The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-07-26 00:00:00

TTtSTOTTRBRIDGE OBSFIRVER.

deemed more fitting to place the Chairman of
the School Board in that honourable position.
As the Chairman of the Commissioners and the
Chairman of the School Board are one and the
same person, the alteration makes at present
absolutely no difference. There is one thing in
connection with the scheme which has always
struck us as being very remarkable, and that is
the apparent apathy with which the townspeople
seem to regard the appropriation of the funds
of the Glover's and Wheeler's Charities for the
purpose of educating young ladies. It is well
known that these endowments were left solely
with the intention of providing a means for
educating the children of poor and indigent
parents, and the scholars at Red Hill School
not only received a good education, but at the
age of fourteen had a sum presented to them to
enable them to be apprenticed to some useful
trade, by which they could earn their living in
after life. This is now to be taken away, and
no substitute, it appears, will be provided for
those who are thus ruthlessly deprived of its
benefits. The Grammar School, too, is about
to have its regulations altered in such a manner
as to completely place it out of the power of the
working man to send his sons to it. Hitherto,
we have known working men and petty trades-
men who have valued the education highly given
at the above school, to manage, by making some
slight personal sacrifices, to send one or more of
their sons to reap the advantages of it; but the
fees charged under the new scheme will com-
pletely place it out of their power to do so.
The noble lord who has been the prime mover
in this Endowed Schools' Scheme, constantly
attends meetings at Mechanics' Institutes, and
professes to have Rho warmest interest in the
intellectual and social well-being of the working
man; but we should like to know how he can
reconcile his professions of friendship with his
action in this matter. " Save us from our
friends" will soon be the popular cry when the
working of this scheme comes into operation,
and the working classes become aware by expe-
rience of the gross injustice that has been done
to them. They will, in future, regard with
suspicion those, who, while loudly professing to
have an interest in their welfare, can either assist
at such an act of spoliation as this, or stand
calmly by whilst it is being effected without once
raising their voices to protest against such a
glaring piece of injustice. When the Endowed
Schools' Commissioners first commenced their
labours it was universally given out that the
object of their inquiries was simply to obtain
such information, as would enable them to ex-
tend the usefulness of the various educational
foundations which had, from time to time, been
bequeathed to the country by charitably disposed
persons. It was shown that many of the endow-
ments had enormously increased in value, while
the numbers taught had not only not augmented
in proportion to the increasing wealth, but had
diminished in an inverse ratio ; that in many
instances the minimum of education was being
given at the maximum of exponse ; and that
the administration of the charities wasted
totally remodelling so as to enlarge their sphere
of usefulness. Here was a grand opportunity
presented to them of doing uu immense deal
towards breaking down the barriers which have
so long separated class from class in England,
by making, large, efficient, and popular schools
—on the same plan as those of Amelica—where
children of all classes could be educated. In-
stead of seizing this opportunity they went to
work in a diametrically opposite direction, and
made alterations with the avowed intention of
placing them totally out of the reach of any but
the upper and middle classes, alleging that the
education given at the ordinary elementary
schools was quite sufficient for the working men.
Apart from the glaring injustice of the affair,
there is another aspect connected with this
which will not meet with much approbation from
ratepayers. It is this, that in proportion to the
extent in which endowed schools are reserved
for the middle classes, will be the expense of
ratepayers in providing for the education of the
poor. The Endowed Schools' Commissioners
act on the principle that now the law has fur-
nished the poor with rate-aided schools, there is
no need for taking them into account when
foundation schools are being re-organised The
consequences will be that charitable gifts and
settlements of pious founders will go almost ex-
clusively to people who are comparatively speak-
ing in an independent position, while those who
really require the assistance will be only able to
obtain it out of the parish funds, thus at once
reducing them to the level of paupers. It is
evident from this that there are very few
amongst our public men who really have the
interests of the working classes at heart, or
otherwise they would not have allowed such a
transaction as this to have taken place without
entering some protest against it. This being
the case, we now call attention to it in the hope
that the working 'classes will themselves take
the initiative in strongly protesting against the
action o the Endowed Schools' Canunissioners,
in this particular instance, and thereby, if
possible.prevent the scheme from becoming law.

become possessed of the Phcenix engine,bronght
it to bear with great effect on the fire, and, by
seven o'clock, it was completely under control.
It was nearly this time before anything was
done by the other engine, in consequence of the
hose bursting almost immediately the water was
turned on from the fire-plug. The building
was very much damaged, probably to the extent
of IWO, and there were consumed or damaged
about :Pi flitches of bacon and a quantity of
flour. The total damage will be nearly 1200.
The bnilding is insured. How the fire originated
is a mystery, and persons who were in the im-
mediate neighbourhood of the bakehouse at four
, o'clock state that there was then no smell or
any appearances of fire.