RAILWAY EARNINGS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 100, 25 May 1909, Page 4

RAILWAY EARNINGS.

NORTH ISLAND REVENUE. THE QUARTER'S RETURNS. SOME STRIKING COMPARISONS. The figures setting forth the revenue and expenditure of the New Zealand railways for March have been gazetted, and when tile returns for the month anrl for the quarter ended Sl.s't .March are analysed they show a most atrikinjr ;n----crease in the earnings of the North'' Island line as compared with the Southern railways. Notwithstanding the iact that there is a greater mileage of railway open for traffic in the South Island than in the North Island, the revenue of the Northern lines exceeds that of the Southern for every one of the three months, January, February, and March. Dealing with March only, the table is a? follows: Miles open for traffic. Revenue. 1908North Island .. 053 £110,689 South Island .. 1.521 133.707 1909-

North Island .. i ,132 140,203 South Island .. 1,542 141,958 Thus, the Xorth Island revenue increased, with tin? additional mileage, by .£.32,514, while the South Island revenue increased only-by £-7251, and although the South Island has 410 miles more of opvu lines, the Xorth Island revenue exceeded that of the South by £7245. Taking, now, the quarter ended 3U't March. 15)1)0. as compared with the conespending period in ] 90S, the returns are more striking still:— Miles open for traOic. Revenue. 1903-

Xorth Island .. 953 £344.051 South Island .. 1.521 385.310 1900—.

North Island .. 1,132 408.Mifl South Island .. 1.542 357.428 From these figures it will he seen that the revenue for the Xorth Island lines tor the 1(111!) quarter exceeded that of Southern lines hy no suni than £21,438. notwithstanding the greater Southern mileage, and notwithstanding the faet that the North in 1008 was .£4n.3fi.-> I.ehin.l the South. The revenue of the Xorthern lines thus increased hy £(i3.!)15 and that of the Southern line's' by only €2ll-1. of 00m . s0 a „ nu)l Jn sure of the N'ortli Island increase is due to the greater mileage now open; ,lnit, Oil the other hand, there remains the fact tlrat ilie Xorth Island revenue Is greater than that of the South, despite the,greater Southern mileage, and no more convincing illustration is needed in justification of a vigorous policy of railway construction in the Xorth Island.

The. expenditure on open lines for ''arch of this year was C!l!),34l in the N'ortli Maud and £<>8.44.-) in the South slaud, and the quartern' expenditure ligurcs are as follow: .. , WW. HKIi). I North Island .. ,t;21!).522 £2(i1i,22.> South Island.. 271,807 2<i0'.!15l I he excess ot. revenue over expenditure ""'i North Island lines totalled £125 I") for the l!)»8 quarter, and on South Island lines 1113.44!) for the same lienod. For the 11)0!) quarter the excess Ot revenue over expenditure was v£l4>. «41 in the Xorth Island and £12(1,477 h the South Island, a difference of £K; m in favor of the Xorth Maud, .-howin* that the Northern line,' are earning at a far greater rate per mile than the Southern lines,'although the equipment and rolling stock in the- South are far superior to those of the North.