To minimise the effect of irregular road competition, the co-operation of the police was obtained to prevent the carrying of passengers in lorries. Steps were also taken to stop public motor-car drivers touting for passengers on station premises.
18. Local goods receipts have fallen 37.8% from $30,306 to $18,859. The primary cause of this decline was the slump in the building industry, resulting in there being little or no demand for building materials. Lowu Brickworks traffic was affected considerably, only 8,251 tons of bricks being carried as against 18,291 tons in 1933. The receipts from this source dropped from $10,004 to $1,676.
Other causes were poorer trading generally and increased road competition. An effort was made to secure traffic from the roads by a marked decrease in rates but without success.
19. Sectional through passenger receipts have fallen 9.4% from $157,367 to $142,500. Local traffic on the Chinese Section showed a similar trend, so that the decreased receipts can be attributed to the general trade depression. The district served is agricultural and the majority of the people are of the peasant type with very little money. This fact coupled with the comparatively high fares tended to limit travel to cases of necessity.
20. Sectional through goods receipts declined slightly from $24,278 to $23,738. In view of the poorer trading conditions, this result can be regarded as most satisfactory.
21. The flow of through goods was still unbalanced, but not to the same extent as in previous years. Figures for the past three years in respect of the combined through goods traffic on the British and Chinese Sections of the Railway are given below:
1932 1933 1934 Through goods (Up) $73,880.26 $83,681.95 $106,714.87 Through goods (Down) 16,234.81 29,198.97 52,337.87 ... Through goods (Total)... $90,225.07 $112,880.92 $159,052.2422. Passenger journeys for the past three years were as follows:-
1932 1933 1934 Terminal through passengers 853,503 991,228 1,068,915 Sectional through passengers 270,073 260,518 224,860 Local passengers 1,281,762 1,513,980 1,389,669 Total passengers........ 2,405,338 2,765,726 2,683,444