The Welsh Coast Pioneer and Review for North Cambria

Conway Town Council. Two more Applicants for Anwell's Quarry. Rose Hill Street improvement. The Mayor's tiood Wishes. Proposed Division of the Borough into Wards. His Worship the Mayor (Councillor James Porter, J.P.) presided over the monthly meeting 'j of the Conway Town Council, held on Wednes- day. There were also present: Alderman H. HutgKes, Alderman Hugh Jooest, Alderman F. Hadley, Councillors Dr. R. A. Prichard, A J. Oldman, John Williams, J. T. Morgan, A. G. Kaye, W. M: Sever, Emanuel Jones, Edward Roberto, with the Town Clerk (Mr T. E. Parryi. Mr F. A. Delamotte (engineer), Mr T. M. Jones (collector), and the Borough Accountant (Mr Hugh Parry). .4 The Major's Good Wishes. At the outset, his Worship the Mayor said that before they started with the businiess in that, the first Council meebng in e Year of Grace, 1903, he had much pleasure in wishing thlsm one and all a very happy, useful, and) prosperous-new year. He hoped that during the vear they would perform, happily ana con- tentedly the work they had in view for t113 good of the ratepayerSl, whom they represented. If they did that they would have a very usefuil year of office, and he felt sure it would then be the pleasure and privilege of those who held v -i the rod over them-.Lie referred to the gentlemen of the Pitess, to record that it had been a useful time for the borough of Conway. (Hear, hear.) Looking further afield, now that they had, got over the troubles of the war-troubles so inimi- cal to commercial proSipjrity-he, did not mink it would be. too much to hope that the sun of prosperity would aigain shine over the country, and that the ancient borough of Conway would have a fair share of it. (Applause.) With those few words, he. would conclude after again wishing them a very useful and prosperous new year. Maining of Town Roads. DECISION ,OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL. Mr J. H. Bodivel Roberts, clerk to the uar- niarvansihire County Council, wrote: enclosing the following extract from the county authority's minutes in reference to the Corporation's, appli- cation for the maining of Rose Hill-street, ton- way: "The Surveyor, as directed by thb County Council, having inspected the. roads, from the Bangor archway to or near the Pens am arch- way, in the borough of Conway, submitted the followinlg rfepOEt, viz. "The roads are situated within the borough of Conway, one of them commences where the old turnpike road, now a main road, ends, at the (entrance from Bangor to the town at the Castle wall, and proceeds in an easterly direction past the police station on the left, and the railway station on the right, towards, the Suspension Bridge ovlar the River Conway, and end.s in Lancaster-square, where the other road com- mences, and ends at the northern end of the approach to thia Pensarn County Bridge, the old turnpike road from, Llanrwst, via Trefriw to Conway, now a main road, ending' at the south ern end of the other approach to the said county bridge. These links then join. the Bangor to Conway main road, to the Llanrwst tovonway ma:.n road, and form continuations of the Bangor to Conway main road and the Llanrwst to Trefriw main road. I "The lenigith of the continuation of the Bangor to Conway main, road is 130 yards, and that of the Llanrwst to Conway main road 340 yards. "Tihe width, of the. Bangor-road continuation is about 27 feet, with footways on both sides for most of the way, of urjven widths and ir- regularly formed, w.th one or two very awkward corners; in some places the footways are kerbed, channelled and tiled, in some kerbed and gravelled, and in others merely gravelled. The length without a footway by the Bangor arch- way measures 45 yards. "Thb footways taken, generally are badly made, but are in a very fair state of repair. "The width of the Llanrwst main road con- tinuation is 18 feet; it does' not thus admit of footways. The gradients are easy, in onte. part flat. "The traffic is. heavy, as heavy as that of any street in the town; it exceeds* the average rural district road traffic, as well as the average urban district road traffic of the. county; it also ex- ceeds the average rural main traffic, and proba- bly would amount to the average; urban main road traffic of the county. "The surface of the road is in good order, just now a little bare in parts; thfe drainage appears to be well provided for, and carefully looked after. "The cost of constructing a. kerbed footway in the part called Rose Hill-street, for a length of 132 yards, instead of the existing: gravel pa^ would amount to about £ 80; and the cost of the maintenance of these roads amounts to about ^20 a year. 420 a year. "The expenditure by the County Council on the main roads within the area of the county borough, in an average year, is represented by 3d! in the £ on the rateable value. The ex- penditure of the. Corporation of Conway on dis- trict highways, in an average year" is represented by 2d in the £ on the rateable value. J. "The expenditure of the County council on main roads is represented by 3d in tae £ on. the rateable value. The expenditure of the District and Borough Councils in the county, both urban and rural, on district highways isi represented ,by 5d in the £ on the rateable value. "It was resolvecP that it be recommended that the road bbfore described be taken over as and declared to be a. main road after me footways have been put in proper oraer and condition by the Conway Town Council to the satisfaction of the county survieyor." On the recommendation. of the committee, it was decided that the borough surveyor be in- structed to procebd forthwith with the forming of a footpath in Rose Hill-street. Alderman Hugh Hughes appealed to the C'o'uncil mot to press that matter at present. TWeir estimates were not arranged to meet the expenditure incurred in the making of the paths. He had heenall along in favour of the maining of the road, and he was quite, strongly in favour of the path, but as provision, for the money had not bben made: in their estimates he moved that the matter be deferred until the 31st of March— the end of their financial year. Dr. Pricihardi warned the Council against de- ferring the matter, because no small amount of trouble had been taken by him and his colleagiues in getting the county authority to a'gree to Ö the suggestion, and if the Corporation deferred the matter again pemaps the County Council would withdraw their offer. In reply to Mr Emanuel Jones, The Mayor said the cost of making the paths would be about £80, half of which sum would be bornjb by the County .Council. Mr J. T. Morgan seconded Alderman Hughes' motion, and said he strongly objected to any committee exceeding its own estimates, much as the work was rieeded. In reply to Mr Oldman, The Clerk confirmed what had been said by the Mayor in regard to the question of expendi- ture. The amendment was duly put to the meeting, and lost by five votes to four. Marl Drive Sewer. On the recommendation of the committee, it was decided that notices be served upon the owners of property abutting on the Marl Drive, that it is the intention of the Town Council to lay a sewer in the said Drive, and that the town clerk inquire whether such owners will contri- .bute towards the cost of laying the. sewer in the Drive. Finance. The Financy [Committee M-eported a credit balance of ^1,087 135 2d due on the bridge ac- count, while on the loan account the sum of £5,741 16s 1 id was due to the treasiurer. Appointment of Clerk of Works. The Finance Committee recommended that the engineer be requested to appoint a clerk of Works in connection with the proposed improve- ments to the Suspension Bridge at a salary of £3 per week. Auwdl's Quarry Question, OVER THE SAME OLD GROUND. A letter was read in committee from Mr Thornton Jones, solicitor, acknowl/edjg.ing. the return of the draft Ifease concerning Anwell's Quarry. Relating to the same matter, Mr J. S. Sellars, the applicant, now wrote.: "I now return your draf t. As it is so diffErent from the agreement arrived at between the Conway Council and myself, importing as it seems, to me impractica- ble and unreasonable conditions, I shall be glad if you will have the draft lease, now lleturned placed before the Conway Council, at the same time informing them that I have been and am now ready and willing' to implbment the agreement." Applications were received from Mr Owen Hughes, 4, Berry-street, Conway, and Mr J. W. Harries, Fairleigh, Halle Vue, Shrewsbury, and the committee recommend that the town clerk be asked to write both new applicants, and enquire if they wbre prepared to enter into a bond of CiSo with security to carry out the terms, of the lease also that before any other tender be accepted that the opinion of the oun- cil's solicitor be ascertained as to the Council's liability to Mr Sellars. The Clerk read a letter from Mr Thornton Z, Jones, in referenda to, this latter point, stating that no blinding contract had been made between the Council and Mr Sellars. Mr Kaye then moved that the ntew applicants be invited to attend a special meeting of the Council to consider their applications. The Mayor agreed with t'hb suggestion. ¡ Dr. Morgan seconded, and it was then de- cided that the two gentlemen referred to be invited to attend a special meeting of the Coun- cil on Friday (to-day) week. Mr. SeHars also Invited. Mr Oldman then moved that "the other appli- cant" (Mr Sellars) be also invitbd to attend at the same meeting. .n Alderman Hl.1gh Hughes seconded. Mr Chamberlain agreed, provided Mr Sellars were an applicant on the terms of the lease. Mr Oldman said that, in view of the fact that Mr Sellars had arranged plans which would cover an inclusive expense of £ 20,000, he hoped the Corporation would make a definite effort to the applicant, ,eithe,r through the Mayor as thb head of the Council or through the Council as a body by personal intercourse with Mr Sellars. Mr J. T. Morgan, said the present Council had not approved of 1..e lease, and he could, not see why each member should not be provided with a copy of the document. Thbre was a possi- bility that the Council would not approve it on inspection. Mr John Williams: I have never seen the lease at all Mr Chamberlain: I rise to a. point of order, Mr Chairman. Aldterman Hughes thought there was no de- sire on thei part of Mr Sellars to shirk his part. If anything, the shoe appeared to be on the other foot, as there was apparently a desire on the part of sonis of ,e members of tne Council not to see Mr Sellars at all. The Mayor: I don't think so. Dr. Prichard. said they must see they were not going to re-open the old discussion wi. Mr Sellars. Alderman, Hughes said they were dealing with a question 'Which affected the occupation of three, or four hundred men, and if that were their own personal concern they would dieal differ- ,e,ntly with it, and be more ready to go cap in hand with, a view to bringing about a satis- factory result. They must not stand too much upon their dignity under such circumstances. Dr. Morgan thought it was only fair they in- vited Mr Sjella.rs. They were not bound even to ,the draft lease; they might be able to improve it. Mr Oldman pointed out that according to the reading of the last letter from Mir Sellars he was still ileady to deal witn the Council. Dr. Prichard remarked that, with regard to the observation of Alderman Hugh Hughes in reference to g'oingi to the applicant cap in nand and their duty to the public, by doing what the Council had already done in the matter, they were benefitting the public by not giving away the property for the mere asking for it. He thought that was quite an uncalled-for nemark from Alderman Hughes, because they were doing their duty. Mr Chamberlain said be was pleased to hear Mr Oldman say Mr Sellars was going to invest £ 3,000 for a landing-stage and £ 20,000 ■. Mr Oldman: £ 20,000 inclusive. Mr Chamberlain accepted the correction, and added he was equally glad to hear Mr Hughes say they weiIb goingi to have 400 men employed in the work. They seemed to know so much about it that he took it the information was correct. He (the speaker) for one would be perfectly willing, if Mr Hughes and Mr Oldman persuaded Mr Sellars to employ only a fourth of the men, and to spend only a fourth of the money mentioned, to meet Mr Sellars and alter the, dmfit lease: to almost any .extent so as to encourage labour in the borough. Mr Hughes should use his best endeavours to get Mr Sellars to come there, and say 'hi? was- willing to do anythinig like what was stated he was ready to do, and they would be glad to let him have the lease on his own terms. Alderman Hughtes said he merely repeated what Mr Sellars himself had told them there more than once that he would be giving em- ployment to three hundred men. Mr OlBman statbd he desired personally to re-iterate what he had said" before both outside and inside the Council-chamber. He (the speaker) had explained in committee that he bad come in contact with Mr -Sellars and his agent, and given an explanation how he- did come in contact with them, and he- (Mr Oldman) was assured on all hands that the statembnt he had made was absolutely true. Furthermore, he had gone into the question of the lease, and he had been assured that the lease agreed upon by the Council and Mr Sellars—and about which so much comment had; been made-was a copy of one made use of in the carSe of parties not a very great distance from Conway. If that was good .enough in one case it was good enough in another. He urged the Council to' make a meetintg) with Mr Sellars, either between him and the Council or with the chairman as head of thfe Council. It was eventually decided nem con to write Mr Selliars, stating that, assuming he was, still an applicant for the quarry in a,ecord-ance with the terms of the draft lease, the Council invit'ed him to the special meeting at the same time as the other two applicants. Proposed Division of the Borough into Wards. In accordance 'with notice of motion, Mr Chamberlain then moved that the; borou'g- be divided into two wards. During the last 20 years a new borough had been growing on the other side of the river, "and tfob time had come to consider the advisability of severing that part of the borough within the walls, practically speaking with that outside. He did not mean to enter into any lengthy spleeeh on the sub- ject, bult he would at once move the appoint- ment of the following as a committee to go into the details of the scheirfe: The Deputy Mayor (Mr Sever), Alderman Hugh Hughes, Alderman Hadley, Mr Ed. Roberts, Mr John Williams, Mr J. T. Morgan, and himself. Mr Emanuel Jones secondbd. Alderman Hughes suggested that the ques- tion of principle be dealt with first—the princi- ple of whether the Council deemed the division necessary. He was personally in support of the scheme, because it was) impossible for members on the town sidle of the river to know all about their work at Deganwy in the same way as persons, residing on the spot. The question of principle was then put to the maaitirig, and on the motion of Alderman Hughes it was agreed to. Mr Chamberlain',s, motion regarding the com- mittee being also carried nem con.