The Rushden Echo and Argus, 10^th January, 1941, transcribed by Jim Hollis

To the Editor.

Sir, - The Minister of Agriculture has made it abundantly clear that, before this war is won, large numbers of women will be required for work on the land.

The majority of your readers no doubt heard the recent announcement made through the B.B.C. that the Women’s Land Army is now in need of new recruits, and that a first instalment of one thousand volunteers is wanted immediately for training during February and March.

As chairman of the Northamptonshire Women’s Land Army, may I be allowed, through the courtesy of your paper, to draw the attention of your readers to the importance of this form of National Service. In common with other counties we require new recruits and, though all women are not equally suitable for work on the land, I suggest that any woman between the ages of 18 and 40, who is physically fit, prepared to adapt herself to country life, and has not yet taken up any war work, should seriously consider whether enrolment in the Women’s Land Army is not the best contribution she can make to the national war effort. Full particulars with forms of application for enrolment may be obtained from the County Secretary, Mrs. F. J. Simpson, 12 College-street, Higham Ferrers, telephone number Rushden 659. - Yours faithfully,

Shelters from which water has been pumped out and sirens which failed to make themselves heard gave Rushden Urban Council members plenty of material for discussion on Wednesday evening.

There was news of hundreds of people applying for air raid protection, of sleeping bunks and coal stoves being ordered, and of a move to organise adequate fire-watching in High-street.

A long report on public shelter accommodation was received from the War Emergency Committee. It dealt with plans to adapt four basements – two at the R. I.C.S. premises in High-street, holding 250 persons, at a cost of £740; one at the late Mr. W. H. Darnell’s property in Church-street, holding 125 (£345), and one at “Stonehurst,” High-street, holding 135 (£197).

In these cases the Regional Technical Adviser had visited Rushden to discuss various points, and the whole of the cost will be met by the Exchequer.

The Surveyor has also been preparing plans for using basement accommodation at the “Evening Telegraph” office, High-street (75 persons), the Queen-street Schools (75), Mr. E. Smith’s shop at the corner of Wellingborough-road and Windmill-road (35), and No. 7 West-street (25).

The committee announced that 820 applications had been received for domestic shelter accommodation. The Surveyor was preparing a scheme, and the inspections and surveys of property were proceeding satisfactorily.

Construction of the three new semi-surface shelters was reported to be proceeding satisfactorily having regard to the acute shortage of labour in the district.

In view of the trouble caused by water seeping through the roof joints of the earlier shelters, instructions had been given for the roofs of both groups of shelters to be treated with tar and felt.

It was also proposed to strengthen the shelters with interior steelwork, and an estimate had been sent to the Home Office.

Shelter bunks had been ordered – at the Government’s expense – for communal and domestic shelters, as well as for the public shelters, in view of their use at night.

A Government offer of coal stoves for the public shelters – one for each 25 persons – had also been accepted, and it was stated that the cost of the coal at the rate of 11 lbs. per night per stove would rank for grant.

The Clerk (Mr. W. L. Beetenson) reported that he had applied for 19,000 pairs of ear plugs, which would be distributed immediately on receipt.

Coun. Capon said it had been arranged for the wardens to distribute the ear plugs. A meeting had just been held with the Chief and Deputy Chief Wardens, whose men would inquire at every house as to whether application had been made for the provision of shelter accommodation. In cases where application had not been made, the wardens would leave an application form.

The wardens would inquire generally about shelter accommodation, fire equipment and street fire parties.

Consideration had also been given to the question of shop property, particularly in High-street.

It was felt that if this property was damaged by fire it would affect the whole of the town, and so it was proposed to call a meeting of the tradesmen at the Council Chamber next Monday and arrange a collective scheme whereby, in the case of an “Alert” the main shop property of the town could be watched and guarded.

Coun. Bailey asked if the council could use its influence to secure an early improvement in the system of raid sirens.

Apart from the failure of some of the sirens recently he said he thought they needed further sirens, particularly in the South Ward, where the power of the signal should be doubled at least. Complaints had been received that people that should be on duty did not hear the warnings.

If there was one thing essential in A.R.P. it was speed, and it was unthinkable that A.R.P. workers should be hampered in any way by lack of an efficient warning.

No one of course, wanted to hear the sirens unless it was an “All clear,” but for the purposes of efficiency they must see that they were heard in every quarter of the town.

Coun. Capon : I think it is outside the province of the committee.

Coun. Bailey replied that the Council could make its voice heard. The South End siren, he said, was only two h.p., and one of four h.p. such as the one at the Police Station, where much of the sound was wasted, should be installed.

Coun. Green said that half the people in the town did not hear one of the daytime warnings.

Coun. Bailey: It has been due sometimes to weather conditions but on other occasions it was not the weather.

Coun. Cox agreed that the voice of the Council should be heard. “We are supposed to have three sirens,” he said, “but it is doubtful if three sirens are sounded at the same time. In Wymington-road they are scarcely ever heard.”

Coun. Bailey suggested that the siren at the Police Station should be moved to the South End, and the South End one moved to the Police Station, where the sound was usually blown into the fields.

The Chairman said the Clerk would write to the proper quarters and if the shifting of sirens was necessary he was sure it would be done.

Coun. Paragreen said he had found two feet or more of water in the unfinished shelter at the foot of St. Mary’s-avenue. In such conditions the shelter was “hopeless,” and people could not be expected to go there.

The Surveyor (Mr. J. W. Lloyd) replied that most of the shelters were under water at times, but arrangements would be made to pump them out so that there would be no flooding.

They had been using a trench pump, but the Ministry suggested that an automatic pump should be installed.

Coun. Allebone: I think there is something wrong with the construction. Why not prevent water getting in? Surely it is possible to build a shelter, even if it is 50 ft. deep, that water can’t get in. If people had a cellar under a house it would be built so that water could not get in.

The Surveyor: If you wait until this is finished I am sure you will be satisfied.

The Chairman: I think if you wait you will find it is a satisfactory job.

Coun. Allebone: It will be so long as water can’t get in.

Coun. Mrs. Muxlow was assured that the shelter near the Y.M.C.A. had been pumped out.

At the end of the discussion, Coun. Capon put in a word in praise of Rushden’s road upkeep. Two visitors from Leicester, he said, had told him during the day that the streets were cleaner in Rushden than anywhere on the way, including Leicester itself.

Coun. Waring asked if some better arrangement could be made whereby the Council offices could be in better touch with the cemetery caretaker. On Monday, he said, two people were needed urgently to meet the responsible officer for burials, but he was not available – it transpired that he was engaged on rent collecting.

There also seemed some unaccountable delay in the installation of the telephone which was ordered six months ago, and he would like the bottle-neck of that trouble to be traced and put right.

Coun. Richardson said this question had troubled him for some time. He thought they passed a resolution that the telephone should be laid to the cemetery keeper’s house, but he was not clear why it had not been done.

The Clerk (Mr. W.L. Beetenson) said it was in April that the committee passed their recommendation, and he immediately placed the order. After a week or two he received a letter stating that the G.P.O. would give it their attention but that at present they were short of material and labour. After three months he wrote again, but received no reply. Later he telephoned, and they said they knew nothing about it. A fortnight or three weeks ago he asked them to get on with it, but he had heard nothing further.

Coun. Roe said that on Mr. Waring’s first point the trouble was that the officer went out rent-collecting. He understood the question had not been brought before the committee.

Coun. Waring: But if that officer is away there should be a responsible person to deal with it.

The Accountant (Mr. A Maclean) : There is someone available in the office with a knowledge of cemetery matters.

Coun. Waring: The trouble is that there is no one who will accept responsibility.

Coun. Capon gave an assurance that the complaint would be brought before the Finance Committee, and Coun. Richardson said he would mention several matters relating to the cemetery which needed elucidation.

In his annual report on the Fire Service, Chief Officer A.P. Timpson said the Brigade received 21 calls, all, with the exception of one stack fire, being within the town. All were responded to within a few minutes and dealt with efficiently, serious damage being prevented.

Third Officer Muxlow, Fireman Peck and Fireman R. Windsor had joined the Forces, and members of the A.F.S. had filled the gaps, the personnel now consisting of two officers and nine men, including two whole-time members.

The A.F.S. comprised two lady telephonists and 64 other members, of whom seven were whole-time. All members were fully trained, and possessed efficiency certificates.

The Brigade had attended 12 drills and 12 combined fire exercises, and stood by for 28 Alerts. The A.F.S. attended 30 drills and 12 exercises, and stood by during 28 Alerts. Recreation facilities had been arranged.

Eighteen lectures and demonstrations on incendiary bomb control were given at the Fire Station to various parties; 12 supplementary street fire parties were formed and six more were being arranged.

“The members of the Council may be assured,” wrote Mr. Timpson, “that with the high standard of efficiency of all the members and the equipment to hand, the Rushden Fire Service would tackle any situation very creditably should occasion arise.”

Coun. Allebone said he would like to compliment the Chief Officer and all the men on their very high standard of efficiency.

The Fire Brigade sub-committee were highly pleased with everything they had seen at the Fire Station, and they wanted, when the weather was more suitable, to give the townspeople an opportunity to go round the station and auxiliary station of a Saturday afternoon. They had a wonderful array of equipment and they did not think the townspeople knew enough about it.

Coun. Capon said it had been suggested that when the street fire parties were all in working order they should be enabled to see a demonstration by the brigade.

Coun. Waring joined in the compliments, and the Chairman said they would like the Brigade to know that the Council and the town appreciated the work they had done.

The Housing Manager (Mr. Allen) reported that repairs had been carried out to a few houses in Trafford-road.

There had been correspondence with the Ministry of Food on the subject of communal feeding, but the War Emergency Committee felt that community kitchens were not at present necessary.

Arrangements had been made for food to be available at very short notice at the rest centres provided for the accommodation of persons rendered homeless by enemy action.

It was agreed to set up a scheme for the provision of woollen comforts for members of the Civil Defence Services, and to establish a committee comprising Coun. Allen and one representative each from the W.V.S., Air Raid Warden, A.R.P. Service, and Fire Brigade Service.

The proposal was to raise funds and purchase wool to be made into garments by women of the Civil Defence Services and distributed in collaboration with the W.V.S.

Plans were approved of air raid shelters at Messrs. G. Selwood and Co.’s factory in Harborough-road, for Messrs. B. Denton and Son in Carnegie-street, for Mr. E. M Chappell in Avenue-road, and for Mr. W. Boddington at 45 Robinson-road.

The Surveyor reported that during 1940 plans were passed for one bungalow, seven additions to houses, seven additions to factories, a cowhouse, an electric sub-station, 11 garages, 10 air raid shelters and eight other buildings, chiefly sheds.

Nineteen houses were certified as completed and 14 were in course of construction, the majority being only at ground level.

In reply to a Home Office inquiry, the Surveyor stated that general efforts were being made to comply with the Fire Watchers’ Order. A few people had found difficulty in obtaining suitable watchers, but he thought this difficulty would be overcome.

The Clerk reported that in response to the Council’s advertisement, applications for stirrup pumps were made by 16 business and commercial undertakings, 20 by householders and 26 by the unofficial street fire parties.

The 30 pumps were allocated in the reverse order of these groups, and it was hoped that the whole of the applicants would be supplied when another consignment arrived.

Mr. Raymond Clark was appointed leading fireman of the whole-time squad.

It was agreed to take up the Ministry of Health scheme for the voluntary immunisation of children (aged 1 to 15) against diphtheria in order to meet the increased risks arising out of war conditions.

On the advice of the Medical Officer, it was decided that the work should be done through the Child Welfare Clinic in conjunction with the schools.

Coun. Richardson, the chairman of the Health Committee, received a reminder from Coun. Capon that he had not read out “Diphtheria Prophylaxis,” the heading to this resolution.

But Coun. Richardson has more than once been criticised for quoting his minutes too liberally. “I didn’t mean to attempt it,” he replied emphatically, “after the slating I got last time.”

All the milk specimens tested in November and December were reported “satisfactory.”

A house in Tennyson-road, occupied by four males and eight females, “or the equivalent of 10½ persons,” was reported as being overcrowded, and the Clerk was instructed to serve a notice, proceedings to be taken if the overcrowding is not abated.

Salary advanceswere granted to four members of the Council’s staff. An increased scale of salaries for junior clerks was adopted, and a new scale of cost-of-living bonus, involving a net extra cost of £20 in a full year, was introduced following an application by the officers and staff.

Materials value £43 5s were salvaged during December – 9 tons of paper, 8 tons 4 cwt of crushed tins, 14 cwt of rags and bagging, 11cwt of bones, and 20 dozen bottles.

An appeal by the Lord Mayor of London for books and periodicals for the Forces was mentioned by the Chairman, who explained that the books can be handed over to the Post Office counters unaddressed, unwrapped and unstamped.

“Those of us who have been in the Forces,” said Mr. Allen, “know how delightful it was to get a certain amount of good reading. The more literature we give the men, the more they will like it.”

The Chairman referred to the great bereavement that the “Father” of the Council. Mr. John Spencer, had sustained, and at his suggestion the Clerk was asked to send a letter expressing the Council’s sincerest sympathy. A similar wish was expressed in the case of Coun. Waring, whose mother passed away last Sunday.

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

How to defend High-street against fire raids was considered on Monday by those who reside or occupy lock-up premises in the street. The meeting had been called officially in view of the obvious need for collective action, and the response of all parties revealed a keen interest in the fire-watching problem.

The chair was taken by Councillor W. E. Capon (chairman of the Urban Council War Emergency Committee), who said they were not unmindful of other business premises in the town, but it was thought that the High-street was particularly vital.

The Chief Air Raid Warden (Mr. M. S. Boyd) said that apart from the Fire Watchers Order no intimation had been received of what the Government intended should be done, but the order of the day was that immediate arrangements should be made. He thought that, whatever plan was adopted, the interest of the High-street should be taken as a whole.

The Wardens, continued Mr. Boyd, were negotiating for premises in High-street as headquarters, and one suggestion was that the shop and office keys should be put in sealed envelopes and left there. The Wardens’ service was entirely at their disposal, and would give all possible assistance, though High-street was at present insufficiently covered by wardens.

Captain J. M. Bailey, M.C. (A.R.P. Officer) said it was very difficult to observe from outside fires which started in the rafters, as the majority did. In lock-up premises which were occupied in daytime only he strongly recommended that the black-out in the upper storey should be taken down before the premises were left, and this applied equally when houses were vacated at night.

Fire-watching from high vantage points was practically useless, and the best chance was to solve the problem of keys and make the property easy of access. He thought there were sufficient occupied premises to have a key system, with a notice on every door saying where the keys were kept.

Mr. A. P. Timpson, Chief Officer of the Fire Service, urged the formation of a supplementary fire party in High-street, and offered stirrup pumps and other equipment. “You talk about fire watchers all the time,” he said. “Let us say fire fighters. The sooner you get on with this, the better.”

Mr. J. G. Swart suggested a full-time squad of fire-watchers to patrol the street at nights. Four men, he said, could cover the street comfortably and he believed the cost to each occupier would not be more than three or four shillings a week.

Mr. Boyd said it seemed to him that they might be able to get the required number of men to work voluntarily, as the other services did.

Mr. A. Gramshaw thought that three men would not be sufficient. “You would want 33, I should think,” he said.

Councillor A. F. Weale said he hoped that in any scheme they would stick to the voluntary system. Rushden had done well, but there were still hundreds – even thousands – who were not yet doing anything. He hoped they would rise to the occasion and do this job thoroughly well.

Councillor J. Roe, who also preferred the voluntary system, said the best plan was to canvass the street and find what men were available.

Mr. Roe referred to the difficulty and danger of removing black-out in the darkness, and Captain Bailey replied that if only one window was cleared it would be helpful.

Mr. Fairey thought that the volunteers should come from the whole of the town – not necessarily from High-street.

A show of hands was suggested by Mr. A. H. Whitton and revealed that, of those present, 25 men and a few ladies lived in High-street, while upwards of 45 did not live in the street.

It was agreed to form a committee, and those appointed were: From the occupiers, Messrs. A. H. Whitton, T. E. Wigginton, J. Roe, L. V. Elliott, J. D. Bugby, L. G. Roberts, O. A. H. Muxlow, J. G. Swart and J. Broughton; from the Civil Defence Services, Messrs. M. S. Boyd, A. P. Timpson, J. M. Bailey, W. McCarthy, F. G. Deane and L. Phillips; representing the Home Guard, Councillor A. F. Weale; from the War Emergency Committee, Councillors W. E. Capon and F. Green.

The committee met on Wednesday and received a promise that the Wardens would concentrate on guarding the street until the full scheme was completed. Councillor W. E. Capon was appointed chairman, Mr. L. V. Elliott hon. secretary, and Mr. A. H. Whitton hon. treasurer.