From Our Files: pipe dream scheme, alderman's apology refusal, and traders 'stun' council
75 YEARS AGO
IN May, 1943, the inhabitants of Milford collected the sum of £162 14s. 6d, as a gift to ex-PC, and Mrs Hancock on the retirement of the former (owing to deafness) and the illness of the latter.
After advice had been sought, this sum, was diverted to Mrs Hancock only, who received the cheque. But the Police Authority decided that the Constable’s pension would be forfeited unless the cheque was handed back.
The Committee responsible for collecting the money have made every effort, since then to persuade the Police Authority to reverse the decision but they have failed, and, very reluctantly feel bound to accept the ruling.
The Committee therefore have decided to hand the money to the Milford Hospital, and make this known in order that any subscribers who may wish for the return of the money may apply to the Rev. S.G. Hooper, at The Vicarage, before Saturday, March 18th, 1944.
Mr and Mrs Hancock who know of this intention are very grateful for the expression of goodwill that has been shown by the people of Milford and regret the disappointment that comes both to themselves and to the subscribers.
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Trooper Peter Cullen, Royal Tank Regiment, of Barton, has been on leave, visiting his home for the first time in 18 months. He went through the Battle of Alamein and took part in the landing at Salerno.
Trooper Cullen was responsible for starting our Pipe Scheme for the boys overseas. He wrote home for one, but there was not a pipe to be bought in the place.
A friend begged one from the Editor to send him and he still treasures the editorial pipe which safely reached him in Italy. He dropped into the office last week to express his thanks personally.
Peter, whose home is in Barton, described a pipe not only as a wonderful change from the V cigarettes issued to the troops, but said that it helped to get him warm in the mountains in Italy.
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50 YEARS AGO
A CALL by Lymington Council’s Housing Committee for Alderman W.R.K. Symons to make a public apology at Wednesday’s meeting of the Council, for remarks he had made at the January meeting concerning the Council house waiting list, was refused by the Alderman.
Ald. Symons who at the January meeting had stated that a man who had been on the housing list for only eight months had been allocated a house, while someone who had been on the list for seven years was still waiting, stated on Wednesday: “As far as me being asked for an apology, or withdrawing it – no. If they want to make a fight of this, I can dish up plenty more to prove there are problems on the Housing Committee.”
Vice-chairman of the Housing Committee Coun. H. Saunders, had read to the Council a prepared statement on behalf of the Committee.
This commenced: “A serious allegation albeit obliquely, was made by a member of the Council at a recent Council meeting. That the Housing Committee were not fulfilling their function properly”.
At this juncture Ald. Symons interrupted on a point of order stating he had not accused the committee of doing anything, but had asked them to examine their records to make sure that people who had been on the housing list for a long time were given full consideration.
Other members interjected, and the Town Clerk stated that what Ald. Symons was saying was not a valid point or order.
Coun. Saunders continued with the statement: “It is a pity that the member concerned did not fully appreciate the facts before making the allegations, because we are sure that had he done so he would have been satisfied that the Housing Committee, as always, behaved in a right and proper manner.”
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Pennington Junior School Parent-Teacher Association must be the first local association to go decimal. When the treasurer, schoolmaster Mr. R. B. Cruse, reported an excess balance in the general account at last week’s annual meeting, he suggested that the annual half-crown subscription for the 112 members be reduced to 2/- … and coincide with the ten new-pence piece. The suggestion was adopted.
25 YEARS AGO
CHRISTCHURCH Council has been accused of bias in favour of going into Bournemouth at the expense of merger with New Forest in its presentation of the options in the local government review.
The council’s roadshow has been gravelling round the borough over the past fortnight with a display of all the options for the borough and information on the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Councillors have said they will not take an official view on which option to support until the public has been consulted, but Highcliffe Residents’ Association co-chairman Tom Hickery rejects the authority’s claim that its information leaflets give an objective assessment of the merits of each option.
“It’s all heavily biased in favour of going in with Bournemouth as much through the information that is not being put forward as what is”, said Mr Hickey.
The residents’ association is firmly in favour of merging with New Forest and has met NFDC officials to discuss the situation. Christchurch has said it would evaluate that option along with the others but some critics say they detect a distinct lack of enthusiasm among officers and councillors at the civic offices.
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Stunned Milford Parish Council members sat and listened to a catalogue of criticisms of them from the village traders’ association. “They feel that at every level we are not helping them, not giving them any encouragement, but doing the best we can to obstruct them in every way,” council member, Mrs Elizabeth Everard, told her astonished colleagues.
Now the council has set up a small group to meet with the traders to try to sort things out.
Mrs Everard, who represents the council at traders’ association meetings, said they had complained that the council had put a “No Entry” sign in the High Street; constructed a pedestrian crossing which split the village in half and killed the far end of the village; had been reluctant to give help to traders with their parking problems; had sponsored / arranged for shoppers to be taken to the new Tesco superstore at New Milton; and had sent a letter to them concerning the Christmas tree to which they objected greatly.
“As far as they were concerned, the parish council had done absolutely nothing to help the traders in this village”, said Mrs Everard.
It was not until she had got home that she had cooled off, she admitted. But whilst the traders had gone over the top, “they were impressing on me how they felt, and we have got a problem.”
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Lymington Harbour Commissioners’ annual revenue and expenditure is “about £¾m” it is revealed in the first public annual report to be published in its history.
Permanent mooring fees provide the major source of income – 43%, followed by commercial users’ dues at 34%, of which it is stated a significant contribution is from Wightlink.
Salary costs account for 38% of expenditure, followed by operational costs at 21% and administrative costs of 14%, with a similar percentage being expended on the Crown estate lease, leaving 13% for river projects.
“By good housekeeping”, says the report, “our predecessors have over the years built up a good financial position. We have provided our substantial and well maintained stock of moorings out of revenue. We are, in practice, free of debt.”
