The Sun.
London, England, 1866-05-18 00:00:00

NORTH LONDON.

A Wharncliffe meeting of this company was held
yesterday at the office, Euston station, Mr. Bancroft
in the chair, to consider a bill for authorising the
London and South-Western Railway Company to
make the Brentford curve and the Kew-bridge
curve, and other works, and for authorising agree-
ments between them and other companies.
The solicitor having read the heads of the bill,
The CHAIBYAN moved a formal resolution approv-
ing the bill, which was unanimously agreed to.

ROYAL SWEDISH.
The annual general meeting of EngLeh share.

The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the
report said he was glad it was so far satisfactory as
to show a profit of £3,428, which it was proposed
to distribute to the bondholders by a payment of 25.,
which was the value of one coupon. The result of
the year's working showed a small profit over that
of 1864 of £241. The earnings from all sources
during 1865 had been £14,670, being an average of
about £282 per week, or £8 per mile per week on
35 miles of line. They worked it together with a
branch line 10 miles in length, and ran over 18 miles
of the Government line. Since the opening of the
Government line from Gottenburg to Stockholm it
had been found that much of the traffic taken over
the company's line to the Malar Lake for convey-
ance to Stockholm had been diverted to the Govern-
ment line, as being the more direct, expeditious,
and econimical route. At the same time a local
traffic had arisen on their line, which compensated
them to some extent for the loss of the through
traffic. Among other changes it was determined
by way of experiment to lower the fares for first-class
passengers, and the result was that in four months
ending December last they carried 1,298 of those
passengers, instead of 631 in the corresponding
period Of 1864. The number of first-class passengers
had also increased since the Ist of January last; the
larger number carried at the reduced fares had pro-
duced a small increase in the total receipts as com-
pared with the corresponding period last year. Some
additional trucks were placed on the line of 1864,
which had the effect of increasing the goods and
mineral traffic about 20 per cent. over previous
periods. This increase had been maintained during
the year 1865, and an additional weight of 9 per cent.
was carried ; but only 1 per cent, of profit resulted,
as the minerals were brought chiefly from Nora by
the branch line, and over the short length of main
line from the junction to Orebro, on its way, by the
Government line to Gottenburg, instead of, as for-
merly, over the longer portion of the company's
line to Arboga, and thence to Stockholm. This
change was brought about by Government lowering
the traffic rates on the line to Gottenburg, which
had the advantage over Stockholm of being open
for shipping nearly all the year. By this route time
was saved, and a dangerous and circuitous voyage
was avoided. The directors had favoured the in-
quiries of the Government, with a view to leasing
the company's line on equitable terms, and in some
measure dependent on the development of traffic.
It was believed that a large saving might be effected
by the company's line beiAig worked as a portion of
the Government line, and the directors proposed a
minimum annual payment to the company of £5,000
per annum, the product of last year's working, being
£3,428, and the directors believed that in the hands
of the Government those terms would entail no loss
upon them. Since those proposals were made a new
source of traffic appeared likely to arise from an ex-
tension of theline, and it had been deemed expedient
as far as possible to utilise the works partially begun
upon the unfinished portion of the line between
Arboga andKoping. Upon those works about £B5O
had been expended out of the small amount of
capital remaining, to utilise as far as possible the
connexion with the Utersburg-Koping line. There
seemed also a probability of a new line being made
through a rich mineral district that would add to
their traffic.

Mr. Ch APLIN seconded the motion for the adop-
tion of the report, which was unanimously adopted,
and a dividend of 2s. per obligation was declared
payable on the Ist of July next.
The proceedings, after a short conversation, con-
cluded with a vote of thanks to the chairman.