The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-21 00:00:00

EASTERN COUNTIES.

The directors of this company have just issued their
report. It states that the accounts for the past half-
year are the first in which a comparative statement
could be exhibited of the income am(' expenditure for two
half-years under the combined working by this company
of the Eastern Counties, Norfolk, and Eastern Union
Railways, and_ from which it appears that the gross
revenue for the half-year ending the 30th of June,
1854, was 555,6491., and for the half-year ending
the 31st of December, 1854, 633,1821. The increase of
traffic is therefore 77,5331., which has been earned
with an increase in the expenditure of only 8,7721.,
thus reducing the rate for the working expenses from 48
per cent. on the previous half-year to 43 per cent. on
the past half-year. The net revenue to the credit of
the Eastern Counties Company for the past half-year is
239,5271., from which has to be deducted interest on
mortgageS and preferential stocks amounting to
132,3571., leanine. 107,1711., which, together with the
balance of 6,5621. from the previous half-year, makes
a total of 113,7331. applicable to dividend, out of
which the directors have declared a dividend of 7s. per
share, carrying over 11,6421. to the credit of the current
half-year. In the month of November the resi-
dent engineer was engaged by the South-Eastern Rail-
way Company, and, together with nearly the whole of
his staff and permanent way inspectors (also engaged by
that company), left their employ, subjecting the corn-
pany to considerable inconvenience for the time. The
directors have filled up the chief office by the appoint-
ment of Mr. Bruff, the late engineer of the Eastern
Union Company, which appointment was made on
the 14th Of December last, and they have well-
grounded confidence that the services of that geatle-
man will conduce to the interests of this company. A•
cositract has been entered into with Mr. Brassey upon
favourable terms for the construction of the branch
diverging from this company's line between Stratford
and Lea-bridge stations, and extending to Lough-
ton, a distance of about seven miles. It is expected
that this branch will be opened for traffic in the
spring of 1856. With regard to obtaining the control
of the East tiffolk lines from Ipswich to Haddiscoe, on
the Norwich and Lowestoft line, the directors are of
opinion that this course is a prudent one, and the joint
committee of the Eastern Union, Norfolk and Eastern
. Counties Companies have reported to the. Beard in
favour of obtaining upon fair and reasonable terms pos-
• s,ssion of the first portion from Haddiscoo to Halesworth,
• a distance of 12 miles, which has been recently opened
for traffic. As the Eastern Union Company are bound to

construct the portion of the East Suffolk line from Ipswich
to Woodbridge, and lease it to the jointacompanins at 4
per cent. upon the outlay, there would then only remain
the intermediate link from Woodbridge to llalesworth,
a distance of 24 Rifles, with two branches of 101; miles
to complete the entire railway system east of the
Great Northern Railway, and which would be entirely
under the management of this company. The direc-
tors, with the view of meeting the largely-increasing
traffic, hove ordered, or are constructing in the
workshops of the company, one hundred first,
second, third, and composite carriages, 900 goods,
timber, and oeal trucks, 26 brehks, 17 goods engines, and
12 passenger engines. When this additional stock is
completed the company will have an efficient plant
capable of conducting, with satisfaction, the increas-
ing traffic, which is accruing from the prosperity
of the vast a7ricultural tract of fertile country in-
tersected by their lines of railway. Mr. G. Berke-
ley, the' engineer, reports favourably of the condi-
, dition of the working stock. The percentage of the
locomotives now in good working order is 691 as com •
pares with 551- per cent. when lie last examined the
stock. The economical results of efficiency are not
limited to the reduction of the consumption of coke and
running expenses ;' for by this reduction the duration of
several of the working parts of the engine is lengthened,
as shown by an average increase of more than 25 per
cent. in the number of miles a set of tubes have run
during the last half-year over the average duty of a set
of tubes in 1851.