Wed 21 Mar 1923
Messrs King & Co had not replied to letter sent 22 February. Clerk to send cheque for £21 10s 6d, balance of cost of bridge, less £3.
Unfavourable weather meant part of pound between dam erected by Sharpness Docks Co flooded. Impossible to fix new gates. Traders pressing for reopening of canal. Sharpness Docks Co's offer to try and pump out length of canal accepted. Pumping from about 7.30am 4 March Sunday till about 6 o’clock 6 March Tuesday. Gates properly fixed. Canal open for traffic 12 March.
Cost of accident and renewing gates £781 5s. Legal expenses not included. Clerk to invite Mr Ward to meet Chairman and a member of Committee on 28 March at Canal Office.
Chairman had written to Mr E J Bradley re cost of gates. Reply received.
Letter from Gloucestershire County Council re contribution payable by Company towards deficit in Thames & Severn accounts. Mr Bloxam to draw up reply to Clerk of County Council, reminding him of closing of canal and loss of traffic. He had not yet heard what Council were prepared to do towards improvement of Thames & Severn Canal.
Weighing machine at Dudbridge repaired. Cost £5 18s 6d.
Cheque to Mr E J Bradley of Severn Commission. Thanks for his reports and his services.
Iron casting on top of spindle, also 8ft to 10ft of iron hand rail of swing bridge at Stonehouse broken. Clerk to see Messrs Vowles to obtain description of traffic using bridge.
Messrs Strachan & Co applied to place a boiler on wharf at Wallbridge just inside wall. Allowed for limited time.
[1923 March] Committee Meeting held at Wallbridge on Wednesday the 21^st day of March 1923 @ 3.20 o'clock pm
Present: Jack Margeston, F A Little, Henry R Hooper, W R Bloxam, Ed^w Davies, R J C Little, E P Little.
Messrs King & C^o had not replied to the letter sent to them on the 22^nd Feby last, the Clerk was instructed to forward them a Cheque for £21..10..6 being the balance of cost of the bridge less the deduction of £3..- mentioned in the letter to them of the 1^st Feby last.
The Clerk reported that:
Owing to the continuance of unfavourable weather that part of the pound below the day erected by the Sharpness Dock C^o had been flooded and and rendered it impossible to fix the new gates, and as Traders were pressing for the re-opening of the Canal, the offer of the Sharpness Dock C^o to try and pump out the length of Canal was accepted.
Pumping commenced at about 7.30 a.m. on the 4^th March -- Sunday -- and continued till about 6 o'clock a.m. on the 6^th March -- Tuesday --, and the gates had been properly fixed, and the Canal opened to traffic on the 12^th March.
The cost of the accident and the renewing the gates amounted to £781..5..0 as per particulars attached. These di not include any legal expenses incurred.
The Clerk was instructed to write to Mr Ward informing him of the amount and to invite him to meet the Chairman and a Member of the Committee on the 28^th March inst, at the Canal Office, and that in the meantime, he could, if he so desired, see the particulars of the Company's claim on calling at the Company's Office at Wallbridge.
The Chairman mentioned that he had written to Mr E H Bradley re cost of gates, and had received his reply.
A letter was put in from the Gloucestershire County Council re contribution payable by this Company towards the deficit in the Thames & Severn Canal accounts for last year. After discussion Mr Bloxam was asked to draw up a reply to be sent by the Chairman to the Clerk of the County Council reminding him of he closing of the Canal and consequent loss of traffic and that we had not yet heard what the Council proposed to do towards the improvement of the Thames and Severn Canal.
The weighing Machine at Dudbridge had been repaired at the cost of £5..18..6.
A cheque was drawn in favour of Mr E J Bradley of the Severn Commission, and the Clerk was instructed to thank Mr Bradley for his reports and for the services he had so kindly placed at the disposal of the Committee.
The iron casting on top of the spindle also 8' to 10' of iron handrail of the Swing Bridge at Stonehouse had been broken. Correspondence with Messrs Vowles & Sons Ltd as to this was read and the Clerk was instructed to see Messrs Vowles thereon and endeavour to obtain description of traffic using the bridge.
An application was put in from Messrs Strachan & C^o for permission to place a boiler on the Wharf at Wallbridge just inside the wall.
The Committee agreed to allow this for a limited time.
The Tonnage for the period 1^st January to 20^th March was £49..5..7 comparing with £308..15..2 last year and £244..16..5 in 1914.
Bank Balance was £190..16..0 against £184..7..5 last year and £153..1..7 in 1914.
Cheques drawn:
Committee fees: 1..12..6
E J Bradley: 3..7..0
S Turner: 5..18..6
H J H King & C^o: 21..10..6.
M^r E P Little was re-elected a member of the Committee.
