Notes from Newport Town Council Minutes
These are not full transcripts of the Minutes. They are my own notes.
1911-12 (November 1911 - November 1912) Source: Newport-on-Tay Council Minutes, B79-1-11
| Elected: Simon Forrest, no poll; Charles William Buik, no poll; James B Robb (124 voted). |
| Council: Ward 1: George Rollo, elected 1909; James Young, elected 1910; Simon Forrest, elected 1911. Ward 2: Robert Thomson Leitch, Hillcrest, elected 1909, Provost; David Thomson, elected 1910; Junior Bailie; Charles William Buik, elected 1911. Ward 3: Alexander Lindsay, Seatonbrae, elected 1909, Senior Bailie; James Coutts, elected 1910; James Barry Robb, elected 1911. |
| Wormit electric: extensions at The Bay - approved subject to (1) no approval of aerial lines on buildings or other erections; (2) no poles in or wires across private property; (3) Council approval of all work. |
| Bailie Lindsay proposed setting up a committee to look into electric power and lighting for the whole burgh (a) from Dundee (b) a Newport generating station (c) take over the Tayside Electric. |
| Harris Building - dangerous - shored up. ?caused by sewer? - no. Settlement was made in 1892 with Mr Arthur B Harris's father for the public sewer, therefore not Council responsibility. |
| Wormit recreation ground - sub-committee to look for site. |
| Adie's Road, West Newport - complaints about this road from Lt. Ackworth, tenant of Fuchsia Cottage which abuts and enters from it. Misses Just (proprietors) be asked to repair at least the footway. |
| ?Pawl posts at Water Brae, Wormit? - delay meantime. |
| Walls on north side of Lower Woodmuir Terrace - too low. |
| Assessment appeals: Fenton (185 on Valuation Roll), Robb (187), Keith (188), Ferguson (209), Motion (213), Latto (293), Watson (314), Ferguson (403), Haig (412), Hart (449), Stewart (702), Lindsay (722), Boyd (751), Ames (752), Currie (787), Bell (796) - all poverty. Douglas (361) Woodriffe Terrace - now purchased a house in West Newport. |
| ?Improvement of postal facilities (delivery / despatch) at Wormit? |
| December 1911 - January 1912. Wormit scarlet fever outbreak. 30 December - Harry Robbie, child, Hillhead, Wormit. 31 December - Margaret Hardy, c/o White, Southfield. 1 January - Isa Hay, Wormit Farm. 2 January - 7 cases: Blyth, Ashbank; Gilmour, Railway Cottages; Foulis, child, Rockcliff; Howden, Elmbank; Tudhope, Holmbrae; Duncan, child, c/o Peat, Craiglea; Cameron, child, Bellevue. Other than the children, 1 at Bruce's College, Dundee; 1 at University College; 1 signalman; 1 telephone operator; 1 kept at home. Source was traced to Wormit Farm (Hay) milk - delivered by a boy with the infection who poured the milk out into the buyers' jugs. |
| Scarlet fever: 3 January - 8 more; 4 January - 4 more; 5 January - 6 more; 6 January - 4 more; 7 January - 0; 8 January - 1 more. Milk delivery suspended. Children stopped from attending Wormit School and no Wormit children allowed to Newport School, Miss Montgomery's school in Wormit and Miss Millidge's school in Newport. T P Stewart is Medical Officer of Health. 17 cases removed to hospital, the rest treated at home. |
| Electricity: Councillor Lindsay's motion defeated 6 - 3. |
| 1 January 1912. Telephone system transferred from National Telephone Co. to the government (Post Office). |
| Scarlet fever: Hay's milk suspended 2 January - 11 January. More cases: 14 January - Graham, Rose Cottage, West Newport; Gilmour, 2 Telephone Row. 15 January - Bruce, 9 Telephone Row; Fay, Longcraig Cottage; Miss Taylor, Longcraig Cottage. 16 January - Lees, 4 Hill Crescent; George Henderson c/o Taylor, Woodhaven Terrace; Freda Froebel, Daisybank. 17 January - Kelt, Wormit Bay; Graham, 1 Telephone Row; Todd, 8 Telephone Row. 19 January - Chapman, Bay House; Cuthbert, Kentallon. 20 January - A E Scott, Highbury, Wormit Bay; Brodie, The Thorns (outside burgh). 21 January - Davidson, Hillpark Terrace; Froebel, Daisybank; Wood, Glenlora. 22 January - Mathewson, Scroggieside Dairy; James Don, James Square, Newport; Gilchrist, Hillpark Terrace; H & A Geddes, Scotswood Terrace. 23 January - McKenzie, 4 Telephone Row. |
| Scarlet fever: nearly all got milk from Hay (Wormit Farm) or Mathewson (Scroggieside). Still an outbreak at Wormit Farm - 1 delivery boy. Mathewson's milk stopped on 22 January, Hay's stopped on 23 January. Cows examined. Houses disinfected. Disinfect railway carriages. Mr Spreull, veterinary surgeon for the burgh, could find no trace as to the milk being the cause, but it would probably be the people involved in the milking or distribution process. Wormit school stayed closed. Newport public library closed. ?Should the burghs control the milk supplies? Scroggieside dairy could resume next week [i.e. about 30 January]. Handbills: 'boil all milk'. |
| February 1912. Report on fire brigade: 5 men (4 Newport, 1 Wormit). Firebells in houses of 3 of the men in Newport (called by police station), and 1 in Coyle's stables. These were very expensive and gave indifferent service. Should there be 1 large gong? ?A siren at Tayside Electric station? How far would the sound travel? The men were tradesman, often working away from Newport during the day. Road foreman Walker maintains the hoses and equipment and knows where the hydrants are. Suggest adding Aitken McInroy, and T Moffat (who lived at Woodhaven) and also Janitor Potter. Water pressure wouldn't run along a hose at Linden Avenue, Kirk Road, Hillpark Terrace & Mount Stewart Road - and the fireman would just have to look on. List of equipment. Dundee hoses have reverse couplings from Newport ones. |
| Harris Building - could be demolished. |
| Wormit recreation ground - try to lease 3 acres from Wedderburn west of Bay House on both sides of the path to Peacehills. |
| Bathing and swimming pond - cost would be £1600 - out of the question. |
| Adoption of altered part of 1903 / 1911 Act (widths of streets). |
| Claim by Mathewson for £31-3-4 for stoppage by Council of his milk business, 22 January - 2 February. |
| Wormit recreation ground: 14 year lease, break at 10 years, entry Martinmas next, fenced off, £10 per annum. |
| Coal crisis - threatened strike - Council can appoint special constables if required. |
| New standing orders. |
| Handrails - Shepherds Brae, Castle Brae, Mount Stewart Road, Scotswood Terrace, Water Brae. |
| Improve entrance gate at West Newport station. |
| Widening & improving of Newburgh Road: widen the bit over the old tunnel; improve surface between Riverside (Cowley) and Marybank (Mr Winton), and between Flass Road and High Street. |
| March 1912. Burgh Surveyor's report: water - a 300,000 gallon reservoir and a summer of unprecedented drought but no fall in level of supply. Average daily consumption per head is nearly 40 gallons. |
| Note about sewers at cliff at Wormit [now sorted - i.e. they don't just drain over the cliff any more]. |
| A number of farm cottages at the roadside at Woodhaven - drainage - use of pail closets - complaints - extension of sewer allows installation of WCs - factor threatened closure as income didn't warrant installation of WCs. However, 6 WCs now provided. |
| Carpet beating factory - dust just blew over surrounding houses - now led down a shoot to ground level. |
| April 1912. ? Line of floats in Wormit Bay for safety of swimmers? |
| Wormit recreation ground: parties (inc. Cowley) trying to get same ground for golf course and some more ground - delay recreation ground scheme for talks. |
| Station Road ground - no need for fence, just remove old posts. |
| If golf course goes ahead, Council should lease 3.2 acres of Wormit Farm adjoining Newburgh Road instead of piece in Wormit Bay west of Mr Chapman's. |
| Scarlet fever outbreak: Some cases caused by Mathewson's delivery boy. A few cases originated at Miss Millidge's school, which was closed for a fortnight. Total 73 cases in burgh, 13 outside, 52 removed to hospital, 1 death. |
| Lower Woodmuir channelling & kerbing: Robert Just, an assessed owner, appealing against charges since all the kerbing & channelling done are on the right of way of Woodmuir estate and he shouldn't have to pay for it. Council refused this appeal. Letter about low wall (R R Taylor, Alma House) - good enough for 50 years, Council have raised the road, so Council should heighten the wall. Council refused this as well. |
| Wormit recreation ground: Wormit Farm is being advertised - does Council want some ground or not? No - take the chance of the golf course not going ahead and getting the original ground. |
| Erection of additional shelter on west side of slip at Braes (for ladies). |
| Burgh workmen (wages also given): George Murdoch, Joseph Weekes (surveyor), William Walker, William Bayne, James Brown, James Caird, Patrick Fay, Thomas Moffat, Aikman McInroy. Gas dept.: George Murdoch, David Hunter, James Henderson, James Johnston, James Greig, William Lamb, John Morris, Robert Cargill. |
| Complaint of weeds on vacant ground owned by Cowley between Marybank House and Hazel Bank. |
| Housing & Town Planning Act 1909 - inspection of houses - deal with Ward 2 first. |
| Retiring: Rollo, Thomson, Lindsay. |
| Application - Mr J K Jolly, Seacraig Tennis Club - part of recreation park as tennis court. Yes - 40 poles, subject to Berry's approval. Club to bear total cost. |
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