The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-04-05 00:00:00

4'ocal atth p,istrict
COMMISSIONERS' MEETING.

The monthly meeting of this D:srd was held in
the Commis iionei s Room, Corn Exchange, on Mon-
day last. Mr. W. J. Turney presided. There were
also pros, nt MesArs. Platt, H. Turney, Jones, Pear-
son, Woolley, Stringer, Billingham, Perkin, Under-
wood, Griffin, Gilliam, Parkes, ilicklin, and
Walker.

The minutes of the last meeting were read and
confirmed. _ _

The Chairman said, at the conclusion of the read-
ing of the minutes, he must express the regret
which t'no Board felt a':. the suldm death of the
Duke of Alhany. As a public body they would all
sorly for the loss the Queen had sustained. The
Duke was vcry prominent man in the literary world
and gave great promise ot boLoming more so. The
news of his sudden death had caused a shock
throughout the whole kingdom. He felt that as
Chairman he should only be expressing the feeling
of the whole Board in saying how der .ply they re-
gr tted the loss of the Oistinguished gentleman,
(hear, hear),
The Finance Committee reported that the
treasurers's balances on the Eev eral accounts on the
25th March, 1834, were as follows :—Highway
Account £5BB is 11d, Improvement .A.count
£357 tis 81, Urban Sanitaiy Authority Account
£ll5 18 11.1. Your Committee having examined
the following accounts and finding Lien' eL'Cl:t
recommend that ti:y be paid, vii., lligbwy
Account £llB Sc 73, Improvement Ae(1; unt
.£33 2s 43, Urban Slnitary Account £66 193 lid.
Tre,surer's balance £1,280 Os sd. Bills due
£1,054 Os 7d. Amount paid for hire of steam
roller during the ninth -P-116 I9s sdt
Mr. H. 'lunacy twived that the Clerk be in-
structed to prepare esmates ou the Highway.,
improvement and Urban Sanitary Authority Ac-
couots respntively for 1.85. The resolution w.ls
duly Fee inded.

- The General Purposes Committee reported pro
gr es with reference to the gas company's report
for the year ending Dec. 31st, 1883,
The Medical Officer of llen.lth reported the
number of births in the township from Feb. 18th
to March 21th was 29, viz., 14 males and 15 females.
The birth rate was 35.6. The nunber of deaths in
the s true period was 9 viz., 4 males and 5 females.
The death rate was 11•05. The cffieer reports that
the death rate during the pest month is lower time
it lies been for years ; the death rate for the in rith
ending November 20th, 1883, was low2r in eoint of
figuree, but the last month was longer than the
former. The rate for the corresponding month last
year was 255. Your Committee recommend thit
proceeding, be taken against the owner of a
polluted well in Wheeler titreet,
There was no small pox in the town now, the last
case having got better.
The 'town Offi,:er reported the nuisances brought
forward from lest month 7reportedduring the month
34, emin ved old 3, new 29, remaining 9. Night soil
removal, 140 privies, and 117 ashpits belonging to
238 houses have been emptied and cleansed.
Number of loads removed 217. The lodging houses
and slaughterhouses are reported to be in a good
sanitarycondition. Applications have been received
for eight renewals of petroleum licenses and your
coimit'ee recommend that they be granted. Your
committee recommend that a number of alterations
be made in the lighting of atreens. Milk adultera—
den. With regard to the milk adulteration
ques ion the committee hearing that the police were
tilting action in the matter applied to Mr.
Supei iutendent Wheeler who kindiy furnished the
reports made by Dr. Swete (County Analyst) on
eight diffetent samples of milk purchased in the
town, en Jan. 31st, from various milkselleri. Dr.
Swete reports that four of the samples were
genuine milk. Your committee will further con.
eider the subject of Dr. Welch's letter. Your
committee beg to call the attention of Board to a
forth 'r cemmunication received by the clerk, on the
sui•j‘:!ct of the 1.-Ating of the Corn Exchange at a
minimum charge for the Peoples' Concert.
Mr. 11, Turney eaid that the police had sent eieht
semi- les of milk to Dr. Swete for analysis. Four
were reported as being legally genuine and the
other f mr as genuine milk.
The petroleum licenses were renewed.
The Clerk read a letter from Mr. Watson Smith
asking for the use ef the Corn Exchange for the
peoples'concerts. Mr. Smith begged the Co nmi
sioners to give it their consideration and graut the
use of the Corn Exchange at a reduced charge.
It was referred to the Improvement Committee.

The report was adopted.
The Improvement Committee reported that a
letter had been received from Mr. John Sau•ideis
askizig the Commi,sioners if it is their intention to
pur&iase a portion of his property, on the lower
and of Bell Stre,t. Your committee have visited
Cite premises and ceen Mr. Saunders thereon, who
has made an offer which they recommend the Board
to accept.
Plans for the alteration of the front of No. 159
High-street were received and your committee re-
commend that they bepassed and Mr. Mills's offer
accepted.
Mr. Saunders's offer was accepted and the plans
for the alteration of 159, High Street, were passed.
Th.! Chairman stated that at the time the petition
for ileorporation was deposited, three skins of
names were omitqed. Including these and signa-
tures received since there were 2,340 signatures in
support of Vie application. Toe signatories in the
several townships were as follows :—Stourbridge,
1,510; Lye, 451 ; Upper Swinford, 190 ; Wordsley,
53; Wollaston, 61; Ambleco!e, 46 ; Wollescote, 26 ;
Pedinore, 3. The Chairman said a report had b. en
going about the di-triet the last len days that the
petition for incorporation had been return d, and
that the thing was quashed. Some gentlemen had
been in very high glee on this account, an I if the
repert in question had given the opponents of the
scheme any pleasure he did nit think the Co n-
unissioners or the supporters of the scheme would
begrugde it t',citi The f ids whic'a Mr. Stepherd
laid before the last nieetinc,r of the committee
strengthened the application very much.