inspection or minor failure necessitated relief by steam engines. Steam locomotives were rarely used except for this purpose, and for handling extra traffic during special festival periods.
The use of diesel electric locomotives has resulted in still further economies, a saving of a further $117,000 in locomotive running ex- penses being effected during the year.
TRAFFIC
7. Traffic earnings for the year under review showed a slight decrease of 7.14% from those of the previous year. Comparative figures are shown below:
1958/59 $6,658,860
1957/58 $7,170,658
Decrease $511,798 or 7.14%
8. Passenger Traffic. Local passenger journeys increased by 6.73% while non-local journeys showed the considerable drop of 36.25%.
9. On Ching Ming Festival day, 5th April, 1958, thirty two special trains were run to cope with the traffic demand to carry visitors to and from the cemeteries at Wo Hop Shek and Sandy Ridge.
10. The figures for passenger traffic, showing number of journeys and revenue, appear in Appendices VI and VII.
11. Goods Traffic. Total goods traffic in the year bettered that of the previous year by 21.59% in tonnage and 2.40% in receipts. Receipts on handling charges were also increased by $27,603 or 3.84%. 12. The principal commodities imported by rail into the Colony during the period under review are shown below:
Apples
Bean noodle
Beer
Cardboard
Cement
Charcoal
Chinese medicine
Coal ...
Cotton piece goods
Eggs
Fish, frozen...
Fruits, fresh, various
Iron nails
11.450 metric tons
1,201 1,597
.
**
"
.、
2,995
*
2.187
2.003
**
1,698
6,104
ง
6,874
>>
>
17,961
3,744
59
2.141
>5
1,862
35
2