The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1866-10-27 00:00:00

NIGHT SCHOOLS FOR oulLs.

Rev. If. P. N. Hutton read a piper no the ['abject of
night schools for girls. A girls night seloxil at Gold's
Hill hsd been very succeisful. The anxiety of girls
themselves to be educated led to the establishinent of
the night school at Hold's Hill. The objection which
stood in the way for some time vras that the girls would
be exposed to tlinger from being out late st night ; but
they carried slippers to werkinen, and were out Into for
othes purposes, soft this led to the conclusion that the
danger was not increased by bringing them to school.
The school was established in 16.-/9, and nothing had oc•
curred to make the step regretted. The boys were sent
out of school a clear half hour before the girls in order
that there might be no disorder occasioned by the meet-
ing of the different sexes. Education had converted the
coarsest batik wenches into respectable girls, and led
them to attend Sunday schools and Sunday services.
His experience had quite convinced him that night
schools for girls, if properly combined, would be of the
utmost benefit, and he hoped the association would en.
il,•avour to establish them iu the South Staffordshire
distriet.

_
Rev. 11. Saniltird (her Maje.ty's Inspector of School.)
maid night school, for girl. were very much wanted in
England, but in no part of it worxe than in South Stafford-
shire. 110 migrated thitt night school, for girls should
be enrried on in summer, when boys generally would not
attend.

Mr. J. Taylor said he had been connected with girls'
night schools for twenty years. At the solicitation of
persons interested, lie Mired need boys among the girls,
although feeling that it was a rather dangerons experi-
ment. Nothing Invl occurred to make him regret the
action. In fact, he was convinced that neither bo.xs nor
girls could he properly educated apart. lie was satkried
that both &Atli would be benefited by Lein educated
together.
The Rev. J. H. Iles, of Wolverhampton, said lie was
convinced that ii great deal of good might be done by
night schools ,for girls, conducted by staid, matronly
teachers, who* influence would prevent the girls from
running after the boys; for his experience was that such
disorder as that complained of by Mr. Hutton was gene-
rally the fault of the girls—(langhter).
Mr. Huffier thought the object of the association
should be to encourage the education of girls as house-
keepers, and not to snake them telegraph clerks, or any-
thing else that would bring them into competition with
men. His ideal of a happy country was one where the
men earned good wages and the women were good house-
keepers—(hear, hear).
Other gentlemen took part In the discussion, all
agreeing that it was desirable to establish night schools
for girls.

WORKINGIneII CLUBS.

The President invited the Rev. If. Solly tu say sonic-
thing on the subject of working men's clubs. His lord-
ship observed that working men's dabs had hardly done
much good in South Staffordshire. In some instances
they had done harm by withdrawing men from the insti-
tute-I. Rut the club movement in Englund hail made
groat progress, and lie should be sorry if it had not it fur
chance in South Staffordshire.

....
Rev. H. folly said he could not learn that much had
been done to establish working men's clubs in South
Stsff irdshire. He was sorry that the working men did
not establish these clubs for themselves; bat when lie
reflected that they were wholly new institutions, requir-
ing a radical change in men s habits, he could not be
surprised that they wore not taken to with is much
eagerness as a hopeful strike or a public-honse supper.
It WAS SW important consideration that thin members of
trade societies had in most instances kept aloof from
working men's clubs. Appeals should be made in every
district to the members of those great organizations to
throw themselves into the work. Some middle and upper
class help was required. The 7'inics, the Saturday lie.
vice', and Lord Stanley declared—very erroneously—that
. working men would not have any middle or upper class
interference. That was a great mistake. The help re-
. qnired to be judiciously and not too obtrusively given,
' and whenver given in that way working men would be
found to accept it gratefully. He entered into a variety
of details AA to the most promising methods of conduct-
ing working men's clubs.
Mr. W. 0. Foster, Ml'., said the great obstacle in the
way of working men's clubs in South Staffordshire was
the division of the men into sets or cliques. There
were the formen of ironworks, then the master rollers,
than the puddler', and than the men working behind the
rolls, employed by the master rollers. Some of these
inen received very eonsiderable wages—others were paid
comparatively little. Some were men of education, others
were not. It was in vain to suppose that these men
could meet on common ground of an afternoon to chat.
The higher grade of iron workers associated with second
and third class tradespeople, and instead of going tea