OUR RAILWAYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1901, 10 July 1890, Page 30

OUR RAILWAYS.

(Feom Ocb Own Correspondent.) Wellington, July 4.

The annual report of the Commissioners of Railways was presented to-night. They report a satisfactory increase of traffic, and give details whioh, however, have already been published. They state that the Masterton-Eketahuna extension is the only new length of line that has given satisfactory traffio results. The extension to Mokau, Kanohi, Springburn, and Hindon opened during the year, added io expenses, but brought no net revenue. Though the lines and appliances are reported in good order, and improvements have been made out of working expenses, the commisioners say they have been placed at considerable disadvantage from the want of funds from loan to provide for urgent departmental wants, and to give accommodation to the public where the growth of traffio had rendered it urgently needful. They say that a better financial result might have been attained in the past year had the loan fund been at the command of the commissioners for making due provision for accommodation properly chargeable against capital. They add :—" We beg to direct especial attention to this point. A considerable sum should be at our command annually chargeable against capital account to meet urgent public wants." They refer to various reductions in rates and improvements in the service made during the past year, and the state they hope to make still further reductions in rates, but that the demands made upon them in this direction would absorb £200,000 of the revenue, while employes' claims are very expensive, so that all demands could not be met unless Parliament specially provided for them. They estimate the current year's revenue at £1,080,000, as the exhibition traffic is over and the flax trade is slack. They estimate the expenditure at £678,000, rather lower than last year. Ie would have been less but for the great rise in iron and stores consequent on strikes in Europe, and there is little present probability of a material drop in price. The railway accident report for the year shows that no passengers were killed or injured from causes beyond their own control, but one was killed and 11 injured through their own carelessness or misconduct. One railway Bervant was killed and 71 injured from causes beyond their own control, and one killed aud 44 injured from their own misconduct or carelessness. Two persons were killed and six injured at level crossings, and 28 were injured in workshops; while there were six miscellaneous causes of injury. The totals are :— l2 killed and 166 injured. A return of railway employes shows the total number to be 4537, as against 4326 on the previous year. The return of the railway rolling stock shows 272 locomotives, 503 carriages, 8161 waggons.