Wednesday, present councillors C. Bates, J.P. (chairman), J. S. Clipson (vice-chairman), W. Bazeley, John Spencer, L. Perkins, B.Sc., T. Swindall, Fred Knight, J.P., J. Claridge, J.P., C.C., T. Wilmott, J. Hyde, and G. H. Skinner, with the Clerk (Mr. G. S. Mason), the surveyor (Mr. W. B. Madin), and the Sanitary Inspector (Mr. F. J. Allen).

Housing of The Working Classes Act, 1890

A meeting of the Housing Committee was held at the Council Buildings on Wednesday, the 28th January, 1914, at 12 o’clock, when there were present :- Messrs. C. Bates, J. S. Clipson, W. Bazeley, and T. Wilmott.

Mr. Bates was appointed chairman of the committee.

The revised tenders for the erection of 32 houses were received and the Clerk was instructed to prepare a balance sheet providing for four houses of the Class A type at a cost of £206/5/0 each, to be let at a weekly rental of 5/6 each. 24 houses of the Class B type at a cost of £217/6/3 each, to be let at a weekly rental of 5/9 each, and twelve houses of the Class C type at a cost of £171/5/0 each, to be let at a weekly rental of 4/6 each.

A further meeting of the committee was held at the Council Buildings on Wednesday, 28th January, at 6.30 p.m., when there were present :- Messrs. C. Bates (chairman), J. S. Clipson, W. Bazeley, and T. Wilmott.

The Clerk presented the balance sheet prepared in accordance with the instructions given at the morning meeting, showing an annual deficiency of £32/18/0. The committee were unanimously of the opinion that the scheme must be made a self-supporting one, and to do this agreed upon the following modifications:-

(1) To abandon the house of Class B type.

(2) To erect 28 houses of the Class A type (all semi-detached) at a cost of £206/5/0 each, to be let at a weekly rental of 5/9; the tenants paying in addition the water charges for the baths amounting to 1/3 per quarter.

(3) To erect 12 houses of the Class C. type at a cost of £171/5/0 each, to be let at a weekly rent of 4/9 each.

(4) Reduce the allowances for empties and repairs.

With these modifications the balance sheet would work out as follows:-

It was unanimously resolved to recommend the Council to adopt a scheme in accordance with this balance sheet, and to accept the tender of Mr. Robert Marriott for 28 houses of the Class A type at £206/5/0 each and that of Mr. W. Thompson for 12 houses of the Class C type at £171/5/0.

Council Meeting

A meeting of the Rushden Urban District Council was held at the Council Buildings on Wednesday, the 28th January, 1914, at 7 p.m., when there were present :- Messrs. C. Bates (chairman), J. S. Clipson (vice-chairman), W. Bazeley, J. Hyde, F. Knight, L. Perkins, G. H. Skinner, J. Claridge, T. Swindall, T. Wilmott, and J. Spencer.

The report of the Housing Committee was received, together with a list of tenders and the original balance sheet. The committee explained to the Council the modification they proposed.

It was unanimously resolved that recommendation of the committee be adopted, subject to the approval of Local Government Board.

It was also resolved that application made to the Local Government Board sanction to a loan of £9436 for the purposes of the provision of workmen’s dwellings under Part III of the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890.

The report was confirmed.

Plans, Etc., Committee

A meeting of the Plans, Highways, and Lighting Committee was held at the Council Buildings on Wednesday, the 28th Jan., 1914, when there were present:- Messrs. C. Bates (chairman), J. S. Clipson, J. Hyde, F. Knight, J. Spencer, and T. Wilmott.

Road Materials

The Surveyor was instructed to advertise for tenders for the ensuing year’s supply of road materials.

Rectory-Road

The Surveyor reported that the final apportionment was not yet quite complete but would be ready before the next Council meeting if the Committee would meet previous to that meeting and receive same.

This was agreed to.

Building Bye-Laws

A letter was received from the Local Government Board enquiring if the Council had had under consideration the new Model Building Bye-laws, and if so whether it was their intention to submit any proposals in the matter.

The Surveyor informed the Committee that he was giving the matter his careful consideration and hoped to be able to report shortly.

Post Office Telegraphs

The Clerk reported that an application had been received from the superintending engineer on behalf of the Postmaster General for the consent of the Council to the erection and maintenance of an overground telegraphic line along Irchester-road, Rushden from the Wellingborough Rural District boundary to Wellingborough-road, and in accordance with a previous resolution of the Council had given such consent.

The Committee approved.

The report was adopted.

Finance and Estates Committee

A meeting of the Finance and Estates Committee was held at the Council Buildings on Tuesday, the 3rd February, 1914, when there were present:- Messrs. C. Bates (chairman), J. S. Clipson, J. Claridge, and F. Knight.

Surveyor’s Cash Account

The Committee examined the Surveyor’s cash account with the wages books, the expenditure shown therein being as follows:-

Collector’s Accounts

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

Treasurer’s Accounts

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

And that the balances were as follows:-

Tradesmen’s and Other Accounts

A number of accounts, amounting to £1556/11/9, were examined and passed for payment.

Caretaker of Council Buildings

It was resolved to recommend the Council to increase the wages of Mr. J. Hazeldine from 28/- to 30/- per week.

Recreation Ground

The Clerk reported that the Local Government Board had sanctioned the raising of a Loan of £476 for the completion of the works at the Recreation Ground. On the receipt of the sanction he had communicated with several of the large Insurance Companies and Friendly Societies with a view to raising the loan and the best offer received was from the Royal Liver Friendly Society at 4 per cent., the lenders’ costs to be £5 exclusive of stamp duty.

It was resolved to recommend the Council to accept this offer.

General District Rate

The Collector was instructed to insert an advertisement in the local papers that all arrears of rates must be paid forthwith.

The report was adopted.

Health and Sanitary Committee

A meeting of the Health and Sanitary Committee was held at the Council Buildings on Wednesday, the 4th February, 1914, when there were present :- Messrs. J. S. Clipson (chairman), C. Bates, W. Bazeley, L. Perkins, G. H. Skinner, and T. Swindall.

Health and Sanitary Reports

The Medical Officer reported that six cases of infectious disease had been notified since the last meeting viz., four of scarlet fever and two of pulmonary tuberculosis.

The Sanitary Inspector reported that during the month of January 30 informal notices had been issued calling attention to nuisances and other matter which for the most part were receiving attention.

Two lots of foul bedding had been destroyed during the month.

Messrs. Groomes’ cottages in Oak-street had now been drained and adapted to the water carriage system and the town water laid on.

The Inspector also reported that the drains in the cellar underneath Messrs. Groome and Sons’ factory were untrapped and unventilated, thereby causing a nuisance. It was resolved to recommend the Council to serve a notice on Messrs. Groome and Sons requiring them to abate the nuisance forthwith.

The Inspector further reported that he had destroyed about 50 lbs. of fish (voluntarily surrendered) as being unsound and unfit for food.

The Inspector gave a detailed statement of his work during the past month.

Housing, Etc., Acts

Nos. 85 to 91, Duck-street. – The Sanitary Inspector also reported that he had visited and inspected the four dwelling houses, Nos. 85, 87, 89, and 91, Duck-street. Nos. 85 and 89 being at present unoccupied. The four houses were in a state so dangerous or injurious to health as to be unfit for human habitation.

It was resolved to recommend the Council to make a Closing Order prohibiting the use of the said houses for human habitation until in the judgment of the Council they are rendered fit for that purpose.

Nos. 14 and 16, Duck-street. – The Clerk reported that Notices had been served upon the owners of this property informing them that the question of the demolition of the houses in respect of which Closing Orders had been made would be considered at the January meeting of this Committee, and that the owners had failed to attend that meeting or make any representations to the Council thereon.

It was resolved to recommend the Council to make Demolition Orders in respect of these houses.

Petroleum Acts

Applications were received from Mr. Albert Okins and Mr. Charles Bennett for renewals of their licences to sell petrol; and from Mr. Albert Okins, Mr. Charles Bennett, and Mr. Arthur Okins for renewals of their carbide of calcium licences, and it was resolved to recommend the Council to accede thereto.

Sewage Farm

The Chairman reported that the Committee had met at the farm that afternoon and decided to recommend that about two acres of the old portion be utilised for the growing of mangolds and that five acres of the land recently purchased from Mr. Clark not at present required for sewage purposes be planted with potatoes.

The Committee approved, and resolved to recommend the Council accordingly.

The report was adopted.

Recreation Ground

A letter was received from the Local Government Board confirming the bye-laws for the Recreation Ground.

Mr. Bazeley said that some of the people living in Spencer-road had gates from their gardens leading into the Recreation Ground, and their boys and girls had been using the gates to go through the Recreation Ground to and from work. They were now threatened by the caretaker with a penalty of £2 if they did not stop using the Recreation Ground in that way. He wished to know if the caretaker had exceeded his duty.

The Clerk called attention to the rules, and said the use of the Recreation Ground in the way mentioned was an infringement.

Mr. Bazeley said the use of the gates saved the people named from walking a quarter of a mile, and there was no damage done.

Mr. Knight : Did they use the gates before we purchased the land?

Mr. Bazeley : Yes.

The Surveyor : They were trespassing.

The Chairman said the matter had been brought before the Plans Committee, and the clerk had been instructed to write to the parents.

Swimming Baths

A letter was received from the Rushden Trades and Labour Council asking the Urban Council to receive a deputation from the clubs, friendly societies, etc., respecting the question of public baths.

Mr. Bazeley moved that the deputation be received at the next meeting, and said that it represented various working class organisations in the town.

Mr. Knight seconded, and it was carried.

Fire Brigade

The annual report of the Fire Brigade, submitted by Mr. G. R. Turner (secretary) showed that there had been three small fires during the year. The calls were promptly received and responded to, the average time being between three and four minutes. Considering the fact that the population of the town was about 16,000 it was satisfactory that the loss by fire had been so slight.

A list of attendances at the drills was presented, and the Council regarded them as extremely satisfactory.

Shops Act

The Northants County Council wrote that the Secretary of State, while declining to allow the delegation of the whole of the Council’s powers re the Shops Act to the District Councils, had no objection to the delegation to the District Councils of powers to make closing orders. The Council felt that the respective Councils were more closely in touch with the conditions of trade and the wishes of shop-keepers and the conveniences of the shopping public in their own localities, and considered that before closing orders were made the District Councils should have an opportunity of determining whether they were prepared to act as agents of the County Council in regard to that part of the Act relating to such orders. If they would the registration of traders prepared by the County Council inspectors would be placed at the disposal of this Council.

Mr. Spencer moved that the Urban Council accept the powers, subject to the County Council defraying any costs incurred.

Mr. Bazeley seconded and it was carried.