New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-10
Montreal, Canada, Sept. %, 1881.
RAILROADS IN NEw-YoRK AND LONDON.


To he Editor Of The tribune.
SIR: VIII you allow me to present through
your columns to the public the very great contrast DC
tween the economy Of rapid transit IN London ana inc
excessive cost in Newly orkl
Mr. Hopkins Receiver OF the Manhattan company
saws that the receipts for the past 332 days have aver
aged Just seven passenger He urther ADDS
that these charges less than for like services W
any other transport alton company in this or any foreign
country" How much Receiver Hopkins Il mistaken VIII
appear from the Official report OF the Me'roPVn"n
Underground Railway Company Of London Tor tue ISl
half Of $50 this being the latest report rcce'ed' Inc
pasqengers for the half year 1882, 49, being
slightly in excess OF all the passengers conveyed on o
four elevated roads in this city during the same
period The receipts from these passengers wcFo
G24S,7Gs. Converting the pounds into dollars AZ
81 81 this amounted 10 2O3O21 Instead OF pAi ing
cents each the average fares we're but $50 cents ta
IA The fares i'm London were little than 3ns-haf
OF those paid As 10 tho dill renee In the cost OF
conveying the underground roads in Lon
don and on the elevated roads in this city we have tho
following facts Tho operating expenses 81 each pass
enger here Is stated be Ala cents besides So oil
cent be added for taxes not yet paid Ihe pah anu
unpaid charges for operating were thus Az Genus LOT
each pc .enger. The Metropolitan Underground ROAD
paid in that half year Gl6Oi5 9s Sd taxes tha A. at
the rate Of $3.50 per annum It also earned from
conveying parcels. merchandise. minerals etc. a'Ji'7
o. Oh about $4,000 more from other sources Than
from passengers Including the cost Of convey
ing the packages, merchandise, minerals etc.
the whole expense Of maintaining and operating
me road and the above taxes were 49s,S3b IS lod anu
charging all NJ tins against the receipts from passengers
as The report does not show the cost Of freight trans
portaou separately, these operating expenses were
$500 cents for each passenger against HOO ana
with the unpaid taxes 97160 cents IN SefafA ms
was an economy iu London over Newlork IN operating
expensea Of 349IOO cents for each pa'3cngcr. The
. t,f.1f ftn, Tho dor
way az London +, thus maintained AZ high premium
above It's par value from receipts which, rs appears
from these official statements hero. would not pay the
runuing c1pcnses Of the elevated roads.
Naturally the inquiry s what makes this eNraorii-
nary difference between tie two ctesl The drs but
negative answer 49, that docs not arise om any s'ri
ous difference between to cost Of operating railways Tn
th.s country and England The EnSish .oal- I'''ne
more from pa--eu-'rs tIh rei ely -' 10 ~ -,
than American r-IW anu il' u,t ~, ~. ~, 20,
scugo receipts both com s Is great . man iic ret
pronts from freight Thor t- 7 that the Euefh roads
average perhaps per cent higher net receipts c"n-
pared with gTo's Income, iAhn "uts. S'l !, I'' '
that both passengers and freight can be c.h'c eel as
! chrAply per mic 10 tDis country as IN Int.lHu No.
In order 20 reach explanation OF tins great d'r-
enc, n,,%''n ~, yo,t lei No. .n,pos mat IN. pa
III ,r',rn i ~ t NcFYofk Contra, of tie Ncw-York
and Ncw-Hayeu and of ihr i'un-l wanna flF"aN- nag
10 br carried skeleton structure. nearly every fo
of which lJI - Doe kept under constant observation and
repair: that instead Of the y""crui l3c'u"i'c, ana
IN, heavy train. ran on these roads, their whole
bsu,,- lad to bee done by great number OBJ Uitc an
glrc- win lc.- than fourth ~ inc trarEr power now
need and their long trains were broken up ihio l'c or
four and the din renee m cost can be cnmpf'htuatd
mi. from increased ~ the road, the operations
would be- Increased three our fold II th' Nf"TA
! Central tnr Nrv.Haycu and the Pennsylvania Roads
we're n-cstcd ON sura structures ana iu such manner,
they WOULD al The present prices for tFa soon become
bankrupt. g. -..-..t ...,
me appliances 81 the elevated roads in speed ana
economy are perhaps about halfway between Morse
mower and steam lhN latter D. used on the other rt
vays Of the world Yet with this disparity ahd lose, the
elevated road ON Third D. earning net income gu
y per cont ON over three millions or capital per ulic,
and on Si,fhayr. ABOUT tRU and one quarter l'"s
rrr mile Ths 81 due wholly o. The waGnitudco i Hi'el
r. a clfy which moro than twice that on llh" space
in Inudgu other two elevated r"A Is are Operated
~ I ON cost and their value s measured b} urtlu'Ns
1 me Great movement mp and down through the centre
~ - -. V.
Nr,r FOyt, sept TO- ISL