The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-12-06 00:00:00

LYE.

LYE AND WOLLESCOTE LIBERAL ASSOCIATION.—
The annual soiree of the above :,ssociation was
held in the Lye Temperance Hall, on Monday
evening. Mr. Chas. Cochrane presided at the
at the entertainment given during the ev,ning,
' and expressed his hope that the Liberals through-
out the division would give the hand to each
other, and when it pleased Lord Beaconsfield to
dissolve Parliament that they would succted in
returning Lilieral representatives. That Wa.3 the
last occasion on which they should Inca, Mr.
Broadrick, who had done so much for them
as secretary of that association, and who was called
to other duties in toe East,m Counties. He hoped
they should have a worthy successor to him,
and he could not but personally express great re-
glet that he was leaving.—At a later stage Of the
meeting Mr. Lavender made some remarks,
.onahatting the saying that was too often heard

KIDDERM (NSTER.

Towle Coureene—The monthly meeting of the
Council was held on Wednesday, the Mayor (Alder-
man Naylor) presiding.—The Mayor read a letter
he had reeeived from the Lord Mayor of London,
asking him to co-operate in the London memorial
to Sir Rowland Hill, and ale) a reply he had sent,
in which he gave reasons why he must decline to
do so. In this he explained the exceptional position
in which Kidderminster stood, a success; ul move-
ment having some time ago been stated for a mem-
orial to Sir Rowland Hill, in Kidderminster, his
native town. The Mayor said his answer to the
L rd Mayor was in no way intended te repress any
indiviCual subscriptions which his townsmen might
be willing to send to the London fund. The Mayor's
reply was approved, aril the letters were .ordered to
be entered on the minutes. Mr. Herring said the
local memorial committee were about- to hold a
meeting with the view of raising .2300. more for the
pedestal to the statue.—A letter was read from the
Saeern Fishery Board asking the . Council to join
in the opposition to the Liverpool water scheme ?J
The subject was referred to the General Purposes
Committee.—The Drainage Cemmittee's report
principally ef reed to the payment of accoauts,
but, in answer to a question, Mr. Comber (borough
engineer) stated that the new boring at the water-
works was satisfac ory. It was now 217 feat d ep,
and they had broken into a good water seam.—
Mr. D. Corbet (medical officer) reported that the
death-rate of the past month was 20.8, as compared
with 19.5 last year. The birth-rate was 44.4. Of
the 67 deaths, 16 were due to diseases of the respi-
ratory organs, 3 to scarlet Pere; and 1 to typhoid
fever-.-The Improvement Committee, inter alia, re-
ported two houses in a dangerous state in Mill
Street, and recommended proceedings in regard to
them. They also recommended that as Christmas
Day fell on a Thursday, the Christmas market should
be held on the Wednesday preceding. The report
was adopted —Mr. W. H. :Green moved • the re-
appointment of the Post Office Committee, to con-
tinue to press the subje t of better local accommo-
dation on the Government. Although the matter
has now been thrashed out time after time, the
Post Office D -pertinent have only exhibited mas-
terly inactivity, and done practically nothing. Mr.
Gibson seconded the motion, which was carried.
The Mayor and Councillors, Tovey, Herring, R.
Dixon, Greaves and W. H. Green were appointed as
the committee.—Mr. Wood read a repert of the
Watch Committee, recommending the appointment
of Inspector Ebury as market constable, at a salary
of £lO a year, in the place of ex-police-constable
Vocotman, deceased. They also recommended the
acceptance of a tender for topcoats for the police
from Mr. C. Smith, Prospect Lane at 425. each.
The question of Inspector Nbury's appointment was
referred back to the committee.—The Baths Com-
mittee recommended the payment of accounts to
the amount of £27 6s id., and reported ,elO 103. 10,1.
as the receipts of the past mourn, .28 17s. of the
amount being taken at the Turkish baths. Mr.
Jefferies asked, as coal Lied other things were dearer
whether the Turkish bathers could not stand an
advance? (Laughter.) It seemed a large lose on
the month, £l7. on Turkish baths. It was as bad
as the Eastern question. Mr. W. H. Green: You
gentlemen who live out of town don't know any-
thing about it. The report was adopted.—On the
recommendation of a committee, the question of
the salary of the Borough Justice's Clerk was left
• in abeyance till it was seen how tee fees and work

were affected by the operation of the Summary
Jurisdiction Act, which comes into force on January
1. Meantime the Clerk is to be paid the old rate of
salary.—The Sanitary Inspector, in his report
mentioned that there weri; a great many cases of
fever in the town.— Mr. Wood proposed that copies
of the reports of the various committees_ should be
_ .

supplied to members of the Council before the
meetings ; but, after a discussion. this proplsal was
not pressed.; and the Town Clerk was instructed to
furnish cDpies of the reports to be read to the chair-
men of the several committees.—Mr. Ho dsworth
brought forward the question of the emptying of
ashpit9. moving the rescinding of the resolution of
tbe Council on the subject. Ultimately, however,
the subject was referred to the Sanitary Corn.nittee.

MASTER BUILDERS' ASSOCIATIoN.—The members
of the Kidderminster Association of Employers in
the Building Trade held their first annual dinner at
the Black Horse Hotel on Wednesday evening.
Mr. H Smith pr sided, and Mr. J. Binnian occu-
pied the vice-chair.—After the loyal and patriotic
toasts had been drunk, Mr. J. Binnian gave "The
Town and Trade of Kidderminster," and spoke of
the great improvements that had been effected in
the town during the last ten or fifteen-years. Whe
Messrs Dixon and Sons entered into a contract for
the erection of a carpet works at a cost of 19 000
many people in Kidderminster thought they must
be mad. But things had greatly altered, and the
numerous piles of handsomely-erected buildings
that e vered a great portion of the town testifid
to the enterprise of the masters, and to the great
success achieved in the Kidderminster carpet trade.
—Alderman Holloway responded to fhe toast.—
The Chairman next gave t'Success to the Kidder-
minster Association of Master Builders." He said
it had been formed nine months ago and had made
very good progress. They did not wish to take any
arbitrary measures w;th regard to ihe men. Their
o bject was "Defence, not defiance." The employers
of labour had been "put on" in Kidiermiuster, and
that association was only formed in self-defence.—
Mr. Vale, the hon, secretary of the association, res-
ponded. He claimed that the association had al
ready enabled the masters in the district to resist
the unjust demands of the men, and in the early
part of the year they had made a reduction of three
fsrtbings per hour in the wages of the masons, and
had also made a slight reduction in the wages of
bricklayers, He said the members of the society
had held well together, and as long as they con-
tinued to do so the association would prosper.—Mr.
Nelso,t, secretary to tbe National Association of
Master Builders of Great Britain, also addressed
those present on the value of such associations, and
said their only object was to get a fair day's work
for a fair day's wages.—Mr. Vale proposed "The
National Association of Master Builders of Great
Britain," stating that the Kidderminster Society
was affiliated with it.—Mr. Clulee, of Birmingham
responded.--" The President," "Vice-President an d
Officers" and other toasts were also given.