7

D.—2

home signal. Two new houses for employes were built at Cross's Creek. Featherston had a verandah built over platform. Masterton—Windmill, pump, and extra sidings. Eketahuna—Extension of sidings. _ Christchurch Division : A new traverser has been built for one of the Lyttelton wharves. At Christchurch Station additional luggage accommodation has been provided, with extension of platform, and new latrines. An old turntable-pit has been converted into a reservoir for water for fireextinction, capacity 45,000 gallons. Addington—Extension of sale-yards siding. Islington—Plat-shelter-shed, and urinals. Eolleston—Alteration of sidings and extension of platform. Eakaia—New level crossing at south end of station-yard. Ashburton—New office in goods-shed. A stock-bridge was added to the Eangitata Eailway Bridge. Timaru—New coal-shed for locomotives, and extra room added to refreshment-rooms. Loading-banks were built at Southbridge and Homebush, and cattle-yards at Cust. Dwellinghouses to the number of nineteen have had one or two rooms added, to the aggregate of twenty-eight rooms. Dunedin Division : The embankment at Kaka Creek commenced last year has been completed. Extra sidings have been laid at Waitati and Sawyer's Bay, and new cattle-yards erected at Sawyer's Bay and Warepa; Clinton platform lengthened; lining of Sawyer's Bay Tunnel lengthened. Invercargill Division: A new station has been built for Gore, with extension of platform. Edendale Station has been rearranged. Woodlands—New Stationmaster's house. Bluff—A wagontraverser supplied to wharf sidings. Dipton—Stationmaster's house enlarged. Cattle-yards erected at Wairio and Wyndham. Greymouth Section : New goods-shed on wharf at Greymouth. Westport Section : Extension of merchandise wharf at Westport. Throughout the various districts, a large number of dwellinghouses and station-buildings have had rooms and offices added to them. Expenditure. —The expenditure for the year on maintenance of way and works was £268,451. Besides this, there has been an expenditure on works chargeable to vote for "Additions to open lines," a total of £6,331, and on recently opened extensions of existing lines, a total of £3,210; also, for works done for Government departments, public bodies, and private parties—expenditure for which is recovered—an aggregate of £3,708. This brings the total expenditure controlled by this branch of the department up to £281,700. Of the expenditure on maintenance, the amount of wages was £185,256, and of stores and materials, less credits, £83,195 : total, £268,451. The maintenance expenditure is at the rate of £140 per mile per annum, which is almost the same as the previous year. Lake Ellesmere.— This lake was tapped by this department on 2nd September, 1893. The outlet closed again in November, 1893. Lake Forsyth.— This lake has not required tapping since 1888, when it was last let out by the railway staff. The water-level is still low. Private Sidings. —There were three new private sidings granted during the year, and twelve renewals, the aggregate rental on which is £327 per annum. Leases.— There were 192 new leases entered into during the year. The number of leases current at the end of the financial year was 1,010, having a total rent-roll of £11,742 per annum. I have, &c, J. Henby Lowe, Chief Engineer, Working Eailways. The New Zealand Eailway Commissioners.