The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-11-29 00:00:00

Tliit SWURBSIDGE OBSERVEBI

Having received the foregoing reply from the
railway company, your committee held a meet-
ing on Tuesday, the 4th inst, and passed the
following resolution :—" That in the event of
the Board of Directors of the Great Western
Railway Company requesting tho Commis-
sioners, or a deputation from the Board, to wait
upon them in London, upon the whole subject
of increased railway accommodation, the follow-
ing gentlemen, with the clerk, be appointed the
deputation, viz.—Messrs. James McEwen, H.
Hughes, and William Edwards. On Monday
' November 10th, your committee hold another
' meeting, at which the clerk read the following
copy of a letter rtceived by Mr. Harward from
Mr. Grierson

' The Chairman said there were not.
Mr. Prescott protested against the business on
the agenda being allowed to proceed. He said the
Clerk had no right under the Education Act to do
what he had done, The Clerk had no right to
give may notice, and he protested against these
notices of motion, as being illegal and contrary
to the etatutes. If the clerk was to dictate to
them, the sooner the term of the Board was up

the better.
Mr. McEwen said' it was usual to conduct the
business in that way.
Mr. Prescott said the clerk at the School Board
in Birmingham would not be allowed to dictate to
that Board.
Mr. Perry explained that he had no idea of dic-
tating to the Board. He had simply placed the
notices on the agenda with a view of facilitating
the business, as he thought they were subjects
which should have been brought before that
meeting. He had received no notice from any
member, but had filled it up in the absence of

standing orders.
Mr. Prescott said the notices should have been
given to the committees. Ile must enter his pro-
test against such an irregular mode of procedure.
The subtect then dropped.
THE DESIGN OF THE SCHOOL BOARD SEAL.

With reference to this subject,
The Clerk said Mr. Walker was unable to be
present, but he had sent a monogram for the centre
of the garter.
Some discussion ensued as to what would be the
most appropriate design for the centre of the seal,
a beehive, as representing industry finding favour
with some, and an anchor—figurative of hope—
being suggested by others. Ultimately,
The Chairman moved, and Mr. Scott seconded,
That the design for the seal of the School
Board be a figure of klope, surrounded by the
Garter, containing the words Steurbridge School
Board, 1873, and that the seal be two inches in
diameter."
This was carried, the duty of seeing that the
subject proposed was artisticall carried out, being
referred to the General Purposes Committee.

THE FLNANCE COMMITTEE.

The report of the Finance Committee's report
was read. It recommended that two accounts—
amounting to £5 13s 54—be paid.
Mr. Billingluun moved that the report of the
Finance Committee be adopted.
This was seconded by Mr. Stringer.
Mr. Prescott objected, to this, us he said that
under the 313th section of the Education Act they ,
had no power to make such a payment; a month's
previous notice not having been given.
A disusaion ensued, and it was generally con-
ceded that it would greatly interfere with the
conduct of business to give a month's notice pre-
vious to paying every petty bill. And, as the
report of the nuance Committee had been adopted
by the Board,
Mr. Scott moved that a cheque be drawn upon
the Board for the above amount.
Mr. Stringer seconded this, and it was carried,
Mr. Prescott being the only dissentient.
THE GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE.

The General Purposes Committee reported that
Mr. Harward had informed the Clerk that he was
willing to let the Talbot-street Schools at the
annual rent of one shilling; that the Hanbury
Hill Church Committee were disposed to let the
upper school room only, on a yearly tenancy or on
a lease, at an annual rent of £25, subject to a re-
servation of the right of using the room on Sun-
days, and on four other days in the course of the
year; that this information was only received by
the Clerk on the 12th November, and that as
doubts had been expressed whether the terms of
the Board meeting of the 22nd October justified
the Board in incurring the expense, the committee,
under those circumstances, did not consult an
architect, but left the matter for re-consideration
by the Board.
Mr. Prescott remarked that at the former meet-
ing he particularly asked the question with refer-
ence to the notice given being eutficient; but it
was pooh-poohed at the time.
On the motion of Mr. Scott, seconded by Mr.
' Stringer, the report was adopted; Mr. Prescott
again being the only one objecting to the motion.
TuE PROV/DINU OF SCHOOL ACCOMMODATION.
The Chairman said the question now before the
Board was the necessity for prcwiding the required
school accommodation. He understood that the
lower portion of the Hanbury Hill Schools was
required by the members of the Baptist Church,
and that the upper rooms were the only ones
available for the purposes of the Board. It had
been proposed by the committee to provide the
accommodation, if possible, without building by
opening the Talbot-street schools and the Han-
bury Hill Schools; but from the information be-
fore them now it was not possible to do this, as
the accommodation of the two schools before the
Board would not be enough to meet the deficiency
for which they had to provide. And he believed
it was impossible for them to find a building fulfil-
ling the required conditions in the town. He
though, under these circumstances, there was no
doubt as to the course they should pursue. If it
should turn out that schools might be found
available, of course they would be glad to use
them if they could do fa advantageously to the
Board. To enable them to do that, they must
compare what the cost of fitting up rooms would
amount to, and also the cost of building schools.
Of course, they could not do this without consult-
ing an architect, and getting him to give them an
estimate as to the cost of building schools. He
thought, therefore, it was desirable that they
should at once put the matter in the hands of an
architect.

Mr. Prescott was of opinion that that portion
of the Market Place on the New street side could
without incurring very great expense, be conver-
ted into an admirable school for the Board, and '
which would amply provide for the deficiency.
The Chairman of that Board was also the Chair-
man of the Commissioners, and he thought the
latter body might be induced to let them have it
at a reasonable rate, especially as it was a portion
of the market which was but little used. Only a
few farmers' wives had stalls there on tho Friday,
and they could easily find accommodation in other
parts of the market. Ile had been told by com-
petent persons that the alterations necessary for
the conversion of the building could be done for
less than .5600, and then they would have school
accommodation for 600 children, all within the
statutory distance of the Diamble-aquare, the Gig
Mill, and the Birmingham-street side of the town.
If the Commissioners would not allow them to
have the space on the ground floor, some pillars
could be put in and a room erected overhead,
which would make quite as good a school as St.
John's, where they had only the bare roof over-
head the same as they would have there. They
must bear in mind that that part of the market
had never been much used, so that but few would
be inconvenienced by it, and the loss in the mar-
ket tolls would be next to nothing. Ile believed
that the receipts of the Corn Exchange even did
not often exceed .£6O a year. Ile was aware that
the noise made by the different tradespeople might
somewhat interf ere with the studies of the children
on Fridays, but this could be obviated by allowing
the children to have their holidays on Fridays in-
stead of on Saturdays.
Mr. Billingham said the question would arise,
whether, if they adopted the course pointed out
by Mr. Prescott, they should be able to make
themselves right with the Department.
Mr. Prescott said he thought it was a most ex-
traordinary circumstanee that they should not be
able to erect schools under six months' notice.
The Chairman said he understood Mr. Prescott
that the Commissioners should erect schools.
Mr. Prescott explained that what he meant to
convey was that the Board should fit up the place,
and that the Commissioners should be asked what
rent they would take for it.
The (lba.irman said it would be very likely that
the Commissioners would object to anything that
would interfere with orcontract their conveniences
in the market; especially with the view of pro-
spective additional railway accomodation in the
town.
Mr. Prescott said if the place could be procured
it would be beet for every one possibly concerned.
The money at present got by it was very small.
Mr. Scott said there were many obstacles in the
way of carrying out Mr. Prescott's proposition.
The Department would object to it in the absence
of a play-ground, and, in many other respects, the
place spoken of would be very unsuitable for a
Board School. At the same time they ought to
listen to any plan that could be brought by any
member of the Board for supplying the deficiency.
He hoped that to the General Purposes Commit-
tee would be referred tho work of consulting an
architect. At the present they had the power to
do so, inasmuch as the legal notice had been given.
He should therefore move that the General Pur-
poses Committee be empowered to act at once.
It was very important that that Board should
make a complete and exhaustive enquiry before
they thought of building a School Board School.
Ile proposed that the architect be requested to
examine the Wesleyan School andithe Independent
School in High-street, in addition to the two
schools already mentioned in a former resolution
the /Bulbul:, Hill and the Talbot-street schools.
They ought to be very grateful to Mr. Harward
far ollsruig to let them have the Talbot-street
schools at such a nominal rent. Still he saw a
great lifficult7 for that Board in carrying on two
schools at a time, as two separate masters would
be required. He therefore moved that the Gen-
eral Purpc.ei Committee be instructed to act in

accordance with the resolution as to consulting an
architect;po report
u p
0 ann duit he aw.t tehsleeayraenh istcehcoot
lbea
nadl s ot
haes k
lenddtoo
pendent selleol in High-street.
Mr. Prescott said no notice of the motion had
been given, and he should object to it.
The Chairman said he thought it was competent
for that Board to appoint an architect.
trheast.
t eScottpaye
rs saidshhoeu
ltdh ohuagvlei ht it e
rwyasi
ftersui
I pecting he available accommodation; and they
aa
ti on theMrra.
would get nothing reliable from any one but an
architect.
The Chairman said he thought it very unlikely
that either the Wesleyans or the Independents
would give up their schools to the Board. He
(the chairman) could answer for the Wesleyans,
that they would not, and he believed Mr. Billing-
ham could answer for the Independents. He
thought, therefore, the architect should be asked
at once to give an estimate as to the expense of
building a school.
Mr. Billingham said he felt very grateful to Mr.
Scott for bringing the school in High-street before
'the Board; but those connected with them
would not allow them to be given up to that
Board. With reference to the scheme proposed
by Mr. Prescott, that would require the sum of
I £6OO to come out of the ratepayers pockets at
once, and as a committee they must be pretty
well convinced there was only one course open to
them before they adopted it.
Mr. Scott said that from what had been dropped
it would go before the public that neither of the
schools would be available for that Board. With
reference to the Roxbury Hill school he had a
letter in his hand to the effect that the upper
room at Hanbury Hill would accommodate only
100 children, and the one in Talbot-street would
accommodate but 50. That fact alone disposed
of the question, bocause they had to provide for
311. Still be thought it was open to the Board to
refer the matter to the General Purposes Com-
mittee again, even though the Board should not
think it worth while to have the report of an
architect.
Mr. Prescott said the only objection to having
the school, as he had proposed, in the market, was
that the Education Department would object to it
in the absence of a playground. That same ob-
jection would hold good with reference to the
Hanbury Hill and the Wesleyan schools, as there
was no playground at either of those places. If
they could arrange to send 50 or 60 children to
Millbury Hill, a similarnuuaber to St. John's, and
others to Ambleeote and other places, they might
in this manner dispose of all children at a cost of
3d each per week.
Mr. Scott said the great objection to the Han-
bury Hill school was that if they opened a school
for only 100 children they would have to have a
second school, and they would have to have two
different masters and two staffs of teachers, and
therefote he thought the possession of the Han-
bury Hill school was not a thing to be desire by
the ratepayers; and he thought that as their
architect bud said it would only accommodate 100
children they might consider that question settled.
He should therefore propose that the General
Purposes Committee be instructed to ask the ar-
chitect as to the probable cost of erecting the
school.
Mr. Stringer said he could not agree with the
motion of Mr. Prescott, as there were so many
objections to it that it must fall to the ground,
and therefore he seconded Mr. Scott's proposition,
that an architect be asked to furnish the Board
with an estimate for the building of schools.
Mr. Scott said that he wished to add to the pro-
position "that the committee be also requested to
make enquiries as to a suitable site."
Mr. Prescott objected to this.
The Chairman was of opinion that that matter
had better be left to the next meeting.
Mr. Scott said they were not making very great
progress in the work of a School Board, and at
the rate they were going on they would not do
much in their three years. . .

Mr. Prescott said he objected to the proposition
with reference to the selection of a site, because

proper notice had not been given.
Mr. Scott's amended motion, which was to the
effect that the General Purposes Committee be
empowered to consult an architect as to an esti-
mate of the cost of building a school, and also as
to providing a suitable site and report thereon to
the Board at the next meeting, was seconded by
Mr. Stringer, and carried.
Mr. Prescott entered his protest against it.

THE PLACE OF MEETING.

The Chairman said the next business was to
provide a place of meeting for the Board, and for
the committees with the Town Commissioners.
Mr. Perry read a letter which he had received
from Mr. Taylor, Clerk to the Commissioners,
stating that they would allow the Board to have
the use of that room for a charge of .C 5 per
annum.
It uas proposed by Mr. Stringer, seconded by
Mr. Scott, and carried, that the offer be accepted.

BYE-LAWS FOR THE BOARD.

The Chairman said iace their last meeting he
had had the opportunity of looking over the regu-
lations of the Stafford, London, and Kingswinford
School Boards, and should he very happy to see
some similar laws drawn up for their Board, so as
to enable them to carry on their business in a sat-
isfactory manner. It might be necessary to refer
the matter to the General Purposes Committee.
Mr. Stringer had very much pleasure in propos-
ing that the General Purposes Committee be re-
quested to draw up a code of rules, and refer them
to this Board.
Mr. Billingham seconded this, and it was carried
unanimously.