D.—2

XXI

Nelson Section. Revenue, £23,359 ; increase, £2,248. Passenger traffic improved slightly, but there were decreases in chaff, firewood, timber, and gravel. The establishment of freezing-works is responsible for an improvement in the sheep traffic, and the visits of ocean-steamers for the mutton have improved the exports of other produce. The acquisition of the private; wharves has resulted in increased revenue from wharfage charges. Westport Section. Revenue, £116,028 ; increase, £13,565. The principal feature of the business was an increase of 103,533 tons of coal. There was an unusual demand in consequence of the temporary stoppage of the mines in New South Wales. The traffic in mining-props increased. The Wax business also revived ; but sawn timber decreased slightly. fVestland Section. Revenue, £129,649; increase, £6,060. Of the increase, £2,726 was in passenger traffic, due chiefly to increase of settlement. There was an increase of nearly 23,000 tons in the coal-export. The output is expected to be much larger when new mines in course of development are in full working-order. There was a decrease of 9,000 tons of timber ; but the business has recently shown signs of recovery. The mileage of this section increased from 130 to 138 by the opening of the section from Ruatapu to Ross. The business on the Ross line has been veiy light so far. South Island Main Line and Branches. Revenue, £1,330,563 ; increase, £89,542. The principal items were. Number. Number. Passengers . . .. . . .. . . 4,537,940; increase, 231,771 Season tickets .. .. .. .. 74,241 ; decrease, 531 Parcels, &c. . . .. . . .. 573,829 ; increase, 28,107 Live-stock .. .. .. . . .. 2,602,139 „ 193,528 Tons. Tons. Goods .. .. .. .. .. 2,224,158 „ 205,689 'The revenue per mile of railway rose from £!)(>! 16s. lid. for the previous year to £1,015 Bs. 3d. for,the year under review (an increase (if £53 lls. Id.), and per brain-mile from 7s. lljd. to Bs. 6d. The traffic expenses decreased as follows : Pel rent, of revenue, from £22*90 to £20-76; per mile of cailway, from £220:25 to £210-82 : per train mile, from 21-81 d. to 2117 d. The particulars of traffic in the different districts are as follows : Christchurch District. Revenue, £584,008; increase, £29,171. There was an increase of 80,000 passengers. Improvement was shown in all parts of the district, luit more especially in the vicinity of Christchurch. Cattle decreased slightly, l>ut sheep show an increase of nearly 50,000, and pigs of 3,400. There was aii increase of 135,000 tons of grain, due to some extent to an early season. Wool also showed an improvement, bul chaff, firewood, and timber decreased. Dunedin District.—Revenue, £442.759 ; increase, £29,822. Passengers increased by about 100.Q00. The increase was largely within the suburban area. Parcels t raffic also improved. Sheep traffic increased by nearly 90,000, pigs improved slightly, but cattle showed no improvement. The traffic in locally grown fruit was about the same as last year. Wool, grain, and merchandise show considerable increases, timber also improved slightly ; but ehan I . firewood, and coal show a falling-off. The use of electric power in Dunedin has adversely affected the local coal traffic. Invercargill District. Revenue, £303,796 ; increase, £30,549. Passengers increased by about 50,000, chiefly at excursion fares' though there was a general improvemeni in the local traffic throughout the district. Parcels traffic shows an improvement. About 55,000 sheep more than for the previous year were carried. Wool shows a substantial increase, and there were also increases in timber, merchandise, and coal; bul chaff, firewood, and road-metal decreased. There was an increase of over 60,000 tons of grain. Nearly the whole of the 1909 grain crop wan carried during the year, as well as a considerable portion of the 1910 crop. It is probable, therefore that the grain-tonnage for current year will show some decrease. Lake, WakatijM Steamers. Revenue, £6,763 ; increase, £325. There was a decrease of 881 passengers, due principally to a falling-off in week-end excursions. Parcels traffic shows a good increase. There was an increase of 4,700 sheep. Goods traffic generally, except firewood, shows improvement. The principal item. 265 tons of bridge-timber, is traffic of a non-recurrent character.