RAILWAY FINANCE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XL, Issue 12727, 22 December 1915, Page 7

RAILWAY FINANCE.

GREATLY IMPROVED POSITION. (Special to the Uamaru Mail.i Wellington. December 21. The good effect of th • t-n per .-::ni increase in lares and fr unlit i-. -ho.-. in the latc-t railway ivim n-. The Mdiister of Railways pointed out lo yo'.u correspondent that the gro-s ivvonu. for the eight months ended November 30th. wa- £l!>7.-")1I compared with i'ii corresponding period ..I the previeuve.ir. This increased revenue had been earned at :i,eo-r :u;ly C20.1!07 in ex.-.-. of the expenditure for the previoiiperi.al. making the net iucnv.se in revC II- Cl 7-1.0-12.

Materials ale just as expei>ive as th. time it was decided to increase rates, -aid th- Hon. W. H. Herrie-. bin -hip;>i■:■! facilities had improved', and the b-partment was able to go on fdowh with its grade improvement schemes in various parts of New Zealand. "The ;.-ii'i!ic- are paying the increase- uit.!. hard'.v a grumble.'' remarked Mr Ilerrirs\ "Except for the disproportionate increase in the second class excursion ■•; te<. compared with the first class" •■•.••rested your correspondent. "I admit that second class rates have gone up more in proportion than first class rare-' replied- the Minister, "bitu hen the excursion fare- were previously revised, the -woinl class rates wen reduced much more than first cla-s. tie single fare for double journey lieine: ■' greater advantage to second class pas. senders. Now the relative po-itic.n ha been 'made more oipial. Tic improved nnsition of rai'way finance js shewn In lb. decreased percentage of t-xpendhnr-r.-> i- v iiu". I nst year it was 71.ti2. lur the latest fiii'ires show that it has .rone dI.V. n t.i fi<>.?2.''