The ordinary meeting was held on Thursday. Present: Messrs. W. H. Wilkins (chairman), Geo. Denton, S. Knight, A. Franklin, J. Claridge, Fred Knight, G. S. Mason (clerk), and W. Pare (surveyor).

Sewage works. The Chairman reported that subsequent to the last meeting of the Board a communication had been received from the Sanitary Committee of the County Council, enclosing a letter from Mr. T. Sanders respecting the condition of the brook through his fields, and threatening to report the matter to the County Council, with a view to proceedings, if steps were not immediately taken to abate the nuisance complained of.

A special meeting was at once called to consider the subject, as the result of which the clerk was instructed to write to the Local Government Board for such information as would enable the Board to deal with the sewage question in a comprehensive and satisfactory manner. He was further instructed to inform the clerk to the County Council that the Board had decided to consult an engineer at once, with a view to a complete and efficient system of sewerage for the town being furnished and carried into effect; and again to invite the County Council Sanitary Committee to inspect the outfall. He was also to point out that Mr. Sanders was not dealing fairly with the Board in attributing the deaths of the three beast in the letter above mentioned, to drinking water polluted by sewage from this district, he having admitted that the beast had sickened in a meadow in which the water supply was obtained solely from the river, half a mile at least above the outfall from Rushden; and attributing their sickness to the state of the river water he had removed them into a field having access only to the water-course complained of, and where they died a day or two afterwards. The recommendations of the committee were adopted.

Park-road. The Highway Committee reported that Messrs. Cunnington's application for a drawing-in to their premises in the Park-road had been reconsidered, and conditionally upon their paying to the Board £6 10s., the difference in cost between asphalting and granite selts, the committee recommended that the latter should be laid, over which a railway trolly might draw, and thus provide convenient means of access to the premises in question. Messrs. Cunnington had accepted this arrangement, and the Chairman therefore proposed that the report of the committee be adopted, which was agreed to.

Rates. The Chairman said the collector found some little difficulty in collecting the rates from some few of the ratepayers. It was suggested that a notice be issued that if all rates are not promptly paid proceedings will be taken. After some discussion Mr. F. Knight proposed that the matter be left with the collector to take proceedings. The hospital committee reported that having experienced some difficulty in taking patients to the hospital they had purchased a covered conveyance for the purpose.

The vacancy on the board. In accordance with a notice given at a previous meeting, Mr. Denton said that when he gave notice he expected the Association that practically selected Mr. Battle would be prepared with a successor, but he found that surmise had not been verified, and so, although he did not like the responsibility being thrown on the Board, he thought they had better proceed to fill up the vacancy. After some little discussion the matter was referred to a committee of the whole Board, on the motion of Mr. S. Knight seconded by Mr. J. Claridge.