CONTROL OF THE RAILWAYS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7141, 31 May 1910, Page 1

CONTROL OF THE RAILWAYS

SPEECH BY THE MINISTER ADMINISTRATION BY GOVERNMENT! AND COMMISSIONERS. WHAT THE FIGURES SHOW. PKEBS ASSOCIATION. DUNEDIN, May 35. The Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister oi Railways, was entertained at a. "social" by his constituents of Duncdin East electorate to-night. In fcho course of his address the Minister said no 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 ten years later nndor Government control. He would first say that the Commissioners had charged higher rates and had paid lower wages than, did the Government—two very important factors—yet notwithstanding this and the concessions given on the railways during tile last ten years, and tb<j increase in wages, they could show bettej; results than were previously obtained, INTERESTING FIGURES. For the year ending March 31st, 1310, there were carried on the North Island lines 5,794,000 passengers, and on tho South Island. 5,321,000, and on Lake Wsikatipu 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 ,£-148,620, and lor the Wakatipu service .12,769. Tho large increase of passengers in the North Island over the South Island was due to .the fact that iieopJo in the north travelled more and further than in tho south. Season tickets in the North Island represented .£60,000, and in the . South 439,000. In goods North, claimed 4782,000 and South, 4937,000, making tho total revenues 41,614,000 for the North and 41,628,000 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 44 3s 3d for the North and 43 9s 5d 'in tho South, and 49 17s 7d on Lake Wakatipu. The average rate of interest was 43 15a 9d, -which was a record for New Zealand with the exception of one year. In the year .previous the earnings had been 43 25.. 7cl, and tho increase was therefore 13s 2d per cent, on a capital of 428,500,000. The sum. of 13s 2d per cent. might not seem very much, but' when they considered it was on a capital of such magnitude they, must admit tho Government had done fairly well during the past .year. Ho had no doubt that with careful administration- tho same result could be repeated. Ho did not believe the railways, ought to bo used as a feeder for the Consolidated Fund, and he did not see that the Consolidated Fund should- he. charged one rcenny for the railways. If Now Zealand could accept the same prices and pay tho same wajjes as in Australia he would guarantee our railways would pay 7i per ; cent, as against 41 per cent, there. UNDER COMMISSIONERS.

j He would : take practically one of tho best years during the Commissioners' term ictf office in New Zealand—l 934. During that year he found that the total revenue from passengers was .£378,000. In 1905, under the Government regime, it had increased to .£680,905, and last year it totalled .£1,070,000. ' The total revenue earned by the Commissioners in the final year was .£1,172,000. In 1905 this had increased to .£2,209,000, and last year it stood at £3,249,790. The total expenditure in the Commissioners'' last vear had been .£735,000. ' In 1905 this' stood at £1,492,000, and last year at .£2,164.000. The expenditures peatrain mile had been 56.69 d in 1894, 58.<t6d' In 1905, and C5.81d in 1310. : He quoted theso figures for the i-eason that it was always said they earned a high rate of interest by starving the railways.. Tho expenditure 'per cent, of revenues was 62.70 in 1834, 67.58 in 1905. and last year. 65.74. Whilst last year it was 66.74, in. the previous, year, before he had taken ever control, the figure was 72.19 per cent., so that the reduction last year was 5.45 per cent.

| ROLLING STOCK. The amount of stock on order last yea* was ,14 engines, 76 carriages, 12 brake vans, 34 bogie waggons, and 701 fourwheeled -waggons. The increased traction power was 289,5841 b, extra seating accommodation, 895 persons per day. At the present time there were in hand—because he could see there was going to be a! very fair increase of business—tea big A locomotives being made by Price Bros., ten B locomotives, ten nearing completion, and ten more to be put in hand, making a total of forty more locomotives to be ready during tho next eighteen months. There w.ere also two special locomotives, 62 big bogie waggons, 17 brake vans, and 1212 fourwheeler waggons on order now in the different railway workshops. The amount expended in the railway workshops on new machinery last year -was ,£5612, bul this vear there was machinery on order totalling .£25,000.