The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-17 00:00:00

LONDON AND BLACKWALL.

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The CHAIRMAN, is moving the adoption of the report,
said the traffic fir the past half-year compared with the
last half of the International Exhibition year, when they
had a considerable increase of traffic. In the past half-year
the traffic had been little else than the ordinary traffic of the
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voured to keep down theexpenditure as much as possible,but
i with an ncrease of traffic they must expect to incur an in-
crease of expenditure. Under the he id of repairs and renew-
als of carriages they had placed some new bodies on the old
underworks of the carriages, and this was being done gra-
dually to improve their stock and render it more suitable and
convenient for the traffic, They had expended for this pur-
pose £l3B more than in the corresponding period of 1862.
Scarcely any other item of expense showed a considerable
increase. They
for the same half of 1862, and had carried 100,000 more
had expended £667 more in working than
passengers, and also additional goods traffic. They had
been in hopes that before the present time they would have
had traffic from the London Docks, but ho was sorry to eay
that was not the case at present. Not that it arose from
any unwillingness on the part of the Dock Company, but
from their being put to groat difficulty in settling how they
should accommodate the railway traffic in the docks so as
to satisfy the revenue and others. The railway would be
ready before the Dock Company,
the railway bridge into the docks should be placed. It
would be at least two months before they could convey
if they only knew where
goods direct from the railway into the docks. He was glad
to say that the company's proposed line for the Isle of Dogs
had passed standing orders, and met with no opposition.
The parties mostly interested in that locality and in send-
ing goods to and from the north had met the company in a
very friendly spirit, and they all hoped the bill would pass

through both houses of Parliament without opposition.
With regard to the proposed new lines for the metropolis,
they could hardly find that any of them would be beneficial
to the Blackwell line. Some of these projects that would
have been injurious to them had failed on standing orders.
Their goods traffic had increased to a certain extent, and
they had made agreements with the Great Eastern Com-
pany for the use of sidings and arches, which would bring
them a considerable addition to their coal traffic. They
were on good terms with the Great Eastern, and were
likely to be so in all respects.
Mr. MACNAUOIITEN, deputy-chairman, seconded the
motion for the adoption of the report.
Mr. JEGGINS thought the report on the whole was very
satisfactory. The lowering of the fares had been an advan-
tage to the com➢any, and a success. Ho had estimated that
the cost of working traffic belonging to other companies
over their line was 20 per cent., or for the past half-year
£5,520, and for working their own traffic 50 per cent.,
or £11,995, making together X 17,517. Ho found that their
actual expense of working was £17,431, and he thought the
expenditure could be reduced. There was nothing down
for compensation, and as they had nearly 400 trains a day
over their lines for so many years without accident he
thought they were greatly indebted somewhere for that re-
sult, and suggested that they should give their best thanks
to Mr. Wightman, their general manager, fot the successful
manner in which he had worked the line for so many
years. (Hear.) _ _ _

. ,
A SHAREHOLDER complained of the dirty state of some
of the carriages, and that they were too narrow between
the seats to accommodate the passengers properly.
The CHAIRMAN said they were obliged to work the old
carriages as long as I ossible, but all the new carriages has
been enlarged.
Mr. WIGuntAN, the general manager, explained that
the old stock of carriages had been on the line since 1840,
and they had great difficulty in accommodating the fashion
of the present day. The stock on the North London was
newer than theirs, and other companies' carriages were
newer still, but as the company gradually renewed their
carriages they adopted all the improvements up to the time
of renewal. They had great difficulties at times, as some of
the passengers complained that they were not allowed to
smoke in the carriages, and others complained of the smok-
ing. With regard to the expenses, every economy had been
exercised. They were obliged to employ a great number of
men to work the traffic, which was from 7 in the morning
till 11 at night. All the signal and switch men were changed
at 2 o'clock in the day. They had therefore not a tired man
at work. No doubt the expenditure was increased by this,
but ho believed it enabled them to avoid accidents. There
was not a greater interval than 2f, minutes without trains
running. The cost of working averaged about 33 per cent.
of the receipts, and he did not think anything could be
saved upon it. (Hear.)
The CHAIRMAN thought they might carry cheap fares
too far. They had increased the receipts by £240, and had
carried but 117,000 more passengers. They had no plea-
sure traffic on their line.

Resolutions were passed adopting the report. declaring a
dividend at the rate of 4} per cent, per annum on the pre-
ference stock and at the rate of 4 per cent, per annum on
the consolidated ordinary stock of the company, payable on
the 17th inst. ; re•electing Mr. Wetham and Mr. Mangles,
the retiring directors, and also Mr. Ratcliffe, the retiring
auditors. _

On the motion of Mr. JEGGINS, the best thanks of the
meeting were voted to Mr. Wightman for his care and
management he conducting the traffic during many years
with perfect safety.
This meeting was then made special, and the agreement
for the transfer of the Haydon-square railway and works to
the London and North-Western Railway Company in con-
sideration of £95,000 was unanimously approved.
The proceedings concluded with a vote of thanks to the
chairman and directors,