The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-08-17 00:00:00

KIDDERMINSTER.

A Surromr Row.—At the Police Court, on Monday,
before Messrs. Banks, Boycott, Green, and Tovey
(magistrates), John Millward, wearer, of Park Street,
was charged with assaulting his mother and damaging
her furniture. He was further charged with assaulting
Police-constable Humpherson.—The officer stated that
about half-past six o'clock on Sunday evening his atten-
tion was attracted to the house where the defendant
resided with his mother by a disturbance that was
going ox there. Millard had assaulted his mother,
and was smashing the furniture. He went in, and as
soon as he opened the door the defendant struck him a
blow on the mouth, afterwards bit him in two places
on the arm, and tore his coat —Mrs. Millward would
not press the charge of assault and wilful damage against
her son, and it was dismissed.—For assaulting the
police, he was fined 40s and costs; in default one month's
kard labnr.

BOARD Or GUARDIANS.—The usual forinightly meet-
ing of the Board was held on Tuesday last, Mr. Yiteley
in the chair.—The amount of out-door relief expended
in the Borough daring the past fortnight has been £56
9s 9d, and in the Foreign £59 14s Sid. Number of
paupers in the house, 222; corresponding week last year
133. The vaccination returns showed that there had
been 455 births in the borough during the last 6 months
and vaocination had been successfully performed in 402
cases. In Lower Mitten the births had been 65, and
there had been successfully vaccinated 01; Wolverley—
births 65, successfully vaccinated 61; Bewdley Borough
—births 68, successfully vaccinated 56 ,• Chaddesley
Corbet, births 30, successfully vaccinated 30; total num-
ber of births 213. out of which 195 had been successfully
vaccinated. There was an application for the situation
of cook from Sarah Sparkes, who had been in the ser-
vice of Mrs. Talbot for nine years, and who was highly
recommended by that lady. She was engaged by the
Board.—ln reference to the proposed erection of the
new wing to the house, the Qhairmau reminded the
Board that at the previous meeting a letter had been re-
ceived from the Local Government Board which con-
tained a report from the architect and inspector as to
the site chosen by the Guardians. That report had
been referred to the Visiting Committee, and the latter
bad carefully considered it, and could give no reply to
the letter other than that they must make the best of
their present accommodaticn. The suggestions of the
architect and inspector were of such an impracticable
character that they could not entertain them
or apply them to their present wants, and
therefore they had concluded to do the best
they could with their present foundations.
They were aware that hitherto they had had a school-
mistress only, but there were eighty children in the
school—a mixture of boys and girls—and that number
was too many for one mistress to attend to. She had
managed to do so by making monitors of the older boys
but there was an objection to such a plan, and the corn
mittee thought they ought to apply to the Local Govern•
meet :Board for permission to engage a master. He
mast be a certificated master, and there was no doubt
the examination he would have to pass would entitle him
to receive all the moitey they should get from Govern-
ment. As a matter of fact he did not think the ex-
penses of the Union would be increased thereby beyond
the man's rations. He would, of course, have to live in
the house and take entire charge of the boys. They
must do something; they could not leave eighty chil-
dren in a room of that size under the care of one teacher
alone. He then went into some details as to providing
accommodation, and moved that the Local Government
Board be applied to for permission to engage a master.
—Mr. Lett seconded this, and it was carried unani.
mously.

To COUNCIL.—The monthly meeting of the Council
was held on Wednesday, the Mayor (Hr. J. J. Harvey) in
the chair. At the last meeting a memorial was received
in favour of opening a new road across Caldwell, and it
was referred to the Improvement Coretu ittee. Mr.
Herring (the chairman of the Improvement Committee)
stated that Mr. G. Turton' the owner of the land
through which the street would run, asked £1,786 7s for
the land and some cottages on it, and for depreciation of
Caldwell Hall by the making of the road. He would
take £3lO leas if the street was 10 instead of 14 yards
wide, but the Council had no power to make streets of
less than fourteen yards. The committee were waiting
to hear from the Canal Company on what terms they
could arrange with them for a street across the new
wharf. In the course of the discussion, Mr. Jefferies
mentioned that the making of the road through Mr.
Turton's land would entail a cost of £4,000. It was
resolved to send a deputation to Mr. 2'urton, to ask him
to fix a lower price for the land for a new street.—The
Waterworks and Drainage Committee reported as to the
expenditure of the past month. The sum of £217
9s id hadlbeen collected on account of water rate duriag
the month,—The Improvement Committee reported,
among other matters, that they had considered the
question of erecting a clock in High Street, and had
resolved not to take any further steps in the matter at
present This subject caused a warm discussion at the
qaarterly meeting, and there was a renewal of the warmth
at the present meeting. Mr. Jefferies said he was not
going to allow the Council to stultify itself by permitting
the Improvement Committee to overrule the decision of
the Council itself to erect a clock. The Mayor interposed
with a remark, and Mr Jefferies said he was perfectly
in order. He did not want to be interrupted, and he
would:not be. There was an unanimous motion for the
erection of a clock. The Mayor said as long as he sat
there he rust ask for some sort of respect to be paid to
the chair. Mr. Jefferies had spoken to him in a way
which he had no right to do.—Mr. Jefferies said if the
Mayor wanted respect he must deserve it. The Mayor
must not try to put down everyone that he wished. The
Mayor said if Mr. Jefferies was going to move an amend-
ment to the adoption of the report he could do so. Mr.
Jefferies moved that the part of !the report referring to
the clock be struck out. It was referred to the committee
to carry out the matter, and they decllned to do so. A
very nice way that was of carrying out the behests of the
Council. Mr. Herring said the committee only resolved
to take no further steps at present. Mr. Jeffe rise said
this was after the thing was carried in the Council, and
the committee were instructed to give effect to the reso-
lution of the Council. Mr. Greaves seconded the amend-
ment, and charactorived the conduct of the committee as
unconstitutional and undermining the authority of the
Council. Mr. Tovey and Mr. W. Green said they should
have proposed an amendment, at the time to the erection
of the clock, but they understood the subject was only
referred to Um committee to consider. The discussion
ended by the amendment being negatived, and the motion
for the adoption of the report was carried.—Mr. D.
Corbet, medical officer, reported that the death-rate for
the past week was 94 in the 1,000, against 11.8 in the
corresponding month last year. There were 16 deaths
and 61 births in the last month. Several cases of
diphtheria were reported. A statement had appeared in
Chambers's Journal of July 31, that though Kiddermin-
ster had a deep well capable of yielding 100,000 gallons
of pure water a day, that the domestic supply was entirely
derived from wells contaminated by surface water. He
had thought it necessary to contradict this statement,
there being more than 2,000 cottages using the town
water. The Surveyor sail the editor of Chamiers's
Journal had promised to correct the statement iu tits
next monthly issue.