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INOTES OF THE WEEK.

LOCAL NEWS. I

PEMBROKE DOCK MOTHER'SI NEGLECT.

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Pembrokeshire Main Roads.…

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Pembrokeshire Main Roads. HAVERFORDWEST CORPORATION'S CLAIM. EVIL OF POPULAR ELECTION." Mr. Howell Walters and A Business Concern." A meeting of the Pembrokeshire Main Roads Committee was held at the Shire Hall, Haverford- west, on Monday afternoon, Col. Ivor Philipps, M.P., presiding. The other members present were*- Messrs A. W. Massy, W. G. Eaton Evans, E. H. James, T. John, T. Lewis (Hanton), J. H. Harries, W. T. Davies, W. Howell Walters, J. Howard Griftiths, E. D. Jones, Robert Cole, B. G. Llewhelin, J. C. S. Glanville, T. Brown, 8. Lloyd Lewis, and Capt James. The Chairman said that great satisfaction had been expressed with the result of the Dinas Hill scheme. He was very glad of this, as the scheme bad cost the Council a tireat deal of work. UNSATISFACTORY WORKMEN. I Mr Howell Walters said that in the minutes there was a reference to the work done by the steam rollers. The men employed on these rollers were not giving satisfaction. They must look at the matter from a fair standpoint. If the work done were a private concern, and the Committee were a board of directors, bow would they act? Seeing that the men were not giving satisfaction and taking it for granted that they were an intelligent body, the Committee should instruct their inspector or clerk of the works to dismiss these men. It bad been contemplated engaging another man at a salary of about A'1.50. Would they do that if they were a board of directors governing a private concern? That was the light in which they should look at it. He therefore held that as an elected body they should order their Surveyor to discharge the men. There were plenty of honest men to be had. Mr W. T. Davies desired an explanation on the subject. He had not heard of it in that light before. He knew the man in question and he assured them that he was steady and had never been seen idling. Perhaps the man had worked under difficulties, waitmg for stones or watti,. The Surveyor should make a charge before the Committee took such drastic measures. The surveyor (Mr Thomas) said that as he had before stated the rollers were very often starved. The average amount of work done by the rollers was from 26 to 28 cubic yards. Mr J. Howard Griffiths remarked that if Mr Walters made a specific charge it should be looked into. Chairman: It must. Mr Walters said that in calling attention to the matter he had done his duty to the ratepayers. If they worked as a Board of Directors they would undoubtedly discharge the roller man whom the Surveyor had himself admitted was unsatisfactory. The Surveyor, in answer to a question, said the roller man was supposed to be on duty the same time as the other roadmen. Mr W. G. Eaton Evans observed that he had never seen the steam roller at work before 9 a.m. The Surveyor: It takes two hours to get up steam. Mr Howell Walters moved that one or two of the men be dismissed. Mr J. H. Griffiths moved an amendment that an inquiry be held into the matter. Seconding Mr Howell Walters's resolution, Mr A. W. Massy said that everybody who travelled on the road knew that the roller did not do anything like the work it ought to do. He referred especially to the man named Llewellin, who was very unsatis- factory. At previous meetings of the Committee he had complained of the constant stopping of the roller and that the fact that it was not working the requisite number of hours. He had seen the roller on the side of the road at 10 a.m. and working in the afternoon, and he (Mr Massy) did not think the Committee ought to retain in their employ a man who did not do his duty. Mr W. T. Davies moved an amendment that the matter be left in the hands of the Surveyor with instructions that the workman Llewellin be cautioned and iuformed that if he was again found unsatisfactory he would be reported. Mr Davies pointed out that this workman had been ten years in the employ of the Council, and he asked if it was fair to dismiss a man straightaway without being cautioned. The man Llewellin was steady and a teetotaler, and it was quite possible that the blame attached to others. The contractors were not always as punctual as they should be, amd perhaps the man was kept waiting for stone or other material. Mr B. G. Llewhelin seconded, remarking that the Committee might be biassed. The question should be left in the Surveyor's hands. Mr Massy said that many complaints bad been received as to the state of the roads owing to the want of being rolled. Oftentimes they found the roads improperly rolled when they were supposed to have been finished. It was impossible for the Surveyor to thoroughly inspect all the roads him- self, and he desired to know if Morris, the road inspector, had complained of the man Liewellin. The Surveyor: Yes he has made verbal com- plaints that the roller was standing when the man ought to have gone on with his work. Mr Walters Why didn't you discharge him ? Surveyor: I reprimanded him, and told him that if it occurred again I should have to dismiss him. Since then he has been very much better. Mr Robert Cole said that 13yds were being rolled daily now. Mr Howell Walters recalled a statement made by the Surveyor at a previous meeting that be was not at all satisfied with the quantity he was getting rolled. The Surveyor was the Committee's accredited manager, and if they were a commercial concern they would not hesitate to do their duty. But the Committee were suffering from the evil spirit t of popular election. Mr Walters contended that it was not fair to leave the matter in the hands of the Surveyor. If he were a free agent the Surveyor would deal much more strongly with the matter, and he withdrew his former resolution and moved that a small committee consisting of the Chairman, Yice-Chairman and Mr Evan Jones be appointed to inquire into the matter. It was a question which should be dealt with from the busi- ness and not from the sentimental point of view. Mr W. T. Davies declined to withdraw his amend- ment, and the resolution to refer the matter to a small committee was carried by nine votes to four. ROAD BOARD GRANTS. The Chairman reported the receipt of several grants from the Road Board, including the final instalment of X123 towards the Prendergast improve- ment. The Chairman added that in loans and grants the Committee had received a total of ,410,077 from the Road Board, the grants only amounting to 1;7,077. HAVERFORDWEST CORPORATION'S CLAIM. The Chairman mentioned that for some years the Committee bad been paying the Haverfordwest Corporation the agreed sum of X376 for the mainten- ance of two miles of main road in the Borough. The Corporation now claimed £535, and the claim had been fully gone into by a joint committee represent- ing the Haverfordwest Corporation and the County Main Roads Committee. They also dealt with a claim for £ 180 made by the Corporation for the cost of the repair of the Dew Street footpath, and the committee recommend that this be allowed and that the Corporation be asked to borrow the money, the repayment of principal and interest to be spread over as long a period as possible. The sub-committe having deferred the matter a detailed reply as to the claim of f535 was now received from the Corporation, setting out the details of the items on which reductions could and could not be made. The revised claim came to £450. The Chairman mentioned that if the Town Council's offer to maintain the main roads in the Borough for £ 150 was accepted, they were prepared to enter into an agreement based on that amount for five years. The Chairman added that X 1.50 was a very big sum for the maintenance of two miles of main road. The clerk (Mr Wheatley) said that if his objections were upheld it would mean a reduction of 1:172, bringing the total sum to be paid to the Corporation down to £ 333 7s M, as against the sum of X505 claimed. Mr W. T. Davies pointed out before the adop- tion of the Chairman's scheme the Haverfordwest Corporation used to receive ElOO in addition to the -t; 3 7,5. TheJChairman said that some years the Corporation might have received that amount but not always. Mr W. T. Davies said that all the through traffic of the county passed through Haverfordwest. The Chairman said that if they increased the sum to be paid to Haverfordwest they would have to pay other districts as well on a new basis. They paid the urban districts aboutt2,500 in subsidies, and the claim now made by Haverfordwest meant an in- crease of 20 per cent. The rates fell much heavier on the urban than on the rural districts, and if an increase were Igranted all round the ratepayers of Haverfordwest would get from the frying-pan into the fire. Mr W. G. Eaton-Evans pointed out that at present some of the urban districts-be especially referred to Tenby-received more from the county than It cost them to maintain their roads. It had been proved that these two miles of main roads cost the Haverfordwest Town Council £ 500 a year. Mr T. John said that if the amounts to be paid the urban districts were to be increased the rural districts would also expect an increase. In reply to Mr W. T. Davies, the chairman said that if the Haverfordwest Corporation could prove to the satisfaction of a Local Government Board Inspector that the maintenance of the two miles of main roads cost them £500, they could claim repay- ment of that amount from the county. Mr Robert Cole: They only roll 9 yards a day in Haverfordwest, and in the county we roll 30 yards. Mr Howell Walters You don t roll anything like 30 yards. Mr T. John pointed out that the sum charged for the steam roller was excessive. On the motion of Mr E. D. Jones the matter was referred back to the sub-committee for further consideration, and a resolution congratulating the Clerk and Surveyor for the particulars supplied in contesting the claim was also carried on the motion of Mr T. John. NEW MAIN ROADS. I Mr T. John brought forward a resolution in favour of reducing the requirements as to the width of new main roads, but the Chairman pointed out that they had to satisfy the requirements of the Road Board and they must have regard to the needs of the future. Mr John did not press his resolution and the matter dropped Mr B. G. Llewellin remarking that in his opinion main roads should be at least 24 feet wide. n- NEYLAND TO JOHNSTON ROAD. I The Committee decided to support the application of the Pembroke Rural District Council for the grant of £ 1,000 from the Road Board for the maining of the road from Neyland to Johnston. Mr W. T. Davies remarked that there was very little traffic on that road. Mr W. G. Eaton Evans: But it is a frightfully dangerous road.

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