D.—la

1887. NEW ZEALAND.

WORKING RAILWAYS STATEMENT, BY THE HON. THE MINISTER FOR PUBLIC WORKS, 8th JUNE, 1887.

Laid on the Table by Son. Mr. Richardson, with Leave of the Souse.

[EXTKACT FBOM GENBKAL MaXAGEB'S Rf.PORT ON WORKING RAILWAYS.] Total length of line open at end of year .... .... .... 1,727 miles. There have been opened during year .... .... .... 114 ~ The net revenue on opened lines for year .... £2 6s. per cent, on their total cost.

I am not going to follow the report all through, but owing to statements which have been made both in and out of the House that little, if any, savings have been effected on the management of the railways, it is only fair to the Government and the department to point out that the report shows that during the past three years a saving has been effected—taking as a basis a mileage-rate on length of railways open —at the rate of fully £100,000 per annum, without reducing wages or salaries. I quote a portion of the tables : —

This shows that the adverse criticisms which have been made in this House to the effect that the statements made that the savings referred to by the Hon. Colonial Treasurer in his Financial Statement are owing to lessening of traffic, are incorrect, for it will be seen that— Total receipts for 1884-85 amount to .... £1,045,712 Total expenditure .... .... £690,026 Total tonnage carried .... .... .... 1,749,856 tons; While total receipts for year 1886-87 amount to £998,768 Total expenditure .... .... .... £699,072 T)tal tonnage carried .... .... .... 1,747,754 tons. The tonnage carried and the expenditure for the two periods being practically the same, and the difference in receipts, say £50,000, being mainly owing to reductions made in rates for local production. The report further shows that during this same period, while the expenditure has only increased by £9,046 on the past year over that for 1884-85, we have opened, maintained, and worked the traffic on an additional 250 miles of railway, with fifty-three new stations. As regards the estimates for the current year, it has been stated that the -expectation of the Government cannot be realized.

Year. Miles, 83-84 1,396 961,304 84-85 1,477 1,045,712 85-86 1,613 1,047,419 86-87 1,727 998,768 Eevenue. Expenditure. Tonnage. Parcels, <So. Cattle, Sheep, &c. Passengers. Season Tickets. 655,990 1,700,040 359,890 686,287 3,272,644 i 9,036 690,026 1,749,856 347,425 729,528 3,232,886 : 8,999 690,340 1,823,767 349,428 858,662 3,362,266 i 10,717 699,072 1,747,754 372,397 942,017 3,426,403 j 11,821