for some more of the planking to be taken off.
The offer of a shop, adjoining the Corporation property at Bourne’s Mouth for the sum of £40.10s was accepted.
For enlarging the Watchhouse, Mr. Langridge’s tender of £45.10s was also accepted. Mr. Winter’s rejected tender being £76 2s 6d, and the Surveyor’s estimate being £90. Ald. Clement remarked that one would be making an enormous profit or the other would be greatly losing.
To Build a Custom House of two rooms, and let it on a 21 years’ lease at a rent of £25, a site was chosen at the south end of a clump of rope-shops, near the lower lighthouse.
A Fishermen’s Church. An application was complied with for a site near the Condemned Yard whereon to build a church or chapel-of-ease, under a lease of 75 years at a rental of £1 per year - £25 less than the real value.
As to the Cemetery. The General Board had been written to, and the reply was that the Local Board had no authority under their own Act or any other, to provide a general cemetery, but any one parish might buy a piece of land and raise the money out of the rates. It was hoped, however, that additional powers would be obtained that session of Parliament.
The Old Warm Baths. Coun. Deudney was convinced that the first proper step to be taken in the means of improving the adjacent property was the removal of the Baths. He found there were 53 shares, the majority of which were held by members of the Council; also that the Baths had only earned an average £25 3s 6d during each of the last three years. He hoped the worthy aldermen who held shares would induce the other shareholders to be liberal. He moved that £600 be offered for their purchase by the Local Board. Ald Clift seconded the motion. Ald Scrivens said the average return was about 19s per share. He concurred with Mr. Deudney’s views, and he rose as not only a shareholder himself, but also as representing several shares held by parties at Windsor, Maidstone, Brighton, Northiam and elsewhere, who he thought, would agree to any fair terms. It should be remembered that though the Baths were now old, they were once new, and those who took shares at the time were as anxious to promote the interest of the town as the Board now was in the endeavour to get them removed. The dividends were now low, but in former years they used to pay £2 and more. The original cost of the shares was from £7 to £9, and they might now be put at £15. - The motion was carried, but, as will be seen further on the shareholders would not accept £600.
Mr. Putland and the Reservoir. The next notice on the agenda was for Mr. Putland to deliver plans &c. of new reservoir; also to deliver up all books, papers, bills, etc. with a list of bills outstanding. Mr. Putland, who was in attendance, said that having seen by the newspaper that his -
