South Yorkshire Times — Friday, 7 September 1934
Conisboro’ U.D.C. — Forty-Hour Week
Conisborough Still at “Caution”
Hints on Cancer
Discussion on the question of adopting the 40-hour working week for Council employees occupied a good deal of the Conisboro’ Urban Council’s time on Wednesday. Mr. G. A. Chadfield presided.
Mr. J. T. E. Collins remarked that the members of the Council who attended the recent conference at Mexboro’ were really expected to speak in favour of the project being adopted by their own authority. They had been parties to the resolution in favour of the 40-hour week, and to be consistent they should put it into force as soon as possible. As one of the representatives, he moved they take steps to put into effect the 40-hour week.
Mr. J. I. Webster: If Mr. Collins means he is going to refer this to committee, I will second it. It is pretty obvious this cannot be settled here, but I am in favour of considering it.
Should Not Be Rushed
Mr. H. Gomersall agreed that the matter could not be rushed. It was a bigger thing than most people imagined. He did not know what the rates were at Thurnscoe, where it had been decided to put into force the 40-hour week, but he guaranteed they were much lower than Conisboro’s. There were quite a lot of things which needed thorough examination before they embarked on a scheme to institute a 40-hour week. He was fully in favour of the scheme nationally, but before they could do it they would have to adjust their rates. It was a question of finding a few extra men work and placing a burden on hundreds of others. He suggested the matter should be dealt with by the Sanitary and Highways Committee.
The adoption of such a scheme largely depended on the rates in various towns. He imagined that most places where the scheme had been adopted were much lower rated than they were. He was not against the project, but as a business man he thought they should take into consideration all the pros and cons before they decided to do anything.
The Chairman mentioned that the subject had been discussed at the last conference of the Urban District Councils’ Association, but had been defeated by a narrow margin.
A Joint Meeting
The Surveyor (Mr. H. Thirlwall) said two principal committees were involved, and he thought there ought to be a joint meeting to work out details of the scheme. The committees he referred to were the Sanitary and Highways and Housing and Town Planning Committees.
Mr. Webster: My point was to bring in the Finance Committee as well.
Mr. B. Roberts: Both the committees consist of the whole of the Council, so it is the same thing, but would it not be better to have a special meeting?
The Clerk (Mr. Spencer Baker): The Surveyor has already stated the cost would mean a 7d. rate.
The Surveyor: It is perfectly obvious that the financial considerations involved will have to receive the scrutiny of the Finance and Finance Sub-Committees before the matter comes before the whole Council. It will not be dealt with in one night.
Rate Burdens
Mrs. E. Levers mentioned that during the last few weeks there had been a number of dismissals of men who had been working at the local collieries 40 years, and she thought they might have people asking to be excused rates as it was, without imposing a further burden.
Mr. Gomersall moved that a special joint meeting of the Sanitary and Highways and Housing and Town Planning Committees be held to deal with this matter.
Do It Now
Mr. Collins: My resolution definitely committed this Council to put into operation a 40-hour working week. The committees were to go into it to see how it was to be put into operation. For many years we have been pressing for shorter working hours. We are now facing the question ourselves. We, as a Council, who pride ourselves on being progressive, are going to lag behind the others? The persons generally who complain about rates being high are those who can best afford to pay them. There are ways and means of dealing with this without any additional burden being placed on the ratepayers, particularly on the working people.
Ways and Means
Mr. R. Troughton pointed out that if they had a special meeting they would be able to discuss the ways and means Mr. Collins hinted at. The resolution moved by Mr. Gomersall was, he thought, by far the better suggestion.
Mr. Gomersall emphasised the fact that the Council had never said it was in favour of a 40-hour week as a Council. Their delegates at the conference were not mandated to commit them to a 40-hour week. He was not against the 40-hour week, but they had first to find from their financial position whether they could put it into operation.
Mr. Webster withdrew as seconder of Mr. Collins’s resolution, remarking that he had seconded it on condition that it was referred to committee.
Mr. Gomersall’s resolution was carried.
Graceful
A letter was received from the County Council with reference to the appointment of school managers for the Denaby Church of England School. The letter stated that prior to the constitution of the Conisboro’ Urban District Council in 1921 the local authority’s representative on the board of managers of the school was appointed by the Parish Council. On the transfer of a portion of the parish of Denaby to the newly constituted urban district, the Conisboro’ Council were (in error) asked to appoint a manager. The fact had been lost sight of that there still remained a portion of the Denaby parish within the purview of the Denaby Parish Council, and that body had now raised the question of the appointment of managers to the school. They, and not the Conisboro’ Council, had the right to appoint.
Mr. Collins moved and Mr. Gomersall seconded that the Denaby Parish Council had the “right the Conisboro’ Council should give way,” and this was agreed.
“Poor” Houses
In reply to a resolution to the County Council asking whether they would consider providing houses for people in receipt of public assistance, the County Council wrote that the Urban Council was the authority responsible for the provision of houses, and the function of the County Council as a poor law authority did not extend to the provision of houses for people receiving public assistance.
Rising County Rate
It was mentioned by Mr. Gomersall that the county precept for the next half-year was 5s. 1d., against the 4s. 9d. originally budgeted for. That meant the rate was advancing 4d. They were not yet in a position to say what they would do, but they hoped they would not have to increase their own rate. The 4d. increase included 2d. for public assistance and 1d. for education.
Interest Reduced
With regard to the £10,000 Denaby street works loan, he was pleased to announce that they had been able to get the rate of interest reduced from 4 to 3¾ per cent. as from March 31st, 1935.
Cancer
Moving confirmation of the minutes of the Sanitary and Highways Committee, Mr. Gomersall said the Council had decided to put into operation the sending of patients to the National Cancer Control Clinics, and pending the completion of the scheme the medical officer had been instructed to take the necessary steps for sending patients where he deemed it advisable.
Cancer was superseding tuberculosis as the major menace to health. They had been told by their medical officer that cancer was often diagnosed too late. If it was diagnosed in time there was hope of a cure. Their medical officer said that all men and women over 45 should have periodic examinations, say every six months, so that cancer, if present, might be located and prevented from reaching the incurable stage.
Level Crossing
On the question of the Denaby level crossing Mr. Gomersall stated that they had been informed by the County Council that they were shortly going to consider the whole question of bridges.
Traffic Lines
Other points which he touched upon were the fact that a further 107 privy conversions had been put in hand in Conisboro’, and the Surveyor had been instructed to make an inspection with a view to recommending whether the provision of traffic lines for pedestrians in the township was advisable.
Wanton Damage
Damage to public conveniences in the township, particularly at Conanby, was another subject Mr. Gomersall referred to. He said that notices were to be posted in the conveniences and the police had been asked to watch. He appealed to the public to help keep these buildings free from damage and defacement.
Work-Sharing
A report on the conference between representatives of the Council and the unemployed with regard to setting up a rota system of work-sharing was adopted. Mr. T. Shephard said all men would be recruited from the employment exchange, and those who had been longest out of work would get first preference. It was decided to set up a rota committee, the Council’s representatives being Messrs. D. Sheldon, H. Gomersall, G. Oldfield, B. Roberts, T. Shephard, and J. T. E. Collins.