RAILWAYS, HIGHWAYS, AND CANALS. 



The great advantage to the public in the conveyance of heavy and 

 low-priced goods, is cheapness ; and in the care of them, quickness 

 of transport is a very secondary consideration. We have it stated on 

 personal knowledge, that the ton of coal at Edinburgh, after being 

 carried seventy miles, is sold on the average for 9.y. Suppose the 

 whole of this is carriage, it is but a fraction of what it would cost by 

 the Liverpool and Manchester railway. That at 5d. per ton per 

 mile, would be about 30,9., or more than three times the total price 

 of the canal-borne coals. But not above a third of that is canal dues ; 

 so that, in the articles of coal, the rail-road is more than nine times 

 indeed, ten times, as costly as the canal. No lowering of the original 

 price could cause this heavy expense of carriage, as a carriage on the 

 rail-road for forty-five miles would be more than the total cost of any 

 coal carried by water the same distance, or any distance within the 

 island. The Somerset coal, which is brought about eighty miles by 

 canals and rivers from the pits to Reading, costs 10*. Qd. for the whole 

 charge of carriage. The route by which it comes is an expensive 

 canal navigation ; and this coal is sold to the public at about 27*. per 

 ton. The carriage of it, at the rate of the Liverpool and Manchester 

 railway, (which lies nearly upon a level), would be 33*. 4d., or 

 6y. 4d. more than the public pay for it as brought by the canal. 



In all heavy goods, the increase of cost by railways must be the 

 same ; and, therefore, the fair conclusion is, that their general intro- 

 duction in place of canals, would go far to put an end to the trans- 

 port of heavy goods inland, to great distances. Now it is by the trans- 

 port of heavy commodities of those commodities which come under 

 the denomination of materials that cheapness becomes of the great- 

 est value to the public. 



But, heavy as is the expense of carriage, upon the showing of the 

 directors of the Liverpool and Manchester rail-roads themselves, it 

 does not appear that it yields a profit ; for in the list of the three years 

 for which the accounts are published, there is an increase of capital 

 more than equal to the sums paid in dividends ; and the expense on 

 the capital account, amounted to 76,000/., while the road was out of 

 repair. Put this to the sum stated in the accounts ; and the real 

 cost of the rail-road for the year is 'between 1,000/. and 2,0001. more 

 than the returns. Thus this rail-road is more favourably situated 

 than any other in the island can be, as having a greater and 

 more constant trade along its whole length, being for the greater 

 part nearly upon a level, and having been begun in opposition to a 

 canal monopoly. 



One of the most striking results at which Mr. Grahame has 

 arrived in his investigation of the published accounts of this company, 

 is the diminution of profits by an increase of the carrying trade. 

 This is so contrary to what usually takes place, that it excites very 

 strong suspicions against the system as a means of general conveyance 

 for goods. 



But Mr. Grahame shews that the profit which the company " are 

 said" to derive from their coaching trade, or the carriage of passengers, 

 arises wholly or chiefly from their being taxed less heavily than 

 common-road coaching. The mileage per passenger is only half the 

 amount, or one- eighth of a penny, while the coach pays one-fourth ; 



