Wednesday, present Councillors J. Spencer, J.P. (chairman), T. Wilmott (vice-chairman), F. Knight, J.P., J. Claridge, J.P., C.C., W. Bazeley, J.P., C. Bates, T. Swindall, and J. Hyde, with the Clerk (Mr. G. S. Mason), the Surveyor (Mr. W. B. Madin), and the Sanitary Inspector (Mr. F. J. Allen).

Council In Committee

  A meeting of the whole Council in committee was held at the Council Buildings on Wednesday, January 30^th, 1918, when there were present: Messrs. J. Spencer (chairman), T. Wilmott, C. Bates, W. Bazeley, J. Claridge, J. S. Clipson, F. Knight, and T. Swindall.

Plans

were presented for:-

  Small fan house in Portland-road, for the Co-operative Wholesale Society, and passed.

  Sanitary block to Messrs. Green and Coe, Ltd.’s factory in Newton-road, and passed.

  Alterations and additions to Prospect House, Higham-road, for Mr. Fred Eaton, and passed.

  Shed to cottage in Oak-street, for Messrs. Groome and Son, and passed.

Fire Brigade

  The annual report of the Fire Brigade was received, from which it appeared that the drills had been attended regularly during the past year, and that the appliances had been kept up to a high standard of efficiency and were all in good working order.  The Brigade had been called out six times during the year, twice to serious and four times to slight fires.

  It was resolved to recommend the Council to lodge appeals before the Local Tribunal in respect of three of the firemen who were of military age.

Cemetery

  The Cemetery Registrar’s quarterly report was received, from which it appeared that there had been 24 interments during the past quarter, three spaces had been purchased and one reserved for a period of 14 years.  The sum of £17  12s.  6d. had been received in fees, etc.  The number of interments to date since the opening of the Cemetery was 4,005.

  The Committee considered the report very satisfactory, and requested the Sub-Committee to meet and consider the advisability of laying out further land.

Health and Sanitary Reports

  The report of the Medical Officer for the month of January was received.

  The Sanitary Inspector reported that since the last meeting 17 informal notices had been issued calling attention to nuisances, etc., which for the most part were receiving attention.

  Three books belonging to the Free Library found in infected houses had been destroyed.  It was resolved to recommend the Council to replace the books.

  Acting on the advice of the medical practitioners in attendance three lots of infected bedding had been destroyed after deaths from consumption.  It was resolved to recommend the Council to replace part of the bedding destroyed at a cost not exceeding £1  7s.  6d. in each case.

  A quantity of outwork found in a house from which a case of scarlet fever had been reported had been disinfected before being returned to the factory.

  The Inspector gave a detailed statement of his work since the last meeting.

Slaughterhouse Licences

  Applications for renewals of their slaughterhouse licences were received from Messrs. E. Hollis, E. Warren, and James Knight, and acceded to.

Petroleum Acts

  Applications were also received for renewals of the licences as follows, and acceded to:-

Petrol – Messrs. J. Austin and Son, C. Chamberlain, Tailby and Putnam, and D. Nicholson.

Carbide – Messrs. R. W. E. Jarvis and D. Nicholson.

Granite

  A letter was received from the Stoney Stanton Granite Company stating that owing to the general all-round increase in prices they were compelled to ask for an increase in their contract prices, as follows:-

  It was resolved to recommend the Council to agree.

Housing

  A letter was received from the Local Government Board suggesting that the Council should enter into a definite provisional agreement with the owners for the purchase of the land within a reasonable time after the end of the War, subject to obtaining the Board’s sanction to the necessary loan.  When this had been done the Board would be prepared to arrange for a local inquiry upon receipt of a copy of the resolution of the Council applying for the Board’s sanction to a loan.

  The special Sub-Committee, with Mr. Swindall added, were instructed to confer with the vendors with a view to entering into a provisional agreement on the lines stated in the letter.

Public Health (Notification of Infectious Diseases) Regulations, 1918

  A circular from the Local Government Board was received, enclosing an Order prescribing a uniform form of certificate or notification by medical practitioners for all notifiable infectious disease and stating that they had arranged with H.M. Stationery Office to supply the forms of Notification prescribed in the Order.

  The Sanitary Inspector was instructed to obtain the necessary forms.

Council Employees

  An application was received from the Municipal Employees Association asking for an increased bonus for the labourers employed by the Council.

  The matter was referred to the Finance Committee.

Medical Officer of Health

  An application was also received from Dr. Baker for an increase of salary, and referred to the Finance Committee.

Annual Report of Medical Officer of Health

  A circular from the Local Government Board was received calling attention to the Board’s circular of January 19^th, 1917, wherein arrangements were made for simplifying and improving the tabulation of vital statistics in connection with the Medical Officer’s and Sanitary Inspector’s Annual Reports owing to the necessity for economy, and stating that owing to the continued necessity for economy in the use of paper only interim reports should be made for 1917, such interim reports to be again typewritten.  The Committee agreed, and instructed the Medical Officer accordingly.

Succoth-Place

  The Inspector reported that the order for repairing this road had been given by the owners, but the work was delayed owing to the difficulty in obtaining materials.

Co-operative-Row

  The Inspector also reported that nothing further had been done with regard to the repairs to this road.

  The report was adopted.

Finance and Estates Committee

  A meeting of the Finance and Estates Committee was held at the Council Buildings on Tuesday, February 5^th, 1918, at 10a.m., when there were present: Messrs. J. Spencer (chairman), T. Wilmott, C. Bates, J. Claridge, J. Hyde, and Fred Knight.

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 Accounts

  The Collector’s accounts were also examined from which it appeared that he had collected the following sums since the last meeting:-

Treasurer’s Accounts

  The Treasurer’s accounts were also examined, from which it appeared that he had received the following sums since the last meeting:-

And that the following balances were in his hands:-

Tradesmen’s and Other Accounts

  A number of accounts amounting to £2,090  13s.  11d. were examined and passed for payment.

Council Employees

  The application from the Municipal Employees’ Association for an increased bonus for the labourers employed by the Council was considered.  The Surveyor submitted a list showing the amount of wages and bonus paid to each of them.

  The Committee considered the case of each man separately, and authorised additions to the war bonus at present paid.

Medical Officer of Health

  The application for an increase of salary from Dr. Baker was also considered, and it was resolved to recommend the Council to increase his salary by £10 per annum.

  The report was adopted.

Tank Week

  The Chairman said that, in connection with the visit of the Tank to Northampton, they were asked at Rushden as a town to make the Tank Week as successful as possible.  He did not know whether they as a Council could invest any money.

  The Clerk: We are in as good a position as last year, when we put in £1,500.

  The Chairman said the matter of the Tank Week would be brought before the War Savings Committee.

  Mr. Hyde proposed that the Council invest £500.

  Mr. Claridge seconded.

  Mr. Knight asked the Clerk what amount he considered would be advisable as an investment.  He thought they should invest all they possibly could spare.  They would not be wasting the money.

  The Clerk said he thought the Council could spare £1,000, but he thought the question of the amount should be referred to the Finance Committee for their consideration.

  This suggestion was adopted, the committee being empowered to invest £1,000 if found advisable.

  On the proposition of Mr. Swindall, it was decided to ask the Chairman and Mr. C. W. Horrell (as representing the manufacturers) to attend the County Committee meeting on the subject.

Food Control

  The Clerk read a letter from the members of the Local Food Control Committee resigning their position in agreement with the resolution passed at the conference on Friday last at Higham Ferrers, and reported in this issue.

  The resignations were accepted.

  The Chairman said the committee had attended to their duties splendidly.  The object of the new arrangement was to ensure uniformity of distribution, though he did not think they would get larger supplies.

  On the proposition of the Chairman, seconded by Mr. Swindall, and supported by Mr. Bazeley, it was decided to join the District Committee.

  The Chairman said that Rushden would be entitled to three members.

  Mr. Knight moved that the Chairman, Mr. Bates, and Mr. Claridge be elected, and this was carried.

Lighting

  A letter was received from the Chief Constable in reply to the request of the Council for more lamps to be lighted in the streets.  He thought that the 21 lamps now allowed were sufficient.  He did not think more than 21 lamps could be extinguished with speed, as it took 20 minutes now to put the lights out.

  The Chairman said he was afraid they would not get more lamps now.

Memorial

  A memorial was received from the tenants of the Victoria-road allotments stating that the land had now been purchased by Mr. Geoffrey Miller, who requested that the allotments should be given up forthwith as he required it for his own use.   Seeing the difficulty of getting land now for the purpose of allotments, the memorialists asked the Council to use what powers they possessed to prevent the land being taken from them.

  The Clerk said the Council possessed no power at all over the matter.

  Mr. Bazeley said he was sorry the Council had no power.

  Mr. Claridge suggested that a deputation should wait upon Mr. Miller, urging him to see that the tenants were not disturbed during the war.

  This course was decided upon, and the Chairman and Vice-Chairman were asked to wait upon Mr. Miller.

Housing

  Mr. Bazeley had given notice to move a resolution on the housing of the working classes.

  The Chairman said the matter was to be dealt with at a committee meeting that night.

  Under these circumstances, Mr. Bazeley withdrew his notice of motion for the time being.

Y.M.C.A.

  The Chairman said that at the next meeting he should ask permission to call a town’s meeting to deal with a proposal to erect Y.M.C.A. premises at Rushden after the war.