1).—2

XVI

The variations, exclusive of season tickets, were distributed as follow :—

Passenger revenue totalled £1,995,927, a decrease of £128,819 as compared with the figures for the previous year. The figures for the year ended 31st March, 1929, included the bookings for the Easter holidays, 1928 and 1929, while owing to Easter falling in April this year the figures for 1930 include only a small proportion of the bookings for the Easter holidays. The principal, decrease for the year under review is in ordinary passengers, £73,979, and holiday excursion issues, £79,905, the latter being, as previously explained, due to the fact that very little of the Easter holiday bookings are included in this year's figures. The decline in ordinary passengers since 1927 is as follows : —- 1927. 1928. 1929. 1930. Revenue .. .. .. .. £37,905 £136,994 £148,476 £73,979 Journeys (in thousands) .. .. 384 644 414 458 Taking 1927 as 100, the index numbers for the revenue from ordinary passengers and journeys from the same are as follow :— 1927. 1928. 1929. 1930. Journeys .. .. .. .. .. 100 87 79 69 Revenue .. .. .. .. ..100 91 81 77 From these figures it will be observed, first, that the rapidity of the rate of decline has decreased, and second, that the revenue has not declined in the same ratio as passenger journeys, thus showing that the loss in short-distance traffic is to some extent being balanced by an increase in the number of long-distance passengers carried. This is further exemplified by the average fares over the past four years, which are as follow : 1927, 71-66 d. ; 1928, 74-75 d. ; 1929, 73-54 d. ; 1930, 78-19 d. So far as suburban passenger traffic is concerned the decline since 1927 is as follows : — 1927. 1928. 1929. 1930. Revenue .. .. .. .. £46,101 £16,036 £10,912 £8,620 Journeys (in thousands) .. .. .. 958 269 195 164 While these figures indicate that the decline in suburban issues has become smaller the fact remains that outside the peak morning and evening traffic —which is principally carried at very cheap rates —the drift of suburban traffic to road transport has continued. The remainder of the passenger figures indicate that the decline in traffic at ordinary and suburban fares has been balanced to some extent at' least by the increased revenue from excursions. During the past year week-end and special day excursions were developed with satisfactory results, and, in addition, the holiday-excursion issue during the school term, holidays has been well patronized by the public. In my last statement I expressed the opinion that in addition to long-distance travel the railway still had a definite field in catering for bulk movement of passengers, and the figures for the current year show that the results obtained from the development of these traffics have warranted the Department in providing services to meet the demand for these classes of business. The season-ticket traffic has increased by 414,480 passenger journeys and £5,715 revenue. The principal increase in this class of traffic being in workers' weekly tickets, the number of which in creased by 10,483. The principal decline in season-ticket revenue is £2,385 in sectional annual tickets, which decrease is due to the fact that a number of firms now utilize motor-cars for their commercial travellers. In concluding my comment on the passenger business, I would again emphasize the significance of the increase in passenger journeys by workers-ticket holders. This is an unremunerative business from the point of view of Railway Revenue and Expenditure Account, so that the more it grows the greater the loss. From, the point of view of value to the community, however, the position takes on quite another aspect. Unless this is kept in mind in examining the passenger business for the year, an entirely erroneous view of the economic position of the railways in the community is obtained. Parcels, Luggage, and Mails. The revenue from the carriage of parcels, luggage, and mails totals £386,792, an increase of £8,651, or 2-29 per cent., on the revenue from this source in the previous year. The analysis of the revenue is as follows : — 1930. 1929. Variation. £ £ £ Parcels .. .. .. .. .. 212,670 200,387 +12,"283 Excess luggage .. .. .. .. 13,230 13,956 —726 Left luggage, checks, bicycles, and dogs .. 44,032 47,798 —3,766 Mails .. .. .. .. .. 116,860 116,000 +860

1930 Compared with 1929. 1929 Compared with 1928. Journeys. Revenue. Journeys. Revenue. Number'. £ Number. £ Ordinary fares .. .. .. -457,74-7 -73,979 -413,648 -148,476 Suburban fares .. .. .. -163,580 -8,620 -195,186 -10,912 Holiday excursion and week-end .. +84,534 +66,700 +114,476 +108,997 Other reduced fares .. .. +125,658 +9,576 +268,744 +14,992 *