S. EIOHABDSON.J

H.—24.

53

6. It has been stated that in hilly districts where the magnetic brake is iv use it has been necessary or advisable to provide additional capacity in the motors to compensate for the heating of the braking current. Does your experience tally with this?—lt very much depends upon the type of motor that is used. We have had no trouble with the motors that we are using now. There are two types of motors in use —25- and 40-horse power. We have never had any trouble with the motors from overheating, although it is known that they do warm up owing to working the magnetic brake on the grades. To compare Wellington with other places, we only have one man to repair armatures, and you can therefore understand that our motors have not been used much. 1 believe that any brake is liable to failure, and that the magnetic brake is not more liable to fail than the air brake or any other brake. But the most reliable brake of the whole lot is the handbrake, which has fewer parts than the others. With regard to the other brakes, I think that the magnetic brake would compare favourably with them. 7. Mr. O'Shea.] As Manager of the Wellington Corporation Tramways, are you satisfied with the brakes as they exist? —Yes. 8. Having regard to present-day knowledge of brakes, how would you view any attempt at alteration ?—I should have no objection to putting on another attachment to the magnetic brake, but I should not be in favour of any other alteration. 9. Are there any conditions in Wellington which make the retention of the magnetic brake, in your opinion, necessary? The narrow streets, the sharp curves, and the speed at which the cars are run I think make it necessary that we should have a very powerful brake in case of emergency. 10. Do you consider there is any additional factor of safety, as comparing it with other brakes, in the fact that there is a magnetic attraction through the brake used to the rail?—No; I do not think this is an additional factor of safety. 11. Do you know of any means adopted in Wellington to prevent the Hashing over the commutators ; and as the result of your experience, what steps have been taken ?—We have insulated the commutators, but it has not been done in all the cars yet. 12. Mr. Myers.] Your actual tramway experience has been limited to Wellington, so that you have had no experience of the working of any brakes other than those used upon your own system? —That is so. 13. You have consequently had no experience of the working of the air brake. Have you ever made any tests with the air brake? —No. 14. Mr. .ffios'ser.] The effect of the application of the magnetic brake in an emergency stop is very severe, is it not?— Yes. 15. Is it severe on the car-equipment and also on the passengers?— Yes. 16. Apart from the shock to the feelings of'the passengers, have you ever had any complaints from passengers about being injured by the magnetic brake? —Yes. Passengers have been thrown down, and compensation has been paid, but not to any great extent. Howard Leah sworn and examined. 1. Mr. O'Shea.] As Superintendent of the Wellington Tramway Car-sheds, what is your opinion of the magnetic brake as used here, and do you know of any cases of its failure?—My opinion is that it is a very reliable brake. I only know of two cases of failure during the last six years. 2. Statements have been made about intermittent failures —that the brake would fail to act, that subsequently it would operate, and that afterwards there would be no defect discoverable in the brake. Is this correct, in your opinion ?—No ; unless when coming from the shed in the morning the motors fail to act for a short period could be called a defect. 3. What is your system of inspection of the brakes at the shed? —If a brake is supposed to be faulty, or an alleged failure, the car is not touched by the night shift, but is left for the day shift to overhaul. i. How do you test the brake? —The shoes are tested by connecting them to the overhead wire, which passes through an armature, to see the amount of current that is taken to compel the shoes to drop on the rail. 5. I understand that you have duplicated the leads in the shoes? —We have made an alteration in the original method'by which the lead after going round the coil comes on to the brake-shoe. 6. Have you adopted means to cope with the flashing over the commutators? —Yes. Wβ have insulated the cone, so that the flashing cannot take place over the commutator. The insulation is on a portion of the cars, and we are gradually altering the others. 7. Do you get many allegations of failures of the magnetic brake from time to time which are not correct ?—Yes, we do get reports. 8 Do the cars work efficiently afterwards ?—Yes, they have done. 9' Mr Bosser.] Eeports of anything wrong in the equipment are first of all sent to you?— The sheets are examined by the night foreman, and from him they are sent _to me ~..,., 10. Have you had much trouble from the commutators arcing—as this is what has to be looked into in case of failures I— Recently we have had. 11 Am I to infer from your answer that the trouble with the commutators is owing to the age of the equipment or to this Commission being held?—lt is just the natural order of things. Tn fact with the 40-horse-power motors we have had worse trouble in. this respect than with the 25-horse-power. The equipment is inspected each night, but the controllers are inspected every other nioht I have been present at the investigation of these alleged brake-failures, and have examined the cars, and I attribute most of them to skidding, as I found that the commutators were in good order. I am speaking now of failures, not weaknesses.