The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-07-19 00:00:00

THE STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER.

of 10 • -- 'iucton it their wages

fi'oll.l

TILE

At the butts yesterday morning an acci
dent occurred to one of the markers, who
had his eye injured by a splinter from one of
the targets. Owing to fitful gleams of sun- '
shine and occasional gusts of wind sweeping
across the common, the Volunteers practis-
ing at the long range find some difficulty in
getting well on the targets, but at the
shorter ranges there is very little defection.
The camp has been visited by a larger
number of visitors than on any previous day.
The Duke of Cambridge is expected to-

day.
WIMBLEDON, 1 p.m.—ln shooting for the
extra prizes, Sergeant Fletcher, 2nd Stirling
made 35, but was tied by Sergeant-instructor
Gilder, Ist Devon, who in shooting off made
three more bulls'-eyes. The selection has
just been made for the China Cup, and com-
prises a very strong team of well-known

marksmen.

said that defendant was a Birmingham man. He '
had been to Bromsgrove on pleasure intesdin.! to
catch tt,e 10.40 train, but stopped drinking on the
ro-id He found he was too late, and very foolishly, no
doubt, went to look out for a place to sleep. Pclice-
consable Poole proved that the defeadant was tried
at Broutsgrove. for fowl stealing some time ago, and
envict, d, Sentneed to 11 days hard labour.
NEC LEc rlxa TO SUPPORT A FATitEn.--John Smith
was summone'd by Mr. Mills, relieving officer, for
neglecting to support his father, an old man, now in
the Union. Mr. Mills proved that the defendant's
father was receiving 2s per week from the Union.
or.ler had been made of is per we2k, and he now
, asked that the Bench made an order for the defendant
to pay is per week, and costs.
-
ASSAULT CASE. Eli Baker was charged with as-
saulting Joseph Walters on the 12th at Wollas-
ton. Complainant said the wives had had some
quarrel, and the defendant came up and said he
would settle the row with him. Defendant then
struck hian on the lip, cut it, made his nose bleed, and
knocked him down, and when down kicked him on '
the head. The defence was that complainant kicked
him four times before he struck complainant, and
called a witness who swore that Walters kicked
Baker three times first, and shook him. Case dis-
missed.
Womm's QUARRELS. —Sarah Walters was charged
with assaulting Raelnel Baker on the 12th inst. The
ssault complained of was that defendant had a-
stone in her hand and struck her on the face, inflict
ing a small cut. Defendant denied it. Case dismissed

KIDDERMINSTER TOWN COUNCIL.
The nunthly meeting of the Council was held on
Wednesdsy; under the presidency. of Mr. Councillor
Jefferies, (Deputy Mayot).
A communication was read asking the Council
to support the Municipal Corporations Borough
Funds Bill, and it was resolved to write to Sir
William Fraser, M.P, for the borough asking him to
support the bill.
A communication was also read requesting the
Corporation to support a petition in favour of a bill
the object of which was to put a stop to the sale of
iutoxicating drinks on Sundays.
Mr. Cooke moved that the consideration of the
subject be adjourned for six months.
Mr. Wood seconded this, and it was carried.
The Town Clerk read the report of the Drainage
and Waterworks Committe, from which it appeared
that there had been expended in wages. .c., £6B us.
2d. The committee recommended the p:tyment of
accounts amounting to £4lB 9s. The collector had
collected on account of water rate .084 Bs. Bd.
leaving £276 12s. id. still owing. With reference
to the proposed auxiliary water supply, the com-
mittee recommended that the tender of Mr. David
Baird for boring the well be accepted, according to
the accompanying schedule of prices :—First 50 feet,
6s. 6d per foot ; secoud, Bs. 6d.; third, 16s. ; fourth
19s. ; fifth, 235. ; sixth, 30s.
The report was adopted on the motion of Mr.
Herbiug, seconded by Mr. Alderman Lees.
Mr. Herring read the report of the Improvement
Committee. This recommended the payment of
bills on the general district rate account amounting
to £255 17s. 5d , and on the borough fund account
amounting to £487 7s. 9d. The rate collector had
collected .006 12s. 10d., leaving £4655 ss. id. to be
collected. The lessee of the market tolls had paid
£57 10s. id., which had been handed to the treasurer.
The committee recommended that the
.town be
divided into more convenient polling d;.frict t, with
the object of equalising -the number of . pars ,us in
each district,according to a plan N. Inc, was laid
before the Council.
It was approved unanimously, and the report was
adopted.
Mr. W. H. GREEN asked a question as to the
progress made with the kerbing and channelling:.
He thought they were now ia a position to remedy
the defective state of some of the streets, and they
should do so as soon as pcesible. He drew partic-
ular attention to the state of Fair Street.
*Mr. COOKE rai. t Chapel Street was also in a dis-
graceful condition, anl now they had the £4,000
they ought to proceed with the work as soon as
possible. At preseet the street was a disgrace to
the owners of property and to the locality.
Mr. HERRING said they had decided to take first
those streets in which the traffic was greatest. The
ireffic in Chapel Street and Fair Street wes limited.
Mr. CooKE The inhabitants of those streets are
ra,epayers.
Mr. Helium/: They are ratepayers; but we
have only taken up £2,000 as yet, and we can't do
all the streets at once. Under these circumstances,
we are taking first those streets where is the greatest
amount of traffic.
Mr. Comma (Borough Surveyor) said that since
the last meeting over 3,000 yards of kerbing and
channelling had been laid, and, that was a consider-
able quantity in the tune. They were geting on
with the work as fast as they could.
Mr. W. H. Green remarked that his reason for
asking the question wns that the public might have
information as to what was being done. Mr.
Jefferies read the report of the Sanitary Committee.
It appeared that 07 I.s. 2d. had been expended in
wages to workmen during the past month. There
had been £l.l os. 3d. paid to the inspector on the
night-soil removal account, which left, after bringing
forward a sum of .28 17s. 3d. from last statement, a
balance of £lO 15s Od. owing. The report was
adopted.
Mr. Corbet, the Medical Officer of Health, re-
ported that during the past mondi there had been 34
deaths, or 20 in the 1,00 as against 32 or 18.4 in
the 1,000 for the corresponding period last year. Ten
of the deaths had been under the ago of 60 and 13
wider 5. six had occurred at the 'Workhouse.
Bronchitis had been the cause of six, measles of four
scarlet fever of three. and diphtheria of one. During
the fir.st fortnight there were only 10 deaths. whilst
in the second there were 24. Mete had been 64
births. Measles were still epidemic in the borough.
There were still cases of scarlet fever. but the
epilemic vas subsiding.
Mr. Alderman Coxon read the report of the Baths
and Washhouses Committee. This recommended the
eayment of sal,ades;and tradesmen's accounts amount-
ing to enss 17s 2,1. The receipts from the baths for
the five weeks ending June, 1879, were—Turkish
iD 4s ; ordinary baths, .26 17s ; total :gl6 Is.
report 0: the Watch Committee was read by
the payment of accouri?esenattnido:)ipntteudn,,,
the Town Clerk plr. J. Morton). It recommended
ttloic:Clnlex2tllLsstinde.ss
'I he report having
for consideration was a notice of motion by Mr. W.
H. Green to the effect that he would ask that all
leo era he road which had been received with reference
to the Post Office accomodation since the last was
forwarded to the Postmaster-General.
The Town Uric read the letters. The first of
three, dated the 27th day of May, stated that the letter
had been reepved with reference to the Post Office
accommodation at Kidderminster, but some time
must elapse before a decision could be arrived at.
In the meantime the matter should be pushed on.
Sr W. Fraser, M.P., had then forwarded to the
Town Council a letter which he had received from
Lord John Manners, which stated that inquiry should
at once be made upon the subject, and a reirly for-
warded as soon as possible. With this was a copy of
the letter which had been sent by Sir William Fraser
to Lord John Manners, pointing out that the deficin-
eney of Post Office accommodation was a matter
seriously affecting the inhabitants of Kidderminster.
That town lisd incresssd of late veers, owing to the
development of public spirit and the flourishing
business carried on there. and its wants in the way
of receiving letters had naturally increased. A ereat
deal had bcen dono by the Corporation and inhabit-
ants in building municipal and other edifices ; excel-
lent courts had been erected for the ad minstration of
public justice,, fountains and statues put up, and
daring the time he had represented it he had
found a great increase in the ornamental and useful.
He hoped his lordship would find it convenient to
direct sectiou to be taken in the matter as soon es
possible. It appeared that the total space available
for the use of the public at the Kidderminster Post
Office was lift Gin by 7ft and that several good sites
had been found at the suggestion of the agent of
the Post Office authorities when sent down last year.
The Deputy Mayor: Is there not a letter from
the Postmaster-General?
The Town Clerk: The only one from the Post
Office authorities is the one I have read.
Mr. W. H. Green said his only object in calling
attention to the matter was that the public might
know what they were doing, as they had promised
to take the matter up. He believed that another
body in the town had been making application to
the Post Office authorities upon the subject. They
were not acting in harmony with the Town
Council, but, for i easons best known to themselves,
they were desirious of selecting a site which was
not so convenient to the town as was the present
site. He should prtpose that the Council adopt
the resolution of the Post Office Committee, anal
recommend the present site as the one best calcu-
lated to accommodate all classes in the town, and
that wheri properly altered it would be admirably
adapted for the purposes required.
Mr. Tovey seconded Mr. Green's motion.
Mr. Wood said that Mr. Green had been referring
to the Chamber of Commerce on their behalf he
must state racist distinctly that he was not justified
in ( harging them with want of courtesy to the Town
Council of Kidderminster. From the first they had
done nothirg but urge upon the Post Office au-
thorities the necessity for improved accommodation,
hut thy Ird not selected any particular site for a
new Post Office.
A discussion ensued, and eventually Mr. Green
altered his motion lo—" That the matter be referred
back to the Post Office Committee."—ln this form
the motion was finally carried.

CONSERVATIVE MEETING AT CRADLEY.

UPROARIOUS PROCEEDINGS.
A meeting in connection with the Cradley Heath