The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-11-01 00:00:00

SCHOOL BOARD MEETING.

the Board. He then handed round for inspec-
tion a design, which he had himself just drawn.
This latter did not seem to meet with the ap-
proval oflthe Board, and
Major Walker smilingly asked, " How would
the town clock do? "—(laughter).
After some further conversation,
Mr. Scott said he did not see that a seal need
be provided before the next meeting.
The Chairman pointed out that it was abso-
lutely necessary to provide one as early as pos-
sible, because bills and other docuinonts could
not be legally signed by the Board until they
had a seal.
Mr. Scott moved as an amendment that the
question of the seal be left to the General Pur-
poses Committee, to provide the Board with one
at the next meeting.
This course was objected to on the ground
that it would be premature to set aside work for
the General Purposes Committee before the
same had been formed.
Mr. Scott then moved as an amendment that
" We proceed to the second part of the agenda,
and then return to this."
The Chairman asked if there were any objec-
tions to this, and there being none, he said a
motion of Major Walker's repectiug the appoint.
went of a Committee or standingComtuittees
for the Board," would form the next subject of
deliberation.

Mr. Pony then called the attention of the
Board to the rules and regulations of the Lon-
don School Board, and stated that that Board
had four committees. _ .

Major Walker moved "That two committees
be appointed for the preparation of business."
Ho thought it would facilitate the conduct of
the matters of the Board very much to have
committees to consider and prepare matters for
the Board. He thought it would not be neces-
sary at present to form more than two commit-
tees. These would be the Finance and General
Purposes Committees. lie begged to move, in
a general way, that two committees be appointed
--a General Purposes and a Financial Commit-
tee.
The Chahman thought it very desirable that
committees should be formed, and was of opinion
that two would be sufficient ; one for financial
and the other for general purposes. He thought
that necessarily would be much better than to
leave evety trifling matter to be discussed by the
full board. There were some members of that
Board who lhad more leisure time to spare than
he had, and, no doubt, would willingly devote
some of it to the service of the Board on these
committees. lie hoped they would have no ob-
jection to form these committees ; and there-
fore he should suppor., the motion of Major
Walker. . .

---- -
It WEIS suggested that the respective commit-
tees consist of three members each besides the
chairman, who should be al ex-officio member of
each.

lu answer to a question, Mr. MeE wen said the
connuittees would elect their own chairmen.
The question of bye.laws was next introduced,
and, in answer to Mr. Wall, the Clerk read por-
tions of the Education Act, pointing out what
they referred to.
Mr. Prescott objected to the bye-laws read,
on the '”round that they had been repealed, aud
were not now in
.fcree.
. . . . . _

Mr. Perry, having looked over the Act, said
the bye-laws retested to had not been repealed.
The Chairman said the framing of the bye-
.. , .

law-a-would be the work of the Gen'e'ral Purpo'ses
Connuittee, subject to the approval of the whole
Board. _ .

In the coarse of a diseusbiou aeto the number

that should form the committees,.
Major Walker said the committees would prac-
tically consist of four members, with the chair-
man. He also thought it better to insert in the
resolution that three should form a quorum.
Mr. Petty suggested that if standing com-
mittees be formed, one of their first duties
should be the framing of regulations or bye-
laws similar to those which he had read extracts
from.

Major Walker then formally proposed and Mr.
Billingliam seconded, "That two standing com-
mittees be appointed, to which matters should
be from time ta time submitted.
The Chairman put the resolution to the meet-
ing, and it was carried.
The Chairman then said that they should now

-
proceed to the election of the members who
should form these committees. They would
take the General Purposes Committee first.

He would thank any one for a proposition.
Messrs. Scott, Walker, and BiHingham, were
then appointed as members cf the General Pur-
poses Committee; and Messrs. Wall, Stringer,
and Billingbarn were elected to constitute the
Finance Committee.
Mr. Prescott was proposed by Mr. Scott as a
member of the Finance Committee, but he de-
clined. . .

....
After the election was concluded,
Mr. Prescott here reminded the Clerk that he
had not voted either for or against the election
of the committees.
The Clerk: I underdsud that my duty is to
record the names of those who vote aye or nay
upon a motion.
Mr. Prescott: And neutral, sir.
Mr. Wall : The naives are ouly to be recorded
on the minutes on a division.
The Chairman said he thought they had
better nu back to the matter of the seal. He
asked the Clerk to read the resolution having
reference to the seal and papers.
The Clerk having read the resolution,
Mr. Prescott objected to the General Purposes
Committee giving a decision in the matter.
Mr. Wall said the resolution authorised the
Clerk to provide the seal, ac.
Mr. Scott moved as an amendment that the
Board, at the next meeting, instruct the Clerk
as to what should be the design of the seal.
Mr. Stringer seconded this.
The Chairman remarked that it was simply
necessary to defer the consideration of the
matter to the next meeting.
The subject then dropped.
The Chairman said the next business was to
take into consideration the desirability of pro-
vidiog school accommodation.
Mr. Prescott called their attention to the 7th
section of the Act of Parliament, whieh com-
pelled the Education Department to furnish
them with the returns upon which they based
their assumption that there was a deficiency of
school accommodation in the township. It
would be very important to ascertain where this
deficiency lay. He should like to know in what
part there were 311 children who did not attend
school,. He was bound to say that it was only
right they should be acquainted with these par-
ticulars before they proceeded to build.
The Chairman said the question had been
fully discussed.
Mr. Prescott objected that it had not, for Mr.
Perry had only just produced the Act bearing
upon the subject.
The Chairman said it was pretty well under-
stood.
Mr. Prescott remarked that it only showed
what prejudice did. Rowley had set the Edu-
cation Department at defiance, and would not
form a School Board.
' The Cha;rman: They will have to form one.
Mr. Prescott : Not this side of February.
The Chairman; We must progress with our
business.
Mr. Prescott asked him, or any other member
of the Board, whether he could go in any one
I locality and point out 311 childeen, of the proper
age to attend school, that :lid not do so.
Mr' Dillingham was under the impression that
I
they would have to build a school to meet the
' whole requirements of the town.
Mr. Prescott said he understood from what had
been said by Mr. Scott, that they were to have it
in the Longlands.
The Chairman said this was beside the question.
The report of the committee appointed at the
last meeting with reference to the question of
school accommodation in the township, was then
read by the Clerk. The committee recom-
mended the Board to ascertain definitively
whether the Hanbmy Hill schools and the Tal-
bot-street schools were available ior the use of
the Board, and in the event of the Board being
able to rent them, an architect should be em-
ployed to report to the Board as to the cost of
repairs or other alterations, so as to meet the
requirements of the Education Department, and
ciao to report what would be the cost of buid'ug
schools to meet such requirements.
Mr. Scott said as he had not the honour of
being present when this resolution was being dis-
cussed, he might any that it had his entire concur-
rence. He thought it would be necessary to adopt
a building scheme. In the course of the discus-
sion on this subject which took place at the pre-
vious meeting of the Board, he made a stafement
with reference to the rate at which money could
be burrowed for the purpose of building which was
slightly inaocurate. He said it could be borrowed

at three and a half per cent. When he made that
statement, he believed he had good authority for
doing so. He had ascertained since from a local
paper that the rate of interest paid by the King-
,swinford School Board was rather more per cent.
That made a slight difference. It wculd be desir-
abl,l for the Clerk to write to the Board in London,
to accertain what alternatives were before them
in reference to the mode and the rate at which
they coild borrow money for building,. With
reference the question of the aoconnuodation
that could be supplied by the existing schools that
were now closc',l,, he had made careful enquiries as
to the precise roein there was in the Hanbury Hill
School, and ascertained that it would not accom-
modate more than 10 children. They could not
get accommodation for tflore than 150 in the con-
gregational school. There :was another point which
he wished to direct their attention to. He thought
it would be best to appoint an architect to inspect
certain schools as to their fitness !or the purposes
of the Board. They ought to prce,eed with care
in this matter. They would all agree that the
choice of an architect should be made wlth some
care. They could not take any step in employing
a professional man without exercising some dis-
crimination in the selection. He thought they
ought to employ an architect in the district. It
seemed to him, however, that they should be
rather desirous to avoid a discussion as to the
claims of rival architects. He did not wish to
deprive the public of a knowledge of what was
going on, but he thought it would be better to
have a discussion on this in private. He did not
think it weuld be desirable to delay for a whole
month the question of an architect. If they en-
gaged an architect he could report to them at the
I next meeting, and peesent the question to that
I Board in a different form.

The Chairman said the report of the committee
had been neither received nor adopted yet.:
Mr. Wall moved that the report of the commit-
tee be received, leaving out the word "adopted."
This was seconded by Mr. Stringer.
Mr. Scott said he wished to give greater preci-
sion to the work which had been assigned them.
It seemed to him that it was necessary to give to
a professional man precise instructions so that he
may know what he is expected to do. He begged
to propose a resolution that the Board consult an
architect, to be selected by a committee of the
whole Board; and that the General Purposes Com-
mittee be instructed to carry out that resolution,
and report thereon to the Board.
Mr. Prescott objected to the employment of a
professional man.
The Chairman said they should nai.le enquiries
before employing a professional man.
Major Walker seconded Mr. Scott's proposition.
A good deal had been said at that Board about
the inaccuracy of the returns upon which had been
made. He considered that the alleged deficiency
related to the whole parish, and there was only a
suggestion of the neighbourhood of the Gigmill,
so that those residing there should have easy
access. If they did not at once proceed to supply
the deficiency of school accommodation stated in
the returns from the Education Department, they
would be treated as a School Board in default, and
the result would be that the Department would
do what was required in their own way, and the
expense to the ratepayers would be much heavier
than if the Board did it.
Mr. Preslott : No, no. _

Some conversation ensued as to whether the
schools previously spoken of could be obtained for
lhe Board, and
Major Walker said he had thought the matter
carefully over, and therefore he had seconded the
proposition in order to ascertain whether these
places could be got or not.
Mr. Prescott said they could not proceed until
they enquired where the deficiency existed.
Mr. Scott's resolution was then read by the
Clerk.

Mr. Prescott said he saw no reason why the
questions embodied in it could not be discussed in
the open. He moved an amendment asking
whether they came strictly within the scope of
the notice given.
The amendment VMS not seconded, and it fell to
the ground.
The Chairman then put Mr. Scott's resolution,
which was carried

Mr. Perry read the resolution passed at a former
meeting respecting the use of the Commissioners'
Room by the Board, and stated that in accordance
with that resolution he had communicated with
the Clerk to the Commissioners, and had received
through him a favourable reply.
The Chairman said he might tell them that that
matter was brought before the Commissioners that
day, and they had agreed to let the School Board
have the use of the room on payment of a sum of
£5 per annum.
Mr. Perry read a circular which he had received
from the Education Department, which was merely
of a formal nature. He also informed the Board
that he had received a bill from Mr. Holloway for
his services us clerk pro tern. He had also received
a hill for advertising.
On the motion or Mr. Scott, seconded by Major
Walker, they were referred to the Fii mce Commit-
tee.

It was decided to hold the next meeting of the
Board on the last Monday in the month.

Ihe Board then resolved itself into a comnuttee.to
select an architect, and, we are informed, that Mr.
Smaluian Smith was the architect chosen.

STOCK SALL—OulMonday last Mr. H. King's
sale of fat and store stock took:place, when upwards
of GO head of cattle and 160 sheep were disposed of.
The highest price:obtained for fat bullocks was £34
los; fat heifers, £2B 108 ; fat sheep, 663 per head ;
usual entry of pigs.