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--SWANSE- I TOWN COUNCIL.

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SWANSE- I TOWN COUNCIL. A quarterly meeting of the Corporation was he3. in the Council Chamber, Guildhall, yesterday, when there were present the Mayor (Mr. Thomas Ford) in the chair, Messrs. Aldermen Thomas Powell, Phillip Rogers, J. Jones' Jenkins, W. H. Brown, and Councillor?, James Rogers, W. H. Crowhurst, Thomas Davies, 5d. Moxham, J. Rees, Thomas Harry, ard C. L, Glover. POLICE AKKANGEMENTS AND INCKEASE OF THE FORCE. The Town Clerk read the Watch Committee's report, irom which it appeared that Police-Constable 45 had been dismissed from the force for drunkenness. It was also intimated that Pslice-Constaole 32, Johu Thomas, had broken his right arm whilst assisting a tlivilian, and that he was uoier medical attendance and progressing favourably. The Committee also embraced in their report, one sent to them by the Head-Coustabie upon the police arrangements generally. This repor the Committee had adopted in its entirety. It dealt exhaustively with the present police arrangements- the duties of the respective class of onicers, also pointing out the suggestive fact that during the past year there had bee's. an increase in the number of proceedings by the police, of 600 as compared with the year 1870, and of 250 as compared with 1871, showing that the daties of the police had increased consider- ably, and the Head-constable felt bound to recommend thaVthe force be increased by at least sir constables. He also recommended the taking of a house as a sm&ll station at the Western part of the town, at the lower end of Oxford-street, St. Helen's, or the Sandfields, where persons might be temporarily kept before feeing taken to the central station. A van to convey the pri- soners to and from the Town-hall was also recom- mended to be procured. The report further suggested that the constables on duty at the police stations should make themselves acquainted with the way the water was turned on and off, instead of, when, a fire broke out, having to wait for the turncock. The MAYOR moved that the report of the Watch Committee be received and adopted. The principal item in that report was the recommendations of the Head-constable, and they were of a most important character. The report of the Head Constable was to his mind a very able ou-e, and dealt thoroughly with the subject. In committee they had fully considered it in all its points, and they were quite satisfied that the police arrangements of the town would be, if the report was adopted, most com- plete for the security of the borough, They were doubtless aware that although the town had increased to a great extent there had been no corresponding in- crease in the number of the police force since 1868. He had during his year of office received complaints of several robberies and disturbances, and the complain- ing burgesses had applied to him for extra police super- vision, but he was unable to grant their request, He did not consider the number of additional constables asked for by Head Constable Allison sufficient, and he thought that another ten instead of six should be asked for. Having expressed his approval of the suggestion that the constable on night duty should make himself acquainted with the way to turn on the water, the Mayor concurred with the recommendation of having a small police-station in the western part of the town, for he thought that if they bad it the police arrangements would be much more perfect than if they retained the police-station in Temple-street. A small station in that portion of the town, which was so rapidly increasing, was absolutely required. The proposition having been seconded, Mr. MOXHAM and Mr. POWELL suggested that, as far as a small police-station in the neighbourhood of the Sandfields was concerned, that it should stand over for ¡ the present, so that they might see how the police ar- J rangements worked when they had the High-street police-station, as well as tbe one at the Town-hall. j It was stated, in reply to a member, that the expense ] of a small station as proposed would be about 225 or ? X30. It was not contemplated to erect a building, but simply to take a convenient house, where an officer might reside, and erect one or two cells. After some conversation, the proposition of the Mayor was agreed to. REPORTS. The report of the Property and General Purposes Committee was read, and its adoption moved by Mr. Alderman J. Jones Jenkins, who, after alluding to one or two matters of importance contained in it, said, re- ferring to the Temple-street station, that the plans for the conversion of the premises into places of business ? had been before them, and approved of both by the committee and the surveyor. He wished it, however, to be understood that the committee, in approving of the plans, did so as the landowners, and their approv- ing of them did not interfere with the Works and Sani- tary Committee objecting to them in case they did not comply with their regulations as to sanitary arrange- ments. The committee, as had been seen from the report, intended putting an end to the agreement that existed between them and Colonel Morgan as to the removal of the sand between the railway and the road at St. Helen's. The road referred to was one ef the drives Swansea people had, and if they permitted the sand to be removed, it would endanger the traffie. The report, which contained recommendations that leases be granted to the following persons, wasadopted —Edward Rees, lease of ground in Lamb-street, 112 feet frontage be 80 feet depth, at 2a. 3d. per foot; to Thomas 'Evans, ground in Dyvatty-street, 32 f&et frontage by 80 feet depth, at 3s. per foot to Charles Vanson, piece of ground in Lamb-street, at 3s. per lost. The Works and Sauitary Committee, and itlss tlo- medical officer's quarterly report were read. THE GAS COMPANY AFIAIN. From the minutes of the Works and Sanitary Coat xnittee it appeared that the Gas Company had asked -the Council to appoint a committee to meet a com- mittee of the Gas Company, to consider an applica- tion they made for an increase in the amount paid far lighting, repairing, and painting the gas lamps. At present 15s. per lamp per annum was paid for the 667 public lamps. The Works and Sanitary Committe de- clined appointing a sub-committee as solicited, and asked the Company what increase they wanted, and was informed that to make it remunerative they would be obliged to charge £ 1 2s. 4d. each lamp instead of the present sum, being an increase of nearly t29,4 per annum. The Committee had referred the matter to the Town Clerk. In a conversation that followed, Mr. Harry observed that the Committee had reached the maximum sum allowed them by the Act, and now they tried to get money out of the Council by endeavouring to increase the amount paid for lighting ami lepairing. Mr. T. DAVIES also deprecated the aetion of the Gas Company, and said he should like if the Town Clerk would repcbt fully upon the matter, for he thought that the Council should either erect works of their own oi acquire the present works, and thus make themselves independent of a Company. Mr. Alderman JENKINS considered the proposed extra charge was most exorbitant. The question was one which the Council should take into their serious consideration. The Town Clerk had in May last re- ported upon the subject. Mr. jAxFs ROGERS: And you are chairman of the committee that was appointed to consider the matter, and that committee is at present in force. Mr. Alderman JENKINS replied that he was, and again condemned the action of the company, characterisin g their present demand as a most exorbitant charge. Mr. JAMES ROGERS defended the application of the company, observing that it was due to the immense area-47 miles—over which gas was distributed. This, of course, necessitated the employment of a large num- ber of lamplighters-in all 14. The amount required for repairing the 667 lamps was very considerable. He was informed, upon authority which he relied upon, that upon an average 20 lamps were broken every 24 kours. That would give the Council some idea of the large amount required for the pareicular item of repairs. He hoped the Corporation would not set up as manu- facturers of gas. They had quite enough to do to per- form their own legitimate functions, and if they took upon themselves any extraneous duties, they could not properly discharge them. Mr. T. DAVIES and Mr. MOXHUI questioned the cor- rectness of the figures given by Dr. Rogers, observing that it was impossible that such a large number could lie broken daily. If it was true they might truly ask, Where are the police ?" They desired to know the name of Mr. Rogers' informant. Mr. ROGERS declined at first giving it, but afterwards jgtatod that when he made the statement he did not ,vouch for its correctness, but he made it upon the authority of Mr. Thornton Andrews, whom he believed. The CHAIRMAN observed that Dr. Rogers had not stated all that occurred at the committee meeting. Head-Constable Allison was asked by himself (the Mayor) if he could explain how such a large number came to be broken, and Mr. Allison was perfectly astonished, to use the mildest term, at the figure named -24 daily. He did not believe it, and if true, it was #trang6 that their Surveyor or Superintendent had not ieard of it. They had a right to dispute the figures, and he (the Mayor) did dispute them, notwithstanding the assertion of Mr. Thornton Andrews. He did not mean to accuse that gentleman of untruthfulness, but lie must be under some error. Having alluded to the Jact that at Bath, but 2s. lOd. per thousand was paid lor gas, his Worship stated that the Company having -bad their pound of flesh, it appeared to be endeavour- ing to try another method of getttng money out of the Local Board. A,fter some further conversation, the report of the committee was adopted, and subsequently Mr. DAVIES moved a resolution to the effect that, con- sidering the rapid increase of the town of Swansea, the 40ouncil consideredlthe whole question of lighting the town should beconsidered, and that for that purpose requested the Town Clerk to report more fully upon the powers of the Corporation to erect gas works or otherwise, and that such report be made to the special Gas Committee, who were also requested as early as possible to report upon the whole matter to the Council. Mr. JAMES ROGERS thought it was unnecessary. Mr. Alderman BROWN seconded the proposition, and after a short conversatien it was carried, eight members voting in its favour, and Mr. Alderman Phillip Rogers and Mr. James Rogers against. MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH. A report was read by the Town Clerk, stating that it was incumbent upon the Council, as the Port Sanitary ,Authority, to appoint a medical officer of health to visit ships, as required by the Government. The present medical officer, Mr. Ebenezer Davies, was appointed pro tem. The Town Clerk read xiht Finance :Committee's report, and efeo one from ^he Parliamentary Com- rruttee on the Water Supply, and from the latter it 'appeared that the total cost of obtaining the recent Act was £860, the smallness of the amount being ac- counted for by the fact that there had been no opposi- tion to it. The MAYOR stated that in getting the first Bill the Council were opposed, and the Bill cost them £ 10,000. Mr. MoxKik moved that a general district rate of Is. in the tEl be made. The proposition was agreed to. In reply to a Member. Mr. MOXHAM stated that this was the second rate in this year, the previous one beiug made in April. One or two other matters of unimportance having been disposed of, the Council broke up.

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