1.—5

1877. NEW ZEALAND.

RAILWAYS MANAGEMENT (REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE TO INQUIRE INTO THE PRESENT SYSTEM OF, TOGETHER WITH MINUTES OF EVIDENCE).

Report hrought up on 6th November, and ordered to he printed.

ORDERS OF REFERENCE. Extracts from the Journals of the House of Representatives. Thursday, the 9th day of August, 1877. Ordered, That a Committee be appointed to inquire into and report on the present, system of management of the Tailwajs of the colony. The Committee to consist of the Hon. Mr. Ormond, Mr. K. G. Wood, Mr. Macandivw, Mr. Sey" mour, Mr. Bunny, Mr. Curtis, and Mr. J. E. Brown ; three to be the quorum; to have power to call for persons and papers, to take evidence, and to report within one month.— (Mr. J. E. Brown.) Thursday, the 16th day of August, 1877. Ordered, That the names of the Hon. Mr. Richardson, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Lumsden, and Mr. Larnach be added to the Committee appointed to inquire and report on the present system of railway management. — (Hon. Mr. Ormond.) Monday, the 10th day of September, 1877. Ordered, That the time for bringing up the report of the Railways Management Committee be extended for one month. — (Mr. J. E. JBrown.) Monday, the Bth day of Octobek, 1877. Ordered, Thnt the time for bringing up the report of the Railways Management Committee be extended for fourteen days. — (Mr. J. E. Urovm.)

REPORT. The Select Committee appointed to inquire into and report on the present system of management of the railways of the colony have carefully inquired into the same, and have taken the evidence of skilled, professional, and experienced persons (vide evidence and Appendices), and have agreed to the following report: — That it is expedient that the management of the New Zealand railways open for traffic be under separate management to the railways under construction. That there should be a permanent Commissioner of Railways, who should have the entire responsibility of the management of the practical working of the railways, subject only to the control of the Minister. That the system of rendering railway accounts should be monthly, instead of weekly, but that weekly accounts be rendered to the public as heretofore. rl hat the audit of the railway accounts should be so arranged that there will be no necessity to bring the original sub-vouchers to Wellington. That this will best be carried out by having at least one officer, attached to the Commissioner of Audit Department, appointed as local .Auditor for the North Island; and, until the Southern main trunk line is connected, there should be two such officers for the South Island. That these officers should complete the audit, and send monthly to the Commissioner of Audit a statement of the accounts as audited, from which accounts all statistical information can be obtained ; and that these accounts shall be considered as complete, as far as the audit is concerned, unless any special case arises on which the Commissioner of Audit may consider explanation necessary.