Within the last fortnight, we understand, the London and North-Western,
in conjunction with the Lancashire and Yorkshire, have commenced carrying
goods between Liverpool and Manchester, a distance of 31 miles, at the
ruinously low figure of 6d. per ton, where they used to have 8s. We
further hear that the 6d. includes the expenses of collection and
delivery. The cause is a competition with the East Lancashire and the
canal. At a very low estimate it has been calculated that every ton
costs 6s. 3d., so that they are losing 5s. 9d. on every 6d. earned, or
860 per cent.
How long this monstrous competition is to continue the directors only
know, but the loss must be frightful on both sides. Chaplin and Horne
had 10s. a ton for collecting and delivering the goods at the London end
of the London and North-Western Railway, and, though the expense must be
less in such comparatively small towns as Liverpool and Manchester, it
can hardly be less than a half that, 5s. Therefore, allowing only 1s.
3d. for the bare railway carriage, which is under a halfpenny a ton a
mile, we have 6s. 3d., the estimate showing the above-mentioned loss of
5s. 9d. on every 6d. earned.
—_Herepath’s Journal_, Sept. 29th, 1849.