THIEVES WALK OFF WITH A RAILWAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 2 July 1907, Page 4

THIEVES WALK OFF WITH A RAILWAY.

An amusing story was related before the Vice-Regal Commission on Irish Kail- I ways by Mr Townsheml Trench. It was in connexion with the railway line between llirr and lWtumnui twelve miles Ion;:, formerly worked by the tireat Southern and Western Kaiway Company for a peril.d of years, the lease expiring in IS7O. The company declined to renew tile lease on the ground Unit they were losing C2OOO a year on it, and (lie line became derelict. After a time people began to steal portions of the line. Pilfering on a large scale went on daily, until rails, sleepers, mire, and al had vanished, and nothing remained but the bed of the railway. 'The chairman. Sir Charles Kcotter. said it was most extraordinary that the local shareholders should see (heir line disappearing day by day and take no action. Mr T. M. Healy. M.P.. who appeared for the railway companies: "Oh. yes. they did. They took a bridge." Mr Trench said he was glad to say that had been prevented. The bridge was still there. The police had prevented it from being taken. After the looting of the railway a man came one day with cranes and appliances, and was proceeding to remove the iron girders when the police interfered. The hioks disappeared, and nobody knew what had become of them. After the Great Southern gave it up, mortgagors took possession, but did not work the railway. Then people began to steal the wire. The property was assessed for rates by the county authorities, and the rates got into arerar because there was nobody who would pay them. The county collector seized some of the rails and tried to sell them by auction, but noliody would buy them they waited and walked off with fhem for nothing.