Wed 21 Mar 1917
Board of Trade order to take over certain canals. A committee formed to control on their behalf canals taken over.
Mr Jefferies promised attention to trees at Downfield.
Mr Burra had arranged to inspect, on 22 March, records of T&S Canal for references re tokens issued by old Thames & Severn Canal Co.
Letter from General Manager of Rochdale Canal Co. Minister of Munitions summoned meeting of Canal Companies and Carriers to confer as to best means of making better use of canals and inland waterways of country. Mr Hawkins, Secretary of Canal Association, to act as Secretary to Committee. Paid professional charges. Cost equally divided between Companies and Carriers. Contribution of £2 2s from each. Clerk to write to Rochdale Co. Company cannot take share of expenses referred to. No voice in original application for financial assistance. Did not agree with proposal, no responsibility for what was done. Canal not taken over by Government.
[1917 March] Committee Meeting held at Wallbridge on Wednesday the 21^st day of March 1917 @ 3.30 o'clock pm
Present: Edward P Little, W^m Davies, A J Morton Ball, F S Whittingham, F A Little.
Letters were read from the Canal Association stating that the Board of Trade had made an order taking possession of certain Canals and that the Board had consituted a Committee to control on their behalf the Canals taken over.
The Clerk reported that:
1 Mr Jefferies had promised his attention to the trees at Downfield which was the subject of a recent letter to him from the Company.
2 Mr Burra had arranged to inspect, on the 22^nd inst, the records of the Thames and Severn Canal for references respecting Tokens issued by the old Thames & Severn Canal Company.
As to Mr Humphries application re his salary in the absence of the Chairman the Committee directed the Clerk to send Mr Humphries letter to Mr Evans.
A letter was read from the General Manager of the Rochdale Canal Co stating that the Minister of Munitions having summoned a Meeting of Canal Companies and carriers to confer with him as to the best means of making better use of the Canals and Inland Waterways of the Country a Committee was formed of which Mr Hawkins (Secretary of the Canal Association) was requested to act as Secretary, and as considerable clerical labour and time was occupied by the Secretary and his Staff it was agreed that the Secretary should be paid his professional charges for the work done, and the cost divided equally between the Companies and Carriers. It appeared that the charges represent a contribution of £2..2..0 from each of the Companies and Carriers.
The Clerk was instructed to write to the Rochdale Company and to say that they cannot bear any share of the expenses referred to as they had no voice in the original application for financial assistance and in fact did not agree with the proposal and have not incurred any responsibility for what was done, the Companies Canal, moreover, not having been taken over by the Government.
