Page 907 - Reading Mercury

who were then responsible for the enforcement of the newly-introduced Act of 1855
governing the uniformity of weights and measures. There are copies of the Imperial
standards as kept in London, and were made by a Reading firm. In 1888 the
responsibility for the enforcement of the weights and measures regulations was
transferred to the then recently created County Council, and only one master set was
required by them. The remainder was kept for use as “working standards,” and the set
now locked in the Mayor’s parlour was last stamped as being accurate in 1921. It is
interesting to note that in 1904 the then Chief Constable of Berkshire was required to
pass an examination and qualify as a weights and measures inspector before a new
department could be formed, and since then no police officers have been employed in
the department. The box in which the measures are kept—together with a copy of the
Imperial yard—bears an old label “Wokingham,” and is undoubtedly the one which
was originally provided for the local police. As the largest of the measures weighs
about ¾-cwt. (hundredweight) when empty it will be seen that the problem of storage
is a very real one, the Mayor’s parlour being quite inadequate for the task. The
acceptance of these measures is yet another reason for the provision of a civic
museum in Wokingham. The standard “weights” issued at the same time as the
“measures” are still in current use.

th
Sat 11 Oct
FREEMAN OF WOKINGHAM
Ald. E. W. Reeves Honoured
Wokingham Town Council on Thursday conferred upon Ald. E.W. Reeves the
freedom of the borough “in recognition of the faithful and devoted service which he
has rendered to the borough of Wokingham and to the County of Berkshire by his
long association with local government over the past thirty-five years, and his interest
in the social, recreational and cultural life of the town.
The resolution was proposed by Ald. W.C. Lawrence, and Ald. S.L. Bowyer
seconded.

th
Sat 18 Oct
TOWN HALL CURIOS
This week there came into the possession of the town yet another item of more than
passing interest to add to the existing large collection of curios already held at the
Town Hall. This, given by his daughter Miss Dorothy Wescott, is the illuminated
address presented to Mr. Thomas Manley Wescott, first mayor of Wokingham, on
completion of his two-year term of office. The address, in book form, is a
magnificently executed piece of penmanship and contains the names of the various
subscribers. It was handed to Mr. Wescott—after whom one of the borough roads was
th
named—on June 28 , 1888, when he also received the portrait of himself which now
graces the council chamber. At the same time Mrs. West was also given a bracelet by
the many subscribers, headed by the then Mayor, Mr. Thomas Briant Martin, uncle of
the late Mr. W.T. Martin, who was created a freeman of the borough.
At the moment there is a heavy demand on office accommodation in the Town Hall,
and indeed, there is a real need for a new civic hall and offices. As an emergency
measure it has been suggested that the existing Town Hall yard be roofed and further
offices provided by this means. It would, of course, cost a considerable amount of
money, but not more than a fraction of the cost of a complete new office block.

905