The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-01-27
The Railways OF Great Britasa.

(Iroa ne Lnpoen ii YES, Jsn. s, ts66.l
II appears from the published traffic ret arns of
that the receipts amounted TO EGO 2433l5 on 100
miles of railway The receipts for the year 1854
amounted to Els Gal ,s55, showing an increase Of
fl ,1Gl AGO. In addition 10 the published trshc no
tuIIs there other traffic receipts on several dew
and old railways, viii b are not published either
weekly or monthly and for which estimate
tfe trafhc Tor the latter half Of the year had t. be
made The utal length Of those lines IL 54s mics,
ano lbe am mt OF traffic upon them Tor the year
about $50, 0C0 This sum ADDED to the above shows
the to'ai receipts on railways III the united kingdom
er hst year 70 have been f2l 1888 on S.240 miles
Of railway, being ut tie rate OF E2 y567 per mile.
The cost on construction. working stock, and %
forth amounted 70 f2yl ,ao3 ,Ooo being ut the rate
OF ESQ 425 per mile. The tot'l receipts on railways
IN leb4, including those On the lues of companies
who do lot publish their traffic returns weekly
or monthly, amounted to 100000 525 on S,y2b
miles OF railway, showing an increase Of 81 l21,-
7eO, or 6:6l per cent IN the receipts, and
2:C4 per cent in the mileage. The increase
of traffic IN 1854 over 1853 was e.. $50 900, Or
about II Per cent. Nothing Can he more satisfactory
than the ncrease OF traffic on railways. and Il
not for the unwarrantable increase Of expenditure
on capital account the railways, ON the whole,
would now be paying about per cent per annam
instead Of about 81 per cent, ~ at present, which Ia
III TACT an increase upon the average OF former Years
OF at east half per cent Had the capital intrasted
to railway directors been judiciousy expended On
railways ia the united kingdom, and had their In.
teiesis heen involved in the successful re ult Of
dividend paying lines In France, instead Of IN
the outlay OF capital, there would probably he no
better property now than railways. The following
shows the progressive nature Of the traffic -: fne
increase Of traffic railway in the united kingdom
in the year lS43 over that Of the preceding ear,
amounted II $500 s74 in lSA4 to G1os 1887; in l56,
to Fl 342 in l846, to 81 900 $50; 10 lS47, 10
sl,2s5 1917; in is4s, to FL 09335, in lo4o, 10
sos; in 1850. TO 9l.74i,i6l; in ]-5l. to
tlt09s23; in 1862, IT, f5204O0; in 1853, TO
~ 040 220; in 1854, TO 2.060 900; aud in 1885, to
fl,l227h0, notwithstanding the depression Of Trade.
The traffic receipts fact increased year after year
from ls42, when they were about E3642,D0l 70
Ell ,122 900 in le56. The expenditure capital
count likewise Increased from f53 900 900 ia JAY,
1872 to 1892 00G 0t0 in July. lShS-the increase In
the traffic for the year being fI6 10000, and in the
capital expe ded 1899 ,0GO 600. The average cost Vt
the railways FER mile In ls43 f34 $40; in ls43,
f3G $780, in ln44 $50 $40; in lS45, f35 070 10 1896
f3l s60 In in ls47 f3l 100; in lS4S, f34 ,23l; in
ls4y, PA; in 1860 f35, 229; in 1861. f35.05S; tn
1852, i34 $50; in 1863, f35lol; ia 1854, f36 OLA;
and in 1855, 1885 ,425; that notwithstanding the
constro ton OF thousands Of miles of com aratvey
cheap lines tie average cost per mile has not been
decreased, The traffic receipts per mile per annun
In 1914, f327s; in 1s45 f3 463; Ia l84S, fs sos:
in le47. f2 $40; in 1s4S, f2.h56; in ls49, e. 302;
in 1850. 1927; IN 1861. f22s3; in 1862. e. 1885,
1868. f247l; in 1864, G2 GOA; and la 1866. 22 669
FER mile. From this it appears that by clsing the
capital account and attending to the natural in
crease Of traffic the augmented receipts would, at
The end OF q few years, admit Of respectable dvi
del d. railways generally, but unfortunately FOR
the share hGlders the cosig e Ut capital accounts =
locked npon an impossbility by railway directors
and others connected with railway companies.