New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-02-04


Northwestern, the Midland, the London, Chatham
aud Dover the SOUTHEASTERN, the London. Brighton
and South Coast, the London and southwestern,
md the Great Western, and take one OF the great
staples Of their carrying business-the food supply OF
that great METROPOLIS OF these lines, two are IN the
hands of official receivers, and two are insolvent
In the year 1861 these Iailwayscaried into London
PSO 900 head Of cattle and 24AOOO sheep About one
half of this quantity is slaughtered in the country,
packed up in canvas. and forwarded direct to the
dead meat markets 100000 sacks Of -four, 100000
sacks of wheat 771O 4 sacks Of malt, G0OOO tuns OF
fish. 100000 gallons of milk 155 GOO tuns of different
sorts Of fruit potatoes and vegetables; 14S9 tuns OF
French butter and II 2j9 tuns of French eggs. But
this is not all the traffic There is the way trahc
which, though not so large the through trafnc' Is
nevertheless very considerable. II to tins enormous
traffic we add the equally large in iron, pottery,
coal I'm this year the railways carried to London
8252S27 tuns of coal, and general merchandise,
which alone amounts TO nearly 100000 tuns per
annum throughout the country. we may very fairly
assume that these companies are not suffering from
want of business, as far as their goods traffic is con-
cerned.
The Great Eastern Company, which is one OF the
bankrupt lines carried to London during the past
wear g. 452 head of cattle S5 ia sheep a. 900 pigs
and 1926 calves 6O33O sacks of flour, $685. $50 sacks
of wheat, barley and oats, G2O551 quarters of malt
IS 29 tuns of beer 81 5S1 tuns of potatoes 435 tuns
of fish, and train after train laden with poultry
fruit and vegetables, during the Spring. Summer,
and Autumn seasons
The London and North Western had merchandise
traffic alone amounting to 4G9SS2 tuns IN the course
of this year. It's goods station covers an area OF nearly
II acres of land 1t said to have nearly 20 miles OF
siding, and employs 1900 men, Nearly zoo wagons
full Of goods are made up into so trains and dis
equally large number arrive. The two dead-meat
express trains which come from Inverness and Aber-
deem in the north of Scotland, consist together OF
about 100 wagons They do the entire distance IN ~
hours Then there are the meat, butter, milk poul-
fry. vegetable cheese cattle, and mineral trains
constantly arriving from all parts OF the country be-
sides from 100 to 200 tuns of fish, according to the
weather and season. from Scotland, Ireland and the
English coast. In this year, although their cattle
traffic was considerably diminished by the cattle
plague. this company carried to London 95l3 head
of cattle, 1851 sheep, and 54,71S pigs.
This large passenger and goods traffic necesstates
the keeping up heavy rolling stock. The total
rolling stock Of all the Companies combined COM
prses s25 locomotives 92S covered carriages, and
2i2947 goods wagons, the value Of which is about
E5OOOOOO0 To work this traffic and to keep the per-
manent way in proper order, the Companies employ
$1,000 laboFers 1900 plate-ayers, 10000 mechanics
1900 engine-drvers and fremen-total, 177,OOO.
But the reader must bear in mind that the statistics
which we have quoted only include the up traffic :;
the down traffic is on just as gigantic scale In
fact so great is the goods traffic some OF the rail
ways, especially those running into London and
Liverpool, that they cannot under present clrcum-
stances well carry more Mr.. Clarke, tthe Chairman
of tho Railway Committee of the Liverpool Chamber
OF Commerce, was summoned before the Royal
Pail in
his evidence he was asked the following question by
Mr.. Horsfall NJ. P:
"Isit not the fact that the track to and from Liver
pool has become so enormous as 10 ne IN excess G e
cOmpaDiesP q. o.. the lines running into LyerpooD
To which Mr. Clarke replied
and especially at times when there ~ y so large
Whenever have large importatons OF food INTO Liver
pool aud large mportatioDs OF cotton, the amount OF
Eafc passing from Liverpool into the interior is SO great
that the railway companies ind the utmost possible Gnu
Ing it, and Consequence that it imposes on the
traders Liverpool very considerable loss ana incon-
VenIeDce"
notwithstanding the enormous gross amount OF
general carrying business done annually by the rail-
ways Of Great Britain, railway carrying in that coun-
try does not seem to be a very profitable occupation.
OF the G5OOOOOOO capital which has been expended,
or which purports to have been expended on the con-
strucIion Of those railways, considerable portion
returns no interest whatever. This is q state Of
things equally lamentable and surprising, and one
which demands AN immediate and searching invest-
cation. An investigation into the affairs of these
companies would not only be profitable to their own
proprietors but would be useful lesson to other
countries, especially to young country like the
United States whose present railway system may be
said to be quite in its infancy. compared with what
must and will be hundred years hence, and for the
completion Of which an outlay of capital will be re-
quired in comparison with which the $500 900 ex-
1 D.,4; 10 ,pcio norf
We propose therefore, to consider the present po-
ston of British railways to compare IL with that of
the continental railways OF Europe, and 10 examine
the chief which render the British lines likely
TO become still more Improbable, unless thorough
change in their system Of management Is brought
about, and the continental lines likely to become
still more profitable.
We said at the commencement of this article that
railway enterprise in Great Britain, considered as
commercial speculation seemed likely to terminate
in a gigantic and disastrous failure We might have
said that such untOward results have already begun
10 exhibit themselves, as is only too plainly shoYn
in the following statistics A few lines. such as Che
Lancashire and Yorkshire, and the London and
Northwestern appear to be tho only ones that main
tain prosperous position
From official documents we have carefully compiled
the following statistics with a comparison OF the
some of the principal lines In January 1854 and jan
-, Jan, 1854 Jan 1853.
Great Eastern. 90 81
Great Northern. ....................... 1876 100
IondOn, Chatham, and DOver........ "A 10
London and Brighton. ...........----. 1O9 4S
Midland. Observation-Disclosures 4O lOe
Great Mestern.-. " a.
While Of of the other lines the present quota
ton for every hundred pounds stock is for the Man
l.Nn E1,.f T...g IL, .raNk .anf