The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1880-10-12 00:00:00

BEIDPORT.
BRIDPORT RAILWAY COMPANY.

At the Bull Hotel Assembly-room, on Friday last,
an extraordinary meeting of the tsroarietors of this
company was held under the presidency of Mr. Wm,
Swatridge, Chairman of the oompany. The meeting
was convened to consider an offer by the G.W.R. Co.
for the future working of the liridport line by the
G. W.R. Co. upon terms to be then submitted; and to
consider a proposition to enable this company to work
the line themselves' also to consider generally, and
decide or to the future working of the line. There
was a very large attendance of shareholders and
directors, viz., MOSIRIL J. P. F. Gundry ( Deputy-
Chairman), N. M Loggin (Secretary) ; Directory-.
Messrs. W. IL Chick, J. Legg. and Major W. Swain;
Shareholders—Messrs. J. T. Stevens (Mayor), T. H.
Edmunds (ex-Mayor), C. G. Nantes, R Cornick, 0.
Ireistone, Major Grove., J. Ho4ret_J. Swr.s. W.
kfaoey, W. Knight, J. C. Larcombe_, F. Good, yv . H.
Manley, W. Clarke (0.E.),_ T. H. Osborne, J. Diller,
H. Howell, J. Dunham.W. R. Turner, G. A. Sam-
son, T. Farnham.—Mr. Loggin read the notioe oonven.
tog the meeting, also the letter reed at the last meeting
of the eeteleany, being an offer to continue the work.
Dig of the IMP. This was followed by a letter received
that morning from Mr. GI-damn, and was IN follows :
General Manager's Offlos, Paddington 8
" London, October Trkikal(l.
"Dear Sir.—l am in receipt of your further letter of the
tad inst. and have now to state that your coormiudeation
of the gist, and incloeure were laid before my Board at their
meeting yesterday. In reply I was instructed to observe
that as you supreme .no views with respect to the offer
made by their company, and ask for no further informs-
tion,it appears to be unnecessary to =he any remarks with
revue to the proposal made by this company for the
working of the Bridport railway. With respect, how-
ever, to the report which has been made by (to us)
unknown persons, and to which you called attention in
your letter of the list silt, there are some statements
which it is desirable should be explained to your share-
holders. For instals's, it is stated " that the development
of the passenger traffic has been retarded by nation of the
fares for all chases being so high." Then, agatn, they
state " If your Board take the working in their own hands
as we the entire control of the fares for peens-
gers.airerttikrates for goods will be under their own super-
vision. These observations show that the parties who
, have come forward to advise the Bridport Directors are
, totally unacquainted with the existing arrangements and
I the position of matters between the two companies.
Your directors and yourself are aware that the
local sr fare, have been controlled by your
directors, tilt had not been for the hod that the drave-
meat of the traffic had been retarded by reason of their
being tooZathis difficulty would have been removed
at any time your oompeay ; but your directors not only
did not them to be too high, but on the contrary
objected to third class passengers being carried by each
train, es is done on this 001er&117.11 system, to and from
Maiden Newton which hes given Him to the only com-
plaint, which, as far as I an aware, have ever been made
NI to fares. With respect also to the goods rates you are
also aware that your company have been allowed by Ulla
'someway out of the through rate, on a three propor-
tion of the traffic, • much larger BUM than their
due mileage proportion. A concession which was made by this company at the ooromenoement of
the workbag of the line, and which has rewarmed ,in force ever &Moe. A further statement is
I made that adequate provision does not exist at
I the terminus for the growth of the good, trail*. I
would remind you that some years ago I proposed. on behalf of this company, to provide the means of improving
the desk,. at Bridport. end. therefore, if improved stetion
accommodation was necessary it has been in the hand, of
your directors at any time to carry out the improvemects
the, hod u,ossalst it deelrsble to do so. It may be as
veil further to point out that the authors of the report
have omitted from their calculations any mention of the
rent which would have to be paid to this company forth.
use of the Maiden Newton Station, and for the services of
the staff there, as well as the junction expenses, all of
which would be incurred if your comps., worked the
tins, and while they hold out • threat of forcing through
rates over this oonmany's system in contsecUon with other
lines, in order to compete with this Company, they do not
refer to the fact that the revenue may be affected by th non-continuanos of the higher proportion of the rates, whist your companl have hitherto received, or to expenses
being incurred in the efforts to forme • competition upon
this oompeny, as well as with respect to the other matter",
which each • course se that recommooded would entail.
On the whole, inasmuch as this company are unable to
work the Bridport Railway without loss for 50 per cent of
the reosipta, it mus be obvious to your director, and h
holders that, irrespective of the questions of workelh plant, !h. no contractor could possibly work it for any
thine ike that, percentage exclusive, even for tbe
additional amounts I hare referred t eswell as the rilc
of accident, which has hitherto b,ing borne by this
company.

" Yours (.4111141y,
"J. Oimmotc."
N. M. Loggin. Em.. 13ritport Railway.
A lengthy sad highly importsnt discussion followed
sato the future course to be adop4o4l by tho Bridport
Company, for the working of their line after the 31st
December next. Mr. W. Clarke (C.M.), se a share-
holder, expressed himself strongly adverse to the
adoption of the proposed scheme of Ileum Cleminsson
and Pain, engineers, of London, who were present,
and who submitted calculations to the meeting.
Ultimately the meeting wee adjourned until three in
the afteraoon to await II misty per telegram from Mr.
Crimson. The reply stated that the loam would be
extended for • mouth to give this company time for
further considera.s
_tion. The meeidisg was *lsis
adjourned till 9th rnoerabsr.