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Leader (1850-1860), 30th October 1858, Edition 2 of 2, Page 21, INDIA AND INDIAN PROGRESS.

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    • INDIA AND INDIAN PROGRESS.
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      Tjn. Am. October 30, 1858. 1 The Leader....

      TJn . AM . October 30 , 1858 . 1 THE LEADER . 1165

      India And Indian Progress.

      INDIA AND INDIAN PROGRESS .

      East Indian Rail Wat Company. The Report...

      EAST INDIAN RAIL WAT COMPANY . The report read at the half-yearly meeting on Thursday merits attention , for it gives us some means of judging of how the railway system will work in India when in an advanced state . The progress of the works is on the . whole satisfactory , notwithstanding the mutiny , but we canuot conceal from ourselves that the interests of India require a more rapid extension of railway communication . With what is opened and what is in hand we shall only have 270 miles available at an

      early period in this Presidency , and ten times that lengthwould not suffice for the wants of the country . This deficiency cannot be said to be owing to any fault of the railway directors , who have urged on the Government the concession of the necessary powers , and have been unremitting in their endeavours to advance the works : They have had to contend with the local insurrection of the Soutlials and the ravages of the great mutiny , by which many of their works are still delayed , and they are nat therefore in the happy position of the Great Indian Peninsular or Madras . The question of

      transport is one which materially affects the progress of the works . Had the original plan been prosecuted and the line by Raueegunge and the Grand Trunk Road pushed on , these difficulties would not have been felt to such a degree , but the unhappy determination to suspend the direct route and prosecute a line by the banks of the Ganges has left the country without the relief of quick transit by a line which would be the chord to tlie sinuous arc of river navigation . The difficulties and delay of navigation on the Ganges ate very great , but these are now more severely felt , because ' the necessities of the Governt

      ment during the revolt have greatly pressed on he ineans of transport , and bricks , timber , rails , girders , engines , and all appliances being kept back , the works proceed tardily . This has forced tlie directors on a strange enterprise , that of navigating tlie Ganges-and building a number of light draught steamers and flats , for the exclusive service of the companyr—a measure which has been taken with great judgment . A portion of these vessels is being built here , and a portion at Calcutta , and as they are hastened as far as possible , the board fairly calculate on most favourable results . These vessels will afterwards be most necessary for steam ferries across the Ganges , and working ^ passengers and qoods from the other bank to tne stations on tlie line .

      ferred to the provision of steamers , and we may further mention the determination to introduce iron girders largely for bridge construction , which will result in a very considerable saving of time . The intercourse between civil engineers and the Government engineers will have a very considerable effect in modifying the proceedings of the latter by bringing them in contact with men of practical experience and authority . Mr . Rendel has naturally been treated with courtesy by the officers of Government , and the result of the intercourse will be to give more weight to his representations and those of his staff . At present the power of Government interference is sensibly felt in very many respects , and , with the best intentions , an officer of Engineers of narrow professional education and little acquainted with English practice , may well be expected to err in his recommendations , however well acquainted with the climate and country , when English civil engineers find it necessary year after year to modify their practice . There has been a strong fancy in India for brick bridges , and for these Mr . Rendel and Mr . Turnbull propose to substitute iron girders ; cast iron sleepers were considerably preferable for the permanent way , but the experience of the working has determined them to substitute what was formerl y thought most desirable to be avoided , namely , wooden sleepers ^* " With regard to new lines and extensions , tlie Jubbulpore surveys are to be vigorously proceeded with . It is stated the board made application for the concession of the bridge across the river Hobghly , and the line to the new port iu the Mutlah . Of . this line , in case of its concession to other parties , they wish to have the power of purchase , ou what grounds we do not very well see . Of the Northern Bengal line , from their main line ., at . Kajniahal to Daijeeling , the directors say nothing , which is much to be regretted , as in the present state of public opinion Ihis line is justly considered of great importance . The ravages of death and disease among the engineering staff have been very great , and among the lower classes of employes , as engine-drivers , stokers , carriage-builders , and workshop engineers , deaths have become so remarkable that many of the best railway hands in this country are indisposed to take engagements on the East Indian Railway . Were their line completed to the hills by this extension , the benefit to the main line would be very great , for all classes of officers and servants would have tlie relief of a temperate and healthy climate from time to time , and much head work and hand work could be done at Daijeeling . The Director of the Topographical Survey of India will in his generation have established his head-quarters in tlie hills , and his assistants employed in field work have hill stations to retire to , where they will do their desk work in health and comfort . Many a valuable life would have been saved to the East Indian Railway Company did they pursue a like course . The loss to the company of tlie passage money is a small thing , for the loss of the local experience gained by caoh man is a greater loss . It is said that each soldier who dies in India iii action or by the neglect of the Government costs the state 100 / ., but there is no employe costs , the railway company so little . A superintendent costs about 500 / ., and an engineer 1000 / ., or for thnt matter months and years of delay . By the late Mr . J . Hamilton and Mr . Nelson , the contractor , being successful in an effort to save a costly clam at the Kurumnasa-bridge , a whole year has been saved in tlio completion of the work—one example among ninny of the value of an intelligent officer . The trailio of the lino is now beginning to show groat figures . The passengers convoyed iu one year now amount to above a million , being 1 , 103 , 034 . Of theso nearly all woro third-class passengers or nativos , that is to say , of the class that wo were told would never travel at all . In the month of May , 90 , 000 thml-olass passengers were conveyed , and in Juno abovo n hundred thousand , being ] 07 , 001 . In the half-year the first-class passengers woro inconsiderable , being- 7 T & 7 , the second class 25 , 335 , but the third alass -GdS , 202 . The tonnage of goods and minerals in the year has readied 100 , 905 , and it is to bo observed all the figures show an increase over the preceding and

      corresponding half-years . The gross revenue for th « year has now-reached 150 , 232 / . As the figures are divided in the directors' report , it may be as well to give some of the items which constitute the revenue for the year : — dSPassengers , 64 , 690 Parcels and luggage 3 , 035 Livestock 3 , 397 Carriages 2 , 410 Merchandise 32 , 052 Minerals 43 , 223 On a line which is a coal and mineral line , it i : natural that mineral traffic should form a large ' portion of the income , and that the passengers traffic should be thereby surpassed . The conveyance o this mass of minerals into Calcutta is a great fact The merchandise traffic is of course in its infancy , The entry for live stock , 3397 / ., is a very large one for a new traffic , which takes many years to bring into working . The parcels traffic , some people will think , is small , but this is another branch of traffic which it requires a large extent of line and extensive organisation to bring into bearing . It is one of the best paying branches and one which is last got . The conveyance of carriages is a large entry for a new line . " We do not see any allusion to season tickets for the class of residents and

      regular passengers who are now beginning to come upon the line , nor do we see any statement oi military traffic although the line has rendered very great services to the State in these times of peril . Eish , vegetables , fruit , poultry , meat , and many other valuable articles of traffic are scarcely known at present , because they require not merely railway arrangements but trade arrangements . There must be higglers to collect , there must be convenient packages , and there must be salesmen in Calcutta to dispose of the produce . Thus it is quite clear the traffic is in its infancy .

      The board report their extreme disappointment , in -which our readers will concur , that , notwithstanding every representation , the East India Directors have refused to sanction , except upon prejudicial terms , the advance to Sir Macdonald Stephensort of one third of the annuity granted to him by deed of the 13 th September , 1853 , as requested by the Proprietors . Such -want of consideration for this benefactor of India savours too

      much of ingratitude to meet with concurrence from any one else . That eminent man has , by the promotion of the East Indian Railway , the Euphrates Valley and the lied Sea Telegraph , conferred vast benefits on India , and all wlio know this are desirous that he shall in liis lifetime reap some reward for his assiduous labours . The exertions of the shareholders and directors of the railway company are most meritorious , and we all hope they will persevere and make a fresh application to the new Council for India .

      About the 1 st of October , twenty-three miles more from the Burdwan Junction to the River Adjai , were to be opened , and next year twentytwo miles more , as far as Cynthea . The line between Allahabad and Oawnpore , a portion of which has been worked by Government for some time , was to be opened for public traffic between the 1 st and 15 tli of : this month . As Allahabad is at the head of steam navigation on the Ganges , and is the new capital of the North-West Provinces , this extension is of great importance , as it is an extension of the steam traffic towards the upper districts , and is

      under favourable influences for the development of a revenue . Of other works we find it reported that tlio Great Monghyr Tunnel , nine hundred feet long , through quartz rock , is already a quarter through , and that , though the works of tlio grand bridgo over the Soane have been suspended by the unsettled state of tho country , rapid progress will bo made under favourable circumstances , We consider it a great Advantage that Mr . Meadows Rondel , who succeeded his father as chief engineer , proceeded to Calcutta and took counsel with Mr . Turnbull and Mr . Puater . Mr . Turnbuli

      lias done very much for tho advancement of the lino , audit was a great benefit for , him and for tlie undertaking to secure tlio more vigorous co-operation of Mr . Rondel and tho authorities at home . Ilns is one of tlio early examples of our loading engineers visiting- India , and Captain Moorson affords another , Tmt when the hill countries are accessible wo hope India will bo as well known to oiu' leading mon as a field of employment as France or any European country is . Mr . Rondel made eovorol important arrangements . We have re-

      Emigration To India. And Emigration To O...

      EMIGRATION TO INDIA . AND EMIGRATION TO OTHER COLONIES . At the present moment thcro is a kind of competition for likely emigrants , in which India has no share . Tho diggings attract to Victoria , and Columbia , but Canada , the Capo , Now South Wales , « nd Auckland , tiro in tho markot offering great advantages to recruits . In the Colonisation Circular issued by her Majesty ' s Emigration Commissioners , and which is tho oll \ cial Guide to emigrants , there is not ono word about India , At page 3 , is a very copious

      list , showing the cost of passage not only to a great number of English colonies , out likewise to New York , but not a lino na to India , although Hong-Kong is not forgotten . At page 25 , thcro is a list of colonies and their governors , and hero , again , India is loft out ; so , too , in the population returns at page 29 . .. „ The land bounties nrc given at groat length lor every colony except India , and it is worth while seeing what they amount to . In Canada , tlio price of land worth anything , is 7 s . 0 d . per aero , > u ; in Canada West , ono hundred acres arc . granteeI in certain districts to sottlors on condition ol keeping

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 30, 1858, page 21, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_30101858/page/21/