The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-10-06 00:00:00

BRIERLEY HILL LOCAL BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the above Board was
held on Monday afternoon at the Town Hall. Mr.
S. Bennett (chairman) presided, and there were
also present Meisrs. M. Rollinson, W. Waldron,
T. Fereday, D. ItoHinson, B. Browning, T. Edwards
R, Thompson, IL Carder, R. B. Guest, and G.
Griffiths. _ _ _

It was resolved, upon the suggestion of Mr.
Waldron, t) place two additional lamps in Moore
Lane, and to ask the Brockaioor authority to light
up their portion of the road to correspond with the
lighting arrangements of this Board.
The Clerk reported that th e au litor had examined
the books of the Board, and passed everything as
being correct. Owing to the death of the collector
he had adjourned tle making up of the rate for
three weeks.

The Stourbridge Rural Sanitary Authority wrote
stating that whoa their isolation hospital tents
were completed thy would be prepared to receive
cases from the Brierley Hill district at a cost of
15s. per case per week.
With reference to the proposed purchase of the
mines which underlie High Street and the Town
[[al, Mr. E. Fish.3r Smith (Lord Dudley's principal
agent) wrote stating that he could not for a moment
adopt the Board's view as to the value of the mines
in question (2,000). The letter was referred
to the committee appointed to deal with the
matter. _ _ _

-
The Medical Officer of Health (Dr. Ashmead)
reported that during the month three cases of
fever had occurred, one in Bank Street, one in
High Street. and one in Park Street. Isolation, as
far as possible, and disinfection had been carried
out, The Registrar's returns not havivg been
furnished, the death-rite Lr the month was not
reported.:The ins'anit ary state of Malpasi-buildings
was complained of,
Mr. M. Rollinsen, in accordance with notice,
proposed, "That a public cemetery be at once pro-
vided for the parish ef Brierley Hill, and that a
committee, consisting 'if the chairman of the Board,
the chairman of the Sanitary Committee, and five
other members of the Board, be appointed, to be
called the Cemetery Committee,whose duty it shall
be to select a she, submit the same to the Rgird
for the approval, and generally carry out the
works for the formation of a cemetery." He point-d
out that the parish church burial ground would be
f:dl in another 12 months, that was also about the
state of the South Street Cemetery, and that the
Primitive Methodist and the Wesleyan burial
grounds, which were the only other two in the
town, were already both full. There was, there-
fore, bound to be a place provided for the burial
of the dead within twelve months, and if they did
not do something, what would be their po‘ition ?
Mr. Thompson: Cremation—(laughter).
Mr. M. Rollins m, proceeding, said no doubt to
provide a cemetery would cost a little money, but
it was expenditure which could not be helped, and
his proposal was for a cemetery to be provided
for the whole of the public, irrespective of creed.
Mr. Waldron secon led the resolution.

Mr, Carder urged that in providing a public
cemetery on public grounds atone they should pro-
vide one chapel only in it, so that there might be
no favoutitism or expense gone to to satisfy the
views of any particular sect or denomination.
Mr. M. Hollinson said he meant that there should
be provided such as they would find in nine out of
ten towns in England. At present the Church-
people and Dissenters in the parish were all very
good fr:ends, and he only wished for what was
right.
The Clerk (Mr. Holboiton) here read from the
Act of parliament, showing that the parish vestry
must take first action in the matter of providing a
cemetery, and that the Local Board could, at the
option of the vestry, be elected as a Burial Board to
govern the cemetery.

Mr. Carder said if the question was dealt with
on the ground that there was to be a separation of
religious creeds, the Nonconformists of the parish
would provide a cemetery for their own portion.
Mr, M. Rollinson intimated that after bearing
that the vestry must take the initiative, he should
withdraw his motion, and accordingly he did so.
The Chairman mentioned that be and the
surveyor had visited Farnworth and Astley Bridge,
and inspected the scheme of sewerage by filteration
there. To carry out such a scheme at Brierley
Hill would cost £2 000 whereas the cost of the
surveyor's scheme would be about as many hun-
dreds. _ _ _

It was generally thought to be most advisable to
proceal with the less costly scheme, and it was
understood that the Sanitary Committee would
receive instructions to make arrangements for
doing so.