Mexborough and Swinton Times March 11th 1927.
Conisbrough Council
A Late Start
Rates Up By A Shilling
Surveyor Salary: Increase Granted, But Postponed
The meeting of the Conisbrough Urban Council on Wednesday started 80 minutes after the notified time, and at its opening the chairman (Mr W. B. Wells) offered an apology to the press, who had been kept waiting that length of time in an ante-room offering as explanation that they “had had a lot of business to get through.”
A Shilling in the Rates.
During the evening the council decided to levy a rate of 4/6 in the £ for the next half year, an increase of 1s. The total estimate of requirements was £13,878.
The Surveyor Salary.
The council also adopted a recommendation that the salary at the surveyor (Mr Thirlwall) be increased by £100 per annum from 1st March, 1928.
The present salary is £600.
Mr A. Roberts said it should be made clear that the council agreed to the increase at their February meeting, but the matter was deferred at their request; and the surveyor had now agreed, “in consideration of the trying period the council was going through,” that the increase should not operate till a year hence.
Local Authorities to Confer.
The chairman and vice chairman were appointed to attend a conference at the authorities constituting the new Don Valley Assessment Committee at Doncaster on March 25. The purpose of the conference is to decide two points:
The term of service of members of the committee;
and the date on which the new valuation list shall become operative
Mr J. Brocklesby, the council’s representative on the committee, suggested three years as a suitable term of office – the maximum laid down by the meeting and valuation act was five. He also considered the suggested date – 1st April, 1929 – the most convenient for bringing the new list into operation.
The council agreed on both points and the representatives to the conference were instructed accordingly.
Housing: Local Subsidy Withheld
Moving the adoption of the Housing and Town Planning Committee’s recommendations, Mr Brocklesby drew attention to one, that to builders of houses for letting the government subsidy of £75 only be granted, subject to the ministry sanction. This was different to their former procedure, because the circumstances were different. Formally they had been granting the additional £25 subsidy, but that was to persons building houses for their own occupation.
The council adopted the recommendation.
Public Mortuary
Mr T. Gregory was suggesting that the council had neglected an important necessity – the provision of a mortuary – when he was interrupted by Mr J. Maxfield, who reminded him that they had a mortuary at the cemetery.
Mr Gregory: I didn’t know that.
The surveyor intervened, saying that the place referred to by Mr Maxfield certainly was put up as a mortuary, but it was now used as a storehouse, and could hardly serve the purpose of a public mortuary.
Mr Gregory pointed out that at present post-mortem examinations had to take place in private houses.
The Surveyor said they had had letters from the Coroner urging the necessity for the provision of the mortuary.
The council instructed the surveyor to prepare a plan and estimate.
“Conisbrough Notes.”
Mr Roberts called attention to a piece in the “Conisbrough notes” of the “Times” in the issue of February 25th. It referred to the mortuary for one thing, and also dealt with other commitments of the council. The writer mentioned that they had no ambulance at Conisbrough, and pointed out that on two occasions a car had been chartered to take patients to Doncaster infirmary. He thought before those notes were written the writer should have gone fully into the question of what the cost and maintenance of the ambulance would be to the council. It would cost something like £800 for the ambulance and another £250 for a driver and upkeep.
“Had due consideration being given to these points the note would not have been written in quite the carping spirit in which it was written. I am getting a little bit tired of this carping business. Some people have bees in their bonnet; other people have care there. Every opportunity is taken to make reference to it. Reference was made very pointedly to the fact that this old crock had done 12,000 miles since the council decided it was a crock.”
He thought it very unfair and uncalled for that continued reference should be made to that one subject.
Councillors “In the Way.”
Mr I. Webster again complained about the “unsatisfactory progress” of the council’s direct labour housing scheme. He thought some of the houses ought to have been occupied before then.
Mr Maxfield interrupted by rising to a point of order. “This kind of thing is getting overdone. These matters are fully discussed at the meeting of the committee, and a member who doesn’t get there tries to bring it all up again in the council meeting.”
Mr Webster said he could not get to the meeting of the committee on Monday because his bread and butter was concerned. More than one councillor he knew was of the same opinion as himself in this matter, but would not say so in that chamber.
Mr H. W. Gillott said he had made enquiries into the housing work, and found with their work because so much of their time was wasted by councillors going round to see them at their work. The council would do better to keep away. (Laughter).