Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 18 July 1930
Who is my Neighbour?
The Conisborough Urban Council has indicated with polite regret that it sees no advantage to either Mexborough or Conisborough in amalgamation of the two districts.
The marriage therefore will not take place or, if it does, it will be a forced and uneasy union. In the end the County Council will have to determine what is for the good of Conisborough and Mexborough, though they will probably have regard to local affinities (if there are any) and antipathies, which abound. Mexborough has at least shown a ready disposition to conform to modern ideas of progress by offering amalgamation all round. Its overtures both west and east have been rejected, churlishly here, courteously there, but firmly on both hands.
It should be counted to Mexborough for humble mindedness that it is willing to sink its identity is a larger entity. It is still the busied and most important town in the area, and might naturally if not justifiably have commanded the Mahomets to come to the mountain. At any rate, Mexborough has done what it could to bring about local and voluntary agreement on the necessary and inevitable changes that are about to take place.
The issue is now, perhaps fortunately, in other and higher hands. When the County Council come to survey the Riding they will find very few ready-made schemes of amalgamation to work upon. They will have to do their own matching and mating.