The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-06-11 00:00:00

1870.

Humber of male benefit membera, 229; number of
female ditto, 26; number of honorary member, 40;
deceaaed female member, 1.: total, 293.
. .

Monies invested Vjtls National Debt Commisaioner.
January 1. 1870, .Y 4.871 Is ad; invested since that date,
£120; half-year's intvrest due May 20. £B7 13s 8,1; in
Savings' Bank, £3O 14s id; balance in hand, £l5 as
sld.
Amount paid by members on account of sick ain't',
suers since January 1, £45 17t 2d; paid to sick members
succe that date, 141100 ; total, £4 7s.

Mr. William. moved that the reports read be
adopted. He considered the reports spoke for
for themselves. The society was in a good po-
sitiou. He regretted that he had not attended
the committee meetings oftener, but his hand.
were pretty full. He was one of the monthly
auditors, and that found him some walk. lit
had only found out two errors, and they were
clerical errors. Mr. Taylor had adopted the
.uggestion of their accountant in London, and
that of the late Mr. Foley, and he iiin.t say that
the reports are a credit to the society and to
Mr. Taylor, for the way ho had conducted
them.

Mr. Ryland, of Kinver, seconded the motion,
which wag carried.
Die Chairman said the next business was to
appoint stewards and visitors for the ensuing
year. This being done,
The Chairman said the next business was the
appointment of two viceinesidents. The rules
said they should have eighteen ; there were ouly
sixteen, two having been removed by death.
The Rev. R. P. Turner then proposed that the
Ron. C. G. Lyttelton, aud the Rev. Joho
Hodgson be added to the list; which was sec-
onded and carried.
This concluded the business of the Becher
Club, and the Chairman called npon Mr. Taylor
to read toe report of the Allotment Society.
lIVENTY.FIFTH REPORT OF THE STEWPO.NEY
ASSOCIATION FOR THE IMPROVEMENT
OF THE LABOURING CLASSES.

In the annexed account there is only one item which
seems to demand explanation: tile payment of to from
Len of Duoley, in respect of toe Wumbpurn Abut-
oeuts. This psymeut a tor the right to shoot over the
Sum bourn A.luttmehts.

I he Arrears, though, as always, too large, show a dim.
, notion a compared watt the rorrespondag

1 he lend is underlet to 758 tenaut., at it.in..fit of £llB
tis, to abtch £5 trent the harl of Dudley, 10. 51 Yro•
,certy lax returued, and 13s 2,1 interest hum B.viugs'
Bane has to be added. making a total of £124 9.
rue expeuses has been £122 2s 71d, showing a profit on
tbe year of £26. 111. t. 'Akin •ont added to the surplus
.tf £76 15s I3ld, as reported in 1868, leaves a eurplus ion
t 869, if all arrears were paid, of AltiO Dis 71d. There is
however .222 4. 5d to be deducted for vuids and bed
debts, reducing the amount to £5B 15. 214.
In the last rsport we alluded to a detailed statement
coneernlng the Hegles Allotments, and said we might
•osk., use at at on another wia.luo. We accordingly ap•
peed it on the other aide of the leaf.
It was put together in April, 1869. by personal euqui.
ties of the teuauts, concocted by agt iutelogent and cow
peteu, resinut In the palish, ant it appears Lolly satm•
Mctory as wed as interesting, though the apparent prof'
to 'asset ease., end on the avenge, a not perhaps t qua.
so what is soinetnues SUppused to reSelt from the ail,
sent .7.1 C m.

The Chairman said the next business was a
a very pleasing one—that of giving out the
prizes for the uest cultivated allotments. The
arst prize consisted of a handsomely houno
'mule auu live-prong forks. The second prize
was a testament and four-pronged forks.

The following prises were given by Mr. Foley to the
dnderruenuoned persons for the best cultivated allot-
intuit, in the year. 1869 elms—Wordsley. John
James, fifth tune of gaining the prize; Bawdley, George
Clarke. first time ; Areley Kings, Samuel Hood, first
.me; Kinver, Arnie 1 alley, first time; Atublecote,
Jione• Budgens, first time; oldswinford, Jeremiah
eighth time; New Wood. John Moreton, first
time; Belie mid, Edward Rea hottow, fifth time; kin,
ley Lovett. Joseph Testes, third time; Halesowen,
Snilvock, fourth time; Cradley, Tidal Parsons, second
rime; Churchill, William Hankins, first time; Bel-
brooghton, William Pardoe, fourth time; Tingley.
Charles Thum., fourth time; Peuenett, William Hardy,
second time; Wollaston, George Howells, first time.
Second rim.; Wordeley, Iticbard [hatcher, first time of
gaining a prize; Bewoley, Richard Gillen], first time;
Areley Kings, George Wilcox, fourth time; linnet.
Benjamin Liarbett, second time; Amblecote, George
(roma, filth tune . Oldswinford, Benjamin Dudley.
wird titue ; New Wood, George Penreiv, fifth time; Bells
Jllll, Henry Wright, third time ; Eluiley Lovett, John
Chance, first time; Gsorgo Bleem, third
time; Cradle', Simeon Hock, first time; Churchill,
illiam Poole; eigoth time; Belbrongh.on, Charles
L.ourne, second time; Bagley. Henry Barnett, first
sane ; Peusnett, Join Meatball, eighth time; Wollaston.
iere l'ratt, first time.

be blowing Matrie, having above thirty acre., re-
live. four prim... VI outman. (first chi's) : —Samar:
lunge., third time; Thomas Welling', fifth time. Sec
cud else": %Vainly-a Tlmmine, &tat time: Joseph Deem.
Mutt time.

The business of the Allotment Society being
concluded, the members of the societies then
adjourned to a large marquee, and dined to
getner. Mr. Foley again occupied the chair.
Dinner being over,
The Chairmen said: There are a few toasts
given at these annual meetings and I will al
once begin with the tirst—that col" the Queen."
He was quite sure that all present were thor.
oughly lo y ai, and that this country had perhaps
never been more so. He thought it was hardly
worth whde to take notice of the miserable
dupes who were subscribing money in further.
auce of the designs of Fenianiern. He believed
there woe ni Fenian s at that meeting, and he
!loped the rogues who were collecting money for
them would soon be in the hands of tie police—
(laughter and cheers).
. . .

The Chairman said the next toast he had to
propose was that of the Rev. G. D. Doyle, the
preacher of the day. Mr. Doyle had kindly
consented to preach the sermon that day, and
he was sure that he was entitled to their best
thanks for coming,
Mr. Boyle said he had for many years been
greatly interested in the fortunes of societies
like theirs, and he was much pleased to come
among them. The question was recently asked
in his presence of a gentleman who was inte-
rested in all kinds of friendly societies as to the
best system to be adopted in founding a club in
the North P He said, "If you are a wise mon,
you will adopt the laws and constitution of the
Becher Club "—(cheers). He believed the club
would attain greater success than it had yet
done, for, wherever established, its benefits were
almost immediately felt. As he was on his legs
he said perhaps the Chairman would allow him
to propose the next toast. It was the health of
\lr. Foley, the Chairman —(elteerF). They all
knew that lr. Foley and ffooily had taken a
4rt, deal of inter:At in all Nt 01 ks of believe-
fence in the neighbourhood. and particularly in
this soeistty.—Dsmak amid Feat sliming.

Mr. Foley, on rising, said he begged to thank
them all for drinking his good health. It always
gave him pleasure to attend their annual meet-
ings. It was too old a story to talk of the pros-
perity of the Becher Club. The club had be-
come every year more and more flourishing, and
after passing through various trials. He
thought they were at length permanently pros.
porous. They had a larger sum of money in
hand than every they had had before, and the
club was really beginning to prove its value to
those old men, who, having subscribed to it in
their youth, were now reaping the benefit of
their prudence. The club was now paying to
annuitants about XI per week, making £52 per
year. The next year and the year after these
amounts would become more numerous, and a
larger sum would require to be laid out. He
doubted if they would ever have a larger surplus
than they bad this year. But if that surplus
did decrease, it did not follow that the club was
less sound. In conclusion, the Chairman pro-
posed Lord Lytteltou's health, the noble Presi-
dent. In doing so he said he was sure he would
have been present with them if possible, but it
was probably owing to the great work in which
he was engaged in connection with the educa-
tion of the country, that he was unable to come
down from London. He had no doubt that
Lord Lyttelton would be glad to see in print
that they had not forgotten him.
The toast was drunk amid great cheering.
i The Chairman said there was one other toast,
and that would conclude them so far as be was
' concerned; that was the health of the officers
of the club, coupling with it the name of Mr.
Taylor. He considered that the club had a great
friend in Mr. Taylor, the able secretary of the
elub—(applause)—and that the prosperity of the
elub, in a great measure, is due to him. He
keeps the accounts well, and is at all times wil-
ling to give any information required— (ap-
plause).
Mr. Taylor, in responding, said he was ex
ceedingly obliged to the chairman for proposing
his health, and that he hoped the balance repor-
ted in hand, may he exceeded, and will be ex-
ceeded on some future dal (hear, hear). They
had plenty of money in hand to meet all claims
that might be made, and lie had greater confi-
dence in the prosperity of the club than ever,
and hoped there would be an increase of mem-
bers and friends, and then the prosperity and
usefulness would be felt more—(applause).
Mr. Williams said that this was the first time
that Mr. Foley and himself had disagreed. The
Chairman said he thought there would not be
so great a balance again, lie begged to say
that lie thought there would be a greater bal-
ance. He considered the Becher Club the best
club in the country—(applause)—and concluded
by proposing the health of Master Paul Henry
Foley, the chairman's son. The name was well
known and respected, and he hoped that the son
would follow in the same steps as his father,
and then he would never disgrace the name
(cheers).
Mr. Foley, on behalf of his son, returned
thanks, and regretted that his sen was not in
sufficient health to do so himself, and that he
was home from Eton College to recruit it. How-
ever, he hoped ere long Inc health would be
better, and that, as Mr. Williams had said, be
hoped he would not disgrace the name.
This closed the proceedings. The party then
.eft the tent to join in the amusements set
down, and they were very numerous, comprising
dancing on the green (which was kept up with
spirit until ten o'clock), rifle galleries, football.
boxing booth, photo galleries, , Sic. There
was also a large number of stalls, at which a
good business appeared to be done, and though
last, not the least, plenty of " kiss in the ring."
During the day a great number of persons
availed themselves of the opportunity of visit-
ing the beautiful grounds fled gardens, which
were kindly thrown open to visitors by Mr
Foley, and who were admitted by ticket, and it
is estimated that more than six thousand per-
sons were present during tLe day.