The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-10-02 00:00:00

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QTOI- T 1-'l% 14.611)60E OBSERVitT•

at 4601 t. a lft. seam was passed ; and now at a
depth 532 ft., this Bft has been demonstrated,
Further boring will, it is believed, bring in the
highl:i -valuable deep coal of the Cannock Chase
field.

As usual towards the quarter's end, business in
the local iron market is now very restricted, but
prices are upheld, and in some cases even strength-
ened, by the prospects of coal. The flooding of mines
in seine parts of the district, combined with the agi-
tation of the workpeople for an advance of wages,
lends a certain support . to the rumours alluded to
last week of an impending rise in coal. Excepting
in slack, which in the Dudley district is quoted Gd
per ton
.higher, no change has yet been made, nor is
any rise Warranted by the state of demand; but if
the men should succeed in [carrying their point an
advance in coal would inevitably follow. Under
these circumstances the coalowners are content to
await the course of events. Some of the more far-
sighted among them deprecate the idea of an advance
at this season as calculated to check trade; but those
who think a bird in the hand is preferable to two in
the bush, would not be sorry of a fair pretext for
raising coal to the level at which it stood before
midsummer. The masters, however, deny that wages
are so low at present as to justify the very strong re-
marks made by the chairman at the Wednesbury
meeting on Wednesday. Thin-coal colliers, they
say, may easily and do commonly make, when in full
work, nine turns or " days " per week, which, at 2s
9d per "day," represents ~t 1 4s 9d per week, besides
allowance coal. If the men thought proper to work
an extra hour daily, the masters would be only too
happy to pay..an extra sixpence per day, as the "dead
charges "fall very heavy upon them under the pre-
sent reduced hours of working. That the men, if
united on this point, and sufficiently persistent, may
succeed in forcing up the wages scale is likely enough;
but, as that would entail an advance in prices, and.
work is already so scarce at the collieries that many
of the hands are making little more than half-time,
it would seem on the face of it a very injudicious
proceeding to check in this way the recovery of
trade. High wages are of little advantage if they
involve only partial employment; and prudent men
will prefer such a moderate rate of wage as will not
disturb the price list, or strangle the gradually rising
demand for coal. In the iron trade little will be
done now until quarter-day, Thursday week; but it
is already evident that there will be no change in
prices unless coal should be advanced. Further re-
ductions at present appear to be out of the question.
As the Northern shipping season will now close in a
few weeks, the home trade must be the chief de-
pendence of the iron trade for the next two or three
months, and there are no indications yet of any
great activity in the demand. The leading brands
are in steady but not specially buoyant request for
railway, engineering, and dockyard purposes, and
the local hardware trades are taking fair quantities
of the commoner descriptions of sheets, strip, angles,
hoops, and nail-making iron. Prices of marked
iron are steady, at £lO for the bars of the leading
firms; but some very good brands of marked iron may
be had considerably under that standard. Common
iron is a shade firmer at £7 17s Gd for the lowest
quality, and £8 to ..t8 5s for medium descriptions.
Producers generally, however, are not very anxious
to book forward at current rates, owing to the un-
certainty surrounding the price of coal. The pig
market is quiet but steady, Best brands of native
all-mine are strong at £4 lOs ; cinder pig is still
procurable in small quantities at £2 15s; cold-blast
is £G.

advice of Mr. Shepherd was acted upon, Mr. W.
H. Penney proposing that the sum named should
be paid.
This was seconded by Mr. Stringer, and carried
unanimously.
A notice was read from Mr. Knott, stating that
he had appointed Monday, October the 4th next,
as the day on which he would audit the accounts
of the Commissioners.

Mr. Kelly asked if anything else had transpired
with reference to the proposition of Great Western
Railway Company to place a station in the town.
The Clerk said he had not heard anything more
from the Great Western Railway Company. But
he might state that there was a rumour to the
effect that a new line between Stourbridge, Kinver,
and Cookley was about to be made.
The Chairman said it IN as the first meeting of the
new Board, and it was usual to appoint the various
committees at these meetings. He thought it
would be very good policy to appoint a good num-
ber on each of the committees, because it fre-
quently happened that there were not sufficient
members present to carry on the business.
A sub-committee, consisting of Messrs. Stringer,
Penney, Franklin, and the Clerk, was then ap-
pointed for the purpose of selecting members to
act on the three following committees; The Fin-
ance Committee, the General Purposes Committee,
and.the Improvement Committee.
They retired for a short time, and on their re-
turn the Clerk read the following list of names:—
Finance Committee—W. Edwards, T. Allchureh,
W. Griffin, J. W. Woolley, W. H. Penney, G.
R. Perkin, R. Kelley, H. Hughes, C. Blunsom, L.
H. Packwood, C. Evers, and W. Maven.
General Purposes Committee. W. Edwards, T.
Allchurch, E. Stringer, C. Mills, J. W. Wooley,
Penney, fG. R. Perkin, H. llicklin, 11.
Hughes, L. H. Packwood, J. Allsop, and W.
Flavell.

Improvement Committee: W. Edwards, E.
Stringer, J. W. Franklin, C. Mills, W. H. Penney,
It. Kelley, H. Hughes, C. Blunsom, L. 11. Pack-
wood, J. Allsop, C. Evers, and H. Hicklin.
On the motion of Mr. Penney, seconded by Mr.
Stringer, the report of the sub-committee was
adopted._ _ a

Yhe Clerk informed the Board that the last
Improvement Rate had produced £417 7s lid.
Street Improvements next came on for discus-
sion, and

Thekhairman said there was a place near to
Bristow's, and two other places in Coventry-street
that wanted repairing.
Mr. Kelly proposed that the necessary instruc-
tions be given for having those places repaired.
Giles's Hill was next mentioned, and it was
stated that it was a very dangerous place to walk
over in wet weather, as it was paved with Rowley
Rag, which was very much worn. It was also
stated that a crossing at the end of Wollaston -
street, near to Levi's shop, was in a bad state of
repair.
Mr. Kelley added to his former proposition, that
the state of these crossings be laid before the Im-
provement Committee,
This was seconded by Mr. Penney, and carried
unanimously.
Some plans of buildings were laid before the
Board.

There was no other business of importance.

THE SCHOOL BOARD.

A meeting of this Board was held in the Com-
missioners' Room, in the Corn Exchange, on Mon-
day evening last. There were present :—Messrs.
Billingham, Stringer, and Wall. Mr. Billingham,
the vice-chairman, presided in the absence of
Major Walker.
The Clerk read the minutes of the previous meet-
ing, which were signed and confirmed.
The Clerk then read the report of the commit-
tee, which recommended that the plans, as altered
by Mr. S. Smith, the architect.
It appeared that Mr. Chapman, whose tender
for the erection of the schools had been accepted
by the former Board previous to its dissolution,
now stated that he should require an advance of
ten per cent. on his original tender, on account of
the rise in wages and materials which had taken
place since then. This the Board had acceded
to, and Mr. Chapman's tender was accepted with
this alteration.

The Board ;resolved to apply to the Education
Department for a loan of £5,000, instead of
£4,000 which it had been intended to ask for, to
enlble them to meet the extra expense that the
above ,arrangement will entail.
A letter had been received from Mr. Barker, an
architect, offering to tender for the erection of the
Board Schools. The Clerk was instructed to rt ply
that the Board were not now in a position to treat
with him in such a matter, as they had already
concluded a contract with another party.
Mr. Billingham, referring to the sudden collapse
of the School Board which occurred some time
back, said it was an unfortunate affair that they
were thrown out of gear just when they were be-
cause it had thrown them to an expense of £3OO.
The alterations in the plans were next discussed,
and

Mr. Wall said the front of the boundary of the
school would be thrown back, and the playground
lessened in size. This was done in accordance
with a resolution passed a long while ago.
The Chairman said there would be a small por-
tion of the land for disposal for building
purposes.
It was moved by Mr. Stringer and seconded by
Mr. Wall that the report of the committee be
adopted, and its recommendations carried into
effect.

The next subject for discussion was a motion by
the Chairman, with reference to the days for hold-
ing the meetings of the Board. It was decided
that the meetings of the Board, until further no-
tice, should take place on the third Monday in
every month, at three o'clock in the afternoon.
The Clerk said 'that the next meeting would
have to be held on the second Monday in October, ,
at three o'clock in the afternoon for the purpose
of signing the accounts.
A letter was read from Mr. S. Smith, architect,
requesting the return of papers which had been
left by him with the Board elect.
They were ordered to be returned accordingly,
on the motion of Mr. Billingham, seconded by
Mr. Stringer.
The Clerk stated that he had written a letter to
the Kidderminster School Board, requesting to
know what they had done in the way of supplying
temporary accommodation for the school children
during the erection of the Board. The Clerk to
the Kidderminster School Board had replied as
follows :—" In reply to your letter, my Board did
supply temporary accommodation during the time
the school was building. The Board obtained three
rooms.. The plan proved to be of the greatest ad-
vantaige in many ways, and the Board have always
congratulated themselves for having adopted it.
It was unanimously decided on the motion of
Mr. Stringer, that the consideration of the ques-
tion of temporary accommodation be left to the
next meeting of the Board.
The Clerk's office was appointed as the place at
which the accounts of the Board are to be deposi-
ted previous to the audit..
On the motion of Mr. Stringer, seconded by Mr.
Wall, it was decided that the examination and
signing of the accounts, by the Board, take place
at the next meeting.
There was no other business transacted.

DRUNK AND DISORDERLY.-At the Policp Court,
yesterday, before Messrs. Colonel Fletcher f IL. L.
Freer, and C. Cochrane, Thomas Lloyd, of the Lye
was charged with being drunk and disorderly.
Police-einstable Smith proved the case. Fined
5s Od and costs.—Benjamin Notts was charged
with being drunk and disorderly at the Lye, on
the 25th inst. Police-constable Paynter, proved
the case. Fined 5s ;in default, 14 days.—Edward
Roddey was charged with being drunk at Stour-
bridge, on the night of the 25th inst. Police-
constable Philpott proved the case, and as he had,
previously been convicted for a similar offence, he
was fined 5s and costs.

NON-PAYMENT OF WATER RATES.—. SaILIIIP
Simms and Hubert Wetherington were summoned
for not paying the water rates and Mr. Perry ap-
peared for the complainants. Mr. Claxton proved
that the defendants were supplied with water, and
Mr. Holloway, collector proved the money was not
paid. Ordered to pay, or 14 days.
CHIMNEY ON FIRE.—JOSIph Woolley was sum-
moned for having his chimney on fire on the 23rd
inst. Police-constable'Firth proved the offence.
Withdrawn on payment of 6s 6d, Costs.
ASSAULT CASE.—Sarah Hall was charged with
assaulting Mary Ann Jar-m:l.d on .the 16th inst.
From the evidence it appeared that defendant was
going to the school, in connection with St.
Thomas's Church, and complainant is a teacher.
On the above date defenclant,came into the schuol,
and charged her with beating her little girl, and
struck the complainant twice on the face, and
made her mouth bleed. Pleaded guilty. Fined
2s 6d ,:and costs.
DRItNK AND DisonpEßLY.---Charle,s. Dyer was
charged with being drunk in Coventry-street, on
the night of the 30th ult. Police-sergeant Jones
proved the offence. Fined 2s and costs..
DIZ (INK ON LICENSED-PREMISES.—John Pritchard
was charged with being found drunk on licensed
premises on thepth. Fined 2s 6d and costs.
STEALING BOOTS. James Smith, blacksmith,
was sentenced to 14 days imprisonment for stealing
la pair of boots the property of Edward Mills.
On Thursday, Benjamin, Pearson of the Lye,
died at the Cfuest Hospital, Dudley from the
leffects of the gun shot wound received by him
under the circumstances already reported.