The Fitzwilliam Street Fatality
Local Charities and Their Recipients
Wooden Sheds

  A meeting of this Council was held on Wednesday night, when there were present:- Messrs. W. Bazeley (chairman), G. H. Skinner (vice-chairman), F. Knight, J. Claridge, G. Miller, F. Ballard, C. E. Bayes, J. S. Clipson, T. Swindall, J. Paragreen, C. Bates, and A. J. Dobbs, with Mr. W. Beetenson (acting clerk), Mr. E. Madin (assistant surveyor), and Mr. W. Kingston (sanitary inspector).

Plans, Etc., Committee

  A meeting of the Plans, Highways, and Lighting Committee was held at the Council Buildings on Wednesday the 29^th July, 1908, when there were present:- Messrs. W. Bazeley (chairman), G. H. Skinner, A. J. Dobbs, J. Claridge, J. S. Clipson, and T. Swindall.

Plans

were presented by:-

  Mr. J. Northern for sheds at the rear of Nos. 136, 138 and 140 Wellingborough-road in place of the existing wooden buildings and passed.

  Mr. W. Tilley for alterations and additions to bakehouse at the rear of No. 124 Wellingborough-road and passed.

  Mrs. Featherstonehaugh for cart shed in High-street South and passed.

  Mr. George Selwood for photographer’s dark room in his garden Newton-road and passed.

  The Rushden and Higham Ferrers District Gas Co. for additions to the manager’s house at the gas works and passed.

Wooden Buildings

  The Surveyor reported that he had written to the parties reported at the last meeting of this Committee as having erected wooden buildings not exempted from the bye-laws without submitting plans, and had received satisfactory replies from all with the exception of Mr. T. Surridge.

  It was resolved that Mr. Surridge be summoned to attend a meeting of the Council to show cause why the building in question should not be removed.

  It was resolved that Mr. H. Meadows be required to submit a plan of the coal shed he had erected at the rear of his house on the Irchester-road.

Public Lighting

  It was resolved to commence public lighting in full on Saturday, the 15^th August next.

  The Committee decided to inspect the town at an early date and consider the question of providing additional lamps.

Main Road Footpaths

  The Clerk read a letter from the County Council stating that that Council had decided to include in this year’s agreement for the maintenance of the main roads, a sum of £102 for the renewal of the footpaths in Church Parade, in front of the Coffee Tavern, in front of Mr. J. F. Knight’s shops and opposite the Capital and Counties Bank, and a sum, not exceeding £23, being one half the estimated expenditure in substituting stone slabs in lieu of blue-bricks there.

  It was resolved that the Surveyor be instructed to commence the work of reconstructing the footpaths in Church Parade and opposite the Capital and Counties Bank forthwith.

High Street South

  Storm Water Drain – A letter was received from the Clerk to the County Council stating that the Roads and Bridges Committee of that Council had decided to treat the renewal of this drain as an improvement and not as maintenance and to contribute one half of the cost, viz., £22/14/11, of carrying out the work.

  Culvert – A further letter was received from the County Council stating that the Roads and Bridges Committee had agreed to pay the cost of the works of repair to the old Culvert in High-street South estimated at £3.

  The Surveyor was instructed to proceed with the work at once.

Motor Traffic

  A circular letter, addressed to the Chairman from the Road Union, was received, enclosing a circular addressed to the Prime Minister calling attention to the excessive use of the roads for motor traffic, and requesting the Chairman to sign the same on behalf of this Council and forward it to the Prime Minister.

  It was resolved that the Chairman sign and forward the circular as requested.

Duck Street

  The attention of the Committee having been called to the recent accident at the bottom of Fitzwilliam-street, it was resolved that a sub-committee consisting of the Chairman, with Messrs. Claridge and Swindall be appointed to inspect the site and report to the future meeting as to what means, if any, could be adopted to improve the entrance from this street into Duck-street.

Rectory Road

  The Surveyor reported that the Co-operative Wholesale Society contemplated enlarging their factory in Rectory-road and had enquired if the Council were considering the advisability of widening the road at that point.

  It was resolved that the same sub-committee be appointed to interview the Society with reference to this and report to next meeting of the Committee.

  Mr. Paragreen, referring to the paragraph in the report relating to wooden buildings said he went to look at the buildings complained of and saw nothing that he thought was an infringement of the bye-laws.  He did not see that four posts and a bit of corrugated iron could be called a shed.

  The Chairman:  Oh, that was clearly an infringement of the bye-law regarding air-space.  Then again, they were wrong in not submitting plans.

  Mr. Paragreen said it did not look to him as though it required plans for a paltry thing like that.

  Mr. Bollard: I suppose Mr. Northern is being treated the same as other people. I think that is the right thing to do.

  The Chairman: Oh, yes.

  Referring to the paragraph relating to motor traffic, the Chairman reported that an acknowledgment of the receipt of the Council’s letter had been received from the Prime Minister.

  In reply to a question by Mr. Bayes as to why the committee did not recommend the Council to proceed with the work on the path in front of the Coffee Tavern, the Chairman said there were one or two matters to be settled and it was thought well to proceed at once with the work about which there was no difficulty.

  The report was adopted.

Finance and Estates Committee

  A meeting of the Finance and Estates Committee was held at the Council Buildings on Wednesday, the 12^th August, 1908, at 10 a.m., when there were present:- Messrs. W. Bazeley (chairman), F. Ballard, and J. Claridge.

Surveyor’s Cash Account

  The Committee examined the Surveyor’s cash account with the wages books, the expenditure shown therein being as follows:-

Collector’s District Rate Account

  The Collector’s District Rate Account was examined from which it appeared that he had collected the following sum since the last meeting:-

Collector’s Fittings Accounts

  The Committee examined the Collector’s fittings account and found that he had collected the following sums since the last meeting:-

Cemetery Registrar’s Account

  From the Cemetery Registrar’s Account produced it appeared that the following sums had been paid to him since the last meeting:-

Treasurer’s Accounts

  The Committee also examined the Treasurer’s accounts from which it appeared that the following sums had been paid to him on the following accounts since the last meeting:-

And that the following balances were in hand on the undermentioned accounts:-

Tradesmen’s and Other Accounts

  A number of accounts were examined and passed for payment.

Portland Road

  The Clerk reported that the apportioned charges for making this road in respect of property owned by Mr. Jeremiah Jones were still unpaid and that the notice to Mr. Jones that the Council would, in case of default, proceed to exercise their statutory powers had expired.

  It was resolved to recommend the Council to appoint the Clerk as Receiver for the purpose of taking possession of the property in question and collecting the rents until the Council’s claim is satisfied.

  In reply to a question the Acting-Clerk said the amount due from Mr. Jones in respect to the apportionment of Portland-road was £7/4/3.  All the other owners had paid the amounts due from them.

  Mr. Paragreen:  What interest is charged on this unpaid money?

  The Chairman: Four per cent.  The Council has power to sell the property or to collect the rents and we are taking the more lenient course.

  The report was adopted.

Health and Sanitary Committee

  A meeting of the Health and Sanitary Committee was held at the Council Buildings on Wednesday, the 12^th August, 1908, at 7 p.m. when there were present:- Messrs. W. Bazeley (in the chair), C. E. Bayes, C. Bates, F. Ballard, G. Miller, and J. Paragreen.

Health and Sanitary Reports

  The Medical Officer reported that 12 cases of infectious disease had been notified since the last meeting, 10 of scarlet fever, one of enteric and one of erysipelas.  The case of enteric fever was not contracted in Rushden as the man had been away from the town and only came home for the weekend.

  A sample of water from a shallow well had been examined and found unsatisfactory, he had recommended that the town water be laid on to the property.

  The Sanitary Inspector reported that 25 notices had been served during the month requiring the removal or abatement of nuisances, of which 14 had been complied with, and the remainder were under consideration.

  The drainage of twelve properties had been tested with a result that several defects had been discovered and in most cases made good.

  A careful inspection of the brook between Bedford-road and Wellingborough-road had been made and several drains were discovered to be still connected with it, these were receiving attention.

  Sixteen visits had been paid to houses in which infectious disease existed and in one case the Inspector discovered that the person who had charge of the patient was obtaining work from a factory through another person.  He wished to call particular attention to this matter as it was a most dangerous practice and one likely to spread the disease, particularly in scarlet fever cases.  In this case the Inspector had called the attention of the manager of the factory to what was taking place and had obtained his consent to fumigate the goods before they were returned.

  Six houses had been fumigated after scarlet fever and one after typhoid fever.

  Five cases of consumption had been notified by doctors and two by private persons; these were all receiving attention.

  The sample of water referred to by the Medical Officer was taken from a surface well at Kilburn-place.  A notice had been served on the owner and arrangements were now being made to substitute the town water supply.

  The Inspector called attention to a breach of the Nuisance Bye-laws on the part of Mr. W. W. Smith by the keeping of pigs on his Griffith-street premises within a distance of 80 feet from a dwelling house; continual complaints were being received of the nuisance caused thereby.

  The Committee instructed the Inspector to forward to Mr. Smith a copy of the Bye-laws and to inform him that they must be complied with.

  The Inspector asked the Committee to consider the question of purchasing a drain testing machine, the cost of which would be between £5 and £6.  The testing by a machine was in every way superior to that of the smoke rocket, whilst the latter was the most expensive, the cost during the past 18 months for rockets having amounted to £10/4/9.

  It was resolved that the matter be placed on the agenda for consideration at the next meeting of the Committee.

Footpath Obstruction

  The Inspector reported that Mr. Gramshaw, of No. 105a, High-street, Messrs. J. Green and Sons, of No. 111, High-street, and Mr. H. Cartwright, of No. 121, High-street, still continued to place goods on the pavement outside their respective premises.

  It was resolved that they be informed that unless they discontinued the practice forthwith proceedings would be taken against them without further notice.

Dairies, Cowsheds, and Milkshops Order

  The Inspector was authorised to hire a trap for his half-yearly inspections of the Cowsheds in the district.

  The report was adopted.

The Fatal Accident

  A letter was read from Mr. J. Cairns Parker, deputy coroner, stating that at an inquest held on July 31 on the body of W. J. Smith who died from injuries received through colliding with the wall at the bottom of Fitzwilliam-street, the jury requested him to inform the Council that they considered the hill very dangerous, and to ask whether steps could not be taken to render the approach safer and to warn cyclists by erecting a notice.

  The Chairman said they would see from the minutes of the Plans Committee that a sub-committee had been appointed to visit the spot and report.  The sub-committee had met and inspected the site, and expected to be able to make a favourable report at the next meeting.

  Mr. Claridge thought the suggestion as to erecting a notice-board was a good one.  Other streets also required warning notices erecting in them.  People who came into the town did not know how dangerous it was to ride down such streets as Fitzwilliam-street, Queen-street, Griffith-street, and Crabb-street.  It was not only the hills themselves but the narrowness of the streets into which they led that made them dangerous.

  The Chairman said he believed a sub-committee was appointed some years ago to consider dangerous points in the town, but the Chairman at that time thought it was an unnecessary expense to put up notices and nothing was done.  He thought the County Council should be asked to erect notices where they were required.

  Mr. Claridge: The County Council have nothing to do with the district roads.

  Mr. Clipson: But they deal with main roads and that would cover three out of the four streets.

  Mr. Claridge: But you want these notices at the top of the roads.

  Mr. Clipson: With motor traffic, there is much more danger at the bottom, and there should be notices to warn motorists of the dangerous places.

  Mr. Skinner: Do you think a sane man would ride a motor down Crabb-street?

  A Councillor: They are not all sane.

  Mr. Skinner: Haven’t we power to limit the speed of motors through the town to six miles an hour?

  Mr. Claridge: No; the County Council have taken no septs of that kind.

  Mr. Skinner: I think it’s about time they did, then.

  Mr. Ballard moved that the matter be referred to the Plans Committee, with power to act.

  Mr. Skinner: Who puts up the warning-notices all over the district?

  Mr. Claridge: The County Council on the main roads, and the Motor Union put up some.

  Mr. Skinner did not think the work should be done at Rushden’s expense.  Their expenses were heavy enough now.

  Mr. Knight said that whatever was done in Fitzwilliam-street there was bound to be an accident if a cyclist lost control of his machine while riding down the hill.  People ought not to ride down the hill.

  The Chairman: But they are not all Rushden people who ride on these hills and there ought to be notices erected to warn them.

  Mr. Ballard’s motion was carried and it was decided to inform the Coroner that a committee had been appointed to deal with the matter.

Appointment of Charity Trustees

  It was resolved that the retiring Charity Trustees, Messrs. J. Claridge, G. Denton, F. Knight, T. W. C. Linnitt, G. H. Skinner, and T. Tailby, be re-elected.

  Mr. Dobbs: Is there any way by which the public can get to know what these Charity Trustees do?

  The Chairman: I don’t know but we have Mr. Claridge and Mr. Knight here.

  Mr. Claridge: There is not much to dispose of.  There are two or three little charities merged together and we have about £23 or £24 to dispose of.  That is disposed of principally to widows, and the rest to other deserving poor people.  They get about three shillings each.

  Mr. Dobbs: What methods do the Trustees use to get at the most deserving cases?

  Mr. Claridge: If anyone is recommended to one of us the case is considered.  Besides that, we have a list, and if there is no alteration in a person’s circumstances his or her name is kept on the list.  Mr. Linnitt is a Guardian for the parish, and I am sure all cases are well investigated.

  Mr. Dobbs: I don’t suggest that anyone gets the money who doesn’t deserve it, but I thought some might deserve it who do not get it.  I certainly think the list should be open to inspection.

  Mr. Claridge: Mr. Mason has a list and it is probably open to inspection.

  Mr. Miller: I don’t think some of the recipients would care to see it advertised.

  Mr. Claridge: in any case, the amount is very small for a town of the size of this.  Many villages have more.

  The subject was allowed to drop.