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

If you prefer to find the whole of the capital for providing electric power, new rolling stock and overhead equipment along with the reconstruction of the permanent way, we are prepared to negotiate with you on that basis. But I think when we come to the details we shall probably find that a division of the expenditure between BET and your Corporation, will be the most satisfactory arrangement. You already own the track, and I believe there can be no doubt everything appertaining to the permanent way should be carried out by the Corporation. However, with regard to the rolling stock and the overhead equipment, I think that on enquiry it is better that proportion of the works and consequent expense is better done by BET for these reasons. The electrical equipment is subject to frequent repair, and the people best suited to do any repairs are the workmen whose job it was to erect it, as it is physically impossible for anyone other than my Company who are working the lines. It follows that they are the best people to maintain it, and BET will provide the capital to erect it. This would of course be subject to the supervision of the Corporation. I would not suggest constructing poles or equipment without the approval of your Engineer and your Committee. The character of the overhead would also need the approval of your Committee, but as there are often small and trifling repairs required, it would be inconvenient to bother your Surveyor or Town Clerk with them, as these are rectified within a very short time. The same criterion applies to the rolling stock. The cars will have to be of the best possible specification equipped with motors of the finest type kept in constant care and repair, and this requires the expertise of an Electrical Engineer. There are many other details and it is the people who have to work the cars, who are best placed and qualified to carry out repairs, and it is better that they also provide the rolling stock. As regards power, that is an open question as far as we are concerned. I am given to understand that you contemplate building an electric light generating station, and if you carry out that policy, it would no doubt be the best arrangement if you should also generate the power for the tramway. If that is so then we are prepared to purchase all the power required for operating the tramway upon ‘reasonable’ terms that are satisfactory to both parties. There should be no great problems with this, as my Company has all sorts of arrangements with operators all over the Country. But you might have an alternative view on the question of power. I think that deals with most of the questions, and I would now like to call your attention to the first instance. But as I have stated, there may be many other points that it will be necessary to discuss in greater detail. The main point we have to discuss is this, that all of this new work involves BET being put into a position of longer tenure. My Company cannot possibly go to its shareholders or to any outside financiers with a view to raising additional capital if the Lease has only a life of 7 to 8 years. Therefore one of the first points to be negotiated is the question of whether your Corporation will, in obtaining these advantages, be prepared to grant BET an extended tenure of Lease. Of course this can be resolved in various ways, but as Parliament has already decreed that 21 years is now the ‘minimum’ period under which any company would be justified in carrying out new work of this nature. Now I am often asked in making these approaches, - Why does BET come into our area to offer these advantages? They are not philanthropists! So for what reason do they do it? Obviously the view is to make profit. We come to you in the spirit of businessmen, who feel they might render to you a service, which it is not possible that you can accomplish yourselves. In rendering you that service we hope to make a profit for our shareholders, nothing but a reasonable return which merely compensates us for the risks we undertake. The services of a Company such as ours are necessary to provide this area with a consolidated and uniform system of tramway management, because corporations are very hampered in this. You cannot go out of your own district to make the sort of changes we propose, and you are restricted in many other ways. Therefore a Company like ours who can come and make arrangements with more than one local authority and take on all the responsibilities for consolidating all the conflicts of interest, can carry out a large scheme to the advantage of all and everyone concerned in such a way that no other companies can carry out

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