The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-12-12 00:00:00

NEB

The Rev. G. J. Taylor, vicar, then said as the
weather was so bad he should not make a speech,
or even send the plate round, as was originally
intended. The cost of the building would be
£l,OOO, 'id they already had 9WO towards it.
The children connected with the church had raised
£lO of this amount—(applause). They had rather
more than 300 children for which school accounno •
dation was required; and this building would
supply that want.. .

'Ajrft:er a hymn had been sung and a prayer
offered up, the meeting separated.
The school is Gothic in design, and is 66 feet
long, by 29 wide, and has two class rooms, each of
which are 14 feet square. The school is divided
into two portions by a partition running through
the centre, and is intended to accommodate chil-
dren of both sexes. There is a separate porch en-
trance for each division of the school. Altogether
it will be a eubstantial, neat building, displaying
considerable taste in itsstructure, especially when
it is borne in mind that it will accommodate
300 children, for the comparatively small estimated
cost of Xl,OOO. The architect is Mr. W. B. Keen,
of Cradley ; and the builder Mr. Horton, of
Brierley Hill.

ROWLEY LOCAL BOARD.
The usual monthly meeting of this Board was
held on Monday, Mr. A. H. Baas, in the chair.
There were also present Messrs. Bassano, Bennett
Plant, Gnest, Parkes, and Taylor.
The minutes of the last meeting were read and
confirmed.

The mortality return for the past month, were
as follows :—Stuall pox, 0; fever, 4; diarrhcea, 2;
cholera, 0; other causes, 34. total 40.
Mrs. Southall, of Windmill End attended the
Board, and reported several nusiances existing in
close proximity to her house. She had five child-
ren ill with the fever, and she attributed the
illness of her family to the existing nusiances.
The matter was referred to Mr. Burjess, the
inspector.
A number of old persons were excused from pay-
ing poor rates.
For the repairs of Hackett Street, a number of
contracts were received, and on the motion of Mr.
Taylor, seconded by Mr. Guest, the contract of Mr.
F. P. Jones, of the Hail Stone, Rowley, for £378,
was accepted.
Dr. Ballard, the Local Government Board In-
spector, attended the Board to report on his recent
examination of the district. Dr. Ballard said the
things to which his attention was always mainly
directed were inefficient drainage and supply of
water, the condition of the district as regarded
excrement and filth generally, and the condition
of the dwellings of the labouring classes. As re-
garded the drainage of the district, with the ex-
ception of High Street, Cradley Heath, a little of
Old Hill, and Reddall Hill, the whole of the dis-
trict was unsewered ; and, judging from what he
could see, it required sewering very badly. There
was a considerable nuisance existing at Reddull
Hill, in consequence of a butcher running a quan-
tity of filth over some land into a ditch in a field,
and thence to the brook. That could ea.sely be
prevented, by the Board compelling the man to
turn the filth into the sewer. As regarded the ex-
crement, he did not know of a place were it was
worse. There was scarcely a privy in the place
that was not full. In a great many cases there
were no ashpitsito the privies, and when there
were ashpits the ashes were not thrown in, and
consequently, it was all excrement. This occurred
at Cradley Heath, Blackheath, and Tividale, and
these were the principal places. Wagon Street,
Old Hill, was a most horrible place, the filth was
running on the ground, and that street was a
dedicated one, and a very large street. With re-
gard to the water, the district was miserably sup-
plied. There was scarcely a house in Cradley
Heath or Tividale that was supplied with water
fit to drink, in consequence of it being mixed
with excrement and filth, caused by soakage.
There were wells at Pear Lane, Springfield, at
the Knowle, at Hickman's Hill, and at the White
Heath. At Cherry Orchard the water was drawn
from the mines, and consequently it was injurious
to health.

Mr. Barre said there were good wells at Cherry
Orchard; and Mr. Plant said he had a good spring
with ten yards a water in it at the present time.
Dr. Ballard said some of the houses weie damp
and unwholesome. They were not supplied with
spouting to receive the water, which consequently
soaked into the foundations. Some of the cot-
tages were unfit for human habitation.
The Chairman asked what they were to do with
the poor people if they turned them out of their
homes.

Dr. Ballard said it was very seldom that those
people went to the Workhouse. He had found
several cases of overcrowding. In one place he
found thirteen sleeping in one small house. They
had not in that district what was essentially re-
quired, and that was hospital. In the last four
years, the death-rate had been as follows :—ln
1870, 21 or 25 per thousand; in 1871, 215 per
thousand; in 1872, 324 per thousand, (this was
during the time when the small-pox raged in the
district) in 1873.266. Last year the population
was 24,700. There were many eases of fever and
diarrhwa and it was most desirable to have pure
water, and in the time of any epidmie those people
suffering should be isolated. He should recom-
mend them to get better drainage, a better sup-
ply of water, less nuisances, and to improve the
dwellings of the labouring classes.
The Charman said there had been great hn-
provements in the district since the establishment
of the Board, and he trusted they should continue
the improvements for the benefit of the health of
the inhabitants.