The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-24 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

EASTERN COUNTIES. `•
The reply of Mr. Waddington, the ohairman of the com-
pany, to the report of the Committee of Investigation,
in continuation of that which appeared in The Sun of Sa-
turday, states with regard to the permanent way that when
he became chairman in March, 1851, he found Mr. Ash-
croft, in whom was placed unlimited confidence, occupy-
ing the position of superintendent of ways and works.
Upon that responsible officer the board of directors relied
for everything that appertained to the important depart-
ment which had been placed under his administration.
" In the report presented to you on the 14th of August.,
1851, the first time on which I had the honour to meet you
after appointment to your chair, Mr. Ashcroft reported to
yes blast—
" ' With the exception of the part of the line between
Stratford and Bishop's Stortford, which is undergoing a
thorough repair, by the introduction of the principles of
fishing the rail-ends together by wrought-iron plates and
bolts, thereby making the rails one continuous line, the
whole is in a very satisfactory working condition.'
" At the next half-yearly meeting on the 10sh February,
1852, Mr. Ashcroft wrote:—
" 'I now beg to report to you that your line of railway
is in an excellent state of repair.'
I will quote seriatim from his further reports :
" August 14, 1852.—' As to the permanent way, the re-
turns and ()sperms of which are before you, I have to ob-
serve that the line is in an excellent state of repair."
"February 9, 1853. —' The read works and stations are
in an efficient state of repair. Many of them have had ex-
tensive renewals and improvements during the past half-
year:
" August ln, 1853.—' It is my pleasing duty to report
to you that your permanent way and works are in a very
satisfactory state of repair.'
"January —, 1854.—' The permanent way is in good
working order.'
" Angnst 21, 1854.—' The wbiole of tbo-ways arty; vt-tAce^
are in a satisfactory and efficient state of repair.'
" Mr. Ashcroft relinquished our service for an engage-
ment on another line in the month of December, 1854.
Mr. Peter Bruff was then appointed our resident engineer.
Mr. Bruff, on the sth of February, 1855, made an unfa-
' rouralide report upon the condition of the line. This re-
port, in a letter addressed to me on the 28th of February,
Mr. Ashcroft disputed. He appealed to us to vindicate
his reputation, protesting in the strongest terms that no
part of tho permanent way of the Eastern Counties Rai'.
way had been left by him in a defective state. Mr. Ash-
croft, it is to be observed, had had great confidence placed
in him. He had bad the solo management, and was solely
responsible to us and to you for the condition of the per-
manent way. In justice to him and to Mr. Brnff, as well
as for their own guidance, the directors took a course
which I think a very wise one. They called on Mr. Hawk-
ishaw, an independent engineer of undoubted character and
capacity, to report to them on the condition of the lino.
In the meantime they reported Mr. Bruff's opinions to the
shareholders at the half-yearly meeting held in February,
1855.
" Mr. Hawkshaw's report was presented to us in July of
the present year; it was unfavourable to the general condi-
tion of the line. On the 7th of August Mr. Bruff further
reported to us as to renewals of works, kc. He told us
that there would bo a necessity for an outlay of 150,0001.,
to make a thorough reparation and renewal of such of the
works as by time and use had lapsed into a deteriorated
and unsound condition. This amount, however, he said,.
would be properly reduced under two heads :—First, from
the necessity of works being undertaken not contemplated
as necessary when the lines were constructed ; and, second,
from the desirability of reconstructing perishable timber
structures by masonry and iron-work. The amount at
which ho estimated the outlay ender the first head was
50,0001., leaving the sum required for renewals and re-
pairs at leo,ooo/. This brief statement will show you in
bow far I am concerned with the state of the permanent
way. I found when I took your chair a highly respon-
sible and able officer in the enporintendence of your
ways and works. I relied, and I could not do other-
wise, on his reports. No complaints were ever made to me
of inaccuracy or misrepresentation. There was no reason
or ground for suspicion, and no one questioned or doubted
Mr. Ashcroft's competency. There can be no doubt, lam
afraid, after Mr. Hawkshaw's report, that Mr. Ashcroft
was mistaken in the view he took of the condition of the
permanent way. I very much regret the fact, both for his
sake and for yours.
" But it is said that I am responsible, because in 1852 a
proposal was adopted by the shareholders to make an an-
imal payment of 901. per mile for the repairs of the per-
manent way in lien of the sum of 22,000/. previously set
apart for the purpose.
" In 1848 the total cost of wages and material for per-
manent way repairs was 1071. per mile. From that period
to 1852 those repairs cost less and less ev, ry half-year until,
in 1852, they became reduced to 771. a mile. The sum ell-
sinally voted for renewals was 32,0001. annually, but this
had been reduced, prior to my taking office, to 22,000/. A
still further reduction appeared in this charge every half-
year down to ls's2. Mr.
permanentsAhcroft's report impressed on us
strongly that the hay
was in excellentcondition,
and that it was not needful that the shareholders should
continue to set aside so large an item as they were then
setting aside for the purposes of repairs and renewals.
" In August, 1853, Mr. Ashcroft writes :
" On a reference to the accounts you will observe that
the labour in maintenance for the past half-year is under
:30/. v.-tnite. The accounts are made up, as previously de-
termined on, at tho rate of ON. per mile per 1.111.11111, the
difference between that sum and the actual cost being ore-
tilted to the renewal fund.'
";The balance in your favour in the renewal fund had
increased from 16,6631. in August, 1852, to 20,0851. in
August, 1853, and at the meeting in August, 1854, that
balance had further increased 6) 22,559/.
In reference to the statement of the committee that only
*bout 3,2001. was paid out of revenue for renewals on 513
miles of railway, ho states that 22,0001. was expended upon
tho ,repairs of the two lines, and not 3,2001. The chairman
then explains, on the authority of Mr. Brnff, that the
50,000/. for new and permanent works is a charge against
capital, and that the 100,0001. required to put the perma-
nent way in first-rate order will have to be met out of the
revenue. Mr. Brnff is of opinion that it might bo spread
over 10 years, and that 12,7501. per annum set aside out of
revenue would replace the 100,0051. capital now required,
together with 5 per cont. interest on that amount. While
the chairman regrets that the necessity for such a charge
should have arisen, he congratulates himself that it has
been no fault of his. With respect to observations by the
committee on the passenger traffic, Mr. Waddington states
that the traffic business of the company is managed by a
traffic committee of eight directors, who meet once a fort-
night, and that the management, creation, and development
of that traffic had been the chief part cf his duty. Every
morning for four years past it had been his habit, at ten
o'clock, to receive the officers of the company, to hear their
reports, to give them instructions, and to plan with them
the best modes of extending the business of the lines. He
had greatly extended the system of " market tickets " 10
the first half-year of 1851, before such facilities wore offered,
the receipts for market-tickets were 1,172'. During the
same period of 1855 they were2,l4ol. In other cases market
tickets to Cambridge, Ely, St. Ives, and Chelmsford, showed
an increase from 1,5191., the receipts from the first half-
year in 1831, to 2,6171. in the first half of 1855. The short
traffic between London and Brentwood and London and
Hertford amounted for thefirst half of 1850 t 018,918/., and
for the first half of the present year to 28,2341. The season
tickets over the same ground had increased from 3,431/. in
1850 to 6,8881. in 1855. His exertions with the excursion
traffic bad been also successful. With regard to remarks of
the committee on the condition of some of the carriages
on the line, their various amalgamations rendered it neces-
sary for them to take the stock of other and poorer railway
companies, so that the foul, worn, and ill-conditioned ve-
hicles of the East Anglian and other lines were brought
into a train with their better class of coaches. The carriages
referred to wore being gradually replaced and restored. The
committee complain that traffic arrangements never came
under the consideration of the directors. He states—

" This is inaccurate, and I will giro you details of a very
recent occasion on which traffic arrangements did come un-
der their consideration.
"On the 14th of June last Mr. Lightly Simpson, who
has a place at your board, and who is deputy-chairman of •
the East Anglian Railway, moved a resolution as follows
" ' That an equal mileage rate for goods and coals be
charged from Lowestoft, Yarmouth, and Lynn to all parts
on the lines of the three companies.'
I opposed this resolution, and, supported by Mr. Cecil
Fano, 1 divided the board against it. Opposed to the two
Eastern Counties directors were Mr. Bruce, the chairman
of the East Anglian; Mr. Simpson, the deputy-chairman
of the East Anglian ; and Mr. Broadbent, a large East
Anglian shareholder. The resolution was therefore carried
by the East Anglian interest at the board by a majority of
one. I now ask your attention to the object of this reso-
lution. Lynn, Yarmouth, and Lowestoft are three seaports,
Lynn being very muck the farthest from London by sea.
Our rates for coals and heavy goods to all these ports are
necessarily regulated by the prices at which coasting ves-
sels can afford to compete with us. Lynn being the most
a
Bt
remote, and a difficult place to make by sea
besides,rlarth. lOur
considerably higher coasting rate than Yarmouth. Our
a
rate of carriage for heavy goods to Lynn is therefore
higher rate than our rate for the carrlnge of heavy goods to
Yarmouth. But Lynn is on the East Anigtlriaanffie passing
; andaiwnge
pay the East Anglian directors a toll forn all
over their line. What these East Anglian shareholders
desired was to increase their own receiptsg
resolution
onlyecostof
yours. . . . I refused to put in force a
~
intended to abstract money from your pockets."
Mr. Waddington states that from the moment be refused
to put in force that resolutiondhireecetoxprse,riwohneicehd activerthesueltedin
the appointment of
hostility of these East
the Anglian
Committee •
f Investigation.
Mr. Wedding t
conon the line, and states that the arrange-
ments with Messrs. Prior had tho effect of increasing the
coal traffic 400 per cent. In 1849 it amounted to 17,5641.,
in 1853 to 43,718/.. and in 1854 to 85,5821. The average
receipts for the coal traffic in 1819 was 3501. per week, and
in 18541,5451. per week, the great balk of traffic being
carried on in the contractor's waggons. The sum actually
paid by Messrs. Prior is not 7-16ths of a penny per ton, as
stated in the report of the committee, but on the Colches-
ter line one halfpenny per ton per mile, in addition to the
3s
. rate to Stratford, and with 3d. per ton terminals.
There was no agreement to charge the Messrs. Prior lower
rates than any one else, the only stipulation being that they
should be placed on as favourable terms as any other party.
Messrs. Prior's waggons were repaired at the company's
workshops, and paid for by them. They also paid 2d. or
3d. per ton for the use of all coal depots and sidings pro-
vided by the company. Mr. Waddington states that he
was acquainted with Mr. Gooeh's partnership with Messrs.
Prior after the contract with them was made, and the mo-
ment he became acquainted with the eireamstance he ex-
pressed a very strong opinion on the subject to the board,
and always thought that Mr. Gooch's partnership with
Messrs. Prior was wrong. lie was not surprised that the
coa }trade of the district complained of the agreement with
Messrs. Prior and the rates of carriage, as the effect of the
agreement had been to reduce the price of coal throughout
the district at least 20 per cent. Mr. Waddington states
that the agreement with Mr. Gooch was enteredsMr.
into
n before he became chairman of the Eastern Con tre
Gooch was appointed locomotive superintendent for five
years certain from the 31st May, 1850. I
terminable upon 12 months' notice. waslttthen to be
was
agreed that
effected no salary was to be paid him until he had a reduc-
tion of 10.0004 6 yea: in the loinantir? &Plena" Hie