I am giving them every chance. I want to get as much life out of them as I can. If I can avoid doing so Ido not put them on soft ground. 34. Do you use local sleepers mostly, or decrease them?—l have no intention on the matter. I can only take the sleepers as they are given to me. 35. Is your opinion entirely in favour of hardwood sleepers?— Professionally, it is. 36. You were talking about the effect of the local sleeper on the rail. You say it cuts into it, and has more injurious action than others on the rail?—Totara has. There is something in it that occasionally eats into the rails very badly. It does not always occur, but in some cases it has a very bad effect. 37. And that effect is not noticeable in the case of any other timbers?—l have not noticed it. 38. As to old sleepers that are useless for railway purposes: to what use can you put them —hardwood and others?—My practice is to divide the old sleepers into three lots. One lot is used for firewood pure and simple, the second-class for fencing, and the third for repairs to sidings. You can understand that it often comes to this: that when repairing a track you are compelled economically to take out sleepers that are not quite done, but that you cannot keep under the track. You can use them in a siding. 39. Do you not draw a comparison between the value of Australian timber and ours that is used for railway purposes?—lt has not come to that point yet that we have got much West Australian sleepers. We are not yet in the position of taking out Australian sleepers to the same extent as our own. 40. I suppose there are heaps of sleepers to be got here to supply our needs for many years? —Undoubtedly the timber is here, but I have a certain difficulty in getting it. I do not get a great percentage of what I contract for. Of course, naturally I have to depend upon the state of the timber-market. I do not suppose that sawmillers lay" themselves out to do business for railway-sleepers. 41. You can get them just now?—l think I could. In fact, I got the greater proportion of my last contract. I have not a contract at the present time. 42. One can imagine there would not be a satisfactory outlet for them?— That is so.