An essential conference was held yesterday in the Waterford Chamber of Commerce, attended by representatives from the Corporation, Harbour Boards, and Chambers of Commerce of Limerick and Waterford, with the Mayor of Waterford presiding. The objective of the Limerick delegation, led by the Mayor of Limerick and Mr. Power, was to discuss a unified stand against the proposed railway amalgamation schemes.
During the conference, significant figures from both cities, including Nelson, Furlong, Ryan, Wyse, Shaw, and Goff, participated in the discussions. Ultimately, the conference attendees agreed on a resolution to firmly and unyieldingly oppose all amalgamation schemes, pledging their commitment to protect the interests of both Limerick and Waterford, as well as the districts served by the railways in question. The Mayor of Waterford was the sole dissenting voice in the adoption of this resolution.
The conference participants also expressed their support for a resolution previously adopted by the Waterford Harbour Board, which called for the matter of railway amalgamation in the south of Ireland not to be referred to Parliament’s Select or Hybrid Private Bill Committee. The resolution emphasized that the subject had already been thoroughly reviewed by Parliament last year with considerable expense to the affected communities and no significant changes in the facts since then.
Irish Independent – Tuesday 06 February 1900
