Tue 19 Jun 1894
Letter from Mr Mahon, Thames & Severn Canal Co, recorded in minutes. Proposed purchase of shares for no consideration for first 10 years. Purchasers to maintain canal as waterway and to fix reasonable rates and charges as they see fit. Holders of debentures not to interfere with use of waterway.
Consideration postponed until inspection of Thames & Severn Canal.
Amendments proposed by Mining Association of Great Britain prejudicial to interests of Company.
Annual inspection of canal 5 June. General condition satisfactory, though weeds and banks not cut.
New lower gates at Double Locks under construction.
Lock house at Eastington requires exterior painting of windows.
Mrs Harris, Company’s tenant at Bristol Road Wharf, asked for slight repairs to roof, painting, papering and white washing. Gate of fence round coal yard too dilapidated to be fastened, pilfering.
Garden fence of Mrs Bolton’s house requires repair. Exposed to stray cattle from highway.
3 inches temporarily placed on upper edge of bottom gates and weir of lock at Bristol Road and weir of Coffin Weir, so less need to dredge in this reach.
Growth of weeds, rushes etc, in Whitminster Reach are responsibility of Gloucester & Berkeley Canal Co. Also dredging. Camp sheeting on side of towing path defective. Clerk to bring to attention of Gloucester & Berkeley Canal Co.
Displacement of stonework in face of river bank at Framilode.
At Junction conversation with Mr Fredericks. Telephone great convenience to working of canal and traders for use of Gloucester & Berkeley Canal Co. General condition satisfactory.
Committee Meeting held at Wallbridge on Tuesday the 19^th day of June 1894 @ 3,o,clock pm
Present: Mr E C Little Chairman, Mr H H Mills Solicitor, Mr E P Little, Mr C H Hooper, Major Fisher, Mr A B Hooper, Mr W J Stanton, Sir W H Marling Bart.
The Clerk handed the Committee the Copy of a letter Mr Mahon had written to Mr Waddy in reply to his letter of the 3^rd May. The following is a copy of Mr Mahon's letter:
Thames & Severn Navigation
Paddington Station, London W
6^th June 1894
D^r Sir,
I have now had an opportunity of ascertaining the views of the Committee of Management upon the question asked n your letter of 3^rd ultimo.
You are aware that some of the shares of the Company are in the hands of persons over whom the Committee can exercise no control and they cannot of course pledge the whole of these persons to the adoption of any specific course but they have reason to believe that all the members of the Committee and others who they could influence representing probably 9/10ths of the share Capital, would be willing to transfer their shared to the parties whom you represent, upon some such conditions as the following, viz:- that no consideration shall be paid for such transfer, for say the first the years, the for the next five years a payment of £300 shall be made and subsequently a payment of £600 a year in perpetuity of the net revenue of the Canal should be sufficient for the purpose.
That the purchasers shall undertake to maintain the Canal as a waterway, in perpetuity and not to apply any part of it to Railway purposes. That they shall be at liberty to fix such reasonable rates and charges for the use of the Canal as they think fit. That the holders of the Debentures whom the Committee can influence shall not exercise their rights to interfere with the use of the Waterway by the purchasers.
In what way effect could best be given to such arrangement will of course require careful consideration, but if the Committee gather to be the case, the parties whom you represent desire to obtain control of the Canal for the purpose of maintaining a through route in conjunction with their existing undertakings, such an arrangement as is now suggested, would, it is assumed, fall in with their view, and if such should be your desire I should be happy to arrange for a meeting between the Committee and yourself for the purpose of discussing the matter further upon this basis.
Yours truly
(signed) J Mahon
Hubert Waddy Esq.
A discussion ensued upon the reading of this letter, the further consideration of which was postponed until the inspection of the Thames & Severn Canal had been made and reported on by the Inspection Committee appointed by the Allied Navigations.
The Secretary of the Mining Association of Great Britain having sent the Clerk a copy of certain amendments proposed by that Association to the Provisional Order Bill which were prejudicial to the interests of this Company, it was resolved that the Clerk write to the Board of Trade for its interference in relieving the Company from the expense of appearing before the Board.
Mr Hooper's report upon the inspection of the Canal by himself and Mr A B Hooper was read -- it was to this effect:
Annual Inspection
Owing to unfavourable weather on Monday June 4^th (the day fixed for the Survey) it was deferred to Tuesday the (5^th) when only Mr A B Hooper was found able to joint the Boat, and that at Ebley, so that from Wallbridge to that point Mr Snape was without any Member of the Committee.
At Eastington Mr Hooper Snr joined and accompanied the vessel to Framilode.
All was found in good order, excepting that the weeks and banks had not been cut.
The lower gates at the Double Locks, which need to be replaced, are being provided for by the new pair, which were found in course of construction at the Eastington yard where all was in the usual good order.
The Lock-house at Eastington it was considered required exterior painting of Windows, doors, etc.
At the Bristol Road wharf, Mrs Harris he Cos tenant, pointed out some slight repairs needed to the roof, and asked for a little painting, papering and whitewashing which all seemed reasonable. She drew attention to the fence round the Coal yard the gate of which is too delapidated to be fastened, and stated that she had suffered pilfering in consequence. It was promised her that her representations should be laid before the Committee.
The Garden fence of Mrs Bolton's house required repairs as her premises are otherwise exposed to stray cattle from the Highway.
It was observed that by Mr Snape's direction 3 inches had been temporary placed on the upper edge of the bottom gates & weir of the Lock at Bristol Road and on the weir at Coffin Weir, thereby giving proportionately more draught of water to the advantage of the traffic and the relief of the necessity of dredging in the above reach, without detriment to the adjoining lands, which are practically all above the Canal.
The growth of weeds, rushes, etc, on the sides of the Canal in the Whitminster Reach was remarked as requiring attention by the Gloucester & Berkley Canal Co who are responsible for keeping this Section clear as also for dredging it, which too should shortly be done.
The Camp-sheeting on the side of the towing path in the same reach is in a very defective condition in some places which also need the attention of the Gloster & Berkley Canal Co.
A displacement of the Stonework on the face of the River Bank at Framilode was observed and ordered to be replaced. without delay. At the Junction a conversation took place with Mr Fredericks (the Cos Clerk) as to the great convenience to the working of the Canal and to the traders of the Telephone placed there for the use of the Gloucester & Berkley Canal Co, suggesting the value such might be if placed in communication with the offices of this Company.
The General condition of the Canal and its works and property was considered very satisfactory.
Charles H Hooper
Arthur B Hooper.
