The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-10-23 00:00:00

CRADLEY HEATH INSIITUTE.

The first annual meeting of the above Institute
was held on Wednesday evening last, at the Insti-
tute Rooms, Granger's Lane, Cradley Heath, when
the sollowing report of the committee was read
The Committee, in piesenting the fist annual re-
port, congratulated the members on the success
attending the close of the year, The number of
members subscribing has been, President and Vice-
presidents 19, hon. members 16, annual members
11, quarterly members 105, making the total of
151, The receipts showed that £32 17s lid bad
been received and that the expenses had amounted
to £39 16s 74d, leaving them with small liabilities.
That was cau,ed because at the start they had to
spend the sum of £l3 in furniatre ; but that would
not occur again, and they ventured to hope soon to
clear off their debt and also in the coming year to
meet their liabilities. The library and news rooms
are supplied with the following periodicals and
paFrs, viz :--" The Advertiser", " Birmingham
Daily Post and Gazette", "Boys' Own Paper", ,
“Colliery Guardian", “Christian Herald", "County
' Express' "Daily Mail", "Daily News", "Engineer",
"Fun", "Family Magazine", ' azine", "Guardian" "Graphic
"Illustrated London News", "Iron and Coal Trades
Review," "Illustrated Paper", "Literary World",
"Leisure Hour", "Public Opinion", "Punch",
"Standard", "Sunday at Home", "The Times
Summary", "The Alliance News" "The English
Mechanic", and "The iNineteenth Centnry". The
reading rJoms had, during the winter months been
taken advantage of by afair number of readers,
although during some months the attendance had
been s nail. The library was commenced by do-
nations of books to the members, of upwards of
200 volumes, from J. P. Hunt, which had
been supplemented by dona ions froat Mrs. Straw-
son, Mr. N. Forrest, and others; and the com-
mittee are about shortly to spend up Nards of £27,
in making further additions. Wben this has been
done they would have a vety respectable library,
and it would form one of the principal features of
the institute. The committee in closing their re-
port begged to call the alention of theirfriends and
the public generally to the great advantages
accruing from an institute of that kind, sepecially
in providing means for pleasantly and profitably
spending their spare time, Offers have been given
of lectures, and French and other classes, for the
coming season, which will be taken advantage of by
the committee. The following officers were
elected ft,r the ensuing year :—President, Mr. W.
P. Strawson ; Treasurer, Mr, G. Keen; Secretaries,
Mr. Yeaman and Mr. Wooldridge; Tiustees, Mr.
Stanlish, Mr. Whitley, and Mr. G Green.

CRADLEY HEATH.

MINER'S MEETING.—A meting of miners was
hell on Thur-day night, at the Anchor Inn, Cradley
Ilea h, to hoar onaddrss from Mr. Joseph Southall
ininers' agent for the Cannock Chase district. Mr.
William Brealtwell presided. Mr. Southall slid 1 oth
masters and men interested in tha cJal trade were
suffering very actutely at the present time. In the
Cannock Cba-e district coal was being sold to
cheap, and consequently labour was not fairly re-
munerated. If the price of coal was advanced it
would benefit both the employers and employed.
The masters at Cannock Chase were delivering coal
into Staffordshire cheaper than it was being sold
there. The best coal raised at Cannock was being
sold for less than 7s per ton. Consequently the
men were being paid 2a 3d a stint, which was 6d
lower than it had been in the Cannock Chase
district during the last forty-five years. speaking
of the sliding scale, he said it never had a fair trial,
ars it Lad not yet been tried in a rising market. The
following
.resolution was unanimonsly adopted:
6"f hat this meeting pledges itself ti support the
Union in carrying out the resolution of the recent
conference, soliciting the masters to grant an in-
crease of wages.