TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION J. 451 



eight hours, the population is very sparse and mostly located 

 on the coast, while the lines terminate inland, mostly in 

 mountainous pastoral districts almost devoid of popula- 

 tion. 



It is, however, quite common to see comparisons drawn 

 between the practice and results in railway working in these 

 countries, without consideration of the different conditions. 



The United States railways are probably lower in the 

 average expenses of working at per ton per mile than any 

 other country, India excepted. It is probable that on the 

 Indian railways goods results are lower ; the Indian expenses 

 per passenger per mile are certainly much lower. Great 

 volumes of traffic, and great average distances of carriage, 

 tend chiefly to give these low results per ton- and passenger- 

 mile. 



In order to contrast the differences between one of the 

 great American railways and those of New Zealand, the 

 following particulars of the New York Central Eailway are 

 quoted. This line extends from New York to Buffalo, on 

 Lake Erie, 440 miles. The Port of Buffalo in one year passed 

 through its grain-elevators 80,000,000 bushels of grain, four 

 times the quantity produced in all New Zealand. A large pro- 

 portion of this would be conveyed thence by rail : — 



(1.) Miles of railway, 1,329. 



(2.) Ton-miles moved, 2,155,000,000. 



(3.) Average goods-train load, 177 tons. 



(4.) Average distance per ton, 189 miles. 



(5.) Tons of goods, 11,418,000. 



(6.) Passenger-journeys, 14,662,000. 



(7.) Passenger-miles, 476,000,000. 



(8.) Average distance per passenger, 32 miles. 



(9.) Average expenses per ton-mile, 0'26d. 



(10.) Average expenses per passenger-mile, 0"61d. 



In New Zealand we have as follows : — 



(1.) Miles of railway, 1,726. 



(2.) Ton-miles moved, 46,359,000. 



(3.) Average goods-train load, 17 tons. 



(4.) Average distance per ton, 28 miles. 



(5.) Tons of goods, 1,645,000. 



(6.) Passenger-journeys, 5,000,000. 



(7.) Passenger-miles, 56,605,000. 



(8.) Average distance per passenger, 11 miles. 



(9.) Average expenses per ton-mile, 2-14d. 



(10.) Average expenses per passenger-mile, 0-86d. 



This is a sufficiently startling contrast, and will serve to 

 show the enormous difference there is between such light-traffic 



