d North Western Railway Company, through Sir Richard Moon, for
the conveyance of mails from Shrewsbury to Borth, the then terminus.
Through working arrangements were also in force among the various local
companies, and it was obvious that the time had come to face the problems
of future policy. These were not altogether of simple solution.

[Picture: A Group of Old Officials. Standing--From left to right--The
first figure is unidentified; Mr. Geo. Owen, Engineer; Mr. Henry Cattle,
Traffic Manager. Seated--Mr. A. Walker, Locomotive Supt.; Mr. George
Lewis, Secretary and General Manager; Mr. H. C. Corfield, Solicitor]

Very early in the year Mr. Abraham Howell was moved, in one of his
frequent letters to the Earl of Powis, to warn his lordship that he
scented "another crisis coming on in the affairs of the Welsh Railways."
Once more there was division of opinion and "parties" were forming. Mr.
Piercy and the majority of the directors were for extending "the Welsh
system so as to make it independent of the great companies and set aside
existing agreements and obligations." Mr. Howell himself, with Mr. Savin
and a minority on the Board, inclined rather to the course of
accommodation with circumstances, making the best of the lines and
properties of the companies as they stood, avoiding extensions and
increasing capital, while cultivating friendly arrangements with
neighbouring companies and so avoiding as much as possible Parliamentary
and legal conflicts.

After all the tribulations through which these undertakings had passed
the more politic and pacific course certainly had its advantages, but one
Parliamentary adventure could not easily be avoided. Whether the policy
was to be one of splendid isolation or of neighbourly friendship, the
moment was obviously ripe for some measure of internal consolidation, and
powers were sought for this purpose. The Bill had to pass through the
now familiar ordeal of battle, both in the Committee of the House of
Commons and in the House of Lords, when many of the old arguments and
some new ones were skilfully marshalled on behalf of the Great Western
Railway Company and rolled on the tongue of eminent and eloquent counsel.
Even the little Bishop's Castle undertaking threw in its lot with the
opposition, finding a powerful protagonist in Mr. Whalley. But the
Cambrian had stout friends to put in the witness-box. Earl Vane proved a
tough nut to crack in cross-examination.