South Yorkshire Times, October 10, 1942
Priority for Workers
Dearne U.D.C. Transport Demand
Travelling facilities for war workers, especially young women, were discussed at Tuesday’s meeting of Dearne Urban Council, Coun. T. Swift presided.
Ald. G. Probert, J.P., said there was a serious complaint about transport, especially in getting people back from work. Young women in the Dearne area left home at seven in a morning and after working 11 and 12 hours a day had great difficulty in getting back. He understood there were facilities for transporting them to work but at night they had to queue for the public service ‘buses. The local M.P. had stated that if a case was made he would take it to the appropriate authorities.
Ald. Probert moved that a committee together with the Clerk and officials, should draw up a case. This was seconded.
Coun. Healey said there were no priority tickets for workpeople going to Doncaster and they were crowded off the ‘buses by people going shopping.
Mr. F. Hawksworth (clerk), said every step would be taken to contact people who could help the Council In their case.
Coun. G. B. Edwards: If schoolchildren can be taken to and from school surely war workers can be transported to and from work.
The Chairman said the responsibility was not only on the bus company but on the public who were travelling unnecessarily for pleasure. It was those people who crowded off war workers, and it was time the Regional Commissioner or someone else took very drastic steps. In other districts there were priority tickets. He did not know why the Traction Company did not use this system because it would provide a simple solution.
Comic. C. H. Williams (Thurnscoe), A. Fouchard (Bolton), T. H. Barker and G. B. Salisbury (Goldthorpe) were appointed to form the committee to go into the matter.
Handsome Plaque
A tribute to the skill of Hr. W. H. Adams (Surveyor) in designing a plaque with a coat of arms, for presentation to H.M.S. Rennet, the ship adopted by Dearne through its Warship Week, was paid by several members.
Coun. D. Griffiths, who Chairman of the Council last year took an active part in Warship Week arrangements commended Mr. Adams on the painstaking way he had made the plaque, and said some recognition should be made. In the exchange of plaques credit should be given to the people who contributed admirably during the Week.
County Coun. A. Fouchard described the plaque as a work of art.
Coun. Edwards: It is an emblem which posterity will cherish as a mark of what we are doing while they are away from home. It will be an emblem of welded friendship. The Clerk said the exchange of plaques should be carried out in conjunction with the people who did the work during Warship Week. It should not be forgotten that the result of Dearne Warship Week was better than any in this area.
In a district which was mainly working class not only the amount per head of population but more important the amount of small savings, was higher than In any other district. The fact that they could get voluntarily from the working class such a large amount of the total saved reflected the interest not only to cart y out the Week but also the war.
Mr. Adams said it was during a period in which he was indisposed that he had an opportunity of developing something on the lines of which he would like to see a coat of arms for the district made. It was a labour of love.
It was agreed that those who organised the Week should organise the exchange of plaques.
It was reported that iron railings would be collected in the district after October 12th. It was agreed that the Council should meet Miss Swift, a Ministry of Food official, on October 12th, at 6 p.m., on the question of opening British Restaurants in the area.
The following minute of the Library Committee was referred back:
The Chairman and Clerk reported that they had fixed the opening hours for the library and branches for the winter session as follows: Goldthorpe. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily: Bolton-on-Dearne. p.m. Mondays and Thursdays. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday. Thurnscoe 1-4 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesdays.”
Members expressed the opinion that an early closing would deprive many people of the use of the libraries.
Coun. Riley was nominated as a member of the Dearne Education Sub-Committee in place of the late Coun. W. Starkey and Coun. Beaney was nominated as Mr. Starkey’s successor on the Public Assistance Committee. The question of filling the vacancy on the Council was deferred.
A vote of condolence was moved with Coun. Starkey’s relatives.