The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-11-27 00:00:00

KIDDERMINSTER TOWN COUNCIL.

The monthly meetiue of the Council was hell on
Wednes4ay. The Mayot( Mr. T. Tempast-Radfl rd)
presided .---The Mayor read a letter, from the Prince
of Wales, ceiling attentien to the proposed Imperi
Inst;tute, and expressing a bop° that the Mayor
would c toperate in tite matter, and bring the sub_
ject before his fellow citizens. The Mayer said the
had to consider whet'let; there shouq be any per-
manent institution in Kidderminster ittodf in con'
n:ction with t),e Q and if ho suggested
that they might raise a general fund and devote a
portion of it to the central fund in Lonlon for the
Imperial Institute. He thought there might be a
meeting of some of the principal residents of the
town t-, consult as to the desirability of erecting
something in town to commemorate the event of the
coming year, (Hear, hear.) No doubt something
practical would be done to give expression to their
loyalty in a way becoming to Kiddermioster.
Several members of the Council expressed con-
currence in the Mayor's suggestion, and it was left
with him to call a preliminary meeting on the sub-
ject.—lt was decided some time ago to place a
memorial tablet in a new building being erected on
the site of the house where Sir Josiah Mason was
born, and a resolatien was now passed sanctioning
an expenditure of £lO for the purpose. -- A letter
was read from the Clerk to the Guardians notifying
the intention of that body to send pauper infectious
cases to the Borough Hospital on the terms offered
by the Council—viz, 15s. per.week per patient.—A
depu'ation attended the meeting with a memorial
signed by 1,500 persons, asking the Council to con-
sider the question of opening a roid from the New
Road to Park Lane. The deputation supported the
memorial by personal statements as to the desira-
bility of the road, and they were promised it should
receive full attention. The memorial waff referred
to the Itnprovement Committee The monthly
reports were afterwards taken: The Medical Officer
(Mr. D. Car bet) reported there hal been 01 births
and 31 deaths in the past month. The death-rate
was 15-53 per 1,000, against 21-5 last year. The
Law Proceedings Committee reported that they had
arranged for stay of proceedings in the action brought
by the Drodwich Real Sanitary Authority, and they
recommended that the corporate peal be affixed to a
memorandum .containg the terms agreed npon.
These were an under, aking to abate permanently any
-nuisance boo] the sewerage farm, and the payment
of costs. The Free Library Committeereported the
issue of 3,102 books in the month, of which 2,725
were works of fiction. The committee recommended
the purchase of some additional novels (of which
the names were given), and the ex-Mayor .(Mr".
Holdsworth) moved that these be not I3urchated,
urging that the Library Committee:should rather
seek to encourage the reading of a more useful
class of works. The resolution led to a discussion
and was ultimately aithdeaan Mr. Holdsworth
said he did not object to any additional novels
whatever being bo-+ght, but he hoped to see additions
of a more useful cla-s of works.—Upon the reading
of the Wateh Committee's report, the Mayor stated
that Mr. Comber had consented to continue the
command of the fire brigade, and suggestions had
been made with the view of securing the joint
action of the fire brigades connected with the
different works in the town. It was proposed that
they should drill together, and that there should be
an annual parade of ,the several begedes.—ln reply
to Mr. Roden, Mr. Comber said the fire-escape was
examined six .week ago, and was fou3d in perfect
order.—ln reply to a question by Mr. Consterdine-
Chadwick, the Town Clerk stated that there had
been fourteen patients in the Infcctious Ho Taal in
the past year, and the total average cost per patio it
• had b en £l7 17s. 6 1., or, deducting the interest on
the outlay upon the building, about £l4. each, Mr.
D. Corbet, the medical officer, said th's was r. ally
the cost of protecting the boroueb against the spread
of epidemics. (Hear. hear ) Mr E. J. Morfen
said at least half the expenditure lest year was for
fixed charges, which would he the srue whatever
the number of wtients in the h }s, ital.