At the close of the above meeting [a general meeting for the West Dorset Conservative association] Canon Gildea rose and said that merely by chance he had heard that a meeting had been called to take place after the other at the Club-room at the New Inn, and he asked if any person in the room could say who was the convener, and also if the meeting was to be considered a public one. After a slight pause,
Mr. W. Walbridge said: Well, sir, a party asked me to make it as public as possible, and not seeing you at the Vicarage this morning I forgot to speak of it when I met you on the road.
Canon Gildea: Surely you know who summoned the meeting, and the reason it was called.
Mr. Walbridge; Yes, sir, yes; I know, but I hardly know whether I should be right in saying who. I believe that the meeting was meant to be something about the Grammar School, but there, I have nothing to do with it, and know nothing more about it.
Mr. A. Taylor: I am surprised at you Walbridge; you seem to be simply acting as the tool for another.
Mr. Walbridge: No, sir, no! No!!
At this stage some little excitement prevailed, and the larger number followed Canon Gildea to the Club-room, where quite a large assembly, including Messrs. A. Salisbury, T. Shugar, Symes, Hansford, Mabey, Grinter, Studley, and others, were in readiness to proceed with business. As by magic, silence for a few moments reigned supreme, and signs of uneasiness In certain quarters were apparent, when
Mr. T. Shugar rose and essayed to apologise for the absence of the Chairman.
Mr. W. Read: I propose that Mr. Shugar take the chair.
Mr. Shugar, however, further repeated his regret at the unavoidable absence of the Chairman.
Mr. W. Read, for the second time: I propose that Mr. Shugar take the chair.
Canon Gildea: Mr. Shugar, do you know who was to be the Chairman, and if so, will you kindly tell us his name?
Mr. Shugar: Yes, sir, I know, but I am not prepared to say just now (laughter, and a voice: Oh! oh!!).
Mr. Shugar, not to be deterred, did yeomanSocial class between labourers and the nobility
Probably owning and working their own land service in battling to exonerate the Chairman for his unavoidable non-attendance, and in his remarks said that a portion the Netherbury inhabitants were dissatisfied at the action of the governors in treating for the building, known as the “Potteries", at Beaminster, as a suitable place for the Grammar School, while in their opinion a much better one, viz., the old workhouse, situated in the middle of the parish of Netherbury, was available. Some of the governors were present, and now they would hear their views on the matter.
Mr. A. Taylor (a governor): What governors do you mean? And how are you going get them to give you their views? They have not been asked.
Canon Gildea said that he understood that the meeting was held to protest against his action as chairman of the governors. What he had done he was fully prepared justify. Something he had said had got about no doubt; he did not mind; but it seemed to have been added to, and added to, that at last it appeared to be the story that by his casting vote he had prevented the Grammar School from coming again to Netherbury, whereas the proposition had never even been put before the governors.
The excitement here was increasing.
Mr. Macey rose amidst cries of “One a time,’’ and “Sit down.”
Canon Gildea proceeding, said he knew that Mr. Macey now objected to the “Potteries” on the alleged insanitary condition of the place, but he (Mr. Gildea), while considering it a suitable situation did not stand alone; the Medical Officer of Health, Sanitary Inspector, the larger number of the Governors, the Assistant Charity Commissioners, and others, all considered it the same. Canon Gildea then asked Mr. Macey if he raised any objection to the report when it came before the governors wherein it was stated that property of Mr. Leigh’s and the place in question were available and suited for the school with the necessary alterations and also whether it was not a fact, that he (Mr. Macey) had offered property Beaminster for the same purpose to the governors?
Mr. Macey replied in the affirmative to both questions, but with considerable explanation remarking that would always stand up for Netherbury, and that the Grammar School ought to be at Netherbury and nowhere else.
Canon Gildea then said that with the consent of the rest of the governors he could show the minute book wherein the whole of the proceedings of the entire governors could be read.
A voice: “Why do’ney tak’en to Beaminster an’ show they?”
Another: “It’d be the makin’ o’ Netherbury to hav’em yeer.”
It further transpired that a petition had been drawn up to send direct to the Charity Commissioners against the “Potteries of Beaminster” and in favour of the old Workhouse of Netherbury.
Mr Shugar read the provisions and Canon Gildea observed that they might do what they chose; they might get it signed by every ratepayer in the parish, but his opinion was that after Netherbury had exerted the whole of her strength the effort would be utterly futile.