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Village Squire, 1977-01, Page 8600 held at the Tecumseh House. Among the principal speakers was Pat Kelly. Sir John Carling who had given a good deal of support to the project was also there to propose a toast to its success. Compared to the prevalent transportation of the day by horse -power vehicle, the new train was a great improvement. Compared to later rail travel it was primitive. The original engines were wood -fired and hit speeds of 12-15 miles per hour as they sped through the bush. Throughout its life the Butter and Eggs Special was never noted for its compliance with the railway schedule. It would stop here and there along the way to accommodate those living along the line. A relationship grew up between the men who ran the train and the people they served. By the late 1930s however, the improvement of highways and of motor vehicles had made highway transportation more attractive. People began travelling in cars; began sending their goods on trucks. The profitability of railways began to drop. In 1939 the railway, now part of the Canadian National Railway system (it became part of the Great Western system shortly after it was built and later became part of the Grand Truck system and then the CNR when the Grand Trunk was absorbed into that company). In December, 1940 word leaked out that the C.N.R. wanted to close the line north of Clinton. A meeting was called in Blyth by Blyth Reeve George McNall and was attended by representatives from all municipalities affected. Wingham's Mayor Crawford was chairman. The meeting was unanimous in feeling the closing of the line would be of great detriment to the whole area. There was anger on the part of some municipal councillors who pointed out that local tax money had been used to subsidize the railway and that the railway had no right to pull out now. R. S. Hetherington of Wingham pointed out that if the war continued, Canada's population might greatly increase and railways would be needed. J. H. Coultes of Belgrave said that gas might go up to 40 cents a gallon soon and that would take the advantage away from trucks. But L. E. Cardiff M.P. said the people had a chance to show the line was needed by increasing their patronage of it. The whole line from London to Wingham lost $9,000 in 1939. The operating loss on the Clinton to Wingham portion was $966, it was later revealed at the Board of Transport Commissioners hearing held in Goderich on Feb. 10-11, 1941. F. H. Fingland was the lawyer representing Hullett township in the hearing. He pointed out that the loss was only $30 a day and that could easily be made up by increased business if people had been made aware of the situation before the threat of closure was announced. "1 maintain," he said, "we should not be cut off from our rights under this contract" (the contract in which the township subsidized the railway construction). There were other arguments, many directed at C.N.R.'s willingness to go after business. Mr. R. S. Hetherington claimed "If Canadian National had met truck competition and gone after business, this condition of affairs would never have arisen." Albert Taylor, a Blyth manufacturer said there was $5,000 more business for the railway in that village alone it the railway would go after it. It was pointed out that the line brought money to other lines too such as the shipping of flour from the large flour mill at Lucknow to the port of Goderich, $17,000 worth of freight business which passed over the line but was credited to the Kincardine to Stratford line. The railway had its arguments too. The loss, it said, was a real one. The argument about the subsidies didn't matter, the railway counsel said, because the municipalities had received their money's worth many times over in the past. And with the country at war, the rails on the line had to be salvaged for the war effort. Perhaps it was this latter argument that in a time of national crisis won the argument. Certainly even in this day and age when we're used to the arbitrary decision of government bureacracy the loss of $966 a year seems hardly to justify the closing of the line. Whatever the reason the decision was received in March of 1941 that the arguments notwithstanding, the line was to close. The argument that people depended on the trains' was met with one that the express delivery would be taken by truck instead. The mail would be delivered by truck between Shop under one roof in climate controlled comfort suncoast mail, goderich LEISURE (<fiII/) WORLD •Crafts• Hobbies• Games• Leather Goods•Paperbacks *Children'sBook NEXT TO THE A & P UNCOASTNMALL All CRAFTS WE FEEL SURE YOU'LL FIND THE LARGEST SELECTION OF CRAFT MATERIALS IN THIS AREA LEATHER GOODS -.AII Brand names •Buxton billfolds, purses and accessories •Dionite Luggage & attache cases •La Marquise handbags PAPERBACKS OVER 8 Q 0 TITLES VISIBLE AT ALL TIMES 6, Village Squire/January 1977