D.—2.

STATEMENT No. 14. Expenditure on Construction of Railways, Rolling-stock, etc., to 31st March, 1931; Net Revenue and Rate of Interest earned on Capital expended on Opened Lines for Year ended same Date.

Note—The amount stated in this return as the cost of construction of opened lines includes the Provincial and General Government expenditure on railways. It also includes the Midland Railway and expenditure by the Greymouth and Westport Harbour Boards on railways and wharves under the provisions of section 7 of the Railways Authorization Act, 1885, the information regarding the last-mentioned being furnished by the respective Boards. The rate of interest earned has been computed on the cost proportionately to the time during which the lines taken over by the Working Railways Department within the financial year were earning revenue, thus : North Island Main Line and Branches —Eskdale-Putorino opened for traffic 6th October, 1930. No allowance has been made in the capital for the writing-off of £8,100,000, vid» section 20, Finance Act, 1929. The rate of interest earned on the reduced capital was £1 6s. 6d. per cent.

14

Opened Lines. . TT , , T . Rate of Section of Railway. Revenue Intere , st Lines and Rolling- rn„ fo , Lims - Revenue. earned . Works. stock. iotal - [ £ £ £ £ £ £ s. d. Kaihu .. .. .. .. .. 177,137 13,043 190,180 .. -3,499 Gis'borne' .. '.'. '.'. '.'. 72,960 848,284 .. -12,218 1,325,787 North Island Main Line and Branches .. 25,973,378 6,341,994 32,315,372 .. 377,440 1 4 3 5,533,734 South Island Main Line and Branches .. 17,807,919 4,942,163 22,750,082 .. 17,086 0 1 6 216,229 Westport .. .. .. .. 563,135 152,100 715,235 .. 22,701 3 3 8 497,826 Nelson.. .. .. .. .. 532,871 42,632 575,503 .. -17,685 „ .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 268,613 Picton .. .. .. .. .. 631,849 49,731 681,580 .. -8,581 „ .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 243,604 46,461,613 11,614,623 58,076,236 8,085,793 375,244 0 13 3 Lake Wakatipu steamer service .. .. 45,040 .. 45,040 .. —4,898 Subsidiary services, &c. .. .. .. 2,413,982 .. 2,413,982 .. 318,381 13 6 2 In suspense — Surveys, North Island .. .. .. .. .. .. 30,501 Surveys, South Island .. .. .. .. .. .. 5,763 General .. .. .. .. 9,896 .. 9,896 10,337 P.W.D. stock of permanent-way .. .. .. .. 1,477 48,930,531 11,614,623 60,545,154 .. 688,727 1 3 3 8,133,871 _____ _____ V I ... . ' y Total cost of opened and unopened lines at .. .. 68,679,025 .. 10 6 31st March, 1931