The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-10-10 00:00:00

WAREHAM.

SZCOND Dons= RIFLE Cones.—The members of
this corps were invited to Grange Boum, on Friday, by
the Rev. N. Bond, and were drilled over the beautiful
grounds Captain and Adjutant Barret, Captain Ferrer,
Lieutenant Bond, and Ensign Penton were present.
The oorps went through company, battalion, and light
infantry movements, to the great satisfaction of their
offioers.

Couirry COURT. —Judge Everett held his court
here on Friday last, and, although two months had
elapsed since the former court was held, there were
but 28 original summonses, and 5 judgment sum-
monses, a fact which proves that either the people in
this part of the country are pretty punctual in their
payments, or that the creditors are not an over-harsh
class of tradesmen. Of the cases on the list the
greater portion had been settled out of court, and
only one debt was disputed. This was George Best,
• timber dealer at Wareham, e. Thomas Cure, a
blaclmmith, at Grange. It appeared that a wheel-
wright owed Mr. Cure a small debt, and Mr. Cure,
in order to salve over the sore, got him to make the
bed of a cart for him. But the wheelwright had
neither money nor timber, and Mr. Best would ni
give him credit, whereupon Mr. Cure, in order to
sure that defect also, became responsible for the
amount. The timber obtained came to £1 158.,
which Mr. Cure thought was more than was required
for his cart, and consequently he paid 16s. into
mart, which he thought was a moderate salve for
Mr. Beet's wound. It turned out, however, in the
course of the inquiry, that defendant had offered the
plaintiff nearly double that sum to settle the case out
of court, and his Honour gave judgment for the full
amount. —Another case heard illustrated the high-
elms (?) wages paid to journeymen mechanics at
West Ltaworth. William Rickets, a journeyman
blacksmith, summoned James Baker, a master black-
smith, for £lO 12s. Bd., being the amount of wages
due to him at the rate of lie, a week. Defendant
did not appear, and his Honour seemed at first
puzzled to understand how it was that • journey men
mechanic, receiving such small wages, could afford
to allow so large a sum to run on. The plaintiff said
that he had worked for the defendant for several
years at 10s. per week, and that he had considerable
difficulty always in getting his money. lo April
last, his master owed him as much as £l4 14s. 60.
That sum had been since wiped •ff by instalments of
£5, £2 10a., and less gams at different periods, but
that all the wages he had earned since that period
was still owing. At length he told Mr. Baker that
he would " stand such going one" no longer, and,
unlearn he "tipped up" a little better, he would leave
in a week.---His Honour asked if Mr. Baker had
plenty of work I—Plaintiff replied in the affirmative,
"when he liked to do it."—Judgment for payment
in two instalments, the first instalment to be paid
within 14 days.—Edward Cooper, a coast-guards-
man, at West Lul worth, appeared on • judgment sum-
imago, obtained against him by Mary Cooper, for
=ins to comply with a judgment obtained
him for £2 10s. for money lent and grocery
goods—His Honour said he would order a com-
mittal for 14 days, but the warrant would be stayed
for 14 days, to give the defendant an opportunity of
paying half the amount within that time; and, if he
did, then the warrant would be stayed for another
month, to allow of an opportunity of paying the
other half. The court rose at an early hour.
SANITARY IMPROVIALINTS. The necessity of
adopting measures for providing efficient drainage,
end a good supply of pure water, have long and
earnestly been urged upon the ratepayers of this
borough by some of the more influential amongst
the inhabitants. The Chairman of the Croydon
Board of Health has been visiting in this neighbour-
hood, and on Friday sen'night, at the suggestion of
Mr. W. Pike, he explained to a crowded meeting,
at the Town Hall, the measures adopted at Croydon
for drainage and water supply, and which have there
proved eminently satisfactory. A public meeting
was convened for the following Tuesday, to consider
whether or not the sewerage of Wareham was in •
satisfactory state and the supply of water adequate,
and if not, what were the means applicable to bring
about an improvement, and were such within the
reach of the ratepayers. The Mayor presided, and
the attendance was large. —Mr. Penton proposed the
first resolution, to MI6 effect that the sanitary state
of the town was not in a Ilitisfactory condition, and
that the inadequate drainage and the insufficient
supply of water were detrimental to the health and
interests of the inhabitants. —Mr. C. Willoox briefly
wooded the motion.—Mr. Beggs remarked that it
was melees to condemn an evil without pointing out
a remedy. If they endorsed the resolution, what
was the next step for them to take? Either the
carrying out of the improvements they thus acknow.
lodged were necessary by voluntary subscriptions, or
the placing themselves under the Public Health Act.
Little Wareham, with its 2,200 inhabitants and
£4,253 assessable value, was, he considered, not
prepared at present to embark on an expensive
system of drainage and water supply. Putting the
mat of the public works at the lowest estimate,
£5,000 he considered would be required, and sup-
posing they agreed to pay it off in thirty years, they
would have to provide for principal and interest,
and the carts of officers, and the maintenance of the
works; altogether be should say it would be £560
s-year. To raise this annual charge, 6e. in the £
would he required of the reloperwo lila proposed
' so smadavat to tbo 1:44.4 *at *a reolidion did

not coincide with their present views if it sought to
iring upon them an expensive system of drainage.
Mr. F. Fdliter reminded Mr. Beggs that the resolu-
tion did not at all say what should be done, it was
simply an acknowledgement of what was believed to
be the fact.— Mr. Pauton remarked that Mr. Biggs
appeared anxious to make them believe that he
(Mr. Penton) wished to tax them at the rate of fin.
in the pound yearly. He required no such thing.
In the last resolution all he should have asked them
was that the town be surveyed, the cost to be raised
by voluntary contributions, and when they had
obtained that survey to say what steps, if any,
should be taken.—Mr. Randall said the question
seemed to be, "Did Mr. Penton wish to put the
town under the Local Government Act ?"—Mr.
Penton said he had not made any reference to the
Local Government Act.— Hr. J. W. Pike said there
was a fact contained in Mr. Pauton's first resolution;
were they prepared to admit it or not ?—Mr. Beggs
observed that to do so would make a stepping stone
to other matters—Mr. W. Spicer said they did not
want the Local Board of Health; all that was
repaired they could do among themselves. The
water act which they bad started had been of great
service. —The first resolution moved by Mr. Penton
was then put by the Mayor, and being lost, the
meeting immediately afterwards separated.