1877 10 05 Redcar Local Board of Health Meeting

Accreditation the Redcar and Saltburn-by-the-Sea Gazette 05/10/1877.

REDCAR LOCAL BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING

The only meeting of this Board was held on Monday last (01/10), Mr, J. Webster presiding, the other members present being Messrs Blatherwick, Crabtree, Dowson, Duff, Harrison, Patterson, and Wren; with Mr. J. G. Thompson (clerk), and Mr. D.D. Bookless (surveyor). The minutes of the last monthly meeting, also of a special meeting since held, were read and confirmed, and several minutes were ordered to be continued.

THE SCAVENGING OF THE TOWN 

            Mr. Blatherwick, in accordance with a notice given at the last monthly meeting, brought forward the subject of the scavenging of the town, and commenced by asking the Surveyor, how many loads of night-soil were got out each morning, and that how much it was sold per load.

The Surveyor: From two to three loads; and it is sold to the farmers at 1s.9d, per load . We originally got 2s.6d, a load for it, but it was reduced to 2s.0d, and afterwards to the present rate.

Mr Blatherwick:, then I think, gentleman, this state of things is disgraceful, and not fit for the ratepayers to stand. It takes three men and a horse and cart to do the scavenging, and they never get out more than three loads, which at 1s.9d., The sum of the farmers pay per load, brings in 5s.3d., and it costs double this sum getting out. It is high time there was a change, and one farmer might take it one month and another farmer another.

Mr. Duff:- Is Mr. Blatherwick going to make a motion.

Mr. Blatherwick:- Of course I am.

Mr. Duff: You should make the motion first, and then speak to it.

Mr. Blatherwick: Oh, you think so. Very well; I consider Redcar is in a delicate state financially, and we should not go on in the extravagant manner we are doing when that is the case.

(Mr Blatherwick here began to carry on a personal conversation with Mr. Harrison and Mr. Duff, when he was interrupted by the Chairman)

The Chairman: I wish to remind you, Mr. Blatherwick, that there is a chairman of this meeting stop.

Mr. Blatherwick: Very good, Mr. Webster, I will speak to the chair. I say, let the farmers lead the manure away, and let the Board of Health be at and expense of 6s, or 7s, a week, instead of £2, as it now. Every man ought to pay for his own ash pit being cleaned out, instead of the Board having to do it, and charging it on the rates, as it is done at present.

Mr. Duff said that if Mr. Blatherwick had anything to bring before the Board he should bring it before them in a manner they could comprehend.

Mr. Blatherwick I have told you, haven’t I?

Mr. Duff: I submit if Mr Blatherwick has a motion.

Mr. Blatherwick: You are not going to rattle me, sir, you won’t to rattle me!

Mr. Duff: I don’t want to rattle anybody.

After some further wrangling, Mr. Blatherwick proposed that the Board should take into consideration the cheapest mode of scavenging the town.

Mr. Wren seconded.

Mr. Duff proposed as an amendment that matters remain as they are.

Mr. Harrison seconded.

On being put to the vote, the amendment was carried, Messrs. Dowson, Duff, Harrison, and the Chairman, holding up their hands in its favour, and only Messrs. Blatherwick and Wren against it, consequentially, Mr. Blatherwick’s motion was lost.

(Mr. Blatherwick was in error in stating that the scavenging cost he town £2 a week. From a tabulated statement prepared by the Surveyor, we find that the cost of scavenging for the years 1874-5-6 amounted to £204.5s., and during that period manure was sold to the amount of £183.14s.3d., so that the actual cost of scavenging for three years amounted to £20.10s.9d.)

PROPOSED AMALGAMATION OF OFFICES

            Mr. Blatherwick next drew attention to the other subject of which he had given notice. He thought that instead of having a separate surveyor and rate collector the duties of the two officers should in future be amalgamated. He considered the collectorship was only half a living for a man, and as their surveyor had now comparatively little to do, it was only right that the two offices should be amalgamated. In his opinion, the rates were sufficiently high, without going to unnecessary expense.

Mr. Duff: Is Mr. Blatherwick making a motion?

Mr. Blatherwick: Of course I am.

Mr. Duff You should make the motion first, and then speak about it.

Mr. Duff: What is it then?

Mr. Blatherwick: Go along.  You are a “duffer,” and I will see you out of this board. (Cries of “Order “and “ “Chair.”) I beg to move that the offices of rate collector, surveyor, and nuisance inspector be amalgamated.

Mr. Wren seconded.

Mr. Duff proposed an amendment to the effect that it was undesirable to make any change at present.

Mr. Harrison seconded.

On being put, the amendment was carried by four votes to two votes, Mr. Patterson abstaining from voting, and Mr Crabtree up to this stage of the meeting, not having entered the room.

ALTERATION AT THE WORKS

            The Clerk reported that in accordance with instructions from the Board he had written to the Redcar Gas Company asking for plans of some buildings which were in course of erection without plans of the same having being first approved by the Board. He (the Clerk) had since met Mr. Garbutt, the chairman of the Company, with reference to the subject; who submitted that by the provisions of their Act of Parliament. They were empowered to erect any buildings for gas making purposes, without first depositing plans with the Board. He would ask that the matter might be left over till the next meeting for consideration to allow time for further enquiries; at the same time he (the Clerk) was of opinion that the provisions of a measure like the Public Health Act were not affected by a Private Act of Parliament, and that the Board had a perfect right to demand plans of any building within their district. It was resolved to defer further consideration of the subject until the next meeting.

EXTENSION OF THE DISTRICT 

            The Clerk next called the attention of the Board to the fact that by an Act passed during the last session of Parliament, and which came into effect on the 29th ult., several portions of the outlying district, including about 56 houses at the East end of Redcar, had been brought under the control of the Board. The Chairman remarked that this would entail a re-arrangement of the existing system of rating. It was agreed that the Clerk should confer with the Finance Committee on the subject. At a subsequent stage of the meeting, the Surveyor was ordered to proceed with the lighting of the lamps in the Upleatham portion of Redcar at the earliest possible date, subject to the subsequent agreement with the Gas Company, the present owners of the lamps, in regard to the same.

The Chairman also gave notice that he should at the next meeting move that an additional lamp be placed at the back of Claredon Terrace, on the Esplanade, and another at the North end of Smith Street, in Lord Street.

DEVIATION FROM APPROVED PLANS 

            The Surveyor reported that Mr. George Robinson had erected a house and shop in High Street, in contravention of the plans passed by the Board, which were for one shop window on the ground floor, and one bay window and a sash window on the second and third floors, respectively, while a double shop window had been put in, and two bay windows on each floor. The shop front also projected to 2 ½ inches into the street beyond the line shown on the plan. On the motion of Mr Duff seconded by Mr. Wren, it was resolved that the Clerk be ordered to take legal proceedings against Mr. Robinson for the deviations referred to.

PERAMBULATORS ON THE FOOTPATHS

            Mr. Duff asked the Clerk whose duty it was to prevent the frequent obstruction of footpaths by perambulators being driven two or three abreast?

The Clerk: By the Town’s Police Clauses Act not only the Board, but also the Police, are empowered to take proceedings against any person for obstructing the footpaths. This concluded the business of the meeting.

 

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