The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-08-30 00:00:00

SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 1879

Mr. Hadley, on rising amidst, loud applause said
according to the announcement made on the bills
the meeting ought to be regarded with deep interest
by the ratepayers of the parish of Rowley Regis.
He saw by the bills the object of holding this meet-
ing was to protest against the 4s 6d poor rate levied
in the parish, and also the great waste of the rate-
payers money. It furthermore called upon members
of the School Board and also members of the Board
of Guardians to attend this meeting, and he thought
if such iudividuaLs were there they ought to
attempt to give some little explanation to the rate-
payers in what way the money was spent. As a
member of the Rowley Regis School Board and as
a ratepayer he may be allowed to make a few re-
marks upon this very important matter and it must
be regarded as a very important matter for trades-
men, shopkeepers, and small property owners, to be
called upon to pay such a great rate as 4s 6d in the
pound. The question may be asked, "Is the rate
legal." Some say it is not legal, others say it is,legal.
A voice, "It is the Tories then." If it is that this
new rate was made before half the arrears of the
old rate were collected, it must be illegally made.
The amount of the balance for the November Rate
is £1026 9s lOid so that if the new rate was made
under such circumstances if he was informed right
the rate was to all purpose illegally made. In this
respect there was the greatest instance ofipartiality
and it would ever to his mind be a black page in
the history of that parish, for in many instances
the landlords are allowed to compound for their
houses, which the law says they shall not do, and
the consequence is that to make up this deficiency,
the rate has to be higher. He could give instances
of this inequality of rating, and show them one
reason of the great immorality in reference to the
assessment of rates in that parish. He had two
shops at Blackheath for which his tenants paid for
poor rates £2 6s Od, and there were two shops
adjacent the same size as his, where the landlord
paid the rates and he only had to pay 12s 6d,
(shame). Now this was the case of things in that
parish. aloe that had this done to them were
" Barrsites." He did not know ho it was done
except- it was done by some sleight of hand, but
however it may be done, it was a fact that it had
bean done, and he thought this practice would
continue until the ratepayers protested against it.
They had as they knew railways running through
the parish, end:it w a I well under itood that railways
are assessed pretty heavily for the rate. He
thought the general cause of this 4s 6d rate was
owing to the bad management of property affairs.
The rates in that parish were more than they were
in Birmingham. He had already mentioned one
cause of the unequality of rating, and would now
show them in what way they had wasted their
money. In the first place the Local Board opposed
the South Staffordshire Water Works Company to
prevent them from bringing the water into the
parish, which cost them about £133 5s 2d, and then
they took it in their heads to oppose the Railway
Bill, and he thought it had not ought to have been
opposed at all, and that cost them about £4O. The
School Board rate foi this parish this year is is in
the pound, in Dudley it is only 6d in the pound,
and they have as many schools in Dudley as in
this parish. He could say without hesitating for a
moment that there had been a great waste of
money in the education department by erecting so
many schools, whereas he thought they could have
saved a deal of money if the Board had rented
schools instead of building them. And then the
Knowle School ought not to have been built at all
It was built entirely in the wrong place, and it had
never been but half-full since it had been open.
The Board gave for the land the large sum of 58
per yard, and he declared that if he had to buy the
land he would not give is per yard for it. Now
there was the building of those fine School Board
Offices, which caused a further burden upon the
parishioners, which would cost at the least from
£15,00 to £1,600. And then the manner in which
the board in the parish were elected was 'sure to be
injurious to the ratepayers. They live in a state of
Imperialism, and the ratepayers are in a state of
bondage. He for one protested against such a state
of things which prevents that freedom of discussion.
They wanted independent gntlemen on the Boards
in Rowley parish, who would attend to the busi-
ness brought before them, and not serve a clique
or a party, but the.whole of the ratepayers.— t Hear,
hear.)

charged with wilfully damaging a quantity of iron
fencing on the 18th, the property of Edward Harper,
of Whiteheath. Complainant proved that he saw all
the defendants who had hold of the wire rope pulling
it backwards and forwards. The damage done
amounted to 2s 6d. A witness corroborated. Fined
is and costs, and ordered to pay Is damage.