RAILWAY TRAFFIC

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20102, 23 November 1939, Page 7

RAILWAY TRAFFIC

NUHAKA TO NAPIER

GOOD SUPPORT GIVEN

FOUR-WEEKLY RETURNS

POPULARITY OF SERVICE

Further indication of the excellent aipport which the railway service to

Wairoa is enjoying is contained in the returns for the four weeks ended November 11, 1939. which in themselves are evidence oi’ the popularity

■of the service and which seem to provide ample justification for the 1 building of tlie line. The following are the figures shown ; in tlie Wairoa railway returns for the ‘ four weeks ended November 11: — Outward. — 8075 passengers, 695 1 cattle, 82 tons timber, 2731 tons other ' goods. Revenue: Passengers £769. ! goods. £I6OB. parcels £25. misccllani eons. £B9; total £2411. Inward. —148 cattle. 35 tons timber, i 95! tons of other goods. Revenue: Parcels. (170: other goods £1724: total | £1794.

Included among the passenger totals are 1120 passengers, £44 revenue accounted for by the labour picnic at Waikokopu on Labour Day. This leaves tlie ordinary passenger totals for the station at 1955 passengers and £725 revenue, which shows that the good figures of previous months have been sustained. Nuliaka Terminal

As an impression is held that Wairoa is the terminal accounting station on the Napier-Waikokopu line, it is pointed out that this is entirely erroneous as this doubtful honour is held by Nuliaka, where a stationmaster is placed. Nuliaka is the accounting station for the port of Waikokopu and traffic to and from that port and district is shown on his returns. The figures for that station since the opening of the line are interesting. They arc as follow: — Period Ended July 22 (Three Weeks)

Outward—Cattle, 1169; sheep, 765: Other goods, 107 tons. Revenue: Goods, £505; parcels. £2; total, £507. Inward. —Timber, 38 tons; other roods, 1453 tons. Revenue: Parcels, £2; other goods, £638; total, £540. Period Ended August 19 (Three Weeks)

Outward.—Cattle, 525; sheep, 3102: other goods, oil tons. Revenue: Goods 2607' miscellaneous. £25; total, £533 Inward. Caitlo. 41; timber, 56 tons: other goods, 1735 tons. Revenue: Parcels. £1; other goods. £1100; total £llOl.

Period Ended September 16 (Four Weeks) Outward—Cattle. 383; sheep. 1534: other goods. 268 tons. Revenue: Goods. 2334- parcels, £1: total, £335. ~ Inward—Cattle, 50; sheep. 12; timber. 249 tons; other goods, 1892 tons. Revenue: Parcels. £6; other goods, £1420; total. £1426. Period Ended October 14 (Four Weeks) Outward.—Cattle. 533: sheep, 890; timber. 17 tons: other goods, 253 tons, Revenue: Goods. £389; parcels, £3: total, £392. Inward—Cattle. 32; timber, I<4 tons; other goods, 2295 lons. Revenue: Parcels. £1; other goods, £1281; total. £1282.

! Period Ending November 11 ! Outward. -Cattle. 88; sheep. 307: I other goods, 253 tons. Revenue: Goods ! £550: nnrcels, £2; total, £552. Inward.—Cattle, 41; timber, 10G tons; other goods. 2744 tons. Revenue. Parcels, £5; other goods, £1308; total, £1313. These figures show that the wrong impression formed by those who held the opinion that Wairoa was the final officered station on the line and therefore accounted for the port of Waikokopu and intervening stations ! unfairly credited the returns to Waii roa with traffic not handled, and | tended to create the impression that | the published Wairoa returns were unj duly augmented by foreign revenue. ! While Wairoa does account lor a ! number of smaller flag stations other ; than those mentioned, the traffic is | negligible. The position is simply that ! the traffic for which the figures were j published was almost entirely handled i at Wairoa station itself.