568 



FARMERS' REGISTER— ADVANTAGES OF RAIL ROADS. 



'Do you know of any instances by which land has 

 been depreciated by it? — 1 think I can say positively 

 that there is not "an instance on the Manchester 

 line . 



'Do you know of any person quitting their dwelling- 

 houses in consequence of it? — I do not know of one. 

 I should b3 glad to purchase land on the line, to build 

 for m3'sslf.' 



We may here state that the Cliat Mosa is an 

 extensive district of bo;^ and morass, over which 

 the rail road was carried at incredible labor and 

 expense. It was of coarse previously altogether 

 unproductive. We now, however, see on each 

 side of the road extensive systems of drains, 

 gradually carrying off' the water, and leaving 

 tracts of considerable fertility. There is no doubt 

 that within a very short period the whole of this 

 morass will be transibrmed into a lertile tract of 

 arable land. 



Another ground of objection, is the injury likely 

 to be produced to turnpilce trusts. Ev^en if the 

 truth of this objection be admitted, it is not one ol 

 sufficient force to wairant the sacrifice of public 

 benefit. A turnpike trust is, or ought to be, held 

 only lor the public good; and if it siiould be aflect- 

 ed by the establishment of a rail road, this would 

 only prove that the one was ibund more beneficial 

 than the other. But it is a curious fact, that this 

 apprehended injury has not (at least in every in- 

 stance) ensued. The Stockton and Darlington 

 railway furnishes a remarkable example to the con- 

 trary. 



Mr. Pease states in his evidence that the turn- 

 pike roads in the rieighborliood of that railway 

 have been improved since its construction. 



'Has there been any advantage djrivcd to the roads 

 in the neighborhood? — I consider that they are all ol 

 them in a much better state of repair, and that their 

 funds are improved; I do not know a single excep- 

 tion. 



'Do you know the road from Stockton to Barnard 

 Castle? — Perfectly well; I have been a commissioner 

 In that trust there are two roads running nearly parallel 

 with the rail road, and a third intersected by it. 



'Were the trustees of these roads petitioners against 

 the bill?— All of them. 



'On what grounds did tbey oppose it? — That the 

 money borrowed on mortgage was hazarded by the 

 rail road. 



'Have their fears been realized? — No; the funds mall 

 cases are improved. 



'You state that of your own knowledge? — Yes, as 

 an acting commissioner.' 



The advantages likely to arise to agricultural 

 producers from the facilities of conveying their 

 produce to market, as well as the reciprocal ad- 

 vantages derived by the consumers, were render- 

 ed apparent by the evidence of several farmers 

 and graziers, and also of metropolitan butchers. 



Mr. W. Meade Warner, an extensive flirmer 

 residing in Oxfordshire, stated, that he considered 

 that if the rail road now proposed to be carried 

 fi'om London to Birmingham had been formed ten 

 or fifteen years ago, it would have produced him 

 an advantage of not less than fifly pounds a year. 

 He considered that the whole system of farming 

 grass land would undergo a change, owing to the 

 new capabilities which would be conferred upon it, 

 by the speed, certainty, and cheapness of the 

 communication with the market. A different 

 kind of produce, of a much better and more pro- 

 fitable quality, would be obtained from it. 



'Are lambs sent to London from your neighborhood? 

 — They are, principally on the road; but when too 

 young to leave the mother for so many days as the 

 road requires, they are "sent by wagons. JVot many, 

 however, are sent by this way. 



'Are you prevented from sending many lambs to 

 market by the difficulties of the road? — We cannot 

 send them so young as we would otherwise send them. 

 It is of importance to send them early in the season, 

 as the ewe would feed off earlier. 



If a rail road were established, would they be sent 

 by you and the other farmers by that means? — No 

 doubt of it. 



'Do the same observations apply to calves as to 

 lambs? — Exactly. 



'Are the cattle much injured by being driven up? — 

 Very much; incalculably.' 



It is not merely views of policy that should lead 

 us to seek for some improvement in the transport 

 of cattle to the markets. The following evidence 

 is addressed to the feelings of common humani- 



•Supposing that even the cost was increased of send- 

 ing them by the rail road, would it be of advantage to 

 the farmer to have them conveyed by that means, ne- 

 vertheless, instead of driving them in the ordinary 

 way? — Certainly; it would be a great advantage. 

 Sometimes the poor things arj driven till their feet are 

 sore; and the effect of that is, that they are sold on the 

 road for what they can get. It is often the case, that 

 they drive many ot them till they have not a foot to 

 stand on. 



'What price, in your opinion, would the farmer be 

 wilting to pay for the conveyance of his cattle to Lon- 

 don by the rail road, instead of the present way? — If I 

 paid double, I should still be a very great gainer. It 

 is a very important thing in the saving of beasts and 

 sheep, both as to the exposure and the nuisance they 

 create on the public roads. Besides that, the cruelty 

 and injury to the animals is beyond all belief. 



'Do I understand you rightly, that you would prefer 

 to pay fourteen shillings for transmitting your cattle 

 by rail road, to paying seven shillings for the ordi- 

 nary means of conveyance? — To be sure I should.' 



Mr. Charles Whitworth, a very extensive far- 

 mer in Northamptonshire, was examined on the 

 same points. He had seen cattle conveyed on the 

 Manchester Rail Road, and stated that they came 

 li-om the journey 'as fresh as if they were just off 

 the field.' He stated, that in order to send the 

 lambs to market, it was necessary to send the 

 ewes a part of the way with them; and 'even 

 then they were much injured before they reached 

 London.' 



The injury sustained by cattle coming to the 

 London market, was fijrther proved by Mr. John 

 Sharp, an extensive butcher, residing in Mary-le- 

 bone. He stated that he has been for forty years 

 estabUshed as a butcher, and that he never Jiiiled 

 to observe more 'or less injury sustained by cattle 

 driven from a distance to London; that their value 

 was considerably lessened, owing to the inferior 

 quality of the meat, arising from the animal being 

 slaughtered in a diseased state; that the animal 

 being fatigued and over-driven, 'becomes feverish, 

 and his looks become not so good, and he loses 

 weight by the length of the journey and the 

 fatig-ue.' He stated further, that even steam-ves- 

 sels, where they could be resorted to, did not alto- 

 gether remove this objection. Cattle come from 

 Scotland by steam-vessels, and they are found in 

 London to be in an unnatural state: 'they seem 

 stupified, and in n state of suffering from fatigue.' 



