The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-12-25 00:00:00

ROWLEY.

SCHOOL 13 )ARD,—.The monthly meeting Of this
Boatd was held on Tuesday, at Old ; Mr. W.
Bassano presiding.—The School Officer reported
that there were at the present time on the books
3,050 children while the average attend-
once was 2.249. In the c:?rresponeting periA last
year the numbers on the books were 2,479, and the
average attendance 1,632, showing an increase of
571 on the books, and 617 in the average attend-
ance. Then were now 55 -half-timen and 570 wiles?.
fees had been remitted. Last year the numbers
were 12:3 and 330. The percentage at present was
74 5. • The Chairman said the fees remitted were
very heavy, but he did not see that anything could
be done having regard to the exceptionally bad
times which had been experienced. Mr. Hadley
thought the Board had been a little too lax in re-
gard to the remission of fees. After some discuss:on,
it was agreed to exerciai greater care in future.
ocAL BoAnp. A monthly meeting of this
Board was held on Monday, at Old ; Mr. W.
Ba,sano presiding —Plans of proposcd bainways
horn Birmingham to Dudley were submittel to the
Board, and tie Clerk produc -(1 a copy of the
provisional order whi,.l the promoters of the Bir-
mingham and WeAern Tramway scheme intenl to
apply for. After so.re discussion, the matter was
referred to the Highway Committee In estimate
for a spicial general district rate of 11d, in the
pound for lighting a portion of Cradley Heath w :s
unanimously approved.—A copy of the provisional
order obtained for the enclosure of Clent Hill
Common was received and acl'ipted, subject •to
certain slight altnatireis suggested by the clerk.
—lt was resolved that the chairman of the Local
Board for the time being st,ould. be appointed to re-
present the Rowley Loeal Board on the Board of
Conservators.—The
,rtMedical-ite
00fffiticleerpaci)ilsrh.
continued
reported that the deati
to decrease, it being 1.7.7 for the past five weeks, as
against P.e3 the previous month. It was the lowest
rate for the same period of the
.year of any year
since 1677.—The A-sistant Medical Officer reported
for the lower district of the parish 22 deaths, and a
death-rate of 18.8.

COLLISION -BETWEEN THE DUDLEY
MAGISTRATES AND A SOLICITOR.
On Monday morning, upon the Mayor (H. M.
Wainwright, Esq.) Dr. Fisher, Mr. John Aston,
and Mr. W. Wilkinson, taking their goats on the
Bench in Dudley Police Court, the Mayor, before
any business was proceeded with, said he did not
usually sit in that Court on a Monday, but he had
attended to-day in order that he might make some
public observations upon a s. eech delivered by Mr.
Joseph Stokes, a gentleman practising in that
Court, at the Dudley Licensed Victuallers' dinner,
on Tuesday last, a speech in which Mr Stokes did
not hesitate to reflect upon the administration of
jutice in that Court, upon the magistrates, Upon
the magistrates' clerk, and upon the Chief-gaper-
MtAident of Polic.. At that !dinner Mr. °Lokes
taid he wished that the magistrates in lludhy
would insist on the Town Clerk making it a part
of his duty to conduct all prosecutions on behalf e
the Watch Committee. Then he (the speaker)
would know who he had to deal with; he would
know that he should have a gentleman wimp would