The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1864-09-06 00:00:00

SOMERSET AND DORSET RAILWAY.

The fourth ordinary half-yearly general meeting
of the proprietors of the oompany au held on Tues-
day, August 30th; the Right Hon. Lord Riven,
the chairman of the company, presiding. We ex.
tract the following from the report of the director,:
—" The directors are happy to be able to report a
steady increase in all branches of the traffics during
the past six months, as shown by the following com-
parative statement months, to June 30, 1864:
total traffic, £17,128 ; psr mile per week, f 9 19s. 84.
Six menthe to June 30, 1863: total traffic, £8,961;
per mile per week, £8 14s. 11d. lucre.,.: total
traffic, £8,147; per mils per week, £1 4s. 94. The
working expenem for the same period also present a
favourable comparison, viz. :—Six months to
20th June, 1864, 66 miles; total working ex-
penses, £13,976; per mile open £2ll 16e. ; per
train mile, ls. Sad. Six month, to 30th June,
1863, 39i wiles; total working expenses, £8,727;
per mile open, £221 ; per train mile, Is. 91d. 'S-
crams : Total working expenses, £5,249. Decrease ,
Per mile open, £9 4s. ; per train mile, Id. The
revenue account show, • balms* £3,646 3s. 4.1. after
providing for working expenses, as compared with
£1,142 4s. 11d- in the oorreepending half of Ind
year. The improvement in the receipts since the
30th Jane has been still more satisfactory, the weekly
average amounting to £l3 10a 3d. per mile, as com-
pared with £lO 134. 2d. per mile for the correspond-
ing period of 1863—showing an increase of
£2 17s. Id. per mile. To meet the demand of the
increasing traffic at Highbridge harbour it has
become necessary to erect • second steam crane there,
and to extend the existing siding accommodation.
These additional facilities for ensuring the econorni.
cal and expeditious d:scharge of vessels will doubt-
lam prove most beneficial to the traffic of the
and may ship be expected to yield a considerable
direct rehire upon the outlay. Pour new )out,-
ties mince and 60 goods and coal wagons have
also been ordered through the past six months.
Tbe Bills for the Cheddar Valley end yew.
Railway, and the Additional Powers Bill—
introduced by this company—have received the
Royal anamt. By agreement with the Brined and
Exeter Company the powers of the former bill will
be handed over hi, and carried out at the expense
of that company, who also pay to this company all
the expenses incidental to the passing of the Ad,
and undertake to afford all necessary facilities to,
and to forward, via Highbridge, all traffic between
Bristol apd other stations on their line, and the
stations which this company can give through
rates. The directore have reason to believe that the
operation of this agreement, when fully developed,
will tend materially to increase the traffic. In con-
dones year directors fed that they may fairly eon-
gradate you on the steadily improving proapecta of
the undertaking, and ask you to join vitth them in
regarding the program hitherto made as an earnest
of still greater improvement at no distant period."
The report was received and adopted, after a
little 000vereation on some of the topics mentioned
in it. A vote of thanks to the noble chairman
terminated the proceedings.

Ti. Hums° FISHIRT. TWA week has be ma al

-.1 basil. and ...necent.on the-(;;;it-17newa
same- -.aboard., •t whose sari"us ng •tations
iond enviers. ... • of more than £50,000 have been
nines—the Wis. fishermen
ti. bertais to ago vase-
in throe mornings,
ou three fishing ns...
haying alone amen from alt state, may
lb* ,
about 40.000 crane, whose value, i.. it...
bs estimated at £40,000.