The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-11-08

Unjust be admitted that we have here sublime
results of human industry and enterprise, If sub
Unity can be applied with pToprie;y to such class
OF pheno Eena.
Within the brief period of twenty years the
population Of the above named parts OF tee world,
amounting, IN aggregate number, 10 aoo9. nv
Of souls, have constructed and brought into
operation length Of railway which, il continuously
laid. would exactly surround this planet, and have
expended in the Accomplishments OF tais work an
cunt of capital of nearly AS COO 0O0i sterling
Is appears, also, that there is still IN progress
length amounting to about sixty per cent OF that
which has actually been executed SO that, when
tie whole shall have been completed, we shall
have an entire extent Of aboa. 40 900 miles of rail
way, upon which capital Of 1O0,OOO,OOOI sterling
will have been expended.
The gross expenditure made within twenty years
being AS 900 cool, is at the average annual rase
of ~ 400 OO0l but as the chief part Of this has
been expended within the las. thirteen or fourteen
years, the actual annual expenditure IN this period
could net have been short OF from N,VO0,OUO!. 10
2S,0C0,000l
The most remarkable feature about this as.ound-
ing phenomenon, is the proportion in which the ez-
penditure OF this enormous capital is distributed
amopg the different countries above named. IL ap-
pears from the abeye results that 81 Per cent OF the
whole amount is expended in the United Kingdom,
while Only Is per cent of it has been expended in
the German states, N equal amount in the United
States, and 10 per cent in France, Insignificant sra;
lions being appropriated to the other States.
But il must be remembered that the expenditure
of British capital in these enterprises has no. been
confined TO he United hirgdon. No nconsider-
able share Of tie capital absorbed in foreign rail-
ways, not excepting those of the United States,
has been derived from this county, and We shall
certainly not exaggerate its amount if We assume
that 10 per cent OF the total capital expended upon
the railways Of the world have been supplied from
the accumulations Of British industry Thus it
would appear that within twenty years England
has not only paid ESQ 100000 sterling for the con-
struction OF Der own railways bat has contributed
somewhere about G1O,0CO,OU0 to the conitrac.on OF
railways else where.
The ne. profits realized by the railways 10 general
may be taken at the average amount of - per cen.
on the cost Of construction and equipment. /. fol-
lows, therefore, that supposipg these annual profits
to be re-invested with equal advantage as they be.
come receivable, the capital sunk in the railways Of
the world, prodigous as it is in amount, and small
as is the net profit realized upon il, would be re-
produced in the short period Of twenty years, and
even without such re.iuyest ment, and without the
influence Of compound interest, il would be replaced
by the mere passive accumulation Of dividends in
thirty years.
On Comparing the distribution Of railway capita
With that Of pop ala;ion 1t appears that for every
100 individuals Of the population, the capital ex-