E.—3

Rails and Rolling Stock. Rails and rolling stock have been ordered for all the work which is now under contract; and although we have been delayed in some cases by not having a sufficiency of these on hand, the shipments now advised are so large that there is little fear of delay arising from this cause for the future. Work in New Zealand. Contracts have been entered into for work in New Zealand to the extent of £1,885,000 during the three years 1872, 1873, and 1874, of which £627,750 was during the eleven months ending 31st May, 1874. These have principally been with local contractors, who have generally done their work remarkably well. The sum paid during the past year for work done in New Zealand, i.e. exclusive of the cost of rails and rolling stock, has been £600,000 nearly. Labour has been scarce during the whole year, and wages have been above 7s. 6d. a day rather than below it. Sleepers. The Government have entered into contracts, since the beginning of 1873, for the delivery of little short of 1,000,000 sleepers, including an order for 200,000 of jarrah. The price paid for these latter (4s. 3d. each) is not high when account is taken of the superiority of jarrah to all New Zealand timber, except perhaps totara, which is not to be got in the quantity required. Opened Lines. The lines opened for public traffic during the past year have been as follows :— Auckland to Mercer .. .. .. .. .. 8 miles. Wellington to Masterton .. .. .. .. 8 „ Rakaia to Ashburton .. .. .. .. .. 17 „ Dunedin to Clutha .. .. .. .. .. 6 . ~ Mataura to Invercargill .. .. .. .. 11 „ Total .. .. .. .. 40 „ Owing to the difficulty of opening a part of a line for public traffic while the contractors still have the right of running on the same line, it was thought better to agree with Messrs. Brogden for the Onehunga branch of the Auckland and Mercer Railway, and with Mr. Wright for the Rakaia to Ashburton, to run trains for public convenience while the lines were still in their hands. This arrangement terminated on the Ist May for the Onehunga branch, and will terminate on the 15th July for the Rakaia and Ashburton. The Wellington and Masterton line is being worked by the General Government, and the Otago lines by the Otago Provincial Government.

32

Lines. m § . ii 13 S3 £jD S B 9 1 H I I A. a s ill B. 60 .9 s 6" & ■i.5 & Ah |£Ts £°§1 p tn O - hA o a 8 £ 95,0001 102,000) M. ch. M. oh. M. ch. M. ch. M. ch. M. ch. M. cli. £owai Kangiora tangiora Addingtoa Jangiora Oxford iaiapoi Eyreton lolleston Malvern lacecourse Southbridge ... yaimate Main Line ielwyn Rakaia lakaia Asliburton Lshburton Temuka ?emuka Timaru ?imaru Waitaki ,Yaitaki Bridge ATaitaki Moeraki ■ ... iloeraki Dunedin 'ort Chalmers Dunedin \)komairiro Lawrence )unedin Clutha )lutha Mataura ttataura Invercargill ... rVinton Kingston 283,000 88,000 89,000 188,000 74,000 220,000 60, 000 261,000 430,000 210,000 156,000 326, 000 260,000 148,000 244,000 10,000 32 11 21 51 14 40 35 40 26 08 6 00 12 39 18 31 34 20 11 74 35 05 0 71 39 22 52 00 8 00 22 00 51 08 49 43 39 56 70 00 18 54 12 39 17 18 0 69 8 40 1700 1 45 28 40 10 29 13 37 21 51 14 40 35 40 2(j 08 1 13 20 55 11 74 6 65 0 71 39 22 1 13 6 00 13 45 31 20 13 "45 31 20 5067 1200 800 22 00 45 08 6 00 18" 00 2708 49 43 11 27 9 00 2829 50 00 20 00 20" 00 iurveys... 5,575,400 1010 48 89 58 57 74 103 65 583 24 337 47 127 45