The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-11-11 00:00:00

BOARD OF GUARDIANS.

The weekly meeting of this Board was hell
yesterday; Mr. Granger in the chair. There
were also prceent: —Messrs. Brooks, Baker,
Burr, Darby, Billingham, Fereday,
Foley, Griffin, Guest, Higgs, Hall, Jeffries,
Peteshall, Peskin, Rhodes, Weston, and Wright.
The minutes of the lest meeting were read and
confirmed. Admitted into the house during
the week, 11 ; discharged, 12; dead, 2 ; re-
mainiug, 893. Corresponding week last year,
412. Out-door relia, liingswinford district, .£BO
Is ; Stourbridge district, .222 4e 21
Halesowee district, £2l 8s 71 ; total, £74 94
id, against £9l :is 11, last year. The number
If persons relieved during the week was 1,841 ;
;land 1,636.
Mr. Ferodey called the attention of the Board
to the desirability of appointing a committee to
visit the lunatics sent from the Union to the
,taliord and Powiek Aeylurus. The expenses, due
'ul were very large, lied he thought that if a
:oieinittee wee appointed, they might be very
.luch reduced. It was the greatest misfortune
:or r person to lose his reason. He thought
but many might be removed to the Union, and
.ept at a iiideu less exp. - There were nearly
1)0 hinstiea at the two asylum,. at a cost of
.61..064 per year, and considering that snob an
ononnoue sum came out of the ratepayers'
pockets, they ought to take steps to redoes IL

The Clerk, in reply to questions, said that the
present vaccination districts, under the Act of
187, were as follows: Kiugswinford, in which
were four public vaccinators; in Stool:bridge
three, and Halesowen two. The numbrr of
births from September 1870 to September 1871,
3,119 and only 2,131 were vaccinated. The fees
paid to the surgeons for vaccination for the same
period were £4B 94 4d.
The Chairman said under the act of 1867 they
did not appoint any vaccinatim officers. The
clerk was merely directed to send notices to the
defaulters every half year, and in many instan-
ces they had had the desired effect. The Act of
1871 made it imperative upon them to appoint
vaccination officer or officers. Before such
could be done, however, the Guardians would
have to prepare a scheme, and submit it to the
Local Government Board for their approval.
They could take into consideration the desira-
bility of appointing one or more officers, and
whether they would appoint them according to
the registration districts. It would be most de-
sirable to have but one officer, as the work would
be much better done. It seemed to him that
the Clerk to the Union was the proper person to
appoint, and he believed if it was their wish the
Clerk was willing to accept it, at a proper retuu•
neratiou from the Board. The Clerk wits a very
trustworthy servant, and he had sons who could
help him in the work—(hear, hear).
Ihe Clerk, in reply to Mr. Jeffries, said the
duties of the vaccination officer would be to as-
certain the births from the Registrar, and the
names of those who were vaccinated from the
public vaccinator, and the cause of neglect from
the parents of children who were not vaccinated.
He would have to report monthly, also to issue ,
notices to defaulters, and if they did not comply
with the act he would have to prosecute them.
Mr. Jeffries said it was very desirable to bring
about compulsory vaccination.
The Clerk said the Act of 1871 made it com-
pulsory after the age of three months. He fur- ,
ther stated that at the present time there were 1
a thousand defaulters.

Mr. Brooks then proposed—" That in the
opinion of this Board the Vaccination Act of
1871 renders it necessary for the appointment
of a vaccination officer, and that the work would
be better done by the appointment of only one
officer for the whole Union, and that the office
be offered to the Clerk Mr. George Holloway)
at a fixed salary of .£BO per annum, with the ap•
proval of the Local Government &mei, as the
Clerk was willing to accept the same."
Mr. Jeffries seconded the resolution, which
was carried unanimously.

APPLICATION OF TEE CLERK FOR INCREASE OF
SALARY.

The Clerk having retired from the room, the
Chairman then read the following letter :
Ciairrusami,--Upon the resignation of my predeces-
sor in 1859, you did me the honour of appointing me
your Clerk, and in the month of June, 1860, you were
plumed to increase the salary from £lO5. to £lBO per
annum. Since that period al important measure.
have been passed ly causing extra service.,
amongst which may be enumerated :
1. Removal of paupers.
2. Compulsory vaccination.
3. Sanitary measures.
It will be in the recollection of the Board that in 1662
the relief to lunatics became • Union, instead of a paro-
chial charge, and the investigation of settlements of
lunatics transferred from the 0 to Board of
Guardians, and that by the operation of the Union
Chargeability Act (1868) the removal of all classes of
paupers devolved upon your Board.
It therefore became necesury for the interest of the
Union to put the law in force in many eases, especially
as regards c.se• f lunacy.
Since the alteration 39 orders of removals hay+ been
made of pauper. from the Union :
Oat of which one was abaadoned and one was appealed
against, and deeided in favor of this Union.
The amount of relief recovered under such orders ma-
£2ll 18s 6il. Twenty• five removals have been made X,
the Union

Out of which two were abandoned, and two were Itle•
cesefurly appealed against.
ibe amount of relief paid under such orders was £B6
Ii W.

The Poor Law Board, in their circular of the Cith
Ai.ril, 1566, express theinselvee willing to consider the
remuneration to the Clerks of Unions for extra service,
in respect of removal.. and C erks of neighbouring
Unions have been paid for such extra services.
As regards vaccination, I have, under your directidi.
,levotedlolllo time to the inspection of the half.yeariy
returns from the Registrars of Births and Deaths id oil.
vaccinated eases, and have sent out upwards of 3,0.10
notices to defaulting parties t, hero their childr.m
cinated.

Al to sanitary maivares, althoigh you have inamiclor.
app.inted, I MO frequently called upon to act in sue.,
matters, requiring time and some correspoudenea.
I would respectfully remind you that the Union has
increased in populntim since its qmation in 1836, from
35 911 to 73,983, and the comber of inmate, in the Work•
house from 109 at Lady•day, 1839. to 439 at Lady.dav,
1870. The expenditure of the Union for the year 1839
wmi £9,486, and for 1870 £18.592. consequently increas.
inc the ordinary duties liith in supervision and reepon•
sii,ility, which I respectfully submit ahould be met either
by remuneration for the extra services, or by an increase
Cu the present low salary.
For your information. I append • tabulated statement
of the salary. kn. paid to Clerk. of neighbouring onions,
for th• year 1870, and whatever may be your decision
the matter, it will meet with a ready acquiescence.
I have the honour to be,
Gentlemen.
Your obedient Servant,
GIORGI HOLLOWAY.
P.9.—Daring the present year 15 removals have beim
under consiierstion, viz., eight from the Union, and
seven to the Union, one of which was abandoned.

The Chairman said that he thought they would
all agree with him that the Clerk was deserving
of an increase of his salary. He was an excel-
lent officer, and he saved them a great deal every
year in law expenses. Under all the circum-
stances he thought the application ought to be
entertained. The Clerk had his best wishes, and
he hoped they would consider the matter.
Mr. Fereday said he endorsed everything that
had been said.

The Chairman, in reply to Mr. Rhodes, said
that the salary of the Clerk was .ClBO per an-
num.

Mr. deffriea said he hoped that the Hoard
would not give a niggardly increase, so as to
cause other Unions to offer him an inducement
to leave them.

Several Guardians expreAsed their satisfaction
with the conduct of the Clerk, when it was re-
solved to consider the matter that day fortnight.