RAILWAY REVENUE

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 17 June 1933, Page 9

RAILWAY REVENUE

NEED FOR MAINTENANCE. . MR. STERLING’S COMMENT. AUCKLAND, June 16. Commenting on the railway revenue figures, Mr 11. H. Sterling, chairman of the Railways Board, said that, while he had not yet had an opportunity of analysing the figures, he considered the comparatively small decrease in revenue for the four-weekly period gave cause for satisfaction. With the increasing difficulty of effecting further reductions in expenditure, the revenue side provided the key ■to the future of the financial .position of the railways, he said. It was, therefore, very gratifying to find that the gross revenue showed signs of being maintained at its existing levels, while of course, it "was satisfactory to note that the curtailments of expenditure were still more than off-setting the revenue declines.

Comment was also made by Mr Sterling on the working of branch lines throughout the Dominion during the past financial year. “There is a good deal of satisfaction to be derived from the working of these lines, although there is still some leeway to be made up,” Mr Sterling said. There was a net improvement ire returns of £56,721, the decrease in revenue of £8427 being several times eompensated'-for by the decreases in expenditure amounting to £65,148. “I would like to say inferences must not be drawn too readily from the figures,” Mr Sterling added. “We have not yet had the opportunity, of analysing them. All that can be said is that, while an improvement has been made which can be regarded with some satisfaction, there is still a. good deal of leeway to make up.”