THE RAILWAY REVENUE

Ashburton Guardian, Issue 1980, 26 October 1888, Page 3

THE RAILWAY REVENUE

The Wellington correspondent of the "Otago Daily TimeB 1 ' says :— The New Zealand railway revenue for the tix months ended 30th September 1888, being the first half of the current financial year, amounted m round numbers to £480,000. As the Colonial Treasurer estimated tho jear'ji revenue at £1 040 000— half of which would be £520,000— the actual receipts fall short of $ho estimate by £40,000 ; but it must bo remembered that the April-Septomber half of the year is tbe winter half, m which the traffic, and passengers especially, is below that of the October-March half. The summer passenger traffic, too, is far more profitable than the winter goodp traffic. It is true that the winter half-year gets the lion's share of the grain traffic, but at the present low rates that barely pays ex.penses—indeed, leaves a actual loss m ■ome cases so If it shows m the gross receipts it does little m the net profit. It is pipected that the usual holiday traffic, particularly that at Christmas and New Year, will tend largely to pull up past arrears Aa it is the net profit is larger by some £1.5,000 than for the AprilSeptember half of last year, tho working expenses this half-year being less by ftbout £25 000 than m the corresponding Ualf -year of 1885, although 40 more miles are being worked.