Towyn-on-Sea and Merioneth County Times

ABERYSTWYTH. TOWN COUNCIL.—TUESDAY. Present: Councillors C M Williams (Mayor), Councillor D C Roberts (ex-Mayor), Aldermen Peter Jones, W H Palmer, and T Doughton, Coun- cillors R J Jones, J Hopkins, T E Salmon, E H James, R Doughton, R Peake, J P Thomas, John Jenkins, G C Marks, E P Wynne,' with Mr A J Hughes, town clerk, Mr C Massey, deputy, Dr Thomas, medical officer, Mr H L Evans, borough accountant, Mr Rees Jones, surveyor, and Inspector Morgan. THE PROMENADE. A letter was read from Mr T Mortimer Green, Registrar of the College, acknowledging receipt of a letter from the Town Clerk, and stating that it Would be laid before the College Council at the next meeting of that body on the 23rd inst. A GRAVE ASPECT! Mrs Phillips) widow of the lamented Chan- cellor Phillips, wrote to the Council calling attention to the crowds who collected on the western side of the cemetery for the purpose of watching the foot- ball and other matches taking place on the Vicarage field. It was unseemly, and it was a distress to her and her family to find the grave of the late 'Vicar trodden down. She had been refused per- mission to fix a railing round the grave, and she IIOW suggested that a wall should be erected along the western side of the cemetery.—The Town Clerk said that there had also been a verbal complaint from Mrs Phillips, and he had seen the chairman of the Public Works Committee. Both the police and the cemetery keeper had been informed.—The letter was referred to the Public Works Committee. -Councillor Jones: With power to act?—The Mayor: No; we had better have a report in the usual way. No doubt the police will attend to the matter. COMING EVENTS CAST THEIR SHADOWS A letter was read from Mr Harry Collins, saying that he should do nothing in the way of advertising his troupe which was not right. He did not know Why Mr Rogers should persist in annoying him in the way which he was doing (laughter) He had been successful in engaging a first class company of artistes, and he would certainly do his best to main- tain the reputation he held as the most successful Manager to a minstrel troupe ever at the town. CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOW. A letter was read from Messrs Sheraton and burton, Hon Sees. of this society. The society was faced by an adverse balance, and they asked for the assistance of the Council. Would the Council pres- ent them with a cup of the best crop of plants The letter was referred to the Finance Committee. STORAGE OF EXPLOSIVES. An application by Mr W H Hollier for a licence to store carbide of calcium was referred to the Town Clerk, and Inspector Morgan was requested to formally report on the condition of the store at the next meeting. THE WATER SUPPLY. Councillor Peake asked;if the Surveyor could tell the Council the difference in the quantity of water Wasted during the summer and during the winter Months.-The Surveyor could not give the exact quantity, but at the present there was a good deal of waste owing to several breakages. The overflow in the winter months was nearly double that of the bummer. Last summer without exception there was some overflow every day. GUNS FOR THE CASTLE. Alderman Peter Jones presented the report of the Public Works Committee, which reported that they were waiting for further particulars before deciding anything in this matter.—Councillor T E Salmon said that the matter was to have been put On the agenda, but the Town Clerk said that he tound that at a meeting of the Council the letter Was referred to the Committee and the suggestion that it should be put on the agenda could not in tace of this have been carried out. ST. JAMKS'S SQUARE. The Public Works Committee recommended that Mr W Richards' application re the line of frontage to his property in St James's Square be granted conditionally.—Councillor Jones wanted the Town Clerk's opinion on the matter before the Council Passed it.—The Town Clerk was prepared to give hIs opinion, but thought that it should be given in Committee at the end.—Agreed to. AN IMPORTANT DISCUSSION. Alderman W H Palmer presented the report of the Finance Committee. In their report the Com- mittee recommended that certain renewals of leases should be granted on the rateable value scale and not on the site scale, excepting the case of Mr Randolph Fear, who had handed over five feet of the front of the property in Terrace road to widen the street and he was treated on the site scale. At a meeting of the Council held in December it was agreed that the leases now dealt with should be referred back to enable the Committee to draw up a scheme for future guidance, and there was an Understanding that the present applicants would be treated as all others had been treated for years past. Therefore the proposals of the Committee Were viewed with disfavour and a warm discussion folIowed.-For some time no one seconded the adoption of the report, but at length Councillor Jenkins did so.—Councillor Hopkins moved the suspension of the Standing Orders because he saw by the papers that the Committee did not agree about those leases. He considered that it was high time that the Council went into the lease question themselves. They had trusted too much te the Finance Committee (order). Well, he told them that the Committee did not know their own minds from one Committee to the other (laughter). The Other day the Committee passed these as sites, now they were going on the rateable value. lie thought that it was time they renewed the Committee (laughter). He proposed the suspension of the Standing Orders so that members could speak more than once (laughter).—The Mayor: But there is no occasion to saspend the standing Order. The matter is publicly before the Council Upon the report of the Finance Committee and it *s open for any member to discuss it fully.—Coun. ■Hopkins Yes, but only once. If you suspend the ■tanding orders we can talk as much as we like (laughter). — The Mayor That is one of the objections I have for any member to talk continu- ally. I hope members will put in one speech al they have to say.—Councillor Salmon I second the proposal.—The Mayor I cannot put that; it s entirely out of order. There is no occasion for it; you can move an amendment to this.-Alder- man Jones The suspension of the standing orders will not attain the object of the two gentlemen unless yoa resolve yourselves into Committee.— Councillor Salmon Mr Alderman Peter Jones does not know what any intentions are. In discussing the matter at the Finance Committee on the last occasion there were an equal number of votes and it is only fair that the whole Council should discuss it in a fair way.—Councillor Hopkins I want to ask a question of the chairman of the Finance Committee. Will he tell me what is the difference between Mr Fear's lease and the other leases.— Alderman Palmer said that in Mr Fear's case the whole building had to come down and he was giving five deep for the widening of the street whilst in the case of the other houses there would be the pine end walls and the foundations which would come in for the new house.—The ex- Mayor said that at the Finance Committee he moved an amendment to the report which was lost by the casting vote of the Chairman. He however felt anxious to put his views before the Council and he trusted that the majority of the members of the Council would take the same view as he did that day. He did not wish to impute any question of personal feeling, and he did not charge anybody with being unfair or partial; it was simply a ques- tion of difference of opinion. The amendment that he proposed was that the leases should be renewed upon the terms already recommended by the Fin- ance Committee on December 5th. Those terms were in accordance with their method of procedure in renewing leases for many years, and before they made any change they ought to give full notice. He did not wish to discuss the question of those terms, but he based his opposition to them entirely upon the question that those terms should not be altered until the town was given due notice. In the case of Mr Thos Davies of Thespian street he found that this applicant had almost completed his house and had done so on the understanding that he was to be treated on the site scale. Then there was the case of Mrs Rea who was given terms on the site scale, but now the committee had altered this to rateable value scale. He did not a°ree with this sort of procedure, and he. °felt that it was not well that there should be any doubt amongst leaseholders as to what were the inten- tions of the Council (hear, hear).- Councillor R Peake seconded the proposal. These leases were referred back to the committee upon his suggestion but he stipulated at the time that the terms then granted should not be interfered with. He was willing that the system should undergo a change but they ought to give six or twelve months notice of their intention to do so.—Councillor R Doughton could not agree with the amendment. Take the case of Mrs Clapperton-she was given terms on the rateable value scale, and now they wanted to give Mr Morton, a rich man, different terms.— Councillor Peake: Mrs Clapperton was granted those terms upon her own request.—The Mayor: There was no request of any kind.—The ex-Mayor: I understood that it was her application.—The Mayor 1 have seen her application. There was no reference in it to these terms.—Councillor Sal- mon Because it was not necessary to demolish. Councillor R Doughton: She could not have done so even if she wanted to. and Mr Morton cannot take the pine ends down because it is a party wall. —Councillor Hopkins: What has that to do with the Council ? (laughter).—Councillor R Doughton Eh Allow me to go on.—The Mayor:- Yes, I hope Councillor Hopkins will not interrupt.—Coun- cillor Doughton At least five-sixths of the house will remain. It is ridiculous to discuss the matter. You made this poor woman pay a lot of money and you want to allow the rich man to go scot free.- Councillor Peake I can hardly understand Coun- cillor Doughton, because he voted to adjourn these leases.—Councillor Doughton Yes for the purpose of having a full discussion.—Councillor Thomas thought that the matter had been gone thoroughly into. He was of opinion that they could now take a vote, and for his part he would support the amendment.—Alderman Jones said that as representatives of the town they should secure full value for the town property. It had been said that they were setting up a new rule but he scarcely thought that this was the case. He found that in Terrace road there were three cases in which the rateable valne scale operated. If they granted these leases upon the site scale he said that those people had a serious charge against the Corporation for not having stipulated terms similar to those given to them.- The Ex-mayor: Will you name them.-Alderman Jones Mr Gavan, Mrs Clapperton and the Briton Cottage, and I say it is unfair to set up a different rule to what you acted upon in those cases.— Councillor Marks agreed that they did not get anything like the full value of the property leased by the town. At the same time he felt that they could not grant terms only upon the old ground in the case of the present applicants. In fact it was upon the understanding that these terms were not to be interfered with that he agreed to their being differred at the meeting held in December. All applicants had based their claims upon the prodi- gality of the Council; but now they should be given to understand that the terms of luck had gone by and the terms of business were about to begin.-Coun. Jones was in favour of the report going back for further discussion. He noticed that whilst com- pensation was to be paid Mr Fear for the five feet given to the roadway nothing was to be given to a working man in Poplar Row, who was likewise handing over a portion of his property.—Councillor T E Salmon supported the amendment, but felt with Councillor Jones that they were not acting square with the working man applicant.—Coun- cillor Hopkins was of opinion that the terms for renewals of leases should be so fixed that the Town Clerk and the Borough Accountant should be in a position to transact the business without troubling the Council.-Alderman Doughton favoured the amendment, as did Councillor E H James.—The Mayor supported the proposal to refer the matter back to the committee. They were not acting fair in granting renewals in many cases at only half their value- (" we are agreed upon that ").-A vote was taken and the matter was referred back to the committee by 8 votes to 1. GENERAL PURPOSES COMNITTEE. Councillor E P Wynne presented the report of this Committee as fellows: Your Committee re- commend that Messrs Rogers & Sons, Oswestry, be re-appointed to report and inspect on hackney carriages on the term of the last year's engage- ment. Their report to be presented by the 20th April next. Your Committee also recommend the re-appointment of Captain Hugh Jones, Port- jgadoc, to inspect and report upon pleasure beats and vessels on the terms of his last year's engage- ment. His report to be presented by the 20th April next. Your Committee desire to draw the attention of the Council to the present unsatis- factory condition of the bathing machines and re- commend that steps should be taken with a view to an improvement in the class of machine and for the removal of such of the existing machines as are from dilapidation or other cause unfit for use. Your Committee suggest that the Borough Surveyor be instructed to report upon the repair, condition, and suitability of the machines in- tended to be used during the coming season. Your Committee having discussed and considered the matter, recommend that the Council present a petition to Parliament in favour of the Local Authorities Officers' Superannuation Bill. The Town Clerk submitted to your Committee drafts of the revised bye-laws. Your Com- mittee having considered same, instructed the Town Clerk to forward copy of the above bye-laws to the officials of the respective de- partment with a request that the drafts be con- sidered and reported upon forthwith, and your Committee hope to be able to submit the draft of the revised bye-laws to the Council at their first special meeting in March next. The Council then went into Committee on the alterations of the Town Hall and the terms of the agreement with the County Council. ♦