The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-04-04 00:00:00

COMMISSIONERS' MEETING.

The montly meeting of this body was held in
the Board Room, on Monday last, Mr. McEwen
in the chair. There were also present :—Messrs.
Hughes, Billingham, Perkin, Mills, Kelley, Stanley
Allchurch' Woolley, and Griffin.
_ _

The minutes of the last meeting were read and
confirmed.
The Clerk read a letter he had received from
the Local Government Board, dated March 9th,
which was as follows:—" I am directed by the
Local Government Board to acknowledge the re-
ceipt of your letter of the 16th ultimo, of a report
made to the Stourbridge Improvement Improve-
ment Commissioners, by their General Purposes
Committee, relative to Dr. B,dlard's report on the
sanitary condition of the district of the Improve-
ment Commissioners. From a perusal of this re-
port, it appears to the Board to be admitted by the
Committee that the arrangements with reference
to the sewage of the town of Stourbridge, are at
present imperfect in several respects, although
the sewers may, perhaps, have been sufficient for
the purpose for which they were originally in-
tended'The Board are of opinion that the Commis-
sioners should, without further delay, make pro-
vision for the construction of proper sewers for the
town, and for the disposal, in the same way, not
injurious to the public health, of the sewage. The
Board are glad that considerable improvement has
been made by the Commissioners in regard to the
emptying of cesspools and the removal of house
refuse, but they are of opinion that the work
should, as recommended by Dr. Ballard. be per-
formed at regular intervals, without waiting for a
request from, and also without charge to the oc-
cupier of the premises. The Board will be glad
to receive some further information, more definite,
than that furnished by the report of the Com-
mittee, with reference to any improvements which
are being made in the construction of privies and
inipdensteads, to the necessity for which improve-
ment Dr. Ballard drew the attention of the Com-
missioners attention on page 6. The Board re-
gret that the Commissioners are not ready to pro-
vide Hospital accommodation for cases of danger-
ous infectous diseases occurring within the dis-
trict, and they direct me to draw the attention of
the Commissioners to the 26th section of the
Sanitary Act, 1866, under which, the sanitary au-
thority are empowered in the cases therein men-
tioned, so obtain the removal to the Hospital, of
cases requiring isolation. The Board do not doubt
that in Stourbridge there occur many cases of
dangerous infectour disease,to which the pro-
visions of the section referred to would probably
apply. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, Charles
Saville Read."
Mr. Hughes moved "That the matter be re-
fi rred to the General Purposes Committee.".
Mr. Perkin seconded the motion, which was
, carried.
REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.

Your Committee report that there is due from
the Treasurer on the Improvement Account,
£l6l Os 103, and due to the Treasurer on the High.
way Account, £92 17s 6d. A numbor of accounts
amounting to £lO 4s 7d, on the Improvement Ac-
count, and £B9 16s 111 on the Highway Account,
were ordered to be paid.
On the motion of Mr. Bißingham, seconded by
Mr. Kelley, the report wat adopted.
With reference to Mr. Knott auditing the ac-
counte,_.

_ _
The Clerk said he had waited upon Messrs.
Harwards, Shepherd, and Mills, solicitors, and
they were of opinion that the sanitary duties of
the Commissioners must be carried on as distinct
work,and the Board must keep separate sanitary
accounts, which must be made up to the 25th of
March, each year, and submitted t ) the District
Auditor.