RECORD FIGURES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 643, 20 April 1929, Page 16

RECORD FIGURES

RAILWAY REVENUE INCREASES MORE PASSENGERS TRAVEL The railway figures for stock and goods for the four weekly periods j which ended on March 2 constitute a record for New Zealand. Passengers carried during that period showed an increase of 12 per cent, over a similar period last year; stock and j goods increased by 20 per cent, and j revenue by 16.35 per cent. In a message to railwaymen in the New Zealand Railways Magazine, the general manager, Mr. H. H. Sterling, says:— Although the full figures relating to railway finance for the year ended March 31 are not yet available, I have pleasure in announcing a record four weeks’ traffic during the period ending March 2 and a gratifying further improvement as indicated by the preliminary returns for the remainder of March. The general trend of passenger traffic since 1921 has been definitely downward, and the greatest efforts have been put forth in an endeavour to check this tendency. Better rollingstock, improved timetables, more attention to passengers, extended excursions, personal canvassing, and specialised publicity are among the methods that, have been applied to popularise rail travel, and we are now able to record an increase in passenger journeys during the four weeks to March 2, of 336,000. This is equivalent to an increase of 12 per cent, on the number carried during the corresponding period last year. While the principal increase was in season tickets, the improvement in ordinary passengers was substantial. GOODS AND LIVESTOCK The quantity of goods and livestock carried was 769,649 tons and the goods revenue £484,000, representing increases of 20 per cent, and 16.35 per cent, respectively over last year’s figures. This easily constitutes a record for the Dominion. The most noteworthy increases were in butter (100 per cent.), cheese (30 per cent.), grain (32 per-cent.), wool (22 per cent.), agricultural lime (20 per cent.), fertilisers (78 per cent.), sheep (9 per cent.), coal. (10 percent.), road metal (80 per cent.), benzine (5S per cent.), cement (38 per cent.), motor vehicles (92 per cent.), general cargo ex ships (27 per cent.), and native timber (19 per cent.). The improvement in the output of native timber after a depression extending over the last two years is a hopeful sign of recovery in one of New Zealand’s important industries. The handlijig of such a large increase in traffic at the busiest season of the year threw a very heavy stra.in on the resources of the department. The difficulties were accentuated by the simultaneous arrival at several of our ports of many large vessels with bulk cargoes of products such as coal, phosphates and slag. Practically all these cargoes were dependent on railway facilities for quick dispatch.