The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-09-09 00:00:00

VESTRY MEETiNG Al' KIDDRMINSTER

A numerously attended vestry meeting was held in
St. Mary's, Chantry, Kidderminster, on Monday, to
enable the Burial Board to submit a statement of the
bums required for the cemetery, and to ask the vestry's
sanction to the borrowing of a further sum not exceed
ing £4,000, in addition to the £O,OOO already borrowed.
The Vicar (the Itev. G. D. Boyle) presided. and, in
referring to his absence from the last vestry, expressed
his obligations to Mr. Fortescue in acting for him on
the other occasions, and his sense of the zeal Mr.
Fortebcue had displayed for the public welfare while it,
Kaidernainater. (Hear, hear.)
The Rev It. F. Evans (chairman of the Burial Board)
gave a short s a ement 01 the Board in oo ni g bets r,
tue vestry. eller° had been two schemes before them,
and they had felt the vestry should share with them the
reap rnsibility of deciding which should be adopted.
Vie original scheme would cost £12,863 to carry out,
and the reduced scheme, in which various alterations
had been made in the work, could be carried out for
£10,337 124 W. 11 they carried out the latter, the
Board would have to ask the vestry to borrow £1,500
beyond the £9,000 already authorised, but if the work
*ras to be done thoroughly and well, instead of that sum,
they asked the vestry for £4,000. In the reduced
scheme iron fencing was tubstituted for brick and
paliaading, a slated spire for a cone one, and the lodge
was reduced in size. Though it was the last time he
should have anything to do with public business in the
town, he trusted the vestry would give the Board power
to carry out the work thoroughly, so that it might be a
credit to the town.
The Mayor (Mr. T. Radford) moved that authority be
given to the Burial Board to borrow £4,000 more,
order to carry out the original plans for the cemetery
Under any circumstances, the Board would have to
norrow £1,500 more; but with the lower expenditure
the work ceuld not be carried out in a way that was
desirable, and the ditiereeee in cost to do it thoruughij
tthhies, annual charge and extended
twhoeu would
repaymentbesoo.
overl If they ithirty bo r ryears,ved
would be about £lelo more, and the cost to a man rated
at £lO would be about 411 a your. If there was ode
thing more than another which they should take pride
in, it shoihel be their cemetery. North of the lweed,
the cemeteries were made little pictures, and he hoped
the one at Kiddermiueter would he carried oat in such
a way that they should be proud of it.
Mr. S. Tuve), seconded the motion.
Alderman liolloway commented oe the large increased
outlay which it was proposed to make on the cemetery
compared with what was steted would be required when
the Board first came to the vestry for power to b Trow.
flie increased expenditure would not be felt much by
certain ratepayers, but there were those on whom a
small increase on the present burdens would press very
heavily. He moved as an amendment, " That no fuither
sum beyond the £9OOO be granted."
Mr. Beale seconded the amendment.
The Bev. F. R. Evans sail when the sum of £9,000
was named to the vestry they had not any plans before
them, and they did not know the cost, althoug4 they
thought it woull be within the amount then stated
The ratepayers would not be satisliel if they carried out
the cemetery in au unsatisfactory manner. The Board
had either to make a poor job of it, or to ask for more
money.
Mr. W. Green said the Board had got into a difficulty,
and be should like to help them out of it, but he did
did net agree with extra expenditure to the amount
which hid been named. Ile moved that the vestry
grant the Board power te borrow £l.OO for the par.
poses of the cemetery. He should like to sea a stone
spire instead of a elated one, and he thought some other
points might be reduced so that the work might be car
ried out, including a stone spire, for iI,OX) more than
the £9,000.
Alderman Naylor give the vestry a succinct account
of the steps taken by the Burial Board, and said it was
not their fault that the expenditure exceeded the
amount they originally expected, they having relied on
the architect's opinion. If Mr. Green would alter his
amendment to £1,500 he would second it.
Mr. Green agreed to do so, and after a long discussion,
tbe Mayor's motion and Alderman Holloway's amend-
ment were withdrawn:
The understanding on which Mr. Green's motion was
passed was that a stgne sp;re should be built to tb.,
chapel, and that the Una' expenditure should not exceed
£lo,soo—viz., the Original £9,000 and the £1,500 addi-
tional voted by the meeting.
A vote of thanks to the Vicar concluded the prooeed-
ings.