Archived Extracts

  The question of the new Urban Boundaries was put before the Huthwaite ratepayers at a meeting in the Free Church schools on Monday evening. There was a good attendance, and the Clerk of the Urban Council (Mr. E.B. Hibbert) asked for a chairman to be appointed. Mr. J. Wright and Mr. W. Clarke were nominated, and the former was elected on a show of hands.
  The chairman was called upon to speak, and explained that at the last meeting of the Council it was unanimously agreed to call that meeting to put before the ratepayers the proposals of the Boundaries' Committee of the Notts. County Council. At the present time they were only proposals, and it was though essential that the ratepayers should have an opportunity of expressing their views on the matter.

  What was the reason for all these changes in local Government? was a question several people had asked him. The history of the Local Government Act of 1929 went back to just after the war. Unemployment began to increase, and the Poor Law, as they had known it had broken down, and in many districts they could not pay their way owing to the increase of unemployment and the necessity of giving relief, and other causes. In addition, smaller councils could hardly meet their obligations in reference to roads.
  Motor traffic had caused the maintenance of roads to cost a great deal, and as a consequence of all these things an enquiry had been set up to go into the whole facts of local Government. That Commission sat for some time and made certain recommendations, and those were embodied in the Local Government Act of 1929. The boundary question was only a part of it; it embraced other things.
  Proceeding, Mr. Davies said the Government, in the new act, stated that on April 1st this year proposals must be submitted for a review of the boundaries where they might make for more efficiency or more economy and anything else that could add to the benefit and welfare of the people. It was on this question that the meeting had been called. When the Act was first mooted nearly two years ago he and the Chairman attended the conference of Urban District Councillors and this matter was fully discussed, and the Association made representations to the Ministry of Health so that each little local Council might retain its independence, especially where they efficiently governed, and it did not fail altogether.

  In view of the boundaries they must take into consideration whether the Council had been efficient in government, whether their work was carried out efficiently and well, whether they were financially sound and their sanitary arrangements and sewage disposal works good. Also, what was their position as far as community of interest was concerned? Further, the wishes of the inhabitants must be taken into consideration. They were there that night to ascertain what they thought of the matter. They all knew the circumstances, and whether they were efficiently governed, and whether they had always paid their way. He could give them his word that they were as financially sound as any little council in the County. Their loans were not very excessive, but the majority of the loans were invested in revenue-producing concerns such as houses. Housing was the largest loan they had.
  The sewage disposal work had been brought up to date. The Surveyor was present, and he (the speaker) must compliment him on the very efficient way in which he had carried out his work. It was second to none in the county. He would like to point out something else. By reason of Huthwaite's geographical position and the contour of the land they could not possibly take the sewage to Sutton.
  The inadequate water supply from Sutton had been a common complaint for many years. Sometimes they had been hardly able to get any at all. Now the Sherwood Area Water Committee had pressed Huthwaite to join the new Blackwell-Warsop Water Scheme and the agreement was just about to be drawn up and they were hoping at the end of this summer to obtain their water form that supply and there would be an efficient and plentiful supply night and day. The only thing they had had to depend upon Sutton for was gas, but gas was a commercial proposition and anyone would sell them gas. It was not essential that they should have that particular commodity from Sutton. They had had suggestions from collieries and different places where they were using gas in large quantities under the system of low carbonisation. They had nothing at all to gain by joining Sutton.

  Huthwaite's present half-yearly rates were 4s. 6d. in the £. Sutton was 6s. 8d., but the Huthwaite services were as good as Sutton's. Another proposal was the composition of the new Council. There were to be, out of a total of 19 representatives, twelve from Sutton, four from Skegby and Teversal and three from Huthwaite so that Huthwaite would be in a very awkward position on the Council.
  He did not want to create any personal prejudice against Sutton. The matter was purely a business proposition, proposals by the Government imposed upon the County Council, and the County Council were making the proposals. That meeting would strengthen his hand as County representative in giving opposition to the proposal in the County Council. No doubt he would be in a minority even then, but there were very conflicting views and possibly he might get some support form an unlikely source. It was not a party question and the whole of the Huthwaite Councillors were absolutely unanimous in opposing it.
  The Clerk (Mr. Hibbert) said Huthwaite could claim to be as efficiently governed, and more efficiently administered than many more urban districts in the country. Men had fought so strongly for urban powers years ago that their feelings could be imagined when those powers were not to be taken away after the jealous manner in which they had been guarded in the years past. They were now up against a principle that had been laid down by the Ministry of Health, and that principle was centralisation of Government whereby economics would be obtained by the amalgamation of the smaller areas into the larger ones.
  He wanted the meeting clearly to understand that they were dealing with was a preliminary proposal of the Boundaries Committee of the County Council. It was a very long way form development and a good deal could be done by the local authority and particularly by that meeting so fight the matter for all that it was worth. Huthwaite was only one of the places which the Boundaries Committee proposed to deal with in that way, and every endeavour should be made by the County Council to reach an agreement.

  Mr. Hibbert proceeded to give a review of all that had transpired in connection with the proposals, and made plain the provisions of the Act, and went on to say that it was no use being abusive or critical of the County Council. They were only human, and they had their job to do. ... They would be called upon in the event of amalgamation to contribute to the general rate for the amalgamated area, which would be utilised much more for the purpose of undertakings at "that end" of the area, than at "this end."
  Mr. W. Gent in supporting the resolution of protest, said that it had taken them 1,900 years to get free from the ecclesiastical and other dues of Sutton, and were they to sit down and let Sutton come and fetch them back again, the same as a thief in the night. What had they ever gained from Sutton? they had never got anything from Sutton. It was all "grab, grab, grab." That was Sutton's ambition....

.... Mr. C.A. Smith pointed out that the case had been put very clearly, and the following resolution was passed, the Clerk pointing out that it was not a cut and dried resolution, but one framed on the opinions of the meeting.
  "Resolved unanimously, that this public meeting of ratepayers from the Urban District of Huthwaite, having heard and duly considered the provisional proposals of the Boundaries Committee of the Notts. County Council, so far as it affects this district, views with grave concern the proposal for the disestablishment of this urban area, and is most emphatically opposed to any question of amalgamation with the adjoining urban district of Sutton or the transfer of any part of this district to the areas of neighbouring authorities. Further, the Council be urged to take any effective step to oppose the said proposals by further representation, both to the County Authority, and if necessary, to the Ministry of Health with a view to the preservation of this district's independence of administration."