, 1872-12-23

/
els, 500 carried forward at the close Of the first
six months Of this year there remained, as tue
net result Of the six nonths' operations, me
grand amount of E1, ,652, or q little less than
Of over 81, 500, 900! Well may We Canadians set
ourselves down, and challenge the world to beat
US at the tabled feat OF mountain bringing
forth mouse Fancy the working expenses OF
road, exclusive Of burdens, being 774 per cent
OF its gross earnings, and then wonder, If you
can. that the Atlas-ike task assumed by the poor
uufortunates who have given to the DOMINION It's
main railroad artery makes them occasionally
restless, and more than ever predisposed to o.
ercise the birthright OF the true born bf1tlsner:
To grumble-and to pay.
Of course Mr.. Bridges is not responsible al |
together for this state OF things. Az Manager |
OF the Great Western Railroad, he was great
success, and he has achieved wonders On the
Grand trunk. But the Company started badly
at the first, and has never been able to recover
itself. !
TITS LOADED DOWN WITH DEBT,
has sall summer to compete with river 9aEgaslon,
has many severe grades, branches which don't
pay enough to supply grease Tor the Wneeia OF
the coaches, and in its transportation OF treight
has to submit to excessive competition. VIII
such load, it is not to BE- wondered at tnat me
net returns are meagre. The road, neyertheless
has been great benefit to Canada, and the peo-
ple Of this country are well possessed OF It even
Il they have on their financial ledger debt OF
S9,500,000 On the wrong side on lts account:
Some time since k1r. Bridges was spoken as
likely to take the position of financial MINIS
ter OF the Dominion, but he st1enously denies
having any ambition in that direction. 1t ls Ger
tain that not a small proportion OF the tnhapi.
tantg would prefer to see him where he is; and
this is not altogether beyond doubt according
to the latest advices from England; his engage
1nents being likely to terminate on the Slst inst.
At the Russell House IN thla CITY, me cn,ea en-
few days, some Of the prominent officials OF tho
Great Western Railway. Its present manager,
Alr. Muir, is not, expect, unknown to the cltl-
| zens Of the Garden City. He WAS 1or some
| Central Railroad, and upon the consolidation OF
| the two roads, asHumed the management OF the
| Eastern Division, otherwise the Canadian De-
partment No personal description is required.
| 0uiet self-posseBged, cautious OF speech, MIR.
Muir is one Of the shrewdest of our population,
| and is held in merited esteem as well by the Dl-
rectors and shareholders Of his Company az BY
tns" employees and the travelling public. In9 997
possess . pertinent interest to all Western
Never before, in the short space Of SIX months,
! was 80 much work done by the
| GREAT WESTERN COMPANY
as during the first half OF the present year. Sir
| Thomas Dakin, President Of the Company, q
London ..tea-dealer, an ex-Lord Mayor, and,
withal, . pleasant gentleman, visited thus clty
pleasant traces Of his visit, He caused to be
prepared certain tables Of statistical IN
formation, from. which it appears tint
the business Of the road has shown oSd
the half-yearly receipts we're East, 900; IN 1859,
1856 600; in 1870, G405, 900; in 1871, 945S ooe !
aud up to the 31st July, Of this year, tho re-
ceipts for SIX months we're 955O, 1874 being an IN,
crease Of over E91 900, or nearly S500, ,000. But
the increase is not altogether satisfactory, rs it
has been obtained on heavier percentage Of
working expenses, and leaves less than one
third Of the rece@ts to be divided as profits. In
I 11Y1cd n
road, the total working expenses have averaged
so per cent, while the cost Of earning the add
tional s91 900 f61 900, or nearly 10 per cent
which calculation, if legitimately carried out ~
better, inasmuch as the greater the incomingt
the greater the percentage OF e1penses, until II
is easy to suppose 3 time when the expenses
should exceed the receipts. Great Western share
holders however, have little fear OF this Te1uctet
od absurduua ever being carried into effect
| There is one point On which We inhabitants O.
this Dominion pride ourselves, and it ls the ex
| traordinary development OF local traffic oVe
railroads. OF course, the greatest percentage O.
travel over roads such as the Great Western
must always be It through" but it Is gratifying
| to know that during the present year there ha'
| been .--.-
,, | that On the Great Western Railway, for in
. stance, nov amounting to 10 per cent OF tn
{ | whole; and with the disingenuous pride IN ou
| country which, fVe-year-old nationality, r
: | be p4Td0QeQ possessing, We d4sO AAtAk
the worlds attention, at Vienna or elsewhere, t
this other fact, that the gross earnings upon tn
; main line Of the Great Western Railway hay
3 been -$10, ,403 per mile, belng-attent1on!- tn
largest earnings Of any single track IN the woIid
8 to conquer for some months past. They car
Q tured one, known as the wellington, Grey.
8 Bruce Railway, which has been assuming tn
a shape Of an elephant ever since. The engage
uaent was to work the line for 70 per cent OF II
j, receipts and it's receipts are so small that 10 Pc
. cent leaves an aching void which it ia hard
;. ask the other divisions Of the company's line
: fit. The road runs to Lake Huron, and connec
9 ties named in its title. Then the Glenct
+ Branch, shortening the route for through traf
d is soon to be completed, the London Po
a Stanley Railroad has been leased running po"e
n over the Hamilton & Erie Road have been 8
8 | cured. arrangements to use Is miles OF the we
q land Railroad have been proposed and the .
Il 1ectors contemplate entering into joint partne
r. ship with tho Grand Trunk in the Information
IS satisfactory, they will unite with the Michigs
It Central in the construction of the proposed tn
mel under the Detroit River. AL Of which aho.
that live men are controlling the policy Of th1
N 1.-The best esteemed Of Canadian railroads.
G. The interest felt in these two roads-t
@ Grand Trunk and the Great Western-hAs I
n some time past been shared by third aapira
i'd to public notice,
il TIE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILROAD.
es The Dominion Parliament, in session at t
90 Government House in this city, last winter Pc
to fected the legislation necessary to start t
as scheme fairly on the waters Of speculation .
* for the entire summer, notwithstanding. t
es counter attraction Of electioneering and g
IN cited political contests railroad men and caplt
in lists have been journeying hither, seeking
+ CLEAN information Of some straw or other as
Of the way the wind was blowing. The legisati
ut on the subject provides that the road shall
D. built within ten years, and that the Work shall
,r done by private company, to whom will
lis transferred, under certain provisions. the val
". able land grants conveyed IN the act. specu
nd ton has been rife for come time as to how
to matter would be settled, and geaf-ono out
be- the ten-has glided past before ehoyelful
u, earth has been dialodged, Two rival compan
RS we're organized, and started in to compete
of the work but combination under such circu
lot stanceB generally takes the place Of rivalry:
", the present case, it is 3 combination Of mist
ut tune, for both companies are superseded, a
~ tba w|o1a enternrise mt 11pon q different TO