OUR RAILWAYS.—INCREASING LOSS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9816, 10 May 1895, Page 3

OUR RAILWAYS.—INCREASING LOSS.

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Sib, The Gazette returns of our railway working to the end of the year are now to hand, and this is what they teach us :— The railway mileage has increased sines last year by 45 miles, and since 1893 by 107 miles; but notwithstanding this our railway revenue, as compared with last year, decreased £21,941, and as compared with 1893, £30,670. Railway expenditure last year decreased £3199, bub was £18 more than in 1893. Thus we spent £18 more to earn £30,670 less. .Passenger traffic decreased lasb year by 67,123 fares, and, as compared with 1893, increased by 146,534. It must be borne in mind thab in the school excursion trains, which were nob running in 1893, each child counts as a fare. Tonnage carried decreased lasb year by 12,254 tons, and as compared with 1893, by 144,939. To earn every £100 of railway revenue last year cost us £1 13s more than ib did two years ago. Thus we see the same old game goes on. The more money we invest, the more miles of railway we open, the more loss we make, and the heavier is our taxation. This cannot be because railways in themselves ar« wrong. Ib must be in the way they are managed and administered. —I am, etc., Auckland, May 8,1895. Samuel VAILE.