The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY,JUNE 23,1887. NEW ZEALAND RAILWAYS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1591, 23 June 1887, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. THURSDAY,JUNE 23,1887. NEW ZEALAND RAILWAYS.

Among a batch of sessional papers which has just come to hand is a copy of the annual report on working railways and which contains a number of interesting facts. The total length of new line opened during the year was 114 miles and the new stations established number 36. The total mileage of opened lfnes at the end of the year was 1727 miles. The next earnings equal £2 6s per cent on the estimated capital cost. The best paying lines are the coalfield railways on the West Coast, the Greymouth line yielding 103 2d per cent, and the Westport £4 16s 8d per cent. Duriog the year 14 carriages and 356 trucks have been added to the 'rolling-stock and it is pleasing to learn that these have been manufactured almost exclusively m the colony. Fourteen locomotives.have also been added. These do not, as we understand include those contracted for with Messrs Scott Bros of Ciuistchurch which are expected to be completed during the current year. The railway department, besides the business specially appertaining thereto, is, it appears, performing post and telegraph duties at 136 stations under the supervision of the Post and Telegraph Department, the latter contributing to the expense. The traffic under the heads of passengers, parcels, live stock, wool and minerals has increased, while that of timber, grain and merchandise has decreased. The fallingoff m grain is attributed to the smaller production, due to the low market prices, and that m timber to the lessened demand caused by the cessation of building and settlement, the necessary consequence of the prevailing depression. It is added that "the grain-traffic loss has been superseded by an increased traffic m live stock, but the low rates at which the latter traffic and that of minerals is necessarily carried, do not return a revenue at all equal to that lost on the classes of traffic which have fallen off." The comforting information is given that " there seems every prospect that the coming year will show a greater traffic than any preceding year, while there is no reason to expect any large or. sudden increase m expenses, provided no serious casualties occur." And here it is fair to remark that the New Zealand railways have hitherto enjoyed a remarkable immunity from serious casualties from which it is fair to infer that the management is exceptionally careful. A nett return of £2 6s per cent is not so good by a long way is at this date we should be able to look for, and, notwithstanding the depressed times, we belieye that it could by the exercise of common sense and business ability be very considerably improved* But although we hold that opinion we admit that sime improvement has been effected as compared with the results shown m previous reports as is demonstrated by the fact that the expenditure only exceeds that of three years ago by ; £9,046 although m the meantime no less than 53 new stations and 250 miles of railway have been added to the ! system. The cost of workiog per rbile is therefore considerably less than it was three years ago. The great fault is that the requirements ot the business public and of the industries of the country are not sufficiently studied and that the earnings are consequently smaller than otherwise would be the case.