THE PREMIER ON THE RAILWAY TRAFFIC.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2360, 25 August 1887, Page 3

THE PREMIER ON THE RAILWAY TRAFFIC.

SPKAKisn at Hampden, Otago, on the 15th inst. Sir Robert Stout thus referred to the increase in the railway returns for last year, and during the first quarter of the current year:—On the railways there had been an increased expenditure. If they compared the figures for the year 1884-5 with those for last year they would find that there had been an increased mileage of railways open of 250 miles, and that there had been 52 more stations to be worked, and yet with all this additional mileage and these additional stations there had only been an increase of 117000 in the cost of working the railways last year. But it might bo said that there had not been so much traffic. That, however, was not correct, for there had been a very largo increase. There had been 200,000 more, passengers, and 200,000 more sheep and cattle; 2000 additional season tickets had been issued, and 2000 more parcels had been carried. The only thing in which there had been a decrease was merchandise, in which there had been a decrease of about 2000 tons. All this additional work had been done at an increase in cost of only 421)000, Rut he would tell them what had been done during the present year. For the throe months ending on the 30th of June the railways had produced an increase of £IOOOO of revenue, which meant of course that there had been carried a large increase of goods and passengers. There had also been an additional mileage to work of St miles. To do all this there had not only not been an increase in the expenditure, but there had been £IOO less cost.