27th November, 1939. A Meeting of the Finance & Works, Waterworks and Public Health Committees was held this day at the Town Clerk* s Office, Town Hall, Wexford, at half-past seven o fclock p.m. The Members present being:- Richard Corish, Esq., Mayor (in the Chair) Aldermen; Thomas Walsh, and Robert Coffey. Councillors: James Murphy, James Gaul, James Crosbie, Thomas Byrne, Patrick Atkins, James Sinnott, Stephen McMahon, Patrick Hawkins, Thomas Hayes, Robert Moran, Thomas Dunne, and Nicholas Connolly. ALLOTMENTS. The Town Clerk reported that he had received 48 applications for allotments. In the field at present used for this pirpose at John Street there was only provision for 12 allotments which left 36 more to be provided, and would require, approximately, 4^ acres of land. As regards the field at John Street it was unanimously decided that the applicants who had been granted these plots during the current year should be given first preference for them for the year 1940. The Town Clerk further reported that he had received an offer of 3 acres of la. nd at Bishopswater from a man named Hamilton, who required £10 per acre. He had, however, informed Hamilton that the average price paid by the Corporation for such land was at the rate of £3 per acre, the owner paying all rates, taxes, etc. and Hamilton had now made an offer to\^ \ let the Corporation have the land for the purpose of allotments at £6 per acre, so it was unanimously agreed that this be accepted, subject to the approval of the Borough Surveyor if the land were suitable, and to the sanction of the Minister for Local Government and Public Health. It was also decided to write to Messrs. Brockhouse & Co., inquiring if they would be prepared to lease a field they had at Maudlintown for the purpose of the provision of allotments. CORPORATION'S SOLICITORS COSTS. The Town Clerk Intimated that he had received the Corporation^ Solicitors Bill of Costs and asked the Members to appoint a Solicitor to represent the Corporation at the Taxation Proceedings, so It was unanimously decided, as in previous years, to appoint Mr. J. G. Byrne, Solicitor, to do this work. PEES DEMOLITION 8c CLEARANCE ORDERS. Under even date the Borough Surveyor renewed his application for payment of the usual fee of £1 per house for all work done by him in connection with demolition and clearance orders. He stated that he had made considerable inquiries regarding this matter and was advised that the work was extra to the duties set out in the terms of his appointment, and respectfully submitted that he should be allowed these fees. ©: Wexford Borough Council rv 2 27th November, 1939. It was pointed out a couple of years ago that a proposal had been made by the Corporation to pay such fees to the Borough Surveyor and Town Clerk, but sanction had been refused, so it was decided to again approach the Department of Local Government and Public Health with a view to having sanction to the payment of such fees. DEMOLITION OF HOUSES. A letter was read from the Department of Local Government and Public Health in connection with the demolition of houses condemned as unfit for human habitation, and it was decided to have a report submitted to the next meeting setting out a list of the houses condemned but not yet demolished. W.C. HOUSE - WILLIAM STREET. With reference to Minutes of last meeting when the question of the provision of a W.C. for house at William Street, occupied by Miss Margaret Johnson, was under consideration, the owner Mrs. Gordon, Parnell Street, intimated that she was not prepared to install this convenience at present, so it was decided to inform her that the Cor­ poration proposed to do the uo rk themselves and requested the Borough Surveyor to make an estimate of the cost. HOUSE - PARNELL STREET. With reference to previous discussions on the subject of house at Parnell Street, formerly occupied partly by a Club and partly by a man named Francis Kehoe, who had been rehoused on an undertaking being given by the then lessee that the premises would not again be let for human habitation, Dr. Sinnott, reported that portions of the house were still very damp and that there was only one room which could be regarded as fit for human habitation. It was decided to ask the Medical Officer of Health to state if, in his opinion, the house was fit for human habitation at all, and as well, the Borough Surveyor was to be asked to make a report on the house as soon as possible. The owner of the premises was also to be informed of the undertaking given by the previous lessee and reminded of the fact that no plans for the alterations she had carried out to the premises had been submitted to the Corporation. PUBLIC LIGHTING RESTRICTIONS. The Town Clerk intimated that in connection with the Lighting Restrictions Order it was not possible to have the 14 public lamps lighted by gas made capable of instantaneous switching except at very great expense, so it was decided to inform the Department of Defence that certain of the public lamps were lighted by gas and to inquire what action the Corporation would take and what action was being taken in other places. PROPOSED NEW TOWN HALL. The Town Clerk referred to the overdraft which had been procured to finance preliminary expenditure in connection with the proposed new Town Hall, and pointed out that as there did not appear to be any prospect of this building being erected in the near future that the overdraft should be converted into a short-term loan and it was unanimously agreed to recommend the Corporation, subject to the approval of the Minister for Local Government and Public Health to convert the overdraft into a short-term loan, and to add to the amount of the loan whatever outstanding accounts there were In connection ©: Wexford BoroughChairman Council 27th November, 1939. with the matter, including the Balance of fees due to the Architect, Mr. R. Donnelly. WATER CLOSETS It was reported that notiue requiring the provision of W.C.'s had been served on the owner of 5 houses in King Street and one at Francis Street on the 9th ultimo, but up to the present nothing had been done to provide the conveniences, and it was decided to write the owners pointing out that unless the conveniences were provided forthwith, the Corporation would be compelled to do the work themselves. The Town Clerk was requested to phone the Department of Local Govern­ ment and Public Health on Tuesday morning to ascertain when the Winter Relief Grants might be released. P ©: Wexford BoroughChairman Council Klchard Uorlsh,-Ksq ., Mayor {In the Chair) * ••• Aldermen: Robert Coffey and Thomas Walsh.* Councillors: Crosbie, Hawkins, Sinnott, Gaul, John Billington, Connolly, Hayes, Dunne, Murphy, Atkins, Moran, Cashman, and Byrne, MINUTES. The Minutes of Meetings of the Corporation on 6th and 20th ultimo; Finance & Works, Etc., Committees on 6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th ultimo, were submitted for ratification and signature, and on the motion of Councillor Gaul, seconded by Alderman Coffey, the Minutes as submitted were taken as having been read, approved, and signed by the Mayor, ACCOUNTS. Liabilities w)aSch had accrued due up to the end of last month amounting* in tm* aggregate, to £3,692, 0, 8 were submitted, and -having^be^n examined, were approved and an Advice Note signed jd enab^pi^iem to be\d is charged, BOOTS t Arising o^t of"the AccountsV Alderman Coffey asked if any one had examined the bopts received from the Official Contractors to see if they were accordance ^ith the Specification, which at the Alderman?s\requ£st read W the Town Clerk. The Town Clerk replie^b-thajtr^the boots had not been examined by anyone but himself, and h^^was not in\a position to say whether or not they were in accordance with the Specification, so it was agreed to have a pair\of the boots examined by one of the members in the Boot Trade. ' N PUBLIC'LIGHTING. Also arising out of the Accounts, Councillor By^ne referred to the cost of public lighting during "^he period of the black-out and during the present period of restricted lighting and asked if any refund had yet been made by the El'ap tricity Supply Board in respect of these periods, and on being informed that no adjustment had yet been made the Councillor produced a cutting from a newspaper showing that Dundalk Urban Council had received a refund of over £200 in respect of the restriction of- public lighting, and the Town Clerk was directed to take the matter up again with the Electricity Supply Board so that the Contract Account might be adjusted before the close of the Financial^Year. RAILWAY ENTRANCE. Complaint was made regarding the condition of the ground outside the Great Southern Railways Station, Wexford, and the Town Clerk was requested to communicate with the Company asking them to have the surface of the ground repaired. ©: Wexford BoroughChairman Council 4th December, 1939. A Statutory Meeting of the Corporation was held this day at the Town Clerkfs Office, Town Hall, Wexford, at half-past seven o'clock p.m. The Members present being:- Richard Corish, Esq., Mayor (in the Chair) Aldermen: Robert Coffey and Thomas Walsh, Councillors: Crosbie, Hawkins, Sinnott, Gaul, John Billington, Connolly, Hayes, Dunne, Murphy, Atkins, Moran, Cashman, and Byrne. HINITTSS. The Minutes of Meetings of the Corporation on 6th and 20th ultimo; Finance & Works, Etc., Committees on 6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th ultimo, were submitted for ratification and signature, and on the motion of Councillor Gaul, seconded by Alderman Coffey, the Minutes as submitted were taken as having been read, approved, and signed by the Mayor.