Mexborough and Swinton Times, July 23, 1937

Local Government

Local Government when the “Mexborough and Swinton Times’ came into being was in the hands of a Local Board, a Burial Board, and a School Board. With regard to the work of the second mentioned authority its principal efforts came to fruition in the opening of the present Mexborough Cemetery, just about the time the “Times” came into being.

The churchyard was closed for burials at this stage. The Burial Board was formed in 1872 and the School Board in 1876, and the latter continued the work of educational administration in the district until 1904 when the Balfour Act put county councils in charge of this service.

Urban powers were attained by Mexborough in 1895 when the Urban Council superseded the Local Board, with Mr. Charles Scorah as first chairman of the new authority. Mr. J. E. Cliff, we believe, is the only surviving member of the old Local Board.

As far as educational services were concerned the only schools in the town when the “Times” was first published were the National School, still fulfilling a useful function after all these years, the Primitive Methodist School, and what was called the British School, in Garden Street.

Board Schools were, however, gradually provided and now the town has facilities of an exceptionally high standard. There are half a dozen large elementary schools, including a particularly up-to-date infants’ school;, a mining institute, and the largest secondary school under the jurisdiction of the West Riding County Council. Also it is hoped that before the end of the year a large technical school, at present in course of erection on Park Road, will be opened. In addition mention should be made of the juvenile instruction centre which has been opened under the Government’s scheme for providing facilities for educational continuity for boys who find themselves unemployed upon leaving school.

Public services in the town have been more intensively developed in the last ten years than in the previous forty or fifty, A local company began to supply the town with water in 1880 from bore holes sunk at the east end of the town, and the Urban Council took over the waterworks in 1917. The local gas works were also jointly taken over by the Mexborough Urban Council in 1909, Obtaining powers in 1902 lo generate electricity the Urban Council installed a plant which ever since has been a great boon and asset to the township In the realms of transport. Mexborough had the benefit of tramway service in 1907, and though this has since evolved into a service of trackless buses, the same Company the Mexborough and Swinton ‘traction (formerly Tramway) Company still run it. The Yorkshire Traction Company, operating, fron Barnsley also serve the immediate district, as well as a much wider area with a highly efficient transport service now.