THE RAILWAY RETURNS.

Evening Post, Volume XXI, Issue 93, 22 April 1881, Page 2

THE RAILWAY RETURNS.

The railway returns up to the sth ult. are now published, and continue of a satisfactory character. Tho total receipts for the last four-weekly period were £69,698, which is £3000 in excess of the previous month, while the proportionate expenditure has deoreased from 64 to 63 per cent. The total receipts during the current financial year up to the sth ult. were £760,935, and the expenditure £481,351. In tho North Island the working expenses on 440 miles of lind absorbed 71 per cent, of the receipts, and in the South Island (845 miles) 61 per cent. On tho Amberley-Kingßton main trunk line (788 miles) the receipts to sth February were at the rate of £806 per mile per annum, of which the expenses absorbed 60 per cent. On the Wellington-Masterton line (69 miles) tho receipts to sth February were £609 per mile, and the expenditure 83 per cent., these latter thus showing a steady decrease The passengers on the Wellington railway numbered 12,507, as compared with 12,885 for the corresponding period of last year ; and the receipts for freight on goods amounted to £1623, as against £1168. The Amberley- Kingston, Wellington, and Wanganui sections all show a falling off in passenger traffic, but an increase in goods. The Auckland and Napier sections have an increase in both classes. The Greymouth mineral line, as usual, gives good results, having only 45 percent, ot working expenses. The " political" railways and branches give their accustomed unfavorable results, their percentages of expenses being as follow : — Eyreton, 119; Waimate, 113; Outram, 119; and Lawrence, 105 per cent.