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17

GENERAL REPORT DEALING WITH SUBJECTS WHICH? ARE MORE OR LESS ASSOCIATED WITH RAILWAY-WORKING IN CANADA, UNITED'STATES OF AMERICA, FRANCE, AND GREAT BRITAIN. In treating the various subjects to which I shall refer in this report, it will be necessary to further consider some of the questions previously dealt with in my special report on the International Congress proceedings ; such being the case, a certain amount of repetition is unavoidable. I sailed from New Zealand on the 22nd March, and arrived at Suva on the 25th March. On 27th March I sailed for Honolulu, which port was reached on sth April. During the short time at my disposal I examined the tramway system. The service is good; the cars are very fine, large, and comfortably seated. Left Honolulu on the night of the sth April, and arrived at Vancouver on the 13th April. I called on the General Superintendent of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and discussed railway matters with him. Later on I inspected a large lumber sawmill, the daily output of which is 150,000 ft. The sawn timber is shipped for various ports, a large quantity being also railed east. The bulk of this timber is carried in box wagons, the loading of which is somewhat difficult. Coal to some extent is also carried in the same trucks. This is a special feature on the Canadian-Pacific Railway system. Empty wagons must be used as far as is practicable for any traffic offering, although they may not be very suitable for the husiness. Traffic was heavy and trucks scarce at the time of my visit, and consignors were only too pleased to get stock of any kind to keep them going. Taupaulins are not used on the Canadian Pacific Railway. Through the courtesy of the General Superintendent of the Canadian Pacific Railway, I was enabled to inspect an electric railway which connects Vancouver and New Westminster, a distance of twelve miles. The time taken to run the mileage was thirty-four minutes. The power required to operate the line is obtained from a waterfall over one hundred miles distant from Vancouver. New Westminster is situated on the Fraser River. It is the centre of the great salmon-canning industry ; a year's catch has reached 150,000,000 lb. Chinese labour is almost exclusively used for catching, canning, &c. Left Vancouver for Montreal on the 15th April by express train. It was a heavy one, comprising eight passenger-cars, one dining-car, and two vans. Each passenger-car had a coloured attendant. The dining-car has a staff of about five, exclusive of the conductor, who supervises the working of the car, and controls the whole of the staff on all cars. The wages -paid to attendants are low, but from the number of men employed it will be apparent that the cost of working is high. The cars were excellent and the equipment good. Catering left little to be desired ; the charges were, however, much in excess of those obtaining in New Zealand. The scenery crossing the Rockies is very fine. Snow was fairly abundant, and the temperature low, but the cars were well heated hy steam —occasionally too hot —so the cold caused no discomfort. Considering the time of the year, the track ran fairly well, but the maintenance is not up to the New Zealand standard. Taking a railway across the Rockies was a most difficult engineering undertaking, and the line is a monument to the skill of the engineer concerned. The grades are necessarily heavy, and the curves numerous, necessitating the employment of powerful locomotives. On some of the grades over which I travelled three powerful 95-ton locomotives were employed. Sleepers cost Is. 2d. each; their life is about six years. There are many miles of snow-sheds through the Rockies. They are costly to build, and their life is about the same as for sleepers. I stopped one day at Banff, a favourite health resort during the summer months. The Canadian Pacific Railway own a fine hotel there, which is open during the tourist season. There is a sulphurspring and a swimming-bath, the temperature of the water being 98°. The accommodation at the baths is by no means luxurious. •On the 18th April, when travelling oveT the prairies, a truck containing fish became derailed. The damage was considerable, despite which, after a delay of thirty minutes, we were moving again towards the next station, where the truck was shunted off. The Canadian Pacific Railway Company are the proprietors of a large number of excellent hotels, which are located at all towns of importance on the company's extensive railway system. Checking luggage at the Canadian Pacific Railway is carried out in much the same way as it is in New Zealand. No charge is made. Express companies have their agents at all the principal hotels. Agents also meet all important trains. In Canada and in the United States passengers travel with very little luggage, generally one small bag called a " grip," which can he readily placed under a seat. All heavy luggage is checked. The rough handling of luggage is proverbial; mine was no exception to the general rule, and it suffered considerably. The prompt delivery of your luggage at your hotel or private house is not always obtainable, several cases of serious delays having come under my notice. When crossing the prairies I noticed large numbers of immigrants dumped down on the open plains with their belongings, but without, so far as I could see, any place of shelter. I was informed that they soon settled down, and became good colonists. It seemed to me that a considerable amount of grit was required to enable them to face their difficulties. Whistling by locomotives is not much in evidence ; the engine whistles when approaching a station, not when starting, and very little for signals or other movements of train. The bell which is fitted on all engines is much used, and is continually kept going while engines are running within station limits, when running through and across streets, and for crossings generally. Lighting on the Canadian Pacific Railway is effected by various means—viz., kerosene-oil lamps, compressed acetylene, and electricity. In each case the lighting was good, especially the acetylene; the gas being compressed and carried in the usual cylinders placed under the cars. Electric lighting 3-D. 4.