THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE, 



175 



rather the Director who must bo forced up to his 

 collar. Let Mr. Pink, of Wood End, near Farehanii 

 toll his own story : — " When I undertook Mr. Cham- 

 bcrlaync's agency, and went over that portion of his 

 estate at Baddesley, I found a large tract of enclosed 

 land of a good description, hut requiring chalk. The 

 tenants, alive to tlie advantages of chalking, had, when 

 opportunities presented, brought back now and then a 

 few load'*, and where put the hind is worth at least 

 50 per cent, more money. In Baddesley there are 

 about 700 acres of conmion land, much of which would 

 bo capital land if broken up and chalked. None of the 

 Laud Improvement Societies could advance money for 

 chalking; but last session Messrs. Moriison, the mil- 

 lionnaires, applied for an Act to embrace all that 

 former Acts included, and, in addition, obtained like 

 powers to borrow for chalking. I was employed to 

 write a report on the benefits of chalking, and, although 

 there was considerable opposition at first, the Inclosure 

 Commissioners were convinced, and gentlemen on 

 the committee of the House of Lords gave way- 

 This Act enables landowners to borrow, therefore, for 

 chalking, paying, I think, Gl. per cent., which pays off 

 principal and hiterest in about 21 years. Our tenants 

 would pay the whole Gl. per cent, rather than not 

 have it done. I was offered, a few weeks ago, Gs. per 

 acre, or 30 per cent, inci'eased rent of a farm, if I would 

 chalk. The Salisbury and Bishopstoke Railway passing 

 through Baddesley, and also through the chalk stratum 

 of West Dean, and seeing a notice at Chandler's Ford 

 Station that applications for chalk should be addressed, 

 I believe, to Mr. Scott, the traffic manager, I at once 

 made application. I ought to inform you that prior to 

 this I arranged a meeting with the Company's engineer, 

 to ascertain if there was any difficulty as to a siding 

 at the spot where the chalk would be required. Having 

 obtained his opinion in favour of my scheme, I applied 

 to Mr. Scott for 20,000 tons of chalk, to be delivered 

 in two years, at such times most convenient to the 

 Company, offering to pay any fair rate for delivering 

 the chalk, the whole of the expense of the siding ; and 

 I will pay the pointsman, if necessary, and erect a tem- 

 porary dwelling for him if required. I did not offer 

 the two last items, because I received a reply from 

 Mr. Scott that the Company declined the matter. I 

 then applied (by Mr. Chamberlayne) to the Hon. Mr. 

 Dutton, who caused the subject to be brought again 

 before the board, and I only received a similar reply. 

 The point selected for the siding is almost midway be- 

 tween Romscy and Chandler's Ford, and equally con- 

 venient for Sir William Heathcote's estate as Mr, 

 Chamberlaync's. I had seen Sir William's agent, who 

 was pleased at the project, and no doubt would take 

 another 20,000 tons; besides these gentlemen there 

 are other landowners who would, no doubt, avail them- 

 selves of the privilege." 



This is an extraordinary array of plain simple facts. 

 Here is business on the line guaranteed for years, and 

 with what a prospective ! Experiment already proves 

 that the land increases immensely in value by the use 

 of such a material, or, in other words, that it increases 



in produce. It is not one proi)rictor merely who 

 might profit by such a convenience as that asked. 

 " There are other landowners who would, no doubt, 

 avail themselves of this privilege." The Company's 

 own engineer makes no difficulties over the offer, 

 which was up to " any fair i-ate ;" but the Board 

 twice refuse to entertain it. And so the wealth of the 

 country is curtailed, and the food of the people is kept 

 down, solely, as it would seem, that the Salisbury and 

 Bishopstoke line should be made to pay as little as 

 possible. Facts like these speak very much for them- 

 selves; and in his extremity Mr. Pink, as it striken us, 

 goes very wisely to work. He does not go to law and 

 insist on a public Company doing all it professes by its 

 very existence to do for the public convenience. He 

 does not ask the influential country-gentlemen to persist 

 in worrying the wooden-headed Board. He does not 

 even write to the papers; but he regards the matter 

 from his own point of view, as what it really is — a 

 farmers' question. Accordingly he draws out that 

 succinct statement we have just given, and then sends 

 it off to his own local Club. This is the Botley — fortu- 

 nately an institution of some active energy — and the 

 well-known Mr. Spooner, the Secretary, at once 

 goes into the case. At a Meeting of the Club, 

 he showed what good customers to railways the 

 farmers had become ; while Mr. Warner, the President, 

 insisted on the liability of the company as public 

 carriers. A debate, that was inevitably all one way, 

 was concluded with the passing of the following reso- 

 lution : " That on account of the monopoly they enjoy, 

 and the large quantity of land they have severed ;ind 

 destroyed, the Directors of the London and South 

 Western and other railways are under a moral obliga- 

 tion to render every possible assistance towards the im- 

 provement of the land in the neighbourhood of their 

 lines, by transporting, at the lowest remunerating rate, 

 chalk and other minerals needed by the soil, and lay- 

 ing down or assisting others to lay down the necessary 

 sidings for the purpose, in situations most convenient 

 to the owners and occupiers of the land." 



We are not quite sure that this resolve puts the chief 

 point quite as prominently as might be. We are in- 

 clined to regard the subject more as "a commercial 

 question" than " a moral obligation ;" and perhaps 

 after all Mr. Pink's own statement of facts is the best 

 argument. The Club, however, was the very place to 

 discuss the matter, and most probably " it will not end 

 there." It is too late this session for the Central Club 

 to interfere, as its programme for the year, it will be 

 seen, is just issued. But should there be a scarcity of 

 material to select from hereafter, let not this topic be 

 overlooked. Farmers and railways have yet some little 

 to learn as to how they may become of the most use to 

 each other, and there is a smack of novelty about the 

 broaching of such a subject in open debate that of it- 

 self promises well. What lots of things there would 

 be to ask for, and what improvements to suggest! But 

 so far Mr. Pink has the credit of having chalked out 

 the line for us. 



