RAILWAYS STATEMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4131, 20 August 1900, Page 3

RAILWAYS STATEMENT.

WORKING OF LINES IN 1809-1000. FORECAST OF OPERATIONS, The Alini.sl.cr for Railways (Hon J. G. Ward), in liis first annual Railways StnlciiHMit, wliif'li was laid on tho tablo td' the iloiro on Friday night. says the lias ('rent pleasure in announcing that., notwithstanding the (not that for several years past we have become _ accustomed to phenoinonal increases in out railway hiisiness, the year 1899-1900 proved to Iv the record .year lor the New Zealand Railways. The Imsiness carried on and the revenue received not ot.lv exceeded that of any previous year, Out the increased receipts of the past'year over the immediately preceding y’,. iir exceeded all former increases. The niii.'ilier of miles open for traffic was 2101, as against 2090 ill tho previous year. The revenue for 1899-1900 was e'[ HOI. an increase of £154,226; Ihe working expenses were £1,052,358, an increase of £1.22,020; and tho excess of revenue over working expenses was 0571,533, or an increased nob rc-(tii-ii as compared with 1898-1899 of 13 1,00.5. Tho rate of interest earned on the capital cost of tho open railways (£16,703.887) was £3.42 per cent., against £3.29 per cent, last year, as compared with, Victoria, £2.96; Oiieeiisland, £3.15; South Australia, £3,1.2; Tasmania, 61.07; New South Wales, £3.53; and Western Australia, £4.55.

With a- view of improving tile train services, the Minister has given instructions that certain mixed, passenger and goods services are, so far as intermediate stations are concerned, to he confined as far as possible to purely Passenger business, so that shunting at intermediate stations may he restricted. Goods waggons between the terminal stations will ho taken by through trains provided punctuality does not suffer thereby, hut shunting at intermediate stations will he prohibited. The Minister has given instructions to provide with all possible speed second as well as first-class lavatory accommodation on all trains outside the suburban areas, and to materially improve the second-class seating accommodation. more especially for the longdistance journeys. With a view to improving the train services still further, and to make proper provision for meeting the public demands for improved communication and better attention to traders’ requirements. more especially in the supply of railway waggons, a Traffic Superintendent has. been appointed for each island-—viz.. Mr A: Grant, of Wellington, for the North Island, and Air W. K. Gaw. of Dunedin, tor the South Island. It will bo the duty of these gentlemen to supervise the running of the train services and outdoor work generally, so as to insure punctuality as well as suitable and'satisfactory train services, and also to distribute the rolling stock in such a manner as to moot the public requirements in the best and most economical manner possible. Tho Pintsch gas system adopted for Inditing railway carriages continues to give satisfactory results. and' meets with the approval of the travelling public. Five gas-making plants have been erected, seven travelling storeholders built and 439 cars fitted up. at a. cost 'of £33.450. The total'quantity of gas produced amounted, to a million and a,-half Cubic feet for the year ending 31st March last. It has been' ascertained'that, after providing for working all installations, including interest on and depreciation of fixed plant and car equipment, a saving a-s compared with kerosene has been effected. The annual charge in tho case of pus .computed on this basis amounted to £5550, 'as compared with kerosene costing £6160. This result is considered satisfactory,- and will improve as Urn gas consumption increases'. In order to provide for greater safe! v and punctuality, the Government has determined to gradually equip the whole of the rolling stock with the most modern type of the Westinghonse automaHc continuous brake. A coni fact has been let for the North Island stock, to he completed within three years. The express trains in the South Island are simultaneously to ho so lilted. As a further provision of safety, it has also been decided to adopt the electric and ordinary staff systems for train-working, in lieu of the present ‘M rain-despatcher” system. Hills arc 1 iu course of preparation providing for a consolidation of I previous enactments relating to “working railways,” for the classification and pay of the’ stall - , and for a superannuation fend on linos similar to those in existence at Home. Additions to rolling stock and addition’s and improvements to the lines and structures at » cost of £247,.-44 have been made during I,ho yeai. charged as follows £218,357 to. Capital Aqcaunt, and £29.IST to working .expenses. . , „ c The cost of the special allowance ot wages (6d oe.r day) to labourers and others in receipt of 6s 6d per day amounts, for tho year, to £10,302 , and increased pay for porters, carpenters, engine-men, firemen and apprentices. as provided for by enactment, to £2597. , , , The Railway Institute and Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants has boon unable to agree in regard to regulations, providing for' the. .transfer of members of the second division to the first division which would be mutually satisfactory : ‘ the Government has therefore advised his Excellency as to regulations throwing the door open to deserving and qualified members. As lioforc stated, the- revenue for the year ending 31st Marchl9oo, amounted to £1,623,891. an increase over-the previous year of £154,226. The estimate was £1.475.000,‘ which, in view of the large freight reductions made on Ist, April, 1899, was as nigh as pm deuce would allow. .It -is a matter for much congratulation that the estimate lias been exceeded by £148,891. Tho remote per train, mile increased from 7 s 5d for 1898-1899 to 7s 9d for 1899-1900. The number of passengers (exclusive of season and commutation ticket-hold-ers) who travelled was 5,468,284. or 4 731 more than last year; 8308 more season tickets wore sold. The revenue, -from passengers exceeded that of last year by £39.468. The number of passengers increased 10 per cent., and the revenue 81 per cent. Taking the year 1883-84 as a basis, it is a remarkable fact that the first-class passengers have increased by only 22.} per cent., ami the second class passengers bv not, less than 79.1 per cent. Inc difference would be much greater were (he vonr 1897-98 taken for the purpose of comparison with 1883-84. firstclass being under 8 per cent, increase and second-class nearly 53 per cent., so that the prosperity would appear to have induced more first-class travel durio" the past two year's. ' Nolle -the less il ls evident that‘the tendency is towards one class of carriage, as already exists iu the case of tranyvvays and omnibuses. ■ The revenue from excursion fares continues to increase: 657,323 tickets were sold last year, producing £100,907, an increase of £9896 over previous year and £43,428 over 1896. School ex-

cursions show a falling-off. The revenue derived from parcels, luggage and mails was £68.488, as compared with £06.418, an increase of £2070. Parcels increased by 34,743 in number. In the Goods Department. 3,251,710 tons, including equivalent weight ot live stock, were carried, producing a revenue of £1,010,383. an increase of ■07,274 tons and £112.689 over lastyear. This enormous increase is mninIv due to the bountiful harvest in tho South Island, and which was carried at Freight rates averaging 20 per cent, below those ruling in tho previous year. This factor is very noticeable when the relation between earnings and expenses is taken into consideration. Tho number of slump carried was 2,->23.i87, as compared with 2,518,233 last year, an increase of 5551. There were increases in tho goods traffic for wool, firewood, timber, grain, merchandise and minei-j als. Chaff, etc., showed a decrease. Reductions in fares and charges have been authorised. The most important reductions arc for stallions on circuit, stud stock for breeding purposes, butter, cheese, gram, flour, potatoes and otuer agiicultuial produce, and small lots of gAods undci lewt.

Tho Imsiness iu the southern portion of tlio North Island still continues to expand, the increased receipts from the Wei lington-Napier-Now Plymouth section amounting to £29,500, or nearly 7j per cent. The expenditure for working absorbed 64.80 per cent, of the revenue, an increase of 1.54 per cent, over the rate for the previous year (63.26). This increasing ratio is a marked mature of late years. In 1806-97 the ratio was 61.35; in 1897-98. 62.30; and in 1898-99, 63.26. Increased repairs and renewals of track and rolling stock, higher wages, shorter hours of duty and lower fares and freights give those inevitable results. Tho present ratio docs not, however, approach that for tho year 1886 87, when the expenditure absorbed 69.99 per cent, of the revenue. The sum of £218,357 has boon charged to Capital Account on account of additions to tho rolling stock, anu improvements to the permanent way and structures. Of this amount, £154,157 was expended on additional rolling stock, conversions of roiling stock, car-lighting and workshop machinery.

Following on tho lines of the policy laid down in 1896—that, a 3 per cent, return having been secured from the railways, substantial reductions both in passenger fares and freight for colonial products shall be made—the GovernI ment determined, as soon as the financial results for tho year 1899-1900 were known, to make reductions to the extent of £75,000, on tho basis of the past year’s business. Previous reductions had included school-excursion fares, holiday fares, sheep rates, agricultural produce, frozen moat, butter, cheese, milk, firewood, lime, chaff, manures and scrap iron, totalling £204,239 in value on 31st Alarch last. It was therefore deemed right that the travelling public generally should now receive substantial consideration. Tho Government therefore decided to reduce tho ordinary passenger fares, and with this end in view has adopted (on 24th Juno) a passenger rate scale fixed on the basis of I’ d per mile first class and Id per mile second class. This gives a lower average rate fori travel than in any of the Australian colonies or in England. The Government has been advised that, in consequence of tho great increase of business, and the altered conditions under which it Is carried on, the rolling stock is inadequate to meet the settlers’ requirements, and immediate steps are being taken to largely augment the carriage and waggon stock. In the Railways Statement for last year it was pointed out that the increased business demanded that the equipment of the lines should bo added to and improved. During the recess the Alinistcr wont very fully into tho matter. and consulted with the general and branch officers iu meeting assembled at Wellington. He satisfied himself that immediate stops must oe taken to largely increase tho rolmig stock, also to enlarge and improve the station and yard accommodation, including the building of head offices for the Railway Department in Wellington : also to relav the principal lines with heavier rails, and to provide more efficient brake-power and safety appliances, such as electric staff apparatus, interlocking, and increased telegraph facilities. This must now be undertaken on a comprehensive plan, and the Government therefore proposes during the ensuing five years to carry on tho works systematically. To enable the work to he carried on continuously authority will he necessary to oarrv tho votes over from year to year until the works are completed and the votes exhausted, and legislation will be introduced to give effect to this. As foreshadowed in last year’s statement, the continued rapid expansion of traffic on our railways has now rendered the duplicating of those portions of our lines between Auckland and Penrose,. Wellington, and Bower Hutt. Christchurch and Rolleston, Port Chalmers. Dunedin and Mosgiel, and Milton and Clarkesvillo a necessity and provision will he made for starting the most important and urgent of these works forthwith. Taking into .consideration tho reductions in fares and freights recently gazetted Air Ward estimates the revenue for the year ending the 31st Alarch, 1901. at. £1.560.000 and the expenditure at £1.046.000. ' " >