Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Thursday 09 January 1930
Coalfields Distress Fund.
Conisboro’ Decision to Disband Local Committee.
There were some lively passages at last night’s meeting of Conisborough Urban Council.
It was stated in reply to Councillor Collins that another £2OO had been received from the Coalfields Distress Fund, and that it had been distributed in time for Christmas. This action was objected to by Councillors and Gillott, who said that the committee who had dealt with the cases before should not have been passed over.
A further objection was taken the fact that two-thirds of the members of the Council had been ignored, and Councillor J. Webster said he had been informed that people who had received vouchers had obtained boots and straightaway pawned them.
The Chairman said he had heard the same thing, but people who told him of the cases would not give him names.
Mrs. Levers said she hoped they would get a lot more money for distribution, because there was much poverty in Denaby.
The Chairman: I am afraid you will be disappointed.
Councillor Webster; Can I move a vote of censure on the persons responsible for the distribution ?
The Chairman: Move it on me, then.
Councillor Collins said people who helped with the distribution would naturally expect other members the Council had been informed.
The Chairman stated that it did not make any difference to him if the vote of censure was passed, because he had done his best.
Later, Councillor J. Webster said that the chairman had not been criticised for doing his best, but because the full Council, which was the legal body to distribute money, had not been called together.
Councillor Collins objected to the fact that councillors themselves had personally taken out vouchers to people, and said they had laid themselves open to be called ‘‘jolly good fellows.”
The Council carried a resolution, proposed by Councillor J. Webster and seconded by Councillor I. Webster, that in view of the unsatisfactory method of the last distribution, the local committee be disbanded, and that the Wombwell area be asked to invite the local clergy distribute any further sums that came to hand.