At a meeting of this Council on Wednesday night, there were present: Messrs. F. Knight (chairman), and J. Claridge (vice-chairman), Ven. A. Kitchin, and Messrs. J. S. Clipson, W. Bazeley, J. Spencer, G. H. Skinner, T. Swindall, G. Miller, F. Ballard, C. Bates, and C. E. Bayes, with the Clerk (Mr. G. S. Mason), the Surveyor (Mr. W. B. Madin, and the Sanitary Inspector (Mr. W. G. F. Kingston).

Plans, etc. Committee

A meeting of the Plans, Highways, and Lighting Committee was held at the Council Buildings on Wednesday, the 29th June, 1910, when there were present :- Messrs. F. Knight (chairman), J. Claridge, F. Ballard, C. E. Bayes, W. Bazeley, and G. Miller.

Plans

were presented by:-

Mr. W. Knight for engine house and box shed to his factory in Manton-road, and passed.

Mr. George Chettle for additions to No.63, Duck-street, and passed.

The Rushden and Higham Ferrers District Gas Co. for blacksmith’s shop and pump house on their works and passed.

Public Lighting

The Surveyor was instructed to paint with one coat the lamps and columns. The upper portions of the columns to be white as at present and the lower portion chocolate.

Council Buildings

The Surveyor was instructed to invite tenders for the painting of the outside wood and iron work of the Council Buildings. The surveyor was also instructed to obtain prices for the erection of a flag staff over the entrance doors.

Team Labour

The Surveyor was instructed to advertise for tenders for carting the road metal for the ensuing year. The tenders to be delivered by noon on Wednesday, the 13th July. The Committee to meet at 6.30 that evening to consider same.

Footpath, John-Street To College-Street

The Surveyor was instructed to fix three iron posts in this path where necessary in order to prevent the same being used other than by pedestrians.

Tar Painting

The Surveyor reported that at a cost of £30 he had tar-painted nearly the whole of the High-street from Manning’s-lane to North-street. He was instructed to continue the tar painting as far as the Hayway.

Rectory Estate

The Clerk submitted an account showing the expenditure in the making and maintenance of Upper Portland-road under the agreement with the owners. After allowing for the commission due to the Council for superintendence, etc., there appeared an unexpended balance of £10/3/9, repayable to the owners.

It was resolved that the Clerk communicate with the owners suggesting that this sum might be expended in tar painting the road, which was now in excellent condition for that purpose.

Knuston Footpath

The Surveyor reported that in his opinion this path was dangerous to passengers owing to Mr. Clark’s excavations. The Committee considered the matter a serious one and the Surveyor was instructed to ask Mr. Clark to meet the Committee on the site at 7.15 o’clock on Friday evening next.

The Committee met on the site on Friday evening and were much concerned to find that a portion of the path had been entirely undermined and the level altered and that the operations appeared to be continuing, with the result that the whole of the path would eventually be undermined.

It was resolved to instruct the Clerk to forthwith communicate with Mr. Clark, informing him that the excavations beneath the footpath must immediately cease and that unless an undertaking to this effect were received by 4 o’clock on Monday afternoon an application for an injunction would be applied for.

The Chairman explained that the reason for the recommendation with regard to John-street footpath was that horses were led through the passage and constituted a great danger to children.

The report was adopted.

Finance And Estates Committee

A meeting of the Finance and Estates Committee was held at the Council Buildings, on Tuesday, the 5th July. 1910, at 10 a.m., when there were present:- Messrs. F. Knight (chairman), John Claridge, F. Ballard, W. Bazeley, and T. Swindall.

Surveyor’s Cash Account

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

	£	s	d
Week ending 2nd June, 1910	34	8	10
Week ending 9th June, 1910	35	18	7
Week ending 16th June, 1910	34	14	8
Week ending 23rd June, 1910	33	13	9
Week Ending 30th June, 1910	31	12	0

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:-

	£	s	d
General District Rate	2,422	16	5

…..

Collector’s Fittings Account

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

	£	s	d
Other roads	13	11	3
Sewers		2	0
Total	13	13	3

Green Tolls Account

The Collector’s Green Tolls account was also examined from which it appeared that he had received the following sum since the last meeting:-

Green Tolls

£1

7

0

Cemetery Registrar’s Account

The Cemetery Registrar’s account was also examined, from which it appeared that the following sum had been received by him since the last meeting:-

Burial fees, etc.

£26

16

6

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:-

	£	s	d
Collector, district rate	2422	16	5
Collector, fittings	13	13	3
Collector, burial fees	26	16	6
Collector, Green tolls	1	7	0
Scottish Insurance Company, re Sanders' fire	3	10	1
North Western Insurance Co., re Sanders' fire	5	2	2
Phoenix Fire Office, re Sanders' fire	1	7	9
National Telephone Co., rent of poles	1	13	0
Northants Union Bank, Interest on Loan No. 19	4	16	0
Free Library, fees, fines, etc.	1	4	9
Total	2482	6	11

And that the balances on the under-mentioned accounts were as follows:-

	£	s	d
General Account	2245	12	2
Loan Account No. 16	408	16	6
Loan Account No. 19	387	17	6
Loan Account No. 22 overdrawn	720	0	0

Loan Account No. 22 overdrawn 720 0 0

Tradesmen’s and Other Accounts

A number of accounts, amounting to £2280/6/0, were examined and passed for payment.

Audit

The Auditor’s report referred to this Committee by the Council at their last meeting was considered. The Committee beg to report to the Council thereon that the monies received by the Collector on General District Rate Account are being paid to the Treasurer almost daily as received and the whole of his collecting and deposit books are made up and submitted to this Committee monthly and checked with the Treasurer’s accounts. With regard to the amount of £1/12/6 over accounted for by the Collector on the Burial fees account, it was resolved that this amount be repaid to him.

Rectory-Road Improvement

The Clerk reported that he had negotiated a loan of £1,000 for effecting this improvement with the Liverpool Victoria Legal Friendly Society at £3/17/6 per cent., and that the mortgage would be presented for sealing by the Council at their next meeting.

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 5th July, 1910, when there were present:- Messrs. J. Claridge (chairman), F. Knight, C. Bates, G. H. Skinner, J. Spencer, T. Swindall, and the Ven. A. Kitchin.

Health and Sanitary Reports

The Medical Officer reported that he, with the Sanitary Inspector, had visited and inspected the house and shop, No. 139, High-street; he found the ceilings and plaster of the walls loose, and the floors unsafe and in his opinion dangerous. It was resolved to recommend the Council to serve a notice upon the owner of the property requiring him to put it in a proper state of repair.

The Medical Officer informed the Committee that the examination of the milk submitted to the Laboratory of Pathology and Public Health had negative results and it was quite evident that this milk was not the cause of the complaint.

Four cases of diphtheria had been notified during the month, a mother and child in one house, the others having no connection whatever. Considerable discussion took place with regard to the cases of diphtheria, and the Committee were satisfied that everything possible was being done to detect the cause and prevent the spread.

The Sanitary Inspector reported that during the month 52 informal notices and one statutory notice had been issued calling attention to nuisances, etc., and that they were all receiving attention.

In consequence of a complaint the Inspector had tested the drains of Nos. 47, 49, 51, and 53, Moor-road, and found serious defects. A considerable portion of the drain was a common drain, for the four houses all belonging to the same owner, and therefore a sewer repairable by the Authority. The Surveyor was instructed to repair so much of the drain as the Council were responsible for, and the Inspector to require the owner to do the necessary works to the remaining part of the drains.

An application had been received from Mr. Jesse Seamark, of No. 47, High-street, Higham Ferrers, to be registered as a purveyor of milk in the district, and his name had been placed on the register.

The Inspector reported that he had received a letter from the Clerk to the Guardians calling attention to the house occupied by Mr. William Sears in Duck-street as being in a dirty condition. The Inspector reminded the Committee that they had had this case under their consideration on several occasions, and that last year the owner at his request thoroughly limewashed and cleansed the property. The condition of the house was entirely due to the occupiers, the woman was bedridden and the man upwards of 80 years of age and unable properly to attend to her. The Committee did not feel disposed to take any action which would force this old couple in the House, and instructed the Clerk to acknowledge the letter and suggest to the Guardians that the difficulty might be met by an increased allowance from the parish to enable the couple to procure proper assistance.

The Inspector gave a detailed statement of his work during the past month.

Dairies, Cowsheds, and Milkshops

The quarterly report of Mr. Bainbridge was received, from which it appeared that on the 30th and 31st May and 1st June he visited 26 premises belonging to 24 cowkeepers and inspected 261 milk cows and heifers, making special examination of their udders and throats. The officer informed the Committee that he found two cows with diseased udders, the milk from which he did not consider fit for human food. The Inspector was instructed to see the owners of these cows and inform them that the committee were of opinion that they should not be used for dairy purposes, and report to the Council their action in the matter.

Petroleum Acts

An application was received from Mr. G. W. Bates, of No. 19, Church-street, to have his licence for the storage of petroleum increased from 50 to 100 gallons. It was resolved to recommend the Council to accede to the application.

Defective Drains

The Clerk reported that the apportionment of the expenses incurred by the Council in repairing the defective drains in Fitzwilliam-street and Cromwell-road had been duly served upon the respective owners who had taken no exception to them. Three months had now expired from the service of these notices, and he required instructions as to the collection of the amounts owing.

It was resolved to recommend the Council to instruct the Clerk to apply for payment of the several amounts set out in the apportionments, and in default of payment to take proceedings for the recovery thereof without further notice.

Mr. Claridge, in moving the adoption of the report, mentioned that no fresh cases of diphtheria had occurred in the town during the past fortnight.

The report was adopted.

Tenders for Carting and Painting

The Plans and Highways Committee reported that at a meeting held that evening tenders for carting road metal were received and it was decided to recommend the adoption of those of Messrs. Sharpe, Groome, Wilmott, and Packwood for the various roads and depots.

The same committee recommended the adoption of the tender of Mr. A. T. Nichols for painting the outside wood and ironwork of the Council Buildings and Free Library at £5 for the Council Buildings and £4 for the Free Library.

The recommendations were adopted.

The Death of The Late King

Letters were received from the Home Secretary acknowledging the votes of sympathy passed by the Council on the occasion of the death of the late King.

It was resolved, on the motion of the Chairman, to record the letters on the minutes.

Re-Appointment of Sanitary Inspector

In view of the fact that he has recently received an increase of salary, it was necessary to formally re-appoint Mr. W. G. F. Kingston as Sanitary Inspector at the increased amount. This formality was now gone through, on the motion of the Chairman, and Mr. Kingston briefly thanked the Council.

Rectory Road Improvement

The mortgage deed for £1,000 lent by the Liverpool Victoria Co. for the Rectory-road improvement was submitted and the seal of the Council affixed to it. The repayments are to be spread over a period of 30 years.

The Council Schools

Messrs. Bayes and Clipson having resigned their positions as Council School Managers, Mr. John Claridge was appointed by the Council in place of Mr. Bayes and it was decided to recommend the County Council to appoint Mr. E. Freeman in the place of Mr. Clipson.