THE RAILWAYS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1045, 7 February 1911, Page 5

THE RAILWAYS.

INCREASE IN REVENUE. THE APPROACHING GRAIN SEASONn GUARD RAILS iN CARRIAGES. (By Telegraph.—Press AssoclatlonJ Dunedin, February 6* The Minister for Railways (tho Hoiu J. A.-Millar) is well pleased with tho result of the year's working of the railways so far. Mr. Millar stated this moraing that tho railway revenue for tlia ten months ended January 31 showed an. increase cf ,£251,000 over the revenue for the corresponding ten month? of tho previous year. In framing the railway estimates, Mr. Millar anticipated an increase of jKOO.OOO in revenue for the financial year 1910-11, as compared with, that of 1909-10. The two months yet to run are busy one® for tha Department, which regards the four months from December to March as the best period inthe year. The current year's returns ) v "l not be swelled by the Easter holiday traffic. Last year's returns included two Easter seasons, and were also assisted in the closing months of the financial year by the fact that there' was an early harvest. Mr. Millar took those : factors " into account in estimating this year's revenue. Ono thing . that materially assisted tho receipts was the holiday trafhe. At Christmas nearly 110,000 more passengers were carried in December, 1910, than in December, 1909. The increased receipts for the ten months had been attended by an increase in expenditure • amounting to about one-ouarter of the increase m revenue. It "has • cost tho Department, about .£65,000 extra to earn • .£251,000 extra during ten months. Mr. Millar states that tho percentage of working expenses to revenue will be rather lower this year than last year, when working expenses absorbed between. • 67 1 and 68 per cent, of revenue. The Minister says that, the South'' Island revenue returns ha.ve been keeping up wonderfully well considering the ■act that there has been little or no addition to mileage opened for traffic -wring the year. The- South Island returns should be considerably augmented by haulage during the approaching grain season. According to information supplied to him 1 a fairly good harvest is expected in Canterbury. The grain has filled out well, and in South Canterbury the wheat yield is cxpectcd to average thirty-five bushels per acre, and oats. forty bushels. The Oamaru district is reported toi be likely to return a better yield than many peoplo expected in view of tho dry weather, and south of Oamaru the Department's information is that the crops aro likely to be very good, . while/-the Central Otago yield will pro-, bably be better than the average. Asked whether tho. Department was equipped with sufficient rolling stock to' convey the grain to various ports expeditiously, Mr. Millar said that if the new season's grain opened at high prices there would be bound to be the usual rush on the part of growers to get it to • market-as speedily as possible. No railway. concern in the world conld keep sufficient rolling stock to meet the demand if every grower wished to Tusli. his grain to the market at the same time.., "'Last year/' he continued, 1 "we received; letters from different branches of the i Farmers' Union congratulating us on the . satisfactory manner in which the grain was handled. I have no doubt the rolling stock will be handled by our officers in the same efficient manner so as to prevent the blocking of the grain as much as possible." Safety bars aro being fitted to the platforms of carriages of railways. This, is to prevent the risk of accident to passengers crossing from carriage to carriage while the train is in motion. Already 120 carriages have been fitted with these extra guard Tails, aud the rest will be similarly equipped at the rate o£ about; ninety per week, so that all will be completed within about two months. The i cost will be charged to working expenses j account, end will bo met out of. revenue. i