Rushden’s Good Salvage Month
Over 73 Tons of Paper in January

Not counting some of the Aid-to-Russia salvage which has not yet been weighed, Rushden collected over 73 tons of paper during January – the month devoted to the national competition. The figures were given to the Urban Council on Wednesday and were hailed with satisfaction.

The Surveyor (Mr. J. W. Lloyd) announced that during January 13 tons 19 cwt. of paper was collected by the Council and 40 tons by the Aid-to-Russia Committee, while 19 tons 15½ cwt. was sent by firms direct to the paper mills. This made a total of 73 tons 14½ cwt. from Rushden during the month.

Other materials salvaged included: Tins, 8 tons 1 cwt.; scrap iron, 1 ton 5 cwt.; bone, 10 cwt. 1 qtr.; rags, 6 cwt.; rope, 1 cwt.; kitchen waste, 2 tons 6½ cwt.

Report to Council

The Housing Manager (Mr. H. C. Allen) reported that 43 applications for Council houses were received last year, compared with 71 in 1940. It had not been possible to accommodate any of the applicants, as only eight casual vacancies occurred, all of which were filled by families rendered homeless by enemy action.

Building plans were: Boiler house to canteen in Lime-street, Messrs. John White, Ltd.; air raid shelter, Newton-road, Messrs. Green and Coe, Ltd.; war-time nursery near Tennyson-road Infant School, County Council.

It was reported that the question of extending the street lighting hours to include the dark early-morning periods had been referred to the Lighting Sub-Committee.

Coun. Weale said there had been complaints of the darkness in the early mornings when people were going to work.

The Clerk (Mr. W. L. Beetenson) reported that 170 Morrison shelters out of the 200 applied for had been delivered. Thirty more were ready for delivery and another 100 would be received during the next few days. Only two applications had been received for the two-tier shelters.

Books issued from the library during the last quarter of 1941 were as follows : Adult fiction 18,960, adult non-fiction 4,985, juvenile fiction 5,760, juvenile non-fiction 2,328. The total showed an increase of 5,438 on the corresponding period of 1940, and the membership of 5,213 was an increase of 363 since September. Additional books were : 113 new and 10 second-hand purchased, 21 presented; 10 added to the reference department. Twenty books in the German language had been borrowed from Wellingborough.

Coun. Mrs. Muxlow told the Council that on a Saturday in January over 1,000 books were issued in six hours.

Savings Bonds

It was agreed to invest in Savings Bonds during Warship Week a balance of £1,000 on the Housing Repairs and Equalisation Funds.

The Finance Committee noted that the United Services Fete Committee had now paid the Council’s account for the erection of a platform at the Hall grounds.

Coun. Richardson was re-elected to represent the Council on the After-Care Committee.

When the members were invited to take part in the Warship Week ceremonies on Saturday, veteran Coun. Spencer said he could not take part in the parade but would attend the meeting. “I don’t suppose you have a white charger that I could ride on,” he added wistfully.

Dr. Davies asked whether, in the event of rain, the route of the procession would be shortened. The chairman replied that this rested with the marshall.

Coun. Capon: We’ve heard of the gloomy Dean – what about the gloomy doctor? (Laughter).

Members in attendance were Couns. T. W. Cox, J.P. (chairman), W. J. Sawford (vice-chairman), A. H. Bailey, J. Roe, A. Allebone, J.P., C.C., F. Green, J.P., Dr. R. W. Davies, J. Allen, Mrs. O. A. H. Muxlow, W. E. Capon, A. F. Weale, J. George, T. J. Swindall, J. Spencer, J.P., J. H. J. Paragreen, H. Waring, E. A. Sugars and J. T. Richardson, J.P.

Transport Economy - Rushden Greengrocers Propose to Curtail Deliveries

Rushden greengrocers, at a meeting in the Waverley Hotel on Monday, decided to suggest to the Regional Transport Officer that deliveries of greengroceries, including flowers, fruit and vegetables, should be limited to Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The meeting was convened under the Ministry of Transport’s ruling that collective arrangements must be made with a view to economy in transport, and nine tradesmen were present.

The arrangements, it is stated, will not seriously affect the villages, which can be visited by one dealer per day. Mr. R. B. Palmer was appointed to organise the group, with Mr. F. Hales and Mr. A. Allen to act as committee.

Well Saved

No flourish of trumpets announced the result of the Rushden, Higham Ferrers and Raunds Warship Week and, although the main desire of the public – to secure the adoption of H.M.S. Quorn – was achieved with something to spare, the inevitable comparison with the extraordinary figures of 1941 had a subduing effect. In actual fact, the failure to reach the desired total of £250,000 was by no means discreditable, and those who point out that the figures of 1941 and 1942 should be considered together, and further examined in the light of the average weekly savings during the whole of the war time campaign, are undoubtedly right.

The Deputy Commissioner for National Savings is one who sees this clearly. He writes : “I was particularly struck with the proportion contributed to the total through the medium of the small savers: 43 per cent. of the total is a very substantial contribution to come from small savers in Rushden. Their record of weekly savings throughout the campaign has indeed been remarkable.” The Commissioner describes £200,231 as “a substantial sum to come from your districts, representing as it does nearly £7 7s. 6d. per head of the population.”

Perhaps the area will take a rosier view of its performance when the Bedford Warship Week, now in progress, has been completed. There is a wager on between Coun. T. W. Cox, chairman of the Rushden Urban Council, and Coun. Dudeney, Mayor of Bedford, and each area has sought to beat the other on the amount invested per head of the population. Bedford made a flying start towards its target of £425,000 (to pay for the submarine Thorn) but the pace soon slackened after the first batch of big deals had gone through, and the amount in hand yesterday morning was no more than £350,000.

Bedford had no fear yesterday of failing to subscribe £425,000, but to win the wager with Rushden it needed something like £650,000, which was an entirely different proposition. Taking the 1939 population figures, the Rushden area invested at the rate of £7 18s. 3d. per head; on the 1938 figures the average was £8 6s. 9d. per head. The Commissioner’s quotation of £7 7s. 6d. is based on a more recent estimate of population. Bedford has begun to realise that the Rushden average, whatever the basis of reckoning, will take a lot of beating. Mr. Cox may yet win his hat, and if he does so the local effort will be seen in its true proportions.