1868 05 08 Redcar Local Board of Health Meeting

Accreditation the Middlesbro and Stockton Gazette 08/05/1868

REDCAR LOCAL BOARD OF HEALTH

ANOTHER SCENE

            The monthly meeting of the Redcar Local Board of Health was held on Monday afternoon (02/05), at the offices, West Terrace, Redcar. Present :- Messrs James Johnston (in the chair), C. Richardson, E. W. Lennard, J. Mallaby, H. Moore, J. Cowl, W. Whitaker, and T. Blatherwick. The Surveyor (Mr Crabtree) and the Deputy Clark within attendance

Minutes of the last monthly meeting and the special meeting on the 17^th ult., For the purpose of passing plans of two houses and shops to be built in high Street, for Mr John Harrison were passed.

NEW SPECIAL DISTRICT RATE

            An estimate for the special district rate of eight pence in the pound was read by the Surveyor.

Mr Lenard moved that the rate be adopted. He was very glad to see that this rate had been reduced to its proper standard. Before this year many things have been included in the rate that were not legally chargeable to it.

Mr Whitaker seconded.

The Surveyor the corresponding rate for 1867 was one shilling in the pound, and that in 1866 one shilling and six months in the pound had been collected.

Mr Miller thought it would be better to divide this expenditure between the special and the general district rates, if this was not done, the next rate would be heavier than usual.

Mr Leonard objected to this, on principle.

FINANCE COMMITTEE

            The Surveyor reported that there was not a quorum at the Finance Committee meeting on Friday, (06/05), and that an account from the Yorkshire Insurance Company for £92.16s.7d would have to be examined and passed by the board. A letter had been received intimating that 5% interest would be charged upon the amount due until it was paid.

Some conversation ends used as to whether this song should not have been included in the past year’s accounts, but as it was dated 27 March, and the financial year closes on 25 March, it was concluded that it ought to be included in the year 1868 – 1869.

CEMETERY COMMITTEE

            The Survey reported that the Sanitary Committee met on the 20^th ult., And that it was ordered that the occupiers of land adjacent to the drain in Redcar Lane should be required to clear out that drain immediately; also that the owners of all cattle found straying in Redcar Lane should be proceeded against according to law.

Mr Moore inquired the reason for proceeding against the owners of the capital.

Mr Richardson said that the gutter ought to be cleaned out; still he did not think this was exactly the proper time of the year for doing such things. However, there was water standing in the drain now, and if there came three of four hours’ rain, a flood was produced. This did damage to the road, which might be prevented. With regard to stock being in the lane, he did not think it right to let cattle go into the gutters. By this the side of the turnpike was damaged, and the drain would speedily be filled up again. The highways ought to be kept in proper form, therefore, he wished to have the law enforced. Such people as Mrs Thompson, Mr Wren, or Mr Blatherwick, who had cattle, instead of driving them direct to the field, allow them to wander down the lane for two or three hours, doing a great amount of damage. He moved that the minutes be passed.

Mr Miller seconded, and the minutes were passed.

MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS

            The Surveyor read a statement of his disbursements since the last meeting showing that the balance of £10.16s.8d was due to him. Since the last meeting he had found it necessary to clean out the reservoir at Upleatham, and in consequence of the unexpected length of time required to run the water away, the town had been without water for two days, instead of for four or five hours as yet first anticipated. Another rupture had occurred in the wooden trunks at the sewer outlet, which he had repaired, but he was not of opinion that the outlet would last any length of time until metal pipes were substituted the entire length.

I letter from Mr Robert Moore, complaining of the nuisance existing from pigs, and cattle, belonging to Mr Danny Duck, near the home No.1, North Terrace, was referred to the Sanitary Committee, with authority to give the Surveyor the necessary instructions to have the nuisance removed forthwith.

The Surveyor said there was an item of £10 inserted in the estimate of the rate of last year for having the offices painted. The painting had not yet been done, and he asked the Board whether it was to be done.

Mr Miller moved that the house be painted with two courts outside, and that the doors inside be grained.

Mr Lennard seconded.

Mr Cowl suggested that there should be to coats of paint inside and out.

The Chairman: I live in a house in the worst state that this. The outside might be done this year, and the inside left till next.

Mr Cowl: We can be penny-wise and pound foolish in this, as we have been on many other occasions.

Mr Mallaby proposed an amendment that the outside should be painted and the inside let alone for the present.

Mr Blatherwick seconded the amendment.

On being put to the vote the Chairman, Messrs Mallaby, Richardson, and Blatherwick reported for the amendment and Messrs Moore, C Cowl, Lennard, and Whitaker against the amendment.

The Chairman (eagerly): I claim my casting vote for the amendment.

Mr Cowl: there was only three votes given for that amendment, and for against it.

The Chairman: and I have my vote as a member.

Mr Whitaker: Well; it’s only a scrubby way of painting a house, after all.

In reply to Mr Blatherwick, the Surveyor said he could not tell positively whether there would be a supply of water through the summer or not. It had been agreed by the Waterworks Committee to have a thorough inspection of the taps and leakages in the town, which, it was thought, might prevent so much waste going on through the night.

Mr Moore suggested that by turning the water off at nine or ten at night, till five next morning, there would be a great saving. That was the only plan which she thought could be adopted at this time of the year.

It was then agreed that the water should be turned off between the hours of 10 PM and 5 AM.

Mr Leonard: we shall have to attend to the watering of the streets very soon. I suppose the Surveyor must look after the matter as usual.

Mr Blatherwick: they do without watering the streets at courtroom, and that the Upleatham end of Redcar, and we can do without it is well, especially as we have no water to spare. Pure water is of great importance to the health of the place.

Mr Richardson: I know our Surveyor thinks me a fanciful sort of fellow, because I speak what I think. I have here a corner cut out of a newspaper which says, “Petty charges, £7.2s.6d.” I would like to know what these petty charges are, if you will be good enough to tell me.

The Surveyor replied that the account was for postage stamps, railway fares, and other small items paid by him self during the past year.

Mr Richardson: I’m quite satisfied, if the other members are. I have no ill feeling towards the Surveyor. I only wish to know what “Petty charges” meant.

The Surveyor: The particulars will be gone into by the auditor next Friday (13/05). The books, vouchers, etc are all laid here now for the inspection of any ratepayer.

Mr Nolan (shaking his head): I’m afraid there will be more petty charges than those.

Mr Richardson: I have a little thing to mention with respect to the business of our Surveyor. Mr Crabtree, I think, looks upon me as an enemy, but I do not think he has a better friend at the Board if you would only two more than his duty. I wish to make a proposition that our Surveyor begin no new works, make no new arrangements, and that he only does his duty as laid down in the By Laws-and nothing more!

The Surveyor: I think it would have been in better taste for Mr Richardson to have said nothing of this matter. Mr Richardson has said that I am an unruly servant. Now, that assertion was made in the presence of reporters, by whom it was published in the newspapers. Members of the Board know what Mr Richardson means, and what value to put on his statements, but people at a distance think very differently upon these matters. If there is anything occurs in the drainage water pipes, or any other matter, must I wait perhaps two or three weeks before seeking a remedy a defect, or must I take immediate steps to put things right again? If I were to neglect them from one meeting to another, the very members who now find fault with me would then say that I was incompetent. Besides, I challenge you to point out one thing which I have done without the sanction of the Board your very By Laws and appointment of a Surveyor give me power to do these things. The Surveyor here commenced to read from the Public Health Act, to let the members know what he was authorised to do. He was speedily stop by the chairman, who said that the Public Health Act was not the bylaws.

The Surveyor: Your By Laws have been proved to be illegal, so we must go to the act of Parliament itself.

The Surveyor and Chairman then had a short duet, one reading from the act of Parliament and the other from the bylaws, the former at length giving way to the Chairman.

Mr Whitaker (parenthetically, to Mr Blatherwick): There was one where he (the Surveyor) can water the streets without coming to the Board for orders.

Mr Cowel: Come; can you point out anything he has done contrary to the law?

Mr Richardson (to Surveyor) You challenge me to prove anything you have done contrary to the orders of the Board! Has not one gentleman on this Board asked you to consent to obey the orders of the members; and didn’t I say that I would not ask you to consent, but to do as you are ordered by the Board? I wished you to discontinue the depositing of rubbish in Redcar Lane. Yet, after the meeting when you were ordered to give over doing it, did you not keep on doing it? That is one thing.

The Surveyor: I only did that contrary to the orders of Mr Richardson; not contrary to the Board.

Mr Richardson: Then he was asked when he was going to put metal on Redcar Lane. He said fresh men on then, but Redcar Lane was not done for another month. He set them to pull up Back Lane, instead of metal in the Romans as he ought to have done. Then he began to level at the other end of the town, which was to cost ten pounds. It has cost more than three tens at least. When that was half done he came to the Board for sanction to go on with it. We have never sanctioned that job yet.

At this stage of Mr Richardson’s speech Messrs Moore, Blatherwick, Lennard, and Whitaker rose, and several fists were shaking across the table in ominous manner for the safety of the nasal organs of several of the members we have named.

Mr Moore (rapping the table): I tell you on inspector has been wasting money.

Mr Whitaker: one or two have just got Mr Richardson by the nose, and they lead him anyway.

Mr Blatherwick: Who is Mr Whitaker?

Mr Richardson: I come here as an independent man, and I am much friend of the Surveyor as anyone present.

Mr Cowl: A majority of the Board has sanctioned what the Surveyor has done. If I was Mr Crabtree I would never lay a stone do anything without the orders of the Board.

The Chairman: if such as you, Mr Cowl, were not to encourage Mr Crabtree he would do no such things.

Mr Cowl: Allow me to tell you, Mr Chairman that you are not going to put me down when you think proper. You must not think you are in a nursery with a lot of old women and children under you, to put them down when you think proper.

Mr Blatherwick: As Mr Lennard says, I ought to know, I am going to know how the money is spent in future.

Mr Lennard: Estimates are made out for the rates which show how the money is to be spent. You must look at them, and you will soon have an idea.

Mr Moore: What is an estimate – £20 for labour here; £40 for labour there; £200 for labour somewhere else? Pshaw! Money is wasted in all directions.

Mr Blatherwick: I mean to say that Mr Richardson has spoken like a gentleman on these things.

Mr Richardson: I have made a proposition, and if it’s of any use I would like some of you to second it.

Mr Blatherwick: I will second it.

The Surveyor then replied more fully to Mr Richardson’s charges, and, at the clause, said he hoped Mr Richardson would allow him to say that not one of his charges had been proved.

Mr Blatherwick: Mr Crabtree should act as a servant, and not as a master. I can only say that if he is allowed to go on as he has done, I shall not come here any more.

Mr Whitaker: I am surprised that Mr Richardson is led away by such a man as you.

Mr Blatherwick: it takes an independent man; not such as you, who are here one day and can be gone the next.

The members here rose en masse, and the discussion was struggling to be heard -space certainly not reported.

The business here dropped.