H.—4o,

These figures are of particular interest as the average cost per-ton capacity per mile sets the absolute minimum cost for transport cartage —that is to say, if every licensed vehicle always ran with a full load and did no empty running the average cost per ton-mile would approximate to the figures set out above. Generally the revenue and profit figures (Table No. 25 shows the revenue and profit per vehiclemile) indicate a favourable trading year, with the South Island services showing a higher net profit per vehicle-mile than the North Island services. As with the operating-cost figures, there is a considerable variance with the revenue and profit figures from district to district, as is indicated by the following table : —

To give a comparison of revenue with expenditure on a ton-capacity-per-mile basis the revenue from general cartage, excluding mail, passenger and other revenue, is set out hereunder on the same ton-capacity-per-mile basis as used with operating-costs : —

These figures give an indication not so much of the general level of rates in each district, as they do not take into account the average loads available or the proportion of empty running, but of the relation between average cartage rates and average costs in each Licensing District. (d) General Goods Statistics, 1937-38, arranged according to whether the Owner operates One, Two, Three, or Four or more Vehicles. This data is set out in Tables Nos. 26 and 27. The average mileage per vehicle rises from 13,718 miles for owners of one vehicle to 14,783 miles for owners of four or more vehicles. Operating-costs per vehicle-mile also increase as'the number of vehicles owned increases. For owners of one vehicle the operating-costs per mile are 10-33 d., for owners of two vehicles 10-76 d., three vehicles 11-17 d., and for four or more vehicles 12d The rise in operating-costs per vehicle-mile is probably due to the fact that in the larger fleets it is possible to operate heavier vehicles on the higher-classified roads and at the same time have one or two lighter vehicles for use on the lower-classified roads. Single-vehicle operators, on the other hand have to limit the size of their vehicles to the lowestroad classification in the areas they are serving or else lose a certain amount of business. The revenue figures show a similar trend to the cost figures, rising as follows : Owners of one vehicle .. . . . . .. 11-52 d. per vehicle-mile. Owners of two vehicles . . . . .. .. 12-40 d. per vehicle-mile. Owners of three vehicles .. .. .. .. 13-06 d. per vehicle-mile. Owners of four or more vehicles .. .. .. 13-71 d. per vehicle-mile. The figures for net profit per vehicle-mile indicate that the owners of three vehicles obtain the best net return per mile, l-89d. ; the figures for the other groups being Owners of one vehicle .. .. .. .. ~ 1-I9d. per mile. Owners of two vehicles .. .. .. .. ~ l-64d. per mile. Owners of four or more vehicles .. .. .. .. l-71d. per mile.

52

District Average Mileage Revenue per Profit per per Vehicle. Vehicle-mile. Vehicle-mile. Miles. d. d. No. 1 .. .. .. 15,885 11-73 1-25 No. 2 .. .. .. 13,431 13-26 1 -51 No. 3 .. .. .. 12,016 14-57 2-11 No. 4 .. .. .. 14,310 13-02 2-17 Dominion .. . . 14,209 12 ■ 80 1-60 I

Opnpril rtnnrla Average Maxi- Average District. Average Mileage R mum Pay-load Revenue per perVeh.de. VeSTX Capacity of Ton Capacity Vehicles. per Mile. Miles. d. Tons. d. No. 1 .. .. .. .. 15,885 10-57 3-03 3-49 No. 2 .. .. .. .. 13,431 12-75 3-36 3-79 No. 3 .. .. .. .. 12,016 14-30 3-52 4-06 No. 4 .. .. .. .. 14,310 12-75 3-29 3-87 Dominion .. .. .. 14,209 12-10 3-25 3-72