D.-2

XXIX

The decline in passenger revenue is attributable to there being practically no Easter booking in this year's figures. An analysis of the expenditure discloses the following variations : — £ Wages and expenses, steamer .. .. .. .. 278 Increase. Fuel .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 134 Decrease. Stores .. .. .. .. .. .. 213 Repairs, steamers .. .. .. .. .. .. 327 ~ Repairs, wharves and buildings .. .. .. .. 1,34-5 Increase. £949 Increase. This service continues to show a loss, there having been an increase in the loss as compared with last year of £442, due to an increase in expenditure on repairs, wharves, &c. (other than steamer repairs), of slightly over £1,300. The expenditure under this heading was quite exceptional, as will be realized when it is noted that the expenditure for the year was £1,495, as compared with £149 for the previous year. As I indicated in my last report, the position in regard to the Lake Wakatipu steamer service was gone into during the year, and consideration was given to the question of the replacement of the vessels "Mountaineer" and "Ben Lomond," which have reached the end of their useful life. Proposals regarding the tariff were also formulated and discussed with representatives of local bodies in this district. Considerable complication of the situation developed, however, as the result of agitation in the district for the completion of the road between Kingston and Queenstown, and it was not possible to reach finality regarding this service before the end of the financial year. The matter is therefore still under consideration. STORES BRANCH. The amount expended in connection with the purchase of stores and. material during the year was £2,570,357 13s. 2d., and the expenditure was divided as follows :— £ s. d. To merchants, manufacturers, and others in New Zealand .. 842,692 16 5 Through High Commissioner, London .. .. ... .. 429,633 17 11 Material manufactured in railwav workshops .. .. .. 328,701 19 3 Coal and coke .. ..' .. .. .. .. 831,479 16 6 Stationery.. .. .. .. .. .. .. 43,502 1 7 For manufactured and used material recovered from other railway branches .. .. .. .. .. .. 94,347 1 6 £2,570,357 13 2 There was a net increase in this year's expenditure over that of the previous year of £82,992 9s. 3d., and the following variations are shown when compared with the figures for the year ended 31st March, 1929 :— Increase. Decrease. £ s. d. £ s. d. To merchants, manufacturers, and others in New Zealand .. 85,960 5 9 Through High Commissioner, London .. .. .. .. 173,107 15 5 Material manufactured in railway workshops .. .. .. 38,325 5 1 Coal and coke .. .. .. .. .. .. 117,890 11 7 Stationery .. .. .. .. .. .. 10,268 19 11 For manufactured and used material recovered from other railway branches .. .. .. .. .. .. 3,655 2 4 £256,100 4 8 £173,107 15 5 The decrease in the High Commissioner's payments is due to the fact that the figures for the previous year included payments for machinery and material for the new workshops. The increased payment to merchants, manufacturers, and others in New Zealand is due to the fact that supplies have been procured through New Zealand merchants and agents to a greater extent than in previous years. Of the total expenditure for the year 1930, amounting to £2,570,357, the purchases made within the Empire totalled £2,525,514, or 98-2 per cent., while products from the United States of America, chiefly oils, amounted to £44,843, or 1-8 per cent. Coal-supplies. The average consumption of coal per week during the year ended 31st March, 1930, was 9,159 tons, which was an increase of 919 tons per week over that of the previous year. A comparison of the purchases of New Zealand and imported fuel for five years ended 31st March, 1930, is as follows :— v - New Zealand. Per Cent. Imported. Per Cent. Total. 1 ear - Tons. of Total. Tons. of Total. Tons. 1924-25 .. .. 94,351 23-16 313,107 76-84 407,458 1925-26 .. .. 85,393 23-49 278,076 76-51 363,469 1926-27 .. .. 187,793 49-30 193,163 50-70 380,956 1927-28 .. .. 288,646 65-50 152,025 34-50 440,671 1928-29 .. .. 356,724 84-25 66,675 15-75 423,399 1929-30 .. .. 355,214 74-59 121,037 25-41 476,251 The total consumption by the Department for the year was 473,192 tons, involving an expenditure of £829,866, or an average of £1 15s. Id. per ton.