The Telegram. — 1893-10-31 (Weymouth, Dorset, England)

THE PARISH COUNCILS BILL.  INTER/MING DISCI;SSION T ILAS:'  COKER.. A meeting was held on Thursday evening, uoder the auspices of the members of the Con Coker llowlite. room, for the purpose of discussing the paiish councils Ames of Mr. Fowler' Local Government (Englatid and Wales> BilL The Rev. C. Powell (vicar) preailed over a large attendance, and ex.plaiued the provisiona of the bill, as affeoting parish oimucils only, in aspeecii of some little length. which we should have been glad to have given had ire been invited to present. At the conchasion of Mr. Powell's address, Mr. J. White asked whether the couoeilturs could all he outsiders f—The chairman replied in the affirm, live. Mr. White thought that was an unfair provision in the bill.—A working-mini remarked that in bailie parinhes there would be dithenlty in finding suitable candidates.—Another speaker thought that the electors should have a voice in the appointment of the chairman of the parish c•uncil ; but it was pointesi out that a Town COUlltil alal4)s elected the mayors town, and that invariably the LUEllbela of a Public body appointed their own chairman.—The chauman NW there were in haat Coker about 210 electors e would vote for the election of parish councillors, hint there were only 60 ratepayers; re that the people who did not pay rates would lie in a majority uf 90, and would settle everything for Kist Coker, while the at) would pay all the expenses. The 150 who did not pay rates would have the power to erect all sorts of improvements in the village, if they were all in one mind. —ln reply to this it was remarked that it would be a job to get the noneatepayers all in one mind. Our speaker suggested that eottage-tenants should ask to be allowed to pay the rates and have the amount tiedueled trim then rents—The chairman Saki COttagUta I would not wish to pay the rates, became they were • already on the register.—A labourer said the cotta;- 'is . bad to pay rates indirectly if not directly.—Mr. Vi loft said those who had the power to spent the money should have the pleasure of paying it, and he should like to see all the cottageni ratepayers.—A labouier soul that some of the councillors were certain to le ratepayers,. sod they would see that the cour.e.l did not go in for extravagance. There might be one or two cottagers, but the majority would be ratepayere.-The chairman said t n e on ly way in which collagens could be matte to pay indirectly for heavy expenditure on the put of the parish council would be by having their wages lowered or their rents raised, and teat would not take place until a considerable time afte. the outlay and when the ratepayers were beeinning to feel the pinch. A labourer remiuked that the eottagers would have to work for nothing if wages wet much lowered.—Another labourer : If the rates should , be lowered, what then I—The chairman said that it rates were very low wages would be raised; owl if rates were very high wages would be lowered. Wa... it, he asked, a andiment guard agamet extravagance on the part of the Parish COULICiI that the majority of the clamors paid gates only indirectly I Every man, he thought, mum pay his wain rotes, and then rents woald be towered at once. A labourer thought that it each cottager were rated separately :the rates would be raised ; and Mr. White agreed.—Another labumer remarked that there would lot he muds" west" about the allotmenta in East Coker, as they all had them already.—A ratepayer corn lathed that the rates were now 18 4.1 in the • labourer said that was before the pariah councils had " come in ;"tbeymvgtitgetaitropof44lnthi. whoa they had a parish emmeil.—The chairman sad hisaides cost him £4 a year, and lug farmers wculd have to my much more. They had been lett', for agreat deal of expense, althotigh they had never been consulted about it. lie thought the parish councils wined go in for all sorts of improvements, and by-auvi-bye the ratepayers mould have the bill repay. Every Wall shoeki"tris rates directly, and not throneh the lord r. bite said, speaking of the extravagance, thev had just had ad in the £ aided to their rates thimiela the action of the county surveyor.--The chairman aaid he believed Sir Spencer Poneenby-Fane and Mr. Phobos let their ei•attages on conditien that the tenants should pay the rates, and he thought the practice should be generally followed. —A labourer temerkeit that it would be nit good to have only ratepayers Adi the parish councils, because they would only try to seduce the rates as much as possible, and so there would be no difterence.—Another labourer said their were a great many improvements wanted in Past Coker', and a little money would not hurt„—Mr. White : Who is to pay for them t —The labourer : A treat many vadd be glad to pay rates to get improveinents. —Mr. Rea called on by the chairman, made a short speech, after which, on the motion of Mt. White, the was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for presiding, and the lies. C. Powell liming responded, the meetnig I closed.  The Bishop of Ilereford ha a not been at all well during the pima few days, and has been co.upelled to keep to the houna.  &Arland A. E. T. Feacoek, aged 15, the son of a naval officer, committed suicide on Saturday by taking morphisat Shepherd's Bush.