The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1880-06-08 00:00:00

LOCOMOTIVES ON HIGHWAYS.

A correspondent (WILT.) has favoured us with a
cutting from a Hereford paper, which will doubtless be of
use to the officials on our quays.
d Wender Urquhart engine driver, Butestree, wee
summoned "That on the 18:h of March, he than being
the driver of certain locomotives, to wit, two traction
engines, propelled by st,sam on the highway there situate,
did neglect to comply with the rules and regulations of
the Act 28 and 29 Vic., cap. 83, section 3, whereby it is
required to cause some person to precede the said locomo-
tive, while it is in motion, on foot, by not lees than 20 yards,
carrying a red flag."
Defendant pleaded guilty.
The Magistrates Clerk: Have you any excuse
Defendant said they were only shifting from one place
another, and the boy who should have carried the flag
. . . .

carrilog

WAS SWILF WNW Ilg the •
The constable who laid the charge said there were two
traction engines. and there were many people about, the
hounds having met there tliat day.
Dsfendant said that wee the reason he pushed on
without waiting for the boy, ari they were near a covert
for fore., and the hunteman wanted him out of the way.
The Chairman asked if the defendant had been up
before? . . _

-13-n.pe—rintendont ome said he hod not. The drivers of
those road locomotives were not so careful as they should
le. Defendant was very civil when spoken to.
The Bench icapoesd a penalty of Al and 14e. 61. costa,
and cautioned defendant not to offend again, or he would
receive a more serious penalty.
The money less paid.
wzymourn TOWN COUNCIL.

Present: The Mayor, Aldermen Thomas and Ayiesbari ;
Councillors LI inns, Dennis, Roberts, Walker, Charles,
Dunn, Lovell, Webb, Canning, Graham, and Wallin

ALLEGED ENCROACHMENTS BY THE O.W.R. COMPANY.

The MATOR said since the last meeting he had received
various communications from people on the Quay with
regard to the alteration of the tramway. The company
had so far modified the pl in which was sent down to their
managing engineer that they had moved it considerably
to the eastward. They hail finished laying it at a point
Effft, to the westward of where they had permission to
lay it. The line wan all down, the potato traffic had set
In, and he must now leave it to the Corporation to decide.
Mr. Deem thought it scarcely worth while to make the
company pull all the rails up again.
Mr. Ratan asked if they intended for the Great
Western to do just as they liked I Zither they were
muters of the position or the Corporation were. When
they and the Great Western came together there should
be an understanding between them, and they should
know who were to be masters of the position. If the
property belonged to the Great Western then let them
have it and do what they thought proper-, but if the pro-
perty was vented In the town, if they allowed the c on-
pony to do at they liked and lay down rails where they
pleased, the Corporation were unworthy of their places
as the trustees of the town. No member of this Baud
was more anxious than ho WM that the Great Western
should have every facility given them for carrying on
their traffic; but he opposed the company going doing
just as they liked alter the Mayor had authoritatively
given his instructions that they were not to go beyond •
certain point
The MATOII. MY very disinclined to think that a com-
pany like the Great Western would positively go and, in
common language, crib • piece beyond the permission
given by this 0 wporatioo. Hat he had enquired very care-
fully, and was incliued ti think there had been • mistake.
When the plans were purled, the Board at Paddington, of
course, did not know the ins and outs of the property, and
instructions were given their engineer to carry them out.
Of course the engineer had his masters to obey. If there
were any alterations in the plane they mule go back and
be revised at Paddington. He proposed this: Kr. Hooper
was going to Liudon this week upon other business, and
he might ask the company to send down their engineer
and see the Corporation, rather than the Corporation be
set in any way hostile to the company.
Mr. Lovett asked for the original skeleton plans agreed
on; the company must have known they were going con-
trary to them. He agreed with Kr. Rol:mu—the °
lion were '&014 themselves open to a grave rerponai=
Supposing people came out of • public-house (and they
were not always in the best of trim when they came out)
and got under the trucks, the Corporation might be celled
on to pay heavy damages. It was an Obstruction to the
public highway, as well as • surrendering of the Council's
rights.
Alderman 'Noma remarked while they questioned the
propriety of the act, of the Great Western, they should
bear in mind the great advantages derived from the trade
brought here. He supplrted the Mayor's suggestion. They
could then point out to the engineer the inconvenience
they were subjected to by their present arrangement. The
company had always been ready to meet them in fair and
amicable way. He did not nod fault with them, and he
asked the Council not to look with too much prejudice on
their actions.

Vs, whilst he agreed with Mr. Rohm. that the
company ought not to depart tram the strict lines laid
down by the Corporation, felt very strongly that they
should not in any way interfere with the development of
the traffic which this and other companies were bringing
into the town. (Hear, hear.) Hs felt so strongly on the
matter that If they came and asked for further powers to
extend their tramway on the Quay, be should, as a mem-
ber of the Board, be desirous of granting it and affording
them every facility for extending the traffic. The matter
was really so tithing that if the Town Cheek represented
to the company that the Council felt very strongly in the
matt .r of the brewli of the agreement, that would meet
the case. He was strongly opposed to taking up the tram-
way again. Ewen if It interfered in some measure with
the convenience of private Interests, private interests must
In a degree be samilload to the more general and far more
important public interests of the town.
Mr. Waltz& argued that when public companies inter-
fered with any agreement that had been entered into, they
should be treated just the same as they would treat other
people. They shoal insist upon their going bath to the
original lines, and then if they saw fit altar that to grant
them increased accommodation, that was another matter.
As the Quay was in the Caution hands they were bound
to see that people did aa thy told them, unless the Cor-
poration was disposed to give up the entire control into
their hands.
Mr. Wattle contended that the company had no right
to monopolies the Quay and inconvenience and injure
private individuate A lodging-house keeper there had
taken his house on • l
mosey every year of ease, and be told him he was losing
his life.
The MAYOR said it was really • trifling matter to the
Board at Paddington—merely • question of • few feet of
tram one way or the other. The Board did not under-
stand the minute details of the case, and it was the
easiest thing in the world for them to pus a plan like thls,
without the slightest intention to encroach.
Mr. Rowse could not agree to this without aaoreadnir
his great dissatisfaction. Even if Its 'toed alone he
would protest against the action being allowed to be
taken without letting them know how very much we dis-
approve of it If you say the Great Western authorities
did not know the length of the line they were going to
have, and hew many feet they were going to have, why it
would be ridiculous to say they had not got the whole
thing clearly laid down before them. It was just this—
doing as they pleased, and humbugging them afterwards,
nothing more than Just throwing dual in their eyes. It
would be • mare farce farther man totems down and sneak
to_the,P. .•

LOVILLI, wall of the seine opinion.
The lIIATOR did not want the Great Western to ride
roughshod over alt Private interests ; he would advise
them to protect those interests in a friendly and not In a
hostile spirit In oral communication with their °Okla!
they =ld explain the matter plainly to him and in am
strong language as they lined.
Mr. LOTZLL remarked there WU nobody there but
would like to me the talkie of the port increased tenfold,
whether it be by the Great Wesl4lll or anybody else : but
he could not cm they were Vini the right way to increase
the trade of the port generally by erin, the Gram
Western everthing they wanted te the exclusion of every.
body elm. He was of opinion that everything they had
beyon I what was originally allowed them they ought to
pay for.
Mr. WALKER : All this occurs because we did not
preserve the original plan that wee handed in to us.
Alderman Tacna; proposed. and McLennan ATL/7111171T
seconded " That the Groat Western Railway Company be
requested to tend their engineer. Mr. Voss, to meet the
Council with regard to the alteration of the tramway.'
Mr. Wsuras moved "That the original plan sanc-
tioned by the Council. be brought with him." ,
Kr. Lorzu, seconded.
The latter was added to aldscroaa Thomas' modes sad
the whole agreed to.