The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-09-15 00:00:00

RALESOWEN.

TIIE SCARLET FEVER EPIDEXIC.—SeveraI ad-
ditional cases of sc trlet fever have broken out in
Gibbett Lane through, it is supposed, the use of
impure water. It is stated that the Sanitary
Authority would be asked yesterday to appoint an
inspector of nuisances for the parish. At theipre-
sent time there is only one inspector of nuisances
for the parishes of Halesowen, Cradley, and The
Lye.
OPENING OF THE RAILWAY.—It bas'been decided
to hold a public breakfast at the She..stane Hotel,
on October Ist, to commemorate the opening of
the new railway frona Halesowen to Northfield. A
large attendance is expected.

OPENING OF THE HALESOWEN AND
NORTHFIELD RAILWAY.
After a prolonged delay the long-talked-of Hales-
owen and Northfield Railway was on Monday
opened for traffic, thus op ning up a direct route
between Northfield and Halesowen, and through
Halesowen t 3 Dudley, Kidderminster, and Stour—
bridge, The scheme was promoted some seven cr
eight years ago by a company having its head-
quaters in London with the view of giving direct
communication from Brom sgrove to the Stourbridge
Extension Railway. To do this terms had to be
arranged with the Midland Railway Company and
the Great Nestern Railway Company, and the
negotiations and preliminaries took up a long time.
Ile line was then made, and was practically
fini,hed about two years ago, but difficulties crept
in which have prevente I its utilisation until now.
Lately, however, a scheme has been agreed upon
by which the two railway companies work the line
jointly, and the Halesowen and Northfi,ld Raii-
way Company, as the promoters of the line, partici-
pate in the receipts. The line is a single one of
about seven miles in length, and there are stations
at Rubery and Hunnington. A time table has been
issued by the Great Western Company, which
provides three trainsdaily each way. leaving Hales-
owen at 0.36 am., 3.41 p.m., and 7.14 p.m,, and
returning from Rubery at 11.49 rian , 4 21 p.m., and
7.44 p.m. All these trains are in connection with
trains to and from Birmingham, Old Hill, Dudley,
Kidderminster, and Stourbridge Junction.

THE SANITARY CONDITION OF
HALESOWEN.
On Tuesday night a public meeting was convened
in the National Schools, Halesovren, • o take into
consideration the sanitary condition of the parish,
The chair was occupied by the Hon. and Rev.
Canon Pelham. There was a large attendance of
ratepayers, and amongst those present were Messrs.
R. Trewolla, T. Williams, C. Bloomer, E. Ball, S.
Goodman, T. lb getts.
The Chairman raid unfortunately Halesowen
had been visited with an epeditnie of scarlet fever
and he felt that it was highly desirable that the
water supply of the district should be improved,
and that the sanitary inspection of the parish
should be extended. He thought all these im-
provements might be brought about without hav-
ing recourse to the extreme measure of a Local
Board for the district. The Rev, gentleman de-
scribed to the meeting the defective sanitary state
of the parish, which, he said, showed the necessity
for something being done to improve the condition
of the town—(hear, hear).
Mr. Trewolla proposed, and Mr. T. Williams
seconded, that the Board of Guardians be requested
to appoint a second inspector of nuisances for the
parish of Halesowen,
Mr. Turner and Mr. Bloomer supported the reso-
lution.
The Chairman said fever had broken out to a
very serious extent in the parish, and it was the
duty of every paiishoner to do scmething to pre-
vent the further spread of the disease. He sug-
gested that ashpits should be covered ; that the
night-soil should be removed during the night
instead of the day, and that the drainage should be
improved in the infected areas—hear, hear).
Mr. Collard stugested that a committee of rate-
payers be appointed to inspect the parish.
After considerable diicaseion the resolution was
carried.
A vote of thanks to th 3 Chairman terminated the
proceedings.