D.—2

III

The Divisional Superintendents control and direct all transport work, including the running of trains ; handling of goods and passengers ; improvement of services ; maintenance of track, structures, and appliances ; allocation, use, and distribution of engines and rolling-stock ; and generally provide and control facilities for travel. The North Island Divisional Superintendent is assisted by a Locomotive Engineer and a Civil Engineer, and the South Island Divisional Superintendent by a Locomotive Engineer and Traffic Officer. The Locomotive Engineer also acts as the District Officer in charge of the Locomotive Running Branch and is charged with the provision of power for train services. The workshops, as in the past, come under the direct control of the Chief Mechanical Engineer. District Engineers (Civil), so far as the maintenance and general upkeep of the track is concerned, report to and take their instructions from the Divisional Superintendents. Traffic districts at Whangarei and Greymouth have been abolished and merged in the Auckland and Canterbury Districts respectively. The following extract from a report on the Divisional system of control in operation on the South African Railways clearly illustrates the advantages of the system " Two very important features, which are not very generally recognized, exist under the transportation or divisional system as applied to the South African railways : — " (1.) The Chief Mechanical Engineer supplies the engines and rolling-stock, and the business of the Transportation Officer is to make the best use of the engines and rolling-stock placed at his disposal. The Transportation Officer is not concerned with the maintenance of the engines or the stock, the cost of this service forming a charge against the Mechanical Department. The Mechanical Department, therefore, keeps a check on the condition of the rolling-stock, and it is the business of the Transportation Department to utilize it to the best advantage. " (2.) Whilst the Engineer responsible for the maintenance of the section of open lines is under the control of the Divisional Superintendent, there are four Maintenance Engineers—one attached to the headquarters of each system —who are under the control of the Assistant General Manager. The Assistant General Manager of each system has the benefit of the professional knowledge and experience of these officers in all matters of importance connected with the maintenance engineering-work of the system, and. it is the further duty of these Engineers to examine and report upon the condition of the permanent-way. But the Chief Civil Engineer is the officer who performs in relation to permanent-way somewhat similar functions to those carried out by the Chief Mechanical Engineer in respect of rolling-stock. He is first of all responsible for reporting upon and framing estimates for new lines. He supervises the construction of all new lines, and large programmes of relaying, resleepering, renewal of large bridges, &c., are carried out under his control. He is also responsible for preparing standard designs of all station buildings, houses, warehouses, bridges, culverts, &c., and any proposed changes of route, or deviations, or alterations in the lay-out of station-yards of any magnitude, must be submitted by Transportation Officers to the Chief Civil Engineer. This officer is also responsible to the administration for seeing that the permanent-way, stations, and buildings are maintained in a proper and safe condition. " It will thus be seen that whilst Transportation Engineers are directly responsible for the maintenance of the permanent-way, &c., it is the duty of the Chief Civil Engineer, on behalf of the administration, to see that the work is duly carried out, and that a proper standard is maintained.