Mexborough Times, July 12th
Conisbrough Parish Council
Opposition to Peace Celebration
War Memorial Site Declined
The monthly meeting of the Conisbrough parish Council was held on Wednesday, Mr S.C.Urch, presiding, and there were also present. Messrs William Appleyard, C Bashforth, William Ellis, A Davies, G Edworth, T Hill, G. J. Smith and W. H. Jones, with the clerk, Mr Jessie Hill.
The clerk read a letter from the Doncaster rural district Council, stating that they had no power to supply first aid or ambulance appliances as requested by the council.
The War Trophy
in reply to the council’s letter rejecting the offer of a machine gun as a war trophy, the War Trophies committee wrote stating that they were unable to allocate any large guns to any town or village because of such down of village claiming a V.C.the distribution of unclaimed field guns would be made entirely on the recommendation of the Lord-Lieutenant of the County concerned.
Rotherham had already got to 77 mm guns. At the conclusion of the letter a query was inserted as to why the council would not at set the machine gun offered.
The clerk saidhe hadreplied to the effect that the Councilhad unanimously decided not to accept the machine gun but to press for a field-gun.
An Unusual Claim
Acurious claim came from a Denaby woman, who asked for £4.10 shillings in respect of damage done to address by some projecting wire in the Northcliffe field. She was, she wrote, determined not to be “juggled” in this matter, and if no satisfactory reply was forthcoming from the council she would be compelled to put the matter in the hands of her solicitor. (Laughter.)
Mr Smith said that it was quite true there was projecting barbed wire, and he was surprised to read of no injuries to cattle before that .
Mr Hill thought that a miner’s wife was not in a position to buy new dresses every month.
Mr Davis remarked that if they paid the claim they were opening out a wide field, I would, no doubt received scores of claims.
The matter was held in abeyance.
Water for Allotments
Along discussion took place on the question of supplying water to the allotments. It was shown that to lay a new 3 inch main. The cost will be £350.
Mr Jones thought that a 1/4 inch pipe would be sufficiently large.
This up without suggest that the allotments impart road, which were near the water may might be supplied in any case.
Mr John thought it unfair to supply one without the other.
The matter was referred to parochial committee, with a recommendation that the question received favourable consideration.
Recreation Grounds
Mr Edworth raise the question of the Piggot´s allotments, which it had been proposed to revert to a recreational ground. He contended that at the present time. They were seven a good and useful purpose, and that they should be allowed to remain as allotments. There were plenty – and more than plenty – of recreation grounds. What they had now were not properly looked after. Some of them were in a disgraceful condition and very badly kept.
The chairman agreed that the Park was a discredit to the parish, though he did not blame the council for that.
On the motion Mr Hill, the question was referred to the parochial committee.
Peace Celebrations
The question of peace celebrations was raised.
The chairman referred to the disheartening attendances at the meetings, which had been convened to deal with the matter.
The clerk read the local government board circular sanctioning reasonable expenditure by local authorities on the celebrations, and advising them to solicit voluntary subscriptions where possible.
Mr Edworth was in favour of celebrations for the younger element, but he was not inclined to make arrangements for the fetching of a public who were too apathetic to take a public interest in the matter. He was strongly opposed to any expense been born out of the rates. If they had not sufficient money to pay for a supply water to allotments. They certainly had nothing to spare on peace celebrations.
Mr Hill also felt disposed to provide some festivities for the children, something by which they could remember the occasion. He would never forget the Jubilee celebrations in 1887. They could point out to the children that the celebrations were to mark the end of that long period of horror and destruction, and although “they have failed in their object to make the world safe for democracies, they might try to instil into the young folk the terrors of militarism. The war had half killed militarism; during peace they should endeavour to kill the other half. There were still military despots at work -”
The chairman: Keep to the point.
Mr Hill: I am keeping to the point. My argument is that peace is not existent throughout the world. I am going to move a resolution that we do not entertain the word “peace.” Because there is no peace. If the chairman likes to call it by some of the name he may do so. How, he said, could any commonsense man talk about peace celebrations when he knew it was impossible to have a world peace by July 19. It would be nothing else but a mockery to call them peace celebrations.
Mr Ellis agreed that the time was unripe for peace celebrations. He was not at peace with Germany and never would be, even after the treaty had been ratified. He had been one who had suffered, and there were others. However, nearly every other town and village were having some kind of a celebration, and he did not think that Conisboro´ should isolate itself from participation in the general festivities.
The chairman said he did not want to celebrate a military triumph, but perhaps it was only right something should be done for the children. To make all the arrangements they would have to “hustle.” Regarding the soldiers and sailors of the town, he thought that they should to be included in the arrangements. They had drifted back without any welcomes demonstration for them, except, of course, for a few small gatherings. Further, he thought they might consider the question of including the old folks. In spite of the council’s experiences at the meeting they had convened, he did not consider that there was general apathy with regard to the celebrations, and he thought the absence of large numbers of people at the meeting that had been arranged might be accounted for by the fact that they were a Labour council will stop various movements were on foot in the town, and yet he, although chairman of the Council, had not been directly informed of their. It seemed very strange.
A resolution, moved by Mr Ellis, that the question of peace celebrations be considered and arrangements made, was seconded by Mr Appleyard.
Mr Edwards thought that any expense incurred should be met by voluntary subscription and not out of the rates. There were many people in the town who were not in favour of peace celebrations at all. For many who had lost relatives it would be a day more of sorrow than of joy – without any kind of a frivolous show in public.
Mr Ellis’s resolution was carried, and a special meeting was arranged for tonight (Friday), at 7.30 to deal further with the matter.