47

D.—4

Waiuku Branch Line. (Distance, 12 miles 55 chains.) The operating revenue and expenditure per mile for this branch for the past four years was: —

The operations for the whole of the branch for last year were as follows : Branch revenue, £5,225 ; feeder value, £2,016 ; total revenue, £7,241 ; workingexpenses, £9,051 ; interest, £9,191 : total loss, £11,001. Your Commission recommends that the passenger service be discontinued, and that the locomotive depot at Waiuku be closed and the staff transferred ; that goods traffic be worked as required, and that the rates be reviewed, the delegates appearing on behalf of the district having intimated that they would be willing to accept an increase and to make co-operative efforts to induce the traffic to the Department rather than risk the loss of the line. Estimated saving, £900 per annum. Taneatua Branch Line. (Distance, 111 miles.) The operating revenue and expenditure for this branch for the past year was: —

The capital cost of this line was £2,732,185, the construction of which was quite unwarranted ; the annual loss per mile is £1,387, and the total annual loss is £153,996. There is no possibility of this railway ever paying its way. As the interest charges have to be met, an endeavour should be made to extinguish the loss in working, and your Commission recommends that the express service between Taneatua and Tauranga, and vice versa, be curtailed to three days a week and a further reduction made in the goods service. At present the Department is running twelve goods-trains per week between these stations, whereas nine such trains should suffice. There is a considerable amount of sea and road competition along the greater part of this railway, which can only be defeated by the settlers making full use of the railway. If an improvement in results is not obtained, the service might be further diminished and expenditure reduced in operating and maintenance costs by running goods-trains only as required beyond Tauranga. Estimated saving, £12,000 per annum. Toko Branch. (Distance, Stratford-Tahora, 48 miles.) The operating revenue and expenditure per mile for the last four years was: —

v„„„ Branch Feeder Total I Working- T , , „ . , T Year ' Revenue. J Value. | Revenue. expense! Interest. Total Loss. £ £ £ £ £ £ 1927 .. .. 509 300 809 638 698 527 1928 .. .. 481 257 738 733 685 680 1929 .. .. 423 242 665 727 688 750 1930 .. .. 402 155 557 696 707 846

I j ! Branch. Feeder Total Working- T , , i m . i T Year. t> I tt i t> Interest. Total Loss. Kevenue. Value. j Ke venue. j expenses. ; . I ; I I 11 I £ I £ £ I £ £ j! £ 1930 .. .. 69,276 j 13,752 83,028 ! 116,478 120,546 jj 153,996

Branch Feeder Total Working- I r , , m . i T Year. at i ■ -d Interest. Total Loss. Revenue. Value. Kevenue. expenses. I I ! . . ££££££ 1927 .. .. 377 55 432 568 688 824 1928 .. .. 323 50 373 513 671 i 811 1929 .. .. 329 54 383 582 671 ! 870 1930 .. .. 330 42 372 587 692 | 907