D.—2

VIII

TRAFFIC. Mr. H. Buxton, Chief Traffic Manager, reports that the following arc the leading features of the traffic in the various districts as compared with the previous year : — Whangarei Section. Revenue, £60,858; increase, £5,971. Passengers increased 32,909. Season tickets increased 143, and live-stock 405. Goods tonnage increased 11,927 (timber increased 8,090 tons and general goods 5,260 tons, but minerals decreased 1,423 tons). Kaihu Section. Revenue, £6,488; increase, £387. Passengers increased 6,123. Timber decreased 3,456 tons, and general goods 248 tons. Gisborne Section. Revenue, £39,237 ; increase, £8,806. Passengers increased 26,648, and season tickets 24. Livestock increased 46,275. Goods tonnage increased 7,579 (timber increased 2,470 tons and general goods 9,081 tons, but minerals decreased 3,972 tons). North Island Main Line and Branches. Revenue, £3,259,747 ; increase, £410,920. The principal items of traffic were —Passengers, 7,118,330 ; increase, 512,963. Season tickets, 255,848;" increase, 32,773. Parcels, &c. (revenue), £166,898; increase of £17,464. Live-stock, 3,801,538 ; increase, 364,286. Goods, 2,074,583 tons ; increase, 175,965 tons. The revenue per mile of railway increased from £2,530 os. lOd. to £2,894 19s. 7d., and per trainmile from 13s. sd. to 15s. 3£d. The variations of traffic in the individual districts were approximately as follows : — Auckland. —Revenue, £1,211,397; increase, £138,717. Passengers increased 441,362, and season tickets 20,892. Parcels luggage and mails increased £9,379. Cattle and calves increased 2,844, but sheep decreased 24,753 and pigs 10,191. Timber increased 8,514 tons and general goods 41,887 tons, but minerals decreased 23,053 tons owing to the restriction of output at the Waikato coal-mines. Ohakune. —Revenue, £413,198 ; increase, £74,071. Passengers increased 58,725 and season tickets 790. Parcels, luggage, and mails increased £108. Cattle and calves increased 379, and sheep 70,318 ; pigs decreased 660. Timber increased 42,945 tons, general goods 14,029 tons, and minerals 13,600 tons. Wanganui, —Revenue, £591,180; increase, £59,600. Passengers increased 62,065, but season tickets decreased 611. Parcels, luggage, and mails increased £2,572. Cattle and calves decreased 5,354, and pigs 3,984 ; sheep increased 37,022. Timber increased 560 tons and general goods 48,405 tons, but minerals decreased 936 tons. Wellington. —Revenue, £1,043,972 ; increase, £138,532. Passengers decreased 49,189, but season tickets increased 11,702. During a portion of the previous year there was a considerable traffic in connection with the military camps at Trentham and Featherston. Parcels, luggage, and mails increased £5,405. Cattle and calves increased 16,900, and sheep 285,904 ; pigs decreased 4,139. General goods increased 34,834 tons. Timber decreased 1,128 tons, and minerals 3,692 tons. Picton Section. Revenue, £37,880 ; increase, £7,516. Passengers increased 29,737. Live-stock decreased, 32,325, due to a shortage of shipping for frozen meat. Goods tonnage increased 14,725 (chiefly chaff). Nelson Section. Revenue, £36,734 ; increase, £2,098. Passengers increased 7,710 ; season tickets decreased 48. Live-stock increased 7,370. Goods tonnage increased 6,728. Westport Section. Revenue, £90,139 ; decrease, £13,495. Passengers increased 7,725, and season tickets 120. Goods tonnage decreased 95,709 tons (chiefly coal). Westland Section. Revenue, £159,323 ; increase, £7,353. Passengers increased 52,160, and season tickets 1,984. Parcels, luggage, and mails increased £834. Live-stock increased 3,598. Goods tonnage decreased 61,952 tons ; timber increased 20,961 tons, and general goods 653 tons, but minerals decreased 83,566 tons (chiefly coal). South Island Main Line and Branches. Revenue, £2,054,204 ; increase, £333,103. The principal items of traffic were—Passengers, 4,552,376 ; increase, 689,151. Season tickets, 128,777; increase, 15,749. Parcels, luggage, and mails, £106,954; increase, £13,177. Live-stock, 3,506,801 ; increase, 243,256. Goods (tons), 2,280,704 ; increase, 302,858. The revenue per mile of railway increased from £1,225 17s. Id. to £1,459 4s. 2d., and per trainmile from 13s. 3d. to 16s. 3|d.