H—4o

Cartage Rates Schedules.—With the general wage increase granted in October the work of including the percentage increases in schedules and generally bringing the schedules up to date has been delayed. The work will be proceeded with during 1948-49. Comparison op Present-day with Pre-war Costs. —In the table that follows a comparison is made between the costs of operating a heavy traffic Class I truck, as at 31st March, 1939, and the costs of operating a similar truck as at the 31st March, 1948. For the purposes of comparison it has been assumed that the trucks are identical in all respects save that the cost of the 1939 truck (new, less tires) was £306 and the corresponding costs of the 1948 truck £715. Costs as at 31st March, 1939, and 31st March, 1948, for a Class I truck running 14,600 miles:—

Overhead expenses have been allowed according to the conventions laid down by the Goods-service Charges Tribunal.

26

Item. Estimated Costs as at 31st March, 1939. Estimated Costs as at 31st March, 1948. Item Cost. Percentage of Total. Item Cost. 1 Percentage of Total. Running Expenses— Petrol Oil Tyres Repairs Total, running-expenses Standing charges— Licence fees .. Insurance Garage fees Wages Depreciation Total, standing charges Overhead charges— Management Office salaries Office rent Printing and stationery Postages. Telephone and tolls Accounting, audit, and legal Trade subscriptions General expenses Contingencies Interest on capital Total, overhead charges Total cost Running-expenses, per mile Standing charges, per mile Overhead charges, per mile Total, expenses per mile £ 168 10 61 82 21 13 1-27 7-67 10-31 £ 244 15 98 127 20-73 1-27 8-32 10-80 321 40-38 484 41-12 37 9 13 279 30 4-65 1-13 1-64 35-09 3-77 37 13 13 424 70 3-14 1-10 1-10 36-02 5-96 368 46-28 557 47-32 40 20 5 4 3 5 2 2 5 5 15 5-03 2-52 0-63 ! 0-50 0-38 0-63 0-25 0-25 0-63 0-63 1-89 50 25 5 5 5 5 2 2 5 5 27 4-25 2-12 0-42 0-43 0-43 0-43 0-17 0-17 0-42 0-43 2-29 106 13-34 136 11-56 795 100-00 1,177 100-00 d 56-< 1L 28 05 74 d. 7-95 9-16 2-24 13 07 19-35