The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-03-22 00:00:00

KIDDER.III S rEtt TOWN COUNCIL.

The May, r (Mr. D. W. Goodwin) presided at th 3
mouthlylmeeting of the Town Council on Welles-
day.
Ti e Myor stared that he and the Town Clerk,
accompanied by Mr. Brilton, M.P., att nl.d the last
meeting of:the -Municipal Corporations Assoc:ations.
It was decided that Kidderminster should be one of
the towns iepresented on tilt, Council.
It was unanimously resolved that the Mayor ;
' should be the delegate to represent Kidderminster ;
on the Council of the Municipal Corporations Asso.
elation, and that on occasions when lie could not g
_ •

the Deputy-Mayor (Mr. Grosvenor) should take his
place.

The Mayor read a letter from Prince Leopold, in
which his Royal Highness called attention to the
fact that about seven years ago some tapestry works
were established at Old Windsor with the object of
reviving an art which had practically been lost in
England since the time of King Charles IL He
wished it to be generally understood that not only
were the works of production and reproduction
undertaken at Windsor, but that at that institution
the beautiful specimens of ancient tapestry which
decorate so many of the great English houses, and
which time and moths were ruining, might be p r-
fectly repaired. Although much had been already
done to extend its sphere of action he desired to
appeal to those public bodies who had so warmly
supported technical education. He asked for the
views of the Kidderminster Town Council upon the
matter, and snggested that they should discuss the
subject, and talk over the means by which a per-
manent national institution could be established
for carrying out the work.
Mr. Grosvenor said it was a most interesting
communication, and the art of tapestry, which had
for long been almost a speciality of the French,
should be encouraged. He moved "That the
Council were desirous of giving every encourage-
ment possible to art industry and technical educa-
tion, and sympathised most -thoroughly with the
efforts of his Royal Highness Prince Leopold in
endeavouring to establish as a permanent insti-
tution the tapestry manufacture at Old Windsor."
Mr. Greaves seconded the motion, which was
supported by Mr. Holdsworth, and carried.
The next communication was one asking the Cor-
pora,ion to contribute art treasures to the Albert
Exhibition.

The Clerk was instructed to write acknowledging
the receipt of the letter,.a,nd stating that the Kid-
derminster Corporation had promised to send what
they had to the Wolverhampton Exhibition.
A letter was also read from Mr Ivens, the clerk
to the Grammar School Governors, stating in answer
to one from the Corporation that the scheme of the
school did not provide for the publication of an an-
nual report by the Governors, and it had not been
their practice to make one. The Head Master and
Examiner both reported to the Governors, and those
reports and the accounts were regularly published.
The Governors had decided to issue a report annu-
ally, of which they would be happy to furnish a
copy to the members of the Couucil
The Mayor: I think that will be satisfaltory.
On the motion of Mr. Alderman Tovey, it was
resolved that a letter should be sent to the Gov-
ernors thanking them for their courteous reply.
A comtnunication asking that the Corporation
should sign a petition in favour of closing public-
houses on Sundays was, on the motion of Mr. By-
thewa,y, seconded by Mr. Green, ordered to be left
on the table.
The report of the Drainage and Waterworks Corn •
mittee having been read and passed, Mr. Alderman
Binnian, in reply to a question from Mr. Bytheway,
stated that he had had no complaints from the in-
habitants of Greenhill recently as to the water sup-
ply,
With reference to a case of impure water in
Blackwell Street, Mr. Comber, the borough sur-
veyor, said it was owing to a stoppage in the pipes,
and had been remedied.

The report of the Improvement Committee re-
commended that a district rate of 2s in the pound
should be made for the ensuing half-year.
Mr. Grosvenor, in moving the adoption of the re-
post congratulated the Council upon the fact that
the proposed rate was for such a small amount.
He spoke of the desirability of adopting the recom-
mendations in the report fir purchasing 247 square
yards of frontage land on Comberton Hill, at Li
per yard, belonging to Mr. Ankrett, and also the
premises in Worcester Street in the occupation of
Mr, Thomas Taylor, at the sum of .21,000. The
Directors of the Birmingham Banking Company,
who were the owners of the latter property, had
given the Corporation the preference oveilanother
person who wished to purchase the property. He
propo,ed that the report be adopted.
This was seconded by Mr. Potter.
Mr. Chadwick asked how it was that tome per—
sons were summoned for non-payment of rates whilst
others were not. He was told that the rate col—
lector was allowed to exercise his own discretion
as to whom he should summon. Mr. Cbadwiek
thought all should be served alike.
Mr. Alderman .Tovey told him that one or two
were summoned as an example to others.
The report was adopted.
The Medical Officer of Health reported. that there
had been 47 births during the past month, against
72 for the corresponding period last year. The
deaths had been2o, or 10.193 in the thousand for the
co-responding month. Three of the deaths occurred
in the Workhouse and one in the Infirmary. The
death-rate of the month was very low, and com-
pared favourably with that of any town of the
same population in the country. The small-pox
epidemic was dying out.
The report of the Sanitary Committee, the adop-
tion of which was moved by Mr. Jeff eries, contained
recommendations to the effect that a gratuity of
£3O should be given to the Medical Officer of
Health, and another of £2O to the Inspector of
Nuisance., for their extra services in connection
with the late small—pox epidemic. There was also
another recommendation to:the effect that the salary
of the Invector of Nuisances should be permanently
raised from £lOO to £2OO per year.
Mr. Potter seconded the motion, which was
supported by Messrs. Ho:dsworth, Holloway, W.
C. Green, Bytheway, Greaves, aril others.
Mr. Chadwick. whilst agreeing to the gratuities
being given to the officers mentioned, was opposed
to the permanent raising of the salary of the
Nuisance Inspector, and proposed as an amendment
that. his salary be not raised.

The amendment was not - secondel, and the
motion was carried. Mr. Chadwick being the only
one who voted against it.
Mr. Alderman Coson, chairman of the Baths
Committee, stated that after inquiries had bcen
made as to the cost of erecting suitable baths for
Kidderminster, they found that the cost would be
from .25,000 to £B,OOO, and the committee did nA
think that they should, is the present state of trade,
recommend that such a large outlay as that be
incurred just now.
Other reports were also read and adopted.

SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 1884