i).-2.

APPENDICES.

APPENDIX A. ANNUAL REPORT OP THE GENERAL MANAGER OP NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS. New Zealand Government Eailways, Head Office, Sir,— Wellington, 28th June, 1902. I have the honour to report upon the working of the open railways for the financial year ended 31st March, 1902. The capital cost has increased from £17,207,328 to £18,170,722. The revenue has been £1,874,586, against £1,727,236 last year, an increase of £147,350. The net revenue has been £622,349, against £599,388 last year, an increase of £22,961. The expenditure has been £1,252,237, against £1,127,848, an increase of £124,389. The expenditure, per cent, of revenue was £66-80, as compared with £65-30 last year. The rate of interest earned on capital was £3 Bs. 6d., as compared with £3 9s. Bd. last year. The revenue per train mile was 7s. 4fd,. and the cost per train-mile, 4s lid., as against 7s. sfd. and 4s. lid. respectively last year. Extensions were opened as follows : — M. ehMokau to Poro-o-Tarao ... ... ... ... ... 11 20 Wedderbum to Ida-Valley ... . ... ... ... 12 32 Total ... ... ... ... ... 23 52 The total mileage added to the system during the year under review was thus 23 miles 52 chains, making the mileage of railways open for traffic on 31st March 2,235 miles, against 2,212 miles at the close of the previous year. 7,356,136 ordinary passengers, yielding a revenue of £575,697, and 100,778 season-ticket holders, yielding a revenue of £45,322, were carried during the year, being an increase of 1,112,543 ordinary passengers and £72,646 revenue, and 17,857 season-ticket holders and £3,397 revenue over the traffic under these headings in the previous year. These increases in passenger traffic are exceedingly gratifying in view of the large reductions made in passenger rates in June, 1900. 85,950 school excursionists travelled during the year, the revenue derived therefrom being £5,467, an increase of 6,934 passengers and £232 revenue over the preceding year; while 684,441 passengers were booked at holiday-excursion fares for a revenue of £136,813, being an increase of 55,273 passengers and £33,880 revenue compared with previous year. The coaching and goods traffic has been well maintained during the year, and there has been a very considerable expansion of business under these heads, as will be seen from the following figures, which show the results of the transactions for the year : — Increases. Coaching. —Parcels, 44,034 ; horses, 505 ; carriages, 170. Revenue, £6,849. Goods.— Cattle, 10,590; sheep, 312,669; pigs, 4,100; chaff, lime, &c, 7,534 tons; wool, 5,359 tons; firewood, 7,406 tons ; timber, 46,350 tons; grain, 40,774 tons; merchandise, 4,516 tons ; minerals, 77,551 tons. Eevenue, £58,880. Total increased goods tonnage, 189,490 tons. Decreases. Coaching. —'Dogs, 254.

The visit of their Eoyal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York to the colony resulted in a very heavy passenger traffic from all parts of the country to the various centres visited by the Royal party, severely taxing the capacity of our passenger accommodation, and rendering it necessary to utilise all classes of vehicles that could be made capable of carrying passengers. I am, however, pleased to report that the necessary railway arrangements were successfully carried out. The fitting of the Westinghouse brake to the rolling-stock on the Wellington-Napier-New Plymouth Section is now nearly completed, and it is anticipated that a start will be made to fit the stock on Auckland Section at an early date, and I would strongly urge the advisability of equipping the rolling-stock on the Hurunui-Bluff Section with the brake.