From this newspaper 150 years ago. – Leyburn, Skipton and Wharfdale Junction Railway Bill. The select parliamentary committee appointed to consider this, the third of the bills affecting the North Riding of Yorkshire, entered upon the consideration of the matter this morning. Sir Thos. Winnington was chairman, and with him were Mr Wm Leslie, and Sir Jno Lopez. The counsel for the promoters were Mr Merewether, QC., Mr Coleridge, QC., Mr Clerk, and Mr Coleridge; Mr Dawson for the North-Eastern Railway Company; Mr Granby Somerset for Mr Chaytor. Amongst those present were Mr Van Straubenzee, Spennithorne; Mr Thos Topham, Middleham; Mr Jno Fisher, Masham; Mr Hunter, Newcastle-upon-Tyne; The Rt Hon T E Headlam (Judge Advocate). Newcastle-upon-Tyne; Mr Jno Outhwaite, Bainessee; General Thos Wood; and Mr Bolckow, Middlesbro'. The objects of this bill are to incorporate "The Skipton, Wharfdale, and Leyburn Junction Railway Company," with a capital of £400,000 in £20 shares, and £133,000 loan, and to empower them – To make a railway, length 31 miles 5 chains, from a junction with the North-Western line of the Midland Railway near Skipton, passing by Linton, along the valley of the river Cover, by Middleham, to a junction with the Northallerton, Bedale, and Leyburn branch of the North-Eastern Railway at Fingall. To run over the portion of the North-Western Railway between the intended junction and Skipton Station, and the use that station ; and to run over the portion of the North-Eastern Railway between the intended junction and Northallerton, and to use the stations thereon. To interchange traffic facilities, by through booking and otherwise, with the companies owning or working those portions of railway : To enter into working and traffic arrangements with the Midland, the North-Eastern, and the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Companies. The line touches Spennithorne, Middleham, East Witton, Carlton, West Scrafton, Horsehouse, and Coverdale. The bill is opposed by the North-Eastern and Midland Railway Companies, and by certain landowners.

From this newspaper 100 years ago. – A Richmond Man's Impressions of the Fighting. Mr Frank Brand, son of Mr Charles Brand, painter, of Richmond (who has three other lads fighting), a well-known Territorial and a prominent billiard player in the Orme League Shield, is having a lively experience at the front. Writing home to his parents, he says: "I am writing this letter in the trenches, having a few moments to spare. We have had a few days' rest, which I think we have earned since the action we were engaged in at Ypres on the north-east side. Of Ypres itself there is absolutely nothing left standing. On the Sunday when we went into the front line of trenches in two hours we counted 574 shells which exploded in a radius of 300 yards round about us. It is marvellous how we escaped, but we can tell by the whistling of the shells through the air whether they are going over us or going to explode against us. I have had the satisfaction of sending one German to sleep. He was standing on the top of their trench 700 yards away, and I had a shot at him and toppled him over. Our chaps caught a few through the nights. They go out towards each other's lines, and, of course, the quickest live – no prisoners, only bullets. The nights are as bad as day, as both sides send rockets up into the air. When one went up one night we saw a German cutting our barbed wire. He started shouting and crying "Don't shoot." We didn't when he had a dozen bullets in him. We have had good news lately. Our chaps are gradually driving them back, but if you were here and saw the fighting, a yard takes as much capturing as a mile. By the papers, our lot has not half got bumped up, but they deserve it, as chaps here. Regulars, who went through Mons, say this was a lot worse. According to the papers the eight days we were in it there were more shells fired than were fired during the whole of the South African War.

From this newspaper 50 years ago. – Far too many of the hunting, shooting and fishing fraternity are filling the so-called independent or impartial positions on the agricultural industry's Central Wages Board, says Mr Jack Brocklehurst, North Riding organiser of the National Union of Agricultural Workers. Commenting in his monthly newsletter on the rejection of the workers' application for a reduction in their 45-hour week, he says that the union has never made an application with a stronger case for it being granted. "The independent members voted with the farmers against any reduction in our working week. How on earth they could reach such a decision on the facts before them completely passes my comprehension. In fact, I am deeply disturbed and shocked by their decision..." Mr Brocklebank says that he believes that there will be a strong call for a change in the constitution of the wages board. "Many of us believe that it is just impossible to get an independent outlook on these issues. In one way or another they are involved on one side or the other, and the sooner this is more generally recognised the better. "I want to see the day when the Board forgets about its impartial or independent members and appoints some arbitrators from other industries; two from the trades unions and two from the employers in other industries. That would be our shortest route to securing some of the improvements we want to see. "We have far too many of the hunting, shooting and fishing fraternity holding these so-called independent or impartial positions and they regard work on our farms as being a glorified existence. "We know that it is nothing of the kind. We face the elements day in and day out throughout the year; we take the rough with the smooth. Yet our output proves up to the hilt that we are in line with George Brown's Prices and Income Policy."