E.—2

12

Up and Down trams. Even and odd. North and South. Present Northern system adopted. storekeeper's abstract. Local purchases to be paid by storekeeper's journal. Returned stores. Tenders for Price lists..

The Second Class increasing by five pounds a year, the Fust by ten pounds a year, after each year of good conduct; but no present salary to be reduced. 95. We recommend that all persons employed on railways should be paid on the holidays on Christmas Day, Good Friday, and the Queen's Birthday. 96. It has been the custom in Otago to give an annual holiday to all officials employed on the railway, and to grant a special train for themselves, their wives, families, and friends, in order to enable them to make an excursion into the country. The merchants of Dunedin have liberally acquiesced in this arrangement, by abstaining on that day from all business with the railway not absolutely necessary. We advise that this privilege be extended to all the lines, as tending to maintain a good feeling in the staff. Time Tables. 97. We have also considered the question of the nomenclature to be used in Ie rpi mo Tables when the main lines are brought into connection—that is to say, what are to be considered " Up trains " and what "Down trains." 98. We agree that the system of local centres should be abolished, and also that all trains going in one direction should be numbered even, and all in the other direction odd. 99. It was suggested that all trains on the main lines should be called " North " and " South " trains, according to the direction in which they are going; and that all on branch lines should be called " In " or " Out," according as going to or from the main lines: so as to avoid the use of the words "Up" and "Down," which have been appropriated by common use to trains up to or down from a common centre; the counter proposition being that trains going North should be called " Up," and trains going South, " Down." The Commissioners, however, are unable to agree to any recommendation on the subject, being equally divided in opinion. STORES. 100. With respect to the system of dealing with stores, Aye find that on the. Canterbury and Otago lines no complete basis has been established in which inspection and accounts are combined. On the Northern lines, the recommendations of the Commission on Stores and Workshops stated in the Report, dated 23rd September, 1875, have been carried out, and generally it has been found that the system recommended has worked well. We have, however, taken the whole question into reconsideration, and recommend that the Northern system, with the following modifications and additions, be adopted : — 101. A copy of the Storekeeper's abstract should be sent to the Inspector of oj. -m j • Stores every Monday morning. 102. When, in cases of emergency, local purchases of stores are made, and the vouchers in support of such purchases are forwarded to the Store Audit, instead of these vouchers being returned to the Head Offices of the railway systems, they should be scheduled for payment at Wellington, and upon this being done the Head Offices should be advised that they are so scheduled upon an abstract form to be drawn up. 103. Each Storekeeper should keep a journal in which he should enter the numbers of requisitions, dates of receipts of same, and numbers and dates of issues, with any notes upon the same. 104. The Storekeeper should keep an account of all material which, having been issued and used, is returned to him. 105. It is desirable that tenders should be called for yearly in England for the supply of all railway stores to be landed at the principal ports in the colony, and, failing that, that tenders should be called for such supply throughout New Zealand, and, if convenient, throughout the Australian colonies. Articles outside those named in the tender being supplied at wholesale rates. 106. We think that price lists should be made for (a.) Auckland; (b.) Wellington; (c.) Christchurch; (d.) Dunedin; (c.) All other lines;