The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-11-29 00:00:00

gout aftb pistrict %lats.

COMMISSIONERS' MEETING.

The usual monthly meeting of this Board was
held on Monday last, in the Commissioners' Room,
Corn Exchange. Mr. J. F. Haskew presiding.
There were also present Messrs. Platt, Billingham,
Nash, Woolley, North, Jones, Gillam, Perkin,
Pa' ch, Pearson, Griffin, ParkeF, James, Walker,
Elicklin, Cadwallader, Palfrey, Stringer,
T:,e minutes of the last meeting were read and
confirmed.

The Finance Committee reported that the
Treasurer's balances on the several accounts at this
date are as follows :—Highway Account, £135 Gs. 4d
due horn the Treasurer; Improvement 'Account due
to the Treasurer £Bl 19s. 101 ; Urban Sanitary
Authority Account due to the Treasurer £5B 4d. 6d.
Your committee having examined the following
accounts and finding them correct, recommend
that they be paid, viz :—Highway account
11d; Improvement account, £245 2s. Bd. ; Urban
Sanitary Authority account £7O 10s. 101. Your
committee instructed the clerk to write another
letter ti the Clerk ot the Peace, stating that the
Ci.mmissioners nave waited another month for the
payment of contribution due from county on ac-
count of the main roads for the year ended Lady
Day last, and fail to see the cause of this delay.
Your committee have examined the vouchers for
the payments ordered at the last meeting of the
Commissioners, on the several accounts together
with the treasurers books. In the Highway Ac-
counts your committee find two payments by the
treasurer, viz :—.£75 and £225. They recommend
thrt a spe.ial meeting of the Board be called to
confirm the same. Your committee report pro-
gress in regard to 'SIT% Collis's letter.
The chairman said he hoped they should have
a cheque from the county authority before the next
meeting. He understood there was no less a
mu than £f347 3s. Bd. due from the county and
the Government towards the maintenance of the
main roads

The clerk read the receipt of a cheque from
Measrs. Harwards, Shepherd and Mills, of .2135 12s.
w'. ich had been paid to the counsel engaged in the
incorporation question ; and in which it further
stated that they estimated the other costs out of
pockst would be about .2135 more.
The Medical Officer of Health (Dr. Eger), re-
ported the number of births registered in the town.
shij of Stourbridge from October 20 to November
17th, was 26, viz :-11 males and 15 females. The
nu nber of deaths registered during the same
period was 7, viz :-3 males and 4 females. Birth-
rat 31.8, death-rate 8.6. The officer reports the
death-rate continues exceedingly low ; the corres-
ponding rate last year was 9.8. He has examined
eleven wells, and found the water therein impure.
As the water-works mains hero net been laid down
in ,he parts where these wells are located, the Com-
pany have been requested to lay them down as
eat ly as convenieut. The journal of the medical
officer was laid before your committee.
The Town Officer reporteqt the number of
nuisances brought forward 10, removed 33, night
soil removal, 108 privies, 101 ashpits belonging to
201 houses have been emptied and cleans ei and
their contents removed, number of loads 16 t The
registered lodging houses, slaughter houses and
baLehouses are reported to be in a good sanitary
condition. The number of lodgers average d
weok,y 529, and during the month 2,123 persons
Your committee have considered the Rev. L B.
Penley's letter respecting the lighting of the Vaux-
hall, referred to them, and have instructed the
cli rk to acknowledge the receipt thereof and to
stete that as the road is not a highway repairable
b 3 tee commissioners, they are unable to comply
with his request. Your committee have caused to
be erected one lamp 150 candle power, at the junc-
tion of Kidderminster Stre t and Worcester Street
and one lamp 75 candle power on each side of the
town clock. After extinguishing other lamps the
ad itional cost of these lamps including the one at
the top of High Street, will be £l5 19s. 41. per
annum.
The Improvement Committee reported that the
surveyor presented his report.
Post Office Accomodation. Your committee have
carefully considered this question. In reply to a
letter addressed to Mr. Godby, the Post Office Dis-
trict surveyor., asking if the department had finally
decided to abandon the present premises, Mr.
Godby in his reply dated November 10th, states
that he may safely say that it has been finally de-
cided 0 abandon the old Port Office prea,ises as
unsuitable and incapable of being so altered or re-
arranged as to afford the accommodation required
in a p rmaaent Post Office, and he refers the Corn'
ml tee to the Post-master for informationreppecting
the proposals at present leader consideration Mr.
Godby also adds "That he shall be glad of any as-
sistance the committee may be able to afford in
obtaining a really good and suitable office.
The proposals at present before the postal an.
thorities are: First, an offer made by Mr. Thome',
llo‘,ltttoct to buita a. new Post Office, on the site in
High S-reet, now covered by shops in the occupa-
ti. n of Mrs. Handley and others and owned by Mr.
Godfrey. Mr. Robinson's plans have been passed
by the department but tie offer has not yet been
accepted. The second proposal is an offer made
by Mr. Worthington of premises at the corner of
Wollaston Street, in the occupation of Mr. W.
Gr:ffin, and also of the Scotland House which is
situate exactly opposite the post office. Mr. Gudby
has declined the Wollaston Street property, as un
suitable, but he is taking the offer of the Scotland
House into consideration, and a ground plan of the ,
premiss has been forwarded to him by Mr. Worth.
ir eton. Your committee bearing in mind the petition
of a bo ty of ratepayers which was referred to them
have carefully considered the relative merits of the
two proposals before the postal authorities, not only
in relatien to the sleitability of the buildings for
post office purposes, but especially with regard to
the oe tral position or otherwise Of the proposed
sites, and being of opinion that the si e offered by
Me, Ro inson is the more central, and would, there-
fore, be the more conveni, nt to the public as a
p st Qffie they recommend the Board to advise ,he
post office authorit;cs to Vopt that site Mr.
Robinson's offer is for the Pe at Office to be eJtia
ple.ed by Chriztmas, 1885. Plans and alterati-n
to be front of 56, High Street. was laid before your
c mmittee and they recommend that they be pressed
sul.ject to being in compliance with the bye laws.
Your surveyor presented his monthly report.
Mr. Stinger moved the adoption of the report
which was seconded by Mr. Walker.
Mr. Nash said be entirely dissented with the re-
pert. He belived that the principal trade was done
in the lower part of Hih St:eet. He thousht if
they would look they would find that all the prin-
cipal manufactories lay at the lower part of the town
He thought the Scotland House was a very fair pro-
enml, and he should move that the Scotland House
si e be recommended to the Post Office Authorities.
If theypok the other site there was a public-house
on each side and a theatre at the back, and if they
sent their servants they would stay two hours in-
,tead of one (laughteri.
Mr. Woolley seconded this.
Mr, Jonea then moved that the matter be deferred
for further consideration. Ile dirt rot know how
long Stourbriclge would last if it was not for the
manufaetories in the town.
Mr. Platt said he was at a loss to know why the
Post Office was removed from the cereer of Divine
Street. The removing of Mr. Godfrey's unsightly
hock of building would'be a great heon to the to .vn.
lii she eld approve of the general buildings being
altered and so tn-tkin;_T them into a post office.
Mr. Nash said he proposed the resolution as an-
-3tic to Mr. Godfi-ey's buildin r. If they could
find a more central place he would withdraw his
• eQolution.
Mr. Stringer -aid if they started to alter the post-
office buildings it would lead them to spend some
thousands of pounds, and the question was whether
the town was ripe for such a large expense now. If
they deferred this question they would drift into a
very bad state,
Mr. Perkins said he thought there was no better
place than Mr. Godfrey's property. He supported
the recommendation of the committee.
The Chairman thought it wanted a place str.h as
Lower High Street for being wide.
Mr Nash said he was told on good authority that
M. Whitwell's place could be puechased.
Mr. Stringer said they would not be able to pur-
ch4se it for .21,000 or .22,000.
Mr. Jones said they were losing £3OO or .2400
per year on the Market Hall and buildings He
thought they (right to do something and it would
soon pay the .21,000 or .22,000 if it was altered.
On the different motions being put to the vote, 7
voted for the matter being deferred; 10 for the
adoption of the report; and 6 for the recommenda-
tion of the Scotland House site.

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In the December part of CASSELL'S MAGAZINE,
which will form the first part of a new volume, two
new serial stories will be commenced, one entitled
"Sweet Christobel," by Miss Arabella Hopkinson,
and the other" A Diamond in the Rough," by the
withor of" Horace Maclean.'' A new feature,
entitled "Our Reading Club" will be included, its
object being to supply every information required
for the formation and arrangement of lead . g dubs,
euitable.programmes for readiug,