The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-05-24 00:00:00

KIDDERMINSTER TOWN COUNCIL

The IaYoR presided at the meeting of the
Council held on Thursday.
The Towx CLERK said he had received a commu-
nication asking the Council to support the main-
tenance of the Railway Commissioners in power:
The railway authorities were doing all they could
to oppose the further continuance of the Commis-
sion.

Mr. H. DIXON said this was a very important
matter. No town required alterations or improve•
ments in railway accommodation more than Kidder-
minster did, and he thought they should do all in
their power to support the Commission. He pro-
posed that they should ask their representative.
Sir William Fraser' to oppose any motion which
would do away with it.
Mr. HERRING seconded this, and it was carried.
The report of the Drainage Committee, which
was read by Mr. Dprorr, recommended the pay-
ment of sums amounting to £145 is. 4d. There
had been collected on the water rate account, £2BB
6s. 5d., leaving £896 15s. 10d to be collected. An
application having been made for the return of
water rate in consequence of the absence of water
dOring the recent long frost, the committee declined
to entertain the matter, either in that case or any
other where the water was off through circum-
stances over which they had no control.
Mr, I)mm:said the comm.ttee had instructed the
Borough Surveyor, in cases where the water was cut
off from any sectom of the town for a time, to give
notiee to the inhabitants previous to turning the
water off, and to supply the people as far as possible
from water carts.

The report was adopted.
Mr. HEBBING read the report of the Imnrovement
Committee, which recommended the payment of
accounts amounting to £222 10s. 7d. The Borough
Treasurer had written to the Town Clerk, calling
attention to the fact that £l4 12s. 6d. was paid to
him in December, 1864, in a matter relative to the
setting back of premises in Worcester Street, belong-
ing to Mr. Henry Jeffq, and that the money was
still in his custody, Mr. Jars had applied to him for
it, but as he had no instructions he had declined to
hand it to him. The committee recommended that
it be paid to him on their being satisfied that he was
entitled to it.

Some diseussion ensued as to the latter recom-
mendation, but eventually the report was adoptea
The Medical Officer (Mr. D. Corbet) reported
that there had been 63 deaths during the last month
or 35'3, against 28, or 16.6 in the thousand in the
corresponding period last year. Twenty-one of the
deaths were those of children under 6, and twenty-
three those of persons over 60 years of age. There
were 77 births. He had. heard of eight more cases
lof scarlet fever, and of am cases of measles.
Mr. HERRING called attention to the case of a man
named Onslow, three of whose children were suffer.
lug from scarlet fever, going about in a brake at
election time and bringing people to the poll. He
understood that it was said Mr. Corbet had given
him a certificate stating that it was safe for him to
do 80.

Mr. COMM said he had done nothing of the kind.
He could not prevent the man from acting as an
election agent, no more than he could prevent him
from going to work.

Mr: JEFFERIES : What is Onslow—a ConBervative
or a Liberal ?—(laughter).
Mr. W. GREEN stated that Onslow had satisfied
Mr. Alderman Lees, the presiding alderman, that no
harm would come from his going about, and that
gentleman allowed him to continue to aet ae apn