Plans, &c., Committee

A meeting of the Plans, Water, Highways, and Lighting Committee was held at the Vestry Hall on Wednesday, the 18th day of November, 1903, when there were present:- Messrs. John Claridge (chairman), J. S. Clipson, F. Ballard, W. Bazeley, Fred Knight and W. H. Wilkins.

Plans

were presented by:-

The Co-operative Wholesale Society, Limited, for covered yard at the rear of their factory in Portland-road and passed.

Mr. Bazeley thought some mention should have been made of the fact that the plans for the New Wesleyan Church had been referred back.

Trees

The Surveyor was instructed to re-plant trees, where required, in the public streets. He was also instructed to procure a quantity of new trees for the cemetery.

The report was adopted.

Finance, etc., Committee

A meeting of the Finance, Estates, Cemetery, and Sanitary Committee was held at the Vestry Hall, on Wednesday, the 25th day of November, 1903, when there were present:- Messrs. J. S. Clipson (chairman), J. Claridge, Geo. Denton, A. Mantle, C. Bates, and Tom Swindall.

Surveyor’s Cash Account

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

The Collector’s accounts were examined from which it appeared that during the past three weeks he had collected the following sum on the under-mentioned account:-

The Committee examined the Treasurer’s books from which it appeared that the following sums had been paid to him during the past three weeks by the under-mentioned persons on the following accounts:-

The Committee examined the treasurer’s books and found that the following balances were in his hands on the under-mentioned accounts:-

A number of accounts were examined and passed for payment.

Health and Sanitary Reports

The Medical Officer reported that since the last meeting he had visited Rushden and inspected some houses in Little Street which he found very much out of repair. No. 54 was in such a dilapidated and dirty condition that it was scarcely fit for habitation.

Two cases of infectious disease, viz., scarlet fever, had been notified – one in Irchester-road and one in Griffith-street.

The Sanitary Inspector informed the Committee that the houses in Little-street referred to by the Medical Officer were owned by Mr. Asher Abbott who had promised to have them put in a sanitary condition at once.

It was resolved to recommend the Council to serve Mr. Abbott with notice for this work to be carried out within 14 days.

With regard to the cases of scarlet fever the usual disinfectants were being supplied and every precaution taken to prevent the disease from spreading.

Cemetery

The Sub-committee were authorised to provide such heating apparatus as they might consider necessary for the plant house.

Council Offices

The Sub-committee appointed to consider the heating arrangements of the offices reported that they were unable to make any practical suggestions under the present conditions and suggested that the question of the general office accommodation should be considered.

It was resolved to recommend the Council to appoint a special Committee for this purpose.

The Council decided to serve the notice on Mr. Abbott as recommended by the Committee.

With regard to the Council Offices, Mr. Clipson said the sub-committee did not consider that they could propose any good scheme for the improvement of the Vestry Hall. They considered the office accommodation (both in the rate collector’s and the surveyor’s departments), as well as the Council Chamber, to be a little bit out-of-date. The sub-committee would like this special committee to be appointed. A committee had already been appointed from the Plans Committee, and he would like a committee to be appointed from the Council, to make a large special committee to go fully into this matter. He proposed that the committee be appointed.

The Chairman: This is a very far-reaching question.

Mr. Hornsby thought it would be better for the whole Council to consider the matter in committee.

Mr. Denton concurred.

Mr. Clipson withdrew his motion in favour of Mr. Hornsby’s suggestion, which, seconded by Mr. Bates, was carried.