RAILWAYS, HIGHWAYS, AND CANALS. 173 



each passengers had been raised 11 per cent., there had been a falling 

 off of 13 per cent, in the numbers, leaving a deficiency upon the 

 whole of 2 per cent, on the passengers. 



It would seem that the falling off of 8,828/. in the clear revenue of 

 the railway, notwithstanding the increase of 27,803/. in the gross 

 receipts, is not the only diminution of hope of profit to the share- 

 holders; for the directors admit that, owing to the smallness of the 

 increase, they were unable to execute the necessary repairs of the 

 road. The amount of these repairs cannot be estimated till the state- 

 ment for 1834 is published, if they can be relied upon then j but to 

 delay the repairs of such a work in wet weather, is not the way to 

 get them done much cheaper, or to work the engines at the least 

 expense in the interim. 



That the public have not gained by this diminutory rate of profit 

 to the corporation, is pretty evident ; for the sum paid by each passen- 

 ger to the company has been raised from 4s. Qld. in 1831, to 5.9. Id. 

 in 1833 ; and the whole, including omnibuses, from 5s. Old. to 6*. Ikd. 

 Let us see if there is any diminution in the carriage of goods ; and 

 here, Mr. Grahame very justly remarks that, in the latter year, consi- 

 derable quantities of cheap carriage goods had come in from the 

 branch railways, but that the whole were lumped together in the 

 public statements, and that thus the cheap ones go to diminish the 

 apparent charge for them along the whole line. The totals are as 

 follow : 



1831. Total, tons . . 125,184 Gross receipt 155,502 

 Passengers, tons 37,087 Fares . . . 101,749 



Remain, tons . . 88,097 Goods . . . 53,653 

 Average per ton, 12s. 



1833 Total, tons . . 170,297 Gross receipt 183,305 



Passengers, tons 32,208 Fares . . . 99,038 



Remain, tons . . 138,089 Goods . . . 84,267 

 Average per ton as before, 12s-. 



This is a very costly carriage for heavy goods, being at the rate of 4d. 

 3g farthings per ton per mile, or, allowing for the expense of delivery 

 to the rail-road waggons, about 5d. per mile. This must limit the use 

 of the rail-road to goods which are of considerable value ; and must, 

 on that account, prevent its coming into general use, even if it were 

 not open to any other objection. It may be, that this rate per mile 

 is not higher than what was paid on the canals, before the rail-road 

 was constructed, but that was owing to the monopoly of the canals ; 

 and the high price then, though a good argument against the 

 canal monopoly, is not good in favour of the rail-road, which is also 

 a monopoly, and one which does not admit of the same cheapness as 

 the canal. This is the most important point to the public, which the 

 much-agitated question of the relative values of railways and canals 

 involves ; and the clearness with which Mr. Grahame brings out this 

 point would alone entitle him to the thanks of his countrymen. 



