South Yorkshire Times – Saturday 17 July 1943
House Letting Problem
Conisbrough U.D.C. Debate
There was a long discussion at Conisbrough Urban Council meeting on Wednesday on housing problems after the House Letting Committee had considered the position of a former miner at Cadeby Colliery, who had been given notice to quit a colliery company house at Denaby.
Coun. I Houghton said the miner joined the Forces and was discharged on medical grounds. His doctor advised him to leave the pit and he got work on munitions. Then he was asked to leave the colliery company‘s house. The House Letting Committee recommended that the man be offered tenancy of the next Council house coming vacant, that a letter be sent the colliery company asking them to stay eviction proceedings, and that full details of the case be referred to the Ministry of Health and Mr. Tom Williams, M.P.
Into “Melting Pot”
Coun. G. Cheshire thought the framing of the minute of the committee was bad and that they were throwing the whole method of house letting into the melting pot. He felt sympathetic in this case, but they were giving the man no practical assistance.
Coun. A. M, Carlin said they were not being fair by debarring people who had their names on the waiting list.
Coun. B. Roberts said it was impossible to give fair play with the limited number of houses they had in the district. When the Council started building houses the colliery company stopped building and that was a wrong policy. If the colliery company had built houses for their workmen there would be no need to turn people out when they had 20 or 30 years’ service at the pit
Question of Contract
Councillor H Gomersall said that the colliery workmen signed a contract to live in the company’s house when they left the pit they have to leave the house. It was no use arguing about needing 400 houses to-day because the Ministry would not allow any authority to build them. He did not know what the Council could do except have a priority list for people thrown out of houses.
Coun. J, T. E. Collins said that with regard to the policy of letting houses to people whose names were on the waiting list the House Letting Committee had a proviso that any authentic cases requiring consideration should receive sympathy.
The Chairman (Coun. J. Humphries) thought authentic cases “were as long as elastic.”
Coun. Houghton, mentioning the hardship of the miner, his wife and children, said if anyone could tell him of a more deserving case he would like to listen. There was a motion that the recommendations of the House Letting Committee be approved and an ‘amendment that the whole matter be referred back. Five members voted for the amendment and five for the motion and the Chairman gave his casting vote in favour of reference back.
Items
The Yorkshire Traction Co. are being asked to provide extra buses to Doncaster on Saturday mornings for Denaby and Conisbrough people.
The Council are to send congratulations to Sergt. J. Mitchell, of the Royal Marines, who has been awarded the D.S.M.
A letter is to be sent to the Postmaster at Doncaster informing him that the Council consider most unsatisfactory his replies to the Council’s complaints of late delivery of telegrams.