Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 29 October 1921
Swinton Council
Amalgamation of Don Valley Townships
Discussion Ruled Out of Order
Swinton Council
The monthly meeting of the Swinton Urban Council was held on Wednesday night, Councillor A. Russell presided.
After the minutes of the previous meeting had been presented, Councillor Smith asked if the chairman of the Sanitary Committee (Coun. Siddall) had any report to give in regard to the interview he and the Sanitary Inspector had with the workmen of that department as a result of complaints made by ratepayers against the men. Cancer Siddall, in reply, said that he told the men “pretty straight” that it was their duty to thoroughly clean up before leaving the work which they are completed, and if it was not done the Council would not tolerate any great negligence in future. The men had promised to do their work in a proper manner.
The Chairman: Are we getting better results?
The Centre Inspector: we have had no complaints since.
Street Lighting at Kilnhurst.
The minutes of the Lighting Committee included a recommendation that the chairman (Coun. Hewitson) and the surseyor inspect the lighting of Thomas street. kilnhurst.
Coun. Beighton said it was essential that something should be done to improve the lighting arrangements in Kilnhirst. It had been very serious since the previous Wednesday. Only half the lamps were lighted. and those that contained light,’ were in such a filthy condition that the illumination did not penetrate beyond the bottom of the lamp-post. The lamps required overhauling.
Coun. Hewitson asked for information as to how many lamps were allowed to lighted, who was responsible for the lighting of the lamps, end what time should they be lighted ?
The Surveyor remarked that the lamps s should be lighted by 6-30 p.m. and extinguished by 6-15 the following morning. The district was, however, too big for one man to cover. and he could not possibly get round his district in under two hours.
Coun. Ward moved that the chairman of the Lighting Committee and surveyor consider the whole question, with power to act.
Coun. Ward’s suggestion was adopted.
Amalgamation with Mexborough
The minutes of the General Purposes Committee intimated that a letter had been received from Mr. J. W. Hattersley, asking for re-consideration of the refusal to meet a deputation front the Mexboro’ Council on the subject of amalgamation. The chairman (Colin. Hughes) at that meeting rule discussion out of order.
Conn. Siddall asked if correspondence could be ruled out of order? Were they unable to discuss correspondence on a matter on which the Connell had decided its course of action for a period of six months?
He agreed that a resolution was a different matter entirely. The question of amalgamation war a very important one and required immediate consideration. It did not matter whether they liked it or not, the fact that England was going to be divided up into “town regions” was being emphasised very forcibly.
Coun. Peat interfered with the remark that Coon. Siddall must confine himself to a question.
Coun. Siddall: We want to get all the information we can, and that is why I want this letter read. Proceeding, he said that there was no resolution involved. The Council had not definitely repudiated the question of amalgamation: they had simply replied to the Mexborough Council that they would not enter into negotiation with them on the question. It the Council had definitely resolved not to entertain amalgamation he would have been satisfied that the discussion on the letter was out of order.
The Chairman agreed with the chairman of the General Purposes Committee in ruling the discussion out of order as the Council had already decided not to entertain the amalgamation question.
Conn. Siddall: We did not. We refused to entertain the application of the Mexboro’ Council to meet them in conference.
Coun. Peat agreed that discussion on the letter was out of order in view of the Council’s previous decision.
The Clerk said that the Council resolution was that no action be taken in the matter of a conference with Mexborough on the subject of amalgamation.
Coun. Siddall said that by that ruling any correspondence offering suggestion on the question of amalgamation received from the Ministry of Health, could not be read until a period of six months had elapsed trout the time of the Council’s resolution.
The Chairman: That is so.
Coun. Siddall argued that the resolution did not bind the Coun in regard to the amalgamation question. The Council would have to deal with it very shortly. He had in his possession a copy of the Local Government Bulletin, which intimated that the country would be divided into ‘town regions’ and that the whole process of government by district and rural councils would be re-organised in the near future.
Coun. Siddall accepted the Chairman’s ruling, and remarked, “I may submit a notice of motion proposing to rescind the previous motion.
Disgraceful State of Swinton Streets.
Coun. Ward complained of the neglect of the County Council in not keeping the Swinton streets in a state of cleanliness and suggested that the surveyor should be instructed to keep them clean and charge the expense to the county. If they continued to be in the filthy state in which they were in at present, it would be a menace to the health of township. The streets were full of falling leaves and rubbish, and he had never known them to be in such a disgraceful state as they were at present. If the county authority reused to do the work, the surveyor should be empowered to do it, and, the cost of that work should be deducted from Swinton’s portion of the county rate. If there was no improvement he would go so far as to suggest that they amalgamate with other councils and fight the County Council. The streets at present were hardly fit for a vehicle to pass along.
Coon. Jagger agreed that there was some justification for Council awards complaints. A fortnight previous, the streets were in an abominable state and he had never seen them in such a deplorable condition, although he had lived in Swinton for the whole of his life.
The Chairman: Kilnhurst is the same.
Coun. Ward moved that if there was no improvement by Friday surveyor be instructed to introduce some unemployed
Coun. Siddall said that previous to the County Council taking over the roads, 48 additional men were placed on them, and then there came an outcry that too many men were employed on the roads. The constant clamour amongst the class with whom the county had to contend was economy from head to tail. Economy was the only cry they heard. What was being done? Men employed on the roads were being discharged, and the disastrous feature of it was that those men who had been working on the roads from the beginning had been discharged and men had been brought in from London to replace them (several members: shame). It was no use crying “stinking fish.” If the roads of Swinton, Roman Terrace and Kilnhurst were in the deplorable condition that had been alleged and were “the worst roads in Yorkshire,” he was at a complete loss to see how they had deteriorated to that extent during the twelve months they had been under the direction of the county. The present state of affairs had resulted from the roads being neglected during the war period, when the County Council were afraid to put up the rates. They had never recovered from the effects of that period of neglect. The reason that the streets were not swept during two weekends was because of the muddle between the surveyors. If complaints still existed, he would have to refer it to the Highways Committee of the Council as he did before.
He had continued brought the question of the roads at Swinton and Roman Terrace before the County, but the declared they could do nothing until after March 1922. He could submit a list of proposed expenditure amounting to £250,000.
Councillor Ward: Not in Swinton. I will tell you where that is going.
Saturday Nights Feasting
Coun. Siddall said it was all right attempting to belittle an authority that was handicapped by the lack of money, but if the Swinton Council had maintained the roads in a proper state of repair when they were under their direction, the roads would not have deteriorated to the extent they had done.
There could be no improvement until after March 1922.
Roman Terrace was formerly covered with “fish and chip” paper on Saturday night, and he received an assurance that all rubbish would he removed. He asked for the road to be swept on Sunday mornings, but the Highways Committee were disgusted with the suggestion of Sunday Labour road-sweeping and said they did not ‘agree with Sunday work. It was possible they world have untidy roads on Sunday but if it continued he would be compelled ‘to again bring the matter to the consideration of the committee.
Councillor Beighton said that no member of that Council had any sympathy with the county authority. When the roads were transferred to the county the Swinton Council had the material at their disposal to put the roads into a proper state of repair, but the County Council would not allow them to proceed with the work.
Coun. Peat said it appeared as if there was not the slightest hope of the Council getting any financial assistance to meet the expenditure incurred by Mr. Ward’s proposal that the surveyor undertake the direction of the work of cleaning the streets. They had received an assurance from Mr. Said on that the streets would not again get into an untidy state, and in view of that satisfactory explanation, he was not in favour of the idea of the surveyor being empowered to sweep the streets when he cared to.
On Coun. Ward’s motion being put to the vote, it was defeated.