WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 31 August 1928, Page 4

WELLINGTON NEWS

BRITISH RAILWAYS. (Special to 'Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, August 20. The railway returns of the Ministry of Transport recently issued include some interesting figures concerning the British Railways industry. The total capital spent on the construction of the railway track, stations, rolling stock, etc., is nearly 11100,000,000, and the maintenance and renewal cost of this equipment averages £ 10,000,000 per annum. The track itself would stretch twice, round the world, and 1,000,000 sleepers, 200,000 tons of steel rails and nearly 500 miles of fencing are used each year to keep it in repair, (tends and mineral traffic totalled 825.000,000 tons, of which coal represented 109,000,000 tons and general merchandise 00,000,000 tons. This includes 0,000,000 tons of cement, 2.000,000 tons of flour, 4,000,000 tons of grain, 3,500,000 tons of gravel, 17,000,000 tons of iron and steel, 1,000,000 tons of iron ore, 12,000,000 tons of road stone and 7,000,000 tons of timher.

The number of locomotives owned was 24,103, rail motors 94, electric coaching vehicles 4575, and passenger coaches 51,405, with a seating capacity of 21,792,726, Pulman cars in use during the year numbered 191. Of the 1596 passenger carrying vehicles built in 1927, 1528 were fitted for electric lighting. The number of merchandise and mineral vehicles owned was 718,249 with a total tonnage capacity oi 7,721,209 tons; 24,059 wagons of 20 tons and over are in use. Locomotives to the number of 4579 were constructed or purchased during 1927, 1590 passenger coaches, and 30,297 wagons. The total train miles run during the year amounted to 413,000,000. The tonnage of coal ami lubricating oil consumed were 13,584.243 tons and 37,643,502 pints respectively. The total number of ordinary and workmen’s tickets issued was 1,174.000,000, and, including season ticket holders, numbered more than 1,650.000,000 passenger journeys. The proportion of tickets (excluding workmen) issued at reduced fares increased from 32.92 per cent of the total number in 1926 to 39.52 per cent' in 1927, while the proportion of tickets at full rates decreased from 40.90 per cent in 1923 to 32.24 per cent in 1927. The gross receipts from parcels and miscellaneous traffic totalled £16.000.000. The railway industry "7s the largest private undertaking in Britain. Its income last year was £220,000.000 and its expenditure £177,000,000. The total number of persons employed was 683,077, and the wages hill was £100,000,000.

TRADE WITH THE UNITED STATES

STATES. As further evidence of the interest taken by the U.S. Government in trade relations with New Zealand an addition has been made to flic staff of the American Trade Commissioner, and an Assistant Trade Commissioner has been appointed and the latter arrived in the Dominion during the week. This looks very friendly and very encouraging until one examines the position closely. The United States trade with New Zealand is at present lop-sided, for we buy more from America than we sell to that country, and there is no way that we can even up matters, for the United States will lake care of that. In appointing an Assistant Trade Commissioner it is no doubt believed that more New Zealand business will go to America, but we New Zealanders will ho foolish to help in that game. Trade is not war, hut the Americans appear to think that it is, for they nave a high protection tariff to keep out foreign goods. There are very few goods of American origin that we really require. The American motor ear has got a firm footing, but it is to bo hoped that British cars which are now being turned out in mass will yet oust the American vehicle from the market. As it is a steadily increasing number of British cars is finding its way into the Dominion. American petrol also is finding a good market here, but we ought t' give preference to the Anglo-Per.sian or the Shell oil.

There is very little else that comes from America that wo cannot hny within the Empire. We have very iittl ■ to sell to the United States, or ina that country will fitly from us. V.'o have butter and cheese and Iror.cn meat to sell but the American States are prohibitive, .in the half-year end'd June 30th the exports to the Unite ! States were valued at £2,4.0,131, while during that same period the exports to the United Kingdom were valued at 027,393,150. Britain will take our wool, meat, butter and cheese and apples, and it, is up to us to take all we can from the Mother Country. We -.■an do without the American trade.