H.—24.

50

M. CABLE.

man, owing to multiplicity, in case of emergency, as there would be a lever for each brake. With reference to the hand-brake, I am in favour of its retention, because, although it may go wrong, it is unlikely to do so. This brake is relied on in the smaller systems in England, where the grades are 1 in 16. It is only the large systems which can afford to adopt the magnetic brake. As an engineer I am satisfied that the magnetic brake is suitable for all purposes in Wellington, and I should be very averse to any departure from the present system. An additional brake is always a certain safeguard, but as against that I am inclined to think it would lead to confusion. The instructions issued to motormen are practically that they may use the magnetic brake with discretion as a service brake. As to the car tests made, the general result is that we get about two car-lengths with a speed of eighteen miles, which we consider a fair test for Brooklyn, under ordinary conditions. On the 22nd of last month a test was made, giving 21| miles an hour according to the speed-indicator, and I consider the stops made were satisfactory. These tests have not yet been .submitted to the Council. With reference to the accident at Bournemouth referred to by Mr de Guerrier, according to the Board of Trade report the cause of the accident was that the controller was out of order, and one of the brakes used disconnected. These were defects which were ascertained by inspection and not remedied, and the car was allowed to run without the magnetic brake being in order; but that was not a defect of the brake. Generally, we prefer English to American practice, as life is considered to a greater extent at Home. 1 have read Mr. Goodman's evidence, which I agree with, except as regards the speed in using the magnetic brake for coasting. If a car's magnetic brake has been roughly handled, it is not possible to stop above a speed of fifteen miles an hour; but with a car which has been looked after and is in good order, there is no reason why the speed should not be twenty miles an hour or over. If I were going to install a new system in Wellington, I should prefer the latest type of magnetic brake My conclusion is drawn'from my Wellington and Home experience as to its working. By Mr Rosser: I have had no experience in the Glasgow tramways, but I had an opportunity of making myself acquainted with their working before I left for New Zealand in December, 1907. In Glasgow the magnetic brake is used solely for .emergency purposes. With reference to Wellington, I have only known of four brake-failures in three years. A car that refuses to act 1 would term a brake-failure; not where a brake is applied and the car does not stop, as the car may have skidded. If the car skids it is not the failure of the brake, but of the application ot the brake. The Hancock accident was followed shortly afterwards by more reported brake-failures than there have been since the Wellington trams started to run. Every failure was considered, and it was found to be an alleged failure only. There were five failures reported within twelve days but I would not infer from that that the failures were wilfully caused by the motormen to secure sympathy with the motorman concerned in the above accident, as the men may have felt justified in reporting them as failures. It is a fact that there are instructions issued that raotormen are'to u!e the magnetic brake as little as possible, but that they may■ «c i for service stops. Some motormen simply abuse the brake, but if it were .always used properly there would be no objection to its being used continuously; therefore the men have been asked to use it at their discretion to save the motors-that is, to dissipate the heat generated by the motor being used for traction purposes as well as for braking purposes, a larger motor being required for traction purposes to allow for braking; and in the new type of cars we have 40-horee-lr motors, which gives sufficient reserve for braking purposes. The smaller cars are> 25-horw power, and they run up the Karori grades. It is understood that motormen must try the brakes when teking cars over, and in Manchester they are instructed to do so. Laying acar a few days would not affect the magnetic brake, as we have heard of a case where a magnetic brake refused to act from the Newtown depot to the Basin Reserve This statement was made by a motormau some years ago mhe Chief Electrical E ngneer «urfnoe, but was not reported This difficulty might happen at any time, and we have had cases where the cars have been landing over Sunday and the brake would not act when leaving the shed I have never heard ? motorman complain that the physical effect of using the hand-brake was too much for him and I thought the complaints made on this matter in Auckland were perhaps due to the tor torn, ana iwioug lv F Qn & down de at mUe By Mr Myers : The grades existing on the tramway systems in which I was engaged in Britain compS very well with both the Auckland and Wellington grades. The steepest grade here s from S despatched corner at the Government Railway-station to Mulgrave Street, and thaveraWade is lin 14. I have had experience in the working of a tram system m which he ah trfck brake was installed. There is no tram system in England operated with air brakes acting on the wheels ■ there the pneumatic track brakes are solely used. I have had no experience in Australian o-American tram systems-my practical experience has been limited to systems wheit the magnetic bTake is used. With reference to the cost of maintaining the magnetic brake 7do not a r e fwth the experts who made estimates that the cost is a disadvantage, amount Upended in ml ntenance is compensated for by the effectiveness of this brake. Their reports foTot show a comparison between a magnetic and an air brake system, as they are based upon olelV English conditions. Ido not agree that there may be an magnetic brake though it is possible that through some defect-temporary if you like—the magnetic brake may not work at one moment and yet may appear to be quite effieien a few wards This is a possible, though improbable, explanation of accidents such as that at Brooklyn Ind Cuba Street" as nothing wls found wrong with the brake afterwards. If I examined the