Page 312 - Reading Mercury

wish to pass a pleasant evening with reading and rational amusement, without any
inducement to spend their earnings on intoxicating liquors.

1875
th
Sat 16 Jan
THE SANITARY CONDITION OF WOKINGHAM
At the last meeting of the members of the local board, after the transmission of the
usual business, the medical officer, Dr. Shea, presented his annual report, which he
had prepared for the Local Government Board, and the reading of which created much
interest. It commenced by stating that as the Board had only been in existence about
six months, time had been wanting to initiate large and important measures, still some
very useful preliminary work had been accomplished. It was very satisfactory to find
from the statistics that in the last nine months of the year there were only 33 deaths in
the district, which gave the very low average of 14.6 per thousand. There was not a
single case of death from contagious or infectious disease, and of the 33 deaths no less
than seven were of persons over 80 years of age.
The report then noticed the very satisfactory work that had been done as to the
removal of nuisance, and referred to on the state of the slaughter-house &c., and the
absence of noxious trades, but pointed out there were many cottages still requiring
improvement. Dr. Shea then made some valuable suggestions as to the future drainage
and water supply, and gave the particulars of the analysis of several samples of well
water from the different parts of the town, observing, that from the sandy nature of the
subsoil the water is peculiarly liable to contamination from proximity to drains,
cesspools, &c., and that as the height of the water in the wells rises and falls
considerably at various seasons of the year, so the quality of the water in the same
well may vary at different times, but the supply being derived from only a moderated
depth, it behoved the inhabitants to be very vigilant that all chances of pollution be
carefully avoided and quickly removed. The report concluded with much valuable
information as to the drainage and water supply of the district.

HIGHWAY BOARD
On Wednesday last there was a very full attendance at the Board Meeting in the
Town Hall on the occasion of the election of the Surveyor to the Board. All the
Waywardens attended and nearly all the ex-officio members. John Walter Esq.,
chairman presided and read the list of applicants for the office, fifteen in number, and
the very numerous testimonials of the several candidates.
At the final decision the choice fell on Mr. Thomas May of Wokingham (who filled
very satisfactorily the post of surveyor to the Windsor Forest Turnpike Trust for
fifteen years) by the narrow margin of one vote. The extent of roads within the district
is about 100 miles and the surveyor’s salary is fixed at £100 a year.

th
Sat 4 Dec
ENTERTAINMENT
The second of a series of popular entertainment in aid of the Working Men’s Club
and British Workmen took place in the Town Hall on Wednesday evening, Sir
Lumley Graham, Bart. in the chair.
The principal performers were Mr and Mrs Rippon and Mr. Cole whose
instrumental pieces were much admired; Mrs. Truman; the Rev. G.E.D. De Vitre; Mr.
Sale, and the Old Church Choir. The four-part song “The Forester” by the choir was
very creditably given and in response to a hearty encore they repeated the last verse.

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