Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 6 September 1929
Wombwell U.D.C.
Civic Reception for Lord Lascelles
Ante-Natal Clinic
Gallant Youths.
Wombwell Urban District Council have deckled to accord a civic reception to Lord Lascelles, Area President of the British Legion, who has accepted an invitation to present the British Legion standard to Wombwell Branch of the British Legion, at Wombwell, on October 5th.
A letter was received at the monthly meeting of the Council on Tuesday, in which intimation of Lord Lascelles’s visit was made by the Wombwell branch of the British Legion, who asked the Council to extend a civic welcome. The hope was expressed that the Council would accept the invitation and co-operate with the branch in making arrangement by electing two members on a committee for that purpose.
The Chairman (Mr. J. Hall) said he did not think they could turn the letter down. He thought it was the custom of the Council to extend a civic welcome when such a person as Lord Lascelles came to the town. “I don’t see that we can say anything against it, and I should advise the Council to accept it.” he added.
Mr Winder moved that the invitation be accepted, and Mr. Collindridge, seconding, remarked on the good work the British Legion accomplished, and added that had it had been a much lesser personage, he would have been agreeable stop
The Chairman and Mr. Belshaw were appointed as representatives on the committee.
Infant Welfare: Ante-Natal Clinic.
The Medical Officer (Dr. J. C. Pickup) submitted an estimate of the cost of equipment necessary for an ante-natal clinic upon the lines suggested by the Minister of Health, amounting to £50 and the Infant Welfare Committee recommended that subject to the approval of the Minister of Health and his sanction to an increased grant to cover the estimated expenditure on the work for the period ending March 31, 1930, the equipment be purchased and an ante-natal clinic inaugurated.
Mr. Belshaw asked what was in the minds of the Committee and what did they anticipate would be the amount of the increase. Mr. Pascoe replied that it was really a question of getting sanction from the Ministry of Health, and if application was not made immediately there was a likelihood that they would lose it.
Mr. Belshaw thought that before the Council came to any decision, it would be better for them to come to some conclusion as to the cost of the scheme. What was in the mind of the committee if the Ministry granted the expenditure. He was afraid that they would exceed their estimates for the year.
The Chairman thought that the question before them was whether the £50 would be sufficient, but Mr. Belshaw was of the opinion that it was not a matter of money but of principle. If all the other departments came along with something similar, it was going to make a great difference.
The Chairman: I hope the committee have taken the question of over-spending into consideration. Mr. Pascoe replied that the Council could rest assured that the committee would not over-spend their estimates.
Mr Mellor said that there was another factor. The .Ministry had been very active of late on the question of maternal mortality, and the establishment of ante-natal clinics. So far as Child Welfare Committees were concerned, the Ministry believed that they had not been carrying out their work properly. There was a pressing demand for such committees to do something, and he felt that money on spent would be well spent. If by spending £50 they saved one mother’s life, it would be worth the cost.
The Chairman declared that it was not a question of committees not doing their work properly; it had been a matter of the Government not giving the necessary assistance. The Government had been trying to make out that the committees had not been doing their work properly, but he disagreed. Child Welfare Committees were doing a magnificent work, and the activities of the committee in that town were to be looked upon with pleasure. It was wrong that it should get out that local infant welfare centres were not doing all they do. They had done all they possibly could, and it meant that the Government should do something now.
The recommendation was agreed to.
Gallant Behaviour.
The next item on the agenda was described by the chairman as something out of the ordinary. It was the presentation to three Wombwell youths of Royal Humane Society parchments for saving life. The Chairman elated that so far as he was aware it was unique in the history of the Council, as never before had certificates been presented to three persons at once. The men concerned had acted in a very gallant manner, and were a credit to the town of Wombwell.
He called upon Mr. Pascoe to make the presentation. Mr. Pascoe explained that in two cases the certificates were presented for saving life from drowning, and the third for application of artificial respiration.
He precented certificates to Harold Foers, Percy Wright and Jar Parkin. Foers saved the only child left of a family of six. Wright was a son of one of members of the the Council. Wright and Parkin were together when they saw a child drowning. Parkin was suffering an injury to his arm, so the other youth went into the water. He brought the child out safely, and Parkin, who had a knowledge of artificial respiration, applied it with success. For that, he also was also awarded a certificate. Mr. Pascoe made an appeal on behalf of Parkin, who, he said, hail been out of work for a long time, and father and brother were unemployed.
Unemployment.
Mr. Pascoe said that he had been asked why men out of the town were given work at the Employment Exchange. He was not in position to answer, and he would like the Council to take the matter up.
The Chairman asked it those who had complained were able to do clerical work and Mr Pascoe reply that they were.
Mr Mellor observed that the allegations should be looked into before the Council did anything.
it decided to make investigations.
Mr. Bradley the question of the purchase of a piece of waste ground in the North Ward as a playground, and asked if anything further had been done.
It was stated that no further negotiations have been entered into, and it was decided to write again to the Miners Welfare Trustees.
Smoke Abatement.
The Council have decided to make a bye law under the Public Health (Smoke Abatement) Act., 1926, which provides that the omission of black smoke for a period of three minutes in the aggregate within any continuous period of thirty minutes from any one chimney in a building other than a private dwelling house, shall until the contrary is proved, be presumed to be a nuisance.
Items
It has been decided to purchase a gas engine and oat grinder.
The Surveyor reports that he and the Sanitary inspector inspected the site of the proposed sewerage works extension to be carried out by the Hoyland Nether Council, and had no objection.
An application has been granted Wombwell Old Folks Treat Committee for the use of the Baths Hall for their annual dance on New Year’s Day. ‘
Tenders will shortly be advertised for the use of the Baths Hall for dancing on Monday and Saturdays during the season.
The Postmaster of Barnsley has enquired whether the Council have any objection to the postal services being curtailed on Wombwell Feast on September 23 and 24, as an annual arrangement. The Council have no objection.
The Medical Officer (Dr. J. C. Pickup) reported that during the month 12 deaths lied been notified, a death rate of 7.6. There were 29 births, a birth rate of 18.5.
The Librarian (Mr. W. J. Martin) reported that at Wombwell 820 books, were issued during August. 801 being fiction.
The Baths Manager (Mr. T. Kay) reports that the takings for August were £107 Is. 3d.. compared with £102 8s. 5d. in August last year.