458 KEPOET— 1891. 



is very extensive in some instances, as in the Eabaia, Eangi- 

 tata, and Waitaki, the river-beds being nearly a mile in 

 width. 



There are no difficulties from frost or snow, but extensive 

 floods have to be dealt with occasionally. 



The cost of improvements in renewing iron rails with 531b. 

 steel rails, in reconstructing improved types of rolling-stock, and 

 more permanent structures is borne by the working-expenses. 

 This makes the expenses appear heavier than they otherwise 

 would do. 



The average age of the lines is a little over twelve years. 

 The full average cost of renewals will not therefore be 

 reached under three or four years more. The cost of renewals 

 of rails and sleepers and new works is about one-third of the 

 whole cost of the maintenance of way and works. 



The expenses of maintenance of the railways under con- 

 sideration, of £127 per mile, must be considered very low under 

 these circumstances. 



The average number of hands employed is two aiid a third 

 per mile in all departments. The stations are very numerous, 

 more so than the traffic justifies ; about one-half of them 

 only are nlanned. 



We can now proceed to consider the particulars of sections 

 separately. 



The Napier line is fairly straight, and it has no gradient 

 steeper than 1 in 45. It penetrates into a fertile country, in 

 which settlement is rapidly extending. There is no water- 

 competition, and there are no non-paying branches. The 

 climate and country are such that it does not suffer from 

 storms or floods. The products of the country are timber, fire- 

 wood, wool, live-stock, meat, and dairy-produce. There is no 

 mineral traffic. Coals are sea-borne. Good steam-coal is 

 delivered at Napier at about £1 4s. per ton. This line, which 

 has cost £6,760 a mile, has earned 5 per cent, on its cost. It 

 presents an example of the results obtainable from a line fairly 

 located in a good country, and not placed in direct competi- 

 tion with water-carriage, nor burdened with short branches 

 which cannot be worked to advantage. Its goods-traffic is 

 caiTied a long average mileage, and its locomotive-power and 

 rolling-stock are thus advantageously utilised. 



The Wangauui Section has many steep gradients and sharp 

 curves ; the maximum gradient is 1 in 33. They are so situ- 

 ated as to form a considerable barrier to rapid transit, and to 

 make the locomotive charges high. It traverses a district as 

 fertile and productive as the Napier line does, but it follows 

 the coast closely, and has numerous small ports, which intro- 



