THE RAILWAYS.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 November 1917, Page 1

THE RAILWAYS.

INCREASED FARES & FREIGHTS

WELLINGTON, Nov. 22

Increases in railway fares and freights are gazetted to-night and will conic into operation on Sunday next. Passenger fares, are to bo. increased by a penny for every shilling or fraction of a shilling of the amount of fartnow charged. Exception is made i,i favour of ordinary season tickets on recognised s ub-lines .fares for military forces, weekly twelve-trip tickets and workers’ weekly tickets. The rates for goods and luggage are lo lie raised 10 per cent, the minimum increase to he one penny.

Tlie following exceptions are made in respect of parcels and such packages

which come under Part 2 of the tariff

tabulated parcel rates: —Checked luggage, left luggage, lost luggage, left parcels, bread, flour, fresh fish, fresh meat, fresh milk, tea, sugar. The following are exceptions under Paid 2 of the tariff by winch goods rates are' fixedßread, flour, fresh fish, fresh meat, fresh milk, tea, sugar, wheat,itimber trucks for conveyance of mails'. )

All charges in operation in respect of railway wharves on November 25th, with the exception of charges on bread, flour, fresh fish, fresh meat, fresh milk, tea sugar, wheat, and timber, and charges for ships working overtime are to he increased 10 per cent, subject to the same exceptions as for railways.

■Fares and freights op Lake Wakatipu steamers are to he increased by the same amount as on the railways. STATEMENT BY MR- HERMES. The Minister of Railways stated to a reporter that .the additions to rates and fares were made necessary by the fact that the whole of the war bonus granted last year and the additional allowances granted this year to married employees are being charged to railway revenue. “The increases/’ said Mr Herries, “are calculated to counterbalance the increased annual expenditure due io increases to staff and general increases in cost of material, more especially eoai. The aim is to obtain an average, return of 3j% on the cost of construction of open railways. Last financial year was an exceptionally good year, but in view of the uncertainty of the shipping problem, which governs almost entirely the question of railway revenue, it is prudent policy to take a cautious view in estimating revenue, and at the same time to make ample provision by way of ways and means to meet possible eventualities. “It must also he remembered that Customs and railway revenue are the mainstays of the Finance Minister’s Budget, so that a strong finance should be maintained. The necessity of placing the railways on a. partial war footing and releasing as many employees as possible to go to the front has compelled a considerable shortening of train facilities, and in some cases the cutting out of traffic which was, from a purely revenue point of view, desirable. This emphasises the necessity of eliminating as far as possible all unremunerativo and superfluous traffic, so that the whole efforts of tile railways may be devoted to t-ho transport of men and goods that are considered essential to winning the war.” TIMBER. The special rates now operating for white pine timber were introduced in 1895, when white pine was regarded as a waste product. The settlers were unable to obtain more that 2s. per TOO superficial feet, and the timber was being burnMtVff the land in large quantities. Special reductions in the rate then in force were made for the purpose of assisting to save the timber for export and induce its use for local purposes. White pine is at present worth 15s to 20s per 100 superficial feet, and is now one of the most valuable New Zealand timbers. I can well afford to pay the ordinary railway rates and therefore the special rates for white pine have been cancelled. The whole of the special rates inaugurated at- various periods for the purpose of assisting the timber industry when .it was in its infancy and for competing with sea' competition, which does not exist, have been now abolished, and in future the classified rates for the distance timber is carried will apply throughout the railways. It has frequently been represented to the Department by sawmilling asociations that the various local rates wore inequitable, and that- they created anomalies and that the levying of the classified rates on a mileage basis would he most satisfactory to all concerned. As a set-off in favour ofi the sawrnillei's to'should he noted that timber has been exempted from the 10 per cent, rise both on this and on the last occasion. {