N.Z. RAILWAYS.

Te Aroha News, Volume XIV, Issue 2133, 23 July 1898, Page 2

N.Z. RAILWAYS.

Thb Minister for Railways in his fourth annual report points out the great and increasing; need of more rolling stock to enable th® railways to cope with their work. He remarks that ‘the people’s property is in as good a condition t<i day as it was three years ago, and concludes:— 1 1 claim to have fully demonstrated to . honorah'e members that the time has now arrived when a considerable expenditure of capital must be incurred on the open railways, so as to place the management in a position to cope with the increasing business. When we look to the experience of other countries wo find that the capital Cust per mile of railway has, in many cases, largely increased of late years, in some instances to the extent of several thousands of pounds per mile. In England it has -increased from L 49.257 per mile in 1883 to L 57,304 in 1896. Beyond providing additional funds for locomotives in course,of cdhetructiou 5 at.BEeide had in America,, Ihe Gov£riiJsep| dq ~pgfr preppsei to fl.Sk a greater Ihm than can profitably be spent in our railway workshops, and on additions to line accommodation during the currmt year. This sum, including the cost of locomotives ordered from abroad, I estimate at L 200,000, and Parliament will be asked, to place that amount at the disposal of the Government for the purposes enumerated. For the year ending 31st Marc\: 1899, I estimate the revenue at Li, 370,009, and the expenditure at L871,000.’