The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-06-14 00:00:00

KIDDERMINSTER TOWN COUNCIL.

The; Mayor (Mr. D. W Goodwin) presided k.t thc
monthly meeting oi the Council held on Wecleescl:-y
1 letter had been received stati.,g that her istlaje-ty
the Queen had been pleased graciously to accept the
address of condolence from the Council on the occa-
sion of the lamentad death of the late Prince
Leopold, and it was decided that the counnuni,a.-
tion should be entered upon the minutes. The
Mayor stated that a letter had been rect ived from
his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. This
stated that it would be within the recollection of the
Council the Duke of Albany lately addressed a let e
to them with reference to the art of tapestry
making in this country. The meeting at which he
decided to write the letter was the last one at which
he was present in England, and the letter It
represented the last personal expression of his
various projects for the furtherance of national en-
terprises. His premature death had been a
grevious loss not only to those enterprises, tut to
all England. In accepting the position of Presi ic nt
of the Royal Windsor Tapestry Works he (the
Prince of Wales) especia'ly desired to second the
efforts which his lamented brother made for the
permanent establishment of this art industry and
it appeared to him that those who desired to perpe-
tuate his memory could most fittingly do so by sup—
porting a project in which both he and the Duchess
of Albany took so warn' an interest. This object
would be best achieved by donations towa:ds the
endowment fund, by orders of tapestry panels for
the decoration of public and private buildings, &c.
It was resolved that the Town Clerk should ac-
knowledge the receipt of the letter. Letters had
been received from Mr, John B...inton, M.P., stating
that he had presented the petition from the Corpor-
ation in favour of the extension of the Parliament-
ary franchise to women, to the House of Commons.
It wan resolved that the matter of fowarding the
ancient charters of the borough, the gold chain,
loving cup, and other articles belonging to.
.the
Corporation to the Wolverhampton Exhibition,
should be left in the hands of the Mayor. Mr. Bin.
ohm, in moving the adoption of the Drainage Com-
mittee's report, called attention to a recommenda-
tion which it contained to the effect th tt the
Borough Engineer should be authorised to employ
a man as inspector of water taps. He stated that
there was 30 per cent of water being wasted, and
that if an inspector were appointed the source of
the waste could be found out and checked. In the
course of the discussion that followed it was statf d
that the man would be only engaged for a month.
The report was adopted. Mr. Bytheway called
attention to the fact that several complaints had
been made about the water being of a very green
colour, Mr. Comber said the water was supplied
from the artesian well, and therefore ought to be
pure, Water that was stored in a tank would turn
green. The Mayor said the water at his place was
very good. Alderman Tovey mov.d the adoption
of the report of the Improvement Committee. This
contained a recommendation to the effect that the
Building Committee of the new Congregational
Chapel should be allowed permission to widen the
existing platform over the Stour as far as the centre
buttrsss of the bridge, so as to afford more space on
the river side. The report was adopted, and it was
resolved that a sum of is per year should be paid to
the Corporation by way of acknowledgment. Mr.
D. Corbet, Medical Officer of Health, reported that
there had been 77 births during the past mouth, as
compared with 73 in the corresponding period last
year. The number of deaths had been 37, or 18-8
in the 1,000, compared with 42, or 21-4 in the 1,000
for the corresponding period last year. There had
not been a single case of small-pox during the
month, and the one that was in the hospital had
been cured and had left. The other reports were. of
the ordinary character. Mr. Bytheway gave notice
that at the next meeting he should ask that the
Town Clerk be instructed to make a statement
showing how the £5,000 expended upon the im-
provements in the town had been laid out.