OUR RAILWAYS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9074, 14 February 1908, Page 8

OUR RAILWAYS.

A LOSING CONCERN. Press Associatiou. Auckland February 14. An interesting report upon the subject of New Zealand Railway Finance, was presented by the Railway and Shipping Committee of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, at a meeting of the Council of the Chamber, particularly with reference to a letter from Mr Samuel Yaile and an article by Professor Rossiguol of Denver University, S.A., published iu August. The committee’s report conchjded—“Mr Yaile and Professor Rossignol show that the actual net loss upon the working and maintenance of our railways for 190(5 was £538,018. While your cnmm'ttee is unanimously of opinion that a considerable proportion of the item “additions to open lines” should go to capital account, there can be no doubt, whatever that the annual loss upon working the whole of our railway system is a very heavy one indeed. It now remains for the Ex® ecutive Committee of this Chamber to determine what further action, if any, they v. ill take iu this very serious matter. It is a subject of the very gravest inportance to the whole Dominion, and the causes which have led to very serious losses in the working of onr railway system for the past 10 years, should be thoroughly examined and necessary remedies be applied, if the present annual loss is due to preventable causes. ’ ’ It was resolved to forward a copy of the report to the Minister for Railways.