BETTER BUSINESS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22398, 20 April 1936, Page 11

BETTER BUSINESS

TRAFFIC ON RAILWAYS REVENUE AT ROTORUA RISES SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT [llV TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT) ROTORUA. Saturday A considerable increase in business is indicated by the latest yearly returns of the Kotorua railway station up to March .'sl. The total revenue for outward traffic sets a record for the past five years, and the inward traffic revenue also shows a pronounced rise over the last three years.

Up to and including the year 1930 the Rotorua station handled a large amount of traffic and the yearly returns were highly satisfactory, but in 1931, owing to the effects of the depression, the revenue for outward traffic dropped from £'29,113 to £13,601. Business improved slightly the next year, the returns showing an increase of £8557. The returns for 1934 indicated a return to former conditions, the revenue standing at £23,433. The returns for the past year exceed those for 1930 and give strong support to the general feeling that the depression has passed. The inward revenue taken at the Rotorua station in the year was £44,355, an increase of £7264 and £10.911 on the years 1935 and 1934 respectively. In the outward traffic returns the passenger side shows an increase of 3897 casual travellers and 57 season tickets over the 1935 figures. There is also a substantial increase in all classes of freight.

The inward returns for the number of stock carried show a decrease on the 1935 totals, this being attributed to the fact that the previous year the various settlement schemes in the district were being stocked. Altogether 11,739 head of stock were brought by railway into Hotorua during the year, as compared with a total of 20,732 carried in the previous year. TIMBER TRADE RECOVERY GOOD EXAMPLE AT TE KUITI [BY TELKGRAFH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] TE KUITI, Saturday The recovery in the timber trade is well exemplified by the figures of annual traffic at the Te Kuiti railway station. In the 1928-29 period 23,207 tons of timber were sent away from Te Kuiti and the flag stations under its control. For 1931-32 this had fallen to 18,431 tons, but since then the recovery has been pronounced and the figure for 1935-36 is 29,707 tons (13,368.150 feet). The mills at Mangapelii and other centres are working at their full capacity. An increase of £6772 in the total outward revenue is noted in the returns just compiled for 1935-36. The figures of total revenue at Te Kuiti from outward traffic show the decline caused by the slump and the steady and marked recovery which has been made since. In 1929-30 the total was £68.62 L but in 1981-32 it had fallen to £53,788. In the year just closed it had risen to £77,986. POSITION AT MATAMATA RISE OF £2OOO IN REVENUE [from our own correspondent] MATAMATA, Saturday The traffic returns and revenue received for inward and outward services at the Matamata railway station for the year ended March 31 show that the revenue has increased by over £2OOO. Most of tile figures show an increase over those for the previous year. In dairy produce a small decrease of 15 tons (£25) is shown, this being stated to be due to the fallingoff in supply during the cold spring. Outward passengers numbered 21.208, producing £4410 revenue, against 21.328 and £4186 for the previous year. The total outward revenue was £21,260, against £20,753 for 1934-35. Inward revenue totalled £2.5,471, compared with £23,695 for the previous year.