RAILWAY WORKING

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 23, 22 October 1920, Page 6

RAILWAY WORKING

EXPENDITURE INCREASING ■ .FASTER THAN REVENUE. Details /of the Railway Working Account for the peri'od from April 1 to September 18, nearly a half-year, show that the revenue totalled ,£2,804,217 17s. sd:. of which the North'lsland lines contributed d! 1,099,112 7s. sd„ and. the South Island lines ,£1,205,105 10s. The, total revenue for the corresponding period of 1919 was ,£2,318,581 15s. lid., of which the North Island contributed £1,315,585 Us. lfld., and the South Island 4s Id The increase'in the revenue as compared with last year amounts to ,£585,633 Is. 6d'. ■ The expenditure for the period amounted to .£2,442,195 Os. 2d., and of this .£1,340,782 4s. was the expenditure .on North Island lines and £1,101,412 16s. 2d, oil South Island lines. The expenditure during the corresponding period of last year amounted to £1,670,631 12s. 9d„ so 'that tho expenditure this year has increased by ,£771,563 75.. ,sd. The, position as compared with the corresponding period* of, last year may he set out as under:— £ s.'d. Increase in revenue 585,633 1 6 Increase in expenditure ... 771,563 I 5 The ratio of expenditure to revenue this vear is. 84.09 per cent., as against 72.05 last year, an increase of. over 12 Pe, fliß returns show that 321,993 tons' of timber were railed during the period, an increase of 94,823 tons on the corresponding period of lust year; minerals. 1,213,366 tons, an increase of 132,826 tons; other goods, 1,351.216 tons, an increase of 171,947 tons, 'llie total increase in gootls traffic was 399,596 tons. In all. 3.319,032 head of live stock were carried 011 the railways during the period, an increase of 419,784 Head. The passengers carried numbered'6,ss9,ll6, an increase of 1,747,225 and the season tickets totalled 211,059, an increase of 39,444.