Progress With Housing Schemes
Public Baths Not Available This Summer
Loan For Housing Subsidies
Proposed Extension Of The Cemetery

  Wednesday, present Messrs. C. W. Horrell, C.A., J.P. (chairman), C. Claridge (vice-chairman), T. Willmott, T. F. B. Newberry, J. Roe, A. Allebone, W. C. Tarry, D. G. Greenfield, M.D., F. Knight, J.P., F. Corby, T. Swindall, L. Perkins, B.Sc., J. Spencer, J.P., J. Hornsby, G. W. Coles, J.P., W. Bazeley, J.P., and C. Bates, with the Clerk (Mr. G. S. Mason), the Surveyor (Mr. W. B. Madin), and the Sanitary Inspector (Mr. F. S. F. Piper).

  Mr. J. Allen wrote stating that he was unable to attend owing to his indisposition.  Mr. Horrell expressed the wish that Mr. Allen would shortly recover completely.

  Minutes of a special meeting of the Council held on February 15^th were read, showing that the Council had considered the question of purchasing a plot of land in Station-road, of 2,123 square yards, belonging to Mr. T. Swindall.  It was unanimously agreed to purchase the site at the price of 3s.  3d. per yard, a total of £345.

  The minutes were passed, and later in the meeting the Council authorised the seal to the agreement.

Housing Committee

  A meeting of the Housing Committee was held at the Council Buildings on Wednesday, February 17^th, 1926, when there were present: Messrs. C. Bates (chairman), J. Allen, W. Bazeley, and T. Wilmott.

Progress

  The Surveyor reported that the eight houses in Oval-road constructed under the Act of 1923 were all occupied, and the position with regard to the remaining 22 houses constructed under the Act of 1924 was as follows:  Twelve houses ready for occupation.  Of the remaining ten, all were roofed in, and it was hoped that four at least would be ready for occupation within a month.

  Of the 16 houses in Irchester-road, these were all roofed in and awaiting the plasterer.

Further Houses in Irchester-Road

  The Surveyor submitted a sketch showing his proposals with regard to the 40 houses proposed to be erected on this site, which the committee approved and instructed the Surveyor to proceed with the plans and submit to the Ministry for approval as soon as possible.

  It was suggested that immediately the plans were ready the Surveyor should visit the Ministry with them to avoid the delay of correspondence.

  The report was adopted.

  Mr. Swindall asked how many houses would be with parlours.  Mr. Bates said that ten out of 40 would have parlours.

  Mr. Perkins asked whether there had been any suggestion of reserving plots for people who wanted to buy their own houses.

  Mr. Bates: No.

  Mr. Wilmott said people could not do so under the Wheatley Act.

  Mr. Perkins said he wondered whether plots could have been sandwiched between the others.

  Mr. Bates: That was not discussed.

Baths Committee

  A meeting of the Baths Committee was held on the Station-road site on Friday, February 26^th, 1926, at 4.30, when there were present: Messrs. C. Claridge (chairman), A. Allebone, F. Corby, J. Hornsby, L. Perkins, and J. Spencer.

  The committee inspected the site and gave directions to the Surveyor as to the set-out of the baths.

  The Surveyor informed the committee that at present his whole time was being devoted to housing and that therefore he would be unable to proceed with the plans and estimates for the baths for a few weeks.

  The committee agreed that the housing must be the Council’s first consideration.

  The report was adopted.

  Mr. Coles said it was an important point that houses be built first, but did it mean that the town could not possibly get baths this year?

  Mr. Claridge said that if there had been half a chance the work would have been pushed on for the baths to be ready this year.  They could not in any way delay so important a work as the housing scheme.  But it did not mean that the baths scheme would be hung up.  As soon as Mr. Madin’s plans for the baths were ready the committee would meet and carry on with the work.

  Mr. Coles thought the work might have been done in three or four months, so as to have the baths in use for this summer.

  Mr. Claridge: I have my information only from those who know that it is impossible to have the baths ready this summer.

  Mr. Coles:  I am very sorry.

Plans, Etc., Committee

  A meeting of the Plans, Highways, and Lighting Committee was held at the Council Buildings on Wednesday, February 24^th, 1926, when there were present: Messrs. T. Wilmott (chairman), A. Allebone, J. Allen, G. W. Coles, F. Knight, and W. C. Tarry.

Plans

were presented for:

  House on the Bedford road for Mr. John White, and passed.

  Warehouse for Messrs. H. P. Hodge, Ltd., at the rear of their shop in High-street, and passed subject to the storm-water culvert being examined by the Surveyor and supported by concrete where found necessary.

  Storehouse of wood and iron erection adjoining his house, No. 52, Station-road, for Mr. J. C. Leeding, and no exception taken.

  Garage in the yard of No. 21, Park-road, for Mr. J. Knight, and passed.

  Cycle shed near his house in Essex-road for Mr. Cyril Skeeles, and no exception taken.

  Garage for Mr. H. Pennis near his house in Newton-road, and no exception taken.

  Stables off the Newton-road for Mr. Q. Bayes, and no exception taken.

  Guild-room (wood frame building) on the Higham road, near the Roman Catholic Presbytery, for the Rev. F. C. Nutt, and no exception taken provided the consent of the adjoining owner be obtained.

High-Street South – Footpath Improvement

  The Chairman reported that he had again seen Mr. Lewis, the occupier of the land required for this improvement, who had agreed to give up possession on compensation to the extent of £5 being paid to him, and after consultation with the Clerk he had paid Mr. Lewis this sum.

  The committee approved and confirmed the action of the Chairman and instructed the Surveyor to proceed with the work of the improvement.

Fire Brigade

  The Fire Brigade Sub-Committee reported that they had received a requisition from the Brigade for various equipment as follows:-

and recommended the committee to agree thereto.

  The committee approved and resolved to recommend the Council accordingly.

  The report was adopted.

  Mr. Swindall said the Council had not had a report from the Fire Brigade for a year or two.  Mr. G. R. Turner used, as secretary to report every year.  He hoped the Council would receive annual reports in future.

  Dr. Greenfield asked whether a reply had been received to the Council’s request to the Post Office authorities that the pillar-box at Ward’s Corner be moved.

  The Clerk said there was no reply.

  The Doctor further asked whether a few more feet of ground could not be taken off the Church Institute ground at the top of Coffee Tavern-lane for the road improvement at the corner.  He thought more could easily be spared.

  The Surveyor said that there was a fair bit to come off yet before that part of the work was finished.

  Mr. Spencer called attention to the state of the pavement from the Post Office to Station-road, which he described as very dangerous for pedestrians.  He said he had never seen their pavements so broken up.

  Mr. Wilmott said that the Surveyor had written once, and again urgently, to the Post Office authorities to try to force their hand to get the work done, in view of the danger of accidents.  It was not the Council’s fault.

  Mr. Spencer asked whether the Council could do the work and charge the Post Office.

  Mr. Wilmott said that the Post Office authorities had not given permission for that to be done, though that was more satisfactory than giving the order to a contractor, who might be many miles away when the Council found that the work had not been done satisfactorily.  Should the order come next day, there was no reason why the Council men should not start on the work instantly.

  Mr. Spencer assured the Highways Committee that he was not finding fault with them.

Tradesmen’s and Other Accounts

  A number of accounts amounting to £3,543  6s.  1d. were examined and passed for payment.

Housing, Etc., Act, 1923

  The Clerk reported the receipt of the formal sanction of the Ministry of Health to the borrowing by the Council of a further sum of £2,500 for the purpose of granting subsidies under this Act.

  It was resolved to recommend the Council to instruct the Clerk to t once negotiate the loan and to arrange with the lender for the money to be advanced as to £1,200 forthwith and the balance when required.

Rates Department

  An application was received from Mr. L. J. Fennell for an increase of salary.  It was resolved to recommend the Council that his salary be increased by 5s. per week dating from the 1^st inst.

Audit

  The Clerk submitted a letter from the District Auditor stating that he had completed the audit of the Council accounts for the year ended March 31^st last and making suggestions as to the treatment of the various balances in hand at the end of the year.

Surveyor’s Staff

  The Surveyor reported that Mr. E. J. B. Mulligan, his temporary assistant, had obtained another appointment and left on the 27^th ult.  He had advertised for a successor and after consultation with the Chairman had appointed Mr. S. W. Taylor, of Burnham-on-Sea, at a salary of £4  10s. per week.

  The committee approved and confirmed the action of the Chairman.

Special Meeting

  It was resolved to hold a special meeting of the committee to clear up the accounts for the year on Wednesday, the 24^th inst., at 10 a.m.

Land Charges Act, 1925

  The Clerk submitted a circular letter from the Minister of Health with reference to this Act, which came into operation on January 1^st, 1926.  The Council are the Local Authority under the Act, and the Clerk of the Council the Registrar.

  The Council are required to provide a register with a map index.  The Clerk had made inquiries as to the cost of the register and index and found that it would be about £16.

  It was resolved to recommend the Council to provide the necessary map and register and for the present it was resolved to recommend that the fees for registration be paid to the Registrar as remuneration for the work done.

  The report was adopted.

  Mr. Perkins said there was no mention of the percentage of interest to be paid for the loan of £2,500 for subsidies.

  The Chairman said he did not think there was any chance of the Council borrowing it at lower than 5 per cent.

Health and Sanitary Committee

  A meeting of the Health and Sanitary Committee was held at the Council Buildings on Wednesday, March 3^rd, 1926, when there were present: Messrs. F. Corby (chairman), W. Bazeley, D. G. Greenfield, T. F. B. Newberry, John Spencer, and T. Swindall.

Health and Sanitary Reports

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

  The Sanitary Inspector reported that since the last meeting 31 nuisances had been dealt with, of which 17 had been abated.

  Forty-eight visits had been made to premises where food was prepared or sold, and during these inspections a quantity of beef and beef offal, the carcase and organs of a pig, and 24 jars of potted meat, to the total weight of 11cwt. 2qr. 12¾lb., had been found to be unfit for food and destroyed in the usual way.

  At the depot a quantity of bedding had been disinfected after cases of infectious disease.  At the sewage farm a parcel of bedding and wearing apparel had been destroyed, also after cases of infectious disease.

  The Inspector also reported that he had visited and inspected the property No. 64, High-street, and found that the surface-water drain was not properly trapped, thereby causing a nuisance.  It was resolved to recommend the Council to serve a notice on the occupier requiring him to abate the nuisance forthwith.

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

Factory Acts

  The Inspector further reported that four further lists had been received, containing the names of 27 outworkers.

Petroleum Acts

  An application was received from Messrs. T. Loasby and Son for a licence to store 200 gallons of petrol in a brick and iron store at the rear of their premises in Higham-road.  It was resolved to recommend the Council to accede thereto.

Milk and Dairies Act, 1922

  An application was received from Mr. J. Bates, of No. 104, Harborough-road to be registered as a retail purveyor of milk, and it was resolved to recommend the Council to accede thereto.

Albion-Place

  The Inspector of Nuisances reported that he had visited and inspected Albion-place, which with the exception of about 40ft. at the High-street South end, he found in a dangerous condition owing to the road being very uneven, not sufficiently paved, and an insufficiency of surface-water gullies.  He was instructed to interview the abutting owners and endeavour to make arrangements for the repair thereof.

No. 30, Pemberton-Street

  The Inspector also reported that he had visited and inspected this house and found several of the rooms in a very dirty state, thereby causing a nuisance.

  He was instructed to get into communication with the owner with a view to the rooms being stripped and cleansed.

Scavenging – Team Labour

  The Surveyor was instructed to advertise for tenders for team labour for scavenging for the six months ending September 30^th next and submit to the next meeting of the committee.

Cemetery

  Correspondence with the Minister of Health as to the proposed extension of the Cemetery was read, from which it appeared that an Inspector from the Ministry would shortly visit Rushden for the purpose of investigating the matter.  It was requested that the Council would arrange for the Medical Officer of Health to meet him on the site.  A further plan of the site, drawn to scale, with the position of the trial holes marked on it, was required.  The correspondence also pointed out that the Council must obtain the consent of all the owners and occupiers of the dwelling houses constructed within 100 yards of the Cemetery.

  The Clerk reported that the written consents of the occupiers had already been obtained and the consent of the Council as owner would be presented for sealing at the next meeting.

  The dwelling-houses concerned were 19 houses in Newton-road, Nos. 149 to 185 (odd numbers), and nine houses in Oval-road, Nos. 1 to 10.

  The report was adopted.

No Action Yet

  Mr. Wilmott asked whether the Highways Committee had done anything about the public convenience near the station.

  Mr. Corby said that the matter had been deferred and was not quite ready again for action yet.

Overseers

  The four Overseers, Messrs. L. Baxter, F. Green, B. Ladds, and F. J. Sharwood, were re-elected on the proposition of Mr. Bates, seconded by Mr. Newberry.

Committees

  In accordance with notice given, Mr. Perkins moved that the chairman, vice-chairman and the late chairman (Mr. Bates) be formed a committee to consider the reconstruction of committees of the Council.  He said it would be advantageous to have a larger number of members on committees so that everything brought forward would have a reasonable chance of being passed by the Council.

  Mr. Swindall seconded.

  The appointment of the committee was agreed to.

  The Chairman then announced that, in anticipation, the three referred to had met, and they recommended that there be five committees with nine members each – namely, Finance, Highways, Housing, Sanitary, and Parks and Baths combined – three others to be sub-committees.  He said they had been influenced by the fact that the baths had been held up unreasonably owing to the smallness of the committee.  Had there been nine members on that committee, the work would have gone on much quicker than it had.  Housing was also important enough to need more than six members to be fair to the size of the Council, there being 200 or 300 applicants still in the waiting list.  At least half the Council should be on that committee.  And the same with the Highways Committee, which was the great spending committee.

  A discussion took place on the merits of small and large committees and on the satisfactory or unsatisfactory working of the past year.  Dr. Greenfield suggested that the only change be that in cases of known controversy, to ensure the Council knowing what was going on, the committees call the full Council in committee, so that their work could go forward with more certainty.  Mr. Hornsby and Mr. Bazeley were convinced that the present constitution of committees was satisfactory.  Mr. Corby and Mr. Roe supported the idea of larger committees.  Mr. Spencer said he had no feeling either way.  He wished, however, to criticise the action of the chairman in having recently allowed a resolution to be put on the question of indoor versus outdoor baths after that point had once been settled by the Council.

  Mr. Perkins moved, and Mr. Knight seconded, the adoption of the committee’s recommendation.

  Mr. Bazeley moved as an amendment that the number on the committees be no more than six.

  Mr. Hornsby seconded, and on the suggestion of Dr. Greenfield the joining of the Parks and Baths Committees was included.

  Eight members voting for and eight against the amendment, there could be no change without a casting vote, which the chairman did not give.

  On Mr. Spencer moving that five committees be appointed in proportion to the members, and Mr. Perkins seconding, this was accepted by nine votes to nil.

  Replying to Mr. Spencer’s criticism of his own action recently, Mr. Horrell contended that he had been perfectly justified in doing what he did, and he would do the same again.  It was just the matter of a resolution when an estimate was being prepared for open-air baths agreed upon that alongside with that should be obtained another estimate for covered-in baths.  It did not alter the decision of the Council, and it gave the residents of the town an idea of the additional cost.

  Mr. Spencer:  I accept your explanation, but I am still of the same view. (Laughter.)

  Mr. Knight:  We never had that estimate.

  Mr. Horrell:  Oh, yes.

  Mr. Knight:  Only guesswork!

  Mr. Horrell:  It was prepared just the same as for the open-air baths.

Miscellaneous

  A letter was read from the secretary of the Rushden Park-road Wesleyan Church inviting the Council to attend divine service on Sunday, March 21^st, being in celebration of the 21^st anniversary of the Church.  The letter stated that the Territorials, firemen, and Ambulance Division were being invited to parade the town and attend the service.

  Mr. Spencer said he was opposed to the parade, though he was in favour of attending the service.

  Mr. Coles moved that the invitation be accepted.

  Mr. Spencer seconded as regarded the service.

  Mr. Swindall said he had always been pleased to be one to attend when such invitations were made, but his experience of the last few years of the small attendance of the Council had made him ashamed of that body at church parades.

  The Chairman said it was not to parade in this case, but to attend the service.

  Mr. Hornsby thought it would be nice if the Council went either to church or chapel when they got such invitations.

  The Chairman said he would not advocate an annual church parade attendance for members of the Council.  In the present instance, however, it was a Church’s 21^st anniversary, and he thought the Council should show its interest in the religious life of the town.

  The motion was carried.

  It was agreed that copies of a letter from the Marquis of Exeter appealing for a national memorial to Queen Alexandra be sent to bank managers with the request that it be posted up in the banks.

  Mr. Bates asked whether the whole of the debt on the 1924 Health Week had been wiped off.

  Mr. Piper (hon. secretary of the committee) said there was still a deficit of £3  5s.  3d.

  The Chairman:  I do think we ought to pay this up.

  Mr. Perkins suggested settling it before anyone was allowed out of the room!

  By subscriptions later on from members the deficit was practically covered.

  The Council then went into committee.