The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-05-01 00:00:00

BIRKENHEAD GAS AND WATER

COMPANY,

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES.

Sir,—fiieale and temperate leading article itr
your paper of this day, is calculated to do much
good in allaying unnecessary irritation as to the
conduct- ,of The directors of the company, and
having carefully read the proceedings of the recent
public meeting, and referred to the report and
accounts of the company, I venture to Occupy a
few lines of your valuable space to contradict one
or two of the principal assertions of Mr. Bre-
therton, who, however able a lawyer in the County
Court, is clearly not much versed in Parliamentary
practice, or he would never have made the absurd
remark that the borrowing powers of a com-
pany are- part and parcel of the ori-
ginal capital, instead of being, as is in".
variably the case, an " addition thereto.
Then, again, as to the allegation that £30,000 had
been borrowed at a certain period when no cor-
responding amount had been spent on capital ;;
surely Mr. Bretherton knows better than to
suppose that companies wait until they have spent
the money before they exercise their borrr wing
powers. No, bat shrewd men, such as Mr Mallaby
and Mr. .3":.tckSon 'thew 'better, and When money-,
was cheap, as it was in 1812, they appeared to
have borrowed in anticipation of their wants, and,

as I am informed, re-lent the same money at..a
profit to the cunpany. But where a lawyer is
certain of not being contradicted, such a point as
this•was too good to be lost, even if it could not
be hereafter substantiated. Neither could Mr.
Bretherton be ignorant that 'he was stating what
was incorrect, because in the-very account from
which he quoted he sees it stated that the capital,
inclusive of the loan, is £133,000, all of which has
been spent, excepting £7,561.
As the meeting; without Mr: Bretherton, would'
hliarteerrvery-clulli -he -certainly did his- best- -to-
please his audience, net,T hOWever, .by making-
accusations-against!the-Company, but by showipk
r h
how very eleverly'thead managed to :;et a bill,
giving them permisitAfe do eVergthintr,-1:44-oithout
one solitary clause their tot'do-ahythiti.
Surely the public time is only wasted-in lament.:
thatthings were not done in 181.3, which-,thV
progress of Birkenhead renders - self evident as
needful in i 857. Hay 'hope, then, that my-fellow
ratepayers will carill*llly , study and .follow. the
advice you give them this day.
Letting byr,gmekil?q,J.l:tones, let its set to work
to abate the fearful evils under which we sutter
and,- estimating thscp,riee of-the company's works,
let us not forget thEct for ITlftny years their dividend
did not reach two 'per :cent, and let us also...be
thankful that they have shown some forbearance
by not exacting the, "triaximurd rates for gas or
water.—Your Subscriber, . A RATEPAYER.

•••• TO 3'HE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES. •
Sir,—l observe, by your paper to-day, that you
advocate the sale_Jo the commissioners of the

Works, L 3., of the Birkenhead Gas and Water
Company. As a consumer, ratepayer; and bond-
holder, I lnive to ask you to allow me the use of
your columns for- the purpoie of entering my
protest against the tranfer ofeither the gas or
water works to the commissioners—the township
being already reduced to' state of insolvency
almost hopeless' by the mis-Inallagement,of its
affairs and fi.nanees. - Are the commissioners, then,
the prOper parties to manage the supply of gas and
water

Admit that the present company do not satisfy
the requirements- of -the communityjs there any-
thing-in the former conduct of the commissioners
to justify even a small 'hope that if the gas and
water works get into such hands any benefit will
accrue to the inhabitants ? Depend upon it such
a step will only make matters worse than they are.
N'othwithstandin7the aSSertiOh to the contrary,
no one eau read the correspondence between the
commissioners,zas to part' of the cemetery estate,
without comma ,to. the conclusion that the com-
missioners did refuse to ..allow the company to
purchase from them the most eligible site for new
waterworks, upon . terms :which would have been
hailed as a ,god-send if offered by any one else ;
and, conse'qu 'eiatly, it is ':'the commissioners,
and not the company, who are to blame if
the present' stipply of water is not adequate
to the wants of the township. ThuS the
commissioners have 'already stood in the way oia
proper prOvi.,ion of water. Besides this, it is well
known that no corporation or body of commis-
sioners, even when welleondueted, have ',ever
managed shell concerns as satisfactorily
_ttS•A
company ; what then will be the result when the
inhabitants are left to the tender mercies of the
Birkenhead Commissioners, notoriously the most
ill-regulated body in England !
Further, when these commissioners get posses••
sion of the gas and water works, however grass
may be their conduct, we can have no redress.", a
permanent monopoly will exist ; an opposition'
company could under no possibility obtain a
footing.
Tdoinot pretend to justify the present company;
they poesess, as. we all .know, under their Act of
Parliament, enormous powers and privileges; and
possessing 'such, I cannot 'say that; they' havelsotta
right to them until deprived. But I find even
more difficulty in .justifying: the conduct:lof-the
commissioners. They-Eire loud in condemnation
of the act by which thiiTtiOnatiany -acquired their
present power and privileges; but does it look as
if theyliad either right or heeaur-on---their side
when they give vent to foul calumnies which they
would not ,utter as individuals,, and, which they
dared not utter:, during the life of the 'man whose.
eharacter they now attempt
.to malign ! 'At the
Same time it seems inconvenient to.remembeetliat,
before the passing :of the act so complained of, spine
of those who novr'Condetnn it were then its fires
supporters.
Whativill the present chairman of the *cohabits-
sioners (the same geritlemati4ho wits in the chair
at the rate payers meeting on Tuesday) say, when
reminded that at a public meeting, called expressly
to opposaahe existingatet, he, not•only did his best
to defeat the object of that ,meeting, brit actually
seconded and carried an amendment to the effect,
that the measure was..)qtle-o-calculated- to benefit
the Township ! To,whitidan'.the change of opinion,
which he now evinces, be ascribed? Is it to adesie.to
„
promote the public benefit? It may be °T), but it
seems very douhtful, particularly wino we see the
virulence which characterises at-a' opposition to the
new bill, a bill which apPars to me to week for no
further or increase- ,
powt eor privilege than those
acquired by tb?.., old act.
Another" point rha-Ve to complain of is the reek-
leas.ness with which- - the. .cot,ntnissioners, who
cannot pay the i4tOreat; 40; their bonds, waste in
unnecessary expense the fines which ought to go
to the bond holders.--They -employ, anil no doubt
highly remunerate, a law clerk and his deputy, who
ought to be able to get up evidence, yet they must
needs send to London for a parliamentary agent to
do work for which officers are already employed.
All this. cannot be done for nothing; but they say
it will only be the bond holders who will suffer,
they are so accustomed to do without their interest
that they will not feel the want of it.
Now, I will venture to suggest a remedy. Let
the mass of consumers form themselves into a
body iniependent of the commissioners, and, in
order to obtain protection from Scylla, the com-
pany on one side, and Charybdis, the commis.
sioners, on the other, unite themselves into a con-.
sumers' company, for the purpose of purchasing,
the existing works, both gas and water, with all their
privileges and advantages, upon such terms-as will
give to such new company a fair interest for their
money, and enable them to obtain a sufficient
supply at the lowest possible cost.—l am, Sir, your
obedient servant, A CONSUMER.
Birkenhead, April ao,. 1857.

TiE ATTEMPTED MURDER 'AND SUICIDE AT BMSTOL.—.
The adjourned inquest on the body of John Cooney, the
dish labourer, who, after violently attacking his wife with
a hatchet, destroyed hims:lf by cutting his throat,
.was
held at Bristol yesterday. Some letters fJond on the
deceased were produced, dwelling upon the unkindness of
his wife and family. The jury proceeded to the surgical
ward to receive the evidence of the poOr woman, who bag
received severe injuries. She stated that in her opinion
her husband was deranged. Verdict, 6, Temporal?
insanity."