any considerable extent, and the rise during the past four years is attributed to the payment of an increased rate of wages to employees, replacing old engines with new, heavy repairs due to the increased age of the stock, and the relaying of a portion of the permanent way with heavier rails. The traffic has, in many places, practically outgrown the carrying capacity of the lines, which were originally intended as the pioneers of settlement, and were not built to cope with a business such as still exists in many parts of the colony. The traffic over the railways has now assumed dimensions which render the employment of the heaviest type of locomotive a matter of the utmost importance in the interests of economy, and the running of trains at frequent intervals and high speeds a matter of necessity. There are, however, considerable portions of main line still laid with light rails, and until such time as these can be replaced with rails of a heavier type, and the bridges strengthened to carry the heavier class of engine, it is impossible to obtain the best results of working. The analysis of the working expenses of the New Zealand railways for the ten years, 1893-1902, which is here presented, shows that there has been a regular increase since 1895, in which year the expenditure amounted to £732,161, equal to 54.54d. per train mile compared with 59.32d. per train mile in 1902. The New Zealand railways were not originally constructed to carry the present traffic, and during the period under review there has been continued expenditure due to the necessity of increasing the weight of rails and strengthening the bridges and aqueducts. In the year 1902 the Minister for Railways speaks of the increasing age of the lines, the necessity for employing heavier rolling stock, and of the accelerated speed which render the efficient maintenance of the track an imperative necessity; if the Minister's ideas are fully carried out an increased expenditure may be looked for. The advance in the cost of working from £372 to £562 per mile of line open is of no significance, such expenditure being due merely to the continued growth of the traffic. The basis employed in the case of the states comprised within the Commonwealth for ascertaining the net interest payable on the railway debts cannot be adopted for New Zealand, the necessary data not being available. The nominal loss is, therefore, shown in the following statement, the actual loss being somewhat higher : The foregoing table indicates that the railways are approaching the stage of being self-supporting, the interest returned on capital cost for the past eight years showing an improvement each year. Earnings and Expenses per Mile. The gross earnings, expenditure, and net earnings per train mile for the past ten years are shown in the following table : The gross earnings per train mile have varied very little during the ten years, the lowest point touched being 853d., and the highest, 94 d., while the expenditure has varied even less. The expenditure during 1900 was higher than in any other year during the decennial period. The gross earnings per train mile for the past two years were less than those of 1900, and the net earnings show a slight but gradual reduction during the past five 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 £626 per average mile open to £842, and the net earnings from £235 to £280, the return for last year being the highest secured during the decennial period-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 receipts from 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 1,112,000, while the receipts from the traffic rose by over £72,000. Taking the returns for the year ended 31st March, 1884, as a basis, it has been found that those for 1902 show an increase of only 29 per cent. in the number of passengers who travelled first-class, while the increase in those who travelled second-class was not less than 108 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. BLA The large increase in the tonnage of goods carried during 190 ver preceding years was caused by the bountiful harvest in the he Middle Island, which was carried at freight rates averaging 20 per, cent. below those ruling in the previous year. 211,813 tons for 1901, was contributed to by all descriptions of goods, with the exception of wool. The grain traffic for The further increase of that of 1899 shows an increase of 84 per cent. 1902 over the traffic of 1901 was 189,490 tons. 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. 1901 compared with The increase during Increases occur under year The subdivision of the tonnage of goods and live stock for the ended 31st March, 1902, is shown in the following table. Particulars of the goods traffic are set forth in seven classes, but the 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. average distance h d file Description of Traffic. |
