D.—2

XXIV

Owned by Postal Department and conjointly used by Railway and Postal Departments. 115 telegraph sounder sets, 82 telephones, 2,202 miles of wire, and 1,543 miles of poles. Expenditure on Electric Work, 1898-99. New work, £3,283 ; maintenance, £4,390 : total, £7,673. Block System. At the present time block working is confined to the operation of suburban and race traffic, between the following points —viz.: Auckland and Ellerslie, Te Aro and Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and Cross' Creek, Lyttelton and Heathcote, Kaiapoi and Eyreton, Oamaru and Waiareka Junction, Waitati and Dunedin, Dunedin and Mosgiel. It is proposed this year to apply the "Lock and block "system between Wanganui and Aramoho, and between Addington and Hornby. The block system in its most improved and up-to-date form will be from time to time extended as traffic becomes more congested. Owing to the lack of experienced electrical-instrument makers in the colony, it will be necessary to import the instruments. The following figures will indicate the great extent to which the block system has been adopted in Great Britain : — Double passenger lines in 1896 ... ... ... ... 11,252 miles. Worked under the block, 1896 ... ... ... ... 11,232 „ Single passenger lines in 1896 ... ... ... ... 8,774 „ Worked under the block, 1896 ... ... ... ... 8,735 „ Electeic Light and Poweb. At present no light or power plant has been installed. In 'order to show what is being done in this direction by some other railways, the following statistics of plant operated by the Midland Eailway of England may suffice. There were in 1898 oil-, gas-, and steam-engines amounting to 3,500 B.H.P. installed to drive dynamos for the generation of electric-light and power. This is being added to at the rate of about 400 H.P. per annum. I have, &c, Aethue H. Johnson, a.m.i.e.e., The Chief Engineer, W.E., Wellington. Signal and Electrical Engineer.

APPENDIX E. Sib, — Stores Manager's Office, Wellington, 13th June, 1899. I have the honour to report that the value of stores on hand on the 31st March, 1899, at the various depots amounted to £109,934 15s. 3d., as against £79,290 19s. 3d. on the 31st March, 1898. The stock is in good order, has been carefully and systematically inspected, and is value for the amount stated. I have, &c, Geoege Felton, The General Manager, New Zealand Eailways. Stores Manager.

APPENDIX F. Annual Eepoet of the Midland Eailway. Locomotive Superintendent's Office, Sib,— Wellington, 23rd May, 1899. I have the honour to report upon the Midland Eailway for the year ending 31st March, 1899:— Locomotives. —During the year one Class D locomotive was thoroughly overhauled. One La locomotive received heavy repairs, and three La locomotives received light repairs. Carriages. —One carriage received a thorough overhaul, and the other six carriages received light repairs. The lighting has been greatly improved. Brake-vans. —Two brake-vans were thoroughly overhauled, and one received light repairs. The brake gear has been materially improved. Wagons. —Nine wagons were thoroughly overhauled; seven received heavy and eighteen light repairs. Sixty-nine were painted. Ndw Stock. —Six Class U platform wagons have been added to stock; four of these were fitted with seats for carrying passengers. For the Belgrove Extension, ten Class L high-side wagons, two Class X covered wagons, and ten tarpaulins have been supplied. I have, &c, T. F. Eothebam, Locomotive Superintendent. The General Manager, New Zealand Eailways, Wellington. REPORT ON CONDITION OF THE MIDLAND RAILWAYS. Chief Engineer's Office, Wellington, Ist June, 1899. Reefton and Jackson Lines.—The track has been maintained generally in good order. The maintenance of railways in New Zealand has always been costly as compared with other lines, in consequence of the nature of the country, heavy rainfall, and liability to destructive floods. This applies to the Midland railways in a special degree. During the last financial year the lines were visited with several severe floods, which washed away considerable lengths of formation and ballasting, and also left the line in places liable to dangerous scour from the rivers. Several large