RAILWAY FINANCES.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 August 1921, Page 5

RAILWAY FINANCES.

RETURNS FOR THE QUARTER. HEAVY LOSS IN SOUTH ISLAND. A statement was gazetted last week showing the financial result from the New Zealand railways for the quarter ended June 30, in comparison with the first quar:er of the last financial year. The returns of traffic show: Passengers, No. .... Decrease of 330,957 Livestock, No. ..... Decrease of 190,264 Goods, tons Increase of 161,604 The aggregate results of the working account were: 1921 1920 Revenue £1,658.683 £1,502,133 (Expenditure Net revenue £54,626 £402,411 i The expenditure in the June quarter of year was 96.74 per cent, of the revenue, against 73.21 per cent, last year. Following are the results for the two main line systems: NORTH ISLAND MAIN LINES. 1921 1920 Revenue .£948,723 £832,170 Expenditure 865,692 571,941 Net revenue ..<.... £83,031 £260,229 SOUTH ISLAND MAIN LINES. 3921 1920 Revenue £576,990 £557,752 Expenditure 621,421 432,685 Deficit £44,431 Net revenue £125,067 The revenue of all railways in the Norih Island totalled £980,986, and the expenditure .£895,184, leaving a net revenue of £85,802, against £262,836 in the June quarter of last year. Similarly in the South Island the total revenue was £677,697, and the expenditure £708,873, a loss of £31,176, against a profit of £139,575 last year. The expenditure in terms of the revenue was: North Island main lines and branches, 91.18 per cent, (last vear 68.73 per cent.); total. 91.34 (69.37). South Island main lines and branches, 107.7 per cent. (75.58); total, 104.6 (78.33).