Lively Parish Meeting At Conisbro’.

Last night the annual parish meeting for the election of overseers and way wardens was held in the Board school, Conisboro’. Mr. Wigfall occupied the chair.

Votes of thanks were passed to the retiring officers, on the motion of Mr. Nicholson, seconded by Mr. Hawkins. – Mr. Ogley was appointed guardian for the ensuring year, on the proposition of Mr. Nicholson, seconded by Mr. Colley.

The Chairman said in the ordinary course the two overseers for the coming year would be Mr. Geo. Thomas Nicholson and Mr. Jos. Appleyard, and it was decided, on the motion of Mr. Hawkins, that these two gentlemen occupy that position. The list now contains the names of Messrs. Thos. Booth, W. H. Smith, J. Downing, W. H. Hawkins, Hy. Earnshaw, J. Twiby, Major Johnson, and Mr. W. Little.

The question of the appointment of waywarden next came on for discussion.

Mr. Kilner was nominated, but refused to act, as also did several other gentlemen whose names were proposed to the meeting. –

Mr. W. H. Chambers suggested that there should not be a waywarden, and Mr. Kilner asked the chairman to inform the meeting what use the waywardens were, before a waywarden was elected.

The Chairman said they had to watch the proceedings at Doncaster during the board meeting, and to use all the intelligence they possessed to see that the members conducted the business for the benefit of the whole union, not for Conisboro’ only.

Mr. Sharpe asked how it would be if the waywarden thought the guardians did not do the business properly, and the Chairman said he had the right of expressing his opinion. (Laughter.)

Mr. Chambers asked whether the disgraceful state of the roads at Conisboro’ had ever been brought before the board?

The Chairman was of opinion that the roads had greatly improved during the past few days. (Laughter.)

Mr. Colley: Thank God for that, sir.

The Chairman said, taking all things into consideration, they had not much to complain of.

Mr. Kilner differed from the chairman. The footpath to Denaby Main was not in a fit condition for persons to walk on. He had been to the Denaby Main company, and asked them to join with him in making a complaint about the footpath. He had also written to the M. S. and L. Railway company asking them to move in the matter, and by hook or be crook they intended to have an alteration. They were ratepayers of Conisboro’ and had as much right to a good footpath as anyone who lived in another part of the parish – (Mr. Colley: ‘Hear, hear’) and more so, because they were larger ratepayers than most people. They ought to be made as comfortable as other who lived in the village, and until they were made so they would not let the matter rest, even if they had to go as far as petitioning the Local Government Board. (Hear, hear.)

Mr. Colley, as a frequent traveller on the road, said it was in a most fearful condition. The wear and tear to horseflesh and carts were considerable in the case of the Denaby Main company and Mr. Kilner’s works.

The Chairman remarked that he thought Mr. Kilner was going to say that the Denaby company and the glass bottle firm were about to put ashes on the path.

Mr. Kilner said he would take good care that they did not lay any more ashes on the path for the parish for nothing. He had done a great deal towards making the path passable in former years.

The Chairman stated that Mr. T. Booth had informed him that Mr. Kilner was about to put some ashes down.

Mr. Kilner said in the future they were not going to be satisfied with ashes. They wanted a bricked or a flagged footpath similar to that in Station lane.

The Chairman was afraid that he would not get either one or the other, not that he objected to it.

Mr. Kilner: We shall see.

Mr. W. H. Chambers pointed out that there were upwards of 2000 inhabitants at Denaby. The natural market town was Doncaster, and the road between the two places had been perfectly impassable during the past winter. During the past two or three months the road had been ankle deep in mud. There was no drainage on the road: it was lower in the middle than at the sides, and there was consequently nothing to take the water away, and it had to stand there until the sun shone and the water evaporated. There was no footpath, and there was not sufficient room to make one, and the road scrapings were deposited and allowed to accumulate for years. It was an abominable shame that the people he had mentioned could not be accommodated. (Hear, hear.) –

The Chairman said he had tried for years to get an improvement in the footpaths of Conisboro’, but had not been successful.

Mr. Ogley remarked that all the roads had been impassable this winter. – The Chairman asked if the inhabitants would be contented with a footpath formed of ashes and road scrapings. (Laughter.) That would make a very fair footpath.

Mr. Kilner said they had been satisfied too long with that. They had as much right to a proper footpath as anyone else. The road from the station to Denaby Main was used for foot traffic more than any other road in Conisboro’, except the Station lane. – The Chairman remarked that the answer of the Highway Board to their request would be that if the inhabitants of Conisboro’ would go the work at their own expense it could be done, but not at the of the board. –

Mr. Colley: The sooner we have a local board the better.

Mr. Kilner: A local board at once, then. (Hear, hear.)

Mr. Sharpe: If there is a necessity for it, it ought to be done.

Mr. Chambers pointed out that at Melton and other country places there were good footpaths. – Mr. Colley also spoke to the same effect.

Mr. Kilner was asked if he would accept the post of waywarden, and replied in the negative. In answer to a similar question Mr. Colley said: What! Be waywarden, not for all the parish without discretionary power, and then I would be waywarden tomorrow.

Mr. Appleyard: Ask Mr. Chairman to stand again. It is an honour. (Appleyard: I’ll second that.)

Mr. Goodlad: You ought to have jumped up and seconded it at once. I’ll propose Mr. Hawkins.

Mr. Hawkins: I shan’t stand unless there’s a local board and then I will stand. (Hear, hear.) – Mr. Colley: It will have to come to that eventually – (applause) – and the sooner the better.

Mr. Goodlad: We don’t want any local boards yet.

Mr. Crossley and Mr. John Morley were proposed for the post but they both declined, Mr. Colley remarking that they were not so ‘soft.’

Mr. Goodlad then proposed Mr. Ogley and Mr. Appleyard proposed Mr. Goodlad amid laughter. – Mr. Goodlad: I shall object to it; I would rather Mr. Ogley stand.

Mr. Colley proposed that no waywarden be elected.

Mr. W. H. Chambers was proposed but refused the office, and Mr. Colley remarked that evidently Mr. Chambers was ‘more than seven’ years of age. (Laughter.)

Mr. Sharpe said the necessity was imposed on those who wished for a continuance of the present condition of affairs and not for a local board to voluntarily take the post. He would positively decline. (Hera, hear.) – Mr Goodlad: We seem about beat with this job. Mr. Balmforth, will you stand? We’re not going to be ‘fast.’

Mr. Ogley proposed Mr. Jos. Appleyard, who declined the office with thanks.

Mr. Colley: It would be a good thing to propose Glasby, the roadman. (Laughter.) = After some further discussion Mr. Balmforth was appointed waywarden, on the motion of Mr. Nicholson, seconded by Mr. Goodlad.

The question of a second guardian to represent Conisboro’ was brought forward. It was contended that the village was insufficiently represented. – Mr. Chambers, the guardian for Denaby, expressed his belief that if the question were brought before the Board of Guardians the country members would vote in its favour. – Mr. Joseph Appleyard pointed out that the matter had been brought before the guardians once.