The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-04-29 00:00:00

BOARD OF GUARDIANS.

The weekly meeting of this Board was held yesterday;
Mr. Granger in the chair. There were also present:—
Messrs. Brooks, Rollinson, Bird, Billingham, Darby,
Baker, Jeffries, Griffin, Guest, Homes. Fiddian, Fereday,
P. Pargeter, Higgs, Rhodes, Hall, Plant, and Paskies.
Admitted into the house during the week, 24 ; born, 2 ;
discharged, 4; dead, 2; remaining, 446: corresponding
week last year, 408. Out-door relief. Kingswinford dis-
trict, .641 Its 7d; Stourbridge district, £25 19s lid;
Halesowen district, £24 35 9id ; total, £92 ns 4d, against
£93 Us 2d, last year.
The minutes of the last meeting were read and con-
firmed.
The Sanitary Committee reported that they had visited
the nuisance at Wordiley Green, and inspected the brook,
and recommend the extension of the covered sewage
drain at a cost that would not exceed £25. After some
discussion the recommendation was adopted.
Mr. Pargeter remarked that Mr. Brooks was reported
to have said at the last meeting of the Board, that the ap-
pointment of Mr. Meredith, as assessor for the parish
of Kingswinford, had cost £l3O in the past year, and it
, now reached £4OO. He wished to ask Mr. Brooks for an
• explanation of the statement.
Mr. Brooks, in reply, said that if he was informed cor-
rectly, the expenses of collecting the rates for tire parish
of hingswinford, formerly amounted to £130., :and since
the appointment of Mr. Meridith, they had increased to
£4OO. It was well known that the appointment of Mr.
Meridith was at the recommendation of the Ratepayers'
Committee. . . .

Mr. Pargeter then said t was quite true that the ap-
pointment was from the Ratepayers Committee, but not to
increase the expenditure.
Mr. Brooks said the increased expenditure arose out
of the appointment.
Mr. Plant then observed that he endorsed what Mr.
Pargeter had said. He was quite satisfied that the ap-
pointment of Mr. Meridith, bad, in every manner,
met with the approbation of the ratepayers, because Mr.
Meridith succeeded in putting a large number of non-
ratepayers on the rate books, besides increasing the as-
sessment of the coal mines in the parish, which bad been
the means of reducing the rates from Is 8d to Ts in the
pound.
Mr. Griffin remarked that it hail caused the rates to be

increased in Oldswinford.
Mr. Fereday said the ratepayers of Kingswinford con-
sidered the appointment of Mr. Meridith as one of the
wisest acts that had ever been dune‘by the Board. Dur-
ing the past year the rateable value was raised something
like £2,000., for which Mr. Meridith would be satisfied
if he got 1:50.
Mr. Pargeter said the reason the rates had increased
in Oldswinforil, was because the rating of the coal mines
was placed on the same footing, viz. 1-12th as en the
parish of Kingswinford.
Mr. Plant said he had several propositions to bring be.
fore the Board, but under the advice of several members,
be would defer them until next week.
There was no other business.

Ma. BRUCE'S FlLL—Daring the earlier part of the
week several persons have been exerting themselves to
get signatures to a petition against the adoption of the
above bill, and more than 2,000 have signed it. The pe-
tition woo signed by Mr. John Hughes, the Chairman of
the Licensed Victuallers' Association, and was forwarded
to Mr. It. P. Amphlett, M.P., on Thursday es-cuing, with
a letter asking him to support it. A similar letter was
also sent to the Hon. C. 6. Lyttelton, requesting him to
support the prayer of the petition.
Sriuser ACCIDENT.—On Tuesday last, a boy named
' l'agett was crossing Church-street, when he was knocked
down by a spring trap. The wheel passed over his leg,
and severely injured it. Mr. Bayley, burgeon, was called
in, and the child is doing as well as can be expected.
CiiaNuuis RINGING.—On Sunday last was rung at Old.
swinford Church, 720 of Grandame six-inn, by the Stour-
bridge Society of change ringers; the first in that
method for 25 years. The band are as follows: Treble.
H. Hall ; 2, J. Guest; 3, W. Cooke : 4, W. Lawrence, 5,
W. l'ugh; tenor, T. Pogh.*Conducted by W. Pugh.—
Time, 215 minutes.