South Yorkshire Times – Saturday 23 February 1952
Save Money on Conferences—Conisbrough Call
A suggestion that money spent by Conisbrough Urban Council on conferences might well be used for some other purpose was made by Coun. E. Beeson at Monday’s meeting of Conisbrough Urban Council. He estimated that £200 a year, the equivalent of a penny rate, was spent by the Authority on conferences.
The matter was raised by Coun. E. Beeson after the Council had approved Finance Committee recommendations that the Council be represented at three conferences: at the Yorkshire Allotments and Gardens Federation at Hull on April 19th, of the Royal Sanitary Institute at Margate, April 22nd-25th, and the Urban Councils’ Association at Llandudno, June 25th-27th. It was agreed that the nomination of delegates to the Institution of Municipal Engineers’ conference at Edinburgh, June 11th-14th, be adjourned until the next Finance Committee meeting.
Coun. Beeson said he had moved an amendment in committee that no conferences be attended. One reason was the fact that Conisbrough was, as was always being said round the Council table, a poor authority, and he thought that if these conferences could be cut down somewhat the money could be spent on such things as the old man’s slippers that had been so much talked about, or bus shelters.
“We are on with these, I know,” he added, “but there is no reason why we should not have several spread around the district.”
County Coun. D. Roberts, J.P., estimated the Council’s annual expenditure on conferences at not more than £200, but submitted that Conisbrough did not attend conferences at the rate of a more authority.
“I think the reason is that we cannot afford it,” he said. “But we all know this; that some of these conferences are very educational and give knowledge to the councillors for the benefit of the public.”
Coun. I. Houghton, J.P., Chairman of the Council, said he did not think the allotments conference would cost the Council more than 25s. The Council had already cut their expenditure on conferences to a minimum, and he thought that the estimates of Coun. Beeson and County Coun. Roberts were “well out of the running.”
Coun. H. Gommersall said it would be ridiculous to talk about not attending any conferences. His only objection was to superfluous conferences. There were a number of conferences which, in his opinion, ought to be attended annually, and they included those approved at the meeting.
Coun. T. Davey said that conferences brought councillors and Council officials up-to-date on changes which occurred from year to year, and gave first-hand information which was not available in book form.