Many More Houses To Be Built
Electric Lighting For High-Street
Higham-Road Improvement
???????? for Money in Spencer Park

[This article is on the fold of the paper so words are missing from the first column.]

  Wednesday, present: Messrs. C. Bates (chairman) presiding, T. Wilmott, ??????,  C. E. Bayes, C. Claridge, ??????, C. W. Horrell, C.A., J. Spencer, J.P., J. Hornsby, G. W. Coles, J.P., with the Clerk (Mr. G. S. Mason), the Surveyor (Mr. W. B. Madin), and the Sanitary Inspector (Mr. F. S. F. Piper).

  Mr. Bates, on taking the chair, tendered an apology from Mr. L. Perkins, who was unable to attend the meeting, being from home.

Housing Committee

  The architect (Mr. Fisher) attended the meeting and submitted tenders for the 30 ?????? houses from eight builders.

  ?????? the tenders were accepted for ?????? each, subject to the sanction of the Ministry of Health being obtained.

  The report was adopted.

Plans, Etc., Committee

  A meeting of the Plans, Highways, and Lighting Committee was held at the Council Buildings on Wednesday, July ????, when there were present:- Messrs. T. Wilmott (chairman), L. Perkins, C. Bates, G. W. Coles, F. Corby, C. W. Horrell, and J. Hornsby.

Plans

were presented for:

  ??????? of Power Station in Shirley-road for the Rushden and District Electric Co. Ltd., and passed.

  ????????? Sub-station in Pytchley-road for the same company, and passed.

  Additions to house No. 165, Wellingborough-road, for Mr. Enos Smith, and passed.

   ??????? workshop in Alfred-street for ????? Cave, and passed.

  ????? store in John-street for Messrs. ??????  Ltd., and no exception taken ?????? the provision of a damp-proof.

Miscellaneous Buildings

  ?????? were received from Mr. ?????? for permission to erect a wooden building in Pytchley-road, ??????Leaton for permission to raise ????? adjoining his property in ?????-road, and Messrs. Ashford, Son, ????? for permission to raise the roof of ?????? situate off Washbrook-road, and it was resolved to recommend the Council to take no exception thereto.

Dangerous Corners

  The Surveyor submitted a letter from the County Surveyor stating that the County Council had a small balance in this account and were prepared ?????  cases to pay a sum equal to ??????? of the cost of improving a number of dangerous corners on roads in the county, and asking the Council, if they desired to make an ??????? in respect thereof, to forward a plan and estimate of the cost of the improvement proposed by Aug. 12^th.  The Surveyor was instructed to prepare an estimate of the cost of setting back the ?????? the Newton-road and Court ?????? (northern) corner, and submit same together  with a sketch plan, to the Surveyor.

Higham And Washbrook Roads Improvement

  A letter was received from the Ministry ?????? authorising this work to proceed forthwith and agreeing to contribute ????? of the cost.    The Surveyor was instructed to complete the work as soon as possible.

Public Lighting

   The Lighting Sub-Committee reported that they had considered an application from the Tecnic Boot Co., Ltd. for a light to be fixed near their factory on the Bedford-road and decided to recommend the Committee to accede thereto.

  The Committee agreed and resolved to recommend the Council accordingly.

  The Sub-Committee further reported that they had considered the question of ????? the street lighting for the ?????? winter as in pre-war days, and, with regard to the large number of new ?????? would be required, thought?????? a fitting time to substitute ?????? for gas in all the lamps from the Higham boundary to the Bedford ?????.

  The number of lamps involved would ?????? if the Council decided upon the ?????? these 39 lamps would be available in other parts of the town, leaving ????? lamps to be provided for gas.  The Surveyor estimated that the initial cost of installing electricity would be ???? in excess of the cost if gas is ????? and that the annual cost of ????? including current, would be £65 ???? gas.

  The Committee recommended that ???? be substituted for gas for ????? in question and that all other ????? town be lighted with gas as heretofore, new lamps being provided where required.

  The committee considered the matter at length, and ultimately resolved to recommend the Council to adopt the sub-committee’s recommendations subject to the Electric Light Company giving an undertaking that the price of current as now quoted should rise or fall in correspondence with the prices charged to other large consumers.

  The Surveyor was instructed to order at once 30 new lamps in accordance with the sample inspected by the committee, at £1  17s. per lamp with burner and frog.

  The report having been duly received, discussion took place on the question of street lighting.

  Mr. Wilmott, on behalf of the Lighting Sub-Committee, said he understood that the Electric Supply Company were prepared to give an undertaking that the price of current now quoted should rise or fall according to the prices charged to other large consumers.  With regard to the increased cost of £65 a year, he wished to point out that it would include keeping the lamps alight until 11 p.m., instead of until 10.30 as at present, and this would be a great boon, considering the number of people leaving the places of amusement, besides which the lights would be 100-candle-power more than at present.  The sub-committee strongly recommended that, whatever light be used – gas or electricity – the light should be kept on until 11 p.m.  Faced with the necessity for so many new lamps, the sub-committee considered that this was an opportune time to effect the change, and further changes would then be unnecessary for a long time to come.  The committee did not suggest electrifying the whole of the lighting in the town, but, seeing there was so much traffic through High-street, they thought that part should be done.  The present system of lighting meant that one part of the town was in darkness long before the gas was extinguished in other parts of the town, but under the new system the lights would be extinguished in bulk.

  Mr. Knight said he was not aware, until he saw the minutes, to what extent the electric light was to be provided.  He wondered if the sub-committee were proposing to put the electric lights in quite the right spots.  The sub-committee suggested having them from the Higham boundary to, say, the Tecnic factory.  The Higham boundary was near to Higham Ferrers itself.  If this scheme was meant to hold good for some years to come, there were one or two other places where he thought the electric light would be more required than on Higham-hill – for instance, Church-street, the bottom of Church-street, the junction with Duck-street, and the corner outside the Council Buildings.  Before they finally decided, he thought it would be wise to refer the matter back to the committee for further consideration.  There was a great deal of traffic in Church-street.  As Mr. Wilmott said there were to be no further changes for some time to come, the Council should make sure they were putting the electric light in the right places and where it was most necessary.

  Mr. Wilmott explained that the 30 new gas lamps which were proposed to be ordered they suggested having double burners, and the idea of the Lighting Sub-Committee was to put these double-burner lamps in just such places as Mr. Knight had suggested.  These double burners would be of 150 candle-power, and would be put down in the important parts.  The sub-committee thought that as High-street was the main thoroughfare through Rushden the electric light should be along that road; they did not suggest having the electric light in the isolated parts mentioned by Mr. Knight.

  Mr. Claridge said he thought the matter needed a little more consideration.  He had yet to learn that the gas-lighting in the streets was a failure.  This extra expense required considering a little further.

  Mr. Swindall: I think it is a step in the right direction, and I hope the Higham Corporation will follow our example and continue the electric light right to the Stanwick-road corner.  Then it would be a splendidly lighted thoroughfare.

  Mr. Claridge: I am not opposed to the proposal, but I think it requires further consideration.

  The Chairman: It was thoroughly well discussed by the Plans Committee.

  Mr. Wilmott moved the adoption of the report, and Mr. Swindall seconded.

  Mr. Spencer supported, and said he hoped the lights would be full-sized.  He appreciated what Mr. Wilmott had said about other parts of the town, and the explanation was quite satisfactory.  These double-burner gas lamps would certainly meet the case in the other parts of the town.

  Mr. Corby also supported, as did Mr. Hornsby, who said that the committee felt that if they did not electrify the lighting of High-street now they would require 75 new additional gas lamps, and then there would not be much chance of putting the electric lighting into operation for some years to come.  The committee considered that now was the opportune time.  For the first time for many years, the whole of the town would now be lighted up, and he thought it would be appreciated by the whole of the citizens of Rushden.  By the electrification the town would be much better lighted in High-street, and by keeping the lights burning until 11 p.m. the public would have the benefit of the extra cost.

  Mr. Horrell thought there were one or two places which it would be well worth while considering – for instance, at the bottom of Skinner’s-hill, where ‘buses were running late at night, and there might be another one outside the Council Buildings.  They would not get the same effect from even the double-burner gas lamps as they would from electricity.

  The proposition was carried, and the whole of the report was adopted.

Finance And Estates Committee

  A meeting of the Finance and Estates Committee was held at the Council Buildings on Wednesday, Aug. 1^st, 1923, when there were present: Messrs. L. Perkins (chairman), C. Bates, J. Hornsby, F. Knight, and T. Wilmott.

Surveyor’s Cash Account

  The committee examined the Surveyor’s cash account with the wages books, the expenditure shown there being as follows:

Collector’s Accounts

  The Collector’s accounts were also examined, from which it appeared that he had collected the following sums since the last meeting:-

Treasurer’s Accounts

  The committee also examined the Treasurer’s accounts, from which it appeared that he had received the following sums since the last meeting:-

And that the balances on the undermentioned accounts were as follows:-

Tradesmen’s And Other Accounts

  A number of accounts were examined amounting to £1,974  7s.  10d., and passed for payment.

Assisted Housing Scheme

  The Clerk reported that the Architect (Mr. Fisher) had written recommending that, to a certain extent, the retention money might now be paid to the builders.  A list was submitted showing the various amounts due, and it was resolved to recommend to the Council that cheques be drawn as follow:-

The report was adopted.

Health And Sanitary Committee

  A meeting of the Health and Sanitary Committee was held at the Council Buildings on Wednesday, Aug. 1^st, 1923, when there were present: Messrs. C. Bates (chairman), L. Perkins, C. E. Bayes, F. Knight, J. Spencer, and T. Swindall.

Health And Sanitary Reports

  The report of the Medical Officer for the month of July was received.

  The Sanitary Inspector reported that eight nuisances had been dealt with since the last meeting, of which number six had been abated.  Of the outstanding nuisances 17 had been abated.

  Following cases of infectious disease, five rooms had been disinfected.  A quantity of bedding had been disinfected at the depot, and a quantity, voluntarily surrendered, destroyed at the sewage farm.

  A quantity of meat and offal, to the weight of 1qr. 24lb., all of which had been voluntarily surrendered, had been destroyed in the usual way as being unfit for human consumption.

  The Inspector gave a detailed statement of his work and inspections since the last meeting.

Petroleum Acts

  An application was received from Messrs. England Smith & Co. for a licence to store 60 gallons of petrol in a fireproof brick store at the rear of their premises in Victoria-road, and it was resolved to recommend the Council to accede thereto.

Shops Act, 1912

  The Clerk submitted a letter from the Home Secretary enclosing an objection from Mr. H. G. Hopes to the Closing Order for Butchers’ Shops recently made by the Council and requesting the Council’s observations thereon.

  The Clerk was instructed to reply that the Order was made on the almost unanimous petition of the master butchers carrying on businesses the town, and that the majority of them, in addition to selling ordinary butchers’ meat, also carry on a similar business to that of Mr. Hopes in cooked meats, etc., and that the Council considered that the Order as made provides ample opportunities for the sale by the various butchers of cooked meats, and that it would be unfair to the other butchers in the town if any exception were made in favour of Mr. Hopes.

  The report was adopted.

Parks Committee

  A meeting of the Parks Committee was held at Spencer Park on Thursday, Aug. 2^nd, 1923, when there were present:  Messrs. F. Knight (chairman), G. W. Coles, C. Claridge, and J. Spencer.

Card-Playing

  The Chairman reported that a number of youths had been caught in the park playing cards for money, and it was resolved to recommend the Council to institute proceedings against them.

Football Pitches

  It was resolved that the pitches be let to the same clubs as last year and upon the same terms, the fee to be paid in advance.

Refreshment Tent

  It was resolved that the sum of £5 be charged to Mrs. Smith for the site of the refreshment tent for the remainder of the season from Aug. 1^st.

Fire Brigade Competition

  It was resolved to allow the Fire Brigade to arrange a competition in the park on Aug. 23^rd and for a collection to be taken on behalf of the Widows and Orphans Fund.

  The report having been received, Mr. Knight dealt with the paragraph regarding card-playing in Spencer Park.  He said there were suspicions that card-playing for money was going on, and the park-keeper on this particular occasion saw some youths playing cards for money near the Territorial Hut.  Several of the players ran away, but the police caught four of them and found cards and money in their possession.  The committee felt that as this was the first time anyone had been caught they were rather loth to prosecute, but it would not be fair to the keepers if they did not support them in their efforts to keep order.  It was the police who were prosecuting, as the park was a public place.  As this was the first batch, the committee did not wish to be severe, but they wanted to caution the offenders.  It should be understood that further cases would be dealt with more strongly.  He proposed the adoption of the report.

  Mr. Spencer seconded, and it was carried.

Clerk’s House

  The Clerk said he had received from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners a draft of the agreement authorising the sale of the Clerk’s House at the bottom of Newton-road and the land for the proposed improvement.  In addition to the land, sold to the Urban Council, the Commissioners would give up a portion of land from the churchyard, and for this it was not proposed to make any charge.  (Hear, hear.).

  On the proposition of Mr. Knight, the Clerk was instructed to proceed at once with the necessary steps to purchase the land.