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

pence

TOTALS

£3, 004 £148 – 15s – 6d Resulting in a net reduction for the General District rate of £311 – 6s – 7d. - £460 – 2s – 1d

The estimates of the Tramway’s finances for 1912 – 1913 were outlined in a report submitted by the Borough Treasurer showing that the cost of the Tramway (including local challenges to the Tramways Bill prior to 1881) from the time of Incorporation to the present day on the rates had been £9,334 – 8s – 10d. He suggested that this should be recorded as a debt, due to the rate funds from the Tramway undertaking in considering the question of rate subvention from the Tramway Department. He also reported that the Tramway Renewals Fund stood at £8,403 and that next year’s interest on this amount would amount to £294. It was resolved the sum of £734 – 8s – 10d would during the year 1912/13 be put into the Rate Fund. This would leave £8,600 due to be refunded in respect of the loss of £9,334 – 8s – 10d previously referred to. The Committee then resolved to issue from time to time a supply of tickets to the local Institute, for the use of blind people who were residents of the Borough for their use over the Corporation’s tramways. It was then resolved that the Sub-Committee were empowered to deal with any tenders submitted for the supply of new tramcars. March The Electrical Sub-Committee met to consider the specifications and tender from the Brush Electrical Engineering Company for the supply of one double-deck car at £746 and one single-deck car at £696, both of which would be identical to those currently in use. It was resolved to accept both of these prices. At a meeting of the Electrical, Legal & Parliamentary Committee it was resolved, due to the continuation of the ‘coal strike’, to reduce the amount of fuel used to generate electricity by curtailing services on the various sections of the tramway. It was decided to reduce the frequencies as follows - SECTION Changes in frequency Withdrawals Clayton from every 15 minutes to every 20 minutes the 05:15 from Accrington to Clayton Oswaldtwistle/Hunc oat from every 10 minutes to Oswaldtwistle to a through service every 20 minutes 06:05 from Accrington to Oswaldtwistle All the Saturday and Sunday services were unaffected. The Electrical, Legal & Parliamentary Committee received a letter from Clayton-le-Moors District Council yet again requesting the Corporation considered the question of reducing the fares between Accrington and Clayton, and that the cars travelling in the direction of Accrington should be allowed to make a ‘short stop’ at the Hare & Hounds crossroads in the town centre. It was resolved the Town Clerk would write in reply stating the Corporation would not reverse its decisions on either of these matters. An application was made on behalf of the ‘inmates’ of the local workhouse, for free travel on a tramcar to take 120 to attend a matinee performance, and this request was agreed to! A petition was then received from the motormen, conductors and cleaners for an increase in pay. It was resolved that from next April they would be given a rise of one farthing (¼d) per hour, subject to a discontinuation of time not actually being worked and to a ‘revision’ of time allowed in signing on and then off. The term ‘not actually being worked’ referring to the interval between crews arriving back on workmen’s cars, before going out again on their ‘ordinary’ services. It was then resolved the wage of Thomas Marshall, the Superintendent of the Tramway’s Parcels Department, would be increased from £1 – 10s – 0d per week to £1 – 12s – 0d per week. Also that the wage of the painter’s labourer at the depot, Mr C. Gent, should be increased from 5½d per hour to 6d per hour. Application for increases from two coach-painters and the wheel-turner were turned down on the grounds that they were already receiving pay at above the ‘standard’ rate for the district. The Electrical Sub-Committee examined the tenders for the supply of stores to the Tramway Department for the year ending on March 31 st , 1913 as follows - Gear wheels – (British Hele-Shaw Co.) @ £2 – 12s – 0d each. Pinion wheels - (British Hele-Shaw Co.) @ 5/6d each. Haslingden from every 15 minutes to every 20 minutes 06:30 from Accrington to Baxenden

Binding wire – (L. Andrews & Co.) @ 9 pence per pound weight. Bearing metal – (Glacier Antifriction Metal Co.) @ 7 pence per pound. Steel machined tyres – (J. Baker & Co.) @ £1 – 14s – 0d each.

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