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Taunton Courier. Bristol and Exeter Journal, and Western Advertiser. Wednesday 10 Jul 1935
Page 9 Column 3
GUINEA PIGS AND RABBITS.
PROBLEM at NEW COUNTY OFFICES.
OPENING CEREMONY IN SEPTEMBER.
Various matters in connection with the building of the new County Offices at Taunton and the arrangements for transferring the staff from Weston-super-Mare were mentioned in the report of the County Offices (Special) Committee to Somerset County Council on Tuesday(?).
The Committee reported that a generally satisfactory report had been received from Mr. Vincent HARRIS on the progress of the works being made towards completion of the County Hall, Taunton. Arrangements were made for the occupation of the Hall by the various departments during the month of August.
The Committee recommended the Council (1) to invite the Right Hon. Henry HOBHOUSE to open the County Hall, or in his absence Sir Frederick BERRYMAN; (2) to fix Thursday, September 19th, 1935, at 3.30 p.m., as the provisional date for the ceremony; and (3) to empower Mrs. WATSON and the chairman of the Council and of the County Offices (Special) Committee to make the necessary arrangements. The Committee also reported that Captain and Mrs. WATSON had kindly offered to provide tea for all invited to the opening ceremony.
The Council recorded their thanks to Captain and Mrs. WATSON for their kindness.
GUINEA PIGS and RABBITS.
The report also stated: “In connection with the work of the county laboratory, it is necessary for the County Medical Officer of Health to keep a number of guinea pigs and rabbits. These animals, after inoculation, have to be kept under more or less constant observation and must necessarily be in some place quickly and easily accessible to the laboratory which will be located on the top floor of the County Hall. The situation of the county laboratory has presented certain difficulties in considering the best and most economical provision to be made for the animals at Taunton. A number of schemes have received consideration, it being found that the pens at Weston-super-Mare are totally unsuitable for removal, and as the transfer has to be made early in August it was necessary to consider estimates of cost of suitable animal houses, to come to a decision, and to give instructions for the work to be put in hand. As a matter of urgency, therefore, we approved the construction of four animal houses with the necessary gangways on the roof of the County Hall, Taunton, at an estimated cost of £238 10s, and we recommend the Council to confirm our action and to make a grant to cover the cost.
Sir Chas. MILES: I notice that £238 is to be spent on hutches for rabbits and guinea pigs. You could house six hundred poultry on a modern poultry farm for that amount; or you could build a cottage in the country. I think it is an awful waste to spend money on housing guinea pig unless perhaps some provision is made for a cemetery for animals that have drunk pasteurised milk. (Laughter)
The Chairman said he thought the Clerk would agree with him that it had been the most troublesome matter they had had to deal with for some time. There were several points which had to be considered: First, the animals had to be housed close to Dr. SAVAGE's office so that he and the County Analyst could have access to them at any time of the day. Secondly, owing to circumstances over which they had no control, it was impossible to house them on the roof as was intended. The third difficulty was that if they interfered with the builders' arrangements they would lose the six months' guarantee on the building.
Sir Chas. MILES: I think they are very lucky guinea pigs. (Laughter.)
The report added that the cost of installing the necessary chemical fire extinguishers in the County Hall would be approximately £90, and the Committee recommended the Council to direct that such extinguishers be installed. The Committee also recommended the Council to authorise the supply and fitting of blinds to all windows of the County Hall, estimated to cost £433, and to make a grant to cover the cost.
Acting on the advice of Mr. Vincent HARRIS, and to allow the timber to dry thoroughly, the Committee had decided that no linoleum should be laid in the County Hall for approximately twelve months after the building was occupied; with a view to promoting cleanliness and as a matter of urgency, they had instructed Mr. HARRIS to have the floors stained and polished at an estimated cost of (?).
The Council confirmed the Committee's action.
PREVENTING HARDSHIPS TO STAFF.
The Special Committee had reported that the staff had asked that a deputation be received to discuss (1) the question of regarding certain unmarried staff as householders, and (2) the question of hardship suffered by junior staff on their removal to Taunton. That Committee had discussed the question with the deputation. “It appears there are certain members of the staff at Weston-super-Mare, principally unmarried women without dependents, who occupy unfurnished flats, on whom certain financial loss will fall in transferring to housing accommodation in Taunton” the report added. In such cases the staff have asked that, for the purpose of recouping these unmarried persons the unavoidable expenses to which they are put, they should be regarded as householders and so be eligible to receive similar financial assistance towards expenses incurred to that which the Council have granted to staff maintaining households, on transfer to Taunton. With regard to the second question raised by the staff, the Special(?) Committee consider it to be desirable, subject to the safeguards mentioned below, to extend financial assistance by way of grants to those juniors whose salaries do not exceed £95 per annum now at the threshold of their careers whom it is considered, in the interests of the County Council, should be retained and who could not continue in the service of the Council without such assistance.”
The Committee recommended the Council to empower the Special Committee (1) to regard unmarried staff, without dependents, living in unfurnished flats or similar accommodation prior to removal, as householders in connection with the transfer to Taunton; and (2) to make a bonus grant of money by monthly instalments in exceptional cases to office boys and girls and Grade V. and Class C. clerks whose homes are in Weston, provided – (a) that special hardship would exist on transfer to Taunton at the existing rate of salary; (b) that some financial assistance is reasonably necessary having regard to all the circumstances, to enable the person concerned to continue in the service of the Council; (c) that it is in the interests of the Council to grant such assistance; and (d) that the bonus and all other circumstances shall be reviewed at least once a year, and that in no case shall the assistance granted be greater than is necessary to bring the salary with bonus to £95 per annum.
Referring to the grant of £615 for the improvement of the Nisi Prius Court at the Shire Hall, the County Architect had reported that he anticipated a substantial saving in the cost of the work authorised, and the Committee had therefore approved of the appropriation of the saving in cost towards the expense of new seating on the benches and other small items of work in both the Crown and the Nisi Prius Courts.
The Council confirmed the action.
The ascertained cost of the adaptation of the Grand Jury-room in the Shire Hall as a Council chamber was £3,283. The Standing Joint Committee in December, 1933, made a grant of £100 for the strengthening of the floor of the old Grand Jury-room. There is thus found to be an adverse balance of £183, and the Committee recommended the Council to make a grant of this sum to cover the additional expenditure.
LORD BAYFORD'S GIFT.
Lord BAYFORD had presented six stags' heads to the Council. The Committee recommended the Council to accept the gift with thanks, and to direct that the heads be hung in the Council Chamber.
The various recommendations were approved.