RAILWAY FINANCES

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2683, 15 January 1924, Page 3

RAILWAY FINANCES

NINE-MONTHLY PERIOD,

NET GAIN OF £325,883,

The railway finances for the period April Ist to December Bth, 1923, show a net gain of £325,883, the revenue having increased by £166,964, while the expenditure has decreased by £158,919. For the four-weekly period ending December Bth, the revenue shows an increase of over £36,000, and the expenditure a fall of more than £l4000, making a nei gain of some £sl- -

For the longer period, the total revenue for the North Island is £2,677,784, and that for (he South Island railways £1,779,618, making a grand total of £4,457,402 as compared with £4,290,438 for the corresponding period of 1922. On the other hand, the expenditure for the North Island railways totalled £2,048,977, and that for the South Island £1,664,622, with a. grand total of £3,713,599 as against £3,872518 for the corresponding period of last year.

The cost of epened lines to date is £40,275,161: and that of unopened lines £6,575,910.

Single first-class passengers show an increase as from April Ist of 7481, but there is a decrease in return passengers of 26,398. Single second-class passengers show a decline of 54,998, and return passengers a decline of 191,284, making a total decrease of 265,149. Season tickets, however, show an increase of 22,236. The number of cattle carried increased by 17,410; but the total number of cattle, sheep and pigs carried showed a decrease of 271,128. There was an increase of 26,870 in the number of tons of timber carried and an increase of 129,908 ton- in other goods, making n total increase of 156,778 tons.