View report page

112
not provided for by their estimates or loans. In addition they also
increased tho wages of the dustmen from the 22nd November 1894,
for which no provision had been made in the estimates.
The following resolution was adopted on the 24th July 1895, on
the motion of Mr. Fell: —
That this Vestry urge on the Governors and Guardians to introduce a
more economical scheme of rate collecting at the earliest opportunity.
The following further resolution, moved by Mr. Westcott, was
adopted on the 5th February 1896 :—
That the Vestry enter a strong protest against the action of the Governors
and Guardians in refusing to carry out the proposed reforms with
reference to the collection of rates in this parish, and calls upon them
as a body elected by the Vestry to respect their wishes.
Refreshments to Vestrymen. — With regard to this subject of
reference the Finance Committee reported on the 17th April 1895
that the items charged for refreshments had been extracted from
the accounts for the previous year, and amounted to a total of
£111 17s. 0d., of which £32 0s. 6d. was for wine, spirits, beer and
cigars ; and deeming this to be not an excessive amount considering
the amount of time members were called upon to give to the work
of the parish submitted the following recommendation, which was
agreed to by the Vestry :—
That having regard to the smallness of the amount expended during the
year in refreshments to members (and especially in liquid refreshments),
the Vestry be advised not to alter the existing arrangements, and that
the reference be discharged.
The Public Auditors having again drawn attention to the subject
in a letter to the Vestry dated 11th January 1896 upon the result
of their audit of the accounts, the Committee reported on the
19th February that the amount spent on refreshments during the
half-year ending September 1895 was £27 17s. 0d., including
£3 8s. 1d. for alcoholic drinks and cigars; and feeling that the
expenditure on refreshments was now kept within very reasonable
limits, and that if any further reduction was to be made it would be
better to do away with refreshments altogether, advised the Vestry
to adhere to its former resolution above cited. This was agreed to
after some discussion.