TRANSPORTATION AND COMMERCE. In 1902 there were 2235 miles of railway in operation. the total cost of construction being £18,170,722. The prov ince owns and operates nearly the entire railway system. In 1901-02 the net earnings amounted to £622,349. In 1901-02 there were 7.356,136 passengers carried, nr mo•e than twice the num ber carried in 1891-92. There are tramway sys tems in all the principal towns. The extensive insular coast line and many harbors afford excel lent facilities for water transportation from one part of the country to another. Considering the smallness of the population, the foreign commerce is large. In 1900, 616 vessels entered New Zealand port,. with a tonnage of 854,632. Of these 372 were from the Commonwealth States, 33 from the United Kingdom direct, and 161 from other countries. The total tonnage has more than doubled since 1581. The value of imports increased from 16.260.523 in 1390 to £10,646,096 in 191m. and the value of exports increased during the same period from 19,811,720 to /13,246,161.
Almost the whole of the imports is for home consumption and the domestic exports are of domestic origin. Nearly three-quarters of the total exports are contrilinted by the agricultural and pastoral industries, wool being the largest item, followed by frozen meat, butter and cheese, and grain. The export of frozen meat began in 1532 and increased steadily until 1900. when it was estimated at 12,123,381, almost the whole of which went to England. Gold and kauri-gmn are also important exports. About threc-tifths of the imports are from the United Kingdom, and over three-fourths of the exports are to that coun try. In the trade of the colony the Australian States rank second and the United States third. The imports from the United States are much in I.XeeSs of the exports to the United States. Auekland, Wellington, Bluff Harbor, Littleton, and Dunedin are the largest ports.