Tue 20 Feb 1900
National Telephone Co to pay 16d per week rent for new warehouse near Wallbridge gates. £3 10s p.a.
Messrs Apperley Curtis & Co. asked permission to raise walls of one of their three tanks by 3ft to give to give head of water. Permission without charge if draughts of water from canal not increased. Also asked to lay down tramway for light trucks in Dudbridge wharf to facilitate conveyance of coal to works from canal. Proposal practicable. Every facility to be given to attach consumers of coal to waterway.
Communication from Mr F Winterbotham, Clerk of Stroud Rural District Council, enclosing plan for new scheme for sewerage. Pipes to cross line of canal at Dudbridge and Ebley. Decision to follow provision of Act regulating it, as between Sharpness Company and Navigation. Charge £10 for each day or part of day traffic is stopped.
Chairman drew attention to resolution of Committee 18 May 1897 opposing application of Wilts & Berks Canal Company to relinquish their undertaking. Public enquiry to be held at Swindon on 27 February. Thames & Severn Trust had withdrawn opposition, having induced Wilts & Berks to maintain in working order their branch from Swindon to Latton if rest of canal was abandoned. Traders opposing application. His own experiences in bringing wool from London led him to higher estimate of utility of Wilts & Berks Canal from Abingdon to Swindon. On motion of Sir W H Marling, who stated Sharpness Company had withdrawn its opposition. Resolved to rescind former resolution and withdraw opposition of Company to application of Wilts & Berks Canal Company.
Committee Meeting held at Wallbridge on Tuesday the 20^th day of February 1900 @ 3 o'clock pm
Present: Mr C H Hooper Chairman, Mr H Hamilton Mills Solicitor, Mr W Davies, Mr W J Stanton, Sir W H Marling.
The Clerk reported that the Resolution re Thames and Severn Canal. adopted at the last Meeting, had been forwarded to the Solicitor of the Count Council for transmission by him to the Board of Trade.
The Chairman produced the Receipt from the Chancery Lane Safe Deposit and Offices C^oy Ltd for the £11..10..0 (unclaimed Dividends) paid in to the credit of the Reserve Fund as ordered.
Me Lambourn will sign an Endorsement upon his Agreement, as to the sign upon the Wallbridge Warehouse, vide minute of last Meeting.
The Clerk reported that the National Telephone Company were prepared to pay sixteen pence per week as Rent for the new Warehouse near the Wallbridge Gates (£3..9..4). It was decided to make it £3..10..0 per annum & that the Solicitor prepare an Agreement.
Messrs Apperly, Curtis & C^o having asked permission to raise the walls of _one_ of their three Tanks (which are supplied with water from the Canal under Agreement) by 3 feet, in order to give them a head of water for storing the others, the Clerk was instructed to see the Firm, and if it appeared that their draught of water from the Canal would not be thereby sensibly increased, to convey the permission of the Committee, without any extra charge.
Messrs Apperly, Curtis & C^o also asked to be allowed to lay down a tramway for light trucks, on the Dudbridge Wharf, to facilitate the conveyance of coal to their Works from the Canal side. The Clerk reported that he had conferred with Messrs Apperly on the spot, and considered the proposal practicable. The Committee felt that every facility should be given, that might attach commerce of Coal to the waterway, and resolved that under proper conditions, they were prepared to entertain the application.
The Chairman read a communication from Mr F Winterbotham, Clerk of the Stroud Rural District Council (enclosing plan) with reference to the new Scheme for Sewage, the pipes of which will cross the line of the Canal at two points, viz Dudbridge & Ebley. The Committee considered the amount of compensation to be required from the Council for the necessary stoppage of traffic, and decided to follow the provision of the Act regulating it, as between the Sharpness Company and the Navigation, which fixes the charge at Ten Pounds for each day, or part of day that the traffic is stopped. It was stipulated that the work be carried out to the satisfaction of our Surveyor, and that at least a months notice be given to this Company before such stoppage.
The Chairman drew attention to a resolution of the Committee of date May 18^th 1897 (fol 207) (and a consequent communication to the Board of Trade) which decided to oppose the application of the Wilts and Berks Canal Coy for sanction to their relinquishing their Undertaking, He also submitted a circular letter from the Board of Trade announcing a public enquiry to be held at Swindon on the 27^th inst, at which objections could be heard. He stated that the Thames and Severn Trust had consented to withdraw their opposition in consideration of their having induced the Wilts & Berks to maintain in working order, their Branch from Swindon to Latton, should the rest of their Canal be abandoned. He also informed the Committee that the traders were opposing the application, and that his own experience in bringing Wool from Swinton had let him to a higher Estimate than formerly of the utility of the Wilts & Berks Canal from Abingdon to Swindon. He had therefore desired that the matter should be fully before the Committee, in view of the proposal that they should rescind the resolution of 1897. On the motion of Sir W H Marling Bart who stated that the Sharpness Company had withdrawn its opposition it was resolved (non con) to rescind the former resolution and to withdraw the opposition of the Company to the application of the Wilts & Berks Canal Company.
Cheques drawn:
M B Cannon Sch D: 16..-..8
J K Long Sch A: 1..11..3
John Curry Can Assoc: 2..2..0
[Total} £19..13..11
