The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-04-04 00:00:00

CAPTAIN TYLER ON RAILWAY COM-
PANIES.
Captain Tyler's general report on the railway system in the
United Kingdom for the year 1372 was given last week in a
Parllmentary paper. The following is the conclusion of the
document—

" The leading features of the railway system of
the United Kingdom at toe end of 1872 may thee
be summarized. A total sum of £569,047,346 had
been lepended on 15,814 miles of railway, or at the
rate of nearly £36,000 a mile. There were 10,933
locomotive engines, or about one to every mile and
a half ; and 337,899 vehicles, or about 213/4 per mile,
besides the waggons of traders and companies other
than railway companies. By the running of trains for
190,720,719 miles, £51,304,114 was received during the
year, of which £25,652,383 was expezded in working
and maintenance, and 1225,651,731 remained as
net profit ; so that as nearly as possible one-half of the
gross receipts was expended in earning them. There
were 422,874,872 passenger journeys, besides 272,342
season-ticket holders ; and 179,302,121 tons of goods and
minerals were conveyed. The average rate of dividend
on ordinary capital was 514 per cent, and upon the
total capital 475 per cent, including 1232,901,496 of
ordinary capital, part of £42,682,631 of total capital,
which received no interest or dividend. The average
cost of working each train was 32/7 pence per mile,
and the average receipt from each tl'ain was 6456
pence per mile ; so that the average net profit from each
train was 3229 pence per mile; while the total cost of
working was 121,622 per mile, and £3,244 per mile was
received. The more prominent facts connected with
traffic working in 1872, as compared with 1871,
were an follows :—There was an increase of gross re-
ceipts amounting to £4,196,556, but also an increase of '
working expenses amounting to £3,020,337. While
there was an increase of about £170,000 in the receipts
from first class, and of 122,203,457 from third class pas-
sengers there was a decrease of £969,334, from second claas
passengers; and while there was an increase of 2,036,339
in the number of first-class, and of 54,180,107 in the
number of third-class passenger journeys, there was a
decrease of 8,562,378 in the number of second-class
passenger journeys. There was an increase in the
receipts from goods, minerals, Sm., of £2,531,581.
In looking at the details above given of the
expenses per train mile, it will be observed
that the increase is pretty general from 1870 and
1871 to 1872, the exceptions being in the items of
rates and taxes, Government duty, and compensa-
tion for personal injury. The increased cost of way
and works was comparatively small, but that for loco-
motive charges was more than a penny per train mile;
and this extra charge, occasioned principally by the en-
hanced price of fuel, accounts for more than half of
the total increase in the cost of working—from 3003
pence in 1871 to 3317 pence in 1872 per train mile. As
far as can at present be foreseen, the results of working
in 1873 will, when the figures can be ascertained, pre-
sent somewhat similar results of further increased re-
ceipts and further increased expenses; but it is hardly
probable that either the one or the other will continue
to increase in 1874 in the same ratio. The traffic of the
country must be considered to have been for the last two
years in an inflated condition, and the price of wages,
fuel, and materials to have attained a point considerably
above the average. There will, no doubt, be fluctua-
tions in these respects in the future, as there have been
in the past. But, upon the whole, and comparing
longer than annual periods, the progress of the country,
as shown by its railway traffic, has been marvellous.
The gross receipts of the railways have increased from
4223,956,749 in 1858 to £51,304,114 in 2372; or have
been more than doubled in fourteen years. There seems
no reason why they should not, in another series of
years, continue to manifest equally important progress.
the companies will be able, as their credit improves
and their ordinary dividends increase, to raise money
at cheaper rates. The additional outlay required
t for further accommodation and improved apparatus,
though large in total amount, will be merely fractional
an regards the total capital, and will be the means of
inducing increased traffic, of saving largely in compete.
cation, and of effecting economy in working; so that it
will, on the whole, be beneficial" in a pecuniary sense to
the companies. The railway system generally having
to a great extent overcome the troubles connected with
competition and extension, from which at one time it
suffered so severely, would appear to have before it in
years to come the prospect of increasing soundness
and approaching prosperity."

THE BLACK WATCH AT CHURCH.
The Correspondent of the Hour gives the following descrip-
tion of the "Block Watch at church " on Sunday last at Ports-
mouth, being their first appearance since their return from
the Gold Coast -
Midway between the High-street, Portsmouth, and
the railway station stands an unpretending-looking
building, neat in structure and appearance. This is
the Scotch Kirk of the borough, and thither on Sun-
day morning a numbe'r of persons wended their way in
order to be present at the early morning military ser-
vice, it being the first since the return of the 42nd
Highlanders from the Gold Coast. The main body of
the "iron Church," as the Presbyterian Kirk is locally
spoken of, was reserved for the 42nd, but other por-
tions of the edifice were oceupied for some time pre-
viously to the commencement of the service by indivi-
duals desirousof hearing the address of the Scotch pastor
to the gallant regiment of the " Land o Cakes." Punc-
tually at nine o'clock the Highlanders, in their kilts
and Glengarry caps, quietly filed into church and until
they made their appearance inside, their presence to
many was not known as all the Scotch regiments ab-
stain from playing on the Sabbath, preferring rather to
walk to their kirk in an unostentatious manner, than
to be preceded by any clamorous music. The wind
was blowing coldly from the westward—a fresh gale in
fact —and the men have already felt the great change
in the atmosphere of this country with that of the Gold
Coaet. Not a few carried a stick to assist him in
marching, and Colonel MacLeod, who, with other
officers accompanied the regiment, also walked with a
stick. The majority of the men carried their Bibles,
and appeared to enter earnestly into the service, and
tier ate; tier of sturdy Highlanders might have
been noticed with heads devoutly bowed during the
prayers. The usual form of service having been gone
through, the Rev. W. Ainsley Walton, 8.A., Presby-
terian minister at Portsmouth, proceeded to preach
from the 13th chap. of Acts, 38th verse. Before com-
mencing, however, he said he bad already bad the op-
portunity of wishing many of them individually all joy
on their return to their native land, but that was the
first time that he could address the bulk of the regi-
ment and bid them welcome, which he did with undis-
guised pleasure. They were all glad to see them safe
at home after haying done their devoir on the Coast of
Africa, and fought not only against bullets, but the
pestilent vapours off the swamp, and they were doubly
glad to see them so sturdy and well when they feared
to see them with sickly faces and feeble frames. The
prayers of friends they bait bOind t4em there (in Ports.
=lath), sai doubtless is way k.e awl hearts

throughout the length and breadth of the land, had been
daily offered, and he doubted not that the stoutest
soldier would not scorn to own the interest of such
petitions. Their thoughts had followed them anxiously
over sea and land, and had followed their marches day
after day, as tnailafter mailand telegram after telegram
brought the news of their advance through the bush.
They had been present in spirit by the sick couches of
those who had been stricken down by fever, and had
been compelled to fall to the rear, and they had wished
then the presence of the Great Physician. Whilst
lamenting the sad necessity which seemed laid upon
nations from time to time to appeal to the savage
arbitrament of war, their hearts thrilled when they
read how they had kept their vantage ground on that
Saturday when man after man bent down before the
slugs of a concealed foe, and how they pushed on.

All stern end undisnisye_i.l,,e3 - -
With thoulln?d armed

And more behind to aid "
resting not until they had accomplished their task, and
then turned their faces homeward to their families and
their wives. And the people loved them for it, and
they were prouder than ever of their Scottish
although they longed for the time to come is hen
I nations should not rise up against nations, neither
I should people learn to war any more. But it could
not be forgotten that some who looked anxiously for
the return of husbands, fathers, brothers, or sons,
had been compelled to hide their faces in grief and
disappointment, to try and school their hearts, and to
endeavour to bear one of the greatest sorrou-s that come
in this world of sorrow. And though in comparison
with the work they had done their loss was not ex-
eessive, yet some would have cause to think it over-
much, and perhaps the roll NV 11.1 not yet made up.
But their labour would not be lost if that country
which proved to be not inaccessible to British arms
should not be inaccessible to British civilisation and
•ommerce, and, above all, to British Christianity. Sad
it was that war should be the precursor of religion, and
the sword should cutout the path for the Bible. Still He
who overruled all things for good, might He grant that
that way, which was cut te permit of their carrying tire
and sword to the capital, soon should become the path.
way of peace; and might those glades resound with
the sweetest gospel hymns which had echoed the shrill
notes of the pibroch or the battle cry of the High-
landers. The rev, gentleman again congratulated
them on their return, and proceeded to deliver a most
able and suitable discourse from the text above
quoted.
At tlie conclusion of the service the men fell in, and
headed by their pioneers and bandsmen marched bark
to the Clarence barracks.