The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-07 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN.

The following statement is about to be circulated
by the directors to their shareholders :
" The directors of the Metropolitan Railway
Company feel it due to the public, their sharehold-
ers, and themselves to publish the following ex-
planatory statement :—The directors of the Great
Western Railway Company having definitely de-
clined to carry into effect, even in such manner as
might be interpreted by an independent referee, the
heads of the working and traffic arrangements
agreed to on their behalf and ratified by themselves,
and to which they had never suggested any objet.
tion until they wee required to pay the moneys
which had accrued due thereunder; and having,
more, given notice, on the 18th of July, that unless
certain modifications in the arrangement were
accepted they would abandon the running of their
trains over the Metropolitan line after the 30th of
September next ; the directors of the Metropolitan
Company, although they considered that both
companies were bound to give effect to such heads,
yet, having regard to the inconvenience to the
public and the loss to the Metropolitan shareholders
likely to arise through the legal and practical
difficulties to be encountered in any attempt to com-
pel the Great Western Company to continue run-
ning trains in accordance with the provisions of
those trains, deemed it discreet to acquiesce in the
position thus forced upon them ; and to make
arrangements for the running of their own trains
on the Ist of October, which they found might be
accomplished with equal, if not with greater ac-
commodation to the public than that which is now
afforded by the Great Western trains. No sooner,
however, had the Metropolitan directors communi-
cated this decision to the Great Western Board,
than the Great Western directors notified their
intention to abandon the running of their trains
after the 10th of August inst., instead of after the
30th of September, as previously fixed by them.
This change was made doubtless in the expectation
that the Metropolitan Company on so short a notice
could not make arrangements for the running of
their own trams, and that, rather than subject the
public to the inconvenience which would result
from the stoppage of the traffic, they would be
coerced into the acceptance of the terms which
the Great Western Company desired to impose.
Happily, however, through the assistance of the
Great Northern Railway Company, who had pro-
vided proper engine power for their own use on the
Metropolitan lino, the Metropolitan directors will
be enabled, as already announced, to run trains
every quarter of an hour between the Bishop's-road
and Farringdon-street stations, so that the public
will sustain little or no inconvenience, even at the
first, from the abruptness of the change. The Me-
tropolitan directors are not unmindful of the respon-
sibilities of their position, but they are confident
that the Metropolitan will ere long be worked in tae
manner and to the extent that was originally in-
tended, which it has not hitherto been, nor, as events
have made apparent, was ever likely to be while in
the hands of the Great Western Company, and
whereby alone it can secure its fair share of the
enormous local traffic requiring accommodation. It
will be the object of the Metropolitan directors to
bring into action such a system of working so soon
as they can obtain the requisite stock, whereby they
feel assured that the convenience of the public will
be much enhanced, and the receipts of the company
greatly increased. They are making all necessary
arrangements, and, in the meantime, have only to
ask from the public every reeeona.ble indulgence,
and from the shareholders their full confidence,"