D.—2

XIII

The annual revenue per mile of railway decreased from £1,125 16s. 10d. the previous year to £1,100 15s. for the year under review, and per train-mile from 9s. 2|d. to 9s. Id. The variations of traffic in the various districts were approximately as under : — Ghristchurch District, —Revenue, £676,802; decrease, £7,302. There was a large increase in the number of passengers carried, due to the visit of H.M.S. " New Zealand," but the passenger revenue shows a decrease. Parcels increased by nearly 15,000, chiefly cream traffic. Cattle increased by 5,000 and sheep by 257,000. Chaff, wool, timber, and merchandise show slight improvement, but grain decreased by 76,700 tons and minerals by 10,300 tons. There was less acreage under grain, and the harvest was also late. The decrease in coal was caused by the strike. Dunedin District. —Revenue, £497,527; increase, £5,409. There was an increase of 33,700 passengers, chiefly school and factory excursions. Season tickets also show an improvement. Parcels increased by 9,700. There was an increase of 57,700 sheep. Grain decreased by 47,700 tons, and there were minor decreases in wool and chaff. Timber increased by 2,100 tons, merchandise b3 r 6,100 tons, and minerals by 32,100 tons, the last-mentioned being in local coal during the stoppage of importation by sea. The grain-yield was poor and the acreage under crop less than last year. Inver car gill District.— Revenue, £329,297; decrease, £28,092. There was a decrease of 40,000 passengers, although school and factory excursions increased by 16,000. The decrease is attributable to loss of Easter traffic and exceptionally bad weather in the early part of the year. There was a slight improvement in parcels traffic. There were increases of 2,200 cattle and 18,800 sheep. Chaff and wool show improvement, but timber decreased by 7,200 tons, grain by 50,700 tons, merchandise by 6,000 tons, and minerals by 18,100 tons. Portions of the district had hardly recovered from the serious set-back caused by floods in the previous year. The increase of motor traffic has lessened the demand for oats, which is the staple crop. The decrease of minerals was caused by a strike of miners. hake Wakatipu Steamers. Revenue, £6,790; decrease, £231. Parcels and goods traffic generally show a slight improvement. The decrease is in passengers owing to the absence of holiday traffic. The train services generally have been well maintained. The following table shows the average late arrivals at destination for the year as compared with the previous year :—

Average Late Arrival of Trains, Year ended 31st March, 1914.

Locomotive. Mr. H. H. Jackson, Chief Mechanical Engineer, reports as follows : — The engines, rolling-stock, plant, machinery, and appliances have been maintained in thoroughly efficient working-order, details of work being as follows : — Locomotives. —On the Ist April, 1913, there were 513 engines in service, and on the 31st March, 1914, there were 534 engines. One small tank engine was sold, and twenty-two new engines were added to stock. Of the new engines added to stock fifteen were built in the Government Railway workshops, and comprised one large tender engine, Class Bα, ten heavy tank engines, Class Wg, and four Class X 94-ton tender engines, four-cylinder " balanced-compound " ; seven Class Ad 72-ton tender engines, four-cylinder " balanced-compound," were completed under the contracts with Messrs. A. and G. Price (Limited), of Thames. In the Government Railway workshops to date 125 engines have been built and twenty-four old locomotives have been rebuilt to modern designs. t

I-* n s 1-3 Ci >-5 Peri iod ending O O o CO 6 1-5 I . ! co a 1-5 a CO i o 8 isl 5 -S Expres: 2-07 1-30 s and Mail Trains. 'ear ending 31st March, 2-43 2-03 1914 'ear ending 31st March, 4-60 2-01 1913 2-03 ! 2-07 2-01 3-28 0-62 0-85 0'29 0-51 0-51 1-35 2-82 1-17 1-04 ' 0-76 i 2-44 1-21 1-80 0-92 1-40 1-80 0-92 3-28 1-00 0-88 0-57 0-69 1-04 0-92 0-92 I 2-40 1-67 I 2-40 Long-dis 2-44 1-25 I ■dance Mixed Trains. 3-15 ; 2-83 2-28 'ear ending 31st March, 3-70 3-24 1914 ear ending 31st March, 5 - 52 3'65 1913 i 3-24 I 2-44 I 1-02 0-92 I 1-06 I 1-97 1-97 j 2-54 3-10 2-44 3-24 2-44 3'65 3-35 3-65 3-35 1-46 1-17 1-34 i 1-30 1-71 1-71 1-89 2-94 2-52 2-52 2-64 i-U 2-58 Sul 'turban Trains. 0-39 0-59 0-62 0-47 0-57 O32 0-77 0-35 'ear ending 31st March, j 0'59 0-87 1914 'ear ending 31st March, j 0-76 0-60 1913 0-61 0-44 0-93 0-54 0-29 ! 0-15 I 0-23 0-39 0-42 J 0-27 0.29 0-57 0-47 0-51 0-45 : 0'48 0-65 0-62 i 0-56 0-55