103

P.—l

Estimate of Cost. (Route shown green on map forwarded, and not recommended.) Cromwell-Bendigo Section — General construction— £ If miles at £45,000 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 75,000 8 miles at £25,000. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 200,000 3 miles at £5,000 .. .. .. .. . . .. .. .. 15,000 290,000 Estimated for same section by recommended route .. .. .. 202,260 Difference in favour of recommended route . . . . . . . . £87,740 Commerce. The length of the section, Cromwell-Luggate .. .. . . . . .. 27J miles. Average cost of maintenance and signals on Otago Central Railway . . .. £250 per mile. Car and wagon expenses, per train-mile .. .. .. .. .. 67d. Average cost of traffic and general expenses per train-mile .. . . .. 45d. Assuming one train each way per day, the following represents the total annual expenses for the Cromwell-Luggate Section: —■ Maintenance and signals .. .. .. .. . . 6,875 Locomotive car and wagon .. .. .. .. 4,790 Traffic and general .. .. .. .. . .. 3,218 14,883 interest at 5 per cent, on capital cost (£333,920) . . . . .. 16,696 Total annual expenditure .. . . . . £31,579 Estimate from Revenue from Cromwell-Luggate Railway at Present Stage of Development of Upper Glutha Valley. (From Railways Statement : Estimate based on Ordinary Railway Rates.) It is a'ssumed that half the present passenger traffic and two-thirds of the present goods traffic to and from Cromwell would be carried over the Cromwell-Luggate Section. Three-quarters of this traffic would be carried over the full section and the remainder for a distance of 17 miles.

GOODS.

I '111 Goods. | Unit. Quantity. ; Rate per Mile. Revenue. . . . | Miles. d. £ s. d. Grain .. .. iff Ton .. .. 700 271- 1-32 107 17 0 „ .. .. 700 17 1-32 66 1 0 Wool . . .. „ .. . • 700 27| 4-40 353 0 0 „ .. .. .. „ .. 700 17 4-40 218 3 0 Timber ... I 100 C.B.M. .. 1,260 27| 0-40 59 15 0 1,260 17 0-40 35 14 0 Class A .. .. Ton .. .. 370 27| 6-90 292 10 0 „ .. .. 365 17 6-90 180 16 0 Class B .. .. 365 27-|- 5-56 232 10 0 „ .. .. 365 17 5-56 143 15 0 Class C .. „ .. ■ • 360 27* 4-48 184 14 0 „ .. .. 360 17 4-48 114 6 0 Class D .. „ .. ■. 360 27* 3-66 150 16 0 „ .. .. 360 17 3-66 93 6 0 Cattle. .. .. •• Truck of 8 .. 170 27-| 7d. 17 0 0 „ .. .. .. „ .. 170 17 7d. 10 10 0 Sheep and pigs .. .. Truck of 60 .. 7.390 27* 7d. 98 14 0 .. .. „ .. 7,380 17 7d. 61 0 0 £2,420 7 0 |