The Express.
London, England, 1853-09-02 00:00:00

DUBLIN AND DROGHEDA RAILWAY.

The report of the directors, which would be pre-
sented at the halt yearly meeting of the shareholders of
this company, in Dublin, yesterday (Thursday) contains
the following statements.
The following is a comparative statement of the traffic for
the put half year, and of that of the corresponding half=
year, ending on the 30th of June, 1862:

Biz imbibe oiitiziillOtla of Jost,
IS

soaks iodiao 70th of law
113 i
PANISOIIII.
let am 33,411 £3.370 16 291
ktl elon 73r24 7,487 3 7
3rd aro 145,883 7,216 12

I,t am 26,266 14,496 7 9
2nd Claw 66,202 6,691 19 9
3rd ars 116,766 6,964 1 3

109,226 17,064 6 9 1 137,920 20,274 12 8
Parcels and Met- I Parcel' and Mw.
ebandiss 6,018 19 6 &Indio ..... 7,080 3 0
Malls
123,181 2 7 £29,417 1 7
" It appears by the preceding statement that the receipts
of the present half year exceed those of the corresponding
half year by 4,2351. 19s. ; and it mast be observed that no
part of thin increase is due to either the opening of the
Boyne Viaduct or of the Kells Extension, as the former
event did not take place till the end of June, and the Kells
Extension was not opened for traffic till the 11th of July.
Under these circumstances it is gratifying to remark the
increase which has taken place in every branch of traffic.
Some part, however, of the increase in May and Jude must
be attributed to the Great Exhibition in Dublin, but by
far the larger portion of the extra traffic caused by the Ex-
hibition comae into the c t half year, the receipts of
which up to the present time exceed what was
anticipated. The directors feel it their duty to
afford the greatest facility to the public for vi-
siting the Exhibition, and with that view they
have made arrangements to run numerous excur-
sion trains during the season at very low farm. The time
which has elapsed since the opening of the extension to
Kells has been too short to afford a fair opportunity of fully
testing its value to the company ; but the directors have no
doubt that there will be a considerable amount in traffic
in goods and cattle between Kells and Drogheda, and that
coupling such traffic with the increased traffic which the
extension will bring over the main line, it will prove fairly
remunerative. It will be seen by the accounts that the
sum of 32,8211.3 e. Bd. has been expended on the extension
from Navan to Hells, up to the 30th of Jane,.for land and
works, including parliamentary, engineering, and other ex-
penses incurred in the year 1847. The sums paid since the
30th of June, together with an estimate of what will be re-
quired to complete all the works on the line, amount to 9,8281.,
and allowing a further sum of 2,6771. for the rails which the
company had on hand, and for which credit is given to the
Howth bunch, the total cost of the 9f miles of railway will
be 44,8261. 3s. Bd., being less than the estimate submitted
to the shareholders at the general meeting on the 30th of
August, 1861. The working expenses are slightly increased,
but this is fully accounted for by the work done' and the
rise in the prima of most of the materials used by railway
companies. For thapast half-year, as for the preceding
one, the interest of the money expended on the Kells branch
has been charged to revenue, though the money so ex-
pended was during that time unproductive ; this has the
effect of diminishing by about 6001. the nett earnings of the
half-year. The balance of nett profit for the half-year is
9,6491. 10s., out of which the directors recommend a divi-
dend of 25e. pee old share, and Bs. 4d. per third share, width
will amount to 9,6061.60. The proper contribution to the
reserve and reproduction fund can be set apart out of the
earnings of the half-year ending December nest, which will
no doubt be ample for that purpose, as well as to afford as
improved dividend te the shareholders."