RAILWAY FINANCES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 439, 3 December 1930, Page 6

RAILWAY FINANCES

REVENUE STILL DECREASES OPERATING COSTS REDUCED Railway revenue continues to de« crease, according to a statement made available to the press yesterday by tho Hon. W. A. Veitch, in which he gave tho figures relating to revenue and expenditure for the four weeks period ended on November 8. He said that the total decrease amounted to £60,253 as compared with the same period last year. The goods revenue decreased by £31,000. Timber was responsible for the largest decrease, tho amount being £14,000. The decrease in shipping traffic principally at Wellington, Christchurch and Invercargill had been due to less imports coming into the country. The decrease had been almost wholly in non-competitive itehis, those in regard to which the railway business was not greatly affected by competitiujd »nd the cause of the decrease must u doubtedly be described to the present financial depression. Passenger traffic showed a decrease of £22,000, which could only be ascribed to the increasing use of the motor car (private cars) and the financial depression, which always tends to have a restricting influence on passenger traffic. He said that expenditure had decrcttM d by not less than £BO,OOO and regarded that as being very satisfactory”. He gave the following table showing decreases in operating costs and in revenue for the period named, the 1930 figures being given first in each instance: Revenue Passengers £113,228 (£135,674) par* ccl-, etc. £26,806 (£30,111); good* £301.303 (£332,513); miscellaneous £10,766 (£14,063). Total £452,108 (£512,361). Expenditure Ways and works £83,630 (£96,221)> signals £7,101, (£8,807); rolling stock £116,646 (£153,083); locomotive £114,855 (£133,855); traffic £133,163 (£144,- k 423); general charges £21,715 (£21,-R 098); total £77,110 (£558,087). V