THE RAILWAYS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXV, Issue 5023, 22 July 1903, Page 2

THE RAILWAYS.

ANNUAL STATEMENT OF THE MINISTER.. A RECORD YEAR OF BUSINESS. INCREASES IN ALL BRANCHES Ox TRAFFIC. Tim Minister of Railways (Sir Joseph Ward) hud upon tho table oi vne House yesterday tho Railways Slatenient for the year ended disc -March:— I am very much gnit.hcd, .says the Minister, to have to announce' that the year's operations of our railways have again been most satisfactory, and show a largo increase on the biasiness of the prccou.ng ilnanoiul year, noiwiihstaadmg tho fact that tho latter was a record cno. The results of working may be summarised thus:— Year 1903 Year 1002 £ JO Total earplugs ... 1,97-1,033 1,874,036 Total expenditure 1,343,410 1,202,237 Net profit ... 630,623 622,349 Net increase over previous rear, £8274. LINES OPEN FOR TRAFFIC. The mileage of track open for traffic at the end ot the year was 2291 miles, as against 2235 miles open on 3isb March, 19U2. Tim average miles operated during tho year was 2262. xhe capital cost of lines open for traffic has increased from £18,170,722 last year to £19,081,735 for the your under review. The not revenue, £630,623, is equal to a. return of 3.30 per cent, cn tho capital unvested in the upon lines. Tho Kawakawa and Nelson sections have laded to pay working expenses, tho deficit of rocc.pts on tho former section being £834, and on tho latter £533. The increase of 376,973 train miles run represents additional facilities afforded to meet tho convenience of the travelling pnblllc and the demands of tho increased business. The permanent additions mad© to time-tables represent 246,597 mHes, and a cost of £60,622. The system of separating tho goods and passenger services inaugurated two years ago lias given satisfaction, and is being extended from timo to time to meet tho requirements of tho traffic. Various alterations and improvements have been made in tho tram services throughout tho colony. On the Wel-lington-New Plymouth lino bho comfort and convenience of through passengers have been very materially increased by the arrangement entered into with the Wellington and Manawaiu Railway Company, which permits of the cars of the Crovernment and company respectively going through to destination, thus avoiding the necessity which formerly existed for changing cars at Palmerston North. This altera* lion has been greatly appreciated by through passengers. THE PASSENGER TRAFFIC.

Notwithstanding tile heavy passenger traffic induced by the festivities occasioned by the visit, of thoir Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales (thou the Duke and Duchess of York), the departure of two South African contingents, and the occurrence of two Easter holiday periods in bho fiscal year 1902, the number of passengers carried lust . year exceeded that of 1902 by 219,254, and gave an increased revenue of £832. The coaching and goods traffic also show largo increases under each of the respective headings, grain alone excepted. This latter item shows a decrease of 94,009 tons. The increased revenue derived from coaching traffic amounted to £7712, and from good traffic to £87,061. CARRIAGE OF LIVE STOCK'. A noticeable feature of tho year's business lias been the increase in livestock and mineral traffic; tho increase ill cattle being 19,003 head; pigs, 6683 head; sheep, 1,096,473 head; and minerals, 160,633 tons. Tho increase in sheep is unprecedented in the history of our railways. Tho rolling-stock has been increased by 10 locomotives, 45 bogie care, 13 bogie brake-vans, 2 Fell incline, brake-vans. 537 waggons and 391 tarpaulins, all of which have been turned out of tho railway workshops'. 221 locomotives, 437 carriages, 137 brakevans 3804 waggons and 5 travelling cranos have now been supplied with Westtnghouso brake, 636 vehicles with Pintsoh gas, 373 second-class cans with cushions and 232 cans- with lavatories. The number of lavatory cars now in use represents 40 per cent, of the bogiecar stock, and further cam are being fitted. THE EJIPLOYEES. The average number of men employed uas 88/5, as against 8313 for tho previous year. During the year 164 members of the permanent staff resigned, 35 died, 66 wore retired, 32 were dismissed and 509 engaged. Two appeals against decisions of the department were heal'd by the Railway Appeal Boards, olio of which was allowed and one dismissed. Tho sum of £3250 lias boon paid ns compensation and compasdiouate allowances to members retired from the service and the relatives of deceased members of tho service during tho year. Eight members of the second division wore promoted to the first division during tho year. Extensions of the railway system amounting.to 5t miles were opened for trafiic during tho year. THE REVENUE. The gross revenue, £1.974,038. exceeded the estimate by £90,033, and the revenue of tho previous year by £99,-152. The net revenue, £630,623, was £8274 in excess of that of the previous year. In estimating the revenue for the year under review the Minis-

ter had to take into consideration tlie fact that u considerable pordou of tho earnings of the year ending 31st .March, 1902, resulted from circumstances of a non-recurring character; but, notwithstanding the exceptional circumstances pertaining to that year, and the large reductions made in passenger fares, wool, dairy produce, and arlincial-maiuiro rates, in October last, the revenue has fully jmtiiiod the opinion winch the Minister expressed in the concluding paragraph of his .statement last year. Tho receipts per train mile have been 7s 3d. ars against 7e> 4?d for the previous year. Passenger, revenue has increased hy £832, season ticket revenue by £3817. coaoliing traffic (.including mails) by £7712. goods and live-stock by £78.523, rents and commission by £8877 ; miscellaneous revenue* has decreased by £312; tho not increase of revenue over previous year was therefore £110,402. THE KXPEXOITTR-K The total expenditure has been £1.343,415, an increase of £1)1,173. The expenditure for working lias absorbed 69.05 per cent of the revenue, an increase of 1.25 per cent over the rate for the previous year. Tho amounts chargeable to working expenses on account of tho various branches of the service tiro shown by the following figures:—-

1,277,503 1,368,007 Loss Credit Recoveries ... 25,271 24.502 £1.252,237 £1.343.415 The expenditure for maintenance of the linos, buildings, bridges, and other structures has increased irom £436,817 last year to £460,303 for the year under review and represents an average expenditure for maintenoance of £204 per milo cf railway' open. Tho sum of £15,057 has been, expended on additions and. improvements to linos and structured, which might fairly have been debited to capital; £63,728 has boon spent on bridge repairs and renewals, of which the sum of £10,320 was debited to capital, and tho balance, £53,408, to working expenses. The increased expenditure in tho traffic and locomotive branches is duo principally t-o tho additional train mileage and increased staff to meet requirements of tho business, also to improvement of the wages and salaries under the Classification Act. Tho sum of £423,167 has been expended under the head of “Additions to Open Lines” and charged to capital account, £157.877 has boon expended in improvements to buildings, water services, rcspacing sleepers, fencing, relaying, bridge strengthening, sidings, creosote plant , for treating sleepers, purchase of land, telegraph and telephone facilities, interlocking and safety "ppHances, wharves, and crossings: £205,290 on rolling stock, cranes, tarpaulins, lavatory accommodation in cars, Wostinghouso brake, cushioning second-class cars, lighting of cars, lighting workshops by electricity, machinery for workshops and foot-warmers. results of Working, The following is a summary of results of working, for year ending tho 31st March, 1903, as compared with 1902:—Total miles Open for traffic, 2291 in 1903 ns against 2235 in 1903; average miles open for year, 2262,- ns against 2227; capital cost of opened and unopened lines, £20,314,935 as against £10,496,553; capital cost of open linos, £19,081,735 as against £18,170,722; capital cost per milo of open lines, £8436, as against £8159; gross earnings, £1,974,038, as against £1,874,536; working expenses, £1,313,415, as against £1,252,237; net profit on working, £630,623, as against £622,349; percentage of profit to capital invested, 3.30. ns against 3.43; percentage of working expenses to earnings, G 8.05, as against 66.80; earnings per average milo open, £B73* as against £842; working expenses per average milo open, £594, as against £562; net earnings per average milo open, £270, ns against £280; earnings per train milo, 87.004, as against 88.75 d; working expenses per train mile 59,-33d, as against 59.32 d; net earnings per train mile, 27.77 d, as against 29.43 d; passengers, ordinary, 7,575,390, as against 7,356,136; season tickets, 118,431 as against 100,778; goods tonnage, 3,730,394, as against 3,529,177 ; live stock tonnage, 187,867, as against 137,862; train mileage, 5,443,333, as against 5.066,360; locomotives, 372. as against 362; passenger cars, 761, as against 701; waggons, 12,992, as against 12,444. In 'ascertaining the results of working, tho Minister has taken the capital coxb of tlie open lines as £19.031,735. and the net earnings, £G30.C20,' givea return cl 3.30 per cent. The capital cost docs not, however, include whas was formerly the Midland Railway Company’s line, the capital cost to the colony of which was £576,413. and adding that amount to the £19.081,735 quoted above, n total is obtained of £19,658,148. The net camings for the roar—viz.. £630,623 —-give a, return of 3.21 per cent, on tho capital cost a? ascertained in the manner indicated. Good progress continues to be made in connection with the installation of safety appliances, and the Minister states that it is essential that this important work should be proceeded with as rapidly a« possible* A PROSPEROUS COLONY. Having quoted ficures to show the traffic and percentage of increase for the year ended the 31st March last, as compared with I he traffic for tho year ended 31sb March, 1895, the Minister

concludes:—“A study of tho foregoing figures nun ? convince even ilu- mew scu-pUcat of iln* healthy and tuuuilion of t lie colony, ana il wil: bo u>l mice apparent* ihal, if our railways arc to keep pace vd :.U the rapidly -in or oasl ug demand.-, for quick, sale and'clioap irunpari of bulb i,ho people and ooniiiioroa of \ho cornu ry, ample provision minsC combine to he made to enable the relaying cf the track ami sUengtimnim; ol bridges being pushed cm at a’ greatly increased rate, in order that heavier oilgim\s nml trains may be run on af 1 tho pnneapa-1 Urn's, lucrmisiug tho loau oi Inuns means economy and efficiency. The>e desiderata cannot, however, ha secured until llu> heaviest type of engines on..n lie used on any portion nC the main trunk ami principal branch linem and until this can- he done the radio of working expenses to carningi must necessarily be high. I aulimpato that the existing salisfaotorv com* morcml condition of the colony wid ba m liuiaiucd throughout tho financial year and therefore cst imato the rovomw ior tile year ending 31sI March, 1994, at £2.090.000, and Iho expend!! uro at £1,360.000.”

. TTspendituro. 1901-1902 1902-1903 £ . £ Traffic 333.211 360.001 Locomotive 400,094 4-84.051 Maintenance 430.847 400.308 Management C0.75G 02.097