the navigation prospered, with dividends rising steadily from 5 per cent in 1771 to 13 per cent in 1792. under the terms of the act of parliament, tolls were reduced when the dividend exceeded 10 per cent, and the first such reduction occurred in 1791. improvements continued, and were funded by making calls on the original shareholders. this provided a way to increase their income without exceeding the 10 per cent dividend limit. in 1798 a long cut at thornhill was made, bypassing the town of dewsbury. trade with the town was maintained by the construction of a wharf and warehouse in what is now savile town basin dewsbury, however this was not until 1877. another stimulus to trade was provided by the rochdale canal, which opened up a through route from sowerby bridge to manchester from 1804. a new cut and a lock were constructed at brookfoot. near brighouse. between 1805 and 1808, while the elland cut was extended to link up with the sowerby cut in 1815. there were further reductions in the tolls in 1801, 1804 and 1808.