Inland Transit/Pease
Mr. Joseph Pease. Director of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.—p. 20.
1. Where do you live?
At Darlington.
2. Are you connected with the Stockton and Darlington Railway?
I am.
3. In what capacity are you?
I have been a Director to the Company from its formation.
4. How long is it since it was formed?
In the year 1822. Ten years.
5. Has it been in constant operation since that time?
The Railroad has been in operation seven years.
6. During the whole time have you been connected with it as a Director?
Yes.
7. Have you directed your attention to the effect that Railway has had on the landed property through which it passes and adjoins?
I consider that I have pretty closely.
8. Have you known any thing of the negotiations that have taken place with the landowners who have purchased property?
I believe I have been privy to every one of them.
9. Have the landowners received full compensation for every damage done or could be done to them by the line of Railroad?
In the course of forty miles we never had but two appeals to the sessions; every other case was adequately compromised.
10. Do you know any instance in which any landowner of the present day considers his land injured by the passage of the Railroad through it?
I am not aware of the existence of one case.
11. Do you know whether the advertisements for the letting of farms or the sales of estates contain any thing relating to the Railroad?
It is invariably stated either that the Railroad passes through the said estate or near to it; I believe invariably.
12. Those advertisements are put forward by sellers?
Yes.
13. You need hardly be asked if they consider it is an advantage?
They consider it as an enhancement of the value of the property.
14. Can you enumerate any instance in which a particular advantage is given to landholders by the line of Railroad passing through their property, or near to them?
The Stockton and Darlington Railway have paid great sums to landowners for gravel, for timber, and stone taken out of their estates, for the making of bricks and a variety of other purposes; they have paid very large sums.
16. Independent of the sums paid to the landholders for the ground taken?
Entirely independent of the sums.
17. Has there been an advantage derived to the roads in the neighbourhood from diminishing the quantity of traffic upon them?
As regards the turnpike roads. I consider they are all of them in a much better state of repair, and as to their funds, than they were prior to the construction of the Railway. I do not know of an exception.
18. Is that from the diminution of the traffic on them?
Of the diminution of that kind of traffic which is most injurious.
19. Are the landowners and the tenants benefited by the reduction in the rates?
I have conversed with many of them, who acknowledge the sums paid to the parochial and other rates are very large.
20. They are benefited then by it?
I take that for granted.
21. To what extent do you pay parochial and other rates?
We are assessed on the amount of our net income.
22. To what yearly amount in round numbers?
I find it impossible, unprepared as I am, to do that; in some parishes it is about half of the whole rates.
23. That is, half of the rates of some of the parishes is borne by the Company?
Yes; and some more than that.
24. Do you consider that the Railroad does any injury to the game on the property?
We have never had but one complaint, four years ago; the Company put down the objection,—the cause of the objection.
29. Are you a landowner yourself in the neighbourhood of the Railroad?
Yes. I am.
30. How near does it pass to your property?
I have one small estate which it intersects in two equal parts, nearly.
31. Does it pass near to the homestead?
It passes through the inclosure in which the homestead stands.
32. Have, then, you or the landowners been benefited in respect of draining by the Railroad passing?
I have, by the cutting fourteen to sixteen feet deep through, that I have sunk myself; and I observe where there were cuttings the landowners do avail themselves of then as drains.
33. Has the rent of that property you speak of, through which it passes,—has that been increased or decreased since the establishment of the Railroad?
I consider it has increased one fifth.
36. Have you known any instance in which there has been a reduction of the rent in consequence of the Railway having passed through the farm?
I have not been able to meet with such an instance.
47. The Company have made an increase to this line in some places beyond what was originally intended?
It was intended for a single way; it is now made double.
48. Were they obliged to treat with the landowners for a large quantity of land?
With a very large proportion of them.
49. Have you paid on those treaties an increased value upon the land from what you would have paid before the line was established at all?
Invariably.
50. To what amount will you say?
I should say we have never objected to pay an advanced price of fifty per cent.
51. In consequence of the increased value from the Railroad?
We were quite aware of the increased value to the owner.
52. You made no objection to that?
No, none.