The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1880-08-10 00:00:00

oratsb ire.

LONDON AND SOCTH.WMTILAN RAILWAT MILTING.— I
The half-vearly general meeting of this company was
held on Thursday at the offioes, Waterloo-bridge
terminus. The Hon. It. If. Dutton, the chairman,
presided, and, in moving the adoption of the report,
an ebstract of which has appeared, referred to the
decrease in the expenditure on capital account in the
first half-year as compared with the corresponding
period of 1879, and said, although it did not indicate
that the capital account was closed, yet it was • step
in the right direction. There had been an increase in
the half-year in every department of traffic - first,
second, and third-class. The in. ream in the revenue
had been g 47,437, while the expenditure showed an
Increase of only I'. 1,487, which he thought was a moat
satisfactory result. He thought that with • fine season
and an improvement in trade, they might look forward
to even better restate in the current hail-year. The
decrease in the Continental and Channel Islands traffic
was owing entirely to the severity of the past winter,
but at their next meeting he had DO doubt they would
be able to show that they had done • large carrying
trade. The increase of f:9,500 in the locomotive
department was almost wholly attributable to the
additional repairs, including the cost of two new
engines and six new boilers replaced out of revenue.
The cost per train mile was '5l per cent. more, but
they had run 7,933 fewer train miles. The alight
Increase in the carriage and waggon department
was principally on account of further restoration of
stock, including the renewal of 50 goods waggons. In
the engineers' department everything was working
satisfactorily. There had been a decrease of £4,379;
although there had been an increase in the mileage
maintained of 21 miles. The decrease was owing
mainly to favourable contracts having been made for
the purchase of new and the sale of old material. Aa
regarded the renewal of the permanent ways, 50 miles
vu completed during the peat half-year, the cost of
33 miles being included in the accounts, as ageing 30
miles at June, 1879, leaving 17 miles to be charged
during the current half-year. The line was in as good
a condition as it possibly could be. The expenditure
In the engineers' department also included Important
works in the raising of platforms, extensions of sidings,
and other improvements at various stations. Out of
225 stations 129 had had their platforms raised to the
standard prescribed by the Board of Trade. He then
touched on other matters dealt with in the report, and
stated their Bill in Parliament vu for effecting works
of minor importance, which he mentioned. He
congratulated them on the satisfactory nature of the
report. Mr. W. S. Portal, the deputy-chairman,
seconded the motion, when a short discussion followed.
The Chairman, in reply, at the close of the discussion
said he had never seen anything like the Employers'
Liability Bill, which gave no indication where the
liability was to begin or where it was to end. So far
as the construction of froth lines was concerned the
capital amount was practically closed. The report was
then unanimously adopted, and the special business
referred to in the notice of meeting was disposed of.