The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-05-29 00:00:00

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THE STOURBRIDGE SCHOOL BOARD.

Since the eventful evening of the 22nd February,
when the chequered career of the Stourbridge
School Board was suddenly brought to a full stop
by the resignation of five of its members, affairs
have remained in stab& quo. From what trans-
pired last week, however, we understand that the
Board is to be re-vivified and enter upon a new
lease of existence, the five gentleman who had
resigned having been requested by the Education
Department to constitute a new School Board
which is to last until the time has expired for
which the original Board was elected. According
to this arrangement Mr. Prescott, who was the
only member of the original Board who had not
resigned, found himself shut out from his seat on
the Board, and has addressed a letter on the sub-
ject to the Education Department, of which the
following copy has been forwarded to us for pub-
lication by Mr. Prescott :
Stourbridge, May 22nd, 1875.
"My Lords and Gentlemen,
•
" STOURBRIDGX SCHOOL BOARD.

"On the 23rd February, five of the members of this
Board resigned their seats. A few days afterwards ano-
ther re,i gued. he having gone t reside in London. I
was, therefore, the only Inc, her of the Board left. On
the 27th February a letter was received by Mr. Perry,
Clerk to the Board, from Mr. P. Cumin, stating that 'as
soon as the resignations of the five retiring members
shall have taken place my Lords will he prepared to isane
an order for an election to lii the vacant teats.' No such
order has been received, but looking in to-day's local
newspap:T I find that a letter has been addressed by Mr.
P. Cumin to each of the live members referred to above
proposing to re-appoint them to form a new Board. I
s;!nd your Lordships a eopy of the letter referred to dated
Whitehall, May 19th. It would thus appear that these
five members are to form the new Board, and that I am
to be excluded. I send your Lordships a copy of the
return, from which it will he seen that I polled the
largest number of votes given to any candidate. It thus
results that the policy 1 liftve pursued at the late Board
is the policy of the majority of the ratepayers. I desire
most respectfully to ask if it be your Lordships' inten-
tion to exclude me from the new Board, and thereby
deprive my large number of constituents of their share
in the management of the educational affairs at the
town. I would also point out to your Lordships that the
left,r of the 19th instant is a deviation from your Lord-
ships' original intention, as seen from the letter of the
27th February, wherein your Lordships expressed an in-
tention to issue an order for an election to fill the vacant
seats merely, and I desire to ask your Lordships if such
deviation is the result of any statement or communica-
tion made by or on behalf of any of the said five mem-
bers. I have had no communication from your Lordships
and, therefore, no opportunity has been given to me of
meeting any ex parte statements made by any of the five
members upon the subject of their resiguation, supposing
any such to have been made._
. _

I would also call your Lordships' attention to the
fact that the policy of the late Board has been condemned
by the Education Department as extravagant. On the
18th July, 1374, a letter was received from Mr. Cumin
stating that ' the design ' :of the building] ' is rather
expensive in its character.; The letter went on to say,
'I ana to inform you that in the notice published in
Stourbridge under section 9 of the Elementary Educa-
tion Act it was stated that additional accommodation
would be required for 311 children. I am to enquire
on what: ground your Board proposes to provide for so
many as 483 children, and why the plans show so large a
preponderance for infants?'
"It is against this extravagant expenditure of the
ratepayers' money that I have protested.
" Enough of the Board's extravagance has appeared
t) attract the attention of the Education Department;
but the whole of its extravagance and incapacity has not
appeared. In spite of my protest at the Board, a piece
of land has been selected as a site which from its total
unfitness will render a very large extra expenditure ne-
cessary for foundations.
"It does seem strange that the Education Beim tment
having previously objected to the extravagance of the
late Board should now re-appoint the five members res-
ponsible for this extravagance, and exclude me, the only
one who has protested against it.
1 have the honour to be,

"My Lords and Gentlemen,
" Your obedient Servant,
" G. W. PRESCOTT.
" To the Rt. Hon. Viscount Sandon, M.P.,
" Whitehall, London. S.W."