Value of Statistics.

It has been found that the statistics compiled in the Chief Accountant's Office in connection with the working of traffic, are of great value to the controlling officer and they are the main check on operating performance. These statistics, based on data extracted from station returns, waybills and guards' running sheets, are elaborate, and are compiled for each four-weekly period and for each year. They are too extensive to describe in detail, but include revenue results from each district for each class of traffic, revenue per passenger journey, per ton, per ton mile, per train mile, and so on; expenditure for each class of work for each district, cost per train mile, per train hour, totaf freight tonnagey passenger journeys, train hours, total engine miles, average train speed, average train load, cost of shunting services, cost of handling goods, cost of operating rail motors, road motors, Lake Wakatipu steamers, and many variations of these statistics.

Some idea of the transport work performed in the course of a year may be obtained from the statistics for one year which, in spite of a time of depression, show as under:—

To move this great volume of traffic, trains are run in accordance with a timetable prepared to meet the requirements of traffic, and the service is increased when necessary by special trains run as directed in special train advices issued by the District Traffic Manager for the district Concerned.

All timetables, before being published, are carefully checked in every detail by a specialised staff, and the timetables are plotted on the train diagrams to ensure the maintenance of proper intervals and of suitable crossing stations. The times provided in the timetable or train advice are checked with the mileage and with the authorised schedule of speeds to ensure that a reasonable running time is allowed.