He Fights Free ‘Holidays’ — Calls Conferences “Extravagant”

“Seaside holidays” in the form of visits to conferences at the public expense were deprecated by Coun. A. F. Weale at Rushden Council’s meeting on Wednesday, when he tried without success to hold up permission for the Senior Sanitary Inspector to attend a conference next May.

An invitation to the annual Health Congress at Brighton from May 23rd to 27th had been received from the Royal Sanitary Institute, and the Health Committee recommended that the inspector should attend as the Council’s delegate.

Coun, Weale said the conference seemed to be the first of a series which were to be held next year, and the decision made would be taken as a precedent. There might be ten or a dozen such conferences, and he suggested that they should be considered together before the Council made any decision.

“I would suggest,” continued Mr. Weale, “that an annual Health Congress at Brighton seems to be extravagant. I think that if the great high-ups who are going to take charge of that conference were to put into print or writing the matters they want the country and the Councils to realise, it would be useful, but I see no use in sending officials to Brighton for a week’s holiday to study these matters.

“If you tell the people of Rushden that you are going to have this series of conferences and that the small ratepayers have got to foot the bill, it is a severe proposition. It is all right for those who have plenty of money, but I speak for the small ratepayers. It is time we realised that there are other ways of spending our money than on these luxury holiday conferences at the seaside.”

When Mr. Weale moved that the report be referred back, there was no seconder, and the minutes were adopted.

Civic Café Will Soon be Closed

Faced with a loss because the rent has gone up, Rushden Urban Council decided on Wednesday that the town’s Civic Restaurant will have to be closed.

A report from the Finance Committee showed that the rent of the premises was raised from £231 to £366 per annum as from last February. This resulted from an award by the District Valuer.

It was estimated that on the basis of the increased rent there would be a loss of £225 on the restaurant for the period from April 1st to November 30th, 1948. The committee felt it would not be practicable to raise the charges per meal sufficiently to cover the new costs.

Bearing in mind the increasing tendency for canteens to be provided at factories, they reluctantly recommended that the restaurant should be closed at an early date.

Councillors like extension: they get a drink too

The chairman of Rushden Urban Council, Mr. F. E. Brown, told licensed traders of the Wellingborough district on Thursday that his fellow councillors appreciated the extra half-hour allowed by 10.30 p.m. closing of public houses. Council committee meetings last very long sometimes, he said, and councillors were glad to get a quick refresher when they had finished.

Mr. Brown was speaking at the annual banquet held at Rushden Windmill Hall, of the Wellingborough and District branch of the Northamptonshire Licensed Trades Association, Ltd. He added his thanks to the branch for the work they did for charity.

New Industries

The need for light industries in the town was referred to by Mr. Brown, who agreed with Mr. R. Alderson (chairman of Wellingborough Urban Council) that such industries should be introduced so that people would not be wholly reliant upon the boot and shoe industry. It was unfortunate that there was only one staple industry, he said, but it was hoped that new light industries would come, so that if there was any slump it would not be felt so acutely.

“As manufacturers we do our best to keep on full time. We are going through a difficult period. Raw materials have risen in cost by ten per cent and in the future the public will find they will have to pay quite a few shillings more for their shoes.”

Mr. Brown was replying to a toast to the licensed trade and the towns of Rushden and Wellingborough, which was proposed by Mr. Alderson.

Presentation

A toast to the branch was proposed by the president, Mr. R. T. C. Campbell, and Capt. J. S. Parker replied. Mr. P. B. H. Knight replied to the welcome to the visitors by Mr. J. R. Howe, the vice-chairman.

Mr. T. W. Bues, chairman, proposed a toast to the president, and Mr. E. G. Tipler, former chairman, was presented with a medallion for past services.