1.—9.

mittee, allude to this; and, if such elements in the traffic are taken into account, the scheme should state the fares proposed, as the return-ticket passengers form the greater part of the total traffic. J-0 The whole of the season-ticket travellers remain unaffected by the scheme, and no increase can be reckoned on from that class of travellers who now require them. 17 Regarding! ordinary travellers, we will now consider the following return of the passengers on the Hurunui-Bluff line for the year 1884-85 : —

Passenger-traffic on the Hurunui-Bluff Section, exclusive of Season-tickets, for the Twelve Months ending the 31st March, 1885.

Up to 3 miles there are facilities given for suburban travellers to travel the return journeys cheaper than Mr. Vaile proposes. Again, up to 5 miles, the proposed fares-will not greatly differ from the return suburban fares. 18 There does not appear to be any good ground for supposing that the change will result in any particular gain in traffic on the whole up to this stage, which includes 400,000 out of 2,000,000 ordinary-ticket passengers. I_9 We have seen that between the 5- to 10-mile range there are 763,000 travellers; the greater number because the conditions are such that people need to travel, obviously not on account of the fares, which are higher. 20 The suburban range of 10 miles takes in the travellers between the chief towns and their suburbs and ports. A great reduction in fares might lead to a great increase in travellers; but, looking to the fact that the population of the towns and their suburbs is too small to set up a large omnibus- or tramway-class of traffic between them along the route, it is very doubtful whether the numbers which would be gained would suffice to bring the same revenue as is now obtained. 21 Mr. Vaile has said that he can recognize no difference between the nature of a suburban traffic and a long-distance traffic. That there is a vast difference in the character of the traffic within the range of thickly-populated suburbs around large towns and long distances, where the time of travelling to and from is considerable, and where the return journey must be done in a day, should be obvious. It is almost necessary to apologize for citing the Metropolitan Eailway, of London, to compare with our lines, but it has been mentioned, and so it may be as well to note the example of fares in operation on it, which is attached. This line, carrying nearly 130,000,000 of passengers annually, situated in the largest city in the world, has not nearly such low fares as Mr. Vaile proposes for us to work on with our small towns and population. 22 Mr. Vaile has alluded to the Auckland tramways, which are situated in the principal thoroughfares about the city, and alongside houses, shops, and places of business. He has cited the traffic arising as showing what low fares will produce. But the fare, lam informed, uniformly is 3d., and the circumstances surrounding the railways would not justify us in expecting parallel results, even with Mr. Vaile's fares. 23 Mr. Vaile, in his writings, has denied the objection that population is insufficient to admit of the great increase in travellers he expects; but if be had the Auckland tramways in Te Awamutu he could not have expected the same results; or, if he had acquainted himself with the circumstances of Invercargill, he would have learned that the tramways there have not been a success, owing to the small population. We should be careful to distinguish between the suburban traffic and long-distance traffic, and traffic between small country stations where there is little or no travelling ever likely to arise in the daily business of the surrounding inhabitants. 24 I have shown average fares in the return I have rendered in order to ascertain if Mr. Vaile could have any further remarks to offer, but not because I think that any satisfactory inference can be drawn from them, more especially when the average includes both suburban and long-distance fares. It is shown that for distances not exceeding 10 miles the revenue is £47,000, and for distances over it is £177,000. Ido not think we can draw true conclusions as to the probability of the growth of the traffic by looking at tables of the number of different journeys made. We must rather look at the country and its industries and population, and their location and other features, and consider whether there are people enough, and whether they have the means and the time to travel as it is suggested they would do if such cheap fares were granted. 25 Mr. Vaile says */ he got two fares to one, and if those two fares were Is. each, he would get as much revenue as we do now. He does not, and cannot, prove that he can get two fares of Is. each. 2g If the traffic between 5 and 10 miles were doubled, with Mr. Vaile's fares, there can be no doubt the expenses would be much increased and the net revenue decreased.

20

Cost of ourneys. Distance, No. of Journeys. Amount. Average Fare. HIg] Ordinar; lest, -, Single. Lo - Subi Eel vest, trban, urn. 1st. 2nd. 1st. 2nd. Not exceeding three miles Over three and not over five miles Over five and not over ten miles .. 197,114 202,345 763,416 £ 3,303 6,169 37,961 d. 4-02 7-31 11-92 s. a. 0 9 1 2 2 1 s. d. 0 6 0 9 1 5 s. d. 0 4* 0 7* 1 3 s. d. 0 8 0 5 0 10 Total 1,162,875 783,222 1,946,097 47,433 177,511 224,944 9-78 m 2/3| Over ten miles Grand total