Accrington on Rails - The Tramways: A Complete History - Robert Kenyon

require in the depot for the engines and cars you would need to operate the Baxenden Section, with running powers from Ellison Street to the foot of ‘little’ Blackburn Road Yours, A. H. Aitken. October A reply ( dated the 14 th ) was received and it read as follows - Sirs, In reply to your letter on the subject of the sale of the Church and Clayton-le-Moors Sections of our tramway system, to enable the Corporation to turn the tramway over to electric traction, they cannot agree to your request. They wish to point out that this course of action would involve great difficulty and even risk to our shareholders. In view of the fact that this Company’s lines extend into other municipal and district areas, it would be for your Council and such other authorities which might be affected to join together in a scheme to purchase our entire undertaking by apportioning payment for such a buy-out amongst themselves. My Directors are willing to negotiate a price for the whole of the Tramway for a definite price. But it is not feasible to expect them to sell off pieces to different buyers at different times, as this would cause serious difficulties that must be apparent to everyone. My Directors see no reason why the local authorities, if wanting electric traction, cannot come to some arrangement in order to implement what would obviously be an improvement for the public, particularly as my Directors are under the impression that some at least of the local authorities are ready to negotiate. James Wilson, Secretary. In the face of this reply, the Committee resolved it was useless pursuing any further the prospect of taking over the Church and Clayton-le-Moors Sections. The Town Clerk resolved that following the information contained in the last paragraph of the Tramway Company’s letter, he would write to Mr W. Musgrove, the Clerk of Haslingden Corporation. This letter ( dated the 18 th ) read as follows - Sirs, As your Corporation are the local authority principally concerned, my Sub-Committee would be pleased to know if this quotation accurately describes the decision at which you have arrived. If this is so, are you now in a position to discuss with us what price should be offered for the whole of the Tramway’s undertaking? If however you have not arrived at this stage, does your Corporation believe that further talks with us w0uld take this matter any nearer to a satisfactory conclusion? November A reply ( dated the 5 th ) was received, it read as follows - The quotation you refer to in the Tramway Company’s letter does not accurately describe the decision at which this authority has arrived! The Tramway’s Directors when meeting with our Sub-Committee were informed my Corporation was, along with the corporations of Accrington and Rawtenstall, prepared to make an offer for the tramway which lies within our Borough upon equitable terms.

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