160 Railways and their Future Development. [April, 



Per cent of 

 Working Expenses. 



1. The maintenance of the way and works 



costs I 8"43 



2. The locomotive powers 27*93 



3. Repairs and renewals of carriages and 



waggons 8'i8 



4. Traffic charges (coaching "and mer- 



chandise) 28*72 



5. Rates and taxes 4*02 



6. Government duty 2*47 



7. Compensation for personal injury . . . 1*63 



8. Ditto loss and damage for goods 0*95 



9. Legal and Parliamentary 1*44 



10. Miscellaneous expenses 6*23 



Total ioo'oo 



To put the case more simply, suppose a train earns on an 

 average 5s. 2d. per mile, the working expenses would be 

 2s. 6d. a mile, made up in the following way : — 



d. 



1. Maintenance of way and works .... 5*53 



2. Locomotive powers 8*38 



3. Repairs and renewals of carriages and 



waggons . . • 2*45 



4. Traffic charges (coaching and mer- 



chandise) 8*6i 



5. Rates and taxes 1*20 



6. Government duty 0*74 



7. Compensation for personal injury . . . 0*49 



8. Ditto loss and damage of goods . 0*29 



9. Legal and Parliamentary 0*43 



10. Miscellaneous expenses 1*88 



Total working expenses . . . 30^. 



These figures are the A B C of the railway system in 

 England as it now exists, and supposed to be the most perfect 

 in the world, so far as comfort, speed, and constructive skill 

 is concerned; and the most unsatisfactory as far as com- 

 mercial result goes, returning on the actual outlay little over 

 4 per cent. It ends in this, practically, that on the most 

 perfectly smooth surface a train costs 2s. 6d. a mile to run it, 

 to carry an average of 70 passengers, thus showing an 

 average of nearly 6d. a ton a mile. As the system now 

 stands nothing better can be hoped for: competition compels 



