EXCURSIONS AND PICNICS

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17353, 19 May 1924, Page 8

EXCURSIONS AND PICNICS

RAILWAY REVENUE. A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE. There was a substantial increase in the revenue from holiday and other excursion bookings and picnic trains on the Canterbury section of the railways during the summer season just closed as compared with the previous summer season. The actual revenue from these sources in the period from November 11 to April 28 was £52,919 16s Bd, compared with £48,790 2s 7d in the same period of 1922-23, a difference of £4192 14s Id. Several factors have contributed towards the increase this year. There have been several unusually popular excursions conducted both by the Railway Department and by private organisations, which have helped to swell the revenue. The most notable of these was the picnic excursion to Timaru on January 19, which was organised by the Canterbury Bakers’ and Pastrycooks’ Union, and in which the accident occurred to Fireman Swanson, who was thrown from the footplate of a locomotive. The success of that excursion was a complete surprise to the Railway Department and to the people who organised it, over three thousand persons taking part in it. Shortly afterwards the Department itself organised an excursion to Timaru, but it was not attended with anything like the same degree of success. An excursion to Otira on Good Friday, which was organised by the Department, was, however, a big success. About 1200 persons travelled on the two excursion trains and a large number could not be taken, owing to the tunnel arrangements not permitting of three trains being run. The following comparative tables show (1) the number of holiday, day and other excursion bookings (not including schools, factories and friendly societies' excursions) and (2) excursions bookings in connection with schools, factories, friendly societies, etc. The

first table includes the ordinary bookings at holiday excursion rates during Christmas, Easter and other holiday periods. The dates mentioned are the last days of the four-weekly period in each year : (1) ORDINARY EXCURSIONS. 1922-23.

•Includes five days of strike, tlncludes teachers.

Pour Weeks No Revenue Ended 1st Class 2nd Class £ s. d. Nov. 11 . 7,543 15,103 6,320 15 0* ■Dec. 12 . 670 S.578 1,650 11 3 Jan. 6 . 4.86G 20,860 23,707 16 6 Feb- 3 . 398 476 98 13 6 Mar. 3 . 757 1,711 1,477 3 8* Mar. 31 . 652 1.669 932 2 1 April 28 . 5,108 14.403 10,421 11 5 Totals . 19,885 57,800 43,603 13 6 (1) ORDINARY EXCURSIONS, 1923-24. Poor Weeks No. Revenue Ended 1st Class 2nd Class £ s. d. Nov. 10 . 7,302 14,479 5302 3 10 Dec. 8 . 407 2,560 1,218 10 1 Jan. 5 . 5,286 20.553 25,727 4 7 Feb. 2 . 568 1,23*2 2,403 14 0 *I»r. 1 • 766 1,655 1,487 10 2 Mar 31 . 205 1.768 706 19 6 "April 26 . 3,949 11,724 9,837 6 2 Totals . 18,483 53,971 46,683 8 4 (2) PICNIC EXCURSIONS, 1922-28. Four Weeks tSenior Revenue Ended Children Soholars Adults £, s. d. Nov. 11 413 41 756 146 15 7 Dec. 9 . 3,669 266 2,692 679 19 2 J*n. 6 . 6.653 872 2,934 795 10 7 Feb. 3 . 8.343 63 6,148 1,117 18 1 Mar- 3 . 10.741 1,415 10,21*2 1,902 1 8 Mar. 31 . 2,892 433 3,010 587 3 1 April 38 139 101 — 7 0 11 Totals 26,850 3,191 25,752 5,186 9 1 (2) PICNIC EXCURSIONS, 1938-24. Pour Weeks tSenior Revenue Ended Children Scholars Adults £. s. d. Nov. 10 . 114 45 379 90 16 2 Dec. 8 . 4,108 205 3,652 885 2 6 Jan. 5 . 4,326 811 2.829 G33 10 1 Feb. 2 . 4,823 89 9,221 2,109 13 3 Mar. 1 . 12,292 1,393 11,993 2.101 17 3 Mar. 31 . 1,796 317 2,233 416 9 1 •April 26 . — — — — Totals £7,559 2,310 38,307 6,236 8 4