1892: The Board of Trade and Canals - W J Ainsworth

From the Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 12th May 1892

At the meeting convened by the Board of Trade at Whitehall on Monday, representatives attended from all parts canals as being typical of England, as well as Scotland and Ireland.

A representative of the G. W. Railway attended on behalf of the Kennet and Avon; Mr. Ainsworth for the Wilts and Devon [sic]; and Messrs. S. G. Mitchell and W. Jeffery for the Somersetshire Coal Canal.

Lord Balfour of Burleigh presided.

The discussion was was limited to procedure, and in the result the President stated that the Board had determined to take into consideration the classification and rates of six of the principal canals as being typical of the rest, viz.: the Aire and Calder, the Liverpool and Leeds, the Birmingham Canal, the Grand Junction, the Regents, and the Warwick and Birmingham.

They did not propose to go over the whole of the ground of discussion with the other canals, and the companies would therefore be requested to watch the procedure, but matters of detail affecting those canals would be dealt with on their merits. They required that amendments to the schedules in question should be at once formulated and sent to the Board by the end of the following week, and they would sit to discuss them at the Westminster Town Hall on the 18th instant, and two following days.

An intimation was given that the Board would adopt the railway rates as a basis, but classes might be grouped for rating or toll purposes.