PROFITABLE RAILWAY YEAR

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 220, 18 January 1911, Page 8

PROFITABLE RAILWAY YEAR

IM.PORTANT ]MPROVEMENTS. REDUCING PROPORTION OF EXPENSES TO PBOiFITS. The Hon. J. A. Millar (Minister for Railways) ventured on a prophecy on Monday, in conversation with a New Zealand Times' representative, that the revenue of the railways for the year to end in March will lie a record l , and, best of all, show greatly diminished expense* in proportion to earnings. "The position is wry satisfactory," remarked Mr. Millar, ''for the diminished expenditure will enable the department to demonstrate that of its increased revenue it has only meant i.i,> extra cost to earn evert additional &\m." The progressive policy of improve ments foreshadowed in the Minister's last annual statement is well in hand. Mr. Millar mentioned that a big gradereduction work is in hand at Tuakau, on the Waikato line, the cost of which will be abut £7OOO, while a deviation near Hawera, also involving the replacement of an old wooden viaduct by a steel structure, costing £IO,OOO, is under way. "It will interest our financial critics," said thte Minister, "to know that the £IO,OOO viaduct is being paid for out of railway revenue. The other improvement, work is being done out of the £25,000' 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, which we intend to flatten to 15 chains where practicable, and to 12 chains where it is found that the cost of flattening to 15 chains would be excessive. All grades are to be reduced to a minimum of 1 in 70 on flat roads and Linßo on curves. We are encouraged in this policy by the experience of the New South Wales railways, which some years ago spent the .enormous sum of .ISyOOO.Ou) in this way, and saved at least eioo,<aoo per annum at the end of tho first five years. A locomotive which can take a load of 175 tons up a grade, of 1 in 40, can travel at twenty miles an hour with a load of 305 tons up a 1 in 80 grade, so that, you see, we will tremendously increase the hauling capacity of our engines by. this policy, and save money every moment, on every train that runs over tho improved line. Wie. will commence to feel the beneficial effects of this policy two or three years from to-day." "What grades will you improve nextt" ■*' "'illar was asked "We are commencing with the Auck-land-Wellington Main Trunk line, and will go on with the work on the Rotorua, New Plymouth, Napier and HurunuiBluff lines in order of importance." "And the bad grade on the Manawatu line out of Wellington J" "That will be dealt with later on," said Mr. Millar. "It is a big and expensive question, with so many tunnels, but the grade can be improved." ■MANAWATU DUPLICATION. "Possibly the duplication of| the line will come first," suggested the interviewer. "It is not required in the meantime; but the opening up of the country between Stratford and Ongarue will send more traele down the Manawatu, and we will -have to consider the duplication question some day. We have already spent over £IOO,OOO on the WellingtonManawatu line since its purchase, providing new crossing places, installing the tablet system, arid completely relaying the track with 701b rails from Packakariki to Lon^burn."