Wartime in Rushden - September 1940

The Rushden Echo and Argus, 13th September, 1940, transcribed by Jim Hollis

No Risks in Street Lighting - Need For Care is Recognised

Possible Curfew - Rushden Council Told To Expect 600 Evacuees

Meeting in public for the first time since July, Rushden Urban District Council had a busy evening on Wednesday. Street lighting was a pressing topic, and Mr. Allebone found it necessary to give a detailed assurance about the new “star” lights, adding that no risks will be taken and that earlier switching-off times have been arranged. There is also the possibility of a “curfew” for places of amusement.

Members learned that 600 evacuees from the Colchester district were soon to arrive in the town for billeting. They passed a resolution asking for branch post office facilities in the South Ward, and several supported Mr. Roe when he criticised the removal of the Medical Officer from residence in the town.

Councillor Spencer opened the discussion on lighting by asking if the chairman of the committee was satisfied now that the scheme had been completed.

There was laughter when Mr. Spencer referred to complaints that the lights in the Wellingborough-road district were to bright.

“Well, you may smile,” said Mr. Spencer, “but there have been complaints by the air raid wardens and others. I have been an advocate of lighting, and still am, but at the same time I don’t want anything that is in any way dangerous to the public in these very special circumstances.”

Councillor Allebone replied that early this year the Lighting Sub-Committee, with the Surveyor, visited Leicester at the invitation of the Home Office and saw a demonstration of the “star light” system. They actually sat in a darkened room for 10 minutes before the screen was put into operation and they saw the effect of the lighting from different heights. Then they went into the streets which had been watered to show the effect of the lighting on a wet road. They were definitely told that the system was recommended by the Home Office.

“Wonderful” To “Dangerous”

After the demonstration they came back very satisfied that with the sanction – even the blessing – of the Home Office it was the sort of thing they ought to encourage for Rushden. It had the blessing of the Council, and everybody seemed very satisfied that they had done the right thing.

“Up to the commencement of these air raids,” continued Mr. Allebone, “everybody said what a good and wonderful thing it was, but the funny thing is that some who said last winter that we ought to have this lighting have now come to me and said it is dangerous.”

He had looked at the lights all over the town and was satisfied that a few appeared to be bright. One or two in Wellingborough-road appeared to throw a beam not only over the road, but halfway up a building, and when they had a building with perhaps a white bay it did appear brilliant.

In view of the prevalence of air raids the committee had discussed the question with the chairman of the War Emergency Committee, which had power to vary the times of public lighting, and it had been arranged that during September the lamps would be put out at 11 o’clock, and during October at 10.30.

Week by Week

They could consider, as the nights grew longer, whether it would not be advisable to put the light out still earlier. The London theatres were going to close at nine o’clock, and they might come to that in Rushden, the War Emergency Committee having the necessary powers.

They wanted as much light as possible without giving a possible target to the enemy, and they would do their best for the town. The electric lights did not appear so brilliant as the gas lights, and they were going to get into consultation with the Gas Company. They could not promise a programme for the season, but they would meet the position week by week and month by month.

Councillor Spencer: I am quite willing to leave it in their hands, and I believe they will try to do their best.

Billeting Task

The Clerk (Mr. W.L. Beetenson) announced that he had received telephonic notice that it was proposed to operate the special evacuation scheme at once, and that within the next day or two approximately 600 evacuees from the vicinity of Colchester, for the most part adults, would be received in Rushden for billeting. They would arrive by bus from Wellingborough and be received at three of the schools – 200 each at Highfield-road, Hayway and Newton-road.

Dr. Davis: May I ask if they will be medically examined.

The Clerk: The majority will be adults, but I understand that the children among them will all be medically inspected.

Decided By a Few - Medical Officer Now Living at Northampton

Councillor Roe said he understood that the Medical Officer had been given some additional duties at Towcester and was not now residing at Rushden, though that was part of the agreement with the County Council when he was engaged for the district. “I would like to know,” said Mr. Roe, “if he has had the permission of the Council to reside at Northampton, because I think that at this time we ought to have a Medical Officer residing at Rushden.”

The Clerk: The Clerk of the County Council said that if the condition were enforced the whole of the arrangements would break down. He also said that as it was only a war-time measure the Council would doubtless agree at once. I interviewed the chairman and one or two others, and it was agreed to give permission.

Councillor Roe said the terms of the appointment were decided by the whole Council, and the whole of the Council should have been consulted about the change.

The Chairman (Mr. J. Allen): The Council has no jurisdiction over the whole of the duties of the officer, I don’t think that anything we could do could alter the decision of the County Council in the slightest degree.

Needed in Rushden

Councillor Spencer: I agree with Mr. Roe. At such a time like this, when we don’t know what may happen, it is regrettable that the Medical Officer is not residing in Rushden.

Councillor Richardson: I agree that it is time we had a full time man in Rushden, but when they said it would be revised when the war was over, I could not but agree as chairman of the Sanitary Committee.

Councillor Waring: I take it that this Council is the biggest shareholder in the Medical Officer’s duties?

The Chairman: No.

Councillor Allebone said he did not doubt that the Council would have agreed if the whole facts had been put before the members, but the complaint was that the standing arrangement had been upset without reference to the Council at all.

Councillor Roe: The very fact of the Clerk to the County Council writing to say that if the agreement was enforced the whole thing would fall through proves that we have some authority in the matter.

Councillor Weale asked whether the duties the doctor was called upon to do in Rushden would be interfered with in any way by the new arrangement under which he was to live at Northampton.

The Chairman: As you know, we have recently had an outbreak of paratyphoid, and the Medical Officer has been most assiduous here. He has put in as much time as he would have done had he resided in the town. It is a question of accommodating the County Council with regard to the war-time medical service, and in these times we have all of us to make some adjustment.

Postal Complaint

Councillor Bailey submitted a resolution, which was unanimously adopted, asking for adequate branch post office arrangements in the South Ward. A week last Saturday, he said, it was found necessary to close the sub-office in Park-road, the reason, he was informed, being that the work was too heavy for the late sub-postmaster and his wife.

The poor old South Ward, said Mr. Bailey, was left without any post office, though the Newton-road sub-office did cater for part of the district. Was it reasonable that old age pensioners should undertake the journey from the far end of Bedford-road to the new office in College-street? Until a few days ago, if they could afford it, they could have taken a ‘bus part of the way, but even that was denied them now, and the only alternative was to walk up to Newton-road. That was unfair.

Mr. Bailey drew attention to the growth of postal work generally since the outbreak of war. They were proud of the new office, he said, but they were not proud of being deprived of the facilities they had had.

Councillor Richardson was the seconder.

The Chairman said the Park-road office served a great number of residents in the South Ward, and they would miss it very much.

Councillor Roe: I think this is the result of being a sub-office ruled by Wellingborough!

The Chairman: We have a splendid post office here now, and I quite agree with you that it is quite time we had a post office that managed its own affairs.

Fallen Shelters

Complaints about the conduct of young people at the Cemetery Field were referred to by Councillor Richardson. The boys and girls of the South End, he said, were equal in behaviour and speech to those in other parts of the town, but an exceptional number had used the field during the summer and people in the neighbourhood had found cause for complaint. He could have given the police information that would have led to prosecutions, but he did not want parents to suffer for what the children did in youthful enthusiasm, and he hoped that a warning would be sufficient to end the trouble.

Mr. Richardson went on to discuss the erection of shelters for school-children in the Cemetery Field. “They were being erected,” he said, “when they tumbled. A lot of things were said that I can’t repeat----“

“Councillor Allebone: “Don’t, here!” (Laughter).

Mr. Richardson was explaining that the design and construction of the shelters were nothing to do with the Council, when Councillor Capon broke in. “On a point of order,” he said, “this doesn’t arise out of the report.”

Councillor Richardson: It does. I have had it pointed out to me, and it is my turn to speak now. It is not our responsibility and we are not to have it turned upon us.

New Manager

The Council chose Mr. Cyril Faulkner, C.C,, as a member of the School Managers in place of the late Mr. Leonard Baxter, having first heard the Clerk read a letter from the Rushden Labour Party, submitting Mr. Faulkner’s name and pointing out that he would be a direct link between the Managers and the County Education Committee.

Councillor Spencer said that Mr. Baxter always took an interest in the town and was very assiduous in his duties on the education committee.

Reporting on salvage, the Surveyor said that in July and August the materials collected and sold were valued at £140.00 and included 21 tons of paper. 11½ tons of light scrap iron, 12½ tons of tins, 3 cwt. of aluminium, 15 cwt. of bones, nearly two tons of rags and 325 dozen bottles and jars.

Mr. Lloyd paid tribute to the valuable assistance given by the women workers, under Mrs. Muxlow, who had canvassed the town in order to arouse the interest of individual housewives. In three weeks, he said 3,356 houses were visited.

The Surveyor also mentioned that in order to avoid the least possibility of fires breaking out at the Bedford-road refuse tip at night it had been found necessary to engage a night watchman.

Councillor Richardson said it seemed staggering that so much waste could be gathered together in the course of two months.

Raid Concession - School Shelters Now Available After School Hours

Arrangements for the use of the school air-raid shelters by the general public include an agreement with the County Council to inspect and clean the shelters and to make good any damage. Duplicate keys of gates and shelters will be in the hands of the air-raid wardens, who will be responsible for unlocking the gates and superintending the shelters when in use by the public outside school hours.

The W.E.C. also decided to purchase first-aid equipment for four public shelters and instructed the Surveyor to inspect suitable sites for two or three additional shelters.

Another portion of the report showed that owing to the small number of unaccompanied evacuee children remaining in the town the number of lady helpers has been reduced from six to five.

Councillor Capon said notice had now been received that the school shelters were at the disposal of the public.

A uniformed policeman would be on duty every time they were used out of school hours.

Taking the view that it is the duty of private property owners and occupiers to protect their own property, the War Emergency Committee was unable to recommend the provision of free sand.

Diggers Wanted

A letter from the Ministry of Agriculture noted with satisfaction the increase of allotment holders but added that the present situation made it imperative that further efforts should be made. The War Emergency Committee reported that about 50 – 10 pole plots remained vacant on the Council’s allotment fields in Newton-road and Bedford-road, and that the local Allotment Association also had some land to let. They agreed that every effort should be made to obtain cultivators for these and other unoccupied plots.

The Housing Manager (Mr. H. C. Allen) reported that he had organised fire-fighting squads in the streets of the Council housing estates. The idea had been received so enthusiastically by the tenants that it became possible in some parts of the estates to provide one small squad for each 10 to 15 houses. Arrangements had been made for the supply of stirrup pumps, and the tenants, agreeing to pay for the pumps, had started a fund into which large sums had already been paid. Each house had been supplied with about two-thirds of a hundredweight of sand, the cost amounting to 2¼d. per house.

Councillor Capon referred to the regulations which require the clearing of combustible materials from attics. Inquiries had been made at the Council houses, he said, and the attics were quite in order.

“Startling” Milk Report

The Sanitary Inspector (Mr. F. S. F. Piper) reported that 12 milk specimens sent for bacteriological examination during July were all unsatisfactory. Of a further 12 during August seven were satisfactory and five were unsatisfactory. The Sanitary Committee expressed disappointment but noted that throughout the country the percentages of good results were extremely low during July.

Councillor Richardson said that some of the reports were rather startling and the committee were rather worried.

It was decided to levy a general rate of 6s. 2d., in the £ for the coming half-year, the rate thus remaining unchanged.

The librarian (Miss M. Perkins) reported that 19,029 books were issued during the April-June quarter – an increase of 3,292 over the corresponding quarter of 1939. Membership at the end of June was 3,480 – an increase of 126 since March. Sixteen books were presented to the library and 442 purchased.

Plans were passed for air raid shelters at Manton House, Irchester-road (Mr. H. Eaton), Slade House, Wellingborough-road (Mr. G. W. Marriott) and the Tecnic Boot Co.’s factory in Bedford-road. There were also plans for additions to No. 80 Bedford-road (Mr. C. Collins).

Mr. C. R. Abbott’s tender at £164 (the lowest) was accepted for the provision of an auxiliary fire station at the Council’s Newton-road depot. It was agreed to equip the station with eight beds.

Bus Service Off

A letter from the United Counties Omnibus Co. stated that their Little-street service had now been operating for 18 months, but it had never been found that any appreciable number of passengers had been carried. In view of the figures and the need for economy in the use of motor fuel the Highways Committee had “no observations to make” on the Company’s decision to end the service.

When the report of the Parks Committee was presented Councillor Richardson enquired : “Did you have any fruit at the Hall? I think the public would like to know.”

The Surveyor: There are still some apples on the trees, but I think the wasps have had most of the plums.

Members in attendance were Councillors J. Allen, J.P. (Chairman), A. H. Bailey, J. Roe, A. Allebone, J.P., C.C., F. Green, Dr. R. W. Davies, Mrs. O. A. H. Muxlow, W. E. Capon, A. F. Weale, J. George, J. Spencer, J.P., J. H. J. Paragreen, H. Waring, W. J. Sawford, E. A. Sugars and J. T. Richardson. Apologies for absence were received from Councillors T. W. Cox and T. J. Swindall, the chairman mentioning that Mr. Cox, who has been ill, is now “getting on very nicely.”

Wartime in Rushden 1940 - 1945