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LLANGOLLEN OVERSEERS REVOLT,
LLANGOLLEN OVERSEERS REVOLT, THROWING DOWN THE I GAUNTLET. (By Hwf a Glvii). I Readers of this column must be fairly fam- iliar with the main features of the dispute that has been in progress for two years Of tween the Denbighshire County Council and the overseers of Llangollen district regarding the charge which the former have been en. deavouring to extract from the latter under the guise of an education rate alleged to Lf due from the ratepayers of the Iocalil' v for the payment of the loan raised to effect additions to the Llangollen County Schools which are partly used or elementary purposes. The facts, however, together with later developments, were set forth so clearly and cogently at the public meeting held at Llangollen on Monday night, that it may be well to set them out as given, in iota form rather than in that of the customary re- port. Ratepayers, require to grasp what they are up against; and they have no reasonable cause for doubt after Mr. Birch's admirably j lucid statement; and to those who missed the opportunity of hearing it a resume should I prove helpful. I School Heavily in Debt. 't.. I 1 At the outset he explained tne- status 01 local overseers, the methods of their appoint- J ment, and the manner in which responsibility is discharged for honouring a precept for a rate. and (provided, of course, that it is a legitimate charge) seeing that it is paid to j the County treasurer he also reminded tha j meeting that the local education authority ? i really the County Council, bv whom it is|, formed and to whom it reports. He then brieflv outlined provisions of the Education Act of 1902 that the overseers look to to justify their resistance to what they hold to be a contemplated injustice, reminding his hearers that whilst the County Council's spending powers for secondary instruction are restrict- ed practically, so far as elementary educa- tion is concerned, they are unlimited, but certain provisions are included in the Act ro safeguard the interests of the-ratepayers, s") that the education authority could not waste public money. Mr. Birch then discussed ♦he i position of the Llangollen County Schools which, he admitted in 1917 were heavily i-i debt; and of this fact they were reminded. His answer to this was that the County Coun- cil nominated a large number of the members of the governing body and it was their duty to make representations to the County Coun- cil if, in their opihion, money Nvas, boitiq spent extravagantly, asking them to step in and prevent it. # ? < m <t < Counsel's Opinions. 1'1 L_ C'I _1- _1- Financial laxity, at tne oounoy ncuum* however, was discovered by the Board of Edu- cation, who called upon the local governors to to set their house in order and try and et out of debt. Various methods were tried, .ut the debt continued to accumulate and, in 1917, the County Council adopted the stringent course of sending letters to the overseers cf the parishes in the shoool district calling upon them to levy an extra rate of Id. in the £ to provide funds for the County Schools. The overseers decided they were not justifi id in making the rate; and, at the time, Idr. Birch informed them, the County Council were levying a rate up to the limit to which they were allowed for purposes of secondary education, and the overseers considered, in these circumstances, there was no justifica- tion for a special rate in the area, and in this view they were supported by counsel's opinion. The County Council also consulted counsel and were advised, so ar as he under- stood, that it was questionable whether thev had a right to levy the rate. This was in II May, 1917. The overseers received registered letters ordering them to levy the special rate of one penny in the £ and, whilst those orders had never been countermanded, the County Council never proceeded further with their enforcement He did not suggest that, when the County Council found" they could not levy this special rate for secondary purposes on the area served by the schools, they looked round for some other way to get hold of tha money; but it was a strange coincidence to his mind that no mention had been previously made of levying a special rate on the area m respect of elementary education. • • The Back Door, I Mr. Birch pointed out that the next stap I of the County Council was to issue a precept to the Corwen Guardians which included .1 special rate on the Llangollen School area for the purposes of elementary education; and this, the overseers were expected to honour. The County Council said they were not actu- ated by a desire to find a means of securing payment; but it was curious, this charge v should be made at such a time, the schools having been built for years and a similar charge had never previously been, made. When the precept containing this charge was received, the inclusion of the additional pentiv was not at first discovered, but when the rate was in course of collection, it was found that there was a special sum in respect of tha elementary portion of the Llangollen Count,v Schools." Up to this, altfiough the schools had been built for six years, the County Coun- cil had never made such a charge-it took them six years to find out it was their duty to do so. The speaker then pointed out that before a public elementary school could be erected in an area like Llangollen it wrts necessary that certain formalities should .e gone through, including giving public notice of their intention so that an appeal might b* made, should ratepayers desire, to the Board of Education, for a public enquiry on tha grounds that the school is not necessary. The County Council now said the charge was n', t in respect of new schools but rather for im- r ve erit of a public e lementary school. This was not a question of law but of fact, and how could the building at Llangollen be regarded as an improvement say of elementary schools at Chirk, Pentre, Vron, etc? It was beyond the region of common sense. Pinal Fmm Effort*. I The local overseers, Mr. Birch continued to state, again took counsel's opinion as in the right of the County Council and the sub stance of the reply they received was an emphatic negative; the authority adding the precept is ultra vire! and if the Coun- Oil iapiet on the Guardians gajijag the. por, tion in question, or compel the overseers 10 levy the amount, proceedings may be taken to restrain the County Council." In July, 191.8, the County Council obtained counsel's opinion which Mr. Birch quoted, and hicli is less emphatic than that obtained by counsel to the overseers, who re-affirmed his previous decision upon receiving it. Feeling thair position strongly, £ and being desirious by every reasonable means of avoiding litigation, they proposed to the County Council that opinions of the two counsel should be sub- mitted to an independent authority and agreed to abide by his ruling as to which was I right and which was wrong. The County I Council declined. The local overseers, how- ever, feeling their position strongly, them- selves placed the matter before an independ- ent party, in order to answer the ratepayers, and this opinion re-affirmed that previoualy given as to the illegality of the charge add- ing: "The best course is for the overseers to initiate proceedings to restrain the County Council from enforcing the charge. So th.s narrative was brought down to date and, in bringing it, Mr. Birch illustrated it with in. cidents and instances, that space prevents giving at length, to fortify his case. < < < Llangollen a Red Rag. I In conclusion Mr. Birch said that there was not. the slightest, personal feeling introduced into the matter, and paid a high tribute to I the good service rendered by the Llangollen representatives at the County Council, re- marking that, to a certain section of that body, the very mention of Llangollen was as a "red rag to a bull." He reminded Tax- payers, this was their quarrel, and it was or them to decide whether the rate should b<? paid or not, and, he reminded them, it was not a passing one, that might be made me year and dropped the next, Mr. E. Foullcs Jones interjecting the information that would be levied for. 53 years. A resolution was carried unanimously on the motion of Mr. J. H. Davies, seconded by Mr. A. r. Price, approving the action of the overseers in opposing the County Council; in acknowl- edging which Mr. Birch—who throughout with great ability and the expenditure of much tlmp has championed the side of the overseers —admitted Llangollen representatives on the Denbighshire County Council had always done the best they could for the interests of the towIi, but they had been sorely handicapped. He had been told that the mere mention of Llangollen at the County Council was like a red rag to a bull so far, as a certain section of members were concerned. Mr. E. R. Parry for himself and his colleagues who represent d ¡ that district on the County Council, thanked Mr. Birch. He admitted they had had rather a tough time of it, and had done their utmost to teach the Council wisdom but he hoped that a writ, restraining them from taking ur- ther proceedings to compel the overseers leving the rate, might bring them to their senses. Such a writ, Mr. Birch said, on the advice of counsel who pronounced it the best course to pursue, had been prepared and was in course of being issued against the County Council; a-ad. lie added, they were only a I small community, but had a little war of thair own on apparently. They had had a big war for the sake of small communities which had been successful, and he hoped the experience would be repeated in the fight against the County Council. !F f 11 County Council's Contemplated Coup. I It transpired at the meeting, which was at- tended by most of the overseers that, a few days ago, each overseer re- ceived a warrant from the County Council, intimating that unless, by a certain date, they pay over a stipulated sum of money, repre- senting the amount due in respect of the disputed rate, their goods would be distrained on. This, Mr. Birch stated, would not over- awe the overseers, now they were backed bv the authority of the ratepayers. They would resist the unlawful payment to the last. Great interest will, naturally, be felt in the district as to future developments of a situation that has become exceptionally piquant.
INEWS OF THE WEEK.I
NEWS OF THE WEEK. I St. David's Day was celebrated throughout Wales last week. The paper control is to be removed at the end of April. A majority of 1,711 solicitors have voted against fusion between barristers and solicit- ors. An aeroplane fell in the streets of Orford, Suffolk, last week, injuring the two airmen and breaking many shop windows. The death took place on Wednesday of last week of Lady Ritchie, Thackeray's daughter, and herself a prolific and entertaining writer. The Chancellor of the Exchequer says there were 80 millions arrears of excess profits tax on January 1 last, of which about 80 millions relateH to controlled establish. ments. The Food Controller announces that Gov- ernment control in Great Britain of prices and distribution of imported bacon, hams, .nd lard, will be suspended on and after the 31st March, 1919. Mr. F. G. Crick, who died at Portmadoc on Thursday, had 45 years' service with the Festiniog Railway Company. He was 80 years of age, and retired two years ago when traffic manager. According to Mr. O'Kelly, the Sinn feij) delegate now in Paris De Valera's escape from Lincoln goal was cleverly accomplished by sending over two handsome young woman, both University graduates, from Dublin, who spooned with the sentries outside the gaol, while a key was secured to unlock the gate and let the Sinn Fein leader out. After his escape motors filled with Irishmen careered along the roads and were- chased by the police instead of the one in which De Valera sped to London! The members of the Coal Industry Com- mission are Mr. Justice Sankey, chairman, Messrs; J. T. Forgie, R. W. Cooper, and Evan Williams (South Wales Coal Owners' Association), representing employers, Messrs. R. Smillie, Frank Hodges and Herbert Smith, representing the miners, and Mr. Arthur Bal- four (Sheffield), Sir, A: Duckham, Sir T. Roy- den, Sir L. Chiozza-Money and Messrs. Sid- ney Webb and R. H. Tawney, Government nominees. The Commission will have the assistance of Sir Richard Redmayne, Chief Inspector of Mines, and of Mr. S. T. Chap- man, General Economic Department of the .Beard of Trade.
Denbighshire. I
Denbighshire. I Mr. Oswald Thomas has been elected a member of Ruthin Town Council, the lady candidate being bottom of four on the poll. A branch of the National Council of Women has been formed at Colwyn Bay, with Lady Colwyn as president. A conference of local authorities at Den- bigh, last week, gave hearty support to "lie project of making a light railway from Den- bigh to Llaurwst. Influenza is rampant in the Llangollen dis- trict and, on Monday, was chiefly responsible for the curtailment of the' proceedings at the police court, which only lasted a few minutes. Mr. Leonard W. Challinor, Yale Cottag-3, Rossett, auctioneer, and secretary of the Chester. Dairy Farmers' Association, was found shot in 'his office last week. He leaves a. widow and one child. In the libel action brought by Mr. Hugh Hughes, Wrexham, Labour candidate for the Wrexham Division of Denbighshire at the last election, against Mr. Edward Hughes, Glyndwr, Wrexham, in which F.1,000 damages were claimed in respect to statements in a letter written in the Press, on the eve of thd poll, the jury at Chester Assizes, last week, returned a verdict for defendant without head- ing the defence. Merionethshire. I At the annual meeting of the Cambrian Resorts Association at Barmouth on Thurs- day, it was decided to go in for an extensive Press advertising campaign and to ask -lia Government for better tourist facilities this summer. Flintshire. I A family of five have died of influenza at Ysceifiog, on Halkyn Mountains. Rhyl's war memorial is to be a cottage ho? j pitat and maternity ward, with a monument to the fallen. Gredington Coursing Meeting, which was to have been held on Lord Kenyon's estates, has -been abandoned. Lieut. H. Newton Jones, 4th R.W.F., who served on the Brig.-General's staff in Pales- tine, has resumed his duties as headmaster of Mold County School. At Chester Assizes on Wednesday Miss Ada Johnson (23), Shotton, was awarded £ 75 dam- ages and costs against Alexander Knight (22), fitter and turner, Chester Road, Shotton, for breach of promise of marriage. The parties first met at a dance and it was suggested that owing to defendant's mother's objection to the marriage defendant repudiated his verbal l promise. Cheshire. I Mr. R. T. Morgan, solicitor, and a member of the Chester City Council, died from pneu- |j i monia. last week. Montgomeryshire, I t, There will be some dozen County Council contests in Montgomeryshire. Mr. W. Owen, Mpiiod, won the baritone eolo competition at the St. David's Day Eisteddfod at Bangor College on Friday. Mr. Joseph Jenkins, who was formerly for many years foreman porter at Machynlleth, died recently. Mr. and Mrs. Bryan and Miss Lily Owen, of Llanfyllin, took part in an entertainment over which Mr. E. J. Caley presided at Llau- wddyn. Only twelve persons were charged with drunkenness in Montgomeryshire last Y e&1 Cases of crime fell from 47 to 33, and non j indictable offences from 533 to 449. A female goosander has been shot on the < River Vyrnwy near Meifod by Mr. A. W. Wil- lioms Wynn, of Coed-y-Maen. The bird was identifie as such at the Natural History Museum. Machynlleth Rural District Council, on Wednesday, discussed a light railway to Aber- hosan, but without much enthusiasm. They also appointed a committeeto negotiate for a site for houses. A meeting of the Montgomeryshire County Branch of the Red Cross Society, held at Welshpool on Monday, discussed schemes 1 in- disposing of equipment and financial balances connected with the various local V.A.D. hos- pitals in the county which will shortly be demobilised, A committee of the Montgomeryshire County Council has resolved to entertain the proposal to acquire about 1,000 acres of land for the settlement of ex-service men, and the Clark was directed on Monday to negotiate with various land owners with a view to ascertain- ing on what terms they would be prepared f) sell the land required., Dr. Morris, county medical officer, t Montgomeryshire County Council, on Monday, mentioned that Llanidloes, owing to the flu, had issued notices prohibiting the opening of the places of worship. The order was issued under a misapprehension of the Cor- poration's power, 'but the churches, being no wiser than the Corporation, obeyed it. Su3h action, however, (added Dr. Morris), vas quite logical, and powers to restrict publ c gatherings should be instituted. His advice was don't travel, and attend no public gathir- ings that can be avoided. A meeting of representatives of the Fordim, Chirbury, and Clun Rural Councils, with rhe Montgomery and Bishop's Castle Town Coun- cils was held at the Town Hall, Montgomery, on Wednesday. Mr. A. H. Kay, Church stoke, was voted to the chair. The following resolu- tion was unanimously adopted:—" That it be represented to the Salop and Montgomery County Councils and the Cambrian Railways Co. that the district between Montgomery and Bishop's Castle is in urgent need of better communication, and that, though a system of motor transport will be a great help, the real needs of the district can only be met by broad guage light railways. In order to provide fully for the requirements, the Bishop's Castie light railway should be extended to jVxont- gomery via 'Ohurchstoke and Chirbury, the line trom Minsterley to meet it." Shropshire. I ~—* Much Wenlock Farmers' Club has decider! to hold asbow this year in October. Bishop's Castle Guardians have appointed Dr. J. Ad?ms to succeed Dr. Puekle [esigne) i n North Shropshire Small Holders' Associa- tion are supporting a petition to the G. W R. Co. to provide a siding and station at Elhr- dine, between Crudgington and Peplow sta- tions. The licence of the Fox and Duck Inn, Wal- cot, which was over a century old, was re- fused at the Licensing Session's at Wellington on Monday and referred to the Compensation Authority. Drayton Guardians on Wednesday, taking into account the increased cost of living, .9- solved to grant an extra Is. per week in res- pect of all children boarded out by them vviti foster-parents. There were eight contests in the Salop County Council -elections on Tuesday, Clun, Corvedale, Newport, Whittington, Whit- church, Ludlow and Shrewsbury Abbey and Stone and St. Mary's Divisions. The cot recently endowed at the Royal Salop Infirmary by Mrs. James Cock, in mem- ory of her late husband (who for a consider- able period was an active member of the Board and took the greatest interest in 'he affairs of the institution), was dedicated in the Infirmary on Saturday last, by the Ven. the Hon. Archdeacon Lambart. The beautifully-situated house and pictur- esque grounds known as Mount House, Shrewsbury, historic as the birthplace of Darwin, has been sold by the present owner, Mrs. Spencer Phillips, to Mr. T. Balfour, I estate agent, of Market Drayton. Mrs. Spen- cer Phillips, who with her late husband came to the Mount House in 1882, is going to livo at Church Stretton. Lord Harlech, presiding at Oswestry Countv Sessions, on Thursday, drew the attention of an applicant in connection with a country dance to the paragraph which appeared in last week's Advertizer," in which it was stated that of 150 guests at a local ball a fortnight ago about 130 have been more for less affected" with influenza, and his lord- ship pointed the obvious moral.
Scalding Fatality at Shrewsbury*
Scalding Fatality at Shrewsbury* At the Royal Salop Infirmary, Shrewsburv, on Monday, the borough coroner, Mr. R. E. Clarke, and a jury, enquired into the circum- stances relating to the death, of Geo. Francis Jones, the seven-months old child of Mrs. Annie Jones, widow of a soldier, of 4, Pea- cock Passage, High St., Shrewsbury, 'vho died in the institution on Friday, from scald- ing injuries sustained on Feb. 23. The Coroner, in explaining the reason why he had summoned the jury to enquire iuto the case, said that this child, and in fact the whole family of Mrs. Jones had. so he under- stood, been very much neglected, and the local inspector of the N.S.P.C.C. had aad occasion to make several visits to her home, and caution her as to her duty to the children. In this particular case before them the mother was sitting on the fender before the kitchen fire with the child on her lap. There was no nreguard, and on the hob was a frying .m containing boiling fat. This was upset, it was said through the child catching hold of the handle, and the contents fell over the little one's body and scalded him. Why the mother should be sitting on the fender and having the child so near to the fire he could not say unless there were no chairs in the house. He could not say whether this was case of manslaughter or not, but he under- stood the police were taking proceedings against the mother for neglecting her children. Dr. John F. Magner, house surgeon, said he admitted the child to the infirmary at 10 a.m. on Feb. 24. The child was suffering from very severe and extensive scalds on the neck, face and body. The child was fairly clean, but was poorly nourished. -So far as he could see nothing had been done for the child before being taken- to the hospital. While at the institution the child did not im- prove and died on the morning of Feb. "18 from shock consequent upon the scalds re- ceived. In reply, to a juror as to whether there -as any likelihood of the child recovering if it ha-1 been brought to the hospital sooner, the doctor said he did not think the child had the chance it should have had. Annie Jones, the mother, said on Sunday night, Feb. 23, about 9-30, she 'was frying bacon in a pan on the fire for her supcer. She carried the child in her arms and her oth;!l" five children were in bed. She afterwards placed the frying pan on the hob and sat on the fender with the child in her lap, but the child snatched hold of the handle of the pan, causing it to topple over and the hot fat fell on, deceased. She put some flour on the burns. She stayed up all night nursing ,he infant and next morning noticing that tha skin was broken she carried it to the infirm- ary. That was at 8 a.m. but she was told f-he would have to wait until 10 o'clock to see the doctor. She had a fire guard but it was lot round the fire on the night in question. In reply to the Coroner, Mrs. Jones admitted that she had been warned as to neglecting he-, children, and the inspector of the ,N.S.P.C.C. had paid her three or four visits. By spector G. Leance, of the N.S.P.C.C. She did not consider it necessary to have the fire guarded when she was in the kitchen. She generally slept on the sofa in the kitchen The reason why sha did not take the child to the infirmary the same night as the accideut was that she did not think the child was s!. badly scalded.—A juror called attention tn the fSfCt that the mother had to wait two houi at the infirmary before the child could be at- tended to, and added that he did not think this was proper treatment to receive. The Coroner said he believed it was fh-l rule that the house surgeon did not come to the surgery until 10 a.m., but the nurses couli have seen to the child if they had been asked The infirmary, the Coroner went on to sav was a wonderful institution and every assist- ance was given especially by the present house surgeon. On the suggestion of the Coroner, an "nn verdict was returned.
WELSHAMPTOM
WELSHAMPTOM VICAR'S ILLNESS. The Rev. Henrx Moody, Vicar_ of Welshampton, underwent a serious operation in a nursing home at Birm- ingham, on Sunday. The operation is ported as having been successful and \1r. Moody is stated to be going on nicely.
[No title]
Dr. Addison (President of the Local Gov- ernment .Board) has in'onwl Major Breeze that a person registered as n K-n! government elector for a local govern -vv electoral are 1 was not precluded by on the absent voters list from voting in the ordinary was AL.aIUtlAnt.i"q.¡