At the meeting of the Ammanford Council last night, Mr. B. R. Evans presiding, a communication was read from the Local Government Board in response to the application for sanction to the expenditure of £200 for the purpose of lodging Belgian refugees.
It was to the effect that while appreciating the spirit in which the Council's suggestion was made, the Board were not aware of any authority in law for the levying of a rate for the purpose.
Mr. W. N. Jones : I thought it was understood that their sanction was given in the present circumstances to such applications. We knew what they now state before writing up.
Mr. T. Fletcher said all they could do was to fall back upon voluntary contributions, as was done in other places.
Mr. D. G. Davies said they could take it for granted it was quite impossible for them to have the maintenance of the Belgian refugees placed upon the rates, and now they should consider the best ways and means of entertaining them.
In other towns what was usually done was that a chapel or a church undertook the cost of the accommodation and maintenance of one family. He therefore moved that they ask all the places of worship in the town to appoint two representatives to meet the Belgian Refugee Committee appointed by the Council for the purpose of the formation of a joint committee. That of course, he believed, would give general satisfaction.
Mr. W. N. Jones said there was a relief committee in existence in Ammanford in connection with the Prince of Wales Fund, and it consisted of representatives from the various places of worship as well as workmen of the district, who were represented to the extent of one for every fifty.
In fact, the suggestion as to the lodging of the Belgian refugees came to the Council form that committee in the first instance; someone having stated in the committee that the Local Government Board would agree to the expenditure involved being put on the rates.
In view of the turn of events, he believed they should now inform that committee of the circumstances and let them deal with the matter. It was an entirely representative committee and he believed that that would be the more satisfactory way of dealing with the question.
Mr. T. Fletcher quite agreed, because if they multiplied committees like that the work would never be done. This Relief Committee had already got the matter in hand, and he did not see why it should be referred to some other committee. If it was confined to chapels and churches there was a good number of people who would not by brought in although, probably, they would like to contribute, but by referring it to a representative committee and getting up a system of collections the support of all in the district would be secured.
The Chairman also believed the better plan would be for the Clerk to reply to the Relief Committee informing them of the position and asking them to take the matter up.
A resolution to that effect was proposed by Mr. Evan Evans , seconded by Mr. Evan Lewis, and carried.
