Reminiscences of Rotherham
by G. Gummer, J.P.
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is worse, even fail to notice beauty when a good building is erected. It seems to have been nobody’s special business to look ahead. The borough surveyor of those days, worthy man as he was, had no imagination, and was not sufficiently alive to Rotherham’s future. Many thousands of pounds would have been saved had a longer view at our requirements been taken. We are now paying dearly for this lack of civic foresight. I have seen numerous instances of this during the last 25 years. The latest will interest my readers. The White Hart Inn, where in former days it was customary for men of all classes to meet to discuss political and local matters, where surgeon, farmer, tradesman, and worker were comrades all in merrymaking, when there was no social democracy, and class hatred was practically unknown, and could not have survived in an atmosphere where all classes met and gossiped and smoked and boozed together, well, in those days, namely, in 1850, this property cost £760. Twenty-three years later, when offered for sale by public auction, it realised £4500; to-day, the Corporation, who find it an impediment to necessary street improvements. have to pay for the site and buildings alone double the sum it realised with licence attached, in 1873.
TOWN’S IMPROVEMENTS
The duties of the new committee included, amongst others, the passing of building plans, lay-outs of new streets, purchasing properties required for street improvements, etc. A few of the improvements made may be mentioned here. The widening of the Broom ond Wickersley roads has added importance to the southern entrance to the town, whilst a similar but much more costly widening of Sheffield road and Westgate have effected the same result for the West End. The Masbro’ side of the borough has derived benefits from the widening of Masbro’ street and the construction of Coronation Bridge. In the centre of the town the opening up of Corporation street and Howard street (previously known as Pigeon lane) brought about the removal of several slum areas. The widening of the top of High street, the removal of the bottle neck, and the erection of the Imperial Buildings, were the means of giving an impetus to private owners, besides increasing the assessable value of the borough. The construction of Bow Bridge and the intended new bridge in place of Jail Bridge will, although costly, add to the pride one feels in the town
A WHITE ELEPHANT
Previous to the erection of the Imperial Buildings, gieat inconvenience was caused to vehicular and other traffic by the narrowness of that portion of High Street. The whole of the property required for the improvement was scheduled and eventually purchased for £14500 which figure included compensation paid to tenants. The new buildings were designed by Mr. Joseph Platts and cost £17283. To this must be added the value of the Shambles site, upon which they were built, bringing the total cost up to £19,283. On completion they were officially opened by Sir Charles Stoddart, during whose three years office as Mayor they were erected. In a speech giving the history of the scheme, I predicted the committee would be able to show a return of nine per cent on the outlay, and for this rosy view of the prospects I was subjected to much ridicule, resulting in the structure being unofficially named Gummer’s White Elephant. It is truly said the most successful men never succeed in getting others to forgive them for succeeding. Since they were opened these buildings have yielded an average income higher than that predicted, and at the present time are paying eleven per cent. on the outlay. In addition, the old property had only a rateable value of £562 per annum, whilst the rateable value of the new buildings amounts to £2354. The profits, after deducting overhead charges, repairs, rates, etc., are round about £2000 per annum. Surely the ratepayer could do with a few more White Elephants of this kind. Other street improvements for which Parliamentary sanction has been obtained include Westgate from Main street to the Empire. The cost of this might have been saved had the
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