WILTS & BERKS CANAL TRUST

WILTS AND BERKS CANAL DINNER

Management and men dine together.

In response to an invitation from the directors of the Wilts and Berks Canal Company about 30 of the employes, with several directors, sat down to a capital lunch at the Goddard Arms Hotel, Old Swindon on Saturday.

Mr. T Turner was at the head of the table, supported on his right by Mr. F. T. Easton, of Ravenscourt Park, London, and on his left by Mr. W. J. Ainsworth, the manager and secretary to the Company. While facing him in the vice-chairs were Mr. C. H. Masters, J.P. of Barrow Green, Oxted, Surrey, and Mr. Alleyne Boxall, of London.   The loyal toast having been honoured after the approved fashion, pipes and cigars were lighted and "Success to the Wilts and Berks Canal Company" was submitted from the chair.

After tracing the history of the canal from its early days, Mr. Turner remarked that in the present management of the canal they had a SPIRITED BODY OF DIRECTORS, who had undertaken the work of the resuscitation of the canal for commercial purposes, and they hoped to take a fair share of the trade of the district through which the waterway passed, and to receive in the future some recompense in the shape of a dividend.

The canal could not only be used for the purpose of commerce, but in places could be made an ornamental piece of water. The portion which passed through New Swindon, for instance, could be made very picturesque.

In conclusion, the chairman coupled with the toast the name of Mr. Alleyne Boxall, who as a director, was always ready to forward in any way the interests of the company. --- Mr. BOXALL'S health having been cordially received, he acknowledged the compliment in a few pointed remarks.

The state of inanition into which the navigation had fallen was not he said, due to the idea that carriage by water would not pay, nor to a belief that there was not sufficient trade in the district through which the canal passed, or that the undertaking was not in the right hands, it was due to the fact that the recent proprietors were well aware that a large sum of money would have to be spent, and this they were not prepared to provide.

During the last year THE NEW MANAGEMENT had been doing a great deal.

Mr. Master had formed an honorary committee, and they had accomplished a large amount of practical work. The company was also very lucky in having secured as its manager and secretary an able man like Mr. Ainsworth, who discharged a great responsibility.

After urging on the men the advantages of unity among themselves and the manager, Mr. Boxall concluded by observing that it struck him as very strange that the landowners who were prepared to lay out upwards of a million pounds in the construction of the canal should have allowed it, for the want of a little energy, to fall into the state of partial disuse in which it had been for the past few years.THE WORK OF RESTORATION.

MR. Master next submitted the toast of "the employes of the Canal Company," and in proposing it reviewed at length the state of the canal twelve months ago, contrasting it with the improved condition which had been brought about under the new management.

A committee consisting of himself, Mr. Pickersgill Cunliffe, and Mr. Turner was formed, and they had gone over the whole of the sections, directing the work of restoration.

It was thought that the wisest course to pursue was to deepen the summit of the level, and this was being done.  Though it might appear to the people living in Swindon that very little had been accomplished a great deal of money and labor had been expended and the canal was in a different state from what it was a year ago.

Giving details of the work, Mr. Master said five aqueducts all underground, had been completed, eight lock-sides renewed, nine pairs of new bottom gates and three new top gates fixed, one culvert repaired, and some miles of feeder re-cut and cleaned. Two sets of bottom and two sets of top gates had been repaired, and a considerable amount of work had been done by the Company's dredger.

They had put in six new wooden bridges and repaired three, and two brick bridges had also been renewed. Thirty miles of weeding had been done, and nine miles of the summit level had been repaired.

The canal consisted in its entire length of about 70 miles, all freehold, and the whole of it had been weeded with the exception of 21 miles. In addition, 11 freehold houses had been repaired.

As to the cost of working the canal, the current labor expenses had been reduced by £170 on the year, with very satisfactory results, the water on the summit being kept nine inches above the level of neighboring.

All this work he said, would be useless without organisation, and that in turn would be no good without effective labor, for which they looked to the men assembled there that afternoon.

Mr. Master then explained that the canal had been divided into sections for each man, and that premiums would be given annually to the men who were considered to have earned them by attention to their section.

The PREMIUMS AWARDED this year were as follows:-1st section, Eastern Division, C.Higgs, £3; 2nd section, T. Willis, £2; 3rd A Sheppard, £2; 4th Woodward, £2; 5th, O. Hunt, £1; 6th, H. Bryant, £2; 7th, B.Chivers, £2; considerable applause greeted this announcement.

In concluding, Mr. Master said he should himself be pleased to offer a prize of £5 to the man having the best section next year. The premiums already won would be paid when they next received their wages.-Mr. Boxall also offered a prize of £3 for the second best section next year.-- The names of Messrs Ferris, Willis, and Chivers had been coupled with the toast, and the first named responded on their behalf.

" the Management of the Canal" with which Mr. Ainsworth's name was associated, was proposed in eulogistic terms by Mr. F. T. Easton, and supported by Mr. C. H. Master, who spoke in warm eulogy of the loyalty with which MR. Ainsworth had carried out the policy and decisions of the directors.

In the management of the EXTENSIVE PROPERTY of the company Mr. Ainsworth had an immense amount of detail to attend to, and though his close attention to the business of the company involved his often being engaged from six in the morning until nine at night he appeared to thrive very well in spite of his arduous labors ( laughter and applause ) -- Mr. Ainsworth suitably acknowledged the compliment.

Addressing himself to the men, he reminded them that they had obligations of duty to fulfil, and making reference to Nelson's famous signal, said he failed to see why it should not be an obligation of equal force in peace as in war.

Before resuming his seat Mr. Ainsworth proposed "The health of the directors of the Wilts and Berks Canal,"

Coupling with the toast the name of Mr. Master, who in replying, spoke in commendation of the work of the men, specially mentioning the exceptional work accomplished by the carpenters, -- The concluding toast "The Chairman," was proposed by Mr. Easton and suitably acknowledged.

The company shortly after separated.

EVENING NORTH WILTS HERALD Monday August 29th 1892.