D.— 2

II

During the year 21 new locomotives, 9 carriages, 4 brake-vans, and 149 wagons, and 100 tarpaulins were completed and put into traffic ; and 15 locomotives, 38 carriages, 12 brake-vans, 175 bogie and 875 four-wheeled wagons, and 950 tarpaulins were in hand on the 81st March. EESULTS OF WORKING. The following is a summary of the results of working for the year ending 31st March, 1918, as compared with 1917 : —

With a view to mitigating to some extent the disabilities under which the lowerpaid members of the Railway service labour in respect of the enhanced cost of living, a war allowance at the rate of £15 per annum was granted to married members of the First Division in receipt of salaries not exceeding £220 per annum, and. Is. per day to all married members of the Second Division. These allowances became operative em the 9th December, 1.917, anel are in addition to the war bonus granted on the, Ist April, 1916, to members of the Railway staff in receipt of not more than £315 per annum and still in operation. The actual expenditure involved in the allowance and bonus is £2110,034,

Year ended 31st March. i'ATtTrour.AKS. ■ 1917. 1918. Total miles open for traffic ... ... ... 2,970 2,993 Average miles open for year ... ... ... 2,970 2,977 Capital cost of opened and unopened linos ... ... £38,187,173 £38,798,163 Capital cost of open lines ... ... ... £35,378,664 £36,001,432 Capital cost per mile of open lines ... ... ... £11,912 £12,029 Gross earnings ... ... ... ... £4,800,810 £4,687,700 Working-expenses ... ... ... ... £2,926,864 £3,042,907 NET PROFIT ON WORKING £1,873,946 £1,644,793 PERCENTAGE OF PROFIT TO CAPITAL INVESTED ... ... ... ... j 530 460 .. _ ___ : ' tt._ -_ _z :_"._ ::: PERCENTAGE OF WORKING-EXPENSES TO EARNINGS ... ... ... 6097 6491 ""' " i Earnings per average mile open ... ... ... £1,619 £1,578 Working-expenses per average mile open ... ... £987 £1,023 NET EARNINGS PER AVERAGE MILE OPEN-. .. .. -. .. £632 £555 d. d. Earnings per train-mile ... ... ... ... 125-75 150-50 Working-expenses per train-mile ... ... ... 76-63 97-54 NET EARNINGS PER TRAIN-MILE ... 4912 5296 Passengers, ordinary ... ... ... ... 14,173,115 11,408,156 Season tickets ... ... ... ... 355,832 322,487 Goods tonnage .... ... ... ... 5,826,265 5,378,136 Live-stock tonnage ... ... ... .... 412,908 369,832 Train-mileage ... ... ... ... 9,146,331 7,468,646 Locomotives ... ... ... ... 607 624 Passenger-cars ... ... ... ... 1,480 1,488 Wagons and brake-vans ... .. ... ... 22,380 22,517