The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-11-04 00:00:00

TH q'TOTIRPOIMGF OPSFIIVER.

manifesting a week or two ago. There is now,
at all evcnts, little or no likelihood of any
further fall in the price of finished iron, and, in
fact, ironmasters who had not the foresight to
secure a stock of pigs now find that prices are
about 2s. 61. a ton higher than they were three
months back, so that with a fair average trade
prices of finished iron are not at all likely to be
lower. Even at this moment Staffordshire cin-
der pigs are as low and Middlesbrough pigs
lower than they were in 1868, and the only pigs
higher now than then are South Staffordshire
all-mine pigs made from the argillaceous iron-
stone of the district. In the present state of
things it is difficultto see how these can be re-
duced with the apparently continual increase in
the cost of getting the raw material owing to
the eight hours' movement and the restrictions
of the Mines Regulation Act. Still, there are
some people who will always bold back as long
as possible and however settled the market-
much pressure is required to induce them to
give out orders. To-day the inquiry was
principally for shBets suitable for galvanisers and
for stampers, and towards the close there was a
slightly improved demand for bars; but pigs of
all descriptions were in little request, and
Middlesbrough pigs were a turn easier. In all
other respects prices remain without nominal
change, being as follows :-Staffordshire all-
mine pigs, £3 15s. to .£4 10s. ; part-mine pigs,
to £3 55.; cinder pigs, £2 Ios. to £2 15s. ;
North Staffordshire pigs, £2 17s. 6d. to £3 6s. ;
Derbyshire pigs, £3 to £355.; Lincolnshire pigs,
£3 2s. 6d. to 0.t3 3s. 9d.; Northampton pigs,
£2 17s. 6d. to X 3 2s. 6d. ; all the above long
weight delivered to works in the South Staf-
fordshire district. Hematite pigs, .23 17s. 6d.
per ton of 2,2401b5., delivered to works here ;
plates (boiler), £lO to £ll ; common sheet
(singles), ..t9 to £9 10s. ; good sheet (singles) for
working up, £9 15s. to ..£lO 10s.; common bars,
£7 to 1:7 10s. ; list bars, £9 to £9 128.6 d. ;
hoops, ..,C9 to £9; thin rods, £lO to 1:11 ; fancy
rods, £8 Ios. to £9 10s. ; puddled bars, .R 5
10s. ; forge coal, 7s. to Bs. per ton ; slack(rough)
48. 6d. to 58. per ton; and slack (fine), 2s. 6d. to
3s. per ton.

ward's entry, 218 yards. Two man-holes have
been constructed and the sewer is ventilated by a
grating fixed in the centre of the road. Plans for
the construction of . four houses in Worcester
Street for Mrs. Taylor and Miss Glazaro, and two
houses in Court Road for the Misses Stokes
have been passed by your committee, subject to
their being in accordance with the bye-laws.
Plans fcr the rebuilding of a shop and premises
next to the Talbot Hotel for Mr. Henry Perks
were laid before your committee. As the plans
contemplated the lighting of the basement along
from the footpath your committee decided on in-
specting the premises and the effect of the proposed
alterations on Monday next. A plan for rebuild-
ing the front of two shops in Coventry Street be-
longing to Mr. Charles W. Collis was laid before
your committee. By this plan it is proposed to
take down the shop window which extends on to
the footpath about one foot, and to fix on the
place through a grating or other means for light-
ing the basement. .
Your committee see no objection to that pro-
vided the grating do not extend beyond the space
at present occupied.
The directors of the Birmingham and Midland
Banking Company in their recent alterations of
the premises in High Street have given up to the
town a piece of land in Coventry Street making
the footpath under it a very narrow front.
Your committee think the gift should be
acknowledged.
Your committee recomaaend the paving with
bricks of the fronts of some houses on the Cliff at
present paved with stones.
The report was adopted.
Mr. Kelley called the attention of the Board to
the Stamber Mill viaduct. He said that the
people had got very much alarmed since the acci-
dent and did not consider it Rafe. Many persons
that did go by rail now preferred to walk. He
thought some representations should be made to
the Railway Commissioners or the Board of
Trade. _ _

-
Along discussion ensued on the subject, some
of the members speaking very strong. They had
treated the Great Western Railway Company with
respect and couretsey in asking for the new line,
and the Commissioners had been humbugged in
return.

Ultimately it was agreed for the Clerk to write
upon the subject and that the whole subject be
decided in committee.

Mr. Williams, the town officer,:made an applica-
tion for an increase of salary t0...2100.
After a short discussion on the motion of Mr,
Franklin, seconded by Mr. Stringer the application
was granted.