The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1866-08-15
Railways in India.


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Railways in India.
The s,uprndous works OF internal i'm
TTo"Gnem. which have been pushed for
ward into remote parts Of The great
Indian Empire, speak clnquenlly or,hose
qualities which everywhere distinguish
the AngloSaxon race. The total
am unt 70 be expended IN the current
year in the public works of India, in ac-
cordance with the policy long since
adopted for developing the resources Of
this vast domain, is estimated at f6. 394..
73O. During The year just expired, the
Iength of railway lines was extended
from 2945 to 1892 miles. The pro-
grcss making is well indicated by II sin.
gle paragraph from the statement Of the
Eas' India revenue accounts as follows: {:
There is bright side to the account
which, even If the state Of Indian linan.
ces was more serious than it really is,
would be source of saiisiaction-I
mean the enormous success Of Indian
railways. Last year we had to spend
rs the guaranteed interest on railway
capital, over million OF money. This
year we have only spent in this way
f533,330 a. very large portion of
"nr outlay IS now repaid 10 us from HE
earnings OF The railways and there are
few things more gratifying than The cx.
treme rapidity with which they are re.
paying this outlay. Take the Great
Indian Peninsula Railway; although IL
large portion of the capital ofthis cnmpa
ny IS expended upon line which is not
yet open, and is therefore unpr0luctivr,
IT. pays per cent. after setting aside so
per cent. for working expenses. The
Grea, Indian Railway unfortunately cost
much more per mile than the Great
Indian Peninsula. 1t cost f22,000
mile, but nevertheless pays nearly 5
per cent. although it is not open through
its whole extent, and therefore has not
the full advantages which ii would
otherwise enjoy. OF course, railway
which is not open throughout may have
"A large amount Of goods traffic from the
agricultural produce Of the district
through which il passes, and that IS tho
case with the Great Indian Peninsula
line But until the great trunk line Is
completed YOU can never expect II arg.
revenue from passengers We have
therefore to hope not only for the per
rrnia ga which the existing lines already
realize, mainly from goods traffic, but
We may look for large increase to the
passenger as well as the goods traffic
when Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras
are all brought into communication,
III the last year n co".picte railway
connection la accn established between
Calcutta and Delhi, by opening splen.
did iroi, bridge which spans Tie Jmmna
at Allahahad, reducing journey of 1920
miles To tn" compass Of lhirty.sevrn
hours. The Golavery navigation is pro.
crossing with speed. New works are
about to be commenced, for increasing
the efficiency of the Ganges canal, rem
dcring It more capable of performing its
Office III frrliizing the land and fciltat.
ing communication through the whole of
Northern India. The Doab Canal has
also been improved. In the year 1867
the Jubhelporr branch Of The East India
line will be ready for traffic anq com.
munication between Calcutta and Bonn.
bay, and from thence to Mo1ras in the
follcwing year. The demand upon En-
glish machinists for locomotives to sup
ply the growing wants of the East India
possessions is quito formidable, no less
than 430 locomotives having been nj.
ready ordered to br sent out within the
next four years. The great drawback,
however, is the want of coal. which now
must be transported from England at
great expense, the freight alone amount.
ing TO four times The value Of the coal,
when mined for delivery. Relief is
anticipated from railway connection
soor to bc made with the coalfelds of
Central India. The total expenditure
of capital on che lines which are opened
and in course OF construction amounts
to- E60,645,00 of which something
more than one-tl,ird was incurred in
England The policy OF the Indian
Government. Judging from present indl.
catlonsr ~ eminenlly peaceful one
Lord Cranborne says:
If India can increase the enormous
means Of production at her command; (;
il she can draw forth the inexhaus,ible
elements Of wealth which lie in the rich
ness OF her soil and in tho teeming mil.
lions of her population; if she can I'M
press upon ncighboring powers, whether
outside her boundary, or included within
her own dominions, that her rulers have
abandoned forever that policy Of anncxa.
tion and Of territorial aggradizement
which formerly spread disirusl and caus-
ed distnrbances around her; if she can
difflse among ulr tile populations under
her charge the blessings Of English
civilization and government, and can
impart to them a culture which will
enable them to appreciate those bless-
ngs, and to render them perpetual : II
all these things can he done, then this
period Of peace and of apparent stagna-
ton will be turned to the best possible
use it can be put to:
If these are really the objects that
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