OUR RAILWAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9024, 1 November 1892, Page 3

OUR RAILWAYS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—l hope that you will not deem me unreasonable if I again ask you to explain what is to mo, and no doubt to many others, the riddle which our railway sphinx has propounded. He tells us, October 25, that " the net revenue of the last three years exceeded the former three years by £284,915.". He tells us now that " the gross revenue has declined," though in his eighth table (October 25) he tells U3 that the railway revenue ((fi'oss) per head per annum averaged the last three years £1 15s Gid, and in the preceding three year 3 only £1 13s 2£d. The only explanation that I can think of is that he considers that the increase of 25,000 to our population should have made a larger increase to our railway receipts. If this be his argument 1 think that in fairness he should consider (1) whether that 25,000 increase was increase through the whole three years of the great exodus only lately checked; (2) that the returning tide of people were not in a position immediately to add to our finances; (3) that depression of trade and financial loss was the common lot of us all during that period,l am, etc., Half-and-Half.