THE RAILWAYS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 18 August 1910, Page 5

THE RAILWAYS.

THE YEARS OPPERATIONS. ITEMS FROM THE RAILWAY REV-OUT. A DECIDED IMPROVEMENT. (By Telegraph.) (From Cur Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINCJTOX, This Day. Yisterday afternoon the aHmiol report i:f tile Railways Department was placed before Parliament by the Hon. J. A. -Millar. The. following is a sumin.i:v of results of working for the year enoi'ii"- 31.-1- March, 191 U." as compared wiili 1909: 'l,.tal miles open to trallie : 1909, 2.'82: 1910, 2717. Average miles open for ih,. year. 2556. 2704. Capital cost of opened and unopened lines, £2D.052.432 (1909); £30.321.191 (1910). Capital eost of oneiv lines, £27.702,592 (lijjj) : £28.513.476 (1910). C' ; i-itiil cost per mile of open lines. € 10.351 (1909): £10.494 (1910). Gross ~iii:iiii".<. £2.929.526 (1909); £3.249.790 ;19i9|. Working expenses. £2,114.817 w:.i-ki-.!ir. £814.711 (1909); £1.080.316 (1910). Ti:e percenta"e of profit to capital invested is 3.13 in 1909 and 3.80 in 1910. The percentage of working oxnen-w to ea.rnin.gs i,s 72.19 in 1909 " and 66.76 in 1910. Earnings per average mile open. £ll4B in 1.909 and £1203 in" 1910. Working expenses per average. mile oncin. £B2B (ISC-9) and £SO3 '(1910). The net earn-in-.s per average mile open were £320 (l 903) and £4OO (1910). The earning per train mile was £94 in 1909 and £9B 7s 5d in 1910. The working expenses per train milewere 67.89 in 19C9 and 65.84 in 1910. The net earnings per tra-in mile were 2'i.U in 1909 and 32.91 in 1910. The number of passengers, carried was (ordinarv) 10.457.144 in 1909 and 11.141.142 in 1910: season. tickets, 192.547 in 1909 and 199.371 in 1910. <!:;ods were carried as follows: —Tihi-n-i-v 4.871.874 in and 5.223.414 in 1910. Livestock, tonnage. 263.534 in 1909 and 266.604 in 1910. The train mileage was 7,458,236 in 1909 and 7.889.166 in 1910. Locomotives. 452 i,, 1909 and 465 i n 1910. Passenger cars. 1116 in 1909; 1140 in lylO. Wagons and break vans. 16.476 i.n- 1909 and 17.220 in 1910. KITRTH ER PARTI CULARS.

A- a result of inquiries made and d-ata obtained, an order ha* been given for th t . construction of two \sdf-coJilained motor ears, which will be built in the Railway Workshops us .soon as the machinery required for gen-era't.inp: the motive now or of tire car arriv.es. If found to !.o suitable to local refinements ;ulditioii.il cars will be -put .into service as the business warrants. A new steamer for the Lake Wakatipu service is to be built- in tlk> Dominion. Owing to the lin;i.ncial depression which existed in the early part of last year, affecting the revenues of tire department, it was regret fully found necessary to make some ret rcnehmeut. as the outlook at that time (Lid not justify the department in continuing the expenditure at the rate then existing. The retremhirent thus forced upon the department prevented the usual, number of promotions being made. <i.nd necessitated' expenditure on account of increase in salary an-d wall's being aceCTdinglv restricted" to the limits ot the Act. The completion of tlie special building jj.ro--rrnnmie f'»" the North Island Main Trunk Line also- resulted in a reduction of hands in the different workshops, but with the returning prosperity, which is now evident, it will be necessary to nmke provision for th r estimated increase of trade, and this, it is hoped, will enable th.' department to re employ sonic of tin -e men who unfortunately 'had to be retrenched.

THE AUSTRALIAN RAILWAYS. The Minister deals at length with his vi.-it Id Anstia'ia. remarking that there is ii'o doubt that all the Status lie visited po.-scss a.dvantages over the Dominion. Among thes>e he mentions the lesser price of coal, the physica.l features and if the Australian continent, the position of the ports and principal markt.;.- wli.ic.li induce very long hauls of thetraffic. Kurt her. in most of the states, one central, management can work tho v. li-.de system, wlierc-as in New Zealand we have ten separate sections divided I'n-ni each, otlier by considerable distances, and we are' compelled to have s: vi :-al complete sets of Government oili col -. All things considered, he adda, it will be seen that our passenger rates generally compare favourably with tlios-o in Australia, whilst the salaries, wages, and conditions of railway employment in New Zealand are more desirable than these obtaining i n Australia. ••1 venture.''"' says the Minister, "after impartially surveying Australia from a railway .point, of view, to express the opinion thai, having regard to the considerations given, to the producers' interest.- and the extent, to which our railways have during the pa.<t liftee, n years of Si ate management in New Zealand been used as a means of developing t nc Dominion, the New Zealand system will compare favourably with the railway systems in other parts of the- world, and I .have no hesitation. i, n saying Unit in no pa it ot the world rices the question of tee s.a.fety of the t-ra veiling public receive more, careful consideration. Regarding the effort of the Engine-drivers". I-iremen and Cleaners' Association to obtain ofliu'-al recognition, the Minister says he anticipates that- Parliament will ha.\e an opportunity of dealing with the m.: Iter thus session. "I am fully satistied." the Minister ir<>e-s_ on to say. "thai the prc.siperilv mainleste-d by the results of lust year's wo-: king of our lines will continue during the current year, and notwithstanding t!m fa.(t fha-t no Easter holiday tratlic wiii be included hi the returns of the y^' v -_ I estimate the re venule at -i.10.200. 000 and the expenditure at 3--i...i£.0./(b. In conclusion I may remark, with the increased hauling power ot cur engines and the additional rollim; stork that- v. ill shortly be available. I hope that- the department will bo a-blo <o continue paying itsooutw ut interest, and I am coiilulent- that the ipolicy .proposed ui| l -enable furtbor fa-o.i Ii t i-cs. *o- bo granted to the people. ~f f n ( , Dominion, eit.ier in the direction of improved services, the. acceleration of the *pvcd of trams, or by making reductions j n rates, thereby en.a-bli.nc the railways to cany out- to the fullest extent "their function m asking the further opening up or development, of our country."