Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 29 March 1941

Clean Health Bill

Darfield Clear of Infectious Disease

Fiction over Fire Grates

At a meeting of Darfield Urban Council on Friday the Medical Officer (Doctor W.J. Whitworth) reported that for the first time in four years no case of infectious disease have been reported during the month.

There had been seven births and two deaths in the period.

Councillor F Bly unsuccessfully opposed the scheme for replacing room fireplaces for kitchen ranges in a Council housing estate at Nanny Marr. He argued that in present circumstances the expense was not justified.

The Clerk (Mr N Goodyear), read a circular letter in which the Ministry of Food and Agriculture reminded the Council that they had powers to cultivate parks, recreation grounds and other available land for the purpose of raising crops.

The Chairman (Coun. J. W. Camplejohn), said he hoped that every inch of suitable land would be cultivated.

Bolton Weir

Coun. R. Randerson said that afternoon he had attended a meeting of the Dearne Drainage Board and had been much concerned at remarks in regard to flooded land in that area. He said members of the Board attributed the conditions to a mill weir at Bolton on Dearne and he had mentioned it at that meeting so that public attention might be drawn to it.

The question of storing water in cases of emergency was under discussion when Coun. R. Randerson mentioned that Dearne Valley Water Board had decided to purchase four tanks at a cost of about £100 for the purpose of conveying water into the districts in the event of mains being fractured. He said he thought it was up to every authority to try and arrange some small scheme of their own.

In reply to Coun. A. Collindridge, Coun. Randerson said the Council had a 300 gallon tank which had been acquired for a specific purpose. It would only be available when not in use for that function.

Fire Grates.

A scheme for replacing fireplaces in houses in the Nanny Marr estate at a cost of £9 5s. per house was approved in committee by five votes to four.

Coun. F. Bly who had opposed the recommendation in the first place, moved that it be referred back, arguing that there was no danger to health and that under present circumstances the expense was totally unjustified.

Coun. Bly said the fireplaces had served their purpose for a number of years and no great hardship would result if they were left for the time being.

It was mentioned in the course of the discussion that at present there were cooking ranges in both front and back rooms, and the proposal was to install room fireplaces in the front rooms.

Coun. Foulstone said that despite the possibility of some advantage accruing to the household, that was not the time to embark on a scheme of that kind.

Coun. S. Blackwell said he did not see where they would be doing anything wrong in adopting the scheme. They had a substantial surplus in one of the accounts, and he did not think the cost would work out at more than £300.

Coun. J. Hill. who seconded the resolution in committee, said many people had complained to him about the fireplaces.

Coun. Randerson submitted that neither health nor comfort entered into the case, the only difference being that one was a cooking range instead of a fireplace.

Coun. H. Clarney said that if Councillors Bly and Randerson lived in the houses as he did they would change their opinions.

The proposal was adopted by five votes to three.