OUR RAILWAYS: HAVE THE GOODS RATES BEEN RAISED?

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8582, 2 June 1891, Page 3

OUR RAILWAYS: HAVE THE GOODS RATES BEEN RAISED?

TO THE EDITOR. Sie,—Ths Wellington papers state that they are authorised to say that my assertion that the goods rates have been raised is not correct; but that on the contrary they have been lowered. If so, will the Commissioners and their friends be good enough;to explain how the following condition of affairs has arisen , . They have spent a good deal of public money in printing replies to far less serious statements of mine. The following facts and figures deal with' the railway traffic for the last 28 weeks of the financial year which closed on the 31st of March last :— 1891 1890 Total revenue (28 weeks) £621,168 £626,948 This shows a loss of £5780, only. 1891 1890 Passenger revenue ... £211,049 £229,268 Showing a loss on passenger 'traffic of £18,219, or £12,439 more than what is shewn to be the total lews. Where did this come from? But this is not all. Goods traffic, that is to say the tonnage carried declined in the following manner : 1891 1890 Tons carded 1,035,851 , 1,106.950 or 51,099 less tons in 1391. The loss of this traffic at the average charge of 7s Sid per ton is equal to ... ... £19,693 Add loss on passengers „, ~, 18,219 Total loss ..'....". ... ... ... £37,912 That is to say, if goods rates had not been raised, the revenue for the last 28 weeks— not the year—would have shown a loss of about £38,000, whereas it onlv shows a loss of £5780, which leaves £32,132 to be accounted for. Again, I ask where did this come from ? No one will suspect the Commissioners of paying ifc out of their own pockets. It is clear that it could only be obtained by largely increasing the charges on the transport of goods, seeing that there are only ; two sources of railway revenue— passengers aud goods, aud that a very heavy loss was made on passengers. It must be borne in mind that this 2S weeks covers the most profitable period of railway working. It embraces the whole of the tourist traffic. There is far worse before us during the next six months. — I am, etc., Samuel Vaile. Auckland, 28th May, 1891.