RAILWAY RATES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 285, 26 August 1920, Page 6

RAILWAY RATES

TO COME INTO OPERATION TO-DAY

AN OFFICIAL SUMMARY

JLhe new railway rates and fares necessary to meet the increasing cost of operating expenses, and to provide for the payment o£ tho bonus recently granted to members of tho railway staff, have been gazetted, and will conio into cperation to-day. Tho schedules giving effect to the increases have been prepared, and are now being distributed throughout the railway system in tho Dominion. Jt is stored that in making the revision the additions made for war purposes in 1915 and again in 1,917 have been taken into consideration, and tho additions now made have been consistently kept jis ,mv as nossibhv ' New rates havo been scheduled for ordinary, holiday excursion, aam suburban tickets. Ordinary tickets have been increased by about 25 per cent, as compared with tho rates in 1914, amounting to an increase of about 7 per cent, on tho fares now in force for this class of ticket. Holiday excursion fares have been increased by a flat rate- of 2s. for both first and second class. Tho new scale of suburban fares ib based upon tho. pre-war rates,, plus additions upon a similar scale :'s rondo to ordinary fares. Theso rates do not, how. ever, iucludo the lull measure or war imposts upon general passenger fares, and aro from 10 per cent, to 40 per cent, lower than the ordinary fares for equivalent distances. Return tickets within tho suburban areas are approximately rato and a half of the single suburban fares, whereas return tickets at ordinary fares aro charged double the single rates. The rates for weekly 12-trip tickets have slightly advanced, the increased rate varying from ono-oighth of a penny per mile at two miles to one-fiftieth of a penny per mile at twenty-five miles. Workers' 12-trip tickets have also been slightly increased, and tho two to tenmile stage divided into two stages, resulting in increased charges per trip per mile from one-eighth of a penny at two miles to one one-hundredth of a penny at twenty-five miles. Rates for" other classes of tickets havo been increased by 25 per cent, on tho rates in force in 1914. With regard to the charges for tho conveyance of parcels traffic the tabulated rates have not been' altered, but tho rates for luggage, bicycles, horses, carriages, etc., have been increased by one-third. Left Mid lost luggage will, under the now 6cnle, be charged 4d. instead nf 3d. per nackaie, and the fro for checking luggage will also bo advanced to 4d, Tho charge for checking luggage between tho North and South Islands and vice versa has been increased to 9d. per package. No alteration, has been made in the charges for conveyance of bread, flour, fresh fruit, fresh fish, fresh meat,_ tea and sugar, the rates for which remain as ■it present. Tho rnto for timber, which has hitherto been free of any impost, has been increased by one-seventh of the pre-war classified rates. With regard to all other goods and live stock, and the charges for haulage, storage, demurrage, and similar 'c^' the charges have been increased by 10 per cent, on tlw 1914 rates. These additions to the rates absorb the increases m ohaTges made in 1915 and 1917, which amount variously from 17 per cent, to 51 per cent. A number of minor adjustments have also been made. Corresponding adjustments have been made in tho rates on the Lake Wnkahpi steamers, and for : goods' handled at wharves under the control of the Departnient. ,