RECORD TRAMWAY FIGURES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7047, 8 February 1910, Page 1

RECORD TRAMWAY FIGURES

LARGEST PROFITS lET MALE ENORMOUS INCREASE ON Kllr BIRNIE SECTION. REPORT BY TRAMWAYS ENGINEER. last winter thore woB a big drop In revenue on t-iio Wellington tramway system, but tjbe glorious weather of the last few weeks and the gradual poising of the trade depression are reversing the order of things, the revenue now showing greater buoyancy than, ever before.

The .gross revenue from all eourooa for .tbo four .weeks ended January sth last amounted to £11,990, an moreens/* of £984 ao-m.pa.ned with the oonresponding period of, last year. “Thosearo record figures since the inauguration of tho sorv-I-co,” sal's Mr Stuart Richardson, tramways engineer and manager, in a report submitted t,a yesterday's meeting of the tramways committee of the Oity Council. ‘ ‘Thu working expenses for the period under review amounted to £6785, a deereass of £289 as compared ’ with last year. Tho met results of the lost four weeks’ operations show, a profit of £2IOO, being tho hu-giest' profit, made dn any four weekly period.” Hire gross revenue from April Isi amounted bo £104,303 —an advance of £353 on tho figures lor last year;. While the -working exp crises for tho nine months amounted, to £70,449-—an increase of £421..

* Increases In expenditure have occurred under tho following headings :—■ Kates, ’ £317; accident insurance, £223; - repairs an/T maintenance of permanent .way, £625; repairs and maintenance track accounts (charged last year direct . jto dis-triot fund), £470. Under various other headings decreases -in crpemlTfuro h-avo been effected during the nine months amounting to over £I2OO. After allbwdng for interest, sinking fund and cstimiatecT depreciation charges a'monhtTugTn nil to £31,04.0, or £llBO more than for the corresponding period of last year, a, not profit to date remains,, /totalling £2314, os compared Witli £4057 for the same period last year.

A statistical statement for the fourweekly period ended Jonuaiy stb shows .that on the Kilbimfie lino there was an increase of 34,181 passengers earned; compared with., the corresponding' period of 1909, the increase in revenue amounting to £343 15s Bd. Tire phenomenal increase on this line • —while all other linos show a decrease with the exception of Island Bay—ia accounted for by the opening up ol the Lyall Bay section.' Every fine day large .crowds go to the beach, swelling ' the tramway figures. The increase of passengers on the Island Bay lino was 13,015, but the revenue only rose to tile extent of 16s fed. ' This is attributed to the large number of passengers who ruse only part of the full section, -while twelve/months ago 6d return tickets wore available. The amount for the Sale' of twelve-trip tickets is set down iat £B9O 17s, representing 160,353 passengers. The biggest decrease • was shown oh the Nowtown Jin e, tho total o f passengers offrfed dropping by 28,641. Last Saturday £586 11s Gd was collected in fares and on Sunday £293 18s lOd. On corresponding days last year the- figures wore £4Bl 10s and £278 respectively. On tho special cars run on Sunday morning 694 adults and 89 children were carried, while 216 passengers were carried on the special cars in the evening.