399

during the past six years. The results, however, compare very favourably with the other states, and are only exceeded by those of New South Wales, with the exception of the year just closed, when New Zealand showed a slightly higher net return.

The gross earnings, expenditure, and net earnings per average mile open for the past ten years are as follow:

:

The foregoing table indicates that the gross earnings have increased from £613 per average mile open to £873, and the net earnings from £229 to £279, the return for 1902 being the highest secured during the decennial period, and that for 1903 being only £1 less-evidence of the fact that the extensions in recent years have been judicious, and that the volume of traffic has been maintained.

Coaching and Goods Traffic.

The following table shows the number of passengers carried on the lines of the colony during the year ended 31st March, 1882, and for the last ten years, together with the traffic, and the average receipts per journey:

It will be observed that there was a falling off during the decennial period in the average receipts per journey. The continued increase in the number of passengers carried is, however, very marked, the advance

for the closing year of the period being upwards of 219,000, while the receipts from the traffic rose by £832. Taking the returns for the year ended 31st March, 1884, as a basis, it has been found that those for 1903 show an increase of only 37 per cent. in the number of passengers who travelled first-class, while the increase in those who travelled second-class was not less than 113 per cent. While the marked prosperity of the past four years has induced more passengers to travel first-class, it is none the less evident that the tendency is towards one class of carriage, as already exists in the case of tramways. The amount of goods tonnage for a similar period is shown in the following table :

The large increase in the tonnage of goods carried during 1900 over preceding years was caused by the bountiful harvest in the Middle Island, which was carried at freight rates averaging 20 per cent. below those ruling in the previous year. The further increase of 211,813 tons for 1901 was contributed to by all descriptions of goods, with the exception of wool, the grain traffic alone being 84 per cent. higher than in 1899. The returns for 1902 show an advance of 189,490 tons over the traffic in 1901. Increases occur under all the various headings, the largest being in grain and timber, the traffic in each class, with the exception of wool, being the largest on record.

The subdivision of the tonnage of goods and live stock for the year ended 31st March, 1903, is shown in the following table. Particulars of the goods traffic are set forth in seven classes, but the average distance for which goods of each class were carried cannot be given, and there are no data available showing the average earnings per ton per mile.

TRAMWAYS.

In all the Australasian states tramways are in operation, but it is chiefly in Sydney and Melbourne, the inhabitants of which numbered at the latest date 508,510 and 502,610 respectively, that the density of settlement has necessitated the general adoption of this mode of transit. In New South Wales the three systems of electric, cable, and steam traction are in vogue. Within the metropolitan area, however, the electric is being substituted for steam power. The length of line under electric traction on the 30th June, 1903, was 67 miles 69 chains, comprising 11 miles 68 chains at North Sydney; 4 miles 18 chains, Ocean-street, Woollahra, to South Head; 3 miles 36 chains, George-street-Harris-street tramway; 4 miles 11 chains, Glebe Junction to Newtown, Marrickville, and Dulwich Hill; 2 miles 73 chains, Forest Lodge Junction to Leichhardt; 2 miles 57 chains, Newtown to St. Peters and Cook's River; 1 mile 63 chains, Railway to Bridgestreet; 5 miles 55 chains, Waverley and Bondi; 2 miles 28 chains, Railway to Glebe and Forest Lodge; 3 miles 34 chains, Forest Lodge to Balmain ; 1 mile 26 chains, Redfern to Moore Park; 3 miles 20 chains, Pitt and Castlereagh streets to Fort Macquarie; 55 chains, Georgestreet to Miller's Point; 5 miles 33 chains, Randwick and Coogee; 1 mile 18 chains, Waverley to Randwick; 69 chains, Crown-street to Cleveland-street; 2 miles 12 chains, Drummoyne; 6 miles 66 chains, Railway Station junction to Botany; 1 mile 45 chains, Zetland; 1 mile 34 chains, Mitchell-road; and 48 chains, Bridge and Phillip streets to Circular Quay. The only line worked by cable traction is that from King-street, Sydney, to Ocean-street, in the suburb of Woollahra, a distance of 2 miles 32 chains. On the remaining lines steam motors are still used. The length of Government tram lines open to 30th June, 1903, was 124 miles, which had cost for construction and equipment £3,371,587. The receipts for the year were £752,034, and the working expenses £654,165, leaving a profit of £97,869, or 2.90 per cent. on the invested capital. The number of passengers carried during 1903 was 130,405,402.

In Victoria the cable system is in operation in the metropolitan area, the lines having been constructed by a municipal trust at a cost of £1,705,794. The tramways are leased to a company, and the receipts for the year ended 30th June, 1903, were £488,540. The number of passengers carried during the year was 47,564,942. The miles of track operated on were 43 cable and 4 horse lines, or 48 miles of double track. Besides the lines of the Tramway Trust, there are additional suburban systems worked by limited liability companies, as follows:-— Horse, 8 miles; electric, 4 miles; and cable, 24 miles.

In Queensland there is a system of electric trams controlled by a private company. The only information available shows that the capital of the company is £750,000 fully paid up, and that there are also debentures to the amount of £400,000. Particulars as to receipts

and disbursements are not available, but the report presented to the shareholders in London during May, 1902, showed a net profit of £42,815 for the period from 20th November, 1900, to 31st December, 1901. The length of the tramways is 25 miles, or 43 miles of single line. The company owned seventy-nine electric cars, and during the year 1901, 16,183,801 passengers were carried.

In South Australia there are no Government tramways, but horse trams are run in the principal streets of Adelaide by private companies. No particulars have been collected respecting the length of the lines, nor of the returns therefrom. A proposal is under consideration for the substitution of electric traction on these lines.

The Western Australian Government owns a line of horse tramway on a 2-foot gauge between Roeburne and Cossack, a length of 81⁄2 miles, constructed at a cost of £24,022. For the year ended 30th June, 1903, the gross earnings were £2,211, and the working expenses £2,161, leaving the gain on working expenses at £50.

In Tasmania there is an electric tramway from Hobart railway station, about 9 miles in length, owned by a private company. The cost of construction and equipment was £90,000; and the company possesses 20 cars. For the year ended 31st December, 1902, the receipts amounted to £17,802, and the working expenses, to £12,900. The passengers carried during the twelve months numbered 1,848,104. There is also a steam system at Zeehan, 2 miles in length, constructed at a cost of £5,388. No information is available as to the receipts, but the working expenses for the year ended 31st December, 1901, were £1,848. The number of passengers carried during the twelve months ended 31st December, 1902, was 7,302.

There are also tramways in existence in New Zealand under municipal and private management, but no particulars in regard to them are at present available.

403

PASTORAL RESOURCES AND DAIRY

INDUSTRY.

OTWITHSTANDING the fact that the soil, climate, and indi

genous herbage of Australasia are admirably adapted to the sustenance of animal life, no attempt was made to test the capabilities of the land as a feeding-ground for flocks and herds on a large scale until the example of Captain Macarthur had demonstrated beyond doubt that Nature favoured the production in Australasia of a quality of wool which was unsurpassed by that grown in any part of the world. Then the settlers began to understand and utilise the natural resources of the country; and as the indomitable spirit of exploration gradually opened up the apparently boundless plains of the interior, pastoralists extended their domain, and sheep and cattle in increasing numbers spread over the face of eastern Australia. Now the expansion of the pastoral industry is gradually converting the central and western portions of the continent into holdings devoted to the production of the greatest element of the wealth of Australasia.

The beginnings of pastoral enterprise in Australia were very humble. The live stock of the community which accompanied Captain Phillip comprised only 1 bull, 4 cows, 1 calf, 1 stallion, 3 mares, 3 foals, 29 sheep, 12 pigs, and a few goats; and although the whole of the present flocks and herds of Australasia have not sprung from these animals alone, yet the figures show the small scale on which the business of stock-raising was first attempted. No systematic record of the arrival of stock seems to have been kept in the early days of settlement; but it would appear that during the period between Governor Phillip's landing and the year 1800 there were some slight importations, chiefly of sheep from India. In 1800 the stock in Australasia comprised 6,124 sheep, 1,044 cattle, 203 horses, and 4,017 swine; while at the end of the year 1901, there were no less than 92,358,824 sheep, 9,827,433 cattle, 1,905,172 horses, and 1,171,381 swine.

The following figures give the number of stock in Australasia at various dates up to 1851 :