D.—2

X

TRAFFIC. Mr. H. Buxton, Chief Traffic Manager, reports that the following are the leading features of the traffic in the various districts as compared with the previous year : — Whangarei Section. Revenue, £70,200 ; increase, £948. Passengers decreased 13,772, season tickets increased 102. Live-stock increased 19,374. Timber decreased 5,463 tons, and minerals 11,287 tons. General goods increased 2,980 tons. Kaihu Section. Revenue, £9,908 ; increase, £775. Passengers decreased 3,503. Timber increased 849 tons, minerals 1,661 tons, and general goods 71 tons. Gisborne Section. Revenue, £44,261 ; decrease, £3,044. Passengers decreased 15,059. Season tickets increased 228. Live-stock decreased 4,397. Timber decreased 2,199 tons, and general goods 2,594 tons : minerals increased 705 tons. North Island Main Line and Branches. Revenue, £3,897,030; decrease, £112,266. The principal items of traffic were : Passengers, 8,464,457 ; decrease, 360.475. Season tickets, 317,128 ; increase, 11,256. Parcels, &c, revenue, £198,198; increase, £3,696. Live-stock, 3,796,723 ; increase, 198,671. Goods tonnage, 2,346,315; decrease, 15,663. Timber increased 11,769 tons, and minerals 37,184 tons. General goods decreased 64,616 tons. The revenue per mile of railway opened decreased from. £3,538 13s. Id. to £3,439 lis. 4-d., but increased per train-mile from 15s. to 15s. Sfd. The variations of traffic in the individual districts were approximately as follows : — Auckland. —Revenue, £1,561,781 ; increase, £31,419. Passengers decreased 66,749. Season tickets increased 5,711. Parcels, luggage, and mails increased £4,897. Cattle and calves decreased 28,994, and sheep 82,948. Pigs increased 31,617. Timber increased 12,012 tons, minerals 50,853 tons, and general goods 7,484 tons. Ohakune. —Revenue, £494,660; increase, £3,953. Passengers decreased 16,697, and season tickets 193. Parcels, luggage, and mails decreased £461. Cattle and calves decreased 13,170. Sheep increased 121,004, and pigs 2,463. Timber increased 375 tons. Minerals decreased 7,21.0 tons, and general goods 11,139 tons. Wane/anui. —Revenue, £679,567 ; decrease, £38,864. Passengers decreased 157,213. Season tickets increased 814. Parcels, luggage, and mails increased. £608. Cattle and calves decreased 16,137. Sheep increased 2,42.1, and pigs 4,738. Timber decreased 1,265 tons, minerals 9,035 tons, and general goods 23,033 tons. Wellington. —Revenue, £1,161,020 ; decrease, £108,774. Passengers decreased 119,816. Season tickets increased 4,924. Parcels, luggage, and mails decreased £1,348. Cattle and calves decreased 9,467. Sheep increased 183,512, and pigs 3,632.. Timber increased 645 tons, and minerals 2,676 tons. General goods decreased 37,928 tons. Picton Section. Revenue, £43,351 ; increase, £954. Passengers decreased 29,051. Live-stock, 128,751 ; increase, 11,744 (sheep). Goods decreased 5,675 tons. Nelson Section. Revenue, £28,195 ; decrease, £12,733. Passengers decreased 39,757. Live-stock decreased 3,476. Goods increased 340 tons. From the Ist April, 1921, the revenue of the Nelson wharves was collected by the Harbour Board. Westport Section. Revenue, £115,453; increase, £13,945. Passengers decreased 1,224. Goods increased 40,806 tons (including 36,000 tons of coal). Westland Section. Revenue, £189,150 ; decrease, £7,350. Passengers decreased 22,406. Season tickets increased 1,248. Parcels, &c, increased £46. Live-stock increased 2,967. Goods decreased 21,731 tons. The decrease of timber was 4,274 tons, and coal 18,600 tons. General goods showed a slight increase. South Island Main Line and Branches. Revenue, £2,238,023; decrease, £145,200. The principal items of traffic were : Passengers, 4,809,939 ; decrease, 562,420. Season tickets, 134,770 ; decrease, 5,015. Parcels, &c, revenue, £121,405 ; decrease, £1,022. Live-stock, 3,729,229 ; increase, 185,259. Goods, 2,277,451 tons ; decrease, 149,474 tons. The revenue per mile of railway decreased from £1,681 17s. 7d. to £1,569 13s. lid., but increased per train-mile from 14s. sd. to 14s. lid. The variations in traffic in. the individual districts were approximately as under :— Christchurch. —Revenue, £980,851 ; decrease, £55,665. Passengers decreased 265,547. Season tickets increased 2,776. Parcels, luggage, and mails decreased £479. Cattle and calves decreased 6,264. Sheep increased 164,257, and pigs 6,813. Timber increased 2,248 tons. Minerals decreased 19,026 tons, and general goods 55,385 tons. Dunedin. —Revenue, £774,071 ; decrease, £57,844. ' Passengers decreased 161,517, and season tickets 7,471. Parcels, luggage, and mails increased £222. Cattle and calves decreased 7,609, and sheep 33,304. Pigs increased 594. Timber decreased 297 tons, minerals 48,782 tons, and general goods 7,206 tons.