Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

THE ISLINGTON DISMISSALS.
Fr om "A N OLD LOCO. APPREN- <*>
TICE": —In common with others who re- <*>
ceived their early training in the Govern- <*>
ment workshops, I resent the imputation
I thrown out from certain quarters that the
Government-trained men are not equal to
those from outside shops. I served my
articles many years ago, when tbe work
shops were in the Adelaide yard, where
part of the station building -now stands,
and can call to mind many men who re
ceived their early training "there who are
absolutely at the top of the profession as
civil, mechanical, electrical, and mining
engineers. Some hold university depress;
i others graduated at the School of Mines;
many fierved with engineering units in the
war, some in high command, and received
decorations for eminent services; others in
the British Navy, as engineers, while ths
mercantile marine is full of men holding
chief engineers' certificates, some extra
chief's certificates, who were trained in
the loco, shops. Some even attained fame
as lgistators, fonr I can call to mind be
ing the Hon. J. H. Cooke (a consulting
engineer), Donald Campbell, LLJ}., and
the late Hons. E. L. Batchelor and £.
Klauer. You meet Adelaide loco, men,
prond to admit they were in the Adelaide
workshops, al! over Australia, in charge
of works, on mining fields, and also bold
ing high Government appointments. And
not oriy in Australia, but in other parts
of the world. What reliance, then, can
be placed on the statements of irrespoii
, eible persons prompted by others with
some malign intent, the said persons them
selves not being engineers? Islington
almost from its inception has suffered from
political interference, and this has landed
it in the present slough of despond. Wilh
regard to_ the new type of locomotives
which it is intended to introduce, these,
of course, are necessary, but it would be
a calamity if they were imported from
America. They can be made in Australia,
and in any case should be of British manu
facture. Old loco, men will remember the
Baldwin engines imported from America,
and what an endless source of worry ana
expanse they were, especially the boilers.
Let us not repeat the experience.
$