On the 2nd of July, 1906, an extraordinary event occurred when the Caledonian Steam Packet Company and the Glasgow and South-Western Railway stopped their steamer services to Millport following a dispute with Millport Town Council over an increase in their annual steamer dues.
When it became apparent that the facilities at Millport Old Pier and Keppel Pier were no longer adequate, Millport Town Council applied to Parliament for a Provisional Order to take them over and improve the facilities. The “Millport Piers and Burgh Extension Order Confirmation Act 1905” granted Millport Town Council permission to acquire and improve both piers. They bought the Old Pier from the Marquis of Bute for £5,030, who had acquired it the previous year from the Millport Pier and Harbour Company Ltd., and they acquired the leasehold at Keppel Pier from the Keppel Pier Company Ltd., for £2,000, along with its ‘rights and interests’ according to the Keppel Pier Order 1889. Redeveloping both piers cost an additional £9,000 bringing the total cost to £16,030 (which in 2017 would have amounted to £1,259,469.09).
The full cost of buying and redeveloping the piers would have to be met by Millport’s ratepayers, but as the Caledonian Steam Packet Company and Glasgow & Southwestern Railway steamer companies nearly monopolized both piers, with the exception of an occasional excursion steamer, Millport Town Council felt that the steamer companies, who would benefit from the improvements, should contribute towards the cost of their redevelopment and therefore proposed to raise the annual steamer dues.
Stationed at Wemyss Bay and providing an all-year-round service to Largs, Keppel Pier, and then Kilchattan Pier and Rothesay on the Island of Bute, the Caledonian Steam Packet Company’s annual dues would increase from £215, 10s to £400. The Glasgow and South-Western Railway steamer service which was stationed at Fairlie and stopped at Millport Old Pier and the Island of Bute between Spring and Autumn would have its annual dues increased from £189 to £362.
Millport Town Council entered negotiations with both steamer companies and although several concessions were reached, the steamer companies refused to pay the increased dues, arguing that the steamer service to Millport was unprofitable, and therefore they could not justify the additional costs to their shareholders. On Monday 25 June 1906, Millport Town Council and the Steamer Companies published a joint statement in the Glasgow Herald laying out their reasons behind the dispute, with the Steamer Companies giving the public notice that they intended to cease calling at Millport Old Pier and Keppel Pier from 02 July 1906 until further notice. As the summer season was Millport’s most profitable period, when the population increased from 1,700 to around 10,000, the cessation of the steamer services was a very real threat to the community’s economy and survival.
On Saturday 30 June 1906, while the Town Council stayed in session for the full day organising alternative transport, the steamers arrived and departed from Millport’s piers fully loaded with holidaymakers. In the evening crowds of people gathered along Millport’s streets to watch the last two steamers for the mainland arrive. ‘The Vulcan’, owned by the Glasgow & Southwestern Railway arrived at the Old Pier at 7.10pm and unloaded its cargo of passengers after which the deck crews quickly loaded the company’s gangways onto the steamer. As the steamer left the harbour the crowds began singing “Will ye no come back again” accompanied by a brass band from Falkirk, who were holidaying on the island. The Captain of ‘The Vulcan’ sounded the steam whistle as the steamer disappeared around the promontory and the crowds began singing “Auld Lang Syne”. Later that evening around 6,000 people gathered to watch the last two steamers for the Isle of Bute arrive, the Vulcan and the Marchioness of Breadalbane. Once again, the crowds sang as they departed Millport.
The Caledonian’s “Marchioness of Bute” then arrived at Keppel Pier. Once the passengers had disembarked the deck hands quickly loaded one of the company’s gang planks. Again, the crowds sang as the steamer left the pier. As they sang ‘Auld Lang Syne’ the Captain gave three short blasts of the steamer’s siren.
On Sunday morning a public notice was posted by Millport Town Council advertising the temporary arrangements that they had put into place. From 6am on Monday 02 July a horse drawn carriage (known as a ‘brake’) would take people from the old pier to Balloch Bay where four motorboats would transport people and cargo to Largs, with one daily run to Fairlie. Arrangements had also been made to have two steam lighters deliver passengers and cargo to Fairlie and Largs from the Old Pier. The Town Council had also convinced the Bellman to make his rounds of Millport’s streets on Sunday announcing the new arrangements. Never before in Millport’s history, had the Bellman made announcements on a Sunday. Later that afternoon the lighters owned by Messrs George Halliday (Ltd.) Contractors, Rothesay arrived at the Old Pier, watched by crowds of holidaymakers. The Post Office made its own arrangements to have mail transported from Balloch Bay out to the Caledonian Steamer by small boats.
Thankfully the disruption didn’t last long. Millport Town Council and representatives of the steamer companies held talks in the offices of the Board of Trade and came to a compromise where the status quo in relation to the steamboat service and payment of dues would remain the same until 15 May 1907, during which time the railway companies and Millport Town Council would enter negotiations, via the Board of Trade, to reach a reasonable contribution from the railway companies. When the bellman made the announcement that the steamer companies would resume their services to Millport on Thursday 05 July 1906, the crowds cheered. A large crowd gathered on Thursday morning to watch the first steamer arrive.