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New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 19, 12 May 1904, Page 20

The demand for coal from the State mines is greater than the supply. The colliery at Seddonville is putting oftt over 1000 tons a week, and a considerable quantity is also being obtained from the Point Elizabeth mine, but none of it can be placed on the market until the railway into Greymoutth is completed. As soon as the requirements of the varjipjUii Government departments have been satisfied coal from-the Government mines will probably be offered to the general public at a reasonable rate: /•--■■ " ;.'- ; '^^ The financial ptosition of the Colony as v aes^orth in a memorandum by the Colonial Treasurer shjq^tS that the balance from last year 'was £303,905";: ex<sess;ot receipts over expenditure, £695,835, making a -total of £999,740. During the year, awd- Xtp to March , 31, £225,000 hat: been transferred to the Public Wor*ks fund, anjd o)n March 31 a further sum of £125,000, leaving a credit balance in the Consolidated Fund available '- for 1904-5, of £649,740. ' .- The railway revenue for the year ended March 31 totalled £2,180,641, which is a record for the -sKfewZealafld railways. The expenditure for the year ampuntejd to £1,438,723. The inorease in revenue was £306,(603, 7 whi1e the increase »ln the expenditure* was £95,308, giving an increase in revenue over expenditure of £111,295. The amount payaible into the Consolidated Fund was £7,42,619, which represents the sum available for 'payment of interest upon the capital cost * of the railways. A very gratifying feature of the year's working is the fact that while for the year 1903; the expenditure upon our railways was 68.5 per cent., for -1904 it was 65.98 per cent. An increase of revenjue has taken place on every section of the railways in ; the Colony, the greatest increase being on the HhirnnuiBluff section.