CONTROL OF THE RAILWAYS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 2 June 1910, Page 6

CONTROL OF THE RAILWAYS.

ADMINISTRATION BY GOVERNMENT AND COMMISSIONERS.

WHAT THE FIGURES SHOW,

DUNEDIN, Tuesday. Full details of Mr Millar's speech at Dunediu are interesting. In the course of his address the Minister said he would state the result of last year's working of the railways, in comparison, for their edification, with the result of the last year of the administration of the Railway Commissioners in New Zealand, together with the result 10 years later under Government control. He would first say that the Commissioners had charged "higher rates and had paid -ewer wages than did teh Government—two very important f-aietiors l —yet notvv thitanding this and the concessions eiven on the railways during the last 10' ycors, a> .1 the increase of wages, they could show better results than were previously obtained. INTERESTING FIGURES.

For the year ending March 31st, 1910 there were carried on the North Island lines 5,794,000 passengers, and on the South Island 5,324,000, and on Lake Wakatipu 21,000. There had been an increase in season, tickets, parcels, horses, dogs, and in every class of goods-except timber. The revenue from passengers in the North Island was £619,302, and in the South Island £448.620, and for the Wakatipu service £2769. The large increase of passengers in the North Island over the South Island was due to the fact that people in the north travelled more and further than in the south. Season tickets in the North Island represented £60.000, and in the South £39,000. In goods North claimed £782,000 and South £987,000, making the total revenues £1,614,000 for the North, and £1.628,000 for the South. The train mileages had been 4,290,626 miles in the North Island and 3,598,540 for the South. The rates of interest earned were £4 3s 3d for the North and £3 9s 5d in the South, and £9 17s 7d on Lake Wakatipu. The average rate of interest was £3 15s 9d, which was a record for New Zealand with the exception of one year. In the year previous the earnings had been £3 2s 7d, and the increase was when thev considered it was on a capital rf £28.500,000. The sum of 13s 2d per cent might not seem very much', but whe they considered it was on a capital of such magnitude they must admit the Government had done fairly well during the past year. He had no doubt that with careful administration the rcune result could be repeated. He did not believe the railways ought to be med as a feeder for tiie Consolidated Fund, and he did not see that the Consolidated Fund should be charged one nenny for the railways. If New Zealand'could accept the same prices _ and pay the same wages as in Australia he would guarantee our railways would r>iv 7£- per cent as against 4£ per cent, there. UNDER COMMISSIONERS.

He would take practically one of the best years during the Commissioners' term of office in New Zealand—--1894. During that year he found that the total revenue from passengers was £378,000. In 1905, under the Governirent regime, it had increased to £680,905, and last year it totalled £1.070.000. The total revenue earned bv the Commissioners in the final year \v.« £1,172,000. In 1905 this had increased to £2,209,000, and last year it >-*ood at £3.249,790. The total expenditure in the Commissioners' la«t year h-d been £735.000. In lfos "this stood at £1.492,000, and last year at C A 164.000. The expenditures per t-ain mile had been 56.69 din 1894, F^.46d, in. 1905, and 65.84 din 1910. He quoted these figures for the reason •'■">' it was always said they earned a h ; ?h rate of interest by starving the railways. The expenditure per cent of revenue was 62.70 in 1894. 6758 in ISOS. and last year. 66.74. Whilst last V'iiv it was 66.74. in the previous year, More he had taken over control, the frnire was l 72.19 per cent., so that the reduction last year was 5.45 per cent.

ROLLING STOCK. The quantity of stock on order last voar was 14 engines. 76 carriages, 12 bake vans. 34 wagons, a "d 701 four-wheeled waggons. The increased t'-action power was 289.5841b.. and extra seating accommodation, 895 persons a. day. At the present time there

were in hand—because lie could sec llicrc was going to be a very fair increase of businus.s—ten big A locomotives being made by Price Bros., ten B locomotives, ten Hearing completion, and ten more to be put in hand, making a total of 40 more locomotives to be ready during the next 18 months. There were also two special locomotives. 62 big bogie waggons, 17 brake vans, and 1212 four-wheeler waggons on order now in the different railway workshops. The amount expended in the railway workshops on new machinery last year was £5612, but this vair there" was machinery in order totalling £25,000.