The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-04 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

LONDON AND SOUTH-WESTERN.

The following report has been issued by the directors :
" At the last half-yearly meeting of the proprietors it
was announced that the obligation imposed on the company
by the act of last session, to extend this railway to Exeter,
was under the consideration of tho directors, and that so
soon as they had been enabled to come to a conclusion on
this most important matter they would summon a special
meeting of the shareholders, to whom they would pre-
viously report which of the two lines to Exeter they re-
commend for adoption, kith their reasons for such recom-
endation.

" The directors accordingly now propose to explain their
views on this important question.
" The first conclusion at which they arrived was, that
the company being under direct obligation to act, the
matter for decision is limited to the manner of action.
_ _

" The important point of deciding on the route to ire
adopted being entirely dependent on the resolution of the
proprietors, the directors have therefore caused all the ne-
cessary preliminaries for proceeding to Parliament in the
next session to be fulfilled in such a manner as to enable
the board to adopt and act upon the selection, as to route,
on which the proprietors may decide.
"In considering the manner in which the company can
least disadvantageously fulfil the obligation thrown upon
it by Parliament, the directors have been but little in-
fluenced by the previous discussions of the subject, on ac-
count of the dissimilarity in the circumstances in which
both the company and the district are now placed.
"In 1851, for instance, when the construction—in
alliance with a separate company—of a line from Salisbury
by Yeovil to Exeter was so much considered, and the pro-
longation of the coast line from Dorchester to Exeter was
submitted by another company as a counter Oroject, the
determination of the proprietors proceeded, not so much on
the distinctive character of the lines proposed, as of the
particular term' and circumstances then attending each.
At that time, also, this company's works had been sus-
pended between Basingstoke and Salisbury, and it was
considered by a large proportion of the shareholders that
the part between Andover and Sali-,bury was in reality
abandoned ; whilst in the coast district not only had the
intended Great Western branch to Bridport been aban-
doned, but an opinion was strongly current that their Wilts
and Somerset line would never reach Dorchester and Wey-
mouth. It was also a main feature in the arguments of
those who supported the coast line, that if that line were
made the central scheme would be for ever given up.
" In 1853 the meeting which gave an approval of a Dor-
chester and Exeter extension may be said to hive been ac-
tuated solely by the expediency of defeating the then pro-
posed Devon and Dorset lino; and the meeting which, at
a later period of the same year, stayed its progress, acted
I upon the desire of avoiding extensions altogether. At
neither meeting was it the question whether a western ex-
tension would be better made by Yeovil or by Dorchester.
" The question now to be entertained is not in the shape
of a comparison between a voluntary extension westward
from Salisbury, and ono from Dorchester, but which will
be least onerous to the company—a compulsory extension
from Yeovil or from Dorchester; and this must be met on
the existing circumstances, the features of which will be
found to differ in many most essential points from those
of 1851 and 1453.
" The chief of those differences aro—

" 1. That this company has now completed and opened
the lino to Andover, and iu a few mouths will have ex-
tended it to Salisbury.
"'2. An act has been passed enabling a separate com-
pany, known as the Salisbury and Yeovil Company, to
continuo the narrow-gauge system to Yeovil.
"3. I]ridport, the only important place between Dor-
chester and Axminster on the coal line, is found to bo
uncu more occupied by a broad-gauge railway, authorised
in 1835, and
" 4. No doubt remains as to the early completion of the
Wilts and Somerset line to Dorchester and Weymouth.

"In order that this important questi might be con-
sidered and decided with the utmost deliberation, the
board, in August last, appointed,' committee for the special
purpose of thoroughly investigating it, and they have every
reason to believe, not only on the account of the time which
the committee devoted to it. but of the information they
obtained, that this duty has been carefully performed.
"The committee ad►ised (and the board discussed the
matter and arrived at the sumo conclusion) that if the ex-
tension were to be made from Dorchester, it should be by
a new line throughout ; that any saving of expense by
adopting and running over a part of the sanctioned broad
gauge lines, necessarily in adverse bands, would be far out-
weighed by the obstacles which might be expected in the
conduct of the traffic ; that we should, in fact, bring traffic
to those lines which would otherwise run over our own ;
that the distance was greater, and that the necessary mix-
ture of gauge was on many accounts, irrespective of this
district, inconsistent with the interests of this company.
" They, therefore, proceeded to a comparison between a
Yeovil and Exeter line, and a now line from Dorchester to
Exeter throughout.

" In looking at the subject in this light it was felt that
the Yeovil and Exeter boo could not be considered apart
from the state of things between Salisbury and Yeovil,
and could net be adopted without adequate security that
the latter railway would in feet be made, and would be
worked under proper relations with the South-Western
Company. Before, however, entering into any inquiry as
to the prospects of the Salisbury and Yeovil line, it seemed
necessary to decide whether, assuming that line to be
made, an extension from thence or from Dorchester was
entitled to the preference.

" The first point in this part of the inquiry was to as-
certai❑ and consider the relative distances by the two lines
from the important towns en the South-Western system.
The following table shows the result :-
South- Ports-
Miles. London. ampton. month.
laeter to Dorchester 58 198 A 119. 1461
Exeter to Yeovil 5O 1714 117 1331

Difference in favour of
Central line
' "The next point was as to the cost of cotivietio; ..,11
line as a single railway, with proper passing places, sta-
tions, &c., and with tunnels, bridges, and land sufficient
for a double railway.
" This was ascertained, first, by reference to Mr. Erring-
ton, the company's consulting engineer, and afterwards byli
submitting the plan and section of each line to 15 compo,,erit
contractor., seven of whom sent in tenders fer the work. It
will be satisfactory to the proprietors to know that those
measures have fully confirmed the estimate which the en-
cineer gave as to the cost of either of such extensions.
The board could now, were the company in a position, and
desirous to do so, contract for the execution of the Yeovil
and Exeter lino (as above) at somewhat under 600,02,01.;
or of the Dorchester and Exeter line (as above) at some-
what under 700,000/. The two lines are identical for 30
miles—that is to say, from a point somewhat east of Ax. 1
minster to Exeter—and the difference of cost is duo to the
greater length and heavier works on the line between Dor-
chester and Axminster. On the last-named line, also,
there are no lens than eight miles of a gradient of 1 in 80,
whilst ou the Yeovil and Axminster lino there are less
than three wiles of that gradient, aid this must be mate-
rial consideration in the expense of the workieg.
" The next point was as to the traffic of the two lines.
As regards the merely local traffic on either lino there
would appear to be no difference in character between the
districts which are not common to both lines, viz , those
east of Axminster. But as regards your interests there ie
this material difference, that, whereas the Yeovil lino will
have the entire traffic of the district which it traverses,
the Dorchester line has for more than half its distance a
competing line, which, from the character of the Bridport
trade, will draw the greater portion of the traffic from the
only place of importance between Axminster and Dor-
chester, and will also compete for a share of the local traffic
of the district. As regards the London traffic, it does not
appear probable that a line by Dorchester could share in
the London traffic of tb. Exeter district, but a line by
-Yeovil (each trip by which, between London and Exeter,
would, in mere haulage, cost above 12 per cent. less than
each such trip by Dorchester) may be confidently expected
to carry a fair proportion of such traffic. As regards the
effects upon the traffic of your existing lines of railway of
each of the projected extensions, the Dorchester (60 miles)
would receive the benefit of all the traffic coming from the
west of that place, and this would materially increase its
receipts. By the Yeovil route a very large addition would
be made to the traffic of your Salisbury and Basingstoke
line (38 miles), and your Salisbury and Bishopstoke line
(22 miles). But the most material consideration respect-
ing the traffic of the two lines is, which of them is least
liable to invasion by other lines ; for, if it is onerous
to make either line, it would be doubly so, after making
one of them, to find the expected traffic withdrawn by
some more direct or preferable competitor.
"At this point it became requisite to consider the con-
dition of the Salisbury and Yeovil Company, and it ap-
peared, after full inquiry, that the present state of the sub-
scription list, and other circumstances, rendered it highly
probable that that line would be made, even if the com-
pany went from Dorchester to Exeter. The table of dis-
tances shows that the effect of this would be to divert the
whole of the traffic from our line at Axminster, and to
prevent any of it from being carried by oar Dorchester
line, whilst the abstraction of the Bridport district by the
broad gauge branch would render the outlay on the sec-
tion from A/minister to Dorchester (nearly 303,0001.) an
absolute loss.
" On the other hand, if the Yeovil line were made, and
if the Bridport branch should be pushed on to Axminster
to join us (which does not seem probable, as there is no
country to support it by its local traffic), it could not be
productive of any injury to the Exeter and Yeovil line.
" Upon these, and the like considerations, neither the
eommittee nor the board would have had difficulty in de-
termining that to construct the new line from Yeovil would
be the wiser course, if the entire line east of Yeovil were
the property, or to an adequate degree under the control,
of this company, and if it were certain that the wurks
would be completed, at least as sows as the company's
Exeter extension.
" In order to obtain satisfaction on these points, com-
munications were opened with the directors of the Salis-
bury and Yeovil Company, and the committee, upon invee-
tigation, became satisfied that the Salisbury and Yeovil
Railway would, without assistance from this company, be
sooner or later made ; that with such assistance es this
company might prudently be advised to give, the line would
be executed early ' • and that whilst the selection of the
company's line to Exeter was yet unsettled, au arrange-
ment might be made for securing to this company all need- •
ful control over the Salisbury, and Yeovil line, with other
advantages,
"Tire committee proceeded therefore to negotiate with
the Salisbury and Yeovil Company, and arrived provision-
al] vat the terms to be presently stated. They then re-
ported to the board that in their opinion the line from
Yeovil was the best to be recommended to the proprietors.
" 1 Because of the relative distances from important
places on your systems.
" 2. Because the traffic was now without competition,
and would be hereafter less open to invasion.
" 3. BCC:11130 it was also the loss expensive, and the
better in an engineering point of view; and
" 4. On account of the great increase of traffic which
would be secured permanently to your Salisbury and
Basingstoke and Salisbury and Bishopsteke lines.
the "
termsT he They
theyalso
hadr e co
comemm entdee dto w i t h
tthhee
sbaoa l
isrd to
bu
r y and approveYeovil
of
Company.
" The beard having fully considered their commitee's
report adopted it, and now unanimously recommend to
the proprietors to sanction their proceeding to Parliament
to obtain an act for making the line from Yeovil to Exeter,
and to authorise them to enter into au agreement with the
Salisbury sad Yeovil Compaay on the basis of the folio w-
beg terms :
" AeinuaeT of TERMS proposed to be agreed on with the
Salisbury and Yeovil Company.
" 1. The Salisbury and Yeovil line to be completed on
the narrow gauge as a single line, with proper stations,
passing places, Scc., and all bridges, tunnels, and land for
a double line, by Ist July, 1859; the whole to be done to
the satisfaction of the principal engineer employed by this
company in the construction of their Exeter extension.
"2. Upon the opening of,this company's extension line