RAILWAY EARNINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14005, 10 March 1909, Page 7

RAILWAY EARNINGS.

NORTH ISLAND'S RAPID INCREASE. ; -'_ THE COMPAKATIVE RETURNS. A comparison of the railway returns of the Dominion for January, as against January last year, shows a somewhat curious position. Taking the four-weekly period ending at the commencement of January, and the four-weekly period ending at the end of that month, or beginning of February, for I 1909 and 1908, the figures show not only '■ a great increase in the earnings of North Island railways, but also an excess over the earnings of South Island lines, although the -South Island had 1521 miles of railway open for traffic, as against only 953 in the North Island, until the Main Trunk was opened. The mileage open for traffic at the present date is 1101 in the North Island,, and 1542 in the South. In the returns so far available the Main Trunk railway does not show up so well as it must do in the returns for February, which will not be available till about April, but even on the returns to hand the North Island lines show a big in-i crease. The following table for the weekly periods ending at the beginning of January ', this year and > last year shows the position at a glance :— 1908. Miles open for traffic. Revenue. North Island ... 953 £117,852 South Island ... 1521 £127,204 1909. North Island ... 1101 £144,852 South Island ... 1542 £132,910 It will be seen from those figures that the North Island, with 441 miles less than the South, has increased its railway revenue by £27,000, while the South Island increased by £5716, a striking illustration of where the greatest progress is being. experienced. Those figures include the Christmas traffic, of course, so that a further comparison may be interesting. Taking the four-weekly periods ended January 30, 1909, and February 1, 1908, the table is as follows :— 1908. ■ . , Miles open " ■ for traffic. Revenue. North Island ... 953 £113.288 South Island ... 1521 " £121,197 . , 1909. North Wand ... 1101 £123.512 ; South Island ... 1542 £11.7,826 Thee© figures show an increase for the North Island of ' £10,244, while South Island returns show a decrease Of £3371. It will be noticed that the railways of the North Island, with lees mileage, now exceed > the earning* of the South Island lines, and this in it-self is strong argument for 'th© prosecution of a vigorous policy of railway„oonstruction m the North Island, which has.such vast tract* of country as yet not tapped by railways. The expenditure on the open lines (including salaries, general expenses of running trains, etc.) totalled £71,938 in the North Island, and £85,313 in the South, for the four weeks ended February 1, 1908. For the four weeks ended January 2, 1909, the figures were North • Island, £76,873; South Island, £78,558. In other words, the excess of revenue .over, expenditure was £54,352, for the South leland, and £67,979 for the North: For the fourweekly period ended January 30, 1909, the expenditure in the- North Island £153 more than in the South, where it totalled £79,744. ■; The excess of revenue over expenditure thus works out at £43,635 "in the North Island, and £38,082 ;in the South.

Looking at the individual * lines, again, for the four weeka ended January 2, the South Island 2 main lines ? and ; branches earned 1 £111,795 for 1299 miles, while the North Island main lines and branches earned £141,058 for 1030 miles, which works out at, approximately, £86 Is per mile in the South Island, and £135 19s per mile in the North. as« The returns leave no room for doubt as to whith island is yielding the : biggest revenue ! per mile of line, and yet the South Island services are infinitely better than those of the North Island. . Between Christchurch and Bunedin and between Dunedin and Invercargill there are two fast passenger expresses each way every day, the districts within a radius of 80 miles of the centres are better served in the South than in,the North, and the general appointment and class of rolling stock in use in the South Island is greatly superior to that in use on North Island lines.