Reminiscences of Rotherham
by G. Gummer, J.P.
« « prevA BRILLIANT MEMBER
Unruly as many of the Council meetings were, they became worse after the entry into public life of Mr. Wilfred Louis Bertram Hirst. Possessing talent of no mean order, it is certain that had his judgment been as sound as his ability, and had he not confused prominence with eminence, there was no limit to the position he could have attained in our midst.
Gifted with brilliant wit and ready invention, these would have been really effective had he used them with chivalrous generosity and delicacy. Whilst showing great ability in debate, he proved weak and inefficient in practical effort, and left to others the details which make for success. He had self-assertion and a contempt for all forms and conventionalities. Yet, beneath the husk or shell, he carried a big and generous heart. A many sided man, he could harp on almost any string and arrest the attention of even those whose faculties were far above the ordinary. Strongly resenting the action of the Liberals in the Council, he used his talent in creating disturbances and obstructing business. On one occasion he drove His Worship the Mayor out of the chair, and his followers from the Chamber. Seizing the opportunity with a skill deserving of a better purpose, he induced the members remaining to vote Alderman Neill to the chair, and then carried several resolutions which placed the Town Clerk in such a position as to necessitate counsel’s opinion to unravel the mess they had got into. But rowdy or noisy as many of the meetings were, they never quite equalled those of our neighbours at Rawmarsh who were reported to have got so excited at one of their meetings that when they sat down they were out of breath. It was quite a common thing for them to call one another liars; in fact, on one occasion a member described one of his colleagues a 'd -- little tazzle and a sneaking little devil' .The chairman’s appeals for order received no attention; indeed be was told that he only presided over a marionette show, and as he pulled the strings so the figures moved.
1871 - 1887
A retrospective glance furnishes ample evidence that the municipality had con siderably benefitted by the legislative and admintstrative action of its representatives in spite of the constant bickerings which took place. Important questions had been settled, such as new and improved markets, a new bridge (Borough) across the Don, and the provision of a Free Library. A public park had been opened (Boston), and public baths were an accomplished task. The Council had also secured a borough bench of magistrates and their own police force. The disposal of the sewage of the borough had not escaped their notice, and the alleged pollutions of the town’s water supply were receiving attention. It could not be said, therefore, that the Town Council was a moribund body. In 1887 four young men were induced to offer themselves as candidates, and were subsequently elected. Young in years, their average ages not exceeding 37, and full of energy, they were destined to play an important part in the future history of the town.
To the eldest of this foursome, John Cox, a well known and earnest Radical, and an excellent platform speaker, the Liberal Party allotted the most important ward, viz, the East. This was a stiff proposition, Albert Leggoe, land lord of the Howard Hotel, being the retiring councillor, and it was known that no expense would be spared in their effort to retain the seat. next »