95

Estimate for branch to West-port, when gauge is 3 feet 3 inches.

158. Estimate of Westport—

27 miles of railway, all of which is in the valley of the Buller, at £4,919 16s. per mile... 140,252 0 0
Small bridges and culverts ... 3,240 0 0
Retaining and Breast walls, say ... 3,000 0 0
Stations ... 1,600 0 0
Land ... 1,620 0 0
Detailed Survey ... 945 0 0

Total... £153,664 0 0

Rolling Stock.

159. Rolling Stock ... £48,125 0 0

Estimate of trunk line and branch, when gauge is 5 feet 3 inches.

160. Summary:—

Trunk Line ... £766,966 12 6
Branch Line ... 153,664 0 0
Rolling Stock ... 48,125 0 0

968,755 12 6
Contingencies at £10 per cent ... 96,875 11 3

Total ... £1,065,631 3 9

Cost of each gauge and rate per mile.

161. A summary of the cost of the railway on different gauges will stand thus:—

Per mile.
3 feet 6 inches gauge = £671,687 2 0 ... £4,210
4 feet 8½ inches do. = £886,893 12 0 ... £4,768
5 feet 3 inches do. = £1,065,631 3 9 ... £5,148

Difficult to estimate the pro-bable income in a new country.

162. It is extremely difficult to estimate the income to arise from the conveyance of passengers and goods through a new country, where the population of the interior, being chiefly connected with gold diggings, is very fluctuating, so that in the estimate of income that follows, the items for goods and passengers may be taken as somewhat empirical; but from tables very carefully prepared in 1856 by James Mackay, Esq., showing the traffic from Nelson to the West Coast for twelve months, and which that gentleman has very politely placed at my disposal, I draw the following result:—

Results from Mr. Mackay's tables.

Kegs, bags, boxes, bales, and packages ... 44,197
Cattle ... 435
Sheep ... 5,280
Pigs ... 410
Goods not detailed in tons ... 1,360

Passengers may be taken at 5,000.

163. We may fairly presume that one-half of both goods and passengers were for Hokitika and other places besides the Buller and Grey, and therefore would not have passed over the Railway had it existed. On the other hand, a large number of passengers and some goods go overland from Nelson for the interior, of which there exists no account; and if we take the settled districts into account through which the line would pass, I am of opinion that the passengers would be equal to at least 5000 going through an average distance of one hundred and sixty-one miles, immediately upon opening of the line.

164. Estimate of Income:—

Profits on 113,000 tons of coal, at 4s ... 22,000 0 0
Carriage of 50,000 tons of coal from Brunner mines to Cobden—6 miles at 1½ penny per mile ... 2,041 13 4
Carriage of 50,000 tons of coal from Mount Rochfort to Westport, distance about 14 miles, at 1½d. per penny per mile... 4,083 16 8
Carriage of 13,000 tons of coal from Granges Point to Nelson, 122 miles at 1½d. penny per mile... 9,251 13 4

15,376 13 4
Deduct £50 per cent for working expenses ... 7,638 6 8

7,688 6 8
Gold Diggers' Licenses, say 5000 through passengers, half to or from Westport and half to or from Cobden, average 161 miles at £2 the trip ... 10,000 0 0
22,000 kegs, boxes, bags, bales, and packages, at 5s. each ... 5,500 0 0
400 cattle, at £2 ... 800 0 0
5,000 sheep, at 7s. ... 1,750 0 0
400 pigs, at 7s. ... 140 0 0
600 tons of goods, at 25s. ... 750 0 0
Mails ... 200 0 0

19,140 0 0
Deduct £50 per cent for working expenses ... 9,570 0 0

9,570 0 0

Total income ... £43,858 6 8

165. Now, whatever gauge is adopted for the railway, 1 152,000 acres of land will be sold during the construction of the railway, and that it would realise £380,000; so that the capital to be provided for the work would be—

If a 3 feet 6 inches gauge ... £490,037
If a 4 feet 8½ inches do. ... £605,390
If a 5 feet 3 inches do. ... £684,631

166. If, then, a 3 feet 6 inches gauge was adopted, the dividend would be £9 19s. 0d. per cent; if a 4 feet 8½ inches gauge, £8 1s. 2d. per cent; if a 5 feet 3 inches gauge, £7 1s. 9d. per cent.

167. Let but us assume an extreme case, that is, that none of the good land is sold for some time after the line is made, even then capitalists investing in the line would be quite safe, for a dividend of £5 0s. 7d. per cent. would be realised on the cost of a line whose gauge was 3 feet 6 inches, without the sale of any land whatever, or without any account being taken of increased sale of coal at Nelson beyond what now takes place.

168. If, lowerer, the flat land were sold, there would still remain 1,943,000 acres of land belonging to the company, which, excluding the value of the minerals, would, at so low a figure as two shillings and sixpence per acre, represent £242,875 to be gradually realised for the shareholders.

I have the honor to be, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
HENRY WRIGG,
Civil Engineer, A.I.C.E.
Nelson, 31st March, 1868.

Printed under the authority of the Provincial Government, Nelson, by CHARLES ELLIOTT, Trafalgar-street, Nelson, Printer for the time being to the said Government.