The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-24 00:00:00

SOUTII-EASTERN.

The directors of this company have resolved to re-
commend the proprietors, at their half-yearly meet-
ing on the 30th inst., to declare a dividend at the
rate of £2 17s. 6d. per annum. .

The report of the directors states that the gross
traffic receipts for the half-year ending 31st July
amounted to £658,696 (including £29,093 for steam
boat traffic), as compared with £630,435 for the
corresponding period of 1865, being an increase of
£98,961. The ordinary working expenses during
the half-year amounted to £276,121 ; the rates,
taxes, tolls, and Government duty to £40,355 ; and
the working of the steam-packet service to £14,240.
After providing for all preference and fixed charges,
and for £32,944 for past compensation, there re-
mained a net balance of £111,161, out of which the
directors proposed a dividend of £2 17s. 61 per cent.
per annum on the ordinary consolidated stock of
the company, payable on Thursday, the 6th Sept.,
leaving a balance of £1,397 to be carried forward.
The number of passengers carried during the half-
year was £8,495,435, against £7,878,970 for the cor-
responding half of 1865, showing an increase of
616,465 passengers. Tilt receipts for passengers
amounted to £412,064, and for the same half of 1865
to £400,304, showing an increase of £11,760, of
which £8,872 was derived from third-class, £2,033
from second-class, and £855 first-class. There
had been an increase of £10,163 in the receipts
for merchandise and minerals and cattle. The
ordinary working expenses showed an increase o
£9,226 during the half-year, due principally to the
increased number of train miles run, and to increased
law charges. The very large sum of £32,943 had
been paid as compensation, making, with the sum
of £39,345 paid in the half-year ending the 31st
January last, a total payment far compensation in
the year of £72,288, or, adding law charges, equa
to a dividend of 1 per cent. on the company's ordi-
nary consolidated stock. The claims in respect of
the recent unfortunate accidents have now been all
settled and charged in the half-yearly accounts, w ith
the exception of a final sum of £l,OOO, the payment
of which land been arranged since the close of the
half-year. The company's steamboats had crossed
the Channel 792 times during the half-year in the
regular course of service, and with their accustomed
regularity, the average speed maintained by the three
large new passenger boats in all the voyages made
by them having been nearly 17i statute miles per
hour. The directors have decided to open the
Cannon-street station on the Ist of September,
although some of the works at the terminus were
still incomplete. The Dartford Loop of the North
Kent Rail way would also be opened on the same
day. The works between Chiselhurst and Tunbridge
were proceeding satisfactorily, and were expected to
be finished in the course of next year. The total
cost of this line (which was the only work of con-
struction now in progress) would be about£9oo,ooo,
of which £730,000 had already been expended.
Under the agreement for the division of Continental
traffic the Loudon, Chatham, and Dover Company
had, in the earlier part of the last half-year, to credit
this company with an excess of receipts taken by
them above the proportion due. Since then thi
company had carried somewhat more than that pro-
portion.

The capital account to the 31st of July showed
that £17,628,641 had been expended, including
£549,432 during the past half year.