The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-05-03 00:00:00

gout an gistrirt Viettrt).

COMMISSIONERS' MEETING,

The monthly meeting of the Board was held ii
the Co muiss:(,ntrs' Room, Curti Exchange, on
Monday last, Mr. W. J. Turney presiding. There
were also present Messrs. Plat, Jon, s, Pears in,
North, Palfrey, Perkin, Patch, Parl;es, Griffin,
Edwarls, tia-kew, ITuderwo ).!, Wo ,hey, Str;n;, r,
H. TLrney, Glllain, and Walker.
Tin- minutes of last meeting were r al anl eon-
fir,ned.

Mr. 11. Turnoy moved " 'flat the resolution
passedimithe 28th February be rt sci ded, aat the
Corn Exhange he let z.t the uswil charges for the
p oples concerts. The Cora Exchange ha I been
let. to o.e incietr at los Why sh Juld they not
let th Corn Exchang,3 at the minimum charge to
the people who hAped to build the ( orn Exchang?.
The society was for the promotion and elev:Ajou of
the pe
Mr Jones seconded the reso'u.ion.

Mr Edwards opposed the-res—olut-i-nn aud said the
Ip3oplee concerts were got up io amuse a
clique. At the last concert there wtra 150 c'iairs
to for gentlemen. If he had gone let. should have had
' have uone la the back slums. Let them have a peo de's
concert and not a gentPrnan's coLoilt under th,
garb of the people's concerts. Let them buy the
ccr:ner of Fost •r Street and build a room. He w,s
a ratepayer.' man and aud an independent Com-
missioner. He begged le.avo to move the resolu-
tion be not rescinded.
Mr. %Walker seconded the ameudmcmt.
The Chairman said that all licu;h ho moved tli,
e .
resoluti ,n he did not think the h thing
af
inhg
,was
thoroughly gone into. He thaight t
England having
order.. II should sup . Exchange for 15: was a
'
little out of • , t Mr. • urney's
! ,)0 .
resolution. the Corn
Mr. E.-..wards said that coming one week and
passing a resolution an i the next res .in i ng it w 1;
iike children p 1 ying.
t
Mr. H. Turney slid that th, concer:s were not
4ot up for a certain clique. lot u utt co
pure disinterestedness. There were hen re, sof 1
wns g,t
working men there. He thought t ~ti in tead of
gt
hpeu t; to the
re
flair meeting
e
I nt "
tr "td
thwarling it they sh•onli ii, 1p it.
, fortnhetll.l..:.smoieuttii(:)in n
t t,,,eini
The subject \Pis r f rred tae z tothe Ge,•o al
ua,l.
'
Purposes Committce.

- The question of filling up a vacancy which I is
occurred in the Board led to Mr. Edwards protesting
against any such step. The old Commissioners
used to be called "a self-elected crew," and they
should have the same remark applied to themselves,
if they elected a commissioner at that meeting. As
they had still twenty-six inemb,-r:4, there was surely
wisdom enough in the twenty-six of then to
manage the affairs of the town, without letting
some know-nothing come among them. 'Lis was
clique busines, and he was a.gainst cliques ; and he
was the people's representative. (Laughter).
Mr. Palfrey said he thought it objectionable to
proceed to an obsolete plan of elecing a com-
missioner, because there was a single vacancy.
In reply to Mr. H. Turney, the Clerk said there
could not be an individual election by a poll of the
ratepayers.. _

T.Le-Chairman sAid he was not ping to propose
anyone to fill the vacancy, but he did not agree
with the observations of Mr. Fdwards and 'Mr.
Palfrey, and he thought it very right that the r I
payers should have all the strength at that Board
to which they were entitled. Some years there had
been vacancies to the extent of six or sevenin the
number of commissioners, and he thought it was a
disgraceful state of things.
The subject then dropped.
The Finance Committee reported that the
Treasure's balances on the several accounts as tuts
date are as follows t—llighway Account
£630 19s 21, Improvement Account £430 11 41,
T_Trban Sanitary Authority £46 19s Od. Your com-
mittee having examined the following accounts and
finding them correct recomn-p.nd that they be paid,
tiighaay ACCOMA -2117 18s 2u, Iniproverne:.:A Ac-
count .1.9 '4d, Urban Sanitary Aut !ori!y
£35 16s Bd. &tit-mites of Rates, Your Committee
having carefully ex:tiniued the estimates tor new
rates recommend that the following be made, viz.,
a Highway rate of 6d in the X, an Improvement
, rate of is and a General District rate of 10d. In
v2ll 2s 4d in the or 2d Les than Ist year. Your
Committee recommend that the colbcror of rates
be instructel to write off those rates referred to
in his lit produced at their meeting
totals as folluw3 :—Voids £7B 19s 71d, bank-
rupts £4 13s 51, absconded $.:7 17s 11J, i:xemptions
£l2 103 84d, excused .210 7s 111, all,wai:c.s 4s 10d,
a.lowances on reduced assestinents is 31, total
£l3l 14s lid. Total amount of uncollected rate at
his date £22 15s Oil.
The report was adopted.

Mr. Edwards said tie highway rate was 6d in
the pound, compared with Is last year. The total
amount of rates was 2d less in the pound than in the
previous year, when they were 5J less than the
preceding, year.
Mr. llaskew said the saving in the highway rate
was due to noir taking the scavenging and clean-
ing of the streets into th,ir own hands. The seatti
roller also had been of great service to the town.
Notwitlstanding their being engaged in the
itu-
portant work of deep drainage w'aich had put 4d in
the pound on the general district rate, the tot.d
amount of the rates, as had beel stated, v:T.3 2d in
the pound lees than last year.
The Medical Officer reported the number of births
regiatered in the township from March 24th to
April 21st. 1834, was 27 viz :-14 males and 13
females. The birth rate was 22-9. The number
of deaths registered in the same period was 9 viz :
—.3 males and 6 females. The death rate was 10.6.
The officer reports the death rate for the corres-
ponding month last year was 25 6. As will be seen
by my Journal I have visited the lodging houses and
bakehouses. I found the lodging house :•enerally
clean. The fault I had to find con-isted'iu toe
screens between married couples not being attended
to. This however, ha, I:believe been remedied. The
bakehouses with one exception are in a very clean
condition. I have examined the water in two weds
and ound it bad, the notice was expired and as
nothing has been done I wish leave to take pro-
ceedings against them. In these cases I do eot
think it will be necessary to send to Dr. Swete for
analysis as my tests prove the water very bLd
Your committee recommend that the officer le in -
struct- dto take proceedings as requested. The
Town Officer r, ported three cases of overcrowding
one having a d-Ac'ency of 1420 cubic
fet t. Notices are served in each-case. Your com-
mittee beg to report pro.2ress with regard to the
Lighting of Streets. You committee have care
fudy considered the letter from Mr. Smith in refer-
ence to the people's c,ncert and referred to them.
by your Board and recommend that the applica-
tion contained therein for the use of the Corn Ex-
change at the minimum chmge be granted.
The report was adopted.
_

The In;provemtnt Committee have granted the
use of the laud at the corner of Foster Street for
the Volunteer Band to play on every Friday even-
ing or oftener if they think fit until such time us
the Board may require it for other purposes. Plans
for the erection of a house in Worcester Streat, for
Mr. Buckler were laid before your committee, who
recommend that they be passed subject to being in
compliance with the bye laws.
The report was adopted.
After a short discus.,ion it was decided to allow
the band the use of tie ground for one hour a
week,