OUR RAILWAYS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 330, 21 January 1911, Page 5

OUR RAILWAYS.

RECORD REVENUE PREDICTED. The Hon. J. A. Miliar Minister for Railways, iterviewed recently, at Wellington, ventured on a prophecy that the revenue of the railways for the year ending March next will be a record, and the expenses greatly diminished in proportion to the earnings. This diminished expenditure will enable the Department to demonstrate that the increased revenue has only meant an extra expenditure of £25 to earn every additional £IOO. The progressive policy of improvements foreshadowed in the Minister's last annual statement is well in hand. Mr Millar mentioned that big gradereduction work is in progress at Tuakan, on the Waikato line, the cost of which will be about £7OOO, while a deviation near Hawera, involving the replacement of the old wooden viaduct by a steel structure costing £IO,OOO, is under way. "It will interest cur financial critics," said the Minister, "to know that the £IO,OOO viaduct is being paid for out of the railway revenue. Other improvement work is being done out of the vote of last session for that special purpose. We are taking the worst grades in hand first, and reducing them; also straightening the worst curves. All grade 3 are to be reduced to a minimum of 1 in 70 on flat roads, and to 1 in 80 on curves. We are encouraged in this policy by the experience gained over the New South Wales railways, on which some years ago was spent the enormous sum of £2,000,000, which gave a saving of £IOO,000 per annum at the end of the first five years. We will tremendously increase the hauling capacity of our engines by this policy and save money every moment on every train that runs over the improved lines. We will commence to feel the beneficial effects of this policy two or three years from to-day. "We are commencing with the Auckland - Wellington Main Trunk line," said Mr Millar, "and will go on with the work on the Rotorua, New Plymouth, Napier, and Hurunui-Biuff lines in order of importance. The bad grades on the Manawatu lire out of Wellington will be dealt with later. It i 3 a big and expensive question with so many tunnels, but the grade can be improved." Asked whether the duplication of the line would come first, the Minister said it was not required at present, but the opening up of the country between Stratford and Ongarue would send more trade down the Manawatu line, and they w : ould have to consider the duplication question some day. "We have," he said, "already spent over £IOO,OOO on the WellingtonManawatu line since its purchase, in providing new crossing places, installing the tablet system, and completely relaying the track."