1921.] 



The " Buckeye " Ditcher. 



317 



Table IV. 





For the trial. 



I'cr running hour, 

 actual. 



I *( ' T' I'll Ti n i n ( r )i( 111 r 

 1 V 1 iiiijiiiii^ iii'iiif 



under commercial 

 conditions. 



Fuel, lubricants, &c. 

 Wages 



Interest and Depreciation 

 Repairs ... 



£ s. (1. 



m 15 



'20 

 31 IS 3 

 8 18 1) 



£ s. (1. 

 12 9 



7 ^ 

 12 0^ 

 3 4 



£ s. (1. 

 12 



4 10 



5 8 

 3 4 



£'.)! 12 5 



£1 15 8 



.CI 5 10 



each running hour of the 53 hours during which the machine 

 was actually digging. Referring now to Table III, which 

 gives the chains of trench actually excavated per running hour 

 under various conditions, we are enabled easily to calculate the 

 cost of excavating such trenches; thus: — 



3 ft. 6 in. trenches in moist stiff clay, where 17 cliains were excavated 

 per hour, cost 20s. lid. per clmin. 



2 ft. 6 in. trenches in similar clay, cost 10s. 2d. per chain. 



3 ft. 6 in, trenches in dry clay ,, lis. lid. per chain. 

 2 ft, 9 in. trenches in dry clay ,, 7s. 9d. per chain. 

 2 ft, trenches in dry clay 4s. Od. per chain. 



It has previously been indicated that, from the nature of the 

 case, the organisation of labour left something to be dosired ; 

 there were none of the usual incentives to speedy work which 

 play so important a part in successful commercial organisation, 

 and consequently the hours actually spent in digging, approxi- 

 mately only 3 J per day, are capable of being greatly 

 augmented, both by a longer working day and by speeding- 

 up repairs. A working day of, say, 10 hours, during 7 hours 

 of which the machine is actually digging, should be possible. 

 If this were done, the expenses under certain of the headings 

 would be reduced greatly, and it is interesting to examine 

 how these might be effected. The first item, fuel, lubricants, 

 &c., would not be affected much, because fuel consumption is 

 roughly proportional to work done; none the less, short 

 running hours inevitably lead to uneconomical consumption of 

 fuel and some economy would result, possibly 12s. per hour 

 instead of 12s. 9d., from longer running hours. 



The men were paid for a nominal working day of 8 hours, 

 which, in fact, was rarely attained. If they were working a 

 10-hour instead of an 8-hom- day, and were paid time-and-a 

 half for the extra time, the cost for the period would have 

 been increased from £20 to £27 10s., but assuming the 

 drainer to have been running 7 hours each day, the cost per 



