RAILWAY EARNINGS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3198, 26 May 1909, Page 7

RAILWAY EARNINGS.

NORTH ISLAND INCREASE. SOME STRIKING COMPARISONS The figures setting forth the revenue and expenditure of the New Zealand railways for March have been gazetted, and when the returns for the month and for the quarter ended March 31st are analysed they show a most striking increase in the earnings of the North Island lines as compared with the Southern railways. Notwithstanding the fact that there is a greater mileage of railway open for traffic in the South Island than in the North Island, and revenue of the Northern lines exceeds that of the Southern for every one of the three months, January, February, atiu March. Dealing with March only the table is as follows: QgjjgS Miles open for 1908— traffic. Revenue. North Island 953 £116,689 South Island 1,521 £133,707 1909 North Island 1,132 £149,203 Thus, the North Island revenue increased with the additional mileage, by £32,fi14, while the South Island revenue increased only by £7,251, and, although the South Island had 410 miles more of open lines, the North Island revenue exceeded that of the South by £7,245. Taking, now, the quarter ended March, 31st, 1909, as compared with the corresponding period in 1908, the returns are more striking still: — Miles open for 1908 — traffic. Revenue. North Island 953 £334,951 South Island 1,521 £385,33 6 1909NorLh Island 1,132 £408,866 South Island 1,542 £387,248 Fronj thsse figures it will be seen that the revenue for the North Island lines for the 1909 quarter exceeded that of Southern lines by no less a sum than £21,483, notwithstanding the greater Southern mileage, and notwithstanding the fact that the North in 1908, was £40,635 behind the South. The revenue of the Northern lines thus increased by £63,915, and that of the Southern lines by only £2,212. Of course a good measure of the North IslanJ increase is due to the greater mileage now open; but, on the ether hand, there remains the fact that the North Island revenue is greaer 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 North Island. The expenditure on open lines for March of this year was £99,341 in the North Island and £98,445 in the South Island, and the quarter's expenditure figures are as follows: — 1908. 1909. North Island £219,822 £226,225 South Island {£271,867 £260,951 The excess of revenue over expenditure on North Island lines totalled £125,129 for the 1908 quarter, and one the South Island lines £113,449 for the same period. For the 1909 quarter, the excess of revenue over expenditure was £142,641 in the North Island and £126,477 in the South Island, a difference in favour of £16,164 in favour of the North Island, showing that the Northern lines are earning at a far greater rate per mile than the Southern lines, although the equipment and rowing stocks in the South are far superior to those of the North.