D.—la.

1890. NEW ZEALAND.

ANNUAL REPORT ON WORKING RAILWAYS BY THE NEW ZEALAND RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS.

Presented lo Parliament in pursuance of " The Government Railways Act, 1887."

To the Hon. the Ministeb for Public Woeks. Sib, — Government Buildings, Wellington, 20th June, 1890. We have the honour, in compliance with the direction in section 61 of "The Government Railways Act, 1887," to submit the annual report on the working railways of New Zealand for the twelve months ended 31st March, 1890, for presentation to Parliament. Revenue, Expenses, and Traffic. The returns of traffic, revenue, and expenditure of the various sections of railways are presented in the same tabular form as in the annual reports of previous years, and afford means of comparison with the results formerly attained. The outcome of the year's work is as follows : — £ s. a. Gross earnings ... ... ... 1,095,569 13 10 Working expenses ... ... 682,787 4 6 Net profit ... ... £412,782 9 4 The net profit of £412,782 on a capital cost of £13,899,995 on 1,809 miles of railway gives a return of £2 19s. sd. per cent., as against £2 12s. per cent, on £13,472,837 and 1,777 miles in the previous year. There is a satisfactory increase in all kinds of traffic. It is an excellent criterion of the increased productiveness of the colony that the greatest increases are in the carriage of live stock, grain, wool, and merchandise. The increase in passenger-traffic has been general throughout the colony. On the HurunuiBluff Section this was chiefly due to the Dunedin Exhibition, for which through return fares were arranged with the Union Steam Shipping Company for excursionists from Australia and the North Island, and low local excursion-fares were extensively adopted. It is gratifying to us to have received from the Exhibition Commissioners special thanks on account of the facilities given for visiting the Exhibition by rail. The extensions of railway to Mokau, Kanohi, Sprmgburn, and Hindon, opened during the year, while adding to the expenses, have brought no net revenue; the extension to Eketajhuna is the only one which has given satisfactory traffic results. The traffic for the last eleven years has been as follows : —

Year. ! Miles. Revenue. Expenditure. Tonnage. Parcels, &c. Cattle, Sheep, &c. Passengers. Season-tickets. 79-80 ■ 1,172 80-81 '■ 1,277 81-82 1,319 82-83 , 1,358 83-84 1,396 84-85 1,477 85-86 : 1,613 86-87 1,727 87-88 1,758 88-89 1,777 89-90 1,809 £ 702,573 830,454 892,026 953,347 9(51,304 1,045,712 1,047,419 998,768 994,843 997,615 1,095,569 £ 580,030 521,957 523,099 592,821 055,990 690,026 690,340 699,072 687,328 647,045 082,787 1,108,108 1,377,783 1,437,714 1,564,793 1,700,040 1,749,850 1,823,707 1,747,754 1,735,762 1,920,431 2,073,955 No. 180,331 286,865 316,611 341,186 359,896 347,425 349,428 372,397 399,109 399,056 406,546 No. 285,209 300,704 343,751 477,075 680,287 729,528 858,662 942,017 940,209 919,392 1,009,253 No. 2,967,090 2,849,561 2,911,477 3,283,378 3,272,644 3,232,886 3,362,266 3,426,403 3,451,850 3,132,803 3,376,459 No. 5,077 6,499 7,207 8,621 9,036 8,999 10,717 11,821 11,518 11,817 12,311