The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-01-10 00:00:00

ROWLEY SCHOOL BOARD.

The first meeting of this Board was held at the room
of the Local Board of Health, on Monday morning
Met.

Mr. Allen, the Returning Officer, occupied the chair
pro tent. There were also ',resent :—Messrs. Reiman°,
Penn, Bingley, Hadley, liodgetts, Lewis, Witley, and
Hickman ; the only one absent being Mr. North.
The Chairman produced a copy of the notice issued
wish regard to the election of the members, and also is
copy of a notice acknowiedgingitheir electiou,and ceiling
toe first niestuig. He also stated that the business they
had to do was to elect a chairman, rice•chairumn, clerk,
and treasurer.

Mr. liumiey said he did not think there was any gen-
tleman wile was butter acquainted with the pariah, or
who would be more suitable for their chairman, than Mr.
IVaiter liaseauo. tie moved that Mr. Bassano be elected
chairman of the Board for the ensuing three years.
Mr. Lewis seconded the propoaitiou, and said Ur. Bas.
sane figg shown greet care iu the 'sahib matters gene-
rally, all°. if appointed them was no riouet that he would
WV.: tile required attention to it.
The motion was put to the meeting, and earned
unandnotiely.
Mr. Allen then declared Mr. Bassano elected as chair-
man for the next three years.
Mr. Bassauo said he was much obliged for the honour
conferred upon him. He felt that the Wilmot chairman
would be one at great responsibility, awl he could not
conceive of any more important task than that of under-
taking the education of the next generation, because that
election deemed in a great measure what that education
suoaid he, for .they knew that "tire child was on,y the
father or toe moo: He would hot trouble them with
a) cog-h): remarks on his views on the eubj,ct of edu-
e hey would be expressed in due time, when the
different auojecte were b.:night before them for discus.
moo. dltty weulis no doubt du that which was just and
right when the time came for action. It might be of
some intere4 to explain how that Board had been
formed. Now, the principal tletor ill the matter had
beau Mr. (*.urge Green, who bad paid a great deal of
attention to it, and brought it to the notice of the parish
f An time to time. Sortie time ago it was arranged that
seers should be a meetieg of what were called " the two
side," the one dir. Green gellersES ',presented, arid that
represented by Mr. natrai. Mr. Hunt was asked to take
the °Mee of mediator between the two parties, and to
allow that at his edict:, which would be, as it were, neu-
tral ground, a meeting should take place with the view of
making a compromise, so as to avoid a contest. Weil,
several meetings were in fact held, sad they ultimately
decided upon nine geutleMen. It was proposed to sub-
mit the list for public approval, but there was not time
f and that was, perhaps, Ile reason why they came
w
lt,Ae and corner proceedings ;" but there
for t,
called
was no reason for this, for everything had been done in
the iuternatx of the parish. Unfortunately the arrange-
ment was, to sonic little extent, set aside, but, happily,
the election took place without Laving aroused any strong
party spirit. They had, however, to regret the loss of
sue gentleman, who would have been an acquisition to
the Board—a Cultivated mail Winkle defeat, he thought,
they must all lament. He was convinced they would all
endeavour to do their duty with courtesy, and toils jus-
tice to every one. As they bad not come there in any
party spirit, he felt sure their proceedings would be
eliaracterised by the absence of it. He hoped there
would be no recriminatione at that Board, but that the
members would work earnestly and harmoniously, hav-
ing illy view the interests of the ratepayers—(llear,
hear .

The next buinua we. the appointment of vice-chair.
men

Mr. Hackman proposed Mr. Benjamin Hingley, as vice-
chairman. They all had some knowledge of nil character
and his anxiety to promote the education of the rate-
payers, and they could not make a better selection than
Mr. Mingle!.
Mr. Lewis seconded the proposition, and said they
could not do better than elect Mr. Hingley.
Mr. Hadley rose to propose as an amendment that
Mr. North be elected as vice-chairman. All present
knew that gentleman, who was a man of intelligence, and
of business habits, a man not only known in the parish
of Rowley Regis, hut also throughout the whole district,
He had nothing to say against Mr. Hingley, who was a
perfect gentleman; bat at the same time he should pre-
fer Mr. North, as vice•chairman, and therefore would
move that 51r. North ho appointed vice-chairman of the
B tard.

_
Mr. Hickman asked Mr. Hadley why Mr. North should
be preferred, but did not obtain an answer from that
gentlem an.
Mr. Witley seconded the amendment. In doing so he
said he did so on the principles of the matter. He did
not think it consistent that the chief officers of that
Board should all belong to the same party. It would
look too much like an one-aided affair. It put him in
mind of those words of Canon O'Sullivan, "Will you
come into my parlour said the spider to the fly ?"
Mr. Penn supported the amendment.
Mr. Witley thought the matter would work rather more
smoothly if the amendment was carried, because they
had had a great deal of unpleasantness to bear, in the
course the,:tilid taken with the idea of compromising the
matter.

The Ch airman said it would be very mach more plea-
unt if they could be unanimous on the matter of vice.
chairmen.

It the request of Mr. Hiesley,