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MONMOUTHSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL.

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MONMOUTHSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL. The Education Question. I The Council and the Board. The Default of Local Authorities. H.M.S. Monmouth. fhe Licensing Bill and Temper- ance in Liquor and Speech. The quarterly meeting of the Monmouthshire County Council, was held in the Council Chamber, Pentonville, Newport, on Wednesday, when amongst those present were:—Aldermen S. N. Jones (chairman), Sir Henry Mather-Jackson, Bart. (vice-chairman), Lord Tredegar, E. Grove, W. Williams, J. W. Mulligan, J. D. James, J. R. Jacob, G. Jones, J. Daniel, G. R. Harris, H. Bowen, P. W. Raffan, W. Hughes, D. Jones, B. Phillips Councillors Hon. J. M. Rolls, W. J. James, A. A. Williams, W. Lewis, B. Nicholas, D. Jones, R. H. Williams, T. Dutfield, J. Jenkins, 1. Butler, S. W. Jones, T. G. James, T. J. Price, T. Richards, Morgan W. David. A. Jones, W. B. Harrilton, W. Thomas, T. Parry, H. H. Clay, A. G. B. Ashton, J. Monks, C. Tillott, G. G. Lewis. J. 0. Marsh, D. W. Steel, .J. Straker, W. B. Gething, W. H. S. Whitney, G. H. Nurse, A. Onions, P. Eckersley, T. Griffiths, W. Edwards, Manning, D. Hughes, &c. NEW MEMBER. The RewThomas Thomas, who had been elected as the representative of the Risca South Electoral Division, in the place of Mr J. R. Jacob elevated to the aldermanic bench, was introduced to and -welcomed by the Chairman. THE COUNCIL AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. The Provisional Committee under the Education Act, 1902, reported the receipt of the following letter to the Clerk from the Board of Education, dated 18th March :— I am directed to state that the Board of Education understand that your Council have framed their Estimate of the Expenditure required during the year ended March 31st, 1905, for the purposes of Elementary Education under the Education Acts, 1870-1902, in a manner which discriminates between provided and non-provided schools, and have made therein no arrangements to supplement by a rate the funds received in respect of the Voluntary Schools from Parliamentary Grants. I am directed to state that the Board do not think it is consistent with their duty to allow the Education Act, 1902, to come into operation in the area of a Local Education Authority where that Authority do not propose to administer it in its integrity. The Board will be glad to receive an early assurance from your Council that they have been misinformed as to She intentions of yonr Council in this regard failing which, the Board will have no alternative open to them but to make an Order postponing the appointed day for your Council to a later date than April 1st. Alderman Jacob proposed that the following xeply be sent:— As a Council we quite understand that by the Act of 1902 we are required to keep the voluntary schools efficient. For a series of years they have been reported to be efficient by His Majesty's Inspectors. By our budget we have placed at their disposal an income equal to fiat they have received in the past, and we have every reason, therefore, to believe that they will continue to be as educationally efficient in the future as in the past." Mr Jacob said they had placed at the disposal of the voluntary schools the Government grants, including the new aid grant, and half the grant under the Agricultural Rates Act-an income equal to what they had before received from all sources, including the voluntary subscriptions. The schools bad previously been certified efficient by the Inspectors with that income, and he saw no reason why they should not be as efficient in the future as in the past with the provision made. To administer the act in its integrity was a high- sounding phrase. Integrity he found defined in Ms dictionary as wholeness, completeness, -purity, honesty in dealing with others." He ^accepted the word as thus defined, and would say that they had attempted and would attempt to administer the Act in its integrity. Certainly they contributed nothing from the rates to voluntary schools for the reason that they had a ,sufficient income without rate-aid. Underlying the statement of the Board of Education was the assumption of the principle that it was the object of the Act of 1902 to quarter the voluntary schools upon the rates. If that were so it was a violation of the Act of 1870, which was a great compromise, and by which rates could only be given to board schools under the protection of the Cowper Temple Clause. He urged that the Council were cot the aggressors, the aggressors were on the ,other side." If the voluntary schools were to be quartered upon the rates then there were certain conditions precedent which would first of all have to be imposed, into which he need not now go. Alderman Daniel seconded the proposition. Mr Parry said if they debated the question at length the Council would simply come to the same .conclusion, so it would be useless moving an .amendment, He hoped for the time when they would again transact their business in a friendly spirit. He would like to point out, however, that while the Council were going to take from daerleon and Llangattock E500 a year Charity money, they were Dot returning them a penny. The charity scheme had been administered fairly and impartially If the Council voted them every <penny they could under the Act, the two parishes would still be, the losers of from E150 to £ 200 per year, and it was, therefore, very hard that they should be penalised in the way proposed in the Council's budget. Mr T. Dutfield said he could not allow the motion to be passed without a protest. A very targe sum of money would come from the Magor district in rates, but they were not to have a penny returned in aid of their National Schools. He <did not wish to arouse any feelings of animosity lie know the passing of the motion was a foregone conclusion, and he was quite prepared to sit down when he found himself on the side of the minority, but he would make the protest that, at all events, he did not agree with what had been said on the other side. Alderman Jacob had said he was prepared to bow down only to the majority, but he thought Alderman Jacob would have to bow down to a majority other than that of that Council, Mr W. Thomas said they (the majority) would discus1 the matter in the very best spirit. The Act itself was causing the injustice. Mr J. O. Marsh said the sums allocated by the proposed budget to voluntary schools they received before in grants, &c., and if that was sufficient to ,carry them on efficiently, he did not see why the board schools, who obtained the same grants, might not also be carried on in the same way •<without the allowances being supplemented by ,the rates. If it was unnecessary in the one it was in the other or vice versa, in common fairness. Alderman Grove replied that the board schools tiad to be maintained, and there was the repay- ment of the loans to be provided for, which differ- entiated them from voluntary schools. The motion was carried by 42 votes to 15, the names being registered. COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY SUGGESTED. Alderman Jacob obtained leave of the Council rto introduce, as a matter of urgency, a resolution ■of the Carnarvonshire County Council to the effect «that the Government be requested to hold a Commission of Enquiry with reference to the administration of the Education Act in Wales and Monmouthshire in order to satisfy themselves as to how matters really stand, and of the impossible position the County Councils of Wale* and Mon- mouthshire are placed in with reference thereto." He moved that this be adopted by the Council. Alderman Daniel seconded it as a wise sug- gestion, and it was carried. PRESS ACCOMMODATION. The Chairman referred to a letter which had been received from the members of the Press Gallery calling attention to the difficulty ex- perienced in reporting in the place appointed them. He suggested that the matter be referred to the Works and General Purposes Committee. The Vice-Chairman suggested that the Buildings Committee was the proper one to refer the matter to, and said members should sppak up. The Com- mittee might, failing that, be able to get over the difficulty in some way—by providing the members with speaking tubes or something or other. (Laughter.) Alderman Harris remarked that the Chamber was a copy of the Middlesex Chamber, and there the reporters sat in front of the Chairman. The subject was referred to the Building Com- mittee. MORE EDUCATION Alderman Jacob again secured a suspension of the Standing Orders to move that the Council appoint two representatives upon the Welsh Educational Emergency Committpe. Alderman Jacob explained that it, was resolved at the Llan. drindod Conference that the G'ommittpe should be formed, and said that in view of the Welsh Coercion" Bill it would very likely be called together shortly. This was agreed to, and the Chairman and Alderman Jacob were appointed the Council's representatives upon the Committee. II.M.S. MONMOUTH-" Lord Tredegar, as Lord Lieutenant, bad the permission of the Council to make a short state- ment as to H.M.S. Monmouth. For recruiting purposes, he remarked, the dpnominalion of regi- ments had been alterpd from the old numbers to territorial designations, and the Lords of the Admiralty had started a similar idea with regard to the Navy, and several armed cruisers had been named after Counties. The cruiser Monmouth, of 8.000 or 9.000 tons displacement, was launched in the Clyde, and was christened by his eldest sister. In order to increase the interest of the County in that particular ship he proposed that a service of plate should be presented to the board room and mess, and a shield provided f- r competitions in gnnnery. He at first intended to himself give this, but he afterwards thought that, while that would he a very simple way of doing it, it would not be in accordance with the idea of associating the people of the County with the shin. There- fore. he was issuing a circular to the Chairmen of the Urban District Councils of the County soliciting subscriptions for the plate and shield, which would cost about £ 400. He did not propose to limit the amount of the subscriotion. but it should not be over a guinea from each subscriber, and he would be very glad to receive any subscriotion, great or small, from the various plices. H.M.S. Monmouth was-leaving England for another cruise of no great length, and he hoped it might be possible to make the presentation on the return from the voyage. (Applause.) THE LICENSING BILL. On another urgency motion, Mr W. Thomas initiated a discussion on the Licensing Bill against which he proposed the Council should petition. The Vioa-Chairman rose to a point of order. He said the Council had never yet proposed a petition in any case. They had always proceeded bv resolu- tion, and he suggested that this course should be adopted now. Mr Thomas agreed to the change of form, and proposed as a resolution:- "That this Council views with profound rpgret th Licensing Bill promoted by His Majesty's Government, whereby the discretion of the local Magistrates as to the refusal of. or otherwise deal- ing with, licences, -will he so crippled as to be of non-effect, and further that the proposals for compensation will be such as to prevent any diminution of the cause of social degradation and national waste." He said he supposed Monmouthshire had more small and useless buildings with licences upon them than any other county, and to interfere with the discretion of the magistrates in the districts affected would be a retrograde step. He hoped the resolu- tion would be carried unanimously, and in conclusion said the actions of the Government were retrogres- sive from bottom to top, and that he was against them on every point. Z, Alderman Grove seconded, remarking that while he would not like to go so far as Mr Thomas had gone in his remarks, he agreed with the terms of the motion. In some places there were three or four nasty, dirty little public-houses next door to each other. The Vice-Chairman said the mover's remarks made it very difficult for the Council to give the motion the unanimous support he said he was so anxious it should receive. The question of the Licensing Bill was totally different to the question of the general conduct of His Majesty's Government, which could not possibly be a matter for the Council to deal with. He agreed that it was to be regretted that the discretion of the magistrates was to be en- tirely done away with, as they were a body most familiar with the requirements of a district, but with regard to the question of compensation there were details open to a great deal of discupsion and debate. Let all interested in temperance deal with the subject in a temperate spirit, confine themselves to the Bill and not deal with the question whether the Government was retrogressive or not. Mr A. A. Williams proposed an amendment to the effect that it was undesirable to limit the powers of the magistrates in the Licensing Bill now before Parliament. Mr Parry seconded, remarking with regard to compensation that, as it would be provided by the trade itself, and not from the rates, it would be only a fair system to adopt. Alderman Raffan said although he was a strong Party man, temperance came before politics with him, and he would oppose a Liberal Government as strenuously as a Conservative IGovernmfuit that advocated compensation for the loss of licences. It would tend against the reduction of their number, and would give them an interest which was not theirs. He calculated that a million a year was spent in drink in Monmouthshire, and that it would cost two millions to compensate all the licence-holders, and that would be in exchange for nothing. Dr James, Alderman Jacob, Rev T. G. James, the Chairman, and others, continued the dis- cussion, and ultimately the resolution was divided into two parts, the first, relative to the discretion of magistrates, being carried unanimously, and the second, dealing with the compensation question, being carried by 40 votes to 16. The resolutions were ordered to be sent to the Prime Minister and County Members. THE "WELSH COERCION" BILL. The last of the "urgency" questions .was at length reached, Alderman Raffan being permitted to move That the Monmouthshire County Council strongly condemns the Education (Default of Local Authorities) Bill which his been introduced by the Government, and appeals to the House of Commons to decline to pass the second reading." He urged that the Government had taken an ill- advised step in framing the Bill with a view to coercing the County Councils of Wales and Mon- mouthshire into adopting a particular attitude with regard to the Education Act of 1902. It would have been wiser on their part to have adopted the suggestion of a Committee of Enquiry so that, if possible, some solution of the difficulties presented might have been arrived at. The Act of 1902 had divided them, and this Bill, if passed, would divide them further. He protested against the Education Board being absolute judges as to interference, there being no means of appeal provided for the County Council alleged to be in default, and they would be ia the hands of the Voluntaryisto entirely. It was estimated by the experts they had engaged that it would require an expenditure of £ 10,000 to put the voluntary schools up to their requirements. There was no possible permanent settlement of the education question in the Bill. Mr W. Thomas seconded. Mr Dutfield, in opposition said the majority now thought it unfair that a dip should be made into the rates through this Act for the voluntary schools, but they did not consider it unfair to abstract for the board schools the shilling rate from the rural districts and give them nothing in return. If they bad been fair in the first place in dealing with the voluntary schools no such Bill as this would have been required. They had brought it upon their own heads. They had themselves to thank. He thought the Government had dealt very mercifully indeed with them, and when they came to their proper minds, and carried out the Act in its integrity, this measure would oease to operate. Alderman Jacob objected to the vast dis- cretionary inower-, placed in the hands of the Board of Education by the Bill, which would mean that a sectarian propaganda would be carried on by irresponsible voluntary school managers with funds placed at their disposal by that Board. Mr W. Lewis siid if the Council had administered the Act properly, and given it a trial, they would not now have to discuss this question. They were not there for the purpose of re-modelling Acts of Parliament, but for the purpose of administering them. They might change the Government, and the law, but as lorg as the Act was on the Statute Book they should administer it. Mr Eckersley was pleased that the Bill had been introduced, as it would put up the backs of Nonconformists. They asked for no favours but only equalitv, and they would be cowards if they did not strenuously oppose the Education Act until it was swept away. Rev T. G. James said the Act would engender more hitter feelings than could be conceived, and compelled them to become passive resisters. Rev T."Thomas said they acted on the principle that no authority could compel them to con- trihnte to the support of schools which taught religious principles opposed to their con- victions. Aldprman Daniel said the Act was a blow at the Constitution of the country. Ultimately the motion was carried by 41 to 12 votes. CENTRAL WELSH BOARD. Alderman Bowen was re-elected the Council's rpprpsentative Ml the Governing Body of the Central Welsh Board. WEST MON. SCHOOL. Mr B. Nicholas was appointed Governor of the West. Mon. School, in place of Mr Eckersley, who had resigned. PENSIONS EARLY. Rev T. G. James referred to the early retirement of police officers on nension, two being mentioned in the report of the Standing Joint Committee whose ages were respectively 58 and 50. Alderman Harris said the officers could claim the superannuation allowance after 25 years' service. Alderman Grove said the Chief Constable and the Committee were most desirous to retain the officers' experienced services, but they could not prevent them leaving. The Vice-Chairman said the difficulty was reeog- nised throughout the country, and an amendment of the Police Act to meet it was contemplated. ABERGAVENNY ASYLTJM. Alderman Mulligan brought up this report, which showed the number of inmates to be 473 males and 439 females, and that there was vacant accommoda- tion for 20 malps and 4S females. Owing to the great reduction in the number of patients by the reo moval of those from Brecon and Radnor, and the inability to make a. corresponding reduction in the staff, &a., it had been found necessary to increase the maintenance charge Icl per dav. but this Fitill 2 left them Is 5id per head per week lower than the 9 general English average, or a saving of £ 3.000 to the Unions. Thf Commistee were considering the question of installing electric light. MAIN ROADS. This Committee reported that only Chepstow and Usk bad claimed to retain the maintenance of the main roads in their districts; Caerleon and, Risca would relinquish their rights on Parliamentary powers hfling obtained by the County Council; and Abersychan and Pontvpool were considering the question. The Committee recommended a grant of £1,000 towards the cost of a bridgoe to be built by the G.W.R. Company, at Crumlin, to obviate a level crossing. The Chairman protested against this grant, urg- ing that the Company should do the work at their own expense, as they were under agreement to do. 'That piece of line was the best paying in the world. Messrs Nurse, Monks, and others disagreed with these observations, pointing out the great inconve- nience the nresont levAl crossing caused to a thickly populated district, and the need for early attention to the matter, In reply to Mr Whitney, Alderman Harris said Tressenny bridge belonged to a local body, but the application of the Abergavennv Rural Council for a contribution towards the cost of altering it had been referred to the Inspection Committee. The Hon J. M. Rollf- asked for information with regard to the improvement suggested at the daneer- ous pitch at Llangattock-vibon-avel. He hoped the work of altering the gradient there would be pro- vided for in the estimates. Alderman James, chairman of the Committee, said they had visited the spot and agreed that something must be done, but they had so many things on hand that it was impossible to do all at once. Lord LIlln- gattock and the Hon J. At. Rolls bad very kindly come forward and in the most generous manner sup- ported the Committee, and the improvement would receive the earliest possible attention. The report was adopted. THE NEW RATE. The Finance Committee recommended that a rate of 9d in the ;C-a decrease of Id—be levied and collected by four quarterly instalmeuts, and this was agreed to. EDUCATION RATE. It was decided on the motion of Alderman Grove, seconded by Alderman Jacob, to defer, until the Council order otherwise, the collection of the Education Rate payable in June and September next. LOAN. The seal of the Council was affixed to mortgages to the trustees of the Liverpool Victoria Legal Friendly Society to secure sums of t25,000, and Y,2,900, at X3 18s 9d per cent. I EXPENSES OF MEMBERS. Alderman Jacob proposed "That whenever members of the County Council are asked to attend meetings on behalf of the county, outside its boundaries, their reasonable expenses be paid." Alderman Raffan seconded, and the motion was carried, after considerable discussion.

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