THE RAILWAYS

Hokitika Guardian, 13 November 1930, Page 5

THE RAILWAYS

REVISION OF CARGOES

(By Telegraph—Press Association).

WELLINGTON, November 13,

A revision of passenger fares and freight charges is not the first step taken to rehabilitate the financial position of the railways, nor will it be the last, according to a statement by the Alin is ter of Railways, Hon. AV. A. Veitch yesterday.

Bv the introduction of new rates which will come into effect next Sunday, tho Alinister will have given effect to fourteen of Railway Commissions recommendations, and five recommendations made by it have been withheld for further consideration.

It is estimated that an increased annual revenue totalling about £202,207 sterling will accrue as a result of the increases already made, and the adoption of the remaining proposals would mean additional revenue of about £193.000 sterling. The Minister said the remaining increases would be made, though one or two points had to be settled before they were, put into effect. .'Of these one concerned the carriage of brown coal which was estimated to produce an additional £05,000 sterling a year. Another concerned the rates for two separate classes of artificial manures, which it was hoped would produce an additional £91,000 sterling and carriage of road metal for local bodies which they hoped would bring in another £29,000. Big economics were ,being carried out in the Department itself and the elimination of unnecesarv train mileage would amount to almost a million train miles, saving between £175,000 and £200,000 per year.