The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-07 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, AUGUST 7, 1858.

GRAND TRUNK RAILWAY.

The following report on the management of the Grand
Trunk Railway has been drawn up for toe information of
the Liverpool shareholders:
On the opening of the spring trade of this year it came to
the knowledge of some of the Liverpool shareholders that
3,800 tons of railway iron were going out to Hamilton.
Shipowners were desirous of fixing at low rates to Quebec,
rather than their vessels should proceed in ballast.
The attention of the Loudon board was called-to the high
railway rates fixed in Canada by the general manager, at
325. 6.1. per ton ; but all the London board appeared to have
authority to do was to lower them .ss. par ton, viz., to
275. 6d. per ton.
The letters of remonstrance on the subject were sent out
to Canada, and the general manager, who is also chief
engineer, reported that it was not worth taking at 275. 6d.,
and, if engaged lie must send it by water.
The gradients on the Grand Trunk are reported to be
very favourable, ruling about 1 in 160; the goods engines
should therefore haul, on a 5 feet 6 inch guage, 300 tone.
Hence the earnings per train mile would (at 275. 6d. per
ton) be 155., while in England Bs. is the highest obtained,
and even that is not averaged.
The new general manager, moreover, pleaded, as an
excuse, that the iron would have to be forwarded in open
waggons, for which there was no back freight, although the
staple products exist in immense quantities, consisting of
flour, provisions, ashes, wheat, lumber, firewood, &c. Tar-
paulics do not appear to be used.
This extraordinary report necessarily led to an inquiry
into the antecedents of the new general manager, and the
eflicieucy of the plant, as well as the terminal accommoda-
tion at Quebec, the chief seaport of Canada.
The preent general manage" Is by profession a civil en-
gineer, and, in addition to his duties of chief engineer, he
has had delegated to him those also of general manager of a
line of 000 miles—duties totally incompatible with each
other.

A report on the efficiency of the plant was asked far, viz.,
the power of the engines, and the weight and capacity of
the goods waggons; also traffic returns from each station.
This information has been promised, and is weekly expected.
At Quebec no accommodation for shipping in connection
with the railway had been provided beyond a small wharf
for the passenger ferry boat, at Point Levi, consequently
this section of the line remains comparatively useless fur
merchandise.

Further examination into the details of management
led to the discovery of an agreement entered into with
the Ocean Steam Company, which actually reversed the
order of charging by the usual railway classification, taking
measurement goods in winter from Portland at the rate of
12s. 6d. per ton of4o cubic feet, while "weight" was charged
at 20s. per ton of 2,240 lbs.
This agreement also enters into terms for through rates
during open navigation, purporting to be via Quebec, but
in rpOisy iznoi ing Quebec as the ocean tcrTninn., and Com-
weaning at Montreal, by carting measurement goods front
the wharf to the Point Charles station, and charging from
thence to Toronto, only 12e. 6d. on measurement goods, but
keeping up 255. on dead weight—here again reversing the
order of commercial usage.
The steamers charge 60s. for measurement goods, the
value of which varies from £l5O to £5OO per ton, requ ir-
ing, as is well known to all, an extra freight on railways,
on account of bulk and extra wagons, as well as liability
to damage; while common iron, of Vile value of £8 to £l2
per ton, does not require extra waggons, and is not liable
to damage. The ocean freight of iron to Quebec varies
from Bs. to 155., and to Montreal from 15s. to 30:. per ton.
The inquiry was then extended to the general rates to the
public from Montreal to Toronto, and those, according to
advertisement, were equal to 38s. for first class, 325. 6d. for
second clasp, and 275. 6d. for third class, rates double those
charged by river steamers, and of course prohibitory.
In the classification of goods the following, among many
incongruities, appear :
Ist Class.4tuts, feathers, machinery, faro, and wrapping
paper, are all charged alike.
Class.—Axes, cassia, brimstone, tea, printing paper,
kc., are all charged alike.
3i Class.--Gas-pipes and manufactured tobacco are bo',ll
charged alike.

407 Class.—Chalk, coffee, clay, rieo, pig iron, and wool,
are all charged alike.
From the above it will be seen that common wrapping
paper is charged higher that the expensive printing paper
it covers, while nuts, feathers, and fats are classed with
machinery.
Such are the facts ascertained from documentary evidence,
and from them the shareholders need scarcely be surprised
at the results of the traffic, or the fixed expenditure esta-
blished, affording, as they do, sufficient evidence that a re-
organisation of the whole system is required by a general
manager practically conversant with the details of railway
traffic and the commercial value of goods.
It is suggested that no person shall be eligible for a seat
at the board of directors who has any avocations which may
be antagonistic to the interests of the company; such as
being connected with contractors or proprietors of steam-
That a weekly retues..
passenger and goods trallicOrakom Canada, showing the
all other necessary information coittettaSioa separately,
raensds
of the works and the development of the traffic:''" progress
It is also suggested that a committee of shareholders
should be appointed, to confer with the London directors
from time to time, and assist in erzanising• a sounder system
of management tbau has hitherto prevailed.
That this is a suggestion worthy of grave considera-
tion will be at once evident, on referrie.g to the last half-
yearly statement of accounts, wherein the large expen-
diture of £7,772 is recorded for agencies for through
booking, without any apparent result but a loss to the
company, as already shown, for the advantage of the
favoured parties, while no encouragement is given to the
shipowners and merchants at large to work with the
railway by according equal facilities to all who offir
train loads of goods at Quebec and Portland. It will also
be observed that the enormous sum of £88,366 appears as a
balance due for outstanding freighte, and a sum of £15,947
for damages caused by the explosion of the ferry. steamboat
at Longueil. These are the results of the management under
civil engineers.
It is not usual for bankers and merchants, who employ
engineers and architects to construct works or buildings, to
employ them in conducting their business; and experience
has conclusively proved that the deferriie to the opinions
of engineers and lawyers has brought railway property into
disrepute.
The secretaries to the board of directors in London
and Montreal also should be duly qualified from pre-
vious servitude in the various traffic departments of a
railway, capable of stating to the b turd at once how
many tons of iron the sp ingi of a goods waegoa are
calculated to carry, and how many waggons would be re-
quired to carry a ton of feathers, hats, bonnets, millinery,
and wool, &c., and who should be held liable for any act of
omission or commission in the pert trmance of their duties.
It should not be forgot ten that the Canadian Legislature
has cents United no less than £3,111,000 sterling to the rail-
way as deferred stock, and also granted a sult,itly of £50,000
per annum In a weekly line of steamers. These contribu-
tions towards benefiting the railway and the province ren-
ders it doubly incumbent on the executive to use their ut-
most exertions to establish the most perfect system of ma-
negement for the benefit of all coecerned.
When the explanations from Canada are received, a meet-
ing of the shareholders will be convened to consider the
some, with the view to appointing a committee to confer
with the London directors.
The directors have expressed their willingness not only to
receive, but to give the utmost consideration to any sugges-
tions for the better management of the road; but from the
views generally entertained by the public, it is evident that
a sound policy and systetn can only be obtained by a change
of officials. This proposition, it is feared, will be denounced,
according to railway precedent, as a personal attack on the
officers of the company—the visual excuse for evading in-
quiry an getting rid of what are termed troublesome share-
holders. It will therefore be satisfactory to find that the
directors of the Grand Trunk of Canada prove an exception
to the general rule, especially as the shareholders have every
reason to be satisfied with and grateful for the great and suc-
cessful exertions of the directors, in having prosecuted the
works and sustained the credit of the Grand Trunk Company
under eircumstances of peculiar difficulty and discout age-
ment.
Liverpool, July 19, 1858.