D.—l

VII

Ist July, 1870, to 30th June, 1875 -... ... ... ... 3,575,362 Ist July, 1875, to 31st March, 1880 ... ... .. ... 4,919,712 Ist April, 1880, to 31st March, 1885 ... ... ... ... 3,120,680 Ist April, 1885, to 31st March, 1890 ... ... ... ... 2,308,319 Ist April, 1890, to 31st March, 1895 ... ... ... ... 978,498 And for the year ended 31st March last ... ... ... 197,105 Total £15,099,676 This great diminution in expenditure has necessarily involved proceeding with our railways at a very much slower rate. So slowly, indeed, have we been proceeding during the last six years, as compared with our neighbours, that New Zealand's expenditure on railways is now the lowest per head of the population of any of the Australasian or South African colonies. The following table shows the cost of railway-works, the mileage, the average cost per mile, the population, and the cost per head of the population in the several colonies referred to : —

From the above table it will be apparent that, in order to place ourselves upon a footing of equality with New South Wales as regards our expenditure on. railways per head of the population, we should have to expend ,£4,870,895 in addition to the amount expended already; while an expenditure of ,£7,182,033 would bo required to place us on an equal footing with Victoria, and £12,138,240 to enable us to equal South Australia, and a still larger outlay would be required to equalise our expenditure with that of the South African Colonies. LIGHT RAILWAYS. The Government has already taken into consideration the subject of light railways, and further information will be obtained during the ensuing recess, and the result of our inquiries will be laid before Parliament next session. Some very successful narrow-gauge light railways have been constructed in France and other countries during recent years. A well-constructed line in Normandy, twenty-four miles long, cost only £2,258 per mile, and the stationbuildings are far handsomer structures than generally prevail in New Zealand. The line is also provided with a telephone throughout its entire length, and with rolling-stock sufficient for twenty-four trains per day. The gauge is 2ft., the sharpest curve 65ft. radius, and the rails weigh 301b. per lineal yard. The receipts per train-mile on this line in 1895 were 2s. Id. only, and yet it yielded a profit of nearly 7£ per cent, on the capital invested. The average receipts per train-mile in New Zealand at present are 7s. lfd., so that there would seem to be abundance of scope for the construction of light, cheaply-worked railways of this class in this colony. I have no doubt, however, that the working-expenses in New Zealand would largely exceed those in France; but if lines of this description can be constructed in New Zealand at anything approaching the cost of this one, there should be room in this colony for the construction of a considerable mileage of such railways, as the cost is not materially in excess of the cost of constructing a good road, and there are many districts in New Zealand where such railways could, if constructed, earn a much larger rate per train-mile than the railway referred to.

Cost of Railwayworks. Average Cost per Mile. Population. Cost per Head of Population. Colonies. Mileage. Year ending Tatal Jape of Good Hope ... iouth Australia QueenslandVictoria ... Tew South Wales ... Vestern Australia ... i'asmania... Tew Zealand - £ 6,117,211 20,487,072 13.665,945 16,522,293 37,922,207 36,611,366 2,092,372 3,518,595 15,425,532 401 2,253 1,867 2,379 3,103 2,531 573 420 2,014 £ 15,255 9,093 7,320 6,945 12,221 14,464 3,652 8,378 7,659 46,788 510,000 348,539 454,234 1,179,103 1,268,150 89,550 157,456 703,008 £ s. d. 130 14 10 40 3 5 39 4 2 36 7 6 32 3 2 28 17 5 23 7 3 22 6 11 21 18 10 31st Dec, 1895 31st Dec, 1895 30th June, 1895 30th June, 1895 30th June, 1895 30th June, 1895 30th June, 1895 31st Dec, 1894 31st Mar., 1896