The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-08 00:00:00

MADRAS.

The report of the directors of this company
states that a failure of the moonsoon rains
had caused a very general failure of crops
in the south of India, and a dearth of food
for man and beast, causing e famine in Orissa, as it
might have done in parts of the Madras Presidency
also bat for the timely exertions of Government
and the means of transport afforded by the railway.
The trade of the country was further paralyzed at

the same time by the fall in the price of cotton, the
financial crisis, and the prevalence of severe epidemic
cholera. An additional section of 34 miles of the
North-West line from Cuddapah to Moodanoor
opened for traffic on the Ist of August last. Com-
pared with the corresponding half of the previous
year the mileage worked over on both the company's
lines averaged 639 miles, against 598 miles ; the
number of passengers was 892,982, against 908,435 ;
and the goods c rried were 170,917 tons, against
161,910 tons, railway materials excluded. The gros3
half-yearly receipts were £221,577, against
£225,113 ; and the net receipts £119,876, against
£131,500 for the corresponding half of the preced-
ing year. The shipments of materials, plant, and
stores from this country last year amounted to
22,751 tons in 53 ships, and included .2,200 tons of
iron bridgework and 450 sets of waggon ironwork.
On the South-West line and Bangalore branch the
way and works had been maintained at the reduced
rate of £l5B per mile per annum for the half-year.
'rhe junction of the Great Southern of India Rail-
way with the south-west line at Erode would be
effected, it was stated, by September next, and when
formed would, no doubt, prove of advantage to
both companies. The entire receipts on the South-
West line and Bangalore branch amounted to
£190,641, the working expenses to £93,651, and the
net receijes to £96,990 against £192,055 in the
correspoilding half of 1866, the ex-pntsevto £84,681,
and the net receipts to £107,374. The receipti per
train mile for the half-year ending the 21st of De-
cember last were Os. 61d., and the expenses 3s. 31d.
per train mile, against 6s. 61d. receipts and 2s. 101 d.
expenses in the same half of 1865. The maintenance
of the entire mileage of this contract had now de-
volved upon revenue. Comparing the two years Which
had elapsed since those lines were opened throughout,
the gross receipts of 1865 were£357,060 and the net re-
ceipts £187,014. The gross receipts of 1866 had been
£376,538, and the net receipts £196,234, showing
an increase of £19,478 in the gross receipts and of
£9,190 in the net receipts for the year. With re-
gard to the North West line comprised in the second
contract, which was now open to Moodanoor, 153
miles from the Arconum Junction on the South-
West line, a•further section of 15 miles to the Chit-
trabutty River was so far completed as to have loco-
motive engines passing over it, and the construction
of the line was now rapidly proceeding as far as
Gooty, to which town it was expected to open by
the end of next year. The surveys and sections of
the main line to Raichore were finished. An ex-
cellent crossing at the Toongabudra River had been
secured, and large quantities of material for this
important bridge had been collected on the spot.
Beyond this river the works would be light, owing
to the care with which the engineer had availed
himself of the natural advantages of the country.
On the Bellary branch the surveys were finished,
and good progress had been made in earthwork.
The open way and works were all in good order, and
had been maintained during the half-year at the re-
duced and very moderate rate of £6O 12s. 4d. per
mile per annum. The average mileage worked over
was 147 miles. The total receipts for the half-year
ending December 31 for the North-West line were
£33,936 against £33,058 in the same half of 1864 ;
the expenses were £11,051, or 32.56 per cent.,
against £8,932, or 27.01 per cent. ; and the
net receipts were £22,885, against £24,125 in
the corresponding half of 1865. The receipts
per train mile were 6s. 7d. against 7s. ; and
the expenses 23. 1.4 d. against 2a. Itd. for the cor-
responding half of 1865. The number of passengers
carried in the half-year was 182,610 against 149,536;
and the goods 30,272 tons against 29,588 tons in
the corresponding six months of the previous year.
The low rate of working expenses was due to
the ceneral use of wood fuel and the low cost of
maintaining the iron permanent Way, and also to
the care and economy exercised in the traffic and
other departments of the railway, which the Board
were happy to tyke the opportunity of noticing. In
addition to the iron work mentioned as having been
shipped to Madras during last year, 650 sets of
waggon iron work had been contracted for, and
were in course of delivery and shipment. Impressed
with the importance of procuring a permanent sup-
ply of wood fuel, the economy and efficiency of
which for locomotive purposes had been amply
provided on the company's lines, the Board had felt
it their duty to press this question on the conside-
ration of the Government, by whom it had been
favourably entertained. Measures were now in
progress in India for the conservation of existing
forests, and for planting other suitable localities
along the course of the railway, to provide for those
requirements. The quantity of cotton brought down
the line was only 3,662 tons, against 22,079 tons in
the same half of 1865. The largest item of traffic
continued to be salt, of which 26,309 tons were car-
ried up country, yielding receipts to the amount of
£22,108. The ordinary articles forming the food of
the people, rice raggy, paddy, &c., amounted alto-
gether to £43,301 tons, carried chiefly in the first
three months of the half-year. It appeared from a
statement by the traffic manager that the services
rendered by the railway in forwarding supplies of
food to the distressed districts during the half-year
amounted to £22,764 tons in weight, carried over an
average distance of 167 miles. It would have re-
quired 45,428 ordinary bullock cartloads, 'which it
would have been impossible to provide, and if prac-
ticable, the cost at the ordinary rates would have
amounted to more than £90,000 in excess of the
railway for the work. The issue of de-
bentures yrebsto the extent of £500,000 had been duly
completed. The receipts on capital account
amounted to £8,258,707, and the expenditure to
£7,919,053, leaving a balance in hand on the 31st
of December last 'of £339,651.