D.—2,

XVIII

10. Increased facilities for passengers' comfort and convenience, and modern equipment at principal stations and on trains. 11. Action to eliminate smoke nuisance. 12. Further utilization of rail-cars. 13. Investigation of new methods to make further use of soft coals. 14. Uniformity tribunal to place staffing matters on the same footing in all Government Departments. 15. Extension of facilities for holiday concessions to scholars and students. 16. Mail-exchangers to be employed for express trains to expedite mail-work. 17. Further separation of " goods " and " passenger " traffic by the elimination of " mixed " trains. 18. Introduction of train-control on principal sections of line. 19. Further extension of Railway Conference facilities in the direction of assisting standardization as between Australia and New Zealand. 20. Trial of improved locomotives types to reduce operating costs. 21. Further tariff adjustments to assist primary and secondary industrial development. 22. Workshops reorganization in accordance with the most modern practice. 23. Further action in the direction of eliminating level-crossings. 24. Yard and grade improvements where such will assist reduction in operatingcost. 25. Extension of automatic signalling-systems and of railway electrification where warranted. 26. Further development of departmental housing activities. 27. Better amalgamation of transport services throughout the Dominion to produce better operating-conditions and improved economic effort. Conclusion. In conclusion, I desire to place on record my appreciation of the capable manner in which all employees of the Department have carried on the year's work. Every emergency has been met with good judgment and in the right spirit of practical helpfulness. The year has been one in which the generally low prices received for the country's exportable surplus of products have reacted unfavourably upon what might be termed " pleasure travelling " within the Dominion, yet it is to the building-up of this class of business that the Railways, as such, must look if they are to make up the leeway in passenger traffic resulting from defections to the road by so many business travellers in the suburban areas. The general outlook is now more promising ; and with continued co-operation in the administration and operation of Railway affairs, supported by further effort and new enterprise in the directions suggested earlier in this statement, I feel assured that, given a period of normal progress within the Dominion, the Railway position, can be still further improved as the present programme of extensions and betterments draws towards completion.