Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 20 July 1894

Parish Meeting at Conisborough
Reform of Local Government Wanted

Last night at the National Schoolroom, Conisborough, a meeting of ratepayers was held to consider the advisability of petitioning the Local Government Board for the establishment of a Local Board in Conisborough. The meeting was called for this purpose by the overseers in compliance with a request from a number of ratepayers. Mr. Geo. Appleyard was voted to the chair, and among the ratepayers present, who were not numerous, were Messrs. R. H. Sharp, G. T. Nicholson, C. Kilner, S. Whitfield, J. Boomer, J. Gillott, Dr. Denson, J. Brocklesby, J. Fagin, T. Baker, J. Earnshaw, W. Maxfield, and J. Holmes.

The Chairman, having read the notice convening the meeting, said they had for a long time been in agitation as to the best way of managing their own affairs, and they were met to-night to consider the best way of doing this. Ten years ago he thought they ought to have gone in for a Local Board, and he was certain if they had done so they would have been better for it. Their roads were in a deplorable state (hear, hear), and there were numerous sanitary evils existing in the town which would not exist if they had the management of their own affairs as he contended they ought to have. (Hear, hear.)

Mr. H. Wilson said he had much pleasure in moving that steps be taken to form a Local Board. Things had not gone on as they should have done. (Hear, hear.) They were getting worse and worse every year. Their drainage was in a worse state than ever it was, and they were sadly in need of a proper water supply. They paid their rates to Doncaster, and with the exception of one or two inspectors who came over and told them what had to be done, but did not do it, they got nothing in return for them. (Hear, hear.)

Mr. F. Yeardon asked if the expenditure would be more under a Local Board than it was now. Because if so it was going to be a rum un. (Laughter.)

The Chairman said he had no doubt the expenditure would be increased, but at any rate they would see something for it.

Mr. Kilner said he took it that the object of the meeting was not so much to petition for a Local Board, but in order that they might see how they were going to be governed in the future. (Hear, hear.) As they were all aware, there had been an Act passed which would come into operation in November, when there would certainly be a change made in their form of government. What they had to ask themselves was whether they were satisfied with the present form of government? He was not altogether satisfied. (Hear, hear.) About four years ago he had opposed a movement for the establishment of a Local Board because both political parties had promised for some time to bring in an Act to deal with parish matters. That Act had been passed, and now he was in favour of a Local Board or anything else that would enable them to alter the government of Conisborough. (Hear, hear.)

Mr. R. H. Sharp said that to put the meeting in order he would second Mr. Wilson’s resolution if he would alter the form of it to the following:—“That this meeting deems it highly desirable to adopt local government under the form of a Local Board, and hereby petitions the Local Government Board to issue instructions and powers for the formation of a Local Board.”

Mr. Sharp, in seconding, said that Mr. Kilner had made a very pertinent inquiry. He said, has the government of the parish formerly been satisfactory, and it needed no argument to show that it had not been satisfactory. Repeatedly they had found by experience that the Rural Sanitary Authority at Doncaster was unfit for the work of government, and at all events blind to the needs of Conisborough, and deaf to its appeals. It was for this reason that the recent legislation of the Government was not satisfactory nor adequate to their needs. It provided a Parish Council, which it appeared to him, and particularly in sanitary matters, would be under the authority of the Rural District Council, and the Rural District Council was only a change of name for the present Rural Sanitary Authority, so that even when the Act was passed they would be still under the authority of the same wooden authority. (Laughter.) It would be ultimately very much better, and very much cheaper, if they at once petitioned for a local board. (Hear, hear.) He was certain that Conisborough was at present from a sanitary point of view and social point of view, and in all other adjuncts of civilization, in a most deplorable and forsaken condition. (Hear, hear.) They had their schools closed on account of an epidemic which was even worse upon the hill than it was below, and solely because of the gasses that were rising up there from the defective drains below.

Mr. Baker supported the resolution, but wished to correct Mr. Sharp. The worst of the epidemic was not on the high ground—there was a very bad case indeed near to the sinking brook at the other end—(hear, hear, and laughter)—and which they had talked about remedying for years, but had never got any further with it.

Mr. Kilner objected to Mr. Baker going on like that. His reference to the brook was a piece of animosity and nothing else, and the chairman ought not to allow Mr. Baker or anybody else to drag such matters into the discussion.

Mr. Brocklesby did not see how they could take a vote in favour of petitioning for a local board. They had only three months in which to get the powers before the local board would cease to exist, and they could not do it in that time. He suggested they ought to join for an urban district council.

Mr. Sharp said they could not possibly have a district council. That was merely a new name for a board of guardians. It would have to be parish council or local board.

Mr. Whitfield: There won’t be any local boards after next November.
Mr. Sharp: What will there be?
Mr. Hawksworth: In the place of local boards there will be a district council with urban powers.
Mr. Sharp: No, you’re wrong there.
Mr. Brocklesby: I think it is where Mr. Sharp is wrong. (Laughter.)

Mr. Kilner thought it would be as well to abandon the idea of getting a local board, and they might as well petition the County Council at once to put Conisborough on the footing of a district council.

Mr. Nicholson thought they could not have a district council without they had a local board first.

Mr. Kilner would like to have the authority for that. There was nothing in the Act which said so.

Mr. Whitfield thought they would find it impossible to attain their object. There was nothing in the Act which gave the County Council power to give them a district council. He quite agreed with Mr. Kilner, but they had not gone about it in the right way. Before they could petition the Local Government Board they must call a parish meeting in a formal manner. This meeting had not been called formally, and whatever they did now would probably fall to the ground. He himself had strongly opposed the formation of a local board in the past, because he thought there was going to be a lot of extra expenditure, and they were not going to get any benefits. Now, he was afraid they would have to incur just as much expense under a Parish Council. Still he was anxious for a change of local government just as much as ever. (Hear, hear.) They knew what treatment they had received from the Doncaster, and what a lot of mugs they were. (Loud laughter.) At any rate they had convinced him to believe in a Local Board, but he thought that when they went in for that, or for an Urban District Council, what they ought to take in Denaby and Cadeby as well. (Hear, hear.) Why not? They took in Clifton, and why should the Denaby Colliery Company come and plant their shafts just beyond the borders of parishes as they had done at Denaby and Cadeby, and where they escaped paying Local Board rates on their plant.

Mr. Kilner criticised the Rural Sanitary Authority, referring to its recent failure in litigation with the M.S. and L. Railway.

Mr. R. H. Sharp suggested that as there seemed to be some doubt as to the steps they ought to take it would be better, especially as they could take no steps with regard to anything they might do at that meeting, if they passed the resolution as evidence of the feeling of the meeting, and then took steps to give it proper effect.

Mr. Hawksworth said the meeting certainly was not a legal one, and no resolution which it passed would be binding.

Ultimately the resolution moved by Mr. Wilson was carried without a dissent, and after some further discussion a formal requisition was handed to the overseers asking them to call a meeting in proper form to deal with the question in due course.