Page:Japan by the Japanese (1904).djvu/531

From the above figures it is seen that prior to the fifteenth fiscal year the proportion of working expenses to traffic receipts was very much higher than that of late years. When compared with that of the twentieth fiscal year the difference is more marked. The cause of this may be found in the fact that comparatively greater working expenses were required at the start, and, after a gradual diminution of the expenses, a tendency to increase has been shown of late, owing to long-distance travelling and the adoption of the necessary modern improvements to meet the needs of the public.

The progress of railway enterprise having now been sketched, let us investigate how the railways are used by the public at large. In order to do so, it is necessary to examine minutely how the railways at present existing are distributed over the whole country.

In Hokkaido, though it comes next to Honshyu in order of size, the ratio of mileage per square mile is small, being 7.7 miles per 100 square miles of area, and the ratio of mileage per number of inhabitants is very large (40.1 miles per 100,000 inhabitants), as compared with those of others, on account of its being thinly populated.

In Shikoku both of these ratios are very small, on account of its having a limited operating mileage.

The ratios of mileage per square mile in Honshyu and Kyushyu, as compared with those of the other islands, show high figures; and the ratios of mileage per number of inhabitants, though lower than those of Hokkaido, still show a good figure.

In order to derive the utmost benefit out of railway enterprise, it is quite important that the distribution of railways should be suitably arranged all over the country. It is also important that the old railway appliances on existing lines should be gradually replaced by modern improvements to satisfy the needs of the public. The construction stage is now completed, and it is necessary to examine the existing conditions of traffic.

Details of the passenger and goods traffic and receipts therefrom on Government and private lines are given below.