such an advantage we are able to prove the great saving named before in these coals:
| £. | s. | d. | |
| Cost per chaldron of the Kippax, or Haigh-moor coals, at the end of the Rail-way, at or near Bolton Percy, is | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Removing do. into the waggon, (if not landed 4d.) | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Rail-way dues, 18 miles, at 2d. per ton, per mile | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Waggon dues, 18 miles, at l½d. per ton, per mile | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 0 | 16 | 0 |
The present cost by way of Boroughbridge, is one pound five shillings, and hence the saving to the public on every ton, or chaldron of coals, will be nine shillings, except the merchants’ profit.
By the foregoing statement the tonnage of the Knaresbro’ and Pateley-Bridge coal, when it reaches Knaresbro’, will yield a revenue of £3200. annually, being 21,335 tons, at 2d. per ton, per mile, for 18 miles, and the tonnage on the coal belonging the district up to Pateley-Bridge will be 6000 tons, for 6 miles, the average distance at 2d. per ton, per mile, or £303. 0s. 0d. making together £3503. 0s. 0d.
The next topic for our consideration which naturally presents itself, is the surplus
PRODUCE OF THE SOIL,
Which although composed of a great variety, we shall here only notice that of Corn; and although the town of Knaresbro’ and its vicinity, cannot complain of a scanty or contracted supply, nor yet of exorbitant prices, compared with their more western neighbours, the inhabitants of Craven, and the borders of Lancashire: who, at least must pay such suitable advance as will compensate for a long and expensive land, or a longer and protracted water carriage, neither of which in all probability, can in these days of depression, bear a further reduction of rate.—Under these circumstances, knowing the soil in the
neighbourhood of Wetherby and Tadcaster to be rich and fertile, we feel some confidence that corn and its produce in flour and meal, (which can so conveniently be converted by mills upon the line,) will soon become an article of tonnage in no small degree, nearly the whole length of the line; and thence being removed by land carriage from Pateley-Bridge to Skipton and other places further west, will be found cheaper than heretofore. The quantity of tonnage on this head is not so clearly ascertained, still it will have some reference to the quantity of coals brought from Skipton into the neighbourhood of Pateley-Bridge, or the quantity of lead taken from Pateley-Bridge, to Ripon as either one or the other of these articles, in both directions must be considered back carriage, otherwise they could not be removed, as heretofore, at the usual low rates. From these data, and the fact of three waggons three days each week from Knaresbro’ towards Skipton, we believe the tonnage under this head in that direction will be three thousand tons annually, which being nearly the whole length of the line, or twenty-five miles at 3d. per ton, per mile, will yield a revenue of £937. 10s. Being aware some doubt may arise as to the computation of this tonnage being correct, we feel no apprehension as to the result.
For while it must be admitted, that lead in this case ceases to be a back carriage, hence the expense of carrying corn from Ripon to Pateley-Bridge must naturally increase, whilst on the contrary, the expense by the Railway must as naturally decrease; these two circumstances in all probability will fully support the estimate, if not greatly exceed it.
We now come to the present principal trade of the town and neighbourhood of Knaresbro’, which is that of dressing Flax and spinning Yarns; and what first takes our notice upon the subject of tonnage, is that of