D.—2

XI

Miscellaneous Works.— Additions and improvements were made during the year amounting to £18,568, which has been charged to working-expenses. The most important works were : Additions and alterations to sidings—Onehunga Wharf, Hamilton, Kirikiriroa, Paeroa, Longburn, New Plymouth Wharf, Palmerston North, Eketahuna, Pigeon Bush, Farndon, Lyttelton, Greymouth, and Picton. Additions and improvements to water services—Hikuraugi, Whangarei, Henderson, Onehunga Wharf, Paeroa, Pahiatua, Kaikora, Winchester, Omakau, Middlemarch. Miscellaneous —Cranes for goodssheds at Auckland, Paeroa, Woodville, Otira ; reclamations at Mechanic's Bay, Pelichet Bay, Bluff ; raising Manukau Road Bridge ; shelter-sheds for staff at Onehunga Wharf, Mackaytown, Cross Creek, Napier, and Petone ; extension of verandahs at Frankton Junction, Taumarunui, and Kumara ; ladies' waiting-rooms at Waikino, Tinwald, and Moana ; additions to station buildings at Rotorua, Palmerston North, Woodville, Timaru, Hampden, and Herbert ; electric lighting at Hawera and Inglewood ; goods-shed at Hunterville ; additions to district offices at Wanganui and Wellington ; drainage at Inglewood ; house and office at Te Kuiti; strengthening bridges at Pigeon Bush ; improving approach road at Silverstream ; fencing station-yard at Napier ; improvement to fire appliances at Napier and Hillside workshops ; library at Petone (completion) ; overbridge at Petone (completion) ; additions to engine-sheds at Upper Hutt and Picton ; additions to goods-shed at Christchurch ; engine turntables at Timaru and Ashburton ; accommodation for Railway Fire Brigades, Timaru and Addington ; sheepyards, West Eyreton ; shed for Westinghouse brake, Addington ; lighting stations by gas, Woolston and Balclutha ; lengthening platform, Kaiapoi; protection of foreshore, Oamaru (part) ; sheltersheds, Warrington and Reefton South ; removal of central filling, George Street Pier, Port Chalmers (part) ; purchase of land, Riversdale ; coal-shed, Seddonville ; additions to fifty cottages ; building thirty-nine portable huts ; providing bath-rooms for thirty-eight dwellings, and washing-coppers for thirty-three dwellings. , Additions to Open Lines. —The principal works carried out during the year were as follows :— 1 "'Additions to Station Buildings, Station-yards, and Sidings : Auckland, Huntly, Hamilton, Blenheim (completion), Upper Hutt (completion), Takapau (completion), Trentham (completion), Napier, Otira, Christchurch (part), Hawarden (completion), Addington, Washdyke, Dunedin (completion), Mataura, Edendale, Kumara (completion). Erection of New Station Buildings : Waimate, Dunedin (completion). Erection of New Houses : Stationmaster's house, Cross Creek (completion), Lyttelton, Waikouaiti, Bluff. Miscellaneous : Overbridge, Frankton Junction ; office for staff, Auckland (part); strengthening Hamilton Bridge (part) ; ballast plant, Te Kuiti; verandahs, Longburn and Kumara ; formation, Linton Street, Palmerston North ; drainage, Marton ; additions to goods-sheds, Patca, Wellington, Pahiatua, Invercargill, and Bluff ; viaduct, Mangarangiora (completion) ; culvert, Masterton ; purchase of land, Waipawa, Christchurch, LovelPs Flat; goods-sheds, Hawarden, Washdyke ; weighbridge, Timaru, Coal Creek ; additions to water service, Christchurch ; road approach, Belfast; engineshed, Glenham ; fencing-line, Wanganui District and Waimea Plains Railway; shelter-sheds and platforms, State Collieries, Camp, and Blackwater ; stock-yards, Rotomana. The cost of these works, charged to capital, amounts to £107,540. Doubling and Improvement af Lines. —Good progress has been made with the doubling of the Auck-land-Penrose and Dunedin-Mosgiel lines, and the doubling between Addington and Rolleston has been started. Hutt Road and Railway Improvement: This work is being pushed on. A large amount of earthwork and stone protective walling has been carried out during the year. An additional length of double line will soon be ready for opening. New Plymouth Deviation : This work is well in hand, and should be completed in the course of a few months. Expenditure. —The expenditure on maintenance amounted to £608,504, equal to £251 per mile. The increase is due to additional staff, increase in wages and allowances, higher cost of materials, and maintenance of additional lines opened. Mileage. —The mileage opened for traffic at the 31st March was 2,456 miles 1 chain, of which 50 miles 7 chains was opened during the year. Private Sidings.— On the 31st March there were current 305 private-siding rights, annual rental £5,212. Twenty-five new rights were granted during the year. Leases. —There were 2,742 leases current on the 31st March, producing an annual rental of £18,942. 388 new leases were issued during the year. Staff. —The maintenance working-staff comprised 3,357 men ; office staff, 112 ; total, 3,469. Signal and Electrical. Fixed Signals. —During the past year five stations have been fitted with fixed signals—viz., Taumarunui, Hclensvi'le, Mangaweka, Takapau, and Mauriceville. The expenditure for the year on new work was £145 17s. 6d., and for maintenance £1,011 17s. 3d. Interlocking of Points and Signals. —The signalling and interlocking at stations has worked with the most satisfactory results. The following stations have been fully equipped with signalling and interlocking, and brought into operation during the year : Lyttelton, Dunedin (temporary scheme), Christchurch (north end), Dunedin (second temporary scheme); Dannevirke, and Upper Hutt. The work has also been commenced at Timaru, Stratford, Waiareka, and Dunedin (permanent scheme) electro-pneumatic system.