Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 03 December 1921
Swinton Council.
The War Memorial.
Mr. Hughes’s Grievance.
A New Playing Field.
The monthly meeting of the Swinton Urban District Council wan held on Wednesday. Mr J. Jagger presiding in the absence of the chairman and vice-chairman.
Pressing.
The Council decided to press for payment of .£217 17s. 11d. due from the County Council for work done on main roads. It was also decided to press all defaulting rate-payers for payment, except in one ease of excusal.
A Right Of Way.
The Building and Highways Committee reported that they had received letters from the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation Company and Messrs. Guest and Company, with regard to the closing of a footpath between the boatyard and the canal and they recommended the Council to point out that this is a public footpath and that the Council will protect the right of the public in the matter.
The Lighting Committee reported that they hod decided to inspect the lighting of the whole township.
Refused.
The secretary of the Queen’s Hall Club wrote asking for a return of rent. and it was decided to refuse a centre point out that the rent is already too low to provide reasonable interest on outlay.
A Good Investment
It was decided to accept an offer from Earl Fitzwilliam of a field between Rowms Lane and White Lee road, near the Mexborough boundary, containing about six and half acres, at a rent of £16. 10s per annum, and on the recommendations of the subcommittee which had viewed the field, it was decided that about three and half acres, the lower half of the field, should be laid out as a playing field for schoolchildren. A subcommittee was appointed to make arrangement with regard to the valuation to be paid, and to consider the question of providing land for ex-servicemen.
Mr. Peat said he thought the Council had made a very good investment and that this would be an ideal place for the children. A good deal of tipping was required, but he thought that a large part of the land would be available for summer games next year.
Gallantry.
The Council, having had their attention drawn by the Divisional Education Clerk to an act of gallantry performed by Leonard Ardron, of 86, Bridge Street, Swinton, a scholar at the Bridge Boys School, decided to bring the matter to the notice of the Royal Humane Society. Ardron, last June, at considerable personal risk, rescued a boy named Willie Fiddlement, aged three, from drowning in the river Don.
Too Late
Mr Siddle raised the question of providing further houses in the district.
The Chairman said it was certainly a matter requiring consideration, for houses were badly needed.
It was pointed out, however, that for any new housing scheme the Council would probably be required to undertake full financial liability, and the Clerk said that the Ministry were not likely to pass plans for houses which could not be completed before July, when the Government subsidy would cease to operate.
Mr Peat said he thought possibly the Council might start a small housing scheme.
Mr Creighton said the Council might be able to do a little more housing under the Small Holding Act.
The question was referred to the Housing Committee, as also the question of naming the 2 new streets at Piccadilly.
Electoral Wards
With regard to the application of the conned for the division of the township into electoral wards, the Clerk reported that he had been notified that this matter would come before the West Riding General Purposes Committer on December 29th and if the application were granted he thought it ‘ likely that the new arrangement would be in force in time for the next election.
The War Memorial.
Mr H.L. Smith, having given notice, moved the rescission of a resolution passed by the Council on July 27th last with regard to the public adoption of the Swinton War Memorial. Under that resolution the Council had declined to take over custody and maintenance until the memorial site had been laid out.
Mr. Smith row urged that the Council should take over without further delay. He did not think it was fair that the Memorial Committee should leave the Council to undertake the laying out of the site.
The Chairman said the Council had been into the matter with the War Memorial Committee at a meeting which Mr. Hughes did not attend and the feeling of the Council then certainly was that the memorial should be taken over at once. The resolution now proposed by Mr. Smith was intended merely to Jowly with the standing order. He quite thought the Council had made up their minds as. to the desirability in taking over the memorial.
Mr. Pete appealed to Mr. Hughes to withdraw his objection. To accept responsibility for the memorial did not involve any every expenditure. The site could he laid out gradually until the place was made one of the nicest spots in Swinton. “Let us,” he said “decide to take this bit of holy ground and make it worthy of Swinton. It was quite true that the memorial committee, in their wisdom, had not accepted a suggestion made by the Council, that the memorial should be erected in Highfield Park, but they ought not in this matter to take any stand on a difference of opinion. The War Memorial Committee would, no doubt, have been happy to complete the laying out of the site if they had been able to raise sufficient funds.
Mr. Hewitson: It seems the least we say about it the better
Mr. Hughes: If they set at defiance and give no consideration to your suggestion, and take everything upon themselves, they ought to complete it themselves.
Mr Siddall thought that Mr Hughes was entitled to the objection he had made.
Mr Creighton said it was unfortunate that Mr Hughes was not present when the War Model Committee came before them a month ago. They came in quite the right spirit.
The chairmen said he regretted that the Council should be divided in such a question.
Mr. Siddall advised Mr. Hughes, for the sake of harmony and unanimity, not to press his objection.
Mr. Smith hoped that the Council in this matter would exclude every consideration about the tribute that was due to the lads who have sacrificed their lives.
Mr. Hughes said he yielded to nobody in respect for the memory of the brave lads who had died in the war, and he had done what he could to help the memorial movement. “But,” he said, “when you get among some fanatics that have swallowed the dictionary and cannot tolerate a bit of common sense, it puts you then on your uppers. It is independent spirit of some of these men has caused me to take offence. When I made a suggestion about the memorial, I was simply asked what I had to do with it. They have put the monument under the droplets from a green, slimy, old sycamore tree. I think that is a disgrace to common sense. A beautiful stone like that, – and it will be as black as a n—-r in five years. When you tell them your mind, because you’re only working man they tell you you know nowt. I withdraw all opposition, but still, for all that, it is not right.”
Mr Smith’s resolution was carried unanimously, and it was formally decided to take over the custody and maintenance of the memorial from that date.
Thankful
Doctor Hattersley, medical officer, reported that there had been 29 deaths and 32 births in the past six weeks. He mentioned that there had been no case of enteric since June, and only four cases during the year; and he thought Swindon might congratulate itself upon this, in view of the very serious outbreak in the near neighbourhood. There was, however, an epidemic of influenza of a mild type.