The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-12-27 00:00:00

*callaixb!,istrirt ijecos.

WORCI-7,.T.',1t DI )CEi B ) OF

EDUt%k nos.

MEEIINti AL' STOURBRIDGE.
Ain sting on behalf of this society was held in
the Corn Exchange, Stourbridge, on Tuesday after-
neon, trider the presidency of Mr. U. P. Noel.
There was only a moderate attendance, but there
were representatives from the surrounding dis-
trict.
The Chairman seid the Diocesan Beard of Edu-
cation was an excellent institution, Aid he thought
it ought to be supported with a better spirit thin
it had been in many parishes in the diocese. The
Chairman alluded to Board schools as the curse of
the country, and said if the Diocesan Be ird had
been kept up in the spirit in which it should have
been he did not thi ik the institutims called Board
tsch iols would be scattered so thickly about.
Buildings were erected reaardless of expense, and
at the same time religious educatim in Board
I schools was," ery much neglected. If religion was
I not taught to nhildren when they were young they
! seldom to:A it afterwards, but became men of the
1 stamp of kir Bra tlau;h and that lot. It would be
a sad day for England if religion gonerally wa : ne-
glected as it wile in Board schools. 110 then
touched on 'ilthe opera ions of the DiceTs in Board
and its objects, an 1 expreAled a hope teat it would
receive substantial suppo.t.
Mr. J. Amphlett moved a resolution affirming
the importance of maintaining the whole scheme of
the Worcester Diocesan Board. and that it deserved
the liberal support of all Churchmen in the Arch-
deaconry. In speaking to the resolution, Mr. i
Amphlett said that even where rebel ,us e lucation
was given in Board schools it was given at the ,
b-ginning or ending of the lessous of the diy ;
and he was afraid ia these days, when over-presoore
was c nmplained of, it was sometimes put aside al-
together. It children coul I hardly be got to the
day schoo:s, how could they expect to get them
voluntarily to Sunday sehoots, where some people
said their religious education could be given A hiclt
was not given in Board schools.
The Rev, D. Robertson (rural dean) seconded
the resolution, and he stated that in the rural
deanery of Kidderminster, with 71,000 people.
here were only 14 pariehes which subscribed to the
Ilocesan Board, and 13 which hail offertories on
its behalf. There were only seventeen sub-criberi.
In the rural deanery of Dudley, with 97,000 popu-
lation, there was oily one subscriber, and he had
gone away. (Laughter,) He hoped there woul i
be more done for the society than there had been,
The:e had been 4f millions spent by the Chnrcn in
buil ling schools since 1870, and it would be folly
nut to maintain those schools now they were
bult.
The Rev. H. Sherra.rd (chairman of the Stour-
brilge Scheel Boar I) supported the resolution, and
in doing so, said he was pained to her their worthy
chairman say tbe Board schools were the curse ot
the country. He did not think they should benefit
their cause by so characterising the Board schools
of England. They were the offspriug of the Act of
1870, and it was the absolute necessity of the case
which caused them to be instituted. It was because
the vast body of the children of this country were
not overtaken by the eduction of the Church or
Nonconformist schools that it became a positive
n-cessity for Parliament to institute the School
Beard system, and apely compulsion to bring ai,
the children intojschooN He rej aced at the pase-
ing of that Act, and n a very long age he read
that a leading inepec or of schools in L mdon ha t
been meeting a good many clergymen in the Eat.t
End, the most neglected part of London, and these
clergymen told him they were bginniug hardly to
know their East End pari,hes, so vast was the
moral improvement moral i nprovenoent made in
them by the Mani schools. He thought they
should hardly speak so strongly of Board scboo,s
when they had such a record to show of tneir wo! k
img up to the present time. Mr. Sherrard reminde I
Mr. Amphlett that with regard to religious instru,-
tion being
,given at the beginning or end of t e
usual lessods in Board schools, that the same held
equally true of Church schools. He hoped the
people of England would never cease to have tee
Bible taught in their Board schools. He was hae.py
to say with r gard to tee Board echoo!s over whiten
he presided that, though there had not be- nco e-
p'ete unanimity, yet religion was tauget in th ei-
school., minus actual doginadc trachiag. '1 hey
ought to take care how they sough, to alive, .ce
th is cause by misrepresenting, he would cot 11y
intentionally, but without a sufficient know edge .-f
the fact- ef the case, the other sietein cf e i tieetehi,
which we a neeessity of the times, -oat which a :
believed wou d work a go rieeilt through tut;
li‘ngth and breadth of the land. While he i eid
these views, he would keep up and, extend twit.
Church schools, and he should be glad to d , ail
_tie
could for the society iii coenection with w'nien Cry
were met.

The resolution was carried.
The Rev. G. Bradley (Dodley) prepoied the
second resolution, that a constd -rable addition to
the income of the Diocesan Board was on.:essary
to carry on even one very important part of i
work—diocesan inspection—and a mu h greater in
crease was required if the Boar was to continue
its building grants.
This was seconded by Mr. A. Freer, sup )rtel by
.he Rev. C. S. Wordsworth, ond carried.
A vote of thanks to the chairman, proposed by
te Rev. ,J. L. Cmisshire (Wribbentiall), and
con led by the Rev. S. J. Marriott (Nether.ol9,
brought the proceedings to a close.

CERTIFICATES OF PoSTING,-..-Oa and after Cie
14 January, 1885, at the Chief Post Office f tnis
Tnwo, and at Branch or Receiving 011 ices, Fu :us
of Certifi,•ates will lie on the pabn eoun er .thd
any one bringing a parcel to post if he 'es.re
eti tificate, may fill up one of these fo.rns with tie
natne and addre,s of to person to whom the PiarLei
is directed, when it will be the duty of
in attendance to stamp the form with t. oiiicc
-tamp. This certificate, it twat he clearly un,1.1-
st.tod, does not. indicate that any liability attacht s
to the Postmaster-General in the vent of loss r
da tiage.—A list of parcels. when more than ote
parcel is brought by the same person, may be pr-t•
pared bc'ttyehand, or iat the counter by the person
posting the parcels, and pusented to be trly
stamped with the,offiee stamp. Tnis obviate
the necessity in such ca-es of (1 lling up a
form in respect to each parcel.
FA:111IONS FOR JANUABY.-With Christmas an 1
the New Year COMI3 the usual round of balis • ma;
parti c ; as the greater number of these season
able fi.stirities tilte place after the Christmas, it is
now that the much required evening toilettes nre
displaykd in great variety. LACS is preferred for
th., very dressy costumes, and as this is now to be
oltained in very in expensive qualities, a tasteful if
not a durable toilette may be had for a very small
outlay. Ivory, white, crime, or coffee laces are
made up over coloured sateen foundations, ad
black, in the same way, with perhaps satin or silk
kiltings at the foot, The skirt itself is often a
series of flounces all mud, with draperies of wide
pie-ce or scarf lace arrarged as pullers over the
front, and long loop bows at the back, Others
have the sott surrah draperies and bodiciwiii lace
trimmings only. The rt,und iull bodice is mutaii
adopted by young girls the necks cut only three
quart-rs hi4h, and fin,eite,a with simple lace tucker.
A very economical ,tyle is the lace flounced skirt
for which a heavier make of lace is used), to he
wont. with the plusir or velvet bodices. If the
colour be well chosen for this bodice, it may be worn
with several skirts, and as iL is generally the skirts
of b ill dresses ti.at get the most dilapidated, e -
pecially when composed of lace or such-like (zi >de
this suggestion will be worth following. A great
many simple and girlish costuines are made of
spotted muslins and Mairas net. These are made
with the full hou.,emaid skirt and full bodice.
Dresses made in this way are seldom becoming to
any but quite young girls of very slight figure.
Among the more enduring evening dresses May be
mentioned the ever fayourit., nun's veitings. Tue
plain and embroidered nun's Yellin:2s are not' made
up together. For re.;ular walking dresses and
winter toilettes there are a variety of new materials.
A very thick and heavy material much resembling
oatmeal cloth, but in all the new shades of woJi is
well adapted to the present style of plain skirt.
, Trimmings of any kind would be out of place
with these goods; the most severe style is followed ;
close-fitting hibit bodice and plain skirt, with lo ig
s:raight draperies at the back. Plain woollen
materials are made up in a similar style, with the
exception of having bands of braids or astrachan
laid on the skirt. Braid, both plain and fancy, is
much used for cloth and serge dresses; the newest
kind of braid is that worked in spots or devices
with colonied silk. Plain and figured or embroi-
dered cashmeres continue to be made up together;
the same style also appears in the foula serge',
part of the material intended for the dress, usually
about four yards, is thickly studded over with
chenille spots, in contrast to the groundwork of
the material. Another novelty in dress materials
is a fine twilled material resembling cashmere, but
at .uter make; the trimming material of the Line
quality is worked over with crescents, small
squares, or diamonds of velvet, well woven into
the material, leaving no doubt es to is durability.
Fhe broche wooliens are employed in pieference
to silks for the plain skirts of useful dress::,s;
strieed woollens are also used in the same way ;
these are in equal widths of two colours, or wide
shaded stripes all the same ton-, thes...l, with fine
wool serge or tweed, make up into the most u-eful
kaccliabout costumes. Velvets in Wlle and nirrom
stripes, or brocaded plush in dli s liklUs, are used as
Petticoats, pule* or general trimming* of the