SIXTY YEARS AGO Tuesday March 19, 1963
Town council gives green light to Sunday working
Before Lochgilphead Town Council at the monthly meeting on Monday was a request by a firm of plasterers for permission to carry out Sunday working on the council’s eighth housing development in Union Street. The architects, E and J Lindsey and Co who forwarded the request, commented: “It may be that local opinion is against the proposal.”
The schedules for the house building carry an embargo on Sunday work.
Bailie William McCracken, before the council approved the application provided Sunday work was absolutely necessary, said a number of objectors “would be among those who would be very annoyed if they could not get television on Sundays”.
In the letter to the council, the architects stated that the plasterers, who were already subcontractors on the site, had already been given permission by Messrs Arnott MacLeod, the main contractors, provided there were no 2003: Lochgilphead Co-op staff who got dressed up to raise money for Comic Relief. Lochgilphead and Ardrishaig branches raised a total of £400. extra costs. Dean of Guild MacKellar, housing convener, said the schedule contained a “no Sunday work” clause.
He assumed the request followed difficulties experienced by the subcontractors in getting men to come from the city and less opportunities for overtime.
“It is only natural the city plasterers would wish to put in as many hours as they can and we have got to suffer some things to get a job done,” he added.
Provost Dougald MacBrayne said a certain percentage of townsfolk would not like to see Sunday work being done, and in the past the town council had tried to obviate this.
“It may well be,” said Provost MacBrayne, “that unless the plasterers can get overtime, they will not come to Lochgilphead.”
Bailie Philip Lear said the council should not approve the application for the Sunday work unless it was absolutely necessary but if they did so he would want to know the subcontractor’s reasons for the application.
“We don’t know what lies behind his proposal,” he complained, “it isn’t stated.”
Dean of Guild MacKellar said they probably all knew what the reason was; the city tradesmen wanted more money, but even if approval was not granted, the work would be done, but when?
Councillor David Wilson said Sunday working on council housing was nothing new in Lochgilphead for he could state definitely that work was carried out on the Sabbath on the Front Street and Brodie Crescent schemes.
Bailie McCracken stated that he was a steady churchgoer but in his mind the real Christian attitude to adopt in the present circumstances was to house the people and if this involved Sunday work, let them get on with it.
He added that life went on just the same on Sundays, animals had to be fed and byres mucked, and he never heard of an objection to that.
“What is important in my opinion is that there is nothing morally wrong and our first consideration should be to hurry up and finish the job. This is very necessary for the welfare of the community,” he said.
Dean of Guild MacKellar, a former baker, added that he had for over 40 years worked particularly on Sundays but nobody had ever objected to buying his bread because it was made on a Sunday.
It was agreed that the council grant approval and asked the firm to work on Sundays only if it is absolutely necessary.