RAILWAY RETURNS.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 April 1921, Page 7

RAILWAY RETURNS.

SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN EXPENDITURE. „ REDUCED PROFIT THIS YEAR. The gazetted statement of traffic on all sections of the New Zealand railways from April Ist, 1920, to March sth, 1921, ,ehows that, as against the same period of 1919-20, the total number of passengers increased from 11,466,235 to 14,360,108, or by 2,893,873; while the number of season tickets issued increased from 356,694 to 430,513. The number of cattle carried increased from 6,169,501 to 6,507,511; while the timber traffic increased from 546,800 to 665,480 tons, and other goods from 2,411,069 to 2,643,353; making a total increase of 600,006 in the number of tons carried. The revenue and expenditure for the same periods compare as follows: —

Grand total 5,136,722 . 3,647,795 It will thus be seen that while the revenue for 1921 shows an increase over that for 1920 of £1,192,663, the expenditure for 1921 is £5,136,722, or £1,488,927 more than the total expenditure for last year. The surplus of revenue over expenditure for the present year is £l,-

107,384, as against a surplus last year of £1.493,645, whidh shows a reduction of £296,261. For the period just closed the percentage of total expenditure to revenue was 81.10 per cent., and for the corresponding period of the previous financial year 70'96 per cent.

REVENUE. North Island South Island 1921. £ 3,792,514 2,04-1,592 1920. £ 3,008,086 2,133,354 Grand total 6,334,106 5,141,440 EXPENDITURE. North. Island South Island 2,862,387 2,274,335 2,011,403 1,636,392