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WELSH INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION.…

TEA AND CONCERT. ---

-------CHESTER COUNTY COURT.

[No title]

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. --+-

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! CHESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL.

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CHESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL. A meeting of the Cheshire County Council was held on Thursday. At the commencement of the proceedings Alderman John Thompson was voted to the chair. ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN. Alderman Thomas Beeley moved the re-election of Co.onel Dixon to the chair, and remarked that he was sure no better choice could be made, for Colonel Dixon conducted the proceedings with urbanity and firmness, and with an absence of any- thing likely to cause friction. (Applause.) Dr. Atkinson seconded, and the proposition was unanimously carried. Coionei Dixon, in returning thanks, alluded to the kindness, courtesy and forbearance he had re- ceived from the members. Referring to the new Education Bill, he expressed the opinion that the Council would undertake the duties that would be imposed upon them in the same spirit that they had discharged their other duties. (Hear, hear.) On the proposition of Colonel Franc-e-Hayhurst, seconded by ttir Joseph Verdm, Alderman Thomas Beeley was re-elected vice-chairman. THE CORONATION. The Chairman remarked that every small village and public body in the country seemed to be gomg to celebrate the Coronation, and he thought it only right they should do something as a Council. The Fmanoe Committee had already put aside £ 1,000 for the purpose. He proposed that the chairmen of the standing committees be elected a committee to take the whole matter into. con- sideration, and see what shou:d be done and what money should be spent. Alderman Beeley seconded, and the proposition was carried. it was a.so decided to send an address of con- gratulation to the King. TUBERCULOSIS AND MILK. Mr. John Thompson, in moving the adoption of the report and accounts of the Upton Lunatic Asylum, referred to the question of tuberculosis. They would remember that in 1899 they slew almost the whole of the milch cows at the Asylum, and the results for the two last years were striking. N, hereas in 1899 there were 27 deaths from phthisis at the Asylum, in 1900 there was 12, and in 1901 11. The averago for 11 years was 15.2, but since these cattie were removed, and others pronounced free from tuberou'osis were bought, the results were remarkable. The per- centage of deaths from phthisis to the total num- ber ot deaths for last year was 9.6, as against an average for the last eleven years of 19.2. The average percentage of deaths to the average num- ber resident for the eleven years was 2.7, and the average for iast year was 1.1, whioh was about c-p-a- half. Whether that was the result of their efforts to stamp out tuberculosis he could not say, but it was striking. Dr. Hodgson (Crewe) said the Council was at first criticised for their action in causing the cattle to be killed, but the large reduction in the num- ber of tubercular cases was ample compensation for the cost incurred. Mr. George Cooke said the cows should be tested at least once a year. Mr. Thompson said tneir present herd was sub- jected to a test three years aga; and there had been no signs of the disease in tta ^fftws that had been killed subsequently. n, Dr. Hewitt asked if the patML .-3 were isolated as much as possible. Mr. Thompson replied that they tried to isolate I them as much as possible. The report and accounts were carried. IMPORTANT SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME. A lengthy statement by the organising secre- tary for technical instruction was submitted con- cerning the grants made by the Board of Educa- tion to aid local efforts in founding local scholar- ships in science and art. The grants are on the conditions that they are awarded on the results of a competition, and that a sufficient sum is provided tor the special purpose of the scholarship or exhibition by the contributions of living persons. The scholarships will enable managers of a local fund to provide for successful candidates pursuing their studies for one, two or three years at a day school where more advanced instruction is given. The Board of Education offers to assist such scholarships as follows:-For the first year of tenure by a grant of £ 4; for the second year by one of £ 7; and for the third year by one of £10. The grants are made on the condition that the managers of the local fund shall contribute each year U5 in respect of each scho;ar, and lodge this sum annually with the Board of Education ^before April 5th in each year. In order that the Council might avail themselves of these grants, it would be necessary to make a special grant out of the rates under the Technical Instruction Act equal to £ 5 per head on the scholarships offered in two classes. He suggested that the County Council should provide for the first year 100 scholarships at S-,5 each, making £ 500; for the second year 200 at £ 5 each, making £ 1,000; and for the third and succeeding years £ 1,500. For that contribu- tion they wouid receive from the Board of Hduca- tion B400 the first year, £1,100 the second year, and £ 2,100 the third year. < Mr. C. E. Thornycroft moved that the Technical Instruction Committee be authorised to take ad- vantage of the scheme, and that the cost be charged against the county fund. The cost, as approved by the committee, would be for the three years-L-550 in 1903, £1,100 in 1904, and £1,650 in 1905. The proposition was seconded. Mr. J. Charlton Parr alluded to the proposal that the committee should allow special aid to parents in poor circumstances, to enable them to keep their children at school, especially for the third year. That seemed to him an entirely new departure and new principle, and there were many questions involved. It looked like a bribe to parents to send their children to school. It would be rather difficult to judge which were the neces- sitous parents, and which cases were to be subsi- dised. He suggested that they should let the matter stand over until they saw how they were affected bv the Education Bill. Dr. Hodgson hoped the proposal would be car- ried. The grant would be some little compensation to parents for the loss they would suffer through not having their' children's services. Secondary education was wanted in this county as much, if not more, than in most counties. This scheme would enable boys to rise to the universities. Dr. Hewitt strongly supported the proposal, and pointed out that one most important effect of this increase of scholarships would be the improvement of the local secondary schools, as they would be providing them with the very class of pupils they reauired. Many children in viie elementary schools who had obtained scholarships had gone to the universities and distinguished themselves there. The Council had secured very hand- some contributions to the education of the county from a great number of the urban authorities throughout the county. Many of them had taxed themselves to the full amount allowed, and he hoped the county would now shew its confidence in its own Technical In- struction Committee, and in the Board of Educa- tion, and its desire to promote education by giving them the necessary amount. He hoped there would be no question of anything in the form of a bribe they wanted to put the matter in the form of such assistance as would ensure the solid education of those who were unable to attain such an education. The proposition was carried. NO SWINE FEVER. Mr. C. B. Davies (Eardswick Hall), in moving the adoption of the Diseases of Animals Act Com- mittee, exp.ained that there had been no outbreak of swine fever in the county since their last meetr ing. (Hear, hear.) RIVER POLLUTION. LANCASHIRE AND (;IIEHHIlU< GOOD EXAMPLE. Arising out of the proceedings of the Rivers Mersey and Irwcll Watershed Joint Committee, Dr. Hewitt said there had been an improvement over the whole ground with respect to river pollu- tion. Manchester, Salford, Oldham, Bury and Rochdale were all taking steps to make their sewage system thoroughly efficient, and the manu- facturers throughout the district had met them in a very willing way. It was satisfactory that Lan- cashire and Cheshire had set an example to the rest of the country. They were in advance of tho West Riding and the Ribble, which were the only other committees. They believed the time would come when the Government would see fit to extend I the committees to the rest of the country. FERTILISERS AND FEEDING STUFFS. Mr. C. B. Davies referred to the small extent to which farmers availed themselves of the ri. facilities for obtaining analyses under the Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs Act, 1893, and sug- gested that the Council should send out circulars on the subject to the secretaries -of the various agricultural departments in Cheshire. The sug- gestion was adopted. THE MAIN ROADS. ALDERMAN BKCKETT'S RETIREMENT. Alderman Joseph Beckett, in moving the adoption of the minutes of the Main Roads Com- mittee, expressed his regret that he had been compelled to give up the chairmanship, a posi- tion he had held for thirteen years. Since 1891 the total expenditure on roads, etc., had been as follows:—Rural main roads, 1;531,395; urban main roads, £ 314,873; county and hundred bridges, £ 47.887 making a total of £ 894,156. The Chairman moved a resolution thanking Mr. Beckott for his management of the roads, and expressing regret that he had thought it ,ial necessary to resign the chairmanship. Mr. S. H. Sandbach (Malpas) seconded, and remarked that some Americans who had landed at Birkenhead recently asked him if all the roads in England were as good for cycling as those in Cheshire. (Hear, hear.) The proposition was carried with acclamation. A motion by Mr. Raffles Bulloy, seconded bv Mr. Charles Birchall, to the effect that £2.000 to be paid the Wailasey District Council in con- sideration of certain reads should be increased to £4,000, was defeated. HEALTH OF THE COUNTY. INFANT MORTALITY. Dr. Vacher, medical officer of health, submitted his preliminary report. Giving the proportion of persons to an acre, he stated that there was a great difference in the density of population in the various districts. In Altrincham there were more than 25 persons to an acre, in Crewe up- wards of 19, and in Hoolo upwards of 16, while in many rural districts there was but one person in several acres. The estimated population of the whole administrative county in the middle of 1901 was less than 1 (0.93) person to an acre. The number of births registered last year was 15,764, and the number of deaths 9,43o. The birth-rate was 2.3 below the exceptionally low birth-rate of the whole country, and the death- rate was 1.3 below the exceptionally low death- rate of the whole country. The death-rate in the Cheshire boroughs was, however, 0.4 higher than the death-rate in the 33 great towns of England and Wales. The mortality from the seven zymotic diseases, except fever, was lower in Cheshire than in the whole country. As regarded fever, the Cheshire mortality was equal to that in the large towns, and just above that in the whole country. Referring to the prevalence of infant mortality, Dr. Vacner said the proportion was very large in the borough of Dukinfield (281 per 1,000), Northwich urban district (228 per 1,000), and the borough of Stalybndge (221 per 1,000), while in some districts, such as Sandbach and Buglawton, it was exceptionally low. The Public Health Committee had resolved that in all cases where the county medical officer was 01 opinion that the infant mortality was high the clerk should call the attention of the sanitary inspector thereto and enquire waat steps had been taken to reduce it, and suggested that much good could be accomplished in reducing infant mortality by inducing ladies to visit tne homes of the poor and instruct the mother in the feeding, care and management of young children. The Isolation Hospitals Act Sub committee re- corded their opinion that the establishment of a sanatorium, or sanatoria, for the treatment ot consumption would be for the benefit of the community, and instructed the clerk to invite representatives from all local sanitary authori- ties and boards of guardians in the county to a conference with the committee. Alderman Dr. Hewitt said he was glad to see that the borough 01 Hyde had within the last few days sanctioned tne appointment of a lady inspector to undertake this particular branch of work. The committee were convinced that the authorities of Dukinfield, Hyde and Staiybridge would not relax their efforts with a view of re- ducing the rate of infant mortality. He was glad also that Stalybndge Corporation had recom- mended that steps be taken to provide an isola- tion hospital for that important portion of the county. THE BUDGET. THE NEW RATE. The Chairman of the Finance Committee (Dr. Atkinson) submitted the new budget, in which he stated that the county rate for several years past had averaged 5d. or 5d. in the i:, and otner ave 2- years even reacned bd. or óbd., but this year the committee were satisfied that they would be able to meet all the general requirements of the county with the help of a rate of 4d. in the The county debt at present stood at a sum below (by over £ 2,000) the sum at which it stood last year. It was now at £ 128,887. Proceeding, he said the County Council accounts, whicn closed on the 31st March last, have been made up by the accountant and now disclose a balance carried over of 1;62,753 Is., which, after the de- duction of the liabilities, and allowing for the technical education balance and "suspense ac- counts," on account of the past year, has left the available balance of upwards of £ 25,000, which, as before mentioned, lias been carried into the budget for the new year. The cash payments during last year (excluding what are called translers) amounted to the sum of £ 265,731 13s. 7d. (as will be seen by the statement in the agenda), comparing with the expenditure for the year ended 31st March, 1901, oi ±;kI4l,006 os. 4a., or a difference of i:24,075 7s. 3d. over that year, which was occasioned by "capital expenditure" on the new works at Parkside Asylum, police- stations, magistrates' rooms, and police pay and other matters. The new budget now submitted shews the gross amount of the estimated ex- penditure on all accounts (excluding loans and Police Pension Fund) at £ 318,211 8s., and to meet this the following is the estimated income Balances from last year, £ 25,288 7s. Id. to be received from sundry sources-fees, fines, and exchequer account, half pay of police, agricul- tural rates, etc., £ 90,824 7s. lid. exchequer con- tribution account—from the Government on account of licences and estate duty grant and customs and excise, and from sundry sources, £ 129,937 3s.— £ 246,049 18s. leaving deficits to be met by rates, viz., from county rate £ 48,160 10s. 2d, from general and local police rates E24,000 19s. 10d.— £ 72,161 10s.; total £ 318,211 8s. He proposed that a county rate of 2jd. in the £ be levied for the purposes of the county for the ensuing six months, and that precepts be issued accordingly; that a general police rate of } of a penny in the £ be levied for the pur- poses of the police force for the ensuing six months, to be collected and paid with the county rate; that the following local police rates be levied for the ensuing six months, the same to be collected and paid with the county rate:- Broxton district at i of a penny in the JS, Altrincham i, Eddisbury i, Nantwich Crewe 8 4 lg, Middlewich |, North Wirral g, South Wirral f, Dukinfield 1|, Prestbury J, Stockport A, Run- corn J. Mr. James Tomkinson, M.P., seconded and it was carried. THE EDUCATION BILL. It was decided to hold a special meeting of the Council to discuss the Education Bill.

A WOMAN AND A BAG. ♦

THOSE DIZZY FEELIXGS. --+-

[No title]

CHESTER & THE CORONATION.…

[No title]

,. THE EDUCATION BILL. -0

--------------------------MESSRS.…

CITY POLICE COURT. —.—

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