The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-07 00:00:00

MEIROPOLITAN RAIL TVA Y.

On Thursday last the directors of the Metropo-
litan Railway, and the directors of the Metropo-
litan District Railway made an official inspection of
their works now nearly completed between Ken-
sington and Westminster-bridge, passing along the
line with an engine and carriages. A portion
of this important section of the " inner circle"
belongs to the Metropolitan Railway, and the
remainder to the Metropolitan District Railway.
The inspection was considered very satisfactory as
regards the substantial character of the works
and their ample provision for light and ventilation.
In a very few weeks the public will have the use of
this new railway in continuation of the existing Me-
tropolitan Railway between the city and Kensington.
The public value of this section of the " inner
circle" can scarcely be over estimated, and the
traffic receipts from it to the Metropolitan District
Railway must be very great, whilst the Metropo-
litan Railway will simultaneously obtain a large in-
crease of the existing receipts.

The following observations were made by the
chairman of the Metropolitan Company :
Mr. PARSON—It may seem rather absurd, as
most people are acquainted with the duties of
the Metropolitan Railway Company, to say
much on such a subject to-day. There may,
however, be some who may say that there
will not be much traffic from the populous
district through which we have just passed, but our
experience has taught us that a railway through a
densely-populated district like this is a thing which
must pay. If you look at the district traversed
by our Western Extension it will be apparent that
although there are several localities densely inhabited
by third-class passengers, yet, on the whole, it is oc-
cupied chiefly by wealthier classes. Nevertheless we
are now carrying over this Western Extension nearly
120,000 per week, or 40,000 per wile, but if any
body will take the trouble to look at the traffic of
the original line, they will find it did not carry
40,000 per week until a considerable time after it
bad been opened. When persons therefore talk
of the Metropolitan Extension " being a failure,
that is an answer I think to any such ob-
servation." But the Western Extension is
not yet completely open, and what our
receipts may be, and will be, when our Thurlow-
square Station and this portion of the district to
Westminster-bridge is open, I don't think anyone
can say, but my own computation is that it will add
at least £l,OOO a week to the revenue of the Metro-
politan Railway. (Hear, hear.) I do not think I
have over estimated the traffic in putting it at
that figure. My computation is made in this way
—From Westminster-bridge to Thurlow-square
there arc sevsn additional stations. I calculate

that each station will add to the Metropolitan Rail-
way, not the districts, £lOO per week, and I base
that upon this fact. Directly the St. John's-wood
Railway was opened it produced to the Metropo-
litan £230 per week, and I say if the stations on
St. John's-wood, the traffic from one of which is
hotly competed for by the Midland Railway,
and the other so near Batter-street, that it
was included in the area scr ved by the
Metropolitan Railway before it was opened,
produced us that amount, we have a right to
expect more than the £BO per station arising from
the interchange with this portion of the Metropoli-
tan district, especially when we take into considera-
tion the far different position of the various stations;
take Westminster-bridge for instance, what finer
position can there be than that on the banks of the
river, close to Lambeth and its third-class people,
it will also convey a large number of the better
class who are constantly in the habit of going to
the law courts and other great establishments.
At Westminster there is nothing on the St. John's-
- to compare with that ; the whole three sta-
tions at St. John's-wood are not, I believe, compa-
rable with the one at Westminster-bridge. Then
we come to the station in the Broadway, that is
essentially a third-class passenger station. There
was a time when the venture down the Brow.-
way was to render yourself liable to have your
pocket picked, if not to lose your life. Then,
again, going further westward, you come to the
Victoria Station, a place where they start an enor-
mous number of trains into the suburbs and
to the Crystal Palace. There is also there the
Chatham and Dover. I do not know what the
statistics are of the passengers from the Victoria
Station who go into the country, but my belief is
that the Victoria Station will give us and the Me-
tropolitan Railway Company an enormous traffic.
Then you come to this station, and looking at
this station I say it is essentially a third class dis-
trict on this side, while it is a better class on the
other side. It was a point for starting a large
number of omnibuses, and they have continually
gone on increasing from the time of their starting to
the present day. I might say more for the Bromp-
ton traffic,which is further west than this. My con-
viction is that the traffic upon this portion of the
Metropolitan District Railway will astonish the
public when they see it, and when our extension is
opened to Thurloe-square, and we are enabled to
interchange traffic to this line, 1 say it will add
£l,OOO at least to our receipts. I think the greatest
commendation ought to be paid to the contractors
and officers of the District Railway, not excepting
the Metropolitan proper, and I think we ought to
couple with the toast the health of the deputy-
chairman, Mr. Sheriff. (Hear, hear.),
Mr. SIIERRIFF—I am not going to make a speech.
I never do. I merely say I agree with every word
our worthy chairman has stated. Ido not think
he has in any degree over-estimated the prospect
of the Metropolitan District or the Metropolitan
Railway Company, as connected with us. I have,
indeed, always held the view that the Metropo-
litan District Railway up to Westminster-bridge
is decidedly not the beat, for I hold from
Westminster to the City is the more valu-
able but even from the westward [part, from
Westminster to Brompton, I believe will realise all
the expectations we have formed, and I hope we
shall work in perfect unity with the Metropolitan

Railway.
The health of the chairman, Mr. Parson, the
contractors, Messrs. Belk, Waring Brothers, and
Lucas, and the general manager, Mr. Myles Fen-
ton, having been proposed, the meeting separated.

KINGSBURY STEEPLECHASES AND HURDLE
RACES.

TUESDAY Dec. 8.

Military Steeplechase, a sweepstakes of 10 sous each, h ft,
12st each for maiden horses, the property of Officers on
full pay in the Army or Navy, or Gentlemen having
been in the Ilouseoold Troops ; the said horses to have
been their property three months previous to naming.
The winner to be sold by action for 100 Boys. Abou
three miles. To close and name to Mr Topham, Dar-
.

land, Wrexham, on or before Thursday, the 3d of De.

cember.
Present subscribers :—Capt. Grosvenor, Capt. Harford,
Mr Case, Cul. Knox, Sir William Owning, Capt. Bagot,
Mr Buller, Capt. Brabazon, and Capt. Tempest.