The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-03-01 00:00:00

Nocat an
.fistrict

COMMISSIONERS' MEETING.

The monthly meeting of this body was held in the
Board Room, on Monday last, Mr. Haghes in the
&lair. There were also present Messrs. Mlliughem,
Kelley, Mills, Griffin, lok, and Perkin.
The minutes of the last meeting were read and
confirmed.
Frearicx Comarreat.—Your Committee report
that the Treasurer's baltnces on the several accounti
at this date to be as follow, viz :—Highway Account
due to Treasurer, January 22nd, £lOl 6s 7d Im-
provement Account balance due to Treasurer to this
date, £44 75 14./ Urban Sanitary Authority due to
Treasurer £25-5s 9d. Your Committee recommend
the following accounts to be paid; Highway Ac-
count, £75 13s Od ;;Improvement Account, .2313 s 6cl;
Urban Sanitary Authority, ..£3l 6s ad. Your com-
mittee recommend them to be paid.
It was proposed by Mr. Billingham and seconded
by Mr. lek that the sum of .£75 13 Od payable on the
Highway Account, be paid to the several parsons
entitled thereto; that the sum of £3l 3s 6d payable
out of the Improvement Account, be paid to the
'several persons entitled thereto; that the sum of
.£3l 6s 3d payable out of the Urban Sanitary Auth-
ority, be paid to the several persons entitled thereto,
and that the cheques for the sums be signed by the
Chairman. 'Carried.
s REPORT OF THE GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE.
.—MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH'S REPORT.—N um-
ber of deaths registered in the township from Janu-
ary 20th to February 17th is 14, viz-5 males and
9 females. Death rate 161. The deaths are most
peculiar, as they have all been persons over 60 or
under 2 years of age. No deaths front any zymotic
disease. Number of births registered 17, viz :-4
males and 13 females. Birth rate 21.6. In the
corresponding month last year the death rate was
19 1 and the birth rate 42.4. There is nothing re-
corded in the Medical Officer's Visit ati7n Book.
Towle OFFICER'S REPORT. Nuisances brought
for ward, 8; reported during the month, 39; total,
I 47. Removed, old, 7; new, 34 ; remaining, 7. Num-
ber of loads, 13r. The slaughterhouses and lodging-
houses are reported to be in good sanitary condition.
The extra work done to the roads formerly turnpike
roads amounted to .£7. The committee advi:e that
that amount be paid to Mr. Horsley, and, furteer.
that the same system of employing, and cleansing
privies and ash-pits, and the cleansing and watering
the streets, be carried on to the next meeting.
Mr. Billingham moved that the report be received
which was seconded by Mr. Stringer and carriel.
STOURBRIDGE GAS BILL. -- Your committee have
carefully examined this bill, and in accardance with
the instructions of your Board, instructed Messrs.
Freer and Perry to forward to the solicitors of the
Company, Messrs. Corser and Walker, fourteen re-
quisitions on several of the clauses in this bill. The
replies to the same having been considered by your
committee, they recommend that under all the cif-
cumstances, especially as the rights and po were of
our Board, both under your Special Act and the
Gas Acts of 1856 and 1g66, are not lessened by the
proposed Act of 1879, your Board do not oppose the
bill,
Mr. Stinger asked if there was any gentleman
present who had gas shares.
The Chairman said he did not believe there was.
Mr. Kelley said he always understocd that per-
sons who had as shares could not sit at the Board.
The Clerk said that any person being a gas share-
holder could ghat the Board, but could not vote on
any question effecting the Gas Company.
REPORT OF THE IMPROTEADINT COMMITTEE —New
BVILDINGS.—PIana for the erection of twd- ho/ses in
Glebe Lane have been received and will be laid be-
fore the Board.
THE CLOSING OF Foam STREST.—The continued
closing of this street is a very great public incon-
venience. Your eotamittee see 'no reason why it
should not be at once opened for public traffic, and
have requested your Clerk to write to the engineer
of the Railway Company on the subject.
ROAD TO THE Cemiazay.—Your committee advise
that this road be repaired and a footway on the e
side properly formed. The levelling and channelling
of about 400 yards thereof is estimated to cost .£B3.
The Clerk read a letter he bad received from Mr.
Owen, engineer to the Great Western Railway Com-
pany, stating that be had written to Mr. Lovett
asking him to re-open Poster Street as soon as pos-
sible.
The Chairman said he had met some of the direc-
tors at Mr. Taylor's office and had a long conversa-
tion and had Mr. Taylor, explained to them that a
good deal of inconvenience existed to the shop-
keepers at the top of the town, and from what took I
place he had no doubt it would soon be open.
The total amount of relief paid to men for work
done, as recommended by the Relief Committee,
was as follows :—For work done in gravel pit, .224
16s 6d; on turnpike road, .43 4s 6d; for CoMmis-
missioners, £2 8s Od ; total £3O 7s Od.
The Chairman said it was necessary that a good
road should be made leading to the Cemetery, and
proposed that it be made at once
This was seconded by Mr. Billingbam and car-
The Chairman said that Mr. H. Turney, Captain
of the Fire Brigade, had spoken to him respecting a
wall projecting in the new fire-engine house, which
he said was an obstruction, and if the Commission-
ers did not take it down he (Mr. Turney) vats quite
willing to do so at his own cost, if allowed. The
Chairman thought it would not cost more then five
or six pounds and the members of the Fire Brigade
were making themeetves very energetic, and he pro-
posed that the wall be taken down as requested.
This Wes seconded by Mr. Mills and carried.
ALTERATION 07 TH2 BOV2fDLIT Lixz. The
Clerk produced plans of the new boundary at the
Heath and Upper Swinford, and said he had agreed
with Mr. W. Fiddian, the surveyor of Oldswinford,
and had been before the Magistrates to confirm
them.
The plans were confirmed by the Board.
The Clerk read two reports he had received from
Mr. H. Turney, Captain of the Fire Brigade, in
which it was stated that a fire broke out at Mr. J.
Edwards's and in the short space of ten minutes
the reel was ot the spot and at work, the distance
from the engine.honse being 30P yards. A. number of ,
firemen were present, the first being Fireman Wm. I
Perry. A fire broke out at Mrs. Lee's, Hagley
Road, a distance of 500 yards, and a number of fire-
men and the reel were on the spot in the short space
of 7 minutes-
A letter was read from the Royal Society for the
Protectton of Life from Fire, stating the conditions
on which they would place one of their escapes in
Stourbride.e.
The Board agreed to comply with the conditions.
A communication was read from the Board of
Trade relative to an application by the Stourbridge
Waterworke Company for a provisional order to ex-
tend their mains to Pedmore and Hagley, and stat-
ing that Mr. Prescott had 'written to the Board
stating that the water supply of the company was
deficient in quality and quantity, and that they were
incompetent to undertake the supply of the district.
The Clerk was instructed to forward the Board a
copy of a statement drawn up some time ago for the
Local Government Board as to the water supply of
the town. The Commissioners did not consider
there was any cause for complaint against the com-
pany.
The Clerk wa& instructed to prepare estimates for

red.

new rates.
A letter was read from the secretary, of the Gas
Company, stating that they had decided to allow a
discount of 5 per cent. on accounts for gas and fit-
tings supplied by the company, provided such ac-
counts were paid at the offices of the company by
the end of the second month in each quarter. The
Commissioners were dies ttisfied with this communi-
cation, and the Clerk was instructed to write to the
company and ask for a reduction in the price of gas,
and not a mere discount for payment in a certain
time.
The Clerk laid before tl:c r:r:cd.:ll-• the accounts of
the Gas Company for the year ended December 31,
1878. The inco*e of the year had been £12,196 Os
Id. The baladeinf last account was £1,763 88 81,
and the profit on the year's trading was £8,192 es
3d, making a total Of £4,675 I4s lid; of this, £2,400
had been paid in dividends in the year, £3OO carried
to reserve fund, leaving £1,975 les lid to carry for-
ward to current ma's account.

OPE;tING OF • COCOA HOVEM—On Wednesday
a cocoa and coffee house was bpened next door to
the Post Office, in Lower High-street, by the Rev.
W. Spurgeor, of Dudley. A number of local gentle-
rcen were present at the ceremony. Mr. Spurgeon
made a few obvrvations with regard to the objects
ef the place, adding that one of thus houses had
itgtgl APP: "111011Poill T 111.10104