VOTE TOWARDS EXPENSES

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LXII, Issue 17, 4 March 1941, Page 3

VOTE TOWARDS EXPENSES

GRANTS TO BE MADE ON POPULATION BASIS

Decision was reached at the meeting of the Ellesmere County Council on Monday afternoon on the question of financing the local Home Guard, when it agreed to make a grant on a population basis provided the two town districts also paid their share on the same basis, the total fund to be thus raised being £100.

"The local bodies have to foot the bill, whether they like it or not, for the cost of the Emergency Reserve Corps," said Cr. W. O. Rennie in the course of an earlier discussion, when considering expenses of district organisations of Emergency Precautions Scheme and the Home Guard. He added that whether the local bodies should have a say in the matter of how the money should be spent was a matter which should be considered.

There was also a letter from the Ellesmere Home Guard Committee suggesting that the district local bodies should be asked for grants to total at least £100. On a population basis the grants should be £77/10/- from the council, £13 from the Ceeston Town Board and £9 10/- from the Southbridge Town Board.

The chairman (Cr. R. T. McMillan) said that it was suggested that if tlie Home Guard Committee had its own finances it would be able to control the expenditure and there would be no further responsibility on the council. This would cover the units already formed and those that would be established in the dis-

trict. It was pointed out that there had already been some expenditure which had been met by the council. If the Home Guard Committee had its own funds it would be able to go on with certain work, including the putting of the rifle range in order. The council decided to grant £77 10/- on a population basis, provided the two town boards paid their share.