CURTAILED SERVICES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20673, 19 September 1930, Page 15

CURTAILED SERVICES.

CHECK IN EXPENDITURE. GREATER LOSS OF REVENUE. YEAR'S ARREARS NOW £95,800. The first instalment of economics in railway operations was brought into operation on July 13. It involved tlie curtailment of many passenger services, including the suspension of the daylighi express trains in the North Island, and reduction of the express services between Christchurch and Invercargill. The working account of the Railways Department for the four weeks ended August 16 i:s tli3 first covering a period in which these alterations were fully effective. It shows for tho whole system a loss on operation of £20,596 in spite of a reduction in expenses ot £35,824 in comparison with the corresponding period last year. The result for that period was a loss of £4148. The gross receipts for the month were £519,515 which is £52.272 less than last year. Working expenses amounted to £540,111 which is £35,824 less. This is the first account for a long period to show any substantial reduction in expenses. Railway operations; alone resulted in a loss in the North Island of £BIOS as against a working profit last year of £3212. Revenue declined by £17,792 to £279,816, but the expenses, £287,921, show a reduction of only £6475. The decline in revenue in the South Island was £34,385, the return for the month having been only £182,527. Expenses were reduced by £26,400 to £216,248. Tho operating loss was consequently increased from £25,736 to £33,721, A reduction of almost £3OOO in expenses in connection with miscellaneous services increased the net return under that heading from £18,376 to £21,231. Following is a summary of the net results for corresponding periods of four weeks in the last three years:— 1930. 1929. 1928. April 26 .. £122,270 £107,305 £130,221 May 24 .. 83.134 121,746 95,260 June 21 .. *4,027 52,599 54,194 July 19 .. *7.602 *8,579 25,205 August 16 .. *20.596 *4,148 34,032 Totals .. £173,179 £268,984 £338,9.13 * Loss on operation. The rfet revenue for the 20 weeks of the financial year comprises £47,601 from the North Island railways, or little more than one-third of last year's total at the corresponding date of £123,973; and £10,156 from the South Island railways, or about one-fifth of last year's, £46,522. Miscellaneous net revenue has increased from £98,489 to £115,422.