D.—2

XXV

decrease, 13,142. Parcels, luggage, &c., revenue, £236,749 ; decrease, £14,654. Live-stock, 4,799,313 ; increase, 420,402. Goods tonnage, 3,021,997 ; decrease, 71,383. Timber decreased 69,465 tons. All other goods decreased 1,918 tons. The revenue per mile of railway decreased from £3,611 3s. 7d. to £3,386 4s. 5d., and decreased per train-mile from 14s. Bd. to 13s. Bd. The variations in the individual districts were approximately as follows :— ■ Northern District. —Revenue, £2,053,021 ; increase, £4,590. Passengers decreased 374,003. Season tickets decreased 23,300. Parcels luggage, &c., decreased £611. Oat-tie increased 4,898, and sheep 123,479. Timber decreased 24,519 tons, and all other goods 4,475 tons. Middle District. —Revenue, £545,205; decrease, £19,940. Passengers decreased 47,188, and season tickets 621. Parcels, luggage, &c., decreased £1,467. Cattle increased 5,385, and sheep 139,866. Timber decreased 39,423 tons, and all other goods 20,401 tons. Western District. —Revenue, £480,394; decrease, £19,287. Passengers decreased 58,497, and season tickets 866. Parcels and luggage decreased £2,758. Cattle increased 8,095, and sheep 179,560. Timber decreased 4,946 tons, and all other goods incrfeased 40,325 tons. Southern District. —-Revenue, £1,299,110; decrease, £122,579. Passengers decreased 607,247. Season tickets increased 11,645. Parcels, luggage, &c., decreased £9,818. Cattle decreased 15,963, and sheep 24,918. Timber decreased 577 tons. All other goods decreased 17,367 tons. Picton Section.—Revenue, £38,389 ; decrease, £3,963. Passengers decreased 14,515, and season tickets increased 85. Cattle increased 274, and sheep 18,778. Timber decreased by 205 tons, and all other goods 8,4.55 tons. Nelson Section.—-Revenue, £23,346 ; decrease, £4,936. Passengers decreased 2,076, and season tickets 163. Timber decreased 1,088 tons, and all other goods 2,139 tons. Cattle decreased 160, and sheep 5,950. West-port Section.—Revenue, £141,588; increase, £14,320. Passengers decreased 4,301, and season tickets 217. Parcels, luggage, &c., increased £3. All other goods increased 82,551 tons. South Island Main Line and Branches Section.—Revenue, £2,799,315 ; decrease, £9,136. The principal items of traffic were : Passengers, 4,313,698 ; decrease, 400,183. Season tickets, 162,477 ; decrease, 1,692. Parcels, luggage, &c., revenue, £132,574 ; decrease, £16,682. Live-stock, 4,171,892 ; increase, 258,647. Timber, 274,459 tons ; decrease, 31,394 tons. All other goods, 2,704,964 tons ; increase, 59,343 tons. The revenue per mile of railway decreased from £1,752 2s. 6d. to £1,730 2s. 2d., and decreased from 14s. 7d. per train-mile to 14s. The variations of traffic in the individual districts were approximately as follows :—- Northern District.—Revenue, £1,220,831 ; decrease, £3,969. Passengers decreased 155,393, and season tickets increased 1,266. Parcels, luggage, &c., decreased £8,687. Cattle decreased 5,795. Sheep increased 133,121. Timber decreased 17,870 tons, and all other goods increased 77,626 tons. Middle District. —-Revenue, £869,180 ; decrease, £10,161. Passengers decreased 188,175, and season tickets 1,093. Parcels, luggage, &c., decreased £5,021. Cattle increased 202, and sheep 38,125. Timber decreased 3,184 tons. All other goods decreased 19,589 tons. Southern District.—Revenue, £709,304; increase, £4,994. Passengers decreased 56,615, and season tickets 1,865. Parcels, luggage, &c., decreased £2,974. Cattle increased 1,217, and sheep 91,777. Timber decreased 10,340 tons, and all other goods increased 1,306 tons. Lake Wakatipu Steamers. —Revenue, £10,271 ; decrease, £354-. Passengers increased 4,430. Parcels, &c., decreased £109. Timber decreased 241 tons, and all other goods 462 tons. Train-services.—The following table shows the average late arrivals of the suburban, mixed, and express trains for the year : —

Average Late Arrval of Trains, Year ended 31st March, 1927.

j.v—D. 2,

I 1 Period ended S£ — —— — g CO Year ended . I ® I i | S3 1 1 £ & ® 53 §J r-i j . <2 § rQ S S «S 0 ,£3 ,d c3.5 >. I & ! § § -g, § 1 § g I 1 § £ oj c3 3 & at" O a> a | a | 5 * n m o & n 4 £ a & <i Express and Mail Trains. March 31st, 1927 .. I 8-54 6*57 4-86 I 3 09 5-38 , 3-15 4-65 6-54 i 4-83 I 9-76 5-49 i 5-58 8-79 ! 5-94 March 31st, 1926 .. | 5-22 3-98 I 7-10 | 311 3-82 \ 5-26 | 3-37 1-92 I 3-84 11-27 9-39 \ 7-39 6-43 \ 5-54. Long-distance Mixed Trains. March 31st, 1927 .. 110-52 7-55 ; 6-16 I 4-07 4-28 3-71 3-63 5-43 | 4-55 1 7-02 j 5-49 | 7-23 j 9-87 6-12 March 31st, 1926 . . ; 8-08 ' 6-27 \ 4-86 \ 3-82 \ 3-83 3-98 2-63 3-50 4-77 ! 9-24 \ 8-84 \ll-19 \10-69 6-27 Suburban Trains. March 31st, 1927 .. 0-89 0-63 0-50 | 0-50 0-47 0-36 0-37 1 0-75 I 0-40 j 0-85 [ 0-73 I 0-79 1-85 I 0-70 March 31st, 1926 . . | 0-77 \ 116 0-88 \ 0-68 0-72 0-57 \ 0-27 j 0-41 \ 0-26 \ 0-72 \ 0-73 \ 0-95 0-76 | 0 68