RAILWAY REVENUE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 77, 3 April 1897, Page 5

RAILWAY REVENUE.

A SUCCESSFUL MONTH.

A Press Association telegram from Wellington gives the railway returns for tbe colony for tba four weeks ended March 31st, which show the month to have been a very succsssful one. The total revenue for tba month for the Government railways in New Zealand was £110,583 7s 3d. while the expenditure for tho same period was £66,97.5 7s_ Id, showing the surpluß to be the handsome sum of £49,608 Os 2d. Of the 'total revenue tho North Island, with 778 miloa of railway open, contributed £40,612 12a Id. against £21,837'4i 5d expenses, while the South Island, with 1,240 miles open, yielded a revenue of £69,970 15s 2d, the expenditure there being £39,138 2s lOd. The Auckland section yielded £11,733 13., against an expenditure of £6,026 19. 7d, lea.inga surplus of £5,696 13s 3d. The Kaihu Valley line appears to be the besb paying line in proportion to ita extent of any in colony, for its seventeen miles of rail carrying freight cfnd passengers yielded a revenue of £951 Os lOd, against an expenditure of £353 lis Sd. A largo quantity of timber from tbe Northern Wairoa bushes is now being carried over this line. Tho Kawakawa section is tbe only one in the North Island which shows a loss on its working, the revenue being £152 18s 9d, while the expenditure waa £213 0s 3d. Tho Whangarei line yielded £934 0s 8d for an expenditure of £493 9s 7d. The NapierTaranaki section yielded £18,606 19_ 4d, the expenditure being £10,800 0a 9d. In tbe South Island, tho Hurunui-BlulT section maintained its position as by far bhe moat important line in the colony, its revenue being £62,770 16a 6d, against an expenditure of £34,289 14a 2d. This section is 1,133 miles in langbb. The Wesbporb line revenue was £3,123 Bs.lid, while the expenditure was £1,874 43 6d. The Picton lino, like the Whangarei section, did nob cover expenses, ita receipts being, £494 2s Id, againsb an expenditure of £538 6s. The percentage of revenue for the whole colony is set down at 60.62.