RAILWAYS STATEMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 21 September 1920, Page 1

RAILWAYS STATEMENT

WELLINGTON, Sept' (16. The Railways Statement to March 31st shows an increase' in gross receipts of £i 63,855 for the year The net profit qp working is given as £1,647,420 practically the same ias for the previous year. Tlie not revenue is' equal to a return of 4.53 per cent, on the capital of £36,390,115. invested in open lines and 4.12 per cent, on the capital on all lines.. The receipts per train mile-from the North Island main line and branches were 183,50 das against 161,00 d for the previous year, an advance of- 22;50d The South Island main line and branches provided a gross return of 195.50 d

as against 159.00 d last year, an increase of 36.50(1.

During the year four new heavy tank engines ,three bogie cars, and 279 waggonsp were built in the workshops and put ipto traffic. Forty engines, 40 cars, 10 brake vans, 99 bogie waggons, and 526 four-wheeled waggons, were on order or under construction at the close of the financial year. The revenue for the current year is estimated at £6,000,000,, and the expenditure at £4,612,5.00. The mineral traffic was adversely, affected by shortage of labour at some of the .mines, .and the influenza epidemic at two ofv the mining towps on the Coast. Mineral, traffic, which declined by 128,569 tons last year, shows a further decrease qf '148)247' tons, for the year unde^ J " r - The quantity of coal railed from tlic Westport and Gteymouth '.<miß.es . decreased by 174,741 rtons ,an average of 3300 tons per .week, during the .year ended March 31st last. ( '

Under the heading of '‘other goods!’ the increase of 378,580 tons is duo 'to heavy grain traffic, in Canterbury, large shipments of. frozen, meat, tallow, pelts etc., and the import of. grain and other merchandise from oversea.

■ The coal trouble is regarded as stiN. needing unremitting attention. Ar- . rangements have bee made for the practical testing of pulverised fuel at an .early date. A pulveriser has been obtained, and will be fitted up as soon as some essential materials come to hand, . and labour is available to assemble the ,appliances and erect the necessary build ing etc. . Considerable difficulty is .experienced by the staff in obtaining house pccoprmodation, especially, in the North Island, where the shortage, of houses'.is. very acute. , Wi.th a view to overcoining this, it has ’been decided to entei upon a .large .housing scheme, and to provide houses for all permanent meni- . bers of the railway staff. Land has been acquired in various centres, and an up-to-date factory will be erected at Frankton Junction, where timber will be cut to standard, and the complete house will be sent to the locality in which At is to be erected. In addition to dealing with the timber for houses, the factory will be capable of turning ; out" timber suitably cut for other railway purposes, and a,s soon as its own urgent requirements are met in regard to houses, the Department will be in a position to supply other Government Departments with house material cut. to size. Apart altogether from the economy in erecting factory-cut houses, the number of houses that can be built in a given time will be .greatly .increased as compared with the ordinany method of building. b