1870.J Engineering — Civil and Mechanical. 207 



u On the Statistics of Kail way Expenditure and Income, and 

 their Bearing on Future Kailway Policy and Management." A 

 paper on this subject was read before the Institution on 1st Fe- 

 bruary last, by Mr. John Thornhill Harrison. After referring to 

 the income from passengers and goods on the principal lines in the 

 kingdom, the question of the further extension of railways was con- 

 sidered, and it was urged that many lines might be constructed at 

 a cost of from 3000/. to 50007. per mile, provided the landowners 

 would sell their land for the purpose at the ordinary market value ; 

 that the Board of Trade would allow level crossings, and that gra- 

 dients as steep as 1 in 20 or 1 in 30 were adopted. The subject of 

 expenditure for working the line was next dwelt upon in some 

 detail, and the percentage of net revenue on the total capital 

 expended. Two large funds for investment of capital were also 

 considered : the National Debt, which amounted to 750 millions 

 sterling, and gave a return of 26 J millions per annum, or 3J- per 

 cent., which was a burden on the industry and capital of the country; 

 and the capital expended on railways, which amounted to 500 mil- 

 lions sterling, giving a return of 20 millions, or 4 per cent, per 

 annum ; whilst a sum nearly equal to the interest on the National 

 Debt was annually expended in labour and materials. 



Society of Engineers. — On 7th February Mr. William Adams, 

 the newly-elected President, inaugurated the session of 1870-71 by 

 an address. After reviewing the progress of the Society, and advert- 

 ing to the several papers read during the preceding session, he pro- 

 ceeded to make some remarks upon locomotive engineering and the 

 rolling stock of railways, detailing the several improvements that 

 have of late years been introduced, and especially with reference to 

 the application of break-power for bringing trains to a standstill, 

 the two most important improvements for that purpose being the 

 steam-break of M. Le Chatelier, and the friction-wheel break of Mr. 

 John Clark. 



South Wales Institute of Engineers. — An important paper has 

 recently been read by Mr. Brogden, before the South Wales In- 

 stitute of Engineers, "On the Comparative Merits of Large and 

 Small Trams or Wagons for Colliery use." In the course of the 

 discussion that followed it transpired that at a colliery in the Aber- 

 dare Valley there had been effected by the introduction of small 

 trams a saving of Is. 3d. per ton. In getting out 150 tons a day 

 with a large tram fourteen horses were employed at a cost of 

 47. 12s. &d., whilst with small trams the same amount of work was 

 done for 11. lis. Sd., showing a saving of nearly 6d. a ton on that 

 item alone ; besides which there was a difference in the price of 

 driving headways, in the cost of rails, sleepers, &c. By the use of 

 small trams there was also a considerable saving in the men called 

 " dusters," and by reducing the headway a saving in " gobbers." 



