The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-03 00:00:00

BAHIA AND SAN FRANCISCO.

The report of the directorsstates that the traffic of
the line had shown a steady increase during the half
year ending 31st Dec. last. This was partly due to
the abundance of the crops produced in the district in
immediate connection with the line, and partly to
the improved arrangements of the managers, which
were gradually attracting to the railway the mer-
chandise traffic of more distant parts. The expendi-
ture had been kept as low as was consistent with
the well-being of theundertaking, and the increased
traffic had resultedin a balance in favour of the com-
pany of £59,905. The traffic from July to December
amounted to £16,034; fees, interest, and exchange to
£1,144; balance from preceding account to £2,719 ;
and the guaranteed interest for the half-year to
£63,ooo—together £82,897. The expenditure in
Bahia amounted to £21,422, and in London to
£1,560, leaving a balance of £59,905. The directors
recommended that from this balance a dividend for
the half-year be declared of 12s. per share, making,
with the dividend in the preceding half-year, a total
dividend for the year of 6 per cent., and eafrryitnhge
over £5,905, part of which was required
,oe _ y
completion of the bridges and culverts da,moar,,t,danbd
the inundation mentioned in the
comparative art for unsettled claims, against
A com
felt bound to make a reserve.
expenditure showed that
state-
ment of traffic receipts andbacixf whilchttlrle‘p.directors
d Pyear ending the 31st
to £17,178, against.
1864, showing an m-
ot the e
Dgreocsesmber receipts
llast
tf oarntl
oh
Lei e
hhealfexopf expenditure amounted to
£12,104 for the sameT
crease of £5,074.
£22,921 for the past iialf-year, and to £24,926 for
the corresponding half of 1864,
showing a decrease
of £1,935.
The difference between receipts and ex-
penditure for the past half-year amounted to £5,388,
and for the same half of 1864 to £11,560, showing
an improvement of £6,173 in the past half-year. His
Excellency Don Manuel Pinto de Sauza Dantas, the
President of the province of Bahia, being fully im-
pressed with the importance of making converging
roads, had personally visited all parts of the line,
and had given orders to commence the road from
Sitio Fovo through the Subahuma district, to com-
plete the bridges on the Bomjardin-road, and to
transfer the market from the town of Alagoinhas to
a site adjoining the station. Those measures, if car-


ried out with the same good faith and energy with
which they have been initiated, would materially con-
tribute to the permanent prosperity of the under-
taking. It was therefore with increased confidence
that the directors now recommended the proprie-
tors to adopt certain measures which at no great
outlay would facilitate a more sure, speedy, and direct
communication with the centre of the city of Bahia,
and tend in other respects to encourage the traffic and
improve the working of the line. Those measures
consisted in the provision of two small but powerful
steamers and three lighters for the purpose of con-
veying the passenger and merchandise traffic be-
tween the terminus and the city, in erecting a co-
vered building at Alagoinhas for the convenience of
the market, and in building a row of improved cot-
tages for the English workmen at the workshops at
Periperi. It had been also suggested to the direc-
tors that a small iun at Alagoinhas, to be let at a
rental, would materially encourage the passenger
traffic. To carry out those works the directors pro-
posed to borrow a sum not exceeding £20,000, to
expend it gradually, as they might become satisfied
that the returns would justify the outlay and con-
duce to the permanent prosperity of the line. The
capital account showed that £1,796,549 had been
expended.

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