Bv flut~oritv: ltOB'l'. S. BRAIN, GOVER:>~TEXT PRINTER, MELBOtiRNlt. No. 38.-[ls. 9d.]-6749. APPROXIMATE COST OF REPORT. £ s. d. Preparation-Not given Printing (1,172 copies) 88 0 0 REP 0 RT.
VICTORIAN RAILWAYS, 12th September, r896.
To the Honorable the llfinisteT rif Railways. Sm, In accordance with the provisions of the 59th section of the Railways Act, No. r r 3 5, I have the honour to submit, for the information of Parliament, the Annual He1)ort upon the working of the Railway Department for the year ending 3oth June, r 896.
DEBENTURE CAPITAL. The amount of borrowed eapital was, on 3oth June last, £36,732,844 r rs. 4d., details of which are shown in the Appendix, Return No. 10.
Additional debentnres amounting to £ r 9, 749 were issued under the Victorian Stock Act r 8 9 5 No. r 36 9. The Jiel bourne and Hobson's Bay United Rail way Company's debentures, amounting to £r 22,ooo, w·cre redeemed. The last of the company's stock, amounting to £3r,9oo, will he paid o:ff during the ensuing year.
The interest for the year amounted to £I ,444, 770 Is. 8d., which, with £24,972 qs. rd., the amount paid by the Treasury for expenses in payment of interest, made the total £r,469,74-2 rss. 9d. From this, however, a sum of £IO,OOO has been dedueted, being the interest on £2 so,ooo transferred from Hailwa.Y Loan moneys to Irrigation 'Vorks and 'Vater Supply, Act 57 Vict. :Xo. 1327.
Credit lws aJso been taken for £2 I' I 40 28. 3d., being per cent. on the unexpended balances of loan moneys raised for railway purposes. The net amonnt 4
debitPd to t1w Railway account 1s, therefore, £r,438,6o2 IJS. 6d., as per following detailed statement:-·
Amount f!f Interest on Railwa,y Loans paid during the Year ending 3oth June, I 896.
Loans. Iuterest. ···----··--·-··------£ s. d. 42 Vict. No. 6oS 187,045 I6 3 36 Vict. No. 439 3.55f I8 f 37 Vict. No. f68 58,ooo 0 0 39 ':~et. ~o. 53 I s5,867 If 5 45 v 1ct. No. 717 I Io,76o f IO f6 Vi et. No. 7 39 8o,ooo 0 0 f6 Vi et. No. 74-1 f, 3Of 0 0 f7 Vict. No. 760 I 50,3 5 I 10 5 f8 Vi et. No. 8os 130,0f6 17 9 4-9 Vict. No. 845 r8o,ooo 0 0 51 Vict. No. 963 5,200 0 0 52 Vict. No. 989 93>586 19 I 54 Vict. No. I I96 77,913 0 ll 53 Vict. No. 1032 I Io,z 5o 0 0 55 Vi et. No. I 2 17 58,333 6 8 s6 Vi et. No. I 287 8.j.,280 0 0 53 Vict. No. IOI5 and No. 1341 26,ooo 0 0 56 Vict. No. I296 ...... I8,s86 17 8 58 Vict. No. 1369 .. . 6,0<}3 I 5 4
I,f40, I 2 5 8 42 Vict. No. 617 (Hobson's Bay) .. I f,6f5 0 0
I,f{4,770 I 8 Expenses in payment of Interest 24,972 14 I
1,469,742 I 5 9 Less 4 per cent. on £2 so,ooo amount transferre(l to Irri- gation '\V orks and Water Supply, 57 Vict.No. 1327 £10,ooo o o Less Interest at 2~ per cent. on weekly unexpended balances of Loan moneys zi,I.j.O 2 3 ,;______31,If0 2 3 _ £I,fJ8,6o2 13 6
The deficiency in meeting the interest charges for the year is, as shown in the profit and loss account, £583,68 5 4s. 6d.
The result of working for the year may be summarized thus :- 'rota] traffic ... £2,401,392 Total working expenditure ... 1,546,47 5
NET PROFIT ON '\VORKING ... £854,917
The ratio of workiug expenses to gross revenue is 64·4o per cent., and, exclusive of pensions and gratuities ( £89,7 37) charged to railway working during the year, the percentage is 6o·66. 5
The following statements show details of Revenue and Expenditure for the last two years:-
TOTAL HEYENUE.
-~------~~------1894-5. 1895-6. I Increaee. DeC'rease. Net Decrease. - (Average ~Iiles open, (A\-erage ~.Jile111 open, 3,082£.) 3,121.)
------I £ '· d. £ s. d. £ .. d. £ s. d. £ G. J. Passengers ...... I,o25,43I I4 3 I,o38,6I5 9 I I 3, I 83 I4 IO Parcels, &c...... 93,592 I7 s 95·902 2 3 2,J09 4 IO Horses, carria. ges, and dogs ... Io,86s !6 0 I I,os8 2 IO I92 6 IO Mails ...... 6I,886 I I 56,68 3 IO 4 .. . 5,202 IO 9 Rents ...... 52,086 2 8 so,667 I7 0 ... I,4I8 5 8 Miscellaneous ...... I5,746 I9 3 II,29I I? 8 I ... 4.455 4 7 Live stock ...... IZ5,I02 II IO qo,s so I2 5 5.448 0 7 Goods ...... I,I96,879 2 0 I,oo6,622 I3 I ... I9o,256 8 II I I --~- .~ --~---~---~-~ ------I I 2,58I,59I 4 6 ' 2,40I,392 I 8 I 2I,I33 7 I 2oi,332 9 II ------!------I i Number of passengers ...... 40,210,733 40·993.798 783,065 Tons of live s tack ...... I04,277 I I77,745* 73.468 Tom of goods ...... 2,33',58o I,985,977 .. . 345,603 Train mileage ...... 9,567,453 8,989,39 I ... 578,062 Revenue per average mile open ... £837 £769 ... £68 " t rain mile ...... s~. 4'76d. ss. 4'IId. .. . ·65d. I * The basis on which the tonnage of live stock is cakulated has been increased aslollows :-1 truck ol sheep lrom •! tons to 4 tons; I truck ol cattle front 4 tons to s~ tons.
ToTAL ExPENDITURE. ' l8fH-5. 1895-6.
------~ - ---- Increase. Decrease. Net lncreaso. Cost Per Cent. , Cost Per Cent. Amount. per Train to i Amount. per Train to 1\Iile. Revenue. j 1\Iile. Revenue. ------1------1 ------
£ s. d. d. £ s. d. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ 8, d Maintenance ... 33I,I98 5 7 8'31 I2'83 36 5,848 2 4 9. 77 I5'23 34,649 I6 9 Loco. charges ... 478,+39 8 5 12'00 I8'53 450,488 II I2'03 I8'76 ... 27,95° I7 0 Carriages and i 51 wuggons 89,I29 4 7 2'24 3 '45 97.352 I2 3• 2'6o 4'05 8,223 7 8 Traffic charges 5I4,IJO I2 6 I2'90 I9'92 i 486,433 2 41 I2'99 20'26 ... 27,697 IO 2 I I I Compensation 6,8os I4 IO . I7 ·26 7,J2I I 0 . I9 • 3 I I 5 I 5 6 2 General charges I23,689 IO 4 3' IO 4 '79 I I 39,031 3 41 3. 7I 5'79 ji s,J4I I3 0 i ___ I ______------~------~ ------s. d. ! d. I .. I I 1 I,543,392 I6 3 3 2'72 59'78 I ,546,474 I 2 8 5"29 64'40 !s8,7Jo 3 7 55,648 7 2 3,081 16 ' 3 I I s ' I I I I I The mileage has increased from 3, I 20 to 3, I 2 2t, owing to the opening of the line from Jumbunna to Outtrim. The following shows the additional mileage opened during the last eleven years:- Year ending June, 1886 67i miles I887 I37i " I888 1 " " 37t I889 " " I79-k " I89o 273i ," I89I " 293-! " I892 140 , " " I893 72 " " I894 .~, 45t " I895 98 " 1896 21. " " 4 " 6
The muuher of passengers conveyed was 40,993,798, as against 40,210,773 in 1894-5, being an increase of 783,065. The tonnage of goods was 1,985,977, as against 2,33t,58o, or a decrease of 345,603 tons. The train miles amounted to 8,989,391, as against 9,567,453, or a decrease of 578,o62.
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE. The capital expenditure at 3oth June, 1896, amounted to£38,I08,151 9s. 7d., or an increase for the year of £r 8 5,944 14s. 4d., which was charged as follows: Construction of new lines and capital works on existing
lines, &c...... £1791 IIO II 9 Rolling-stock 6,834 2 7
RECAPITULATION. The following is a general summary of the leading features of the Report, and, for purposes of ready comparison, corresponding items for 1894-5 are given:- 1894-5. 189§-6. Total debenture capital raised £g6,83s,o95 £36,732,845 Net interest and charges £1,418,847 £1,438,603 Unspont bnhnces of loan moneys £I,344·268 £x,o69,307 Amount spent on construction during the year £173,643 £185,944 Total spent i u coustrnction £37,922,207 £38,108,15I At an average cost per mile opened of •.. £12,221 £12,272 Total mileage open for tmffic ... 3, I 20 miles 3,12zf milos
Average lllileagc open for traffic 3,12 I 3,o82l " " Gross revcnne earned £z,s81,59I £z,4o1,392 Working cxpcndi tnrc £1,543,393 £1,546,475 PROFIT ON WORKING ... £1,038,198 £854,917 PERCENTAGE OF WORKING EXPENSES TO REVENUE 59·78 64·40 Percentage of' workiug oxpeusos to revenue (exclusive of ponsioni\ am! gratnitio~) s6·67 6o·66 Reveuue per nYornge mile opc:n £769 Expendilnro per an:mge mile open £5o1 ft96 Gross earnings per tmin mile ss. +'76tl. 5s. {"I IU. Expenses po1· tmin mile 3~· 2 ·72<1. 3s. 5"29tl. Nnm1er of passenger journeys 40,2 Io,7 33 40:993,798 Go()(1s tonnnge 2,331,)8o tons 1,985,977 tons LiYc stock tonnnge ... I 04,2 77 " I7f,/f5 " Train milongc 9,567,4-53 mi!L:s 8,989,391 miles The m:t. ren•nr1c paid ou the total capital oocAs the Department was under the management of my prcdece:-ssors during the year, nncl as they have dealt fully \Yith the perio1l under review in their Valedietory Report, I have confined this statement to a brief smmm1ry of the results of working, as shown in the detailed accouuts and retums in the Appendix.
I have the honour to he, Sir, Your ohedient S<'TYant,
JOHN MATHIESON~ Railways Commissioner.
APPENDIX.
VICTORIAN RAILWAYS.
APPENDIX TO THE REPORT OF THE VICTORIAN RAILWAYS COMMISSIONER.
YBAB BKDIKG 30th J"U'KB, 189&.
!fo. I. Report of the Engineer-in-Chief. Engineer for Existing Lines, 2.. " 3. Chief Mechanical Engineer. i;, General balance-sheet. 5, Profit and Loss .Account. &. Expenditure and revenue statement. 7, Details of working expenditure. S, Railway Accident l'und. 9, Cost of each line, and average per mile, &c. 10. Statement of railway debt. 11. Comparative statement. 12., Statement showing dates of opening, &c. 13. Number of employes at 30th June. tot:. Number of employes entitled to compensation, &c., on retirement, &c. 15. Statement showing percentage deductions. 1&, Statement showing traffic at each station. 17, Return of rolling-stock. IS, Return of accidents. 19. Appointments and reinstatements. 2.0. Removals of employes. 2.1 . .Appointments of employes (Board of Land and Works Railways Construction). 2.2.. Removal of employes " " " "
No. 38, B
11
VICTORIAN RAILWAYS.
No. 1.
To THE BoARD OF LAND AND WoRKs (RaiLWAYs CoNsTRUCTION BRANCH).
Engineer-in-Chief's Office, GENTLEMEN, Melbourne, 1st September, I 896. I have the honour to report that, cluring the financial year ending 3oth .June, 1896, two railway lines were under construction, one of which was completed and opened for traffic, while the other was commenced towards the end of the term. The former line-from Jumbuuua to Onttrim-opened on the 5th February, 1896, is 2 miles 32 chains in length, and forms an extension of the branch which runs from the Great Southern Railway at Korumbnrra to ,Jumbunna. The other line commences at Nathalia, the present terminus of the railway hranching westward from Numurkah, aml ends at Picola, a distance of 6it miles. It was commenced Oil the 8th J nne, 1896, and is being cousiructed under the lmtty-gang system. This railway was authorized, under Act 1293, on the 27th February, 1893. The delay in commencement was caused by the lack of the prescribed action ou the part of the local railway trust under the Railway Lands Acquisition Act of 1893, No. 1288. Tho Fra.nkston Cemetery branch, threC-IJHarters en of a mile in lcugth, and the Heidelberg to Eltbam railway, miles, :mthorized on tho 12th December, 1884, and 3rd March, 1893, respectively, have not yet been commenced. The following lines were under survey during the financial year :-
PER;\IA.NENT SURVEYS. Country Lines. Birehip to Mina,pre 32 miles. Frankston Cemetery z! ,
TRIAL SURVEYS. Country Lines. Colac to Beech Forest (2-ft. gauge) Forrest (terminus of the branch lino from Birregurra) to 62 miies (2-ft. gauge) Traralgon to Carrajuug ( z-ft. gauge) 23~ ,,
Since 8th May, I 895, this office luts been intrustetl with the regi~tration of "unemployed" men seeking casual labour, and the selection, from the regitlter, of men required for this ela:;s of labour in various railway works and in all Govemment departments. The total number of men registered to 3oth ,June, 1896, was 12,2 55, of whom 3,0 I 8 were selected for wo1·k; 17 being provided for in the Mining Department, .po in the Public Works Department, and 2,;91 in the Railways. The classes of labour for which these men were engaged were o£ the following kinds:- Labourers... 2,580 Masons 20 Carpenters I47 Sailors I9 Bricklayers 68 .Pa.viors 9 Bricklayers' labourers 62 i:-llater Painters ... 63 Drivers, with horses and carts 2 8 Totfll 3,0I8 Plumbers .. . 21
All ~coking work havo been free to register without any impediment, but undeserving cases are carefully sorted out and remov-ed from the register. 1\fen have to renew their registration after IJeing three months on the books. ~When work is allotted the names are struck olf, all(i further work can onlv be obtained by registering when again idle. • In adclition to the 3,018 men detailed above, men were employed locally on regrading works up country, irrespective of the register, to the estimated number of 6oo. This brings the number of men for whom occupation was found within the Hailway Department up to, say, 3,zoo, and the total number of "unemployed" for whom work was obtained by means of the Railway Department to, say, 3,6oo.
I have the honour to be, Gentlemen, Your obedient servant,
F. RENNICK, Engineer•in·Chief. No. 38. c 12
VICTORIAN RAILWAYS. No. z. R&ilway Department, Office of Engineer of Existing Lines, SIR, Melbourne, 7th September, I 896. I have the honour to report that during tho year ended 3oth ,J uno, I 896, the way ~tnll works of the Victorian ]{ailways were efficiently maintained. The following table gives the cost of maintcuance of way and works, including renewals, for the past year as eomparml with I894-5 :-
,herage Miles of ~lain Line maintained. oxim;kte : Appr Total Cost Cost per Mile Cost 'i Mil eage of of ~1aintenance of Main Line per Train Year. Si diftgs n.nd llenewals (Sidings included). lll.ile. Single Line. Tot,al. mai ntained. for Year.
""""· "'" I ---···--···---···-- -·~--···--!-----
£ $. d. d. I t8g4-5 294 I 2,788l 3,oSz!j soo I07 8 9 8'31 ,s 95-6 294 2,827 3)12 I soo "7 4 9'77 I The inercascd cost per mile of lino is partly for labour, hut principnliy for materials, of which a mueh hrger quantity was brought into me than ever before, as shown in the following statement of mileug0 worked and renewals made from the year rSSI to 3oth June, r896 :-
Mileage. Rene\va]s.
Yctlr ending- --·--···--~· Total average Total average Total Rails in J\Hlcs i Miles of Sing·le lliles of Double :Ala in Number of of \Vay. Sleepers. ' IJine open. 1 Line open. open.
3 I st Dcccmhcr, 1881 x,oso I6 5 I ,21) 200 so~ JO,I05 !1 I882 I,IIg IS! 1,3:JO 220 46~ 65,327 If I 883 1,240 192 I ,4 32 240 14-I~ 7I.S48 3oth ,funQ, 1884* I >39 1 207 '·598 270 34± 48,171 fl 1X8 S I,448 207 I .6 SS :z.ss 42~ I 9,763 I88G 1:472 219 I,691 290 '2.0~ 29,847 xS87 1,)46 245 1 >791 JC) 26 41,782 If t888 1,700 247 1,9+7 335 28 44,594 J889 1,886 2)6 2,I4~ 375 25! 6s.sso 18go z,oss 274 410 33 70,593 I8gi 2,J70 280 47° 12 73,668 I892 2,537 292 sco 5 68,8gg 2 61 r8g3 2,636 97 2,9)3 sco 2 75.774 189+ z,6s 5 2 97 z,gSz sco 351f 82,278 ,s 95 2,789 294 J,083 soo s6± qr,69s fl r8g6 2,827 29+ J, I 21 sco 75 I9 I,454
* Half-year only. 'l'he inorea~e in renewals is dne to the faet that many of tha lines are now abont the age when the limit of life of the sbepers and iron rails wit.h which they were originnlly lahl j, reached, and until all such lines have been tlcnlt with the cost for renewals will be heavy. All renewals of main lines nre being carried out with steel rails and with sleepers of the best qnality of redgmn, red iron bark or grey box. The incrPa~e in the eost or maintcmmce per train mile is attrilmtahlc p:1rtly to the large qna.ntity of renewals done dnring the past. year nud partly to the fact that the large redncr.ion effected in train mileage has not carried with it a corresponding V I C 'l' 0 RI AN RAILWAYS.
No. 3.
Locomotive Carriage ami Waggon Bran eh, Cl1ief Mechanical Engineer's Office, Sm, l\Ielbonrue, 7th September, I 896. I beg to submit the following report on the working of the Locomotive Carriage and \Yaggon .Branch for the twelve (1z) months ending 30th ,June, 1896. The rolling-stock aml plant have been kept n~ go~d working order, and the trains run at n. considerable reduction of cost on previous years. The foJlowmg IS a comparison for the past five (5) years :- Comparative Table.- Year 1891-2. Yenr !S92-3. Year I 893-!. Year 1894-5. Yl•:tr 1891-6.
A vernge miles open 2 ,829! 2.9J3 2,981l·· 3,o8z~... 3,121 Train miles run I I I0,775,IH 10,Lj-5,307 ... 9•567,4-53 ··· 8,989,39! Engine miles rnn 14,932,H9 13,63),72I 1z,Szs,o9o lz,z9z,73'l ... II,557·zi8 Gross revenue ... £3,095,122 ... £z,9z 5·9+8 £z,726,159 58I,591 ... £z,+o1,392 Total locomotive working expenses- I,abour nnd m:derial £822,403l +>o,. 88 Credit to be ad:lcd I 7,484 J .-~o J9• 7 Total Jowmotivc c·xpenditure on stock, working cxpen~es, nnd for other branches, exelnsivo of work done by contrnct ::wd material wp· plied tu contractors~ Lahonr nnd material 38 • } ) £902 320 £(73,322 ... £6+4,890 ... £592,IGI ... £574,226 Credit to be a:ldetl 23,935 ' Rebuilds, convcrsions,&c., charged to working oxpens£>1'- Labour and matel'ial £8,I8f ... £I0,412 ... £I 1,7+0 ... £3,220 ... £3,297 Working expenses per train mile I6'jitL .. I6· 3Sd .... l4 '96d .... q·24d .... I4.'63d. W orldng oxpea~e~ per engine mile 13'22d .... I 2 · 94-il. ... 1I'8)d .... 1 I· oS d .... I I·38d. Number of men employed at 30th June 3.33 5 3,01 7 2,787 2,721 Equivalent mtmber if working fnll time 3,2 3 I 2,68 5 z,6zo ... 2,6-t-5 Shm·t Time.-In order to provide a further nnmher of cool trncks for the carriage of 1lairy prod nee, and owing to the increased amount of heavy repairs necessary to the stock, :wd to many retirements from the service, it was found neces.'mry to inerense the working honrs at Newport and Port :Melbourne from five to five and a half days a week from lst September last. Lubricating Oil.~.-The economies already made under this heading have been further extended. Oil-mixing Plant.~This was completed in the early p:.