RAILWAY FINANCE.

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1449, 12 January 1924, Page 5

RAILWAY FINANCE.

A PROFITABLE MONTH. (By Telegraph. Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Friday. The railway working account for the four weekly period ended December 8 shows a profit of £128,901, compared with £78,730 for the corresponding period of last year. The revenue for the period, £539,763, shows an increase of £36,072, while the working expenses, £410,862, were less by £14,099. Earnings in the North Island were £336,126, an increase of £18,767, and \ working expenses £227,479, a decrease pf £10,540. The working profit was £108,647, an increase of £29,307, and the highest figure for the month for many years. \ Earnings in the South Island were £203,636, an increase of £17,303, and working expenses were £183,382, a decrease of £3560. While there was a loss of £609 on working for the period last year the present return shows a profit of £20,245. For the period of 36 weeks since the financial year began, the total receipts were £4,457,402, and the expenses £3,713,600, showing a working profit of £743,802 as against £417,920 for the corresponding period ,of last year. The increase in working profits has been due to an increase in revenue of £166,964, and a reduction

in expenses of £158,918. Of the gain in revenue £142,626 was secured in the North Island and £24,335 in the South Island. The reduction in expenses has been £113,434 in the North Island and £45,486 in the South. Of the total profits for the 36 weeks, over 84 per cent were earned in the North Island.