Inland Transit/Forster
Class D.—Practical Effects of Railways.
Mr. James Forster.—p. 145.
1. Are you a broker in the city of London?
Yes. I am.
2. Are you well acquainted with the value of Canal and Railroad property?
Yes.
3. Will you be kind enough to state whether since the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railroad the Canal property has increased or diminished in value?
The Leeds and Liverpool Canal, which is the canal with which it was expected it would interfere the most, has increased in value.
4. Do you know whether the Leeds and Liverpool Canal opposed the application for the Railroad?
They did.
5. Did they do that at considerable expense?
I believe at a very large expense.
6. And did they do that under an apprehension that the Railroad would be found to be prejudicial to the canal?
Yes. I believe they did.
7. Are you able to state to the committee whether it has been found to be so or not?
No, it has not.
8. Will you be good enough to state what were the dividends of the Leeds and Liverpool canal in the year 1829?
20l, per annum.
9. Can you inform the committee what they are now?
At present they remain the same as they were in 1829, but a large sum of money has been expended in paying off the debt.
10. Is the income considerably greater now than it was previous to the existence of the Railroad?
Yes; it is considerably greater now, and is improving half-yearly.