The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-02-03 00:00:00

DUDLEY SCHOOL BOARD.

The first meeting of the newly-elected School
Board for the borough of Dudley was held on Mon-
day afternoon, at the Town Hall. The Mayor
(Job Uarratt, Esq.) occupied the chair pro. tem.,
and all the members were present—viz , the Revs.
D. uosens, Gilbert Bradley, and S. J. Mario,t,
Aiessrs. ii. M. Wainwriait, D. Howatt, \V. E.
Walker, Walter Smith, W. Cooper, D. 'I anfield, J.
Finch, and W. P. Greenway.
Mr. llowatt in proposing a chairman for the ensu-
ing three years, said he ttiought when he named
tee gentleman he inttndtd to nominate Lis proposi-
tion would inet with the entire approval of the
Board. He had had very considerable experiefo)
in ad public matters in connection with toe
uorough, and had also had something to do with
the educational work of the town, and if elected he
(Mr. llowat) believed he would fulfil the duties
pertaining to the office of chairman with credit to
dinsif and with iiatisfactiun to the Board and the
.:atepayers at large, lie then proposed that Mr. H.
M. Wainwri;ht be elecLed chaiiman.
Or. Go,3ehs seconded, and Mr. Cooper supported,
the proposal, and Mr. Wainwright was unanimously
elected.

Mr. Wainwright, in returning thanks, said he
would, as far as his abilities would permit, ended-
you- to conscientiously di,icharge his Unties. He
had some exprlene.o in the matter of education,
h tying been chairman of the Blue Coat School and
Feinate School of Industry. He hoped and trustA
that with the assistance of the other members of
the Board they might be able at the e,cl of tile
three years to give a good account of their,stewarr.,-
ship, and that by faithfully carrying out hoila the
letter and the spirit tf the Educutiou Act they
:night do good sei vice to the town. Excepting the
Reform Act he thought the EaucLtion Act vfa.a one
of the most iwp rtant Acts of Parliament ever
passed. Expressing the hope that the whole of the
Board would a ork harnioniJusly together, he went
on to say that nowhere, perhaps, was a School
• isoard so much needed as in Du.iley. As returning
officer of the last general tleeton, he received from a
member of her Majesty's Government a communi-
cation sking if he could give any aecobut of the
vast number ot illiterate vo.ers in the borough, He
(Alderman Wainwright) believed, and he spoke it
with shame, that one in every eight of the registered
electors of Dudley who polled at that electon were
illiterates, and the nearest approach to that in
point of ignorance was one in 26.
gliThe Rev. S. J, Marriott proposed the Rev. Dr.
Cosens as vice-chairman to the Board.
'Xhis was seconded by the Rev. Gilbert Bradley.
Mr. Finch moved, and Mr. Greenway
seconded, that Mr. D. Howat be elected vice ch4ir-
man, whereupon Dr. Cosens_deelined to Sllcw him.
sell to be nominated. . -

The Rev. S. J. Marriott then withdrew his pro-
position. and Mr. Howat was elected.
A vote of thanks having been accorded to the
Mayor for his services, the ordinary business of the
Board was proceeded with.

After the election of the various cona •
mittees, the Rev. Dr. Cosens gave notice that ut
the next meeting he shouiu ask f r r statement con-
taining the names of all the paid official, connected
with the Boarci, ant the amount of their salaries.