D.—l 6

2

Some very erroneous views of what the Commissioners' practice has been are evidently in circulation. The total expendidture during the last two financial years on all classes of imported timber, whether for sleepers, piles, or other special purposes, has been only about £11,000, while the expenditure on local timbers has been £54,000. When these facts are made known the Commissioners think that it will be admitted that they have done no more than would be reasonably expected of them to fulfil the duties and responsibilities imposed upon them by the Government of the colony, through the Government Eailways Act; and they think that it will also be agreed that it would be injudicious to curtail the responsibility for the safe and proper control of life and property upon the Government railways by adopting any measures which might hinder or deter persons haying charge of them from maintaining and keeping them in the safest and most efficient condition which can reasonably be done. The Commissioners would respectfully suggest that this letter may be made a parliamentary paper. James McKeeeow, Chief Commissioner.

Enclosure. Return of Sleepers Relaid —all Sections.

No. 2. The Hon. the Ministee for Public Woeks to the Eailway Commissionees. Eailway Commissioners. Public Works Department, Wellington, 20th July, 1891. Be importation of sleepers for railway-maintenance purposes : Bef erring to your memorandum of the 14th instant, on the above-mentioned, subject, the Minister is much gratified to notice from the return of sleepers relaid on all sections of the New Zealand railways, which accompanied your memorandum, that the number of foreign sleepers used has fallen from 24,938 in 1885-86 to 4,168 for the two years 1889-90 and 1890-91. The numbers having been steadily decreasing for years, and having now got down to about 2,000 a year, it would appear that the 10,000 foreign sleepers, which the Hon. Mr. Seddon understands the Commissioners contemplate obtaining, will be sufficient for five years, or if diminution in the numbers used goes on increasing, possibly for seven or eight years' requirements. The Public Works Department has not imported any foreign sleepers for some years, but we have some 6,000 in stock in Dunedin, which, if the Commissioners are particularly in want of sleepers of this class, the Minister will be happy to transfer at the price they cost the department. Under all the circumstances of the case, therefore, the Minister trusts that the Commissioners ' will abstain from entering into new engagements for the supply of any large number of imported sleepers. H. J. H. Blow, Acting Under-Secretary for Public Works.

No. 3. The Eailway Commissionees to the Hon. the Ministeb for Public Woeks. The Acting Under-Secretary for Public Works. 11th August, 1891. Youe memorandum of the 20th ultimo : The Eailway Commissioners desire to thank the Hon. the Minister for Public Works for the offer of 6,000 jarrah sleepers, which they accept, and they have arranged to take over the sleepers. This will do away with the necessity for importing from Australia. " E. G. Pilchee, Secretary. [Approximate Cost of Paper.— Preparation, nil; printing (1,300 copies), £1 7s Cd.]

By Authority: Geoege Didsbuky, Government Printer, Wellington.—lB9l. Price, 3d.]

1884-85. 1885-8G. 1886-87. 1887-88. 1888-89. 1890-90. 1890-91. Total. Black-pine Totara Black-birch ... Oregon Kauri ... Blue-gum Jarrah ... Ped-pine Puriri ... Silver-pine Manuka Eata ... Kamai White-pine Creosoted Ironbark Creosoted red-pine 55,490 13,314 44,960 2 2,508 40 21,272 1,636 6,064 1,143 1 47,143 17,560 37,178 698 32 24,907 189 6,899 2,560 41,670 18,347 47,271 2,969 12 10,186 113 12,753 2,711 22,732 8,043 50,914 1,792 94 * 3,712 2,875 26,328 5,429 13,408 6,652 52,018 287 43 1,844 24,205 6,257 9,426 6,935 73,379 "l91 1J321 24" 082 5,463 6,728 22,025 52,540 "l76 "947 16i843 6,809 196,147 92,876 358,260 2 8,631 221 64,189 4,813 117,174 30,372 1 5,493 34,560 100 113 1,900 4 "72I 2,917 1,683 137 481 100 113 2,338 "251 7,104 1,354: 22,954 113 266 l7634 4 146,440 137,887 140,632 122,637 107,278 128,418 131,564 914,856 3rd July, 1891.