South Yorkshire Times May 6, 1898
Conisboro’ Parish Council.
The Fire Brigade’s Demonstration.
Mr Butcher Taken To Task.
The Water Question.
Postal Facilities.
(MR. BUTCHER TRIES TO DRAW THE DISTRICT COUNCILLOR—BUT HEARS SOMETHING TO HIS OWN ADVANTAGE — MR. ROBINSON ON TREASON,—NEUTRALS NOT WANTED—APPOINTMENT OF CEMETERY MANAGER.
At the monthly meeting of the Conisborough Parish Council on Monday night there was a good deal of fun in a quiet way. It began when the election of a member to act as cemetery manager was considered. For two years Mr. Mosby has held this position, but on Monday night he was quietly voted out, and Mr. Singleton voted into his shoes, this being the Council’s method of obtaining retribution for Mr. Mosby’s neutrality at the late parish meeting on the Urban Powers question. But later ‘on the fun broadened. The ordinary business of the Council, which was not very interesting, haring been disposed of, Mr. Norwood moved that the Council should strengthen the hands of the parish meeting by a resolution endorsing the proposal of the district into wards.
This gave Mr. Robinson the opportunity of addressing some very frank observations to Mr. Butcher upon his action in the recent developments of the Urban Powers agitation, and it cannot be pretended that Mr. Robinson equivocated a little bit. He was cutting and candid, and Mr. Butcher evidently felt his position to be beyond excuse, for after one lame palliative effort, when the Chairman and Mr. Brooke had another go at him, he threw up his brief, remarking “Well, I’ll say no more to you.” But Mr. Butcher was at that moment nursing a little ace of trumps of his own, and presently he played it, his “tu coque” being nothing less than a charge that Mr. Norwood, in his capacity of District Councillor had thrown the parish over by endorsing Mr. Chambers’ suggestion to have an area defined for the proposed water supply. But as Mr. Norwood was able to show, Mr. Butcher kept a card of the wrong suit and it would not take the trick, and Mr. Butcher’s attempt to cast ignominy on Mr. Norwood’s head ended in he himself being laughed at.
It was altogether a rather unpleasant evening out for Mr. Butcher, and it served to demonstrate at least one fact very clearly, that the Conisborough Parish Council can’t be made fools of with impunity.
The monthly meeting of the Parish Council was held on Monday evening, Mr. Charles Holmes presiding. The members present were Messrs. D. Robinson, J. Harrison, G. Singleton, S. Roebuck, E. Ravenscroft, J. Smithson, J. Brook, T. W. Mosby, W. W. Norwood, and G. Butcher.
Burial Business.
Prior to the meeting of the Council proper a meeting of the Burials Committee was held. Grants of right for Thomas Boren, Samuel Payne, Fredk. Smith, Alfred Snipe, George Hy. Hint, and Mary Piper were signed. Cheques for £15 5s. 10d. in payment of accounts and wages were also signed. A parishioner named Howarth Earnshaw attended the Council meeting to explain that lie purchased a grave in September 1893, but had never received a grant of right.
The Chairman explained that this was in Mr. Maxfield’s time, as clerk of the Burial Board. Mr. Maxfield had told him that the grant had been sent by post but it had never been received
It was ultimately resolved that the clerk should supply Earnsbaw with a copy of the grant.
Election of Cemetery Manager.
The Chairman intimated that it would be necessary at that meeting to elect a cemetery manager for the ensuing year.-
Mr. Brook moved the election of Mr. Singleton.
Mr. Ravenscroft seconded.
The Chairman said he would be sorry if there was a change.
Mr. Norwood said he was of the same way of thinking as the chairman; he did not think there ought to be a change.
Mr. Brooke: You will leave the Councillors to use their own judgment I suppose?
The Chairman; That is understood. —There being no amendment to the proposition, Mr. Singleton was therefore elected.
The Parish Council business was then proceeded with, the minutes of the previous meetings being read and confirmed. ‘
Vote of Condolence
The Chairman said he thought before they proceeded with the business they owed a little sympathy to one of their brother Councillors who had had the misfortune to lose his wife. He felt certain they would all sympathise sincerely with Mr. Hirst in his bereavement, and he moved that the clerk be instructed to write expressing the regret of the Council at his loss (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Brooke seconded.
Mr. Norwood said it was with great regret but with much sympathy he supported the proposition. He thought it the very least they could do, and it struck him as being the most unfortunate circumstance so far as a loss could be felt for a man to have his wife taken from him when she had a family of young children to leave behind. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Robinson also supported the proposition. He knew the circumstances which Mr. Hirst would be in, being left with four little children, and be sympathised with him very sincerely.
The vote was then agreed to.
Defaulting Allotment Holders.
Mr Singleton asked’ if the allotment holders, who ;tad not, paid their rent, bad yet COMB forward.—the Clerk said there were two who had not paid —a man named Brown and a man named Sansom. Brown was one quarter in arrears, but Sansom had paid nothing.
Mr. Harrison: Have you taken proceeding
The Clerk said he had waited to have the resolution relating to the proceedings confirmed.
Mr. Norwood said he thought it a matter of necessity that proceedings should be taken in this case, as an example to others. They had been at a lot of trouble to obtain allotments, and they were working them at no profit. To suit those who had taken them they had agreed that the rent should he paid tit the end of the quarter instead of in advance and he thought the privilege ought to be better appreciated. (Hear, hear.)
It was ultimately agreed that legal proceedings be taken against Sansom
Postal Facilities.
A letter was read from the General Post Office sanctioning a day mail service to and from Denaby Main; letters would be delivered on the road between the post office and Conisborough Station, but would have to be called for by other inhabitants of Denaby Main; a Sunday delivery could, however, only be granted on receipt of a memorial from the persons receiving not less than two-thirds of the correspondence received by the district.
Mr. Robinson said they had gained a slight concession, but nothing like what they wanted. The delivery that was granted would not be of, much service.
Fire Brigade Demonstration.
The fire brigade made application for a grant to easier them in attending the Yorkshire Fire Brigades Association annual demonstration at Halifax.
Mr. Robinson: Another chance to entertain the brigade. (Laughter.)
Mr. Norwood asked if the brigade got any benefit out of it
Mr. Butcher: Yes, it is a clay’s out. (Laughter.)
The Chairman said he thought they got ideas by, mixing with’ men of greater experience; than themselves.
Mr. Brooke complained that the brigade did not put in the requisite number of practices per year.-
Mr. Norwood: They get a day practice sometimes, when they go to oil the engine. (Laughter.)
Mr. Brooke: You can call that practice, if you like; I don’t. I don’t believe they put in five practices a year, let alone twelve
The Clerk said he must warn the Council to be careful what they were doing with their money. He wanted E13 17s. that night for Parish Council work and they had only £6 in the bank. (Laughter.) It was ultimately decided to make a grant 5s per man.
Conisborough and Electric Lighting.
Mr. Norwood said there was question which the Council ought to consider, and with which they could deal through the District Council. He saw from a notice in the paper that it had already been dealt with by the Mexboro’ and Swinton Councils. ‘A company called the General’ • Power Distributing Company were applying for large powers to supply electricity and he thought they ought to recommend to their Rural District Connell that they should oppose this bill. The Company proposed to supply electric light for an area of 30 miles round Worksop which would include Conisborough. There was not much probability of them adopting electric light in Conisborough just at present. hut they might do someday and it. would be as well to have the opportunity of providing it themselves and not to allow a private Company- to steal their rights as they had been stolen in other things in years gone by. (Hear. hear.) He moved that they recommend the Doncaster Rural District Council to oppose the Bill of the General Power Distributing Company.7—The Chairman thought it would be as well to have Conisborough left out of the area proposed so that if they thought fit they could themselves adopt electric lighting. It was the tendency now-a-days to municipalise all such things and not leave it to private companies to get the profits which they ought to make themselves. (Hear, hear.)—Mr. Roebuck seconded the resolution which was agreed to.
The Urban Powers Question.
- BUTCHER’S POSITION,—Mr. Norwood said a question the Council (night to deal with was that which recently claimed the attention of the parish meeting, and he thought they ought to strengthen the hands of the parish meeting and Urban Powers Committee by passing a similar resolution to that which the parish meeting had adopted.
The Clerk: Are you aware bat the commission of inquiry is appointed?
The Chairman: Yes, still we are not certain that the question of Wards will be considered. I think it is generally understood that the Parish Council is incorporated with the Committee.
Mr. Norwood: We passed a separate resolution on the other question, and if in addition to the parish meeting we pass a resolution on the question it may strengthen their hands at the Inquiry. We may not be so unanimous on the Council as we were at the time of the former resolution, but I have no doubt the majority are still in favour of sticking together. I beg to move that the Clerk write to the County Council stating that this Council requests them to carry out the resolution of the parish meeting of last week with regard to forming the proposed Urban District into Wards.
Mr. Roebuck seconded.
Mr. Robinson supported the resolution. He wished to state that he was at first bitterly opposed to the formation of wards, but he had not then been to a meeting of the Urban Powers Committee, and then rather than put anything in the way of unanimous action he supported it. But he was very sorry all their members were not unanimous on that question, particularly Mr. Councillor Butcher. He spoke very- strongly in favour of Urban Powers but when it came to the public meeting be voted against it altogether. He was rather surprised when he saw a report of that meeting at Denaby and read what Mr. Butcher had to say. It was ‘dead against Urban Powers. He could hardly make out what it was, he thought Old Carey of Dublin must have come back again when he saw such treacherous work going on. He had great pleasure in supporting the resolution.
Mr. Butcher said he thought before they hanged a man they ought to try him. Mr. Robinson had made a remark that he had gone against Urban Powers. He was pleased to say Mr. Robinson was making a mistake. If he had been there and heard the speech which he made at Denaby he would have found it was vindicating the Parish Council. He got up to vindicate their right to spend their money as they saw fit and he asked Mr. Chambers certain questions with regard to the sanitary pumping station, why he had not opposed it and he said he had opposed it with his solicitor, and he was the only opposition to it. With respect to the area of representation he maintained now that New Denaby was not represented on the proposed Urban Council with four members, he contended that the money they paid down in that part and that the population they had, gave them a claim to more percentage than was placed down to their credit, they ought to have more representation. There was no turning over on his part, and he had never attempted it. He would support a resolution to the County Council that more representation be given to New Denaby. He thought they should have five members.
The Chairman: That is an amendment to the resolution.
Mr. Roebuck: There is an Urban Council’s Committee and you are a member of it and that was the place to suggest this kind of thing, not to oppose us as you did.
Mr. Singleton said Mr. Butcher had talked of New Denaby, there was no such place, it was New Conisboro’ and they were not going to have it called New Denaby. (Hear, hear)
Mr Roebuck said he did not think Mr. Butcher had supplied any excuse for turning round at the parish meeting. He should have thrashed it out at the Urban Powers Committee. (Hear, hear)
The Chairman said he was among those who had criticised Mr. Butcher’s action and had heard no reason from him to-night why he should not be criticised. Mr. Butcher had been an ardent supporter of the Urban Powers proposal while he had been a member of the Council, Along with the rest of them, he had gone in for Urban Powers for a larger area, and he had even subscribed to the guarantee fund. Mr. Butcher, in his opinion had without thinking, placed himself in a very curious position when he attended a meeting at Denaby and fell in with the scheme which was being propounded there which was directly opposed to everything they had been doing for the last three here’s, a scheme which not only prohibited them from taking in a large area which they thought should form part of their district, but would actually take away a large portion of their own parish to form another Urban District. The scheme recently hatched at Denaby was to ask for Urban Powers for a district to include Denaby proper and part of Conisborough which had assumed the name of Denaby Main through the streets being labelled Denaby Main.
He did not see how a man could, unless he withdrew himself from his old line and take up with a new and be working in two opposite directions. It had been a puzzle to him to understand Mr. Butcher’s position, but he could only say he was in a false position. He could not possibly serve faithfully the two of them and he would suggest that Mr. Butcher reconsidered his position and made up his mind finally which side he would be on. (Here, here.)-
Mr. Brook said there was only one thing that could be said about it. Mr. Butcher had had absolutely done wrong. He was supporting an issue directly against them and had gone in direct opposition to them so far as he could see from his speeches an action both at Conisboro’ and at Denaby.
Mr Butcher: I can say no more to you, there will be another divide directly.
Mr. Brooke: That does not prevent you being a traitor.
Mr. Butcher: I’ll say no more to you.
The Chairman then put the resolution when all the members (including Mosby) with the exception of Mr. Butcher, voted in its favour.
The Water Question — Mr Butcher Wrong Again.
Mr. Butcher said he would like to ask Mr. Norwood how they were going on with this Sheffield Water Scheme.
The Chairman: Have you any further information,
Mr Norwood said they would see that at the last District Council meeting they would not take the question up when he urged them, but had referred it again to the sanitary committee.
Mr Brooke: Have you not had a sanitary committee meeting?
Mr. Norwood: Not yet; there is one on Saturday
Mr. Butcher then ceremoniously produced a copy of the “Mexborough and Swinton Times” and asked the Chairman to read a portion of the report of the proceedings at the March meeting of the Rural District Council, in which Mr. Chambers asking if an area for the proposed water supply was-to be constituted or not, and advocating that a committee be formed to report to the Council on the entire question of the Conisboro’ water supply, and in which Mr. Norwood echoing Mr. Chambers suggestion for the appointment ‘of a committee said the question was too big a- one for the s sanitary committee, with their pressure of business, to properly consider.
The Chairman asked what portion of the report Mr. Butcher wished to emphasise.
Mr. Bladder said an area meant that the water supply was to be for only part of the parish and Mr. Norwood said he was in favour of Mr. Chambers’ suggei0.ion.—
Mr. Norwood replied that he had said nothing of the sort. Nothing had been considered, by the District Council, and Mr. Chambers’ remarks were only vague suggestions. And even Mr, Chambers did not advocate an area, he asked if there was to be one and suggested a committee to consider this whole question of the supply. He supported that suggestion and he did so in accordance with the wish expressed to him frequently other members of this Parish Council that he would do all he could to urge the Council to push the matter forward. Because he had tried to the committee appointed he was l held up as a traitor.