The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-05-02 00:00:00

OPENING OF TRANMERE FERRY

The report of a disagreement between the Corporation
and Messrs. Willoughby, the late lessees of the Birken-
head Ferry, and the announcement of the transfer by
these gentlemen of their most efficient packet establish-
ment to Tranmere, hare created in the minds of a great
portion of the inhabitants on both sides of the water equal
surprise and sincere regret. During the past few years,
and indeed from the commencement of their management
of the Birkenhead ferry, Messrs. Willoughby have dis-
played an amount of liberality, enterprise, and regard for
the convenience of both communities, which cannot be
sufficiently praised. With powerful opponents to compete
with in the Birkenhead Commissioners—the owners of the
Woodside andthe Monks' ferries—they have not only stood
their ground, but even gone in advance in the race ; and,
up to the last day of their connexion with the Birkenhead

property, it has not been in the power of the most cynical
to point to any establishment upon the river more perfect
in all its arrangements, conducted with more unvarying
urbanity to the public, or more actively useful to the in-
creasing traffic of the locality, than this ferry. We regard,
therefore, with regret, in connexion with hundreds of their
friends, the step taken, both on private and—so far as the
interests of Liverpool are concerned—on public grounds ;
for we cannot anticipate that the Corporation will be en-
abled to provide themselves readily with lessees of the
property, whose management will be so advantageous to
all parties.

We shall not here enter into the question as to the
grounds of the unfortunate disagreement which has taken
place. These will, most likely, be elicited in the Council.
Our object was only to convey to the late lessees of
Birkenhead the tribute of approval of their past exertions,
which they have so fully earned ; and, at the same time,
to congratulate the sister locality of Tranmere upon the
acquisition which they have gained in the reopening, under
such management, of their long disused ferry. We are
not quite so full of Liverpool sympathies as to be warped
by the fact, that the benefit now extended towards Tran-
mere and the neighbourhood must be attended with some
depreciation of the property of our Corporate estate. The
time must inevitably have come, in a year or two, when
the Tranmere Ferry must have been reopened. It is
urgently required for the accommodation of the population,
which is fast extending from the south of Birkenhead
towards Limekiln-lane. Rock Ferry, and Bebbington ;
and we doubt not it will be found after awhile that there
will be traffic sufficient for all the ferries. In the mean-
time, we look for a considerable increase in the value of
property in the locality now to be supplied with increased
facilities of communication with Liverpool.
The present Tranmere slip has been greatly improved'
recently ; and will now be found to be one of the most
commodious upon the river. A spacious waiting-room
for ladies has been erected, and is well fitted up. Of the
boats which will in future ply to it we need say nothing
in praise, inasmuch as they are known to be unsurpassed
for speed,' comfort, and safety. The charges for con-
tracting, &c. will be upon the same low scale as those
made by Messrs. Willoughby at Birkenhead.
Yesterday morning, Messrs. Willoughby commenced
running their boats from Tranmere, and thr9ughout the
day all was life and bustle on the slip, which for so many
years has been entirely deserted. Up to twelve o'clock,
they also had boats plying to Birkenhead, but at that hour
the Corporation entered into possession of that ferry, and
three steamers engaged by them will continue to ply, we
presume, until other arrangements are entered into. We
have no doubt that the ferry will be worked by the Council
with energy and punctuality, but they will now find very
formidable competitors, both north and south, and great
economy must be exercised to make the property at all
remunerative. We believe every one of the contractors
at Birkenhead have followed Mr. Willoughby to Tranmere.