125

1.--2 A.

P. G. KOUSSELL.

quite small increase, and it is mostly made up with depreciation costs now charged, and a slight addition in the rolling-stock. I have computed the interest charges at 5 per cent, instead of 4 per cent., which I think is nearer the present-day figure, making the interest bill £43,250 per annum. 1 agree with the Commission regarding the estimated train-mileage —that is, 103,290. I have gone carefully through their train-mileage figures, and I think that they are pretty accurate for that day. The cost per train-mile excluding interest I make lis. lT2d., as against their 10s. 2d. The cost per train-mile including interest I make just under £1, or 19s. lT69d. I have no means of checking up their expectations of revenue, and I have taken their figures as they are. I have based my calculation on their figure of £61,492 per annum. The total operating-cost excluding interest is £61,674, and including interest £103,163, leaving an annual loss, including interest charges of £42,671, approximately £783 per mile per annum ; that would be the loss computed at 5 per cent. It might be of some interest to the Committee if I indicated some of the rating figures. This estimate of £61,000 was computed on an estimate of 30 million feet of sawn timber per annum from indigenous forests, and 7i million feet from the plantations per annum : that is equivalent to 37| million feet of sawn timber per annum. Then there are 2,614 trucks of posts ; butter, 650 tons per annum ; 8,500 sheep per annum ; 750 cattle per annum ; wool, 40 tons. Inward traffic was estimated by the Commission at —minerals (that is coal, bricks, and that sort of thing), 3,561 tons ; general merchandise, 3,100 tons ; grain and manures, 3,500 tons : that was the estimate upon which the Commission based its expectations of inward traffic. Now, the rate on timber from Rotorua to Auckland —these are typical examples—is ss. 4d. per 100 ft. I have added another thirty miles to take it to Reporoa, and that would be ss. 9d. —a difference of sd. Rotorua to Hamilton would be 4s. 2d., and 4s. Bd. from Reporoa. Rotorua to Te Kuiti 4s. lid., and from Reporoa ss. 3d. Rotorua to Wellington Bs. 6d., and from Reporoa Bs. lOd. Freight on posts and sleepers : Rotorua to Auckland, per ton, 15s. 6d., and from Reporoa 17s. 3d. ; from Rotorua to Hamilton 10s. 3d., and from Reporoa 12s. Firewood : Rotorua to Auckland 12s. lOd. per ton, from Reporoa 14s. 7d. ; from Rotorua to Hamilton 7s. 7d., from Reporoa 9s. 4d. Livestock : Rotorua to Westfield £4 19s. 9d. per truck, and from Reporoa £5 lis. ; Rotorua to Hamilton £3 Bs. 3d., and from Reporoa £4 is. 3d. Wool, per bale, Rotorua to Auckland Bs. 9d., from Reporoa 9s. 3d. Butter and cheese : Rotorua to Auckland £2 Bs. 2d. per ton, from Reporoa £2 lis. Bd. Artificial manures : Auckland to Rotorua 10s. lOd. ; Auckland to Reporoa lis. lOd. General merchandise, including sugar, groceries, and so on, an average of the four rates ; Auckland to Rotorua £3 7s. 9d., Auckland to Reporoa £3 15s. id. Wood-pulp ; Rotorua to Auckland £1 2s. 6d. per ton, from - Reporoa £1 4s. 9d. ; Rotorua to Thames 195., Reporoa to Thames £1 os. 9d. ; Rotorua to Paeroa 17s. 10d., from Reporoa 19s. 7d. Ido not know that there is any other information that I can give the Committee, but I will be glad, to answer any questions. 2. Hon. Mr. Ransom..] In the revenue, did you mention passengers ?•—No, the passengers were estimated at returning £15,000 per annum. That is equivalent to sixty-six passengers each way between Rotorua and Taupo per day : that is computed on a basis of one first-class to one second-class passenger. Actually our proportion of second-class passengers is much higher, but this being largely tourist traffic, the proportion of first-class passengers would be larger than the average. 3. Mr. Massey.] How did you base your calculations : was it on the present freight available ? — The traffic is based on a mileage basis —that is, travelling thirty miles on the branch line and sixty miles on the main line : that would be a total of ninety miles. That would credit the branch with thirty-nintieths, plus a feeder value of 25 per cent, of the total revenue. That is, if the total was Bs. the branch would be credited with a feeder value of 25., and then there would be added one-third of Bs. : that is, the actual mileage plus a feeder value of 25 per cent. 4. When you were calculating the live-stock, how many sheep did you allow for ? —Sixty sheep to the truck, or eight bullocks. 5. You mentioned forty bales of wool ?—That was the estimate of the 1922 Commission. I was explaining how that Commission arrived at its expectations of revenue. 6. But you did not take into consideration the present-day productive values ? —These are not my figures —they are the 1922 Commission's figures. 7. How many sheep are mentioned there ? —8,500 per annum. 8. And also forty bales of wool ?—Forty bales of wool and 750 cattle, and 650 tons of butter. 9. I would like to put this question to you : how many fleeces do you put into a bale of wool ?■--Well, I think it is about forty fleeces to the bale. 10. And so forty bales of wool represent 1,600 sheep ? —But these are not my figures, but those of the 1922 Commission. I took it that these sheep would not all be shorn there. That was their figures to show their expectations of traffic. 11. Mr. Samuel.] You are quoting from the 1922 Commission's report? —Yes. 12. Do you know whether there has been any special investigation made recently by the Department in regard to the possibilities of this railway ? —No, not that I am aware of. 13. The Chairman.] When you gave us those figures, were they based on the line from Rotorua to Reporoa or from Rotorua to Taupo ?—They were based on 54£ miles —that is, from Rotorua to Taupo. 14. Mr. Vaile.] Mr. Rousell, the distance from Rotorua to Auckland is 171 miles ? —Yes. 15. And from Rotorua to Reporoa is thirty miles ? —Yes. 16. Then may we call the distance from Auckland to Reporoa 200 miles ?—Yes. 17. Is 170 miles of railway a short railway, in your experience of New Zealand railways ? —Well, we have two lines on the system which are longer —one in the north and one in the South. 18. Is 170 miles of line a long railway?—l would not consider it a very long railway. 19. Well, take this 200 miles : is it a long railway or a short railway ? —Well, I think it is, comparatively speaking, a short railway, compared with the main-line systems.