Conisborough Council

Generous Tributes to Mr John Brocklesby

A meeting of the Conisborough Urban Council was held last night, Mr WH Wells presiding.

The Council unanimously passed the following resolution: “That this Council place on record its appreciation of the distinguished services of Councillor J Brocklesby, and greatly regrets his retirement.”

Mr Bell said he had known Mr Brocklesby for 40 years, and nearly all that time he had served the public. He was partly responsible for getting urban powers, and he had been the chairman of the Council and served on nearly all its committees. “I wish him well in his retirement,” said Mr Wells, “and I think I can speak for the rest of the council. I feel we are losing a good counsellor and a friend.”

Mr a Roberts said he was glad to know that Council Brocklesby was not entirely going out of public work. Whatever he had done was done conscientiously and in the interests of the community. Whether they agree with his political views are not, everyone admitted that Mr Brocklesby had served the community well. Mr Roberts first came in contact with him during the war – a very trying time – and also while fighting for urban powers. The fact that they had self-government in Conisborough was due very largely to Mr Brocklesby. He sincerely regretted his departure from the Council and hoped he would long continue to serve the public in the capacity he had chosen.

Mr Maxfield said there was no counsellor in Conisborough would not regret Mr Brocklesby’s resignation. He was sure that if they needed advice Mr Brocklesby would give it.

Mr Brocklesby thanked them for the resolution and their kind words. He felt sure something will be said, but their geo-generosity and exceeded is minutes or expectations. Council Roberts had done him the justice to say that whatever he had done he did it conscientiously. “I have not considered whether it pleased this party or that. I have acted according to what I consider to be my duty. I do thank the members of the Council for the help I have received from them. My interest in Conisborough will remain unabated. Conisborough was a beautiful place, but it could be made more attractive; and the Council were doing their best to make it so.”

Buses Speed

The clerk (Mr Spencer Baker) referring to the prosecution which had taken place in regard to the speeding of buses on the road from Conisborough to Warmsworth said there had been two convictions. In one of the case it was suggested by the solicitor for the defence that the drivers were forced to speed in order to keep up with their timetable. The Council had to consider the question of granting the licences to the bus companies, and he suggested that their attention should be drawn to the fact that at one point in the Conisborough district the buses had to speed to keep up with the timetables.

Mr J Maxfield said that an allowance of five minutes should be made by the bus companies on their timetable.

Mr Roberts said there were no prosecutions when the police had been driving at excessive speed during the coal dispute. He was not sure whether they ought to take notice of these prosecutions. The buses were running for the convenience of the public, and the buses might have been speeding in order to do someone a good turn. If they were going to grant licences on the resolution proposed they were putting a vote of censure on the person who was prosecuted. He did not see anything wrong in asking the company to review their timetables, but he did think it would be wrong to ask them to review their timetables in view of the prosecution.

Mr I Webster suggested that the company be asked to extend their timetables five minutes at each end. Five minutes will save all the bother.

Mr Roberts said that the resolution will be all right if they proposed that the timetables be revised.

Mr Webster agreed and the resolution was carried.

The New Rates

The Clerk reported that the general district rate had been fixed at 4s 6d and the poor rates at 4s.

Library

It was decided that a circulating library should be formed that Conisborough under the County Council scheme.

Vaccination

Mr Roberts said that he would like to ask the Medical Officer what was a position in regard to vaccination. The matter was brought up in public so that the Medical Officer could explain the position to the public. He had been told that the Medical Officer of Health was making a lot of money out of vaccination. The Council did not believe it. It was only fair the position should be explained.

Dr MacArthur said that he had not used any length given by the Government. All the lymph he had used, and he had vaccinated 800 persons, had been his own, and the cases had been vaccinated at no cost. The only one who received anything he was the public Vaccinator and he received five shillings per case.

Smallpox Hospital

Mr Webster, referring to complaints with regard to the Smallpox Hospital, said that the trouble really was of the fact that the people at so much time on their hands that they did not know what to do with themselves. Some Rawmarsh people, in fact, were likely to be prosecuted for wilful damage to the hospital.

Mr Thirlwall said that for some time we had been carrying on a voluntary library for the benefit of the patients at the Hospital, and in that respect the residents in Conisborough have been very generous. He appealed for all that copies of any suitable literature to send them to the Hospital.

A letter is to forward to Mrs Kaye regretting her illness and expressing the hope that she would soon recover.