The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-09-30 00:00:00

*out artb District tlttus.

THE NEW BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS.
THE GLUE WORKS NUISANCE.

The first meeting of the New Board was held
in the Board room, on Monday last; Mr. H.
Billinghain in the chair. There were also pre-
sent Messrs. MeEwen, Blunsom, Emery, New-
earn, Perkins. Allsop, and the Bev. D.
Maginnis.
The Clerk read the minutes of the last meet-
ing, which were confirmed.
The following gentlemen then made the usual
declaration, and took their seats at the Board :
Messrs. H. Hughes, J. Hughes, J. Blew, W.
Young, Franklin, and Griffin.
The Clerk then stated that the Finance Com.
mittee reported that there was dne from the
treasurer on the improvement account the sum
of £302, and on the highway account the sum of
£l7l IGs 10d. There were bills due on the
highway account amounting to £22 lfis 6d, and
on the improvement account, the sum of 108 for
the lightinc, of the town clock. They also re-
ported that' Mr. Houghton had completed his
contract for making the new streets, for the sum
of £ll3 10s, on account of which he had only
received .£so.—The Clerk recommended that the
balance should be paid, it having been ascer-
tained that the work had been done to the sat-
isfaction of the committee.

the Clerk reported that the total cost of the
late election amounted to £l2 7s.

The Chairman said he Was pleased to say that
was ..£1.1.1s less than the previous year:

31y. Newnan' remarked' that he had noticed
five or six different kinds of bills istated ithrine
the election. He asked if it was not possible
to reduce the expense of printing by putting the
matter on one bill.

The Clerk said it was necewetry to have three
distinct bills, although a good deal of the same
matter was on each; and they were compelled to
have separate bills by the Act of Parliament.
The Chairman remarked that the expenses
were very low, and what had been done was ac-
cording to _let of Parliament.
The accounts were ordered to be paid.
The Clerk said that he had received a copy ol
a notice from Mr. G. W. Prescott, solicitor, to
to the effect that he should appeal against the
decision of Messrs. S. Moore and D. Bottomley,
the auditors, upon their recent audit of the ac-
counts of the township for the year ending March
30th last, the appeal to be made at the General
Quarter Sessions at Worcester in the next
month.

Mr. H. Hughes moved that the subject be re-
ferred to the Chairman and Clerk, fur them to
take such proceedincs as they may think neces•
eery, as the matter re4uires.
The Rev..D..3laginnis moved the special re-
solution, which was passed twelve mouths ago
appointing the various committees in order to
facilitate the business, and suggested that the
ex-Chairman and Clerk retire to choose flh.
names for the several Committees.

Mr. Emery seconded the motion, which was
carried unanimously.
At this stage, Mr. A. Freer, surgeon, and Dr.
Campbell entered the room.
Mr. Freer said it was with very great relue.
tance that herself and Dr. Campbell appeared
before them; but they were deputed to to confer
with the Board in reference to the intolerable
nuisance arising from the Glue Works, situated
at the back of his house, at the lower end of the
town. He felt bound to come before them, on
behalf of himself, his family, and as trustee of
his father's property in High•street, and asked
them to take such measures, without fear or
favour, to suppress the nuisance. Complaints
had been made on a former occasion of the nui-
sance, and experiments had been made to sup•
press it, but failed. When the wind was in the
East it blew right over his house, and they were
nearly stunk out. He should be the last man
to interfere with any man's business; but he
should maintain that no man bad a right, and
ioight not to be allowed to come into an old town
lake :stourbridge, and trect works which were
not only a nuisance, but injurious to the healthis
of the inhabitants. They might ask him to
point out a case of illness to them, where any
one had suffered from the nuisance. He would
say at once he could not, but he unhesitatingly
asserted, as a medical man, that it was injurious
to health. For the last four years the smell had
been going on, and those who were in business at
the lower end of the town felt it to be an intole-
rable nuisance, like himself ; and he should ask
them to take prompt measures on this occasion,
and so prevent the naiwanse. He felt sure that
if cholera or any other epidemic should make
its appearance in the town the consequences
would be serious, and that those who lived in
the vicinity of the Glue Works would suffer very
much, though perhaps they might not suffer so
much as they would if there was not so good
a supply of water. But he was convinced that
the virulence of any disease would be chiefly
expended in the lower end of the town. He felt
it his duty to come forward and ask them to take
such proper measures, for it was in their power
to suppress the nuisance. From the manufac-
ture of the glue by Mr. Turney there arose three
distinct smells; the first was simply that of
pure glue, of which they did not so much com-
plain ; the second smell was abominable, being
that of corrupting flesh by a mixture of lime;
and the third was an offensive smell which went
from the materials up the large chimney. He
iMr. Freer) might say that perhaps he was the
chief victim. His yard was very large, and
being close to the works, he suffered very much.
Members of his family had been awakened by
the disagreeable smell. The stench was so bad
that with closed doors and windows it was
abominable in the houses, He then presented
a memorial, signed by a number of inhabitants
of Lower High-street, praying that the Board
would take such measures that would effect a
speedy remedy, and concluded by asking the
Board to take the matter into their serious con-
sideration.

Dr. Campbell said he wished to endorse all
that 31r. Freer had said. He considered the
disgusting smells arising from the Glue Works
to be an intolerable nuisance, and the smells
arising from the works rendered it almost im•
possible to live in the house.
The Chairman here inquired if any member
of the Board wished to ask the deputation any
question.
No question being asked, the Chairman
thanked the deputation for I heir attendance, aint
said the matter should hare the serious consid•
ovation of the Board.

The deputation then withdrew.
The Chairman said for his own part he felt
convinced of the accuracy of the representations
which had been made to them on that occasion.
He had felt the inconvenience of passing acros•
the fields between Beauty Bank Schools and
Wollaston, the stench being very fearful which
;irises from the (Hue Works. If it was so offen
sive at such a distance from the town, it must
be almost unbearable at the back doors of those
who live near the works.

. --
Mr. Blew said the stench was intolerable, and
almost unbearable; that many of them were
obliged to close their chop doors, and dare not
open their windows.
The Clerk then read a letter from the Rev.
W. J. J. Welch, in which that gentleman stated
that in accordance with instructions which le
had received from the "Local Government
Board," he begged to lay before them, as a pre-
liminary step, a certificate having reference to
the nuisance arising from Mr. Turney's glue
manufactory in Duke-street, Stourbridge. They
would observe that it was signed by several
medical men resident in the town, although he
was instructed that the signatures of two only
were required. He made the present applica-
tion under the 27th section of the Nuisances
Removal Act of 1855, as amended by the 18th
section of the Sanitary Act of 1866, and he res-
pectfully requested that their Clerk might be
instructed to bring the matter forthwith before
a justice with a view to the suppression of the
nuisance. He begged to remind them that in
June, 11:169, a memorial from a number of rate-
payers, having reference to the same nuisance,
was laid before the Board by the Inspector of
Nuisances. Complaints had also been made by
himself from time to time without any practical
result. And although two years had been allowed
to Mr. Turney to abate the nuisance, it reniained
as it was. Indeed, every practical man knew
that the manufacture of glue (to make it, at
least, a profitable article of commerce) cannot
be carried on without offensive effluvia arising
from the works. He begged, therefore, to ask
that decisive steps might at once be taken in the
matter.