The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-03-02 00:00:00

T.HE STaUBPAII)GE OPKEin7FII.

Mr. Streeten appeared for the prosecution,
and Mr. Jelf for the defence. i
After Mr. Streeten had stated the case, he I
called 1
The Hon. C. G. Lyttelton, M.P., who de- '
The Adjourned meeting was held on Monday poach: In the month of January last the pri.
evening last, at Mr. Tompkins s, of Hagley. soner at the bar was in the employ of my father 1
Mr. T. Hunt, of Stourbridge, was called to the as gamekeeper and keeper of the park. The
chair, and the minutes of the last meeting were number of deer lathe park was usually about
read and confirmed. There was hardly so good 70. Prisoner was engaged first as gamekeeper
an attendance as usual. under head keeper Bache. About three years ,
The Chairman then called upon those present afterwards, namely in 1867, Bache died, and the '
to inform the meeting of "hat they were doing prisoner Kettle was promoted to his situation,
in reference to the agitation for an increase of and on the same terms as Bash*, namely, 15s
wages. per week, a cottage and garden rent free, and
A man who worked for Mr. S. Smith, of Ped- certain perquisites. The young of deer were
more, said his master had given him 154 per horn at the latter end of May or the beginning
week—(loud applause). of Juno. I never heard of a fawn being killed
A waggoner had been offered 13s to stop at his in the park in January. The usual time for
place; but he had i
declined to take t, and had killing them was in the mouths of July and Au.
come out. He was open to an engagement. gust.
A man who worked for Mr. Nathan Smith said
Cross-examined: I may have told prisoner
the latter had declined to give him the rise, but
in August last to kill off the fawns to five or six.
another gentleman had offered him 17s per week, I was abroad at the time this prosecution corn-
and he had accepted it --(loud applause). ruenced. Believed Bache disposed of the fawns
A man in the employ of Mr. Former, of Clent,
that were not required for the house. He was
said that gentleman had refused to give hini the
the judge as to whether a fawn was fit to be
rise, and consequently he (the speaker) had given sent up to the horse, or whether he should keep
him 14 days' notice, it himself. Among the perquisites prisoner re-
Another speaker stated that one half of the
ceived were certain fawns. He did not require
men at Brookfield, Belbrougliton, had turned ,to have a certain fixed number in the park. If
out, but the other half had not. They were hay- there had been any complaint at all, would be
ing 12s and 14s per week. rather that they were too numerous than too
A man from Wolverley said the men there limited. Complaints had been made that the
were going to give their masters notice on Sat- gates were often left open, and of deer and fawns
urilay next. They were determined to come out
if they did not get the prices asked for. escaping from the park. Did not remember tel-
ling-prisoner, in August, to kill off the fawns.
A person from Cookley said the men who were Re-examined : I should consider 51 would
at work for Mr. Trow were going in for half the
rise. That is he was going to gioi them the Ibe a small number of deer in the park. If pri-
soner killed a deer that had escaped from the
rise in wages, but he was going to stop the park it would be his duty to send it up to the
usual allowance of beer, house, unless it was a poor creature. If the pie-
It was stated that Mr. Mercer, of Belbrong,h- goner or any one else killed a fawn in the park
ton, hail declared his determination not to give in January: it would be a dishonest act.
the men the slightest advakce, and consequently Evidence was then given which has already
they had given him notice. In mei set to the appeared in our columns.
Chairman, the last speaker said he had been at At the conclusion of the evidence,
work several weeks when he bad only received
Mr. Jeff submitted that there was not a tittle
lOs for wages; and that out of this small sum of proof that the deer in question was ever in
lie had to keep seven children. He.gley Park, and that the prosecution must
The Chairman gave as his reason for asking therefore fail.
about the number of children that there were After some discussion as to the law of the
two gentlemen in the room who were ready to case,
engage healthy labourers, at good salaries. and Mr. Streeten withdrew the prosecution, and
to find remunerative employment for their clot- esid he should offer no evidence in the second
dren. case. Prisoner was therefore acquitted.
A man who worked for Mr. Smith, of the Mr. Amphlett remarked that no doubt it was
Lowe, Wolverley, sail he had given his master a proper case to bring forward. He also stated
notice last Saturday. He was determined not that lie had received a letter from Lord Lyttel-
to go in without he got the rise. Ile thought ton to the effect that, if the prisoner should be
the men had heretofore been in a rat trap ; but convicted, he wished that as lenient sentence as
the masters were now in a rabbit trap:—(itri-
possible should be passed upon him.
plause). He was ashamed of the men m his
parish, as they seemed afraid to stand up for .....,,,,
their rights.
A man who worked for Mr. Bird, of Cookley,
said his master had refused to give the rise, and
he was in want of a situation. He thoroughly
understood farming work.
The Chairman then sailed :upon those out of
work to hold up their hands. Six responded.
Mr. Davis, of Kinver, had given one of his
men the rise. The notice of the others would
be up on next Saturday week.
One of Mr. J. Whittaker (Churchill) men
had given him 14 days' notice. Mr. Whittaker
said the men were not going to make laws for
him.
The Chairman then oalled upon those present
to state the nature of the business transacted at
the Wolverley Meeting.
In response to this, a man said that Mr. Pear.
man, of Whittington, had offered the men Is
per week advance; but they had refused to take
it. Nine of them had come out. Mr. Archer's
men had asked him for the rise, and he replied
that he would give it when Mr. Bache gave it.
One farmer in Broom (Mr. Hickman) hail
given his men half-a-crown a day ; but lie had
discontinued the beer allowance. Several men
who were working for other Blasters were only
getting a rise uf Is per day.
A man in the employ of Mr. Moreton, of
Broom, said if the latter did not give him the
rise he would give him a month's notice.
The Chairman here said he had just been in-
formed that Mr. Birch, of Churchill, was going
to give his men ills per week (without beer), ens
his waggoner 18a—(cheers).
It was stated that Mr. Mercer, of Fairfield,
had offered his men Is and 2s per week advance.
Mr. Smith, of the Tree Urns, was giving his
men lie per week.
The Chairman here made a few remarks to
the effect that he was thoroughly disappointed
with the attendance of the men at the meeting
that evening, and astonished at the want of
unanimity there was among them. '1 here was
himself and others who had toiled up there night
after night, without the slightest recompense.
solely for their good; and as soon as some of
them got what they themselves wanted they
never attended the meeting again, and were per.
Leidy indifferent as to whether their fellow-lab-
ourers had gut the rise or not. °there were
working fur a rise of Is and or is per week, and
bUllle were going on wthout any rise at all, tie,
for his part, was quite disgusted with their con-
duct.

LABOUR AND WAGES QUESTI( N.
- -
AORICUL FERAL LABOURERS,

A man front Clent here said that in his opinion
it was 31r. C. P. Noel who had spoiled tout
inectiog. He had called a wetting of farmer,
to which reporters were not admitted, and mi.
vista them to adopt the pl in which holint
adopted. it was this, lie wcut round to each
one of ha men and told them that if they at-
tended the meeting they would be discharged.
Ile said he Wai sue, there was not a single poor
person iu the parish of Belbroughton, for if they
only got 12s per week they generally managed
to rear one or two fat pigs, which materially
helped them. But the fact was a lot of artisans
and others who had nothing whatever to do with
the !natter, had ,ot amongst the men and made
' them discontented. If they allowed the men to
get in the thin cud of the wedge, they would
Soon dictate to the masters whatever terms they
chose.
The Chairman said the person who had made
the extraordinary speech with reference to men
who only got 12s per week being able to keep one
or two fat pigs out of that stipend was a Justice
(,f the Peace.
A waggoner said there were a good many in
the room who carried two colours under sin,
hat. He had six children, the oldest of whon.
was 14, and he was quite willing and able to
work; but he was determined not to go in mitt'
lie not the full rise.
A shepherd who worked for Mr. Nathan SDI.

here enCered the room, And said that he had ub
tamed the advance after seam hard work.
The meeting was afterwards adjourned unti
Monday eveniiig next.

,
there

" n --luellMr. J. Allsop said they were ve
indebted to Mr. Penn for the informreation he had
given them. It was very desirable that the mat-
ter should be thoroughly looked into, and there
was certainly something wrong in the queuisttiotene,
and he should beg to propose that a eom
be appointed to take the matter into coma era.

tion:
The Chairman asked if there was any other
question they would like to put to the deputa-
tion.
Mr. Penn said they did not went to make any-
tbi by the transaction, and if there was a stir-
pins they should devote it to some charitable
object. such as the Stourbridge Dispensary.
M. J. Hughes : Do you propose taking the
control of the Exchange on other days?
Mr. Penn: Oh, no sir; only on Fridays from
2 till 5.
Mr. Allsop felt sure something might be done,
for it not only injured the trade at the market,
but the tradespeople in the town, and he thought
they would do well to have a committee appoin-
ted.
Mr. Maginuis said the mattet would come up
in due course under consideration of the General
• Purposes Committee, when anything could be
said upon it.
! REPORT OF TUE IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE.
Your Committee report that having particularly con-
sidered the plans and purposes of Mr. Jones, in putting
up an engine and boiler in Enville-street, they cannot
recommend your Board to pronounce an opinion on the
desirability or otuerwise of the proposed work.
! Your Committee have been in negotiation with Mr.
! William Perry, of the Lye, to rent a piece of orchard
! laud at the corner of Foster-street near Mount-street, and
r.-port that the said land may be rented for the sum of
£4 per annum, subject to six months' notice to quit on
either side. A. pair of doors will be required; but these
I must be put up at the Board's expense. As it is very im-
portant that the materials for the repair of the roads
should be in ore situation, and that as central ao possible,
you Committee advise that the naid land be ri uted on the
terms above stated, and an agreement be entered into
with Mr. Perry for that purpose.
Your Committee advise the execution of the following
works, namely : The construction of a sewer or drain
from the centre of Albert-street, down Bowling Green
Lane, to join the sewer in the said lane. To lay down a
..sort drain in Bowling Green-lane beyond the house be-
longing to Mr. Edwin Patkes, to join the sewer that runs
across the said lane into the field occupied by Miss Dunn.
To cause Park-street West, Beauty Bank, to be chez,
nelled and levelled, the cost to be repaired by the owners
of property in that street.
With regard to your instructions of the lost meeting,
to purchasa from Mr. Ledlaary a piece of land at the
corner of Foster-street, at II per square yard, and £lO
towards the expense of removing and re-erecting the
fencing ; the road trustees contributing one half of the
cost, your Committee report that 37 square yards of the
, said land had been purchased and set out by your Cum-
. mittee in conjunction with Mr. Willtnott, the surveyor of
, the Road Trustees. Your Clerk has met Mr. Willmott
at the Heath, respecting the drainage of that district.
Your Cummitte, however, advise that the consideration
of the matter should be deferred pending general legisla-
tion on the whole subject. The following letter has been
written to Mr. Saunders, the secretary of the Great
Western Railway Company on the subject of :railway
accommodation for the town and district :

" 56, High•street, Stourbridge,
"Feb. 19, 1872.
" Dear 81r,—At the monthly meeting of the Stour-
bridge Improvement Commissioners, held Monday, the
28th ultimo, we were appointed a special committee to
acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 2nd De.
cember, wherein you state that your Directors have it in
contemplation to apply for powers to construct a new line
which will give increased accommodation between Bawd.
ley, Kidderminster, Stosrport, and Stourbridge, and by
a modification of the existing plan to improve the com-
munication with the latter plum, and requesting the
Commissioners to acquiesce in the delay which will thus
I be caused.
" The Committee have directed us to reply to your
letter by calling your attention to the powers you have
already obtained for making a branch line from your
main line near the Stourbridge Passenger Station to
High•street, by the Great Western Railway Act, 1868.
Under the Act referred to this line is to be completed
within five years from the passing of the said Act. This
period expires in July, 1873, acd to this we beg to call
your particular attention. The Commissioners, before
they can acquiesce in any further delay, will require some
guarantee from your company that convenient and suffi-
cient railway accommodation will be provided within a
reasonable time in a central position to meet the increas-
ing end pressing necessities of the Stourbridge traffic.
Otherwise, the Commissioners, having due regard to
the interests of the position they represent, will feel it to
he their duty to take such measuzes as they may be ad-
vised to prevent the abandonment of the intended branch
line, and ensure a fulfilment of the Salutary powers con.
Wiled in the Great Western Railway Act, 1868.
" On behalf of the Commissiunera, we ask the favour
of an early reply.
" We are, dear Sir,
" Yours faithfully,
"J. McEivits,
" June TayLoa, Clerk.
" F. G. Sanders, Esq."

The Clerk received the following reply :
" Great Western Railway,
" London Terminus,

Paddington, 28ril Feb.

" Dear Sir,-1 beg to acknowledge the receipt of thc
letter addressed to me by Mr. l,lchwen and yourself on
the 19th inst. The subject of it:shall have attention at
the earliest moment, but 1 am afraid the Directors will
cot have the opportunity of giving consideration to 1,
until aftvr the tieneral bleetirg of the Company, on the
29th alt.

" Yours faithfully,
.• SANDER.

.‘ John Taylor, }lag.,
High- t.treet, Stourbridge."

Mr. Newnam said 11 per yard for the land
seemed a good deal.
The Clerk: The question has been settled by
the Board.
' •

There

mu=
death

_
It was proposed by Mr. 131unsom, seconded b)
Mr. Edwards, and carried unanimously, that the
repoit be adopted.

entirely

year i.- .e were 70. ..t been one _ . rested . __.; upon-----credibility, and he would leave them
to determine the case, which he hoped would receive
during the month, five cases of small-pox, all of
their careful consideration.
which are nearly well, and two eases of measles. The Jars, after conacilting together for a short time,
There was no other business. unanimously returned a verdict for the plaintiff
1 The hearing of the case lasted nearly seven hours, and
1 a large number of professional gentlemen were present to
-- i court.