There are evidences that once again very heavy pressure is being placed upon our existing rolling-stock to handle the March-April rush of traffic in goods and livestock. The various workshops throughout the Dominion have certainly reached a stage where they are in condition to overtake the arrears in our wagon building programme, but it will be past the rush of the Autumn season this year before relief from this source will become really effective. In the meantime I would ask that every member of the staff dealing with wagons should remember the pressing need for rapid discharge and despatch to the points of supply of all trucks coming under his control. Although, up to date, a bigger tonnage has been handled this year than ever previously and (through a heavy withdrawal of condemned wagons) with even a slightly reduced total of wagons available, complaints regarding delay have been less than at any similar period that I remember. This I attribute to a fuller understanding of the position by the Department's clients, better co-operation in the matter of order and distribution, and improvements in train services enabling a more rapid turnover of the rolling-stock. I am very pleased to be able to place this on record, and, although we are not yet out of the wood, I feel sure that the same good spirit will prevail through the remainder of the rush period, including Easter. Thereafter we may expect to be in a much better position to deal with urgent rush traffic through the new stock which we will, by that time, have on the road.

Holiday Excursions.

The approach of Easter affords an opportunity for again drawing attention to the frequency of Holiday Excursion periods on the Railways, since to the Christmas and Easter holiday periods were added Holiday Excursion rates for all at the time of the School Autumn and Spring vacations. This gives, during the year, four times at which a general issue of Holiday Excursion tickets is available. There is thus an average of one week in six throughout the year when the ordinary rates of issue are replaced by excursion rates. Add to this the fact that on one day in every seven exceptionally low rates are available for day visits between most of the principal towns and their most convenient neighbouring resorts, and it will be seen how amply the requirements of travellers are now met in the matter of opportunities for low-fare travel. The increase in this class of traffic has helped to counteract the inevitable losses through the increased numbers of privatelyowned cars, and although it has given us a decreased return per passenger, it has supplied most encouraging proof of the favour in which rail travel is still held for mass passenger transport.

General Manager.