The first meeting of the new Board was held on Thursday, when there were present Messrs. W. J. Weld, Ridley Brown, A. Spencer, W. H. Jarvis, A. Fairfax (clerk) and G. Elkington (surveyor).

The Minutes

The Clerk read the minutes, which referred to the appointment of Mr N. H. Dawson as Inspector of Nuisances at a salary of £24 a year, subject to the approval of the Local Government Board. He was to give that amount of his time which will secure the proper discharge of his duties.

Election of Chairman and Vice-Chairman

Mr Spencer said the first business of the meeting was to appoint a chairman. Two years ago he had very great pleasure in proposing Mr Weld for the office, and he believed that last year he did the same thing. Mr Weld had served them in the most efficient manner, and they had carried out the business in a most amicable way under his guidance. He had very much pleasure in asking Mr Weld to take the chair again.

Mr W. H. Jarvis seconded the motion which was carried, and Mr Weld took the chair. In reply for his election he said he was extremely gratified at their kindness and he would endeavour to justify their confidence. He thought they had kept the roads up very well during the past year, and they had not, he considered, spent the ratepayer’s money foolishly…

The Appointment of Inspector of Nuisances

The Clerk said that with regard to the appointment of Mr Dawson as Inspector of Nuisances, he had sent the usual form to the Local Government Board, but he had not received any reply.

Miscellaneous

The Clerk said that the balance in hand was £282 5s. and that he had received £102 13s 9d. from the Local Government Board. He read a long communication from the Local Government Board with reference to the compulsory notification of measles and whooping cough.

The opinion of the members was that the district was now pretty free of measles, but the Chairman suggested that they had better leave the matter to the Medical Officer of Health.

The Clerk said he supposed that the Radway Drainage Scheme would be postponed until further notice, which was agreed to.

Mr Spencer was asked what had been done in reference to the dangerous house at Ratley. The Clerk said that Mrs Haines had called and said she was going to have the place rebuilt. Mr Brown – if the house falls it will fall on her own ground.

The surveyor, in reply to Mr Spencer, said that there was no roadman at Radway and no one had applied for forms.

This was all the business.

Banbury Guardian, April 1915