The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-01-31 00:00:00

TDE STOTITIWIPOF OPSFYVIT.

best but very good qualities are now offering at
.213; and common at £ll 15s. to £l2 10. per ton
Orders for sheets receved by post during the last
few days, and marked at the standard ruling re-
cently, have been returned by the makers, with the
remark that they can only be accepted subject to
and alteration that may be declared in Birming-
ham tomorrow. Pigs remsin steady, at £7 to £7
105. for all-ruine hot-air, £5 15s. to £6 for part-mine
and £4 10s. to £5 for cinder. Coal maintains its
price, but the demand is quiet, and lower values
must, in the ordinary course of things, shortly pre-
vail. Forge coal is 148. to 18s. per ton, and pro-
portionately for household samples according to
quality. The prospects of the searches for coal at
Sandwell, Huntington, and Fairoak are reported
satisfactory. The Fairoak sinkinglie 140 yards dep,
and the company have seem ed a lease of 5,000
acres of minerl ground. The proceedings at the
Police Court to-day against Mr. Baker, Inspector
of Mines, a report of which appears in another
column, excited considerable interest among the
coalmasters assembled on 'Change. Ironstones are
firm at 255. to 265. per ton for best native samples,
and there is a steady sale for best hematite ore of
North Country yield at satisfactory rates. The
Shropshire ironmasters on 'Charge this afternoon
quoted cold blast iron satisfactory in demand and
firm in price.

The Clerk read the minutes of the last meet-
ing.
Mr. Prescott said be should like to know it
there had been any notice given of Mr. Smith
being requested to accompany the members of
the Board who went to inspect the sites on the
27th inst. He (An Prescott) had no notice of
it. It was contrary to the Act of Parliament
to incur any expense without hming given no-
tice of it. The notice he had had simply stated
that they were going to inspect sites for
schools.
The Chairman: That was all we did.
Mr. Prescott: But there was the expense of
taking Srnalman Smith.
The Chairman: There was no expense. He
volnnteered to do this for Nothing.
Mr, Prescott: There is nothing on these
minutes to show me that his services were
gratuitous.
The Chairman: I tell you that they are, and
that is sufficient.
Mr. Stringer then moved the adoption of the
report, which was seconded by Mr. Billinghatn,
and carried, Mr. Prescott being the only one who
voted against it.
The report of the Finance Committee was
then read, which contained amongst other items
one of 14 guineas for the seal, box, and book
for the Board.
Mr. Prescott said there were 14 guineas for
the seal, while that for the Town Commissioners
had only cost £7, and he thought the ratepayers
had a right to an explanation.
It was then proposed and carried that the re-
port of the Finance Committee be received, and
the consideration of it deferred.
Mr. Prescott vtited against it.
The Chairman said the next business was a
motion of Mr. Scott.
Mr. Prescott: Before that is considered I
should like to ask the question whether those
sites were decided to be suitable or not.
The Chairman said it would be remembered
that a number of the Board (with the exception
of Mr. Prescott) were present at the clerk's
offices, according to appointment, to inspect the
various sites. The chairman then read a list of
the various sites which had been inspected by
them, and stated that the Clerk ha ri been in-
structed Co communicate with the owners, so as
to ascertain the terms, with a view to purchase.
The Clerk then read the answers he had re-
ceived from the various owners, and their dif-
ferent offers were considered seriatim ; but
either from the highness of the terms, or fie as
other considerations they were all of them
deemed nnenitable.
The Chairm in then said they mnst take Mr.
Scott's motion next. _
Mr. Scott rose mei grit lie sappesed that this
woe the most important work they had ever had
before . there. Any mistake filet they might
make either in the sr:teal:in of site or bail:ling
woelil ku irrenarable, and he therefore hoped
that the Board weal,' think long mid often he-
fore they came to a decision in the matter. Ile ,
must remind them that they had the power of
requisitioning land, and it would be much better ,
for them to put that power into force if they
could not obtain a suitable site without doing 1
so. In the first place he thought they would
all agree that the school should be in a tolerably
central position as regarded the township of j
Stourbridge,whilst at the same time bethought
it ought not to be too near the other schools;
for, whatever rivalry might afterwards spring up
between the Board school and the denomina-
tionalschools, the better way would be to look
upon them as forming one system of schools,'
and they must bear in mind that the public con-
venience was one object which they ought not
to lose eight of. They must place the school in
a positin having a proper relation to the Gigmill
district, and still more so to the population of
the Longlands, which is at present the popula-
tion most in want of a school. He hoped they
would not be led away by the cheapness of the ,
price of the ground which would be offered to
them. He was sure it would be mistaken eco-
nomy to be led away by such a temptation as
this to purchase a site which was unsuitable.
He should move a resolution of which he had
given notice. He should move it not merely be-
cause he thought it the position most suitable
for the purposes of the Board, but because
nearly all the other members of the Board
thought the same. It was quite possible that
Mr. Walker would feel a little difficulty in the
matter, as he was a member of that Board; but
he was quite confident that gentleman would
waive all personal considerations where the
good of the ratepayers was concerned. Mr.
Scott then pointed out the advantages of the
site in question, and suggested that the purchase
could be effected through the intervention of
impartial arbitrators, who would state its fair
value.
Mr. Walker said he should positively decline
to sell the land, under the circumstances.
Mr. Wall, however, secondel Mr. IScott's
motion. 1
Mr. Prescott proceeded at some length to point 1
out the disadvantages of the proposed site, when
Mr. Billingham remarked that that site was
already disposed of, by Mr. Walker's refusal to
sell it.
Mr. Prescott then said that some land at 11
Beauty Bank, whieh was the property of a Mrs,
Wilson, would be the west eligible for the per.
poses of the Board ; and he moved as an amend- 1
meat " That the site of Mrs. Wilson's property
be preferred to that proposed by Mr. Scott."
He afterwards amended this by adding to it tin
-worts, and that the Clerk be instructed to
take the necessary steps to enforce the compul-
sory purchase thereof.'
This was seconded and carried unanimously.
There was no other business of impatience.