CAB129-37 — Page 182

B. MECHANICAL

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215. In the early part of the year there was a shortage of mechanical transport because of the non-arrival of new vehicles to take the place of machines bought from Surplus Disposals Stores and which became unservice- able. By special efforts the Mechanical Engineering Department and the Contractors managed to mitigate serious breakdowns. Towards the end of the year 325 new and complete Bedford lorries and 344 Bedford chassis arrived. Arrangements were made for bodies for these chassis to be made in Nairobi.

216. The Agricultural and Mechanical Transport Workshops at Kongwa were developed on a temporary basis and carried out major repairs to 1,519 vehicles.

Heavy Repair Shop

217. During the year the Heavy Repair Shop at Kongwa in which repairs to heavy clearing tractors are made was taken over from the Contractors who had been responsible for its operation, and its size and scope were increased. By June, 1948, the Heavy Repair Shop was able to keep the Contractors equipped with heavy tractors and during the year overhauled 289

Wastage of Tractors

218. The chain cable clearing method of bush flattening recently adopted has in Kongwa increased the wastage of tractors. The thorn bush at Kongwa is dense. The tractors travelling through it are constantly having their radiators and their engines covered with falling leaves and light brush. The result is that the engines boil, with consequent damage. As the ground to be cleared at Urambo and in the Southern Province is covered with trees and the growth is far less dense than at Kongwa, it is not anticipated that the chain cable clearing method will of itself necessitate similar increased repairs. Already it has been found at Urambo that the breakdown of tractors used in this operation is less than it was when more traditional methods of clearing were being used.

219. At the end of March, 1949, there was a total of 429 serviceable heavy tractors in all areas. At the beginning of the year there were 91.

Unit Workshops

220. At Kongwa, three Unit workshops were established, staffed and equipped to service, maintain and repair agricultural machinery and the transport used on the Units together with a service station designed to meet the needs of Headquarters' and Contractors' transport.

221. At Urambo a Unit workshop was established before the end of 1948. As at Kongwa, this workshop supported the agricultural operations and repaired Unit transport. Repairs to heavy tractors were not the responsibility of the Mechanical Engineering Department. These were effected by the Con- tractors. The situation here differed from Kongwa, where repairs were carried out directly by the Corporation.

.222. In the Southern Province little progress was made, in the building of workshops at Mkwaya and Nachingwea.

223. In Dar-es-Salaam a tractor siding, adjacent to the Docks, where tractors were retained on arrival for inspection and where necessary for light repairs, before being sent to Kongwa or Urambo, was taken over from the

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