OUR RAILWAYS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1679, 4 May 1904, Page 81 (Supplement)

OUR RAILWAYS.

IN TER VIEW WITH SIR JOSEPH WARD. A SPLENDID RECORD. /. “This is'the first time in the history of the colony that the railway revenue 0(f tihe colony has touched £2,000,000,” ■ said Sir Joseph Ward l , . Minister of Railways, when interviewed by: a “New Zealand Mail” .reporter regarding '.the railway revenue of the colony for the financial year, ending March l - 31st last.•, - ' : ■ -O : “The revenue for thb.year,-’ said-the Minister, “totalled £2,180,1341,:. which; as already stated, is a record for the New* Zealand railways. ’ The expenditure. fox- the year amounted to £1,438,735.. The iuci’easo in' revenue “is £206,603, While'the increase- in expenditure is £05,308, giving an increase ifi revenue over expenditure qf £111,295. The amount payable into tih'e consolidated fund is £742,619. which represents the sum available.for payment of inter,est upon the capital! cost of the railways. “A very • gratifyiixg feature of the year’s working is the fact that while for the year 19,03 the expenditure upon our railways was 68.5 per cent., for 1904 it was 65.98 per cent. ./■“An increase in revenue has taken place on.every section of railways"in the colony, tho greatest' increase being on the .. flurunui-Blulf section, £18,209. j Wellington-Napier-New Plymouth section follows ■ with £12,593, Auckland £4824, and Westport £1552. The-'small- j ost -increase is on that of the Kawa i Kawa section, £26. The expenditure- j during the year has. decreased on throe j sections, viz., Kawa Kawa, Kaihu and j Nelson. The number of miles of rail - j ways open for traffic for the -year 191)4 j is 232-S.” “I think',” said Sir Joseph, ’‘these re- > suits will prove highly satisfactory to 1 every colonist who wishes to see the j country prosperous. One of the great- j est indicators of what the colony is do- , ing hi this respect is tho-great railway | service which is growing into such ini- j po-rtant dimensions.” The Minister added that he was ex- i coodingly pleased with tho position of I affairs, and expressed hie congratula- j. tions to the General Manager, his offi- j cers and staff upon the excellent results achieved, and tlxe good work which had been brought about by the continual care) and attention of all grades in the railway service. - • //t'-dO-'■