Annual Health and Sanitary Reports

A meeting of this Council was held on Wednesday night, when there were present Messrs. G. H. Skinner (chairman), F. Knight (vice-chairman), J. Claridge, G. Miller, F. Ballard, C. E. Bayes, J. S. Clipson, T. Swindall, J. Paregreen, C. Bates, A. J. Dobbs, and W. Bazeley, with the Clerk, (Mr. G. S. Mason), the Surveyor (Mr. W. B. Madin), and the Medical Officer (Dr. F. Morris).

Medical Officer’s Annual Report

The annual report of the Medical Officer was presented and will be found in another column of this paper.

Mr. Claridge thought the report was very satisfactory and that the Council might congratulate themselves on it. The death-rate was very low and the infantile mortality was lower than last year. It was very gratifying to know that the town was in such a healthy condition. They were gradually diminishing the number of houses in the town that were unfit for habitation, and it would be a good thing when they were all gone.

Mr. Bazeley said the Council might assist a great deal in this direction by putting the Housing Act in operation.

The Chairman: Do you think they could let a £5 house for £3?

Mr. Bazeley: They could do it better than the private builder.

Plans, etc., Committee

A meeting of the Plans, Highways, and Lighting Committee was held at the Council Buildings on Wednesday, the 23rd February, 1910, when there were present :- Messrs. G. H. Skinner (Chairman), F. Knight, W. Bazeley, G. Miller, and T. Swindall.

Plans

were presented by :-

Mr. C. A. Hedley for conversion of No. 92 High-street, into shop and dwelling-house, and passed subject to the drainage being laid to the satisfaction of the Surveyor.

Mr. T. Swindall for shed off Washbrook Road, and passed.

Mr. T. Patenall for additions to his house on the Higham-road, and passed.

Mr. George Chettle for additions to No. 63 Duck-street, and the erection of stables and cartsheds at the rear, and passed.

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 1st March, 1910, at 7 p.m., when there were present :- Messrs. F. Knight (chairman), G. H. Skinner, F. Ballard, and J. Claridge.

Surveyor’s Cash Account

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

	£	s	d
Week ending 3rd Feb., 1910	28	3	3
Week ending 10th Feb., 1910	31	13	5
Week ending 17th Feb., 1910	35	1	4
Week ending 24th Feb., 1910	34	6	11

Collector’s District Rate Account

The Collector’s District Rate Account was examined from which it appeared that he had collected the following sum since the last meeting:-

	£	s	d
General District Rate	149	3	5

Collector’s Fittings Account

The Collector’s fittings account was also examined from which it appeared that he had collected the following sums since the last meeting:-

	£	s	d
Other Roads	17	19	11
Public Lighting	1	12	0
Sewers	2	10	7
Total	22	2	6

Cemetery Registrar’s Account

The Cemetery Registrar’s account was also examined, from which it appeared that the following sum had been received by him since the last meeting:-

	£	s	d
Burial fees, etc.	8	2	0

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:-

	£	s	d
Carbide of Calcium licences		16	0
Petrol licences		16	0
Slaughter-house licence		1	0
Knacker's-yard licence		1	0
Pawnbroker's licence		1	0
Game-dealer's licences		2	0
J. S. Mason, sale of crops	131	8	7
Collector, district rate	149	2	5
Free Library, Fees, fines, etc	2	13	5
Collector, Cemetery fees	8	2	0
Collector Fittings	22	2	6
Total	315	6	11

And that the following balances were in hand on the under mentioned accounts:-

	£	s	d
General Account	2801	9	1
Loan Account No. 16	410	1	10
Loan Account No. 19	387	17	6
Total	3599	8	5

Tradesmen’s and Other Accounts

A number of accounts amounting to £2,545 0. 4. were examined and passed for payment.

Fittings Accounts

The Clerk was instructed to collect several small fittings accounts reported by the Collector to be very much in arrear.

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 2nd March, 1910, when there were present :- Messrs. F. Knight (chairman), G. H. Skinner, F. Ballard, C. E. Bayes, J. S. Clipson, A. J. Dobbs, and J. Paragreen.

Health and Sanitary Reports

The Medical Officer reported that nine cases of infectious disease had been notified since the last meeting, viz., six of diphtheria, two of scarlet fever, and one of erysipelas.

The Sanitary Inspector informed the Committee that since the last meeting he had issued 43 informal notices calling attention to nuisances, &c., which were receiving attention.

The Inspector reported that the drainage at Nos. 4, 6, 7, 11, and 12, Westbourne Grove, was defective and that the w.c.’s of Nos. 4, 6, 7, and 9, and the flush pipe of No. 11 were also defective. It was resolved to recommend the Council to serve a notice on the owner requiring him to forthwith remedy the defects.

The Inspector also reported that the bakehouse occupied by Mr. E. Mole in Church-street was in an unsanitary condition due to defective gutters and spouting, causing dampness in the walls. It was resolved to recommend the Council to serve a notice on Mr. Mole requiring him to carry out certain structural alterations forthwith.

The Inspector also reported that a nuisance existed at Nos. 54 and 56, Cromwell-road, owing to the fact that the w.c.’s were without a water supply for flushing purposes. The Inspector was instructed to serve a notice on the owner requiring him to abate the nuisance forthwith.

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

Petroleum Acts

An application was received from Mr. R. W. E. Jarvis for a license to keep carbide of calcium and it was resolved to recommend the Council to grant same.

Private Roads

The Inspector of Nuisances called attention to several private roads in the district which were in a very bad condition and he was instructed to write to the various owners calling their attention thereto with a request that the roads be put in a proper state of repair.

Sandpit Lane

The Clerk was instructed to again write to the owners abutting on this street stating that if the same be not put in a proper state of repair within one month the Committee would have no alternative but to recommend the Council to put into operation the Private Street Works Act.

Defective Drains

Fitzwilliam-street – The Surveyor reported that as instructed he had on the default of the owners carried out the necessary works of putting the defective drains at Nos. 5 and 7, Fitzwilliam-street, in a proper state of repair. The total cost amounted to £13/16/10 which he had apportioned as follows:-

Name of Owner	No. of House	Amount
Mr. E. Smith	5 Fitzwilliam-street	£8 8s. 11d.
Mr. L. Baxter	7 Fitzwilliam-street	£5 7s. 11d.
		£13 16s. 10d.

The Committee approved of the apportionment, and recommended the Council to conform the same, and give instructions for notices thereof to be served upon the respective owners forthwith.

Cromwell-road – The Surveyor reported that as instructed he had on the default of the owners carried out the necessary works of putting the defective drains at Nos. 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 94, 96, 98, and 100, Cromwell-road, in a proper state of repair. The total cost amounted to £9 10s 1d. which he had apportioned as follows:-

Name of Owner	No of House	Amount
		£	s	d
Mr. G. Bayes	82, 84, 86, 88, 90	4	15	11
Mr. Enos Smith	92, 94	2	8	5
Mr. John Sargent	96		15	3
Mr. William Nurrish	98, 100	1	10	6
	Total	9	10	1

The committee approved of the apportionment and recommended the Council to confirm the same and give instructions for notices thereof to be served upon the respective owners forthwith.

Finance Committee

The Finance Committee met twice, viz.,, on the 16th February and the 1st March to consider the report of the Auditor, referred to them by the Council at their January meeting, and decided before making any recommendation thereon to lay their suggestions before a special meeting of the whole Council in Committee to be held prior to the next Council meeting.

The report was adopted.

Sanitary Inspector’s Annual Report

The annual report of the Sanitary Inspector was presented and will be found elsewhere in this issue.

Mr. Claridge thought the Sanitary Inspector was to be complimented on his report.

Mr. Bazeley thought the report was got out extremely well, and he was glad the Inspector had mentioned about the refuse tipped on the boundary of the district. He thought it was time the Council took steps in the matter. It seemed that nothing was being done with the refuse, which was to have been removed within ten weeks of harvest.

The Chairman: We must make some allowance for the weather.

Mr. Ballard: I suppose you anticipated that would be so, Mr. Chairman? (Laughter.)

The Council’s Accounts

The Finance Committee reported that they had given careful consideration to the suggestion of the auditor as to the appointment of an accountant or finance clerk to take over the charge of the Council accounts. They had obtained information from Kettering, where an accountant’s department had been in existence for a number of years, and also from Market Harborough, where a finance clerk had recently been appointed. The committee are not in favour at the present time of creating further offices or appointing the additional officials, but with regard to the preparation and making of the general district rate recommend that after it is make out by the collector it shall be the duty of the Clerk to compare the same with the valuation list in force for the district and to check all the calculations; the Clerk also to be made responsible for the accuracy of all demand notes and receipts, and that during the collection the Collector shall account to the Clerk monthly, who in turn shall report the result to the Finance Committee at their monthly meetings. The Committee further recommend that in respect of the additional duties placed upon the Clerk his salary be increased by £25 per annum dating from the 31st March instant. The committee also recommend that in the place of his present private bond the Collector be requested to take out a bond in the Local Government Mutual Guarantee Society for £500, and that the Council pay the premium thereon.

The report was adopted.

Chairman’s Mayoral Robes

A letter was received from mr. J. R. Brooke, inviting the Council and the officials to the second annual concert for the benefit of the funds of the Guild of Help.

Mr. Claridge: Will you meet here, Mr. Chairman, and march in procession in your Mayoral robes? (Laughter)

The Chairman: I have not got them yet. (Laughter)