Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-11-30
O.. A. & n. r. +.
Fourth Annual General Meeting.
REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT.

to-day, j. NJ Chapman, OF Orange,i the chair
and L. W. Reid, Secretary
On motion, Thos Whitehead. oil Amherst:
T. I. Hill, Of Culpeper, and q. ). Meem:
of Shenandoah, were appointed committee
to examine and report upon proxies.
Mr.. Barbour explained that the meeting was
held to-day because. according to the bylaws
of the company, it had to lie called between
the 18th and 3Oth ofthe month, and that TWEEN,
tw days notice being required, without having
taken into consideration that a day Of thanks
giving might be proclaimed. the %0th had been
fixed upon He then moved that the meeting
take recess until = o'clock tonight, to reas,
semble at the Assembly Rooms, and the mo
ton being adopted the meeting adjourned.
PRESIDENTS REPORT.
The following is the report of the PRESIDENT
which will be submitted tonight:
The annual statement Of the condition OF the
road and state Of the company, for the fiscal
year terminating on the Goth Of September
last. is herewith submitted
REVENUE
The amount received from the various sour
ces Of transportation, less working expenses,
constitute properly the revenue or income OF
the road The following results for the past
year are reported from the transportation
Office, viz:
Received from carrying passengers the sum
of $500, G34.2s, do from freight S467 ,2535 81,
do from express $50, 709.22, from transportation
of U. S. mails 2l,7S2.40, and from other
sources telegraph, &c. 81, 9l6.5;i, making a
total aggregate amount OF S9l3, 293.93; recelY-
ed for the operations OF the year.
The ordinary working expenses OF the road
are reported in the sum Of $j5;,76O.22, and
leaving as net revenue the sum OF 1859, o3j,1 H..
Owing to the damage caused by the unprece-
denied flood of 29th Of September of last year
and loss Of bridges across James river, and other
streams upon the line the General Superlnten-
dent has made out an additional account Tor
extraordinary expenses amounting to the sum
of S1y, 500 II, and for cost Of new work, and
increase Of equipment, the sum OF SIS, so .o4.
| The losses of the bridges referred to- and the
| consequent interruption TO the regular current
| of trans portation over the road occurring Just
as the Fall trade began have materially dmln'
ished the receipts OF the year past. The past
season has not been a favorable one Tor agrlcul-
| tural productions, and has reduced the busl-
ness usually derived from that source to Il con.
siderable extent Larger rccei pts may be here
after anticipated as these disturbing clements
are removed, and more business secured by the
| improved condition Of the local interests upon
the line of road. The additional through pas
senger train which has been put in operation
sine, the lst of July last, is expected also
to increase the receipts Of the company
Some temporary loss Of revenue MAY be at
trbutable also to the fact that the tariff OF rates
on local tonnage was reduced in July 1870.
This concession was made 20 stimulate produc'
ton, and looked to increased returns ultimately
to be secured, and the improvement in the
amount of transportation, which would follow
the reduction Of rates. The adoption Of the
system has been attended by favorable results
in the experience Of other lines Of tralsporta-
ton, and tits expected will, in due season. sue
coed here also. At first of course, there mllst be
some reduction Of revenue from this cause, As
the same amount Of tonnage carried over the
road ut lower rates will yield less compensation
than when higher charges are imposed for sml-
lar service. While this fact has exhibited COM
paratively unfavorablc results to the business
Of the company during the past year, the more
recent returns of the freight office show an in
crease over the corresponding months Of 1870
The revenue statement of another year will
have the advantage also of the large outlay
which has been made during the year for ex-
traordinary repairs and new equipment, re-
ducing thereby the amount of ordinary cxpen-
SEES and increasing the capacity OF the road for
doing more business. The transportation OF
through passengers will also be increased By
the additional daily train now started, and the
improvement making in condition OF connect
ing roads The company will also receive
So, 5235 Of additional compensation for carrying
the mails for next year by the contract la tcly
entered into with the Postoficc Department.
TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
The special report of the Genera! Superin-
tendent, II. W. Vandegrift, esq, herewith
submitted, will furnish full information of the
operations of the department under his inme-
date charge The road and equipment have
been maintained in their usual good order.
During the year 5SS tons Of new iron rails have
been laid down, and a large number Of bridges
renewed, and some additional passenger and
freight cars built at the shops of the company.
Some enlargement Of station houses at several
points on the line is required for the accomnio-
dation of the traffic of the road, ndwill have to
be made Us soon as convenience OF the company
will admit Additional freight cars are also
wanted to supply the growing demand Of the
fall trade. The transportation OF cattle over
the road has greatly increased, and become a
large item in the business of the road. Dur
ing the year, II, lis passengers have been trans
ported over the road, Of which 9l,304 were
carried southwark, and 1854 northward OF
these 2o,:G7 were through passengers, and
LIS, ~ were local, or way passengers. Passen-
ger trains have been run during the year free
from accident or physical injury to any one.
| OF freight l443ll tons have been carried
over the road during the year, of which 26, 1872
tons were through freight, and 7,549 tons
local, or way business. Of this aggregate ton
mage S7,o74, 7G-l0 Oths tons were transported to
Alexandria, and for cities north of the Poto-
mac, and 5S,243, 44-l0Oths tons carried from
Alexandria, and the same cities; over the road,
and for Lynchburg and points south of the lat
ter city The table Of statistics from the &c n
eral freight office hereto appended will show
the special destination and distribution Of this
tonnage. From the classification presented it
is gratifying to see that the local tonnage con-
stitutes the bulk of this freight, which is not