Wartime in Rushden - March 1941

28th March 1941

Rushden Rate Unchanged

Sound Building for Post-War Requirements

For the fourth year in succession Rushden Urban Council has levied a rate of 12s 4d in the £.

When this figure was adopted by the Council at its meeting on Wednesday, one councillor expressed disappointment that there was no reduction in the rate, but the general feeling of the meeting was that the rate was one more likely to save violent increases in the future by increasing the budget balance.

“This is the fiftieth annual meeting since Rushden was constituted an urban authority,” announced Coun. W.E. Capon as he opened his budget speech. He paid tribute to those who laid the town’s foundations so well and recalled that the town’s rateable value in 1891-2 was £17,428 and the rate 5s in the £, this producing £3,366.

For the current year the rateable value was £85,791 and the rate of 12s 4d in the £, produced £29,728. Thus the rateable value had been multiplied by five and the rate yield by 15.

It was not easy in times like the present to forecast the financial needs of the town with any degree of accuracy. Prices, establishment charges and wages tended to rise, and compensation for war damage was an important factor

Increases and Savings

In the current year however, the net Council expenditure estimated at £21,482. was only £19,959 – a saving of £1,523.

The Highways Committee made a net saving of £1,153, the Health and Sanitary Committee £519, the Parks and Baths Committee £115, the Library Committee £36.

The Council share of A.R.C. costs had been overestimated by £45 but the Finance Committee showed an increased expenditure of £345.

Much of the saving could not have been effected except by reason of the prevailing circumstances. They included £850 on district roads and £334 on lighting.

The Council also benefited by salvage receipts (£595 gross), increased income at the baths and increased library income, while library renovations had been postponed.

The amount overspent by the Finance Committee was accounted for chiefly by revised superannuation charges.

Fire Services Cost

Mr. Capon drew attention to the expenditure of £1,886 on the Fire Services. This, he said, was no small amount, but £1,200 was covered by Government grant, and their up-to-date equipment and full complement of firemen formed an invaluable asset.

The book balance at the end of the current year would be £4,790, and the substantial balance in these days of uncertainty was not only desirable but essential.

Mr. Capon noted a decrease in the value of the 1d rate from £334 (the actual yield this year) to £332.

The rate cost per head of the population was £3 3s 9d per year, or 1s 2¾d per week per person, and, said Mr. Capon, the benefits obtained by each inhabitant for just over 2d per day were surprising.

Council Houses

Loan balance to-day stood at £272,683. Of this amount 94 per cent was for housing, and the burden of the 6 per cent would fall in the next four years by the equivalent of a 3d rate, while in ten years it would be reduced by £1,843.

This would stand the town in good stead when dealing with post-war reconstruction and planning.

The Council had erected 797 houses, and the debt on these schemes now averaged £434 per house. They had a housing repair fund of £8,000 yielding £200 per annum interest.

Good Payers

Acknowledging the co-operation of the ratepayers, Mr. Capon said that over 70 per cent. of the 2,500 invariably paid within a month of the demand being received.

New Estimates

A survey of the new estimates showed that the Highways Committee were repeating last year’s call for roads “in hopeful anticipation.” Their general requirements, however, were down by £181. For labour the Sanitary Committee required £100 in excess of last year’s estimate and £465 more than the actual expenditure for the current year.

The Library Committee asked for £113 extra and the Parks and Baths Committee for £62 extra. The housing estimate showed a reduction of £195, but the Finance Committee required an increase of £582, largely accounted for by war bonds and superannuation. The War Emergency Committee budgeted for £2,528 (compared with £1,498), all this cost being borne by County Council.

Committee calls totalled £21,311, or a rate of 5s 4.2d, and the Exchequer grant of £9,995, with another small item reduced the council’s net expense to £11,358, or 2s 10.2d, in the £ compared with 2s 8.2d budgeted for last year.

Precepts of the County Council, Water Board and other authorities totalled £37,778, or a rate of 9s 5.1 in the £.

“It would naturally have been pleasing to the eye as well as to the ear,” said Mr. Capon, “to have recommended a change in the rates, naturally in a lower direction, but taking all the circumstances into account and in view of the uncertainties which lie ahead of us, I have to state that the Finance Committee’s findings are a required rate of 12s 4d in the £.

Coun. John Spencer, seconding, considered the financial position very satisfactory. He always liked to have balances against emergencies.

He well remembered during the last war the rates rose from 9s to 17s., and it was essential that they took every great care it did not happen again.

Very Disappointed

Coun. Roe congratulated Mr. Capon on the manner in which the estimates had been prepared and presented, and the Finance Officer for the excellent manner the accounts had been set out. He was, however, very disappointed that Mr. Capon was not able to recommend that the 3d saving by the County Council should be passed onto the local rate payers. He had gone through the estimates very carefully and could see that all the essential services had been provided for, a policy he agreed with. He noted some of the committee’s had overspent and the superannuation of officers had come out very much more.

The Clerk when dealing with the extra war bonus was very careful to tell them that it would only cost £50 a year, but what he did not tell them was that they had already overspent the estimate for the current year. It had been his privilege to present the accounts last year, when the estimated balance in hand was £3,931. That balance was considered ample for their requirements.

The balance had been increased by £1,859, and the estimated balance at the end of the year was £4,790. He saw no reason why the balance should not be increased to £5,649. He quite agreed it was proper to have satisfactory balances but he saw no reason for overdoing it.

He was of opinion that a balance of £4,000 was ample. He reminded them that they had recently been urging their ratepayers to look into their balances in order to “save to lend” to the Government. He was sorry they had not applied the principle advocated.

He considered they could forward a balance of £5,000 and surely what was a satisfactory balance last year was similarly satisfactory for the present year.

Reduction Suggested

He suggested they make a rate of 6s. and thereby give the people some of the County Council reduction which would give them a £4,000 balance, which was ample. Reflecting that he had had 17 years’ experience on the Council, he was satisfied from that experience that £4,000 was sufficient. While they were urging people to put money in War Loan, he thought they were making a mistake in increasing their balances. He moved the half-yearly rate be 6s. in the £.

Coun. Davis asked if provision could be made in the estimates for the provision of bins for the collection of food waste.

The Chairman (Coun. Allen) said that was a matter for the next meeting of the Finance Committee.

Coun. Roe failed to obtain a seconder.

Unknown Demands

Coun. A. Allebone said he had gone very carefully into the figures and considered the Finance Committee had taken a very solid line. The future was problematical.

A.R.P. was costing a lot of money and the expenditure which might be required could not be known. The rateable value was down and it could not be ruled out that a further reduction in the product of the rate would not occur. In fact, they could not tell how low their rate product would go.

It was in the interest of the Council to maintain good balances. He recalled the fact that one year a smallpox epidemic had cost the Council an unexpected 6d. or 9d. rate and it took all their money to pull them out of the mess. He considered a good balance was a great deal better than the reduction of 1d. or 2d. a week in the rates of the general artisan.

Coun. Richardson did not think the balances any too big.

Post War Needs

Coun. Cox (vice-chairman) thought as a fact that few would have minded an increase in the rate and he was gratified at having satisfactory balances.

There was bound to be a revolution in rates after the war if all the things promised were to be found. If they found in six months they did not want the money they could then lend some money to the Government. Personally, he advocated even better balances than those proposed.

The Chairman added his congratulations to Coun. Capon and the staff.

In reply Coun. Capon said he had looked up the early rates referred to and found in 1920 the rate was 17s. 8d., 1928-9 16s. and after the revision of the rateable value in 1931 13s. Referring to the war bonus query of Mr. Roe, he said that this was entirely due to revaluation and beyond the Council’s jurisdiction.

He considered they must take the long view for there was no certainty as to their possible liabilities, which even might go to £10,000.

The rate of 6s. 2d. for the half-year was ordered to be prepared.

Shelters Report

As a matter of urgency, the Chairman read a question submitted by Coun. Wareing. The question asked for a statement as to the progress being made in the provision of blast walls and shelters for private houses.

The Surveyor (Mr. Lloyd) replied that the response of the ratepayers had not been up to what was expected, as only 1,500 had returned the forms. They had expected 3,000. The architects had already been at work surveying the town and had completed 17 streets already.

In order to expedite the matter they had divided the town into districts. They did not intend to wait until the whole town had been surveyed, but would send sections as surveyed to the Ministry for sanction. The work sanctioned would be gone on with while other districts were being surveyed.

There were present Couns. J. Allen (in the chair), T. W. Cox (vice-chairman), Mrs. O. A. H. Muxlow, Dr. Davies, A. Allebone, J.P., C.C., J. Roe, F. Green, T. J. Swindall, J. Spencer, J.P., H. Wareing, W. J. Sawford, W. E. Capon, J. T. Richardson, J. George, J. H. J. Paragreen, E. A. Sugars and A. H. Bailey.

Local “Royalty”

First Four Girls Chosen for Rushden Service Queens Contest

Caption: Rushden is to appoint three new “Service Queens” and three deputies in the cause of charity. Twelve girls are needed for the final of the competition – here left to right front are the first four – Gladys Broadbent, Edna Gordon, Elinor Short and Edwina West. With them are Mr. and Mrs. F. J. Lilley, adjudicators at the dance and (left) Mr. C. G. Perkins, social secretary of the Query Motor Club.

Pooling Fruit For Jam

Wartime in Rushden 1940 - 1945