D.—2

XXV

Traffic. The following are the leading features of the traffic in the various districts in comparison with the previous year : — Whangarei Section. Revenue, £90,139; increase, £16,176. Passengers increased. 13,331; season tickets decreased 144. Parcels, luggage, and mails increased £451. Live-stock decreased 1,765. Timber decreased 3,688 tons. All other goods'increased 31,388 tons. Kaihu Section. Revenue, £8,943; increase, £77. Passengers decreased 661. Timber increased 353 tons. All other goods decreased 137 tons. Gisborne Section. Revenue, £39,169 ; increase, £868. Passengers increased 4,499 ; season tickets decreased 4. Parcels, luggage, and mails increased £203. Live-stock decreased 15,336. Timber increased 788 tons. All other goods decreased 324 tons. North Island Main Line and Branches. Revenue, £4,059,143 ; increase, £170,596. Tho principal items of traffic were : Passengers, 8,322,954; decrease, 230,092. Season tickets, 376,759; increase, 39,643. Parcels, &c, revenue, £238,312 ; increase, £9,842. Live-stock, 3,637,187 ; increase, 233,244. Goods tonnage, 2,666,204 ; increase, 260,681. Timber increased 33,161 tons, and all other goods 227,520 tons. The revenue per mile of railway increased from £3,411 os. 2d. to £3,537 os. 6d., but decreased per train mile from 16s. ljd. to 15s. sd. The variations of traffic in tho individual districts were approximately as follows : — Auckland. —Revenue, £1,718,124; increase, £91,795. Passengers decreased 148,349 ; season tickets increased 24,901. Parcels, luggage, and mails increased £6,794. Cattle and calves decreased 3,259, and sheep and pigs 52,259. Timber increased 4,525 tons, and all other goods 155,853 tons. Ohakune. —Revenue, £507,330 ; increase, £19,813. Passengers decreased 28,924 ; season tickets increased 265. Parcels and luggage increased £39. Cattle increased 696, but sheep decreased 20,869. Timber increased 19,528 tons, and all other goods 16,973 tons. Wanganui. —Revenue, £644,524 : increase, £7,219. Passengers decreased 73,605, and season tickets 220. Parcels, luggage, and mails decreased £586. Cattle and calves increased 4,860, sheep and pigs 137,715. Timber increased 4,741 tons, and all other goods 52,336 tons. Wellington. —Revenue, £1,189,165; increase, £51,769. Passengers increased 20,786, and season tickets 1.4,697. Parcels, luggage, &c, increased £3,595. Cattle and calves increased 15,895, and sheep and pigs 150,465. Timber increased 4,367 tons, and all other goods 2,358 tons. Picton Section. Revenue, £37,398 ; decrease, £2,968. Passengers decreased 4,106, and season tickets 13. Livestock decreased 5,990. Goods decreased 9,439 tons. Nelson Section. Revenue, £24,773 ; increase, £949. Passengers decreased 3,755. Live-stock decreased 12,455. Goods increased 6,579 tons. Westport Section. Revenue, £115,643, decrease, £9,600. Passengers increased 10,622 ; season tickets decreased 323. Timber increased 94 tons. Ail other goods decreased 1.30,418 tons. Westland Section. Revenue, £225, 543j; increase, £40,787. Passengers decreased 1,547 ; season tickets increased 548. Parcels, &c, increased £2,261. Live-stock decreased 17,894. Timber increased 41,423 tons, and all other goods 49,852 tons South Island Main lAne and Branches. Revenue, £2,374,589 ; increase, £40,003. The principal items of traffic were : Passengers, 4,546,801; decrease, 204,706. Season tickets, 128,520; increase, 330. Parcels, &c, revenue, £144,003 ; increase, £198. Live-stock, 4,026,354 ; increase, 204,778. Timber, 143,230 tons ; decrease, 12,194 tons. All other goods, 2,342,301 tons ; increase, 49,881 tons. The revenue per mile of railway increased from £1,633 14s. sd. to £1,661 14s. 3d., but decreased per train-mile from 16s. Ofd. to 15s. s|d. The variations of traffic in the individual districts were approximately as under : — Christchurch. —Revenue, £1,049,103 ; increase, £42,998. Passengers decreased 286,646, and season tickets 2,469. Parcels, luggage, &c, increased £1,001. Cattle and calves increased 4,411, and sheep and pigs 97,420. Timber decreased 26,898 tons. All other goods increased 18,209 tons. Dunedin. —Revenue, £787,833; decrease, £13,167. Passengers increased 115,045, and season tickets 3,558. Parcels, luggage, &c, decreased £34. Cattle and. calves increased 3,844, and sheep and'pigs 75,542. Timber increased 2,680 tons, and all other goods 4,048 tons.

iv—D. 2.