The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-28 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE,

MANCHESTER, SHEFFIELD, & LINCOLNSHIRE.
The half-yearly meeting was held yesterday at
:Manchester—Mr. J. Chapman, M.P., the chairman,
presided.
The report was taken as read.
The CHAIRMAN congratulated the shareholders
upon the favourable statement of accounts,
Although, he said, the company had lost an enor-
mous amount of traffic on the Ashton, Staleybridge,
and Hadfield portion of the line, as well as from
other hitherto paying districts, owing to the de-
pressed state of the cotton trade, the deficiency had
been made up by the vitality of other portions, from
the good trade of Sheffield and from the good har-
vest of last autumn. In spite of this a dividend
equal to any the shareholders had previously re-
ceived was offered. And not only was there a di-
vidend of 11 per cent., but a respectable balance
would be carried over to the next half-year. The
state of Europe was at present very precarious; and
if unfortunately war broke out there as well as in
America, the prospects of all . railway companies,
theirs among the number, would be jeopardised.
Taking, ;however, the Manchester, Sheffield, and
lincolnshire Railway as it was, there was a very
good prospect ; it was not dependent upon foreign
lines; it was not dependent upon the traffic which
was interrupted by the American war ; and, losing
not only the coal which ought to be carried to work
the factory steam engines, but the cotton to be
manufactured by them, and the calicoes and other
similar products, it was still prosperous. There were
some very extensive works on the railway, some
finished, others in progress, and some in contem-
plation, which would bring a large increase of
traffic with which there could be no competition.
As some of these works were joint-stock concerns,
the directors would behave liberally to the share•
holders, so as to induce them not only to extend
their trade, but also to give every facility, with a
view to mutual benefit. The increase of the com-
pany's.returns over the corresponding period of last
year was £31,321, including the South Yorkshire
traffic. Owing to the stoppage of several collieries
in the South Yorkshire district the company had
suffered from the agreement with the South York-
shire ; but during the last half-year, notwithstand-
ing the bad times, there was no loss whatever upon
that lease. A gratifying item also was the large
increase of traffic as compared with the very small
increase of cost in working the traffic. The work-
ing of the line would have appeared far more fa-
vourable had not more than £lO,OOO been taken
from the suspense account and charged against re-
venue. Of course if this had not been done the re-
ceipts divisible among the proprietors would have
been so much larger. A sub-committee had re-
ported on the suspense account, and had recom-
mended the board to divide it equally over eight
half-years, instead of carrying them forward un-
equally overla greater number. The directors had
spent £20,000 in finding fresh stock for the canals,
which, having no capital, were supported from re-
venue. The rather large amount spent upon capital
was for works sanctioned for lines in Cheshire, and
other improvements. In retiring from the chair-
manship, owing to ill-health, after 25 years' service,
he could not but acknowledge the great kindness
with which he had always been received.
Mr. FENTON, deputy-chairman of the company,
in seconding the motion, said he was glad to observe
that, notwithstanding the increased traffic of the
past half-year, it had been accomplished at so little
extra cost. The increase in the locomotive depart-
ment was only £l,lOO, while that of permanent
W-ay was also £l,lOO, and all the extra expense,
including general charges, was only about £4,000.
(llcar, hear.) A shareholder had called at-
tention at a past meeting to the position of
their canal property. Tne directors quite agreed
-with the remarks of that gentleman, and having
previously directed attention to the management
of the canals,i they had effected a saving in the
half-year of more than £2,000, and might look for-
ward to an annual saving of about £5,000.
(A pplanse.)
Dr. COWAN, in asking a number of questions on
various points, expressed his opinion that other com-
panies had suffered much from making extensions,
fhom leases of other lines, and from docks and sea-
going vessels, and said that he hoped this company,
now they were in an improved position, would ab-
stein from a like course, and pursue a policy of
Jetting well alone.
Mr. FILDEIt congratulated the shareholders upon
the improved position of the company.
Mr. ROBERTS expressed himself adverse to this
company's connexion with the South Yorkshire line;
and hoped they would in future avoid the adoption
of landowners' schemes for new lines.
Mr. E, W. IVVATKIN said in reply that the board
ware unanimous in their resolve to give no guaran-
tee to these branch lines, nor would they commit
themselves to any outlay for extensions without
bringing the matter specifically before the share-
holders, and obtaining their consent. (Hear.) But
as to pledging themselves that under no circumstances
would they recommend the shareholders to give a
guarantee, or sanction a new outlay, that would be
at once to part with their interests, and their position
in the district, and would invite that attack, which
it was the directors' duty, as far as they could, to re-
pel. (Hear.) With regard to the Cheshire lines, two
detached portions of the whole measured only 111
miles in length, and it was sot possible for them to
pay without connexion with the remainder. But
these were lines in which their friends of the Great
Northern were equal partners and whatever the profit
or loss they would join, if the report were passed, in
carrying out and completing these undertakings. The
first object was to get an independent and final footing
in Liverpool; second, to get by means of these Cheshire
lines a proper footing for their traffic at Birken-
head; and thirdly, to be able to get a supply of
Cheshire salt for the development of their ports of
Grimsby and New Holland, which at present they
were obliged to bring by way of Crewe, and by this
detour the amount of traffic was reduced to the
lowest possible amount. Until they get access to
those seats of traffic it was quite impossible that the
policy they had in view could be practically realised.
(Hear.) It was much to be deplored that at a time
when railway property was beginning to some ex-
tent to recover itself 350 railway bills for new pro-
jects, many of which ought never to be made, be-
cause they would never pay—(hear)—were thrown
upon the floor of Parliament, compelling them, in
spite of everything they could do, to appear in that
most expensive of all expensive courts with lawyers
mad engineers to protect their rights and property
wherever they might be attacked. In 1856 their
cest for fuel on the average of the year was
3t j. per mile; he was happy to say that in 1863,
for the December half-year, the cost was reduced to
e.37d. He thought that this economy reflected credit
upon the locomotive superintendent. (Hear.) It was
most satisfactory to have carried 156,000 more tons
of goods and 250,000 more passengers at an extra
expenditure for fuel of only £4O. (Applause.) In
reference to Mr. Chapman's resignation, Mr. Wat-
kins bore witness to his undeviating honour, his
constant industry, and the good feeling and high
principle that had distinguished his chairmanship.
He was satisfied that Mr. Chapman would retire
from the chair and take his seat at the board with
. the unanimous thanks and good wishes of the meet-
ing. lApplause.) Their policy as a railway company
must be the same as their individual policy—to
mind their own business—(hear)—get as much
traffic as they could, and to obtain it at the smallest
possible expense, and to go logo no extension or
new undertaking into wb'ch they were not po.si-
lively driven ; at the 'same time they must hold
their own posit;.nn. Their
position as regarded
surrounding companies was
ne of considerable
change, for the ae.ount of their exchange traffic
showed their line to be h necessity. Independent
of their large partnership traffic with the Lanca-
Fhire and Yorkshire and London and North Western
companies, the total cost of which was divided,
their
independent treffie with the former company
'amounted to no less than £33,000 per annum, and
'th the latter company to £61,000 per annum ;
the Midland it was £65,000; and their tote'
'e traffic with their ally, the Great Northern
was no less thee' £270,000. (Heer, hear.)
se reoulta were to be attributed to their
op-TLIA. up railway routes for the