OUR RAILWAY RETURNS.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 4 September 1901, Page 3

OUR RAILWAY RETURNS.

Splendid Results.

The Minister’s Statement,

(our parliamentary reporter),

Wellington, Sept. 3. The Minister of Railways (the Hon. Sir J. G. Ward), presented his second statement to Parliament this afternoon. It begins with the gratifying commencement that the year’s operations have again been most satisfactory, and shew a yer y large increaso on the business of the proceeding year. 2,212 miles of line were open for traffic against 2,104 on the previous year. The revenue for 1900-1901 was £1,727,236, being an increase of £103,346. The working expenses for the past year were £1,127,848, an increase of £75,490; and the increased net return for the year consequently was £27,856.

The interest earned on the capital cost of construction had increased from £3.42 per cent for 1899-1900 to £3.48 per cent for the year ending March 31st 1901. The interest earned on capital cost by

the lines in the Commonwealth states was

—Victoria 3.07; Queensland 2.7; South Australia 3.51; Tasmania 1.11; New South Wales 3.63 and Western Australia 5.80.

The net earnings of the Whangarei, Kaihu, Auckland, Wellington, Napier, New Plymouth, Westport, Westland and Pieton sections have increased, and those of Hurunui-Bluff decreased.

The alteration to train services and separation of goods and passenger trains on important lines as announced last yea r have proved satisfactory and beneficial to the travelling public. The ordinary times of many trains have been materially reduced.

The Minister proposes gradually extending the system of running separate goods and passenger trains as the colony warrants. Such services can only be granted, however, in cases where the traffic is sufficiently large to pay the increased expense. The convenience of a large section of the travelling community necessitates the separation of services.

The work of equipping the rolling stock with the Westinghouse brake is now being proceeded with as rapidly as possible, and it is anticipated that vehicles so fitted will shortly be running on the mail train to New Plymouth and Napier.

Two hundred and three second-class cars have been fitted with cushions during the year. 4 Foot warmers have also been obtained and supplied to the express trains running In the South Island.

The arrangements indicated have added considerably to the comfort of passengers, and it is intended to extend them until all cars are similarly equipped. The Pintsch system of lighting has been extended during the year, and now 502 cars and vans are so equipped. The cost of production of the gas was 6§d per 100 cubic feet less than the previous year.

The concessions made on June 24th, 1900, inordinary and suburban passenger fares, season tickets, rates, workers weekly tickets on suburban lines etc., was equivalent to a rebate of £75,000 based on the existing traffic and the charges for the. previous year. The result of these reductions exceeded the most sanguine expectations. The increase in the passenger traffic viz., 775,309 passengers, and 19,586 season tickets being a record. The increased revenue from these sources was £29,957. An average of 7,793 men were employed on the railways, as compared with 7,236 for the previous year.

Of the 3,662 casual laborers employed in the traffic vault, and insured against accident at a float of £541, charged to working expenses, seventy-nine were injured and received compensation during the year. One laborer and seventeen members of the permanent staff resigned, thirty-seven died, thirty were dismissed and 631 engaged. Substantial concessions in regard to wages and hours of labor have been made in the Railway staff during the year. The cost of the special allowance of wages per day to laborers and others in receipt of 6s 6d per day, and for tradesmen and other workshop employees, amounts for the year to £20,951. Daring the year the sum of £4,253 has been placed as compensation allowances to members retired from the service and the relatives of deceased members of the service.

The gross revenue for the year has exceeded the estimate by £167,236. 775,309 more ordinary passengers were carried. The increased revenue derived therefrom being £28,259. Season ticket revenue has also increased by £1,697, and the number of season tickets issued to 19,586 ordinary passengers have increased by 14 per cent, and the revenue derived therefrom by 6 percent, ? Holiday, school, and factory excursion traffic still continues to give satisfactory returns. The traffic from these sources has given an increased revenue of £716 for the year.

The increased goods traffic represents 211,813 tons, wool alone showing a decrease.

The total revenue derived from goods and live stock traffic was £1,109,548 an increase of £69,166 over the receipts for the preceding year. £825,032 have been expended in respect of additions ts rolling stock and improvements to station building and accomodation jpermanent way and structures. The The expenditure includes strengthening bridges, safety and interlocking appliances to rolling stock, and the conversion of obsolete types of engines and carriages into up-to-date stock, fitting Westinghouse brakes to Wellington, Napier and New Plymouth sections and lighting Petone workshops by electricity.