Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

10 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

TOWN COUNCIL.

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

TOWN COUNCIL. THE monthly meeting of the Council was held I on Monday afternooon. The Mayor (Alder- man E. Roberts), presided, the other members t present being Alderman R. P. Davies, T. P. Roberts, and Edw. Roberts, Councillors W. Wil- liams, G. F. Byford, T. H. Roberts, T. J. Rouw, i William Jones, Dr. J. M. Hughes, Francis I;' Dewell, and Thomas Williams, with the follow- ing officers :—Town Clerk (Mr. W. Lloyd), the 1. Borough Treasurer (Mr. O. E Jones), the In- spector (Mr. Morris), the Collector (C. Good- man Jones), the Borough Surveyor (Mr. Price Morris). NEW MEMBER. Mr. Edward Jones (Nag's Head) took his seat for the first time since his election as successor to the late Councillor R. Alston. FINANCIAL. 1 ij The Mayor stated that bills had been re- ceived amounting to f87 6s. 6d. There was in the treasurer's hand X171 10s, lOd. in respect I (of the Common Fund account, and X229 Os. 5di in respect of Streets Improvemeat Account Bills amountiyag to f80 12s. lOd. were to be THE BOROUGH CHARTER. I It was explained/that Messrs. Shaw and Son's charges in respect of the Borough Charter were je2 5s. 3d. j CLWYD STREET FOOTPATH. A number of ratepayers residing in Clwyd Street petitioned the Council to put down a tile footpath on the North side of the street similar to the one now existing on the South side. The petition went on to state that a project to I make this path was at one time brought for- I ward, and abandoned, but the petitioners thought that they should be accorded the same privileges as other ratepayers of the town. I Clwyd Street was a most important thorough- fare, and the residents suffered considerable inconvenience on account of the want of a foot path, especially on fair days. It was impossi- ble for timid persons to leave their houses on I account of the horse fair, as the pavement al- ready existing was monopolised by persons at- I tending the fair. The Mayor explained that this matter should I be considered at once, so that if the work was J to be done, the cost thereof should be included in the forthcoming estimate. Clwyd Street had not been included in the loan already sanc- tioned for street improvement by the Local I Government Board, and therefore any money expended on it would have to come out of the rate. Mr. Dowell asked whether the petitioners I complained of the holding of the horse fair in | Clwyd S fcreet ? i The Mayor No, but they say that the hold- ¡ ing of the horse fair causes inconvenience for the want of the footpath mentioned in the pe tition to separate the houses from the fair. ¡ Mr. R. P. Davies said that before the chair- man considered, or acted upon this subject, it should be put on the agenda. There was one footpath already in Clwyd Street, but there were parts of the town without any path at I ) all, such as that part of Mwrog Street, from Plas newydd to Llanfwrog Church. As there was one good footpath in Clwyd Street, he thought that other parts of the town should have the chance of getting the same conven- | ience. Mr, John Roberts moved that the business should be conducted according to the agenda, on which the correspondence came as the last item. As to the question brought before them, if there was any complaint as to the horse fair, it could be easily remedied by removing the horse fair to Llanfwrog. Dr. Hughes said that the question of the in- convenience caused by the horse fair was sim- ply a side issue. It was quite evident that there were certain gentlemen who wanted to remove the horse fair to another place, but that of course should not influence the com- mittee in their decision with regard to making the required pavement. Mr. Alderman Davies had made remarks objecting to the making of the footpath, but he (Dr Hughes).thought there were reasons for giving this appeal a favour- able consideration. They had provided foot- j' paths in other parts, although they were not more necessary than the one in Clwyd Street. Owing to the want of this footpath, Clwyd Street was very dangerous to old people in winter, and especially on fair days He thought winter, and especially on fair days He thought they should give the petition favourable consi- II deration (hear, hear). The Mayor said he had read the pecitionjnow so chat the council might consider the matter before agreeing upon the estimate for the com- ing year. Of course, they they need not de- cide finally on the subject that day, but should J certainly bear in mind that some day they would have to comply with the requisition. Mr. Edward Roberts proposed that the mat- ter be placed on the agenda for consideration at the next meeting. Mr. Rouw seconded. Mr. R. P. Davies: I also propose that the desirability of making a footpath from Plas j Newydd to the church be also placed on the iagenda. Mr. Byford seconded. Mr. Edward Roberts suggested that in the ¡ meantime the surveyor should prepare an esti- mate of the probable cost. This was agreed to, and the discussion brought I o a close. THE HEALTH OF THE TOWN. Owing to the absence of Dr. W. D. Jones, who is away on his holidays, the usual report with respect to the health and sanitary condi- tion of the Borough was submitted by Dr. Frazer. The report stated that during the last three months 19 births and 16 deaths had been reported. Of the latter three were infants, and 7 over 60 years of age. These were due to ordinary causes, with the exception of one death caused by accident. The nuisance in the Machine Inn was due to leakage to the drain from the culvert made under the old system of draining the town, but this had now been abated. The report was adopted. a.bated. THE NUISANCE I AT THE MACHINE INN. I The Inspector made a long statement with respect to the nuisance so long complained of at the Machine Inn. He said that finding the work done by the engineer oi the Water Com- pany did not remedy or remove the cause of the flooding, the Borough Surveyor and him- self proceeded with the work of excavating the trenches in the yard. Soon they came upon a drain nearly full of water. It ran in the direc- tion of the Railway Terrace, but between the gable end of the stable buildings and the Mach- ine Tavern, they found that the piping of the drain was seriously defective, the water worked through the bed of clay, and into an old stone drain which existed there, and thence worked its way into the cellar through the foundation walls. They had eight or nine feet of the old drain taken up, and cleared. They had left it partly open to see whether water would come into it from any other direction. The Mayor said that the officers were confi- dent that they had found eut the cause of the nuisance, but had not finally closed the drain up. Mr. Edward Roberts said it was important to know whose fault had been the cause of this nuisance, and whether the corporation, the owner of the propertyfor the occupier was to pay the expense in connection with it. He felt bound to say that in many instances in the town of Ruthin, the Corporation had been put to expenses which were legally bound to be paid by the owners or occupiers of houses. The Inspector said that the old stone drain which he had discovered, and in which the water had accumulated, had been in existence ever since the railway was made. Dr. Hughes thought they could not answer Mr. Roberts' question satisfactorily until they had finally decided where the water came from. The Mayor explained that the nuisance had been found to exist entirely on the premises of the Machine Inn, and was caused by the leakage at the back of the next house, which also be- longed to the same owner. Mr. Edward Roberts wished to know whether the town sewer was deep enough to carry away the refuse from these houses, if the owner only conneated the drains with it The Inspector: No. The Mayor: Where would the sewage go from the Machine Inn then? The Inspector Through their own property to the cottage at Wernfechan. At the back of the Railway Terrace, there is a main drain, which I made for Mr. Howard. Mr. Edward Roberts Do I understand that the town sewer by the Machine Inn is not sufficient to take away the sewage from the place ? The Inspector: There is no town sewer ex- cept in the street. Mr. Edward Roberts: I am talking about the street. I The Surveyor: It is not deep enough in Wernfechan. Mr. Edward Roberts: We are not talking about Wernfechan. The Surveyor, in reply to Mr. Roberts said that the town sewer was deep enough to take away the sewage. Mr. Edward Roberts Very well; it is there- fore the owner who is at fault by not properly connecting his drains with the town sewer, and it is for the owners of property to do this. I am quite certain that the corporatidix is spend- ing money every year in looking after the pri- vate drains of other people. The Inspector said they would never have heard of this particular nuisance if the pipes were not defective in the yard of the Machine Inn. The Mayor said there was ample fall trom the Machine Inn to the sewer which ran along the railway, but the nuisance had beeen caused through the pipes becoming defective. Mr. Edward Roberts Therefore the owner must pay. The Surveyor said he had been called out several times every year to inspect defective drains, and he afterwards charged the expenses to the owners. Tae discussion then terminated. ,THE SINS OF THE WATER COMPANY.' The Inspector also reported that the drain at 2 Spring Side was blocked up, and he had been instructed by the Council to have it opened to see whose fault it was. He did so and found that the drain was blocked up with closet matter. There was structural defect in the drain, and its condition was due to want of flushing. The Mayor That clearly is not the fault of the landlord. Mr. John Roberts: It was not the fault of the "tenant either, but the fault of the water company. Mr. Edward Roberts: Who is going to pay for the work? Mr. John Roberts: The Water Company ought to pay for that (laughter). THE CORPORATION AS LANDLORDS. The Inspector brought under the notice of the Committee the case of Ty newydd, which is the property of the Corporation. It was a cottage with four acres of land attached. There was an accumlation of manure, which was draining into the river and polluting it. The Mayor asked whether the drainage ex- isting there would be sufficient for the use of the land if it were used as it had been inten- ded ? Mr. R. P. Davies said Ty newydd was origi- nally a small cottage and allotment, and the farm yard was never used. The tenant had 9 acres of land on Mr. West's estate, and the nui- sance complained of was due to some extent to this, because the tenant kept more stock on the land than he ought to do. He (Mr. Davies) thought that Mr. West should provide proper buildings for his own land, and not cause the tenant to take his stock on corporation pro- perty. Dr. Hughes said the Council was compel- ling other landlords to put their properties in order, and it was their duty as a corporation to see that their property was also in order. It was decided to adjourn the question, in order to make inquirtes as to whether the nuisance complained of was injurious to health and the cause of the same. THE PIGSTYE NUISANCE. Mr. John Roberts asked the inspector how many cases had been reported during last year of nuisances in the Borough, in consequence of pigstyes not having been properly kept? The Inspector said he could not reply at the time, and the question was adjourned. Mr. Edward Roberts Are you aware that pigs ars are kept in the triangle between the top of the town and Mr. Rouw's shop ? The Inspector No, I am not aware. Mr. Morris Edwards has removed his pigs. Mr. Edward Roberts I should like to draw the inspector's attention to this. Is it not a fact that some pigs are kept in the triangle now almost immediately behind the dwelling houses, and if so, why the matter has not been repor- ted? The Inspector again stated that he was not aware, and promised to make inquiries. THE MAIN DRAIN. The Borough Surveyor, in his monthly re- port, congratulated the Council on the satis- factory state of the main drain. THE ORNAMENTAL TREES. Mr. T. J. Roberts asked how many of the ornamental trees died during he year ? A Member: Only one. The Surveyor I cannot answer the question with certainty. Mr. John Roberts It would be much more pertinent to ask, how many of the trees are alive (laughter). DANGEROUS PLACES. Mr. T. J. Roberts called attention to the dangerous state of a piece of rock in the Cor- poration's Quarry, and asked the surveyor's opinion about it. The Surveyor thought it was not in a dan- gerous condition. Dr. Hughes expressed a hope that the rock referred to would not be taken down. It was one of the most picturesque spots in the coun- try (laughter). He passed it at all hours- of day and night, and found nothing dangerous about it. THE LORD LIEUTENANT'S PROPERTY. The Surveyor reported that the garden wall of the Castle hotel yard, the coping stones on the Castle wall, and a brick wall in Borthyn Street were in a most dangerous state. Col. West's attention had been called to these places, but yet nothing had been done. Mr. Rouw said he knew new coping stones for the Castle wall had been ordered months ago, but had not been received. A proposition having been made, that Col. West be written to, Mr. John Roberts said he failed to see why an exception should be made in this case, be- cause the Lord Lieutenant happened to be the owner; he would propose that the usual notice be given him. Mr. Edward Roberts seconded, and the mo- tion was agreed to. THE CORPORATION WORKMEN AND THEIR OVERALLS, &c. The Surveyor, on hehalf of the Corporation, workmen thanked the Council for the capes, leggings, &c., which they had been supplied with, which they considered to be of great ser- vice to them. Mr. T. P. Roberts: Could you not couple the name of Mr. William Williams with it (laugh- ter). Mr. William Williams Thank you, Mr. Ro- berts (laughter). BURGESS OR A CYCLIST—WHICH ? Mr. Rouw called attention of the Surveyor to the mettaling which had been recently placed on the bridge in Well Street, and asked why it had been put down ? It was a disgraceful thing in his opinion to have put the stones down this I' time of the year. The Surveyor explained that the work had been done by the Railway Company. Dr. Hughes said the Council should be thank- ful to the company for doing the work so well. Mr. Rouw said the road had been covered from pavement to pavement. A path ought to have been left on one side at least. Mr, John Roberts: Is Mr. Rouw speaking as a cyclist now ? Mr. Rouw: I am speaking as a burgess sir, as I always do when in this Council. A SENSIBLE MOTION. Mr. Edward Roberts said he begged to move that Corporation workmen when opening and repairing drains, the cost of which is payable by the owners or occupiers shall in future be paid at the rate of 3s. 6d. per day, or 4|d. per hour, instead of 2s. 9d. per day as at present. He thought that men occupied with such nasty work as this, should be paid at a higher rate than when following their ordinary occupation (hear, hear). Mr. T. P. Roberts: Certainly, they drink a shilling's worth of brandy when at it (laughter). The Mayor You do not include the brandy do you ? (renewed laughter). Mr. William Williams seconded the motion. The Mayor It is, in my opinion, a very pro- per resolution to make. The motion was carried unanimously. THE SURVEYOR AND HIS EXTRA DUTIES. The next business was to. consider what re- muneration to give the surveyor in respect of the extra duties performed by him in connec- tion with the street improvement scheme. Mr. Rouw proposed that the sum of f5 be given. The Mayor explained that the surveyor had to prepare the plans and specification of the work for the Local Government Board before he re- ceived the £20 in his salary, and then he was badly remunerated. It was on the plans drawn by the surveyor that the Local Govern- ment Board acted before sanctioning the loan. Dr. Hughes seconded the motion. Mr. Edward Roberts said he was sorry to object to the sum proposed. No one had greater appreciation of the surveyor's abilities than he, but the Council had to look after the interests of somebody beside the surveyor. The Town Clerk considered the sum, rather small for the extra work done by the surveyor. Mr. Edward Roberts said he could not help thinking that £ 5 was too much. He would not object to pay him 3 guineas, but £5 was an ex- travagant sum. The Surveyor, on being asked to explain, said that when the footpaths committee was elected, he attended all its meetings, and had to make and prepare several estimates for the consideration of the committee. Owing to the changes proposed from time to time by the committee, he was obliged to prepare a new estimate in respect of the same path several times over. He had to prepare two if not three estimates in respect of Llanfair Street, and he might say that he devoted fully three weeks in preparing estimates and measuring, &c., which he could have occupied in following his other employment. After bringing the scheme for- ward before the Local Governmrnt Board In- spector, in addition to the specifications already mentioned, he had to prepare a special specifi- cation for the inspector himself, in which he treated every item such as tiling, excavating, cartage, curb stones, &c., separately. Taking everything into consideration, he thought that dE5 was not an unreasonable sum. No one seconded Mr. Roberts' motion, and the resolution was carried unanimously. THE NURSES ASSOCIATION. It was decided on the motion of Mr. William Jones, seconded by Mr. John Roberts, to re- fund the amount charged for the use of the Assembly room for the purpose of a concert held recently in aid of the above institution. The application for the money was made by Miss Gilbert. THE INDIAN FAMINE FUND. A letter was read from Messrs. T. P. Roberts and T. J. Rouw stating that a sum of £68 13s. 3d. had been contributed in the borough towards the Indian Famine fund, and that it had been handed over to the Lord Lieutenant's Fund. The Mayor said the secretaries were to be congratulated on their efforts in this matter. The Secretaries were thanked for their efforts. SWINE FEVER. A letter was read from the Board of Agricul- ture in which they expressed their regret that at the present time they were unable to add anything to their previous letter on the above subject. The Town Clerk said that the Board's In- spector called upon him at his office, and told him that the Board regretted that the April fair could not be held in Ruthin owing to the prevalence of Swine Fever in Denbigh and Trefnant, and also at Wrexham and Ruabon. As Ruthin was situated in the centre between these places, no exemption could be made. BOROUGH FINANCES. Mr. R. P. Davies proposed that a rate of 2s. 3d. in the pound be levied during the present fin ancial year, and he pointed out that with the School Board call and the charge for technical education, 6d. in the pound out of the total of 2s. 3d. would go for education. Mr. Williams seconded the motion, and Mr. Roberts stated that while they might manage upon 2s. 3d this year, for the reason that they had a large balance to carry forward, he did not think the r&.te could be kept so low next year. The motion was carried unanimously.

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[No title]

AN AMERICAN COLLEGE STORY.

ST. ASAPH.

BOARD OF GUARDIANS.

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. POLICE COURT.

GWYDDELWERN.

.--PETTY SESSIONS.''