The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-09-13 00:00:00

THE STRIKE IN THE CHAIN TRADE.

KIDDERAINSTER TOWN COUNCIL

The monthly meeting of the Council was held on
Wednesday, the Mayor (Mr. W. Cowen) pre.ik:ing.
The Town Clerk read a letter from Messrs. Freer
and Perry, solicitors of Stourbridge, which stated
that on the sth of solicitors,
last Miss Florence Freeman
of Wausley, sustained nost serious injuries from
failing down the steps of a cellar in the -Kidder-
minster Market Had, and they applied on her behalf
for £250 compensation.
Some of the members expressed their belief that
the Council were not liable, and that the lesgee of
the Market Hall was the proper p.irson to be written
to.
The matter was referred to the General Purposes
Committee.
The Drainage and Waterworks Committee's re-
port was read by Mr. H. Dixon. It recommended
the payment of accounts amounting to £1,599 14s
lid. Tue collector had collected and paid to the
treasurer on account of water rate since the last
report up to the Ist inst., £63 19s 3d; making a
total collected during the past half-year of
3s 2d, being an excess of £2O 3s 2d over the estimated
receipts. The Committee recommended that a
water rate which had been made for the haf-year
ending December 25th be signed and paid.
The report was adopted and the water rate was
signed and approved. The total estimate is £1,312
2s Gd.

Mr. W. H. Green asked a question as to the
working of the new engines at the sewerage pump-
ing station during the late storm.
Mr. Comber (the Borough Surveyor) said that they
had worked most efficiently, and until the river
overflowed the town was kept entirely free from
floods. He had no hesitation in saying that had
the old engines only been at work the consequences
would have been most serious, and he believed that
the effects of the storm were considerably mitigated
by the new engines.
The report of the Improvement Committee was
read by Mr. Hering. They had written to the gas
oampany asking them to light the lamps of the
town on reduced terms, as coal and other materials
were much cheaper than formerly. The gas company
replied that in the last contract a considerable con-
cession was made in the lighting of the lamps,
adding many additional days and extended hours,
and the reduction in the price of coal was counter-
balanced in the reduction in the value of coke.
They declined under the circumstances to make any
redo tion.

The report was adopted.
In answer to a question, Mr. Comber (Borough
Surveyor) stated that great injury was done to the
road at Comberton Hill by the unfair manner in
wh'eh it was used by the draymen in the employ of
the railway companies, who either did not use
"slippers" at ad, or only "half-slippers.
The Town Clerk and the surveyor were ordered to
inquire into the law on the subject, and to ascertain
if the Corporation could not compel the railway
companies to have broader wheels on their drays, or
to i)ay a share of the cost of repairing the road.
The Sanitary Committee's report was adopted.
The Medical Officer stated that there had been 60
births during the past mouth, or 35-4 per thousand,
a against 68 or 40.1 per thousand for the corres-
ponding period of last year. There were 39 deaths,
enr
t2h3.e4tihnotuhsaentldioudsuarud asnlg.
the
comparedleeorres ponwaiitnhg.sp2eorirorn7i
last year. Thirteen of the deaths were from zymotic
diseases. Measles and scarlet fever were still
epidemic in the borough, but were on the decline.
The report was received and entered upon the
minutes.
The Sanitary Inspector (Mr. Edge) stated that he
had reported twenty cases of nuisance to the com-
mittee.
Mr. Dixon complained of the nuisance caused by
droppings from overloaded carts containing night.
soil, and also from quantities of the same being left
in the streets by the men who were employed to

remove it.
Mr. E. Crowther corrobrated the statement of Mr.
Dixon as to the abominable nature of the nuisance.
Mr. Jetleries (Chairman of the Sanitary Com-
mittee) stated that the carts now being used were
too small for the purpose. but that an alteration in
the whole mode of removal was in contemplation,
and inquiries were being made as to the way such
work was being carried out in Manchester and other
large towns. When this information was obtained
the committee would bring some plan before th.
Council which would obviate the nuisance.
Mr. Alderman Coxon read the report of the Baths
and Washhouses Committee. The receipts at the
baths during the month amounted to £l5 188 2d.
The report was adopted.