The District Railway has decided to adopt electric traction. At
an extraordinary general meeting held on Monday Mr. J. S. Forbes, the chairman, informed the shareholders that the position of the Company had become desperate—the Metropolitan and District Railways have been losing at the rate of nearly £1,400 a week for the last half•year—and called for prompt remedies. Their difficulties had all arisen from two unforeseen cansea,—omnibus competition and the Central London Railway. To extricate themselves from this great dilemma the adoption of electric traction, for which their line was peculiarly well fitted, was the only resource, and they had the authority of the best experts for believing that the change could be effected at a very moderate cost and in a very short time. He accordingly asked that the directors should be given full powers to raise additional capital of £500,000, and to create and issue £166.000 of debenture stock, Ultimately the chairman's proposals were carried unanimously. The war between tube and tunnel now enters on a new stage, in which the inherent advantages of the latter should un. donbtedly find freer play.
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