D.—2.

1893. NEW ZEALAND.

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

Presented to Parliament in pursuance of " The Government Bailways Act, 1887."

To the Hon. the Ministek for Public Works. N.Z. Government Railways, • • • Head Office, Sib,— Wellington, 16th June, 1893. We have the honour, in compliance with the direction in section 61 of " The Government Railways Act, 1887," to submit, for presentation to Parliament, the annual report on the working railways of New Zealand for the twelve months ended the 31st March, 1893. Revenue, Expenses, and Traffic. The returns of traffic, revenue, and expenses of the various sections of railways are presented in the same form as in the annual reports of previous years. Complete details of the expenditure in every branch of the service and other particulars of the year's transactions are given therein. The outcome of the year's work is as follows :— £ s. d. Gross earnings ... ... ... ... ... 1,181,521 13 10 Working-expenses ... ... ... ... ... 732,141 11 10 Net profit .. ... ... ... £449,380 2 0 This profit gives a return of £3 Is. per cent, on .£14,733,120, which is the estimated cost of the 1,886 miles of railways open for traffic up to the 31st March, 1893. The anticipated improvement in traffic and revenue referred to in the last annual report has been more than realised. The estimated revenue has been exceeded by £41,521; the working-expenses have exceeded the estimate of £717,000 given in the annual report by £15,141. The traffic for the last fourteen years has been as follows : —

I—D. 2.

Tear. Miles. Bevenuo. Expenditure. Tonnage. Parcels, &c. Cattle, Sheep, &c Passengers. Season-tickets. 79-80 80-81 81-82 82-83 83-84 84-85 85-86 86-87 87-88 88-89 89-90 90-91 91-92 92-93 1,172 1,277 1,319 1,358 1,396 1,477 1,613 1,727 1,758 1,777 1,809 1,842 1,869 1,886 £ 762,573 836,454 892,026 953,347 961,304 1,045,712 1,047,419 998,708 994,843 997,615 1,095,570 1,121,701 1,115,432 1,181,522 £ 580,010 521,957 523,099 592,821 655,990 690,026 690,340 699,072 687,328 647,045 682,787 700,703 706,517 732,142 1,108,108 1,377,783 1,437,714 1,564,793 1,700,040 1,749,856 1,823,767 1,747,754 1,735,762 1,920,431 2,073,955 2,086,011 2,066,791 2,193,330 No. 180,331 286,865 316,611 341,186 359,896 347,425 349,428 372,397 399,109 399,056 405,838 413,074 430,216 460,383 No. 285,209 300,704 343,751 477,075 686,287 729,528 858,662 942,017 940,209 919,392 1,068,575 1,348,364 1,153,501 1,393,457 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 3,433,629 3,555,764 3,759,044 No. 5,077 0,499 7,207 8,621 9,036 8,999 10,717 11,821 11,518 11,817 12,311 13,881 16,341 16,504