15th January, 1943

Sunday Pictures for The Troops?
Rushden Council Has No Objection
“Serious View” of Milk Test Reports

Confronted for the first time with the question of Sunday cinema shows, Rushden Urban Council indicated on Wednesday that it would not oppose afternoon performances if they were limited to regular troops in uniform. Unsatisfactory reports on the condition of milk supplies locally were viewed with concern, and another important piece of business was the announcement that Mr. T. L. Watts, of Surrey, has been appointed as the Council’s new clerk.

The resolution in favour of Sunday cinema shows – open only to regular troops – came from the Finance Committee.

The question had arisen in a letter from the Northamptonshire Quartering Commandant, who had received a military request for the cinemas at Kettering, Wellingborough and Rushden to be opened on Sunday afternoons, as was done at Northampton and other towns. The letter suggested that the cinemas should open at 2.30.

After “very careful” consideration the committee advised members to raise no objection to the issue of a certificate by a competent authority “for the consideration of the Council,” provided that only regular troops were admitted.

Coun. Allebone said he thought it would be expected that only those in uniform would be admitted.

Land Girls Too?

Mrs. Muxlow said she wondered if Land Girls could be admitted. There was always a number of them about in Rushden on a Sunday. It was now a general rule that they should be served in Service canteens, and she thought they might have the Service privilege at the cinemas.

Coun. Allebone said this had never been considered. It might need a lot of consideration.

Mrs. Muxlow (recollecting): I should have said “members of the Women’s Land Army.”

Coun. Allebone: Would they have to go in uniform?

Members: Yes!

The Clerk (Mr. W. L. Beetenson) said the discussion was rather premature. When the certificate was issued the Council would have full opportunity to discuss the whole thing.

Coun. Allen said that hundreds of men who came home on leave changed into “civvies” at once.

It was finally decided to stipulate that only troops in uniform should be admitted.

Milk “Alarm”

“Serious concern” was expressed by the Health Committee because out of 12 milk specimens examined last month only three were satisfactory. According to the Sanitary Inspector (Mr. F. S. F. Piper), the dairymen had suggested that war conditions might be responsible for the state of their milk. Mr. Piper has been instructed to interview the purveyors and suggest methods of attaining a higher standard.

Presenting the committee’s report, Mrs. Muxlow said she would like to emphasize what a serious view had been taken. She assured the Council that everything would be done that could be done to secure a better report next time.

Coun.Paragreen said it seemed to him that there was something radically wrong with the milk that Rushden people were getting. If the latest report had been an isolated case it would not be so bad, but he had been looking up the records for the last 12 months and had been alarmed to find that out of 129 samples taken for analysis no fewer than 50 were unsatisfactory. In one period of the summer they had 19 “unsatisfactory” reports out of 24 tests.

Utensils Blamed

“Is this just dirty milk?” he asked. “I think that if there was more cleanliness in the utensils we might have better results. I view this as very alarming, and I am thinking that something stricter will have to be done before the purveyors take much notice of a warning.”

“I fully agree with those remarks,” said Coun. Bailey, “but is it not a fact that a good deal of the milk which is complained of is brought from areas outside our Inspector’s control?”

Mrs. Muxlow: I think some of it is, but not a great deal of it. There is, as everybody knows, difficulty with regard to labour, and that may have some bearing on the situation.

Coun. Green said the tests were very severe. It was “all over the county alike,” and he did not think they need take too alarming a view of it.

Effort Promised

The Chairman said he did not think Rushden was getting worse milk than neighbouring towns, but that did not make bad milk good. No effort would be spared to bring everyone up to standard so that the town could have first-class clean milk.

Coun. Allen: Is it not a fact that until pasteurisation is in vogue throughout the country there is not much possibility of getting a safe supply?

The Chairman replied that he must be careful of his comments because of his position in business, but he believed the time was very near when the whole of the country’s milk would be pasteurised. They were hoping that bad reports would then be abolished once and for all.

New Clerk - Appointment of Officer With Law Degree

The Finance Committee reported that after considering 69 applications and interviewing eight of the candidates for the position of Clerk to the Council they had unanimously resolved to appoint Mr. T. L. Watts, L.L.B., as Clerk and Chief Executive Officer at a salary of £550 per annum, rising in four years to £650.

It was understood that Mr. Watts would also be appointed Clerk of the Higham Ferrers and Rushden Water Board at a salary of £1 per annum.

Mr. Watts was Deputy Clerk of the Beddington and Wallington (Surrey) Urban Council from 1930 to 1937, and has been Deputy Town Clerk of the borough of Beddington and Wallington since the incorporation of the district in 1937. He is aged 38, and married; he obtained his law degree with London University honours.

The present Clerk, Mr. W. L. Beetenson, retires on March 31st, and Mr. Watts will succeed him on April 1st.

Coun. Allebone said the committee felt that the appointment was a good one. Mr. Watts appeared to have a very good knowledge of Local Government work, and they felt that he would prove a valuable Clerk.

The report was adopted without further comment.

Frost Threat

Coun. Sugars called attention to the special need this year of preventing damage to water pipes by frost. An advertisement had appeared in the Press, he said, but it might be well to give the public a further reminder. A good many people had stop taps, and if they used them when there was frost it would prevent a good deal of damage with which there was not the labour to deal.

Coun. Allen suggested that a leaflet setting out various precautions should be sent to each of the Council’s own tenants. He thought that if the statistics of burst pipes were known it would be found that on a percentage basis there had been slightly more in Council houses than in others.

Coun.Waring: Is it not a fact that bursts caused by frost last season have still not been mended in some places? The labour position is infinitely worse than it was twelve months ago.

The Chairman said the leaflets were a good suggestion, but the paper shortage was acute. He thought the tenants should have sufficient respect for their homes to look after them. No doubt the Council’s rent collectors would put in a word.

Coun. Sugars said he thought the tenants knew the consequences of neglect. There were so many burst pipes last year that they could hardly need any further warning.

Slow Progress

The Clerk reported that the Ministry of War Transport had not yet approved the proposed erection of barriers at the Rushden ‘bus stops.

“We have done what we could,” said Coun. Richardson. “The Ministry asked for further information, and this has been supplied.”

“Slow progress” with the repair of walls from which iron railings had been taken was noted by the Highway Committee. The committee realised that the delay was due to the shortage of labour, but as many of the walls were crumbling and were a source of danger to pedestrians during the black-out the Surveyor had been instructed to communicate with the Ministry of Works with a view to the work being quickened.

The Medical Officer (Dr. D. A. McCracken) reported five cases of scarlet fever, one of whooping cough, three of pneumonia, three of puerperal pyrexia, one of measles, one of cerebro-spinal meningitis, one of chicken pox and one of non-pulmonary tuberculosis. Ten males and six females were born, and there were 14 deaths – 11 of people over 65 years of age.

Salvage for China?

When the Surveyor’s report on salvage came before the meeting Coun. Capon said he would like, on behalf of the Rushden Aid to China Campaign, which would start in March, to ask permission of the Council for the whole of the salvage proceeds during March to go to that campaign. He understood that this was being done all over the country.

“I don’t know whether I am in order,” said Mr. Capon.

The Clerk: You are out of order, but it can come before the Health and Sanitary Committee.

Coun. Capon: That is what I wanted it to do. (Laughter).

The Surveyor (Mr. J. W. Lloyd) estimated the value of the December salvage at £123. Materials collected included 13 tons 18 cwt. Paper, 11 cwt. Bones, 26 tons 7 cwt. Tins, 6 cwt. Rags, 5 tons kitchen waste and 100 dozen bottles and jars.

The building report for 1942 stated that plans were passed for three air raid shelters, four additions to factories, an addition to a house, two cowsheds, a cycle shed and a war-time nursery. No houses were completed during the year.

Coun. Richardson was appointed as a trustee of the Rushden Parochial Charities in place of the late Mr. Spencer.

Money to Invest

The question of investing £2,069 which stands to the credit of the Housing Repairs and Equalisation Account is to be considered by the Finance Committee.

The Chairman and Clerk were appointed to attend a meeting in London on February 10th, when the Urban District Councils’ Association will discuss the proposed reorganisation of Local Government.

Before the business of the evening was begun the Chairman spoke in tribute to the late Mr. John Spencer, in whose memory the members and officers stood silently. The Clerk was then asked to send a letter of sympathy to Mr. Spencer’s family.

The Chairman suggested that the vacancy on the Council should be filled at the next meeting and this was agreed to.

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

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15th January, 1943

Rushden to Save For Planes
Wings-for-Victory Campaign is Planned

First plans of “Wings for Victory” Week in the Rushden area were laid on Thursday at a meeting of the Rushden, Higham Ferrers and Raunds National Savings Committee. The meeting was held at the Rushden Council Chamber, and Mr. E. F. Poole, of Raunds, presided, supported by Coun. W. E. Capon (hon. Secretary), Mr. Peter Stevenson (Deputy Regional Commissioner for Savings) and Mr. N. J. Daft (District Commissioner).

The special week will form the third major savings campaign in the area, the others having raised more than £600,000.

Bomber and fighter planes are the material objectives this time, and full co-operation is promised by the Allied Air Forces. It was explained that the schools have their own national target of £3,000,000, towards which all money raised by the children in the local campaigns will count.

Mr. Stevenson told the committee that each district would be “attached” to an aerodrome, which would lend exhibits and help in every possible way. The A.T.C. would also help.

Coun. W. J. Sawford, J.P., chairman of the Rushden Urban Council, declared that Rushden would want to do its very best, and Coun. T. W. Cox, who led last year’s Warship Week effort, supported this view.

The period from May 22nd to 29th was chosen for the campaign. A target figure presented more difficulty because the area, at a particularly unfortunate time for campaigning, fell short of an ambitious objective last year. Opinion was in favour of smashing a somewhat lower target, and so, after much consideration, the area figure was fixed at £150,000.

It was agreed to plan an out-of-doors opening ceremony on spectacular lines – probably with a range of aircraft on view – and Mr. Stevenson named a celebrity who may be secured as opener.

It was agreed to set up special committees, one of which will be formed by the head school teachers.

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22nd January, 1943

Rushden’s Decrepit Dustbins - Trades Council Renews its Criticism

The insanitary condition of dustbins in Rushden was again considered at a meeting of the Rushden and District Trades Council on Tuesday, and further action contemplated.

A report of the meeting between a delegation from the County Trades Councils and the United Counties Bus Co. revealed that suggested improvements to the workers’ priority scheme were under consideration. Further delay in the erection of ‘bus barriers at Rushden was noted, members remarking that the scheme had been in hand since September.

A circular from the North Midland Region Price Regulation Committee warned second-hand dealers about over charging for price-controlled goods, asked for assistance in combating this practice, and gave warning of serious penalties for offences.

The Ministry of Information delegate reported that a number of residents in Rushden appeared to be getting careless in showing lights in the mornings.

Reporting on the After-Care Committee, Mr. Groome and Mr. Horn stated that the sale of Christmas Seals had been good.

Miss Tassell reported that only 10 women had volunteered for part-time work in the past six weeks.

The chairman, Mr. W. Ainge, stated that steps were being taken to launch a “Wings For Victory” week.