The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-05-06 00:00:00

HALICSOWEN AND BROBISGROYN BRANCH
RAILWAY.

TunsuA,

Mown or Couscous, r.
The bill promoted by this company same this morning
before a /West Comraittec consisting of Mr. O'Re:liy
(chairman), Mr. Carpenter Gamier, Mr. Palmer, and Mr.
Johnson.
Mr. Gates and Mr. Godson were cc:angel for the pro.
moters ; Mr. Chripps and Mr. Saunders for the Great
Western Railway Company; Mr. Ryton Wood for Mr.
Leigh Smith and other iandowners.
In opening the case for the promoters, Mr. Gates
stated that the object was to take powers for the con-
struction of two Doss already authorised by Parliament

and another/ short line, and also to raise further capital.
-he Halesowen and Bromsgrove Railway was accepted as
long ago as 1865, and was to extend from the parish of
King's Norton at a junction on the Midland to Hales-
owen. The lines went through four miles of the land of
Lord Lyttelton, who was himself chairman of the com-
pany. The following year it became necessary for the
company to continue their line to some ironworks at
Corncireaves, and also to a placelwhereithey were sinking
Pits for the purpose of obtaining the yard-coal not pre-
viously worked. From this the learned counsel pro-
ceeded to explain how the difference arose in the first
instance with the contractor, and subsequently with
respect to the alteration of the station at Halesowen in
connection with the Great Western Railway Company.
Mr. Chripps, on behalf of the Great Western, said
*hat- the promoters wante'd 'was to go through their
station to another station beyond it.
Mr. Gates explained that they did not want two
stations. One ground of the objection of the Great
Western was jealously of the Midland, with whom the
Halesowen had an agreement. Another question would
be whether the public purposes of the line would out-
weigh the reasons inducing Mr. Fernando Leigh Smith,
and other owners, to wish to keep the land to them-
selves. The length of the proposed line was st.vdn miles,
and it was proposed to call it in future the Halesowen
lute.
Mr. Jeston Homfray, solicitor, of Brierley Hill, gave
evidence as to the yard-coal on the proposed line, and
the works in construction, to raise 3,000 tons of coal per
week. It present there was no railway, and the works
could not be carried on without either railway or canal.
Attempts had been frequently made to get the Great
Western Company to give them accommodation. The
company, however, had never said a word or given them
a promise. The coalowners then went to this company.
Mr. Holcroft's and other collieries could be well served
from this line. The British Iron Company would also
be accommodated. Knowing generally where Mr. Leigh
I smith's property stood, he should say the nearest colliery
Iwas 400 yards from Mr. Smith's residence, and was now
1112

__ full quirk.
Crosa-examined by Mr. Chripps : He was aware that
the main line of Halesowen and Bromsgreve was iacota
plate, and that it was intended by this bi'l to make a
deviation. The main market for the coal would be
northwards, over the Great Western, to Staffordshire
and to Birmingham, for the supply of manufactories.
The Great Western already had a branch into the Con-
greve Works, but could not go further. What he desired
was to get a line communicating with the Great Western
and the Midland; but if they could not get the Miiiland
they would be glad to get the Great Western. Up to
this time the Great Western had persistently refused
them. They intended to work independently, but if the
Great Western would give them accommodation they
would be quite content. Their object was that the coal
should find its way from the collielies to the Stafford-
shire furnaces.
By Mr. Ryton Wood. He was not aware there was any
other reason for the line but to serve the collieries.
The coal was a particularly sweet coal for the manufac-
ture of iron. There were said to be 1,500 acres of coal
in the district proposed to be served by this line. They
wished to have access to the Midland as well as the
Great Western for the sake of competition. At Mr.
Holcroft's colliery they could raise 2,500 tons per week.
but owing to the want of railway service they did not
raise an ounce.
Mr. Forrest, minining engineer, spoke of having an
interview, with the local manager of the Great Western
in March, 1875, with a view to the construction of the
line, but the interview came to nothing. It was in the
interest of this company to have an approach to toe
Midland, because the Midland carried to the North, and
they could get a better price in the North for their coal
In cross-examination, in answir to Mr. Chripps, he
did not know if the approach to the Midland was made,
or if the Midland would have power to carry the coal.
In answer to Mr. Wood, he said his company were not
bringing up coal now, and would not be for the next
twelve months, and there was only one colliery in the
district where coal was actually waiting to be taken away.
There was not any accommodation at present to send

coal anywhere from their pits.
Mr. James Whitehouse, mine agent for Mr. Holcroft,
who ownel extensive pits in the district, said the shafts
in Mr. LEolcroft's pits had been sunk for twelve months,
at a cost of between £50,000 and £60,000. No coal had
been raised yet, because there was no outlet for it.
Mr. Grocutt, iroumaster, said there was great scarcity
4 coal for the working of iron at present, and it would
be a great boon to them if the coal front this district
could be forwarded to them.
Mr. Edward Richards, engineer of the line, gave evi-
dence as to the construction of the line. The high
road, he said, ran between the proposed line and Mr.
dmith's house. Witness also explained to the com-
mittee the proposals as to the two stations.
The cross-examination of this witness concluded the
proceedings of the day, and the committee adjourned
until Wednesday.

Proceedings before the Select Committee on this bill
were continued to-day ; Mr. O'Reilly in the (their.
Mr. Richards. engineer of the proposed new line, was
further examined by Mr. Ryton Wood, on behalf of a
landowner as to the probable interference of the railway
with " romantic property" suitable for building site'.
Re-examined by Mr. Gates : All the railway rails,
tish-plates, and sleepers had been purchased, tenants
compensated, and the land, as far as possible, purchased.
Lord Lyttelton had taken the value of his property in
shares, and the present Lord Lyttelton and his agent
were anxious for the completion of the line. With
regard to Major Smith's house' the Manor Holme
Colliery was situate quite near. Ile was aware of the
agreement of 1865, to which both the Great Western
and the Midland were parties, by which they agreed
to work the line, and to give a very good rebate in addi-
tion.
The Chairman : It is the existing agreement which
will be abrogated if this bill passes.
Mr. Gates : If all would work into one station.
Witness said it was of great importance to the corn
pany to obtain a rebate, and if the proposed deviation
were not sanctioned by the committee, there would be
no juuction with the Cireat Western, and the agreerneut
wuu,u be virtualiy abrogated.
Mr. Chripps : lhe agreement related to the line as it

stood originally.
‘Vituess : At all events, if this deviation is not per-
mitted we stud! have no rebate. If it is permitted, we
shall have much better cheece of obtaining the capital
than ever we had before.
Mr. Gates asked what eilect this would have on the
debentures.
Witness said the authorised amount of debenture
stock was £4,000, no part of which had been touched,
but which was a first change on the gross receipts. A
gross receipt of six pounds per mile per week would be
quite sufficient to pay the debenture interest, lie
believed he was correct in statiug that no hue in England
took so little as six pounds per mile. There was, there-
ire, every prospect of raising the capital for the line.
This concluded the case for the promoters.
Mr. ‘Nood, addressing the committee on behalf of the
landowners, explained that the proposed hue would
destroy the beauty of the residential estate of Major
Smith, and would positively ruin his property. He con-
tended that the promoters had not shown any pubfic
rocessity for this line. It was merely a line for the
accounnotlatiou of a few private coelowners of the dia.
trict. Commenting on the evidence of Mr. Whitehouse,
ne said ail tout geutletnen had proved was that there was
a line of railway nearer to Mr. lio.croft'a mines then the
preposed hue wuuld be; and therefore, as far as he was
eJucerned, there was noineceesity for the line at all. If
the coalownere wanted the line they ought to subscribe
tae £15,000 to pay for it. These owners would not sub-
scribe to it because everybody had lost faith in it, because
it bad been talked shunt so Wag. The original Mil we.
given twelve pars ago, and nothiug had beer does ;Alice,
and people had lost taith io it. Of all the withaisee whu
4441 beeu tX4121/1.1.041 hot 0155 Was a subscriber, or knew
auy bo.l who was a subscriber.
Mr. WoJhiridge. surveyor, of the firm of Oates,
Perrens, and 1% ouldridge, stourbridge, stated that he
was well acquainted with the property of Major Smith,
and thought it very prettily situated. proposed hue
would be about 100 yards nearer the residence thau the
authorieed line, and it would be open to the view of the
ph
loauesee, ,aanudd w
owuoludi d
injuregreatly deterioratet
ghea b n
ereaalluyt.y In
opinion the district was purely agricultural, and not a
coal district.
In cross-examination he said the already authorised
line, if it were made, would no doubt injure Major
Smith's property to a great extent. He did not agree
with Mr. Grocutt that there was any quantity of coal to be
found in the district.

Major Smith, owner of the property in question,
stated that it had been in his family about 260 years.
The construction of a railway in the district had been
hanging over his head for the last twelve years, and he
was anilollS to get the matter settled. It was true that
the proposed line would be in full view of his house.
The colliery spoken of as being an eyesore to his house
was nearly worked out. it was considerably furtuer
fr an his house than the extremity of the deviat.on
would be, and it wits to a great extent shut out by tr.-es.
Ever3budy who owned property in the distract, as far as
he knew, obj iz.cd to the proposed line.
Cross-exarniued: It would hardly be possib:e to shut
out the proposed iiae by trees, in co7.s.quence of the
peculiar nature ut toe laud ; but even if it could be shut
out he should still not be content to have it there.
11arwsrd gave similar evidence with regard to the
damage which wouid be done to the property in the dis-
trict by the proposed railway.
n n
Mr. Chripps, on behalf of the Great Western Cum-
paoy, charaseriscd this as an audacious proposal by
~a ukrupt company to introduce theMiuided Railway
i .to the Great Western district, or t
)induce the latter
'
way neglect.ng. He also drew attention
Use list of direesors, and contended that none or the
in 'hey rsquired for the Hue had been, or would be, sub-
scribed by the public-
Mr.
nuodt, ;I g:ea it dear of money on a distr.ct wh.ch they
Mr. John Harward, the previous witness, was again
put in the box, and staled that £.40,000 had been spent
i
U that district n the search for coal, to no purpose.
In cio.s.exKmination, he said he was in.ti acted by,the
Great Western Company to examine and report upon the
district, and he could not advise the company to spenu
any money upon it.
Mr. Welson, C.E., gave evidence on the various lines
of railway proposed for this district.
The evidence of Mr. Grierson, general manager of the
Great Western liailway was heard
At the conclusion of the case, the Committee declared
the preamble mot proved.

TITUDAY.

Consideration of tits merits of this bill was resumed
tallay, in the tielect Committee to which it had been
referred; Mr in the chair.
The Chairman said the first matter to be dealt with
was to reconsider the opinion given yesterday by the
eouitnithe as to refusing the extension of tire'. As tie
attention of the committee Was n.,t called to this inatt.r
before they [ova that opinion, they had decided to recufl.
eider the questi ni of extension of time. He was bound
to say that when their decision was etatet yesterday the
fact that the time for the purchase of land expired with-
in two months of the present date had not come under
the attention of the committee, as no evidence was given
on the poita heronorh sinadinittebrepeonreg arferrermedtkad thatoby the counsel.re
Mr. r.
ooason