OTIRA TUNNEL

Hokitika Guardian, 5 August 1932, Page 2

OTIRA TUNNEL

A TRAFFIC DECLINE.

LAST YEAR’S FIGURES. The, volume of goods passing through the 'Otira tunnA over the last twelve months h :.s again shoavn a - decline on the previous year’s figures. ■ Fj'om August 4th laict yeiar unt.l yesterday, 436,358 tons of good!:) wue transported by rail from the Coast, a- drop; of 6d ; 286 tons on last year’s total of 505,644 tons. The slackness in the timber' trade and the iikidence of coal mine, stakes over various periods are blamed for the decline. ;The teal for 1980-3 L—605,644 tons—way the first total to show a decrease on a previous year’s' figures .since the tunnel was opened on August 4th., 1932. For the preceding year the tqtiilCwas,V6s3,6oß tom;, this year—--1929-30—being the peak year in the history of the tunnel. The figures for each four-weekly period over the last twelve months, compared with those of this previous year, are as follows: 193142. 103041. Tdns- Tons. 89,944 54,838 38,7§3 41,417 31.714 37.872 24,46 i 85,235 23,984 39,918 ' . 16,009 19,654 ' ; 24,783 , - 85,478 38,209 ' 34,897 33,003 31,730 30,060 37,028 41,085 43,216 37,296 48,089 46,216 45,904

Totnls 436,358 \ 505,644 These figures are calculated from August 4tli /,to Augiist 3rd in each case. Th'tj appreciable decline in Junb of this •year represented by. the last total but one on the list, is accounted for by the fact that so many mine? were lyirg idle durinig this period. . The last .' two wefiks of,.'this .yeiar have shewn an incfe<ase in''the transport of white pine timber fpr/export. ; No. record is-kept of tlie traffic from east to West,;' for the greater part of this consists of empty waggons. j GRAND TOTAL : MOUNTS. : •' SinoV,t'be : ';tunnel'-;wa'.s opened, . ninU years ago, - the eastward traffic ' lias reached .the: total of. 4,08-5.279 tons. Tile' figures for the last nine years are as followss'L-.-. ' j; _ ..,i ; ' '■'• V jV'ivH. V Tons. . -V ..' ' .;19^3-24-‘ :•' A'. ' 258,877 ' :■•' 1924*25 .! 343.899 j . 1925-26 "/380,365 j ; , 1926-27 ,-V;. . 438,916 .•' ■ 10?7-28 "■ •'... i 594,710 . - 1928-29 ".'A • 552,907 ;*< /1929-39 '.•.. ' 663,603. - 1930-31 • r- 505,644, . i 931-32. .... ..436,358 '• ' }.\ . . "*'• ; .-V . Totait u\ 4,085,279 '