OUR RAILWAYS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12395, 3 July 1902, Page 2

OUR RAILWAYS.

THE ANNUAL STATEMENT. ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR, (From Our Owk Cobresposdekt.) WELLINGTON, July 2, The annual railways statement for the year ended MaVeh 31, laid on the table .<>f Hid Homo this afternoon by Sir J. (.!. Ward, contained the following items: — In presenting the railways statement for Uib year ciuloj the 31st .March, 1902, I have pleasure jn congratulating the House anil the colony on the success which lias at-, tended the year's operations. The earnings for the year.have been £147,350 more- than those of the preceding, year, and are the highest yet recorded by railways in tin's colony in any individual year. The results ■ may be summarised thus: — 1902. 1901. Total earnings ' ... £1,874,586 £1,727,236 Total expenditure ... 1,252,237 1,127,848 Net profit on working 622,349 593,383 ,' Not increase over'previous year, £22,961. The mileage of track open for traffic has increased from 2212 miles at March 31, - 3901, to 2235 miles on March 31, 1902, and the capital cost from £17,207,328 in 1901 to £18,170,722. The net revenue, £622,349, is equal to a return of 3.43 per cent, on the capital invested in the open lines, and of 3.19 per cent, for the total capital, £19,496,553, invested in opened and unopened lines. ; Tho Kawakawa section has again failed to pay its -way, the earnings being £201 less than 'the working expenses; tut the Nelson section, whioh showed a deficiency of £1531 last yejir, has this year given a net return of £1131, equal to 0.76 per cent, on the capital cost of open lines, ' Tho number of train miles run during the year was 5,066,360, being an increaso of 445,389 miles over tho previous year. This increased mileage has resulted from the continuation of the policy adopted last year of separating goods and passenger services, accelerating trains, and providing'additional facilities for travel wherever tho business warranted. , v The permanent additions made to the 'time-taolos during the past year amounted to 161,079 miles, at a, cost of £40,269. Each section of railway from Whangarei to Invercargill, inclusive, ' has participated in the improved service according to the requirement* of its traffic. The passenger traffic is assuming large proportions. The increase of 1,112,543, with the concomitant increase.of £72,616 in revenue, being a record. Workers' weekly tickets on suburban linos havo again been largely availed of. The number issued during the year being 49,444. The fitting of second-class cars with cushions is still being proceeded with as rapidly as possible. One hundred and two cars have boon do fitted during the year, making the total number of cars in use, for which cushions arc provided, 305; 164 locomotives, 263 carriages, 65 brake vans, and 1747 waggons have now been fitted with the Westinghouse brake.The major portion of tho vehicles so fitted are on the Wellington-Napier-New Plymouth section,.whore the brakes are in daily use on all the principal trains, and give satisfaction. The equipment of the rolling stock on the Auckland section will be put in hand very shortly. • The additions made to the rolling stook during the year consisted of 59 locomotives, 101 bogie cars", 27 bogio brake vans, 52 bogie and 1562 four-wheeled waggons, and 810 tarpaulins were'also added to tho stock. The heavy traffic which has of lato years had to be dealt with by our railways has necessitated the use of a rail of greater weight and strength than hitherto laid on the track. It has thereforo benn decided to adopt as the standard for all the principal linca a 701b rail. During the year just ended 40£ miles of' track wore relaid with this class of metal. The average -number of .men employed was 8313, against 7793 for tho previous year. During the year, 145 members of tho per : manent staff resigned, 35 died, 52 wore retired, 44 were dismissed, and 643 engaged. Three appeals 1 against decisions of the department were heard by tho Railway Appeal Boards during the year, two of which were allowed and one dismissed. The sum of £2240 has been paid as compensation and compassionate allowances to members retired from the forvice.and the relatives of members deceased during the year. The gros9 revenue, £1,874,556, ■' ha 3 exceeded the estimate by £114,5c6, and the net revenue, £622,349, exceeds that of tho provious year by £22,961.'- These results are (ill the moro satisfactory when considered in conjunction with the phenomenal increases that have taken place in the earnings of the lines during the last four years, and the. largo concessions made in passenger fares and freights, and additional, facilities provided in the way of train services. The receipts per train mile have decreased elighly, being. .88,75, against 89.75 (or tho provious year. Passengers (ordinary) show an increase of 1,112,543, for £72,646; season ticket 3, 17,857, for £3397. Coaching traffic gave an increase of £6849. goods and live stock traffic an increase of £58,880, mis-'-eollaneous revenue an increase of £1702, rents and commission an increase of £3876. The total increase of revenuo over the preceding year was £147,350. The working expenditure was £1,252,237, an increase of £124,383 over tho preceding year." Tho percentage of working expenses to revenue was 66.80, an increase of 1.50 over the rate for the .previous year. During the past six years the ratio of expenditure has steadily increased from 61.35 in 1896-1897 to 66.80 in 1901-1902. The expenditure for maintenance of the lino, buildings, and other structures has increased from £426 405 for the year 1900-1901 to £436,847- for 1901-1902, representing an average expenditure ' for maintenance of £196 16s per mile of railway open, a slight increase on hot year's figures. Tho increase as indicated in previous statements is duo to tho increasing ago of the lines, tho necessity for employing heavier rolling stock, and of regulating speeds and increasing weight of trainsconditions which render tho efficient niaintoninco of tho track an imperative necessity. The salaries anil wages of the staff have in recent years also been improved, which will not bo grudged by anyone. The sum of £777,959 has been expended under the head "Additions to Open Lines," and charged to capital account. Of this amount £176,339 has been expended on improvements to station buildings, etc., and £601,650 Ins been expended in the provision of rolling stock, conversion of cars' and wasgons into up-to-date stock, fitting Westinghouse brakes, etc. The expansion of the railway business year by year since 1895 lim been phenomenal, and its continued fjrowth is a matter for pine-ore congratulation, and it may, T think, be taltrn as a sure indication of the prospect of tho colony. The traffic over the railways has now assumed dimensions which render the employment of the heaviest type of locomotive a matter of the utmost importance to the interests of the colony, and the running of trains at frequent intervals and high speeds a matter of necessity. There are, however, considerable portion's of main line still .laid with light metals, and until such lime as these are replaced with, heavier rails and the bridges strengthened to carry tho heavier types of engines it is quite impossible, to obtain the best results of working. T therefore again strongly urge that consideration be given to the auestion of providing funds for the work indicated, as also for the further of safety appliances, such matters being of the greatest moment. The railways having earned over 3 per cent, on the capital cost, it is intended, in pursuance of the policy of tho Government to make concessions, "which will be dealt with .in this year's Financial Statement. I have also given instructions to materially improve the train services on the Auckland ,and Hurunui-Bluff sections. 'Fortv-fivo minutes has been takoh off the Clirist-church-Dunedi'n express trains, and additional mixed and goods trains run in various parts of the district. A new time-tablo will be brought into operation on the Auckland section, under which a daily express train will be run between Auckland and Rotorua, and improved services on other lines on the section. f|i view of the reductions contemplated in fares and freights and the fact that a considerable portion of the revenue for the past year resulted from circumstances of a non-recurring character, I estimate the revenue for the year ending the 31st March, 1903. at £1,875,000, and the expenditure at £1,300,000, and in doing so I fed that in gauging the year's operations I am, if anything, erring on the side of safely in mv estimate. It is only reasonable that, with the natural development that is going on in the interior of our country and the activity that must from year to year prevail in the conveyance of our natural products from the interior to the seaboard, increase in traffic should be looked for. In the outline that I have placed before you I am naturally anticipating that the conditions whioh have so far led to the material growth of our traffic cannot be expected to retrogress in the direction of a shrinkage that would justify a further reduced estimate than that which I have given.