The Dominion. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1909. AUSTRALASIAN GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 658, 8 November 1909, Page 6

The Dominion. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1909. AUSTRALASIAN GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS.

» : With-the oxoeption of-Tasmania, the railways 'of tho several States of the Commonwealth aro all managed by Commissioners, and as wo have pointed out on various occasions)'ti}ia:.form', ■if managomont i is much, succcssfu) than the political control which prevails in New ■Zealand.: Tho'railway year in the. Commonwealth : closed on, June 30, and in New Zealand. on March 31 ( last. and it is opportuno' and ■~ ot value to compare results ; as between Commonwealth and Dominion. The Australian figures havo-been obtained from tho columns of the - Sydney Daily. Telegraph, The gross revenue for each of the past two years of the several Statcß and New Zealand shows as under :— 1907-8. IMW. . ' ■ £ - £

The South Australian ■ railways suffered through tho strike at Broken Hill, but . taken on the whole tho increases are satisfactory..'.Victoria has done remarkably well, and New Zealand also shews up well-in tho matter of gross receipts.- Tho working expenses increased in all ■ the. States except South .Australia, the North-; ern Territory, and 'West Australia. Tho figures for tne two years compare as under:— : ■ i - •': - 1907-8. >1908-9. -. £' £ ■ £ ■,

;. 10,253,727 10,953,224 691.497 inc. Thus, while the gross revenue'of all the railways "exhibited an : increase of £615,497, the working expenses increased by £691,497,- so that the net result was less than-in tho previous year." The net revonue for the past two years is shown in the table appended:— ' 1907-8. 1903-9. • :

' :' , ' 6,817.22b 76.0C0 dec. ■ Though.some of tho States show snbstanii tial shrinkage, .the net shrinkage for tho entiro mileage is extremely small. N : ' But tho' test of management is in the not earnings to.capital cost, and it will ' bo seen from tho following table that the returns from all the States except Tasmania and tho Northern Territory exi coed those of New Zealand:—•

Tho Australian figures are very striking, : and. show the success attained under man- - agement by Commissioners. .The only Australian State on which the railways showed a deficit is Tasmania,' in ' which alone the New Zealand system . prevails. ; Tho. returns of.' "capital , expenditure on opened lines to- : gothor, with interest charge on same, is givon below. The capital expenditure on Tasmanian and West Australian, railways is -estimated, while the interest charges, '(except in the case of Victoria and New South Wales, and of Now Zealand, where the figure'is taken its 3} per cent., are calculated at 34 pisr cent., which is approximate:— , Oftjiltal Interest Net ■i ■■■.■-, ■■■■■■ Coat. Oharw. Eerorrae. Surttlaß. ' . ■ ■ V £ £ , » £ ■ £

I , 6,741,wi, own " ■ -*De«cJt. - .. ... '. It we omit tho Northern Territory, which is,, too insignificant; to, count, all the : Statcs 'of the- Commonwealth "except ''Tasmania _obtoiaid nubsteatial:■re-

venue from • tho railways, after paying tho: interest oil' tho money ■ borrowed for thoir construction, while in New Zealand tho railways earnings wero not sufficient to pay tho interest. On this test, management by Commissioners shows to infinitely better ■ advantago than political control. Tho mileage in , operation in each State at the close of the. last two financial years shows as under:— - ■■< ' .. Inorea.se, -\r « Mites..■ Mile#. ■ ;■■■ -New-South...Wales . ; ..-:34V2i"3&8311 . 15C3- : Victoria ..3401-'•=."■>-'3410' 14 . Queensland 3359 M9B ;-"vvi39 South Australia -..;,.;, 18751'.'; '.- IEB3 ,'• 6! ■' ; Northern Territory 145$ 145J West Australia' 1 .,..,,-.-. 1945 , . . v'. 2045 lfll'"---. . ■.Tasmania - .:.... .-. 463 46J Now Zealand £471 261! ■ 211': " 17.C84J 17J6J1 Glsj The increase in 'New .Zealand appears large- .from the fact that the State nc-' quircd-the Hanawatu'Railway; after'al- v lowing ;for, this, the increase is. substantial, and compares favourably with tho progress mado in construction in-Austra- ; liai . -We havo. placed on record the, figures given above so; that the public may be ..ablo to appreciate what mismanagement of the railways :means to the taxpayer. As we have; pointed out on previous occasions, the.-railways of Australia, under management by Commissioners', not only pay.their way, but leave a'surplus. In New Zealand and Tasmania, where political control exists,-..there-is a substantia! annual loss, which comes out. of the pockets of.the.taxpayer.

New South .Wales 4,944,134 6,828,450 81,515 ino. Victoria :: 3,883.742 4 489,065 305,323 inc. Qusonslftnd i 1,950,831 2,103,119 152,238 inc. South Australia ... 1,741,259./ 1,639,269; 102,CflO dec. Northern Territory > 14,462 ' 12,784 - 1,678 dco. ,We»t-AU»tr»lto-... 1,601,925 1,603,436 , 6,511 Inc. Tasmania ' Uttm:- 280,«05 : 3,199 ino. Now Zealand ; , 2,761,938 2,929,526 167,588 inc. ■ 17,075,947 17,691,444 615,497 ino.

Now South; Wales 2,714,839 2,952,824 237,9951116. Victoria 2,547,254 2,5a,929 176,675 ino. Queensland 1,053,736 ' • 1,227,193 173,363 Inc. South Australia ...' 969,530 940,628 " -28,702 dee. Northern Territory . 14,060 12,723 1,337 deo, West Australia ...... 1.C07.732 973,671' 33,Gtl dec. Tasmania - .. - 201,817 .. ; 204,136 2,319 100. New Zealand „ 1,949,759 2,114,815 165,056! inc.

£ . £ : . £ ■ New South YTalcfc 2,075.626 163.669 4ec. Victoria--".: 1,536,488. 1,665,136 ,128,648 ino. Queensland 897,145 87ft,021 21,124 dec. South Australia ... 771,729 698,431. 73,298 deo. Northern Territory 402 • • 61 ,341 deo. West -Australia .... 494493 634,565 46,573 ino. Tasmania 75,789 ' 76,669 tW'tao. Now Zealand ; 812479 814,711 ; 2,532 lno.

1 ' . 1907-08. . ISC 1-09.' £ 8. d. . £ «. d. . New South Wales ......... 4 17 7 4:811 - Victoria . 3 15 10 * .4 3 2' Quecnslaad 319 -6 * '31411 S. -Australia. - 6 11 4' 418 8 NBrtharn Territory u.... 0 0 7 0 0 1 West 'Awtralla 412 0 4 13 S : Tasmania ........... .''....118 2 - 118 3' ' ■ : Now Zealand S 6-7 , 3 2 7

JT N.8. Wales.;. 47,612,666 1,686,734 . 2,075,626 ' 388,892 l- Victoria ' ... 42,644,377 .1,430,693 1,665,136 ' 235,043 • Queensland... 23,355,323 - 848,067 . 876,62127,954 5 8.' Australia 14,158,481 •; - 513,245. - 698,431 185,186 " N. Territory 1.195.348 43.331 1 ■ 61 43>70* . IT..; Australia lUtSM. 399,680... 634,665 1 35,6JS t • Vanuatu ; 4.«M,eto ms,(W n,w . 6jia« f Hew Zealand 27,762,392 .1,041,339 814,711 !2>,kS»