D.—4a,

24

Plumbers' Work. —Making tanks, baths, lamp-cases, &c. ; preparing for sanitary work, gas and water services, and building-work, &c. Painting Work. —Painting and writing notice and name boards ; priming wood and iron work for country jobs ; glazing sashes and lamps ; painting velocipedes, trollies, &c. ; preparing and mixing paints for outside jobs. Blacksmiths' Work. —Preparing all classes of ironwork for bridges, wharves, water services, cranes, pumps, buildings, velocipedes, &c. ; making and repairing Permanent-way and Works staff tools ; repairs to track material, points, rods, crossings, &c. ; bending rails for overbridges, verandas, and other structural work. Fitters' Work. —Repairing oil-engines, pumping plants, stone-crushers, windmills, rams, turntables, weighbridges, fixed cranes, velocipedes, trollies, and generally all fixed appliances. In Dune din, Kaiwarra, East Town, and Penrose small bridge-girder work is also done. Motor velocipedes are made at Dunedin and Penrose. All work is carried out under job - numbers, with separate standing jobnumbers for general shop expenses, tools, and supervision. General Remarks. In our opinion the New Zealand railway-track has been exceedingly well laid, and the standard of maintenance is a high one. Such a high standard naturally reflects itself in the cost, and we think that in the case of branch lines, where the traffic is light, flying gangs might be usefully employed instead of having men permanently stationed there. We think consideration should be given to the question of reducing the number of District Engineers, of which there are nine. Three in each Island should adequately meet the case, thus enabling higher salaries to be given without increased cost. Absence of Reserves. No cash reserves exist to meet relaying, the work done year by year being relied upon to keep the lines up to standard. Based upon the life of rails, there should be an average of at least 100 miles relaid each year. It is not possible to determine future costs, but on the present price of material and labour a figure may be given of £3,000 per mile, a total of 100 miles representing £300,000 per annum. In the event of a less mileage being relaid in any one year, we are of the opinion that a reserve, representing wastage, should be set up to provide for the future and to keep accounts under this head level year by year. Proposed Deviation of Existing Lines and Improvements in Terminal Accommodation. The works foreshadowed in the programme of improvements, involving an estimated expenditure of £8,081,500 to be spread over the coming eight years, includes the balance of the cost of works . authorized under the Railways Improvement Authorization Act, of 1914. In the main the proposed works are designed to facilitate traffic movement by reduction of grade and enlargement of terminal accommodation. Considering firstly the deviations and works proposed at and in the neighbourhood of Auckland and Wellington we have no hesitation is confirming the necessity for a rearrangement of approaching lines and of the stations and goods-yards at these places. The cost of manipulation of traffic and the runningexpenses, due in each instance to excessively steep grades and inadequate station accommodation, accounts for the meagre return, in many cases, upon traffic conveyed to and from these centres. Auckland Proposals. The Auckland passenger lay-out we consider could be improved by the provision of a complete through-running station instead of a dead end main-line station as shown on the plan. As the city grows there will be suburban passenger traffic from north to south, and vice versa,, and this could be provided for as well as the main-line services in one station. With regard to the yards and sidings, the present traffic does not justify such expensive sidings and accommodation as the plan provides.