The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-09-23 00:00:00

THE IRON TRADE.

WOLVERUAMPTON, WEDNESDAY.

There has been little movement in the local
iron trade during the week. Finished iron is
very stagnant, the demand being smaller than
for some weeks past. This is attributable in
great part to the persistent holding back on the
part of buyers, in the hope of obtaining quota-
tions more in their favour either at quarter-day
or earlier. It is questionable, however, whether
any alteration at all will take place in prices at
quarter-day, and, should there be a change, the
probabilities are in favour of it being in an up-
ward rather than a downward direction. It will
be remembered that previous to the last local
quarterly meetings abundant anticipation were
indulged in that extensive alterations in
prices would be declared: the result, however
was that with one or two exceptions, prices
were unaltered. There has been no alteration
during the week in the prices of finished iron. On
'Change this afternoon leading pig-iron firms
riported a better demand than for some time
past. Prices, as a natural sequence, show an
upward tendency. Native lhot-blast pigs are
..£1 153. to X 4 17s. ; and hot-blast, £5 10s.
per ton. Part-mine and cinder pigs range from
.i"2 14s. 61. to £.3 5s per ton. Out of the 148
furnaces which the district contains, only 56
are reported as being in blast, and it is pointed
out that, this being the case, large quantity of
pig-iron must be imported from other districts.
House coal is in greatly improved request,
buf-, furnace coal is not in such brisk demand.
The colliers are now once more in fairly con-
tinuous employment, which there is little reason
to doubt will continue for some months to come,
ensiansdo v.ioilnlgtaxasto
thtlele
pultomsconstt
caoslltiheerywinretscorndree
pernicious short hours system is continued..

BIRMINGHAM, THURSDAY.

There is more doing in finished iron than for
some time past, and a number of the leading
makers to-day reported that they had sufficient
orders on hald to last them from two o four
weeks. Then) in bet, in goveral quitters
very warked change, °manna laving ovideutly

The Clerk said the Rev. H. Sherrard had re-
ceived a communication from the National Society
and suggested that Mr. Sherrard should attend
the Board on behalf of the Managers of St.
Thomas's Schools and was sent for.
The Rev. 11. Sherrard arrived, and said he was
sorry that such unforeseen difficulties had arisen
in the way of the transfer of the schools to the
Board. He supposed it was not to be wondered
at that the National Society should raise objec-
tions, as of course the society was founded for the
express purpose of having Church of England
schools throughout the country, and'it had no
doubt done a great work in spreading education.
What did surprise him was, that the Education
Department should apparently have sanctioned
the terms of the transfer, and then turned
round complet,ely and backed sip the National
Society. If the Education Department had
chosen to over-ride the objections of the National
Society, he believed they could have done so, but
they had taken the other line. He wrote to the
National Society an behalf of the Managers, and
gave them an account of the history of the schools
and the reasons which led to the proposed transfer
to the Board, stating that it would be very awk-
ward for the town if the agreement should come
to nought, and the Board should be compelled to
build new schools tit the expense of the ratepayers.
He put the case as strongly as he could, and asked
them to withdraw the objections. He stated that
the debt on the schools had been tubseribed by
the ratepayers, and he did not think that the
National Society would refuse a lease for seven
years or a yearly tenancy. As regards any
money being expended by building class rooms or
any improvements he thought the ratepayers were
quite safe as the money would be refunded to
them. He thought the best thing would be for
the Board to have a yearly tenancy or a short
lease of seven years. He had received a letter in
reply, giving no hope that the National Society
would withdraw its objections to the terms on
which it was proposed to transfer the schools,
to which the soeiety granted X3OO. He stated
that it would be an abuse of the confidence
reposed in the committee by the members if they
agreed to an arrangement for subverting the
school trusts. The society could not regard this
as a case of expediency and must, therefore, adhere
to its decision. Mr. Sherrard said so far as he
could see he did not thinic the Managers would
claim them back, and the Board had a guarantee
in the Education Act.

After some further discussion it was moved by
the Chairman and seconded by Mr. Wall, "That
the schools be taken on a yearly tenancy with a
reservation of the use to the Managers on Sundays,
Christmas Day, Good Friday, Ash Wednesday,
and Asdension days, and that the Cleak inform the
National Society thereof, and ask its assent and
state that the Board wttile they have every desire
to meet the proper requirements of the society,
and felt that they could not agree that the proviso
suggested in the letter on the 7th July, and
expressed a hope that it would not be insisted
0n.,,
The meeting then terminated.