PROFITS FROM RAILWAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18553, 10 November 1923, Page 13

PROFITS FROM RAILWAYS.

AUSTRALIAN RESULTS.

NEW SOUTH WALES LEADS.

The New South Wales Railway Commissioners announced last week that the railways of Few South Wales, compared with those of other States, returned last year the greatest amount of revenue, the largest net surplus, and the highest percentage returns on capital invested. . The returns of earnings and excuses for the Australian railways for the year ended June 30 and for the New Zealand railways fbr the year ended March 31 aire as follow: - . Earnings. "Working Working Expenses. Profit. £ £ &* N.S.W. . 16,221.333 10,649.974 4.571.359 Victoria- , 11.847,057 8.181,926 3,165,131 New Zealand 6,727,803 6.502,497 1,225,305 Queensland 6,420.400 4,714,262 706,138 8. Australia 3.710.922 2,781.547 929,375 W. Australia 2,915.985 2.210,348 705.637 The Australian' railways are charged with interest at the. average rate of the public debt, > the highest last year being in New South Wales, 5.16 per cent;, while the New Zealand Department is expected to earn only 3.75 per cent. The following table shows the return on capital represented by the working profits and the result after setting the interest charge against the surplus— Return Surplus. Deficit, per cent. £. £• N.S.W. .. 6.22 84,056 — ' Victoria .. 4.80 20.183 — New Zealand 3.04 — 284.385 Queensland 1.49 — 1,475,192 8. Australia 4.58 5,769 — W. Australia 3.68 — 62,607 The mileage and. capital investment, total and per mile in the various systems, are as follow: — Miles. Capital. Open. Total. Per mileN.S.W. . 5.318 '£89,276.871 £16.788 Victoria . . 4,341 64,854,594 14,910 New Zealand 3,023 40,275 161 13.801 Rori; ft »«o-«»ii 7 o« S. Australia 2,395 20,613,825 8.607 W. Australia 3,ujo ij,.o. ~>,.; ...o^j