D.—2

XV

Traffic. Mr. H. Buxton, Chief Traffic Manager reports as follows :— Hurunui-Bluff Section. Revenue, £1,220,466 ; an increase of £113,115. Increaso over Previous Year. Amount. Amount. No. £ No. £ Passengers .. .. .. 4,384,655 389,294 388,733 56,4.01 Season tickets .. .. .. 71,271 32,404 5,372 1,797 Parcels, &c. .. .. .. 519,429 76,300 23,215 5,597 Tons. Tons. Goods .. .. .. 1,993.999) 62,321) No. 686,224 No. 47,837 Live-stock .. .. .. 2.633,153) 808,£61J Miscellaneous . . . . . . .. 36,244 .. 1,484 The Canterbury district contributed £573,766 ; an increase of £58,000. The passenger traffic increased by over 300,000 passengers as a result of the Exhibition. Parcels, luggage, and mails also show very satisfactory increases. Excepting grain, all classes of goods traffic were largely in excess of last year. On the 9th October one of the goods-sheds at Christchurch, together with goods of the value of over £2,000, was destroyed by fire. The Otago district contributed £400,000, which is £33,615 more than last year. The passenger revenue was largely increased by the traffic to Christchurch. Parcels, luggage, and mails show a considerable expansion. The goods and live-stock traffic also increased notwithstanding a falling-off in the grain tonnage, a diversion of shipping traffic from Port Chalmers to Dunedin, and a temporary partial the output from the Kaitangata Mine. The new station at Dunedin, which was opened in November, provides greatly improved facilities for working the increasing traffic. The Southland district contributed £246,700 ; an increase of £21,500. The passenger business shows a satisfactory increase, chiefly due to the bookings in connection with the Christchurch Exhibition. The receipts from the goods and live-stock traffic were also in excess of those for last year. There was a decline in timber, grain, and road-metal, but a large increase in live-stock, merchandise, and coal. Lake Wakatipu Steamers. Revenue, £6,158 ; an increase of £172. The passenger traffic was well maintained ; goods traffic slightly declined. Picton, Nelson, and West Coast Sections. Picton. —Revenue, £25,391 ; an increase of £4,112. Both passenger and goods traffic show considerable expanison. Nelson.— Revenue, £19,375 ; and increase of £927. The number of passengers carried decreased by over 4,000, as compared with last year, during which a carnival was held; but the revenue shows an increase this year, owing to the increase in the average distance travelled. The goods traffic, excepting minerals, was well maintained. Westport. —Revenue, £92,620; an increase of 4 £l 1,546. Satisfactory increases are shown in both passenger and goods traffic. The coal tonnage 90,000 tons in excess of last year. Weslland. —Revenue, £102,977; an increase of j £10,202. The returns show large increases in both passenger and goods traffic. The coal tonnage increased by about 45,000 tons, and the timber traffic by over 9,300 tons. Wellington-Napier-New Plymouth Section. Revenue, £724,587 ; an increase of £76,467. Increase over Previous Year. 'Amount. Amount. No. £ No. £ Passengers .. .. .. 3,028,522 262,512 226,348 28,503 Season tickets .. .. .. 49,804 21,023 4,186 1,687 Parcels, &c. .. .. .. 288,513 48,120 731 1,832 Live-stock .. .. .. 1,894,275) 490,885) Tons. ■ 367,561 Tons. 40,175 Goods ... .. .. 717,160 34,739) Miscellaneous .. .. .. .. 25,371 .. 4,270 The Wellington-Napier district contributed £412,587 ; an increase of £36,467. The passenger business continues to show a rapid expansion, the bookings being about 165,000 more than last year, and the receipts about £19,000 more. Parcels, luggage, and mails yielded an increase of about £400; but the number of parcels carried is less by about 6,000, chiefly due to a falling-off in the milk traffic. Excepting timber, which declined by 7,650 tons, and minerals (gravel) by 17,168 tons, all classes of goods traffic show substantial increases. The sheep traffic was exceptionally heavy ; the returns showing an increase of over 265,000 head. The Wanganui district contributed £312,000 ; an increase of £40,000. The passenger bookings were (0,000 in excess of last year, and the receipts about £15,000~more. Parcels, luggage, and mails also show a satisfactory increase. In the goods and live-stock traffic increases are_shown under all heads except minerals (road-metal), which declined by about 10,000 tons. Th« sheep traffic, was exceptionally heavy, being 176.574 in excess of last year.