AUSTRALIAN RAILWAYS

Marlborough Express, Volume LX, Issue 229, 28 September 1926, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN RAILWAYS

FINANCIA L L( )SSES. FARES AND FRE1GHTS INCREASED IN \HCTORIA. SYDNEY. Sept. 9. The financial year 1925-26 was a bad oue for ihe State raihvays in Australia. Nqt oue State railway department paid its. way, and the CommonAvealth Raihvays Department also showed a Ioss. That this should be so is disturbing to the general public, who already complain of high fares and i'reights, for it is realised that these losses must eventually he by increases. As a matter of fact, Victoria has already acted, for the State Government this week sanctioued an xnerease of 5 per eerit. in fai'es and freights by the Commissioners. Victoria has generally bcen hekl xip as ix, model for tlie x'aihvay departments of thc other States. The Clommisisioners there have not had to contend with severe industrial legisIation, as the New South Wales and Queensland departments have, and, in addition, tlie Government assists the Commissionei-s with a large grant from consolidated revenue to make up losses on dcvelopmental lines. Yet the best the Victoria n Gominisisoners could show for ihe last year's Avoi'king was a loss of £182,000. and financial experts cleclare that if proper depreciation Avere made, this wopkl bo increased by several hnndreds of Lbousands of pounds. But now tlie Ccmmissioners' xvorries are eased by that pei"mission to increase I'ares and freights, for this is expeoted to bring in an extra £500,000 yearlyi One reason i nfluencing the Government to grant ipermission for the increase was that, The State was expecting a record Avheat harvest of nearly 60,000,000 bushels, ancl a season of geueral prospgriv. Curiously enougb. the prospect of a particularly good season was the

reason which infiuenced the New Soutli Wales Cabinet in deciding not to increase freights. Tlie loss on the raihvays in this State was the principal reason for Mr Lang, as Treasxner, having to admit to ,a deficifc of a million and a qaurter in this State', s finance, s last year, but tho Railway Conmxissioners here found that one of ihe greatest contributing factons to tlieix* losses wa s tho legislatioix introduced by the State Government, suclx as the 44-hour xveck. If, therefore, fares and freights were to be increased, tho Labor Governnient's legislation xvould be blamed, and naturally this is something that Mr Lang Avishes to avoid. Honce, ihe local Ooxixmissi onerS again have to faco a dreary year, except perhaps that their losses xnight be lesseiied by tlie feiver "starving stock" trains they Avill have to send out at a loss, and the more trucks that avxII be needed for the harvest. Still, there is a section of ihe business oommunity that is insisting that an inquirv should be Jxekl into allcgcd railway mi sm an agoment, and still lanotber is urging the dismissal of tlie present Chief Com mi sskxner (Air James Fraser), and ihe x-equisition of a first-class man from abi'oad, regardl.ess of Balarv. In Queensland, thc story is much the same as in New South V alcs. There tlie Labor Government, or, rather, a succession of Labor Governments, has heaped expensive legislation and arbitration on tho Coinmissioners' heads .and a deficit is now regularly expected. If the Queensland railways Avei'e to make a profit, the taxpayers would he the most surprised people in tlie world. Still, Ihe northern State has some excuses. as extensive aid is given by tlio raihvays to pastoralists in saving d rofugbtf-Ktrioken stock hy moving . them free of eharge or at Ioav rates to good pastures. Yet. Avith everything favorable ■ that can be said for Australia's State railways, it Avould appear that a Sir Henrv Thornton, xvho bas done ; such wonders for the Canadian Na- : tional Raihvays, is needed in two or three of our States to make our railways not only profit-earners but s also praise-earners.