The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-02-02 00:00:00

BAGATELLE lOM.

The attraction of,thia room dofs not wane and it is the
f•Lvourite res•qt, egpecially of the younger members who
fill it to °vett-ming 41emo.t nightly. •
_
LERTORRS AND ENTERTAINMENTS.
_

Tbe I ,iinwiog lecture were given during the year:—
" PhY.ioguraY, 1. Kettle, ; " Canadi," Yr. C.
Parkin ; •• Our Faces,". Mr. F. Curzon ; " History of
furkey," Rev. Dr. Coons.

rot) entertainments were given which resulted in a
handsome balance for the Institut. stint the committee
r gret to say that it was consderabiy reduced by the
non attendance of members and the public at the
lectures. The committee are sorry that their efforts in
this dire3tion are so little apprecieted. The balance
realized from entertainments and lectures . was a
14s ld
You committee baie to report a falling off in the
o eitnbutione during the :latter part of the year owing
chiefly perhaps to the depre.sion in trade, but
they hope soon to see a mere favouiable state of
things. ,
Mr. J. Shirt read the report of the Building Com-
mittee, which showed a balance of £l2 9s 9d.
Lord Lytte,tou, after the reports bad been read, said
he was happy to see they dil not give him scope for
many le g hened remarks It had been said," Happy
is the country which his no history" and he might say
that happy was ate inetitut,on like that when ii had pr.
sented to it such reports as these, which only evinceo
long cwitinued prosperity and progress and usefulness,
and a long cont'n ied term of harmonious co-operati.
(flear, hear). A report which gave them such statistics
was as elequent as any they could have presented to
them: The Mechanics' Institute, founded some 43 or 44
years ago. and the Working Man's Institute formed
some 20 years ago, had beau in conjunction ever since
the latter came into existence, and this was a remarkable
fact, on which he thought they ought to be very sincerely
congratulated He should like nothing better than to
see their union still closer than it was. He wished it
were possible that the two Institutions might carry on
many more classes and other works together, which,lhe
was quite sure, would cause many prejudice and rough
edges to be rubbed off. (Applause). Referring to_the
effects of trade depression, his lordship remarked that
he was not one of those who believed this state of de-
pression would not -page away.' (Hear, hear). He be-
lieved it Would pass away very quickly, for, unless we
were the vietimi of very gross mismanagement some
way or other, the prospects of peace were muchThrighter
new than they were some time ago. (Applause), And
with the return of peace there would be, at all events to
soose extent, a return of the trade prosperity of the
clintry. But he thought such in‘titutions as theirs
wre bziond the itifitteece of temporary depressions in
trade; they would go on increasing their sphere of use-
- faint-v. They had .been till now doing a great deal of
the work which elementary schools now undertook, and
tiO doubt this had much to do with the falling off in the
number of evening 'classes carried on in various parts of
the country. But in a short time they would find the
fact of the improvements in elementary schools would
produce a demand for hitier instruction in all branches
of education; especially that of a technical character.
And when these clubs had become a sort of secondary
educational institution, and not till then, would be ful•

filling, their real purpose, and oceupying their allotte
sphere of us.efulness. (Applause).
On the motion of Mr. Pasett, seconded by Mr. W.
Stanley, and supported by the Rev. D. Maginnis, the
reports were tveepted.
On the motion of Mr. J. B. Shepherd, seconded by
Mr. G. Green, a vote of thanks was passed to those
g,ntlemen who had conducted the classes.
A vote of thanks to the Chairman closed the proceed-
ings.