The times., 1899-10-10
TRAMWAYs IN BOMBAY.
Consul Fee on Their Construction
and Expense.

and Expense.
The State Department has received an
interesting report concerning tramways in
Bombay from Consul Fee. Mr.. Fee says:
Enquiries having been made as TO the
street car system of this city, / submit
a short report which, I think, may be of
interest The company was chartered by
the Bombay Government in 1874, under
the name OF the Bombay Tramway Com
pany. Limited. 1t has an invested capital
stock of 80 lakhs of rupees, or about
81 0o0, coo, and debentures Of about two
thirds that amount. The stock is prin-
cipaily owned in the United States and its
main cffice is located in New York city.
The road is double track system, with
about seventeen and one-half miles in
operation. The charter embraces the fran
chises of the entire city. The road covers
the principal business centres, such as the
fort district, Girgaum, Byculla, Parel.
Mazagon, Grant Road, the railroad termi-
nails, and docks. 1t does not extend to
Breach Candy, Malabar Hill, or to any
suburb or outlying district.
1T has in use 1s7 open cars. made by
the company in Bombay. 1t employees 1,150
horses. each Of which travels on an average
thirteen miles daily. They are well cared
anu never dDuStus d SOsl oA d 1ldt VI
padded bonnet being fastened on top Of
their heads during the day as protection
against the sun. All animals, in fact,
receive humane treatment in India
About ], JOG men are employed by the
company. The car drivers and conductors
are paid by the trip. and the former re-
ceive about is rupees (s5.S5), and the latter
% rupees (s7.l5), per month. The track,
barn, and common laborers receive the
usual Bombay wages OF 6 annas III cents)
per day.
The rails are of the girder type, thirty
feet long, and weighing eighty three
pounds per yard They are laid on teak
wood ties and bedded in concrete. The
road was opened TO traffic in 1874. and its
present cost is estimated at about So. 600
rupees per mile of single track. The
total gross receipts of the road for the
last financial year were S3ss, ,49S, and the
operating expenses during the same year
were $257. SCI
There is now a movement TO convert
the road into an electric line. In fact,
the company has applied to the Bonb bay
Government TO sanction the conversion.
Electricity has but recently come into
use in India Madras being the only city
where it is used on street railways as a
motive power. The rents in the city Of
Bombay are extremely high, Bungalows
rent from $500 to $1,000 per year, and
fats without any modern conveniences for
from $500 to $1,000 per annum.
"The population Of the city in the last
census in 1891 was S21, 764. The density
of population in certain parts of the city
is very great In the native quarters
which contain most of the population, it
is estimated that there is one human being
TO every ten square yards of space. The
mortality at present is great. owing large
ly TO the plague with which the city has
been infected for the past three years
In view OF these facts, it is hoped that
the Bombay Government will speedily
sanction the conversion of the present sys-
TEN OF the street car road into an electric
line, and that the company VIII not only
extend its service TO all parts OF the city,
but also to outlying anG suburban dis
tricts, and give the people of this city q
service Of cheap and rapid transit, there
by providing an outlet, as in many large
cities OF Europe and America, for it's
oyercrowded quarters, and being OF advan-
tage not only financially. but also from
a sanitary standpoint"