The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-27 00:00:00

GREAT INDIAN PENINSULA.

The report of the directors states that no further
portion of the railway was opened for traffic during
the half-year. The number of miles worked over
was 588 as compared with 553 in the corresponding
half of last year. The receipts for the half-year
ending June 30, amounted to £557,121, or £947
per mile, against £325,008, or £5BB per mile
in the corresponding half 1864, showing the large
increase of £232,114, or £360 per mile. This could
not fail to be gratifying to the proprietors as it had
been to the directors. It proved that the anticipa-
tions formed of the traffic to be obtained upon the
opening of the railway across the Ghats were well
founded, and it showed that the facilities of transit
thereby created were being rapidly taken advantage
of by the natives and others in India interested in
the development of the trade and resources of the
country. The higher rates of passenger fares were
in operation throughout the half-year. The increase
in the receipts from passengers was equal to 54 per
cent., of which 41 per cent. arose from the third-
class. The total number of passengers carried during
the half-year was 1,561,314, against 1,803,064 in
the corresponding half of 1864, showing a decrease
of 241,750 passengers. The decrease in the number
of third-class passengers was 261,246, but there was
an increase of 4,155 in the first-class and of 15,341 in
the number of second-class passengers. The agent's
attention had, however, been called to the expe-
diency of making special arrangements suitable for
the conveyance of the poorer classes. The tonnage
of goods and other traffic amounted to 499,784 tons,
against 377,506 tons in the same half of 1864,
showing an increase of 122,278 tons, including
62,109 tons of public merchandise. Twelve per cent.
of the total of the goods' receipts arise from the
carriage of the company's own materials, against
10 per cent. in the corresponding half-year. The
expenditure of the half-year amounted to 1326,209,
or 58.55 per cent. of the receipts, leaving a balance
of £230,912 to be carried to the credit of the com-
pany's interest account with the Government,
against £94,506 for the half-year ending 30th of
June, 1864. The net profit of the half-year was
equal to 6 per cent. per annum on the outlay to the
present time upon the railway opened for traffic.
The expenditure for the past half-year amounted to
58.55 per cent. of the receipts, against 70.92 per
cent. for the corresponding half of 1864. The at-
tention of the agent and the executive officers was
being closely given to the details of expenditure, and
the arrangements in progress were calculated to se-
cure the greatest economy of administration con-
sistent with the upholding of the line and stock in a
state of thorough efficiency. The Governor in Coun-
cil of the Bombay Presidency had sanctioned for
this company, and for the Bombay, Baroda, and
Central Railway Company, a scale of maximum
tolls, terminal charges, and rates of insurance for
the goods traffic. it would be the duty of the agent

to adjust the actual rates, within the limits of the
maximum, in a manner which he considered likely
to prove remunerative. The continuation of the
Nagpoor branch from. Sheagaum to Budnaira (701
miles) was in a very forward state, and would
shortly be ready for opening. On the line to Jub-
bulpoor the Taptee viaduct had been finished, and
a contractor's train hadpassed over it, along the line
as far as the 57th mile from Bhosawul. The site for
the passenger terminus in Bombay had at length
been settled, that of Moodie-bay having been finally
sanctioned by the Government. Under an arrange-
ment with the Government the company were to
execute the necessary reclamation works, and the
Government would repay the cost of the works up
to one foet above high-water level. Measures had
been taken for prosecuting those works vigorously.
The net revenue account showed that £1,024,079
had been paid into the treasury on account of in-
terest paid on capital. The capital account showed
that £12,227,565 had been expended, leaving a
balance of £393,833.