D.—2

VII

a parcel of goods for which it is desired the charges should be paid when delivery is given. The Railway Department will collect the charges on behalf of the consignor, and in due course pay the amount over to him. Where the goods are not delivered within a specified time the consignor will be notified, and his instructions as to disposal obtained. Arrangements have been made for improving the seating-accommodation in the ordinary second-class cars running on long-distance trains, the intention being to substitute chair seats for the longitudinal seats with which many of the second-class cars are at present provided. The motor-car services, to which reference was made in my last statement, will, I anticipate, commence running during the present year. An order has been placed for some time for the generating machinery and other essential parts that must be obtained from abroad, but there has been unavoidable difficulty in fulfilling the order. I am of opinion that the Renard road trains, one of which I saw in operation in Queensland in 1910, can be used with considerable advantage for the purpose of developing business and affording the settlers in sparsely populated districts, where it is impracticable to provide railways in the immediate future, a reliable means of transport to the nearest railway-station. With a view, therefore, to making a practical test in that direction, I purpose placing at as early a date as possible one of these trains on the road in the Central Otago District. If the results come up to my expectations, similar trains will be placed in other suitable portions of the Dominion. On the 31st March the accumulated funds to the credit of the Government Railways Superannuation amounted to ,£•207,242, an increase of £33,366 on the previous year. The total income for the year amounted to £95,687 and the outgoing to £62,321. Of the latter amount £51,577 represented the annual charge involved in payments to 1,122 beneficiaries, comprising 708 contributors voluntarily resigned or been retired on account of being medically unfit, 152 widows, and 262 children under the age of fourteen years. The following statement shows a brief comparison of the traffic and the rolling-stock for dealing therewith when the Government resumed control of the railways in 1895 with that at 31st March, of the present year:— 31st March. 31st March, T Per Cent of 1895. 1911. increase. i nO rease. Passengers (number) ... 3,905,578 11,200,613 7,295,035 187 Season tickets „ ... 2«,623 222,104 193,481 676 Parcels „ ... 444,981 1,118,361 673,380 151 Horses „ ... 11,185 20,137 8,952 80 Carriages „ ... 750 2,751 2,001 267 Dogs „ ... 23,517 52,762 29,245 124 Drays „ ... 705 2,441 1,736 246 Cattle „ ... 40,890 210,848 169,958 416 Sheep „ ... 1,519,921 5,911,291 4,391,370 288 Pigs „ ... 43,292 160,379 117,087 270 Chaff, lime (tons) ... ... 36,972 198,546 161,574 437 Wool ... 103,328 143,247 39,919 39 Firewood „ ... ... 85,102 109,400 24,298 29 Timber ... 198,578 627,107 428,529 216 Grain „ ... ... 388,556 1,013,298 624,742 161 Merchandise ... 377,938 808,444 430,506 114 Minerals „ ... ... 857,917 2,655,250 1,797,333 209 Total tonnage ... ... 2,048,391 5,555,292 3,506,901 171 Total revenue .. ...£1,150,851 £3,494,182 £2,343,331 204 Locomotives (number) ... 269 478 209 78 tractive power (lb.) 1,756,178 5,725,125 3,968,947 226 Passenger-cars (number) ... 498 1,166 668 134 Passenger - cars, seating accommodation ... ... 17,455 49,035 31,580 181 Brake-vans (number) ... 204 373 169 83 Sheep-wagons „ ... 390 1,283 893 229 Total wagons, all classes (number) ... ... 8,264 17,663 9,399 114 Wagon carrying-capacity (tons) 50,861 142,779 91,918 181 Train-mileage run... ' ... 3,221,620 8,141,075 4,919,455 153 In view of the buoyancy of the traffic, the continuous and steady development of our natural resources, the increased settlement now taking place, and the commercial activity prevailing throughout the Dominion, I look forward with confidence, and estimate that the revenue for the year ending 31st March, 1912, will be £3,525,000, and the expenditure £2,375,000.