RAILWAY RETURNS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2171, 3 October 1895, Page 15

RAILWAY RETURNS.

The railway leturns for the four weofcs ending 17th of Augn6t show the receipts to have been £74,148 18s 4d, and the expenditure £57,266 13s 3d. In the corresponding period of the previous year tho figures were £77,081 7s and £58,354 4s 6d respectively. Of tho revenue, tbe North leland lines contributed £27,144 4s 9d, as against £23,733 9* lid, and the Miclnl- Island lines £47,004 13s 7d, as against £50 347 17s. The North IsUnd lines absorbrd £21 386 14s 3d, as against £20,047 7s 4d, and the Middle leltnd lines £35.879 19j, as agninst £37,706 17s 2d, The proportion of expenses to revt-nuo on the several lives, calculated on an annual average, for tho rtspeotlva periods of 1895 94 w*i« as follows -.—North laUnd—Kawakttvva, 8123, 16557; Wh&ngarei, 80 25, 90-74 ; K«ibu, 52-35, 96 50 ; Auckland, 73 60, 76 12; Nfcpier-Tar»m.ki, 72 65, 71-30; Wellington, 69 96, 77 00. Middle lalaml— Hurunni Bluff, 66 38. 65 78 ; Greymouth-Bruu-rerton 52-07,54 04; Grvymouth-Hokitik«i,47\s3 f 58-61 ; Wtstpoit, 4234, 49 60 ; Nelson, 9283, 9233 ; Picton, 100 19, 118 58. Gfand tothls, 67 74. 68 53. A statemunt of tbo traffic on all lines from Ist April to 17ch Anoint shows thfct, as compared with the seim period in 1894, there were decreases of 1788 fust-class and 11,978 secondclass single tickets, but increases of 15,052 first-class and 77,350 second-class return tickets and 3231 seatoa tickets. Tho innreaHes in goods were :-153 hor«ea, 150,737 frheeb. 4782 pigs, 5394 tons chaff, 451 tons wool, and 2625 tons timber. Tbe dosreaws were :— 238 parcel*, 37 carriage*, 1127 dogs, 17 drayp, 6>7 cattle, 57 calves, 4144 tons firewood, 10,337 tons gr*io, 6756 lons merchandise, and 2505 tous minerals. Tho total decrease in tons has therefore been 15 573. The comparative passenger trafho en the Huronui-Bluff section for tho four-weekly period ending August 17 was :—: — 1895. 1894. '"s. I ~F.~ Total? Ij. R- Total? Fiat ... 3,629 23.0 M 26,693 3,730 24,140 27,870 Second... 17|l»). 77.29-1 04,493 18.030 78,882 96.912 Totals 70~mW0,3m 121,180 21.760 103,022 124,782 Season... I 1,263 Wi The comparative revenue returns on the Hurunui-Bluff seotion for the same foui-weekly periods were : — 1895. 1594Passengers £13,181 4 2 £13,197 10 8 Parcels and luggage 1.6« 4 3 1.722 3 2 Goods 24.6J5 18 2 27,009 2 10 Miscellaneous ... CU 8 2 551 18 6 Kent? and comniiß- .„„ „ „ Bionu WS9 8 1 ' 953 0 8 Totals .£40,988 210 £41,038 15 9 The corapMidive returns of revenue and expenditure since the beginning of the financial year to August 17 are ao follow :— 1895. 1894. Revenue ... £418.911 1 3 £482.984 18 j» Expenditure ... 283,787 13 10 282.860 18 6 Net revenue £135,12TT1 £140,101 0 0

The railway companies of Grcit Britain pay a daily average of £1700 in compensation, about 60 per cent, being for injuries to paasengerß and tho remainder for lost or damaged freight. Mr Juhn Fleming, an old identity, died at South Caaterbnry last week. He arrived in Otago about 36 years ago, and for the latter half of the period has been engaged during tho season as driver of threshing plants in tho T»ieri, North Otago, and South Canterbury districts. He was 61 years of age, and leaves % widow and a family of eight, all grown up.