The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-11-12 00:00:00

laLESOWEN.

Niw RCM. -- At the Police Court es Tuesday,
en the application of Mr. Robinson, assistnnt over—
•e, the magistrates signsd a new poor rate of Is
3d. in he .£1 for the parish of Cskemore for the
ensuing six months.—The Bench also signud a poor
rate of Is 2d. in the Al for Illey, and highway
rate ( f 6d. in the £1 for Hasbury.

DUDLEY AND STOURBRIDGE STEAM
TRAMWAYS COMPANY LIMITED.
Traffic roqeipts for the week ending Sth NoTimber,
1887, £L3?; corresponding week last year, £162 7s.

RESIGNA.TION OF 'MK coatrssa FOR

'NORTH WO.RCESTRUSELIREI

Mr. Ralph. Docker, who for the put Afty years has.
held the °Soo 01 ()crones h r the Northere D‘striet
of the county. of Worcester, Las resigned that
position. Before the resigns? i n could take effect
he had to obtain the leave ef the Lord Chan. ellor,
and the necessary sanction was received yesterday
morning, it simply swing that in consequence of
Mr. Docker's ill-health and advanced age the Lord
Chancellor was pleased to accept the resignation,
The office of Coroner is an ancient one, and it is a
remarkable fact th.t the resignation of Mr. Docker
is believed to be only the third install'', in which
It has been voluntarily voided, the Arat instance
being that of a Middlesex Coroner, and the second
that of the late Coroner for Birmingham, Dr. Bin
Davies. It would appear that the . holding of in.
quiries as to tbe uncertainties of the lives of others
creates amongst the Coronets themselves a snrpris
ing tenacity of office. In Mr. Docker's case, at say
rate, it eannet be said that this is due to the liege
looms derived from the position. Mere Ise was
allowed to hold it he had to do battle with four
other geetlemen, and it is said that the contest cost
him £lO,OOO His district oaten& from R:dditch
te Staffordshire, and Aft' sears ago, when he was
appoint@ I, all the voters had to, be coavayed to lead
from the single polling place at Woroester. Then
the polling occupied fourteen days, but lettered
statutes have limited it in such elections to one day.
The franehise, however, is now, as then, restricted
to the freeholders. his estimated that the popu-
lation of the district has nearly quadrupled daring
Mr. Doeker's tenure of _ office, and the average
annual number of inquests has also, of course,
largely increseted... Last year 800 inquirree wore
held, and it is i.elieved that Mr..Doeker'e average
! ler the half eeorury would be about 160 per amines.
Origiaally the office of Coroner was an honorary
! one, held under the Crown, and without salary:. The
!remuneration which Mr. Docker received was only.
'nominal ! The salary attached to the dila t at the
present time is only .4260 a year. and out of that
! sum the. Coron.r has to .pay his owa expense..
! From whet hill been said it will be gathered that in
a monetary souse the office is not one of the most
!desirable Mr. Docker is.7B years.of age, and, it
naturally follow*., is in feeble health. Per the
!past two years the duties of the Coreeership. Lay.
been mainly, and during the mot, year entire,
performed by Mr. Edwin Docker, the Deputy:.
Coroner. Mr. Ralph Docket. held for a peri.,d of
over, betty years, and until quite recently, the
..:oficiea of clerk to Abe: Kin's Norten Board of,
Guardians and clerk' tl the Rural Sanitar* Author—
ily of the same -Unieta. —He -was also for. several
yens clerk to the Smethwick Local 13toard.

Tha LIFIII itOrt %levies. —We have received a
eomninni.;sitio:r rr)u the Committee of the Royal
National Life.* oat Institution, in which they state
'Litt they feel zil•y hays no altetnativ• but to psake
an argent app al to the eritish public for funds to
enable tbem,to replace a sonsiderable number of '
their Dr Life-Intim now on the coast by boats of
the nelmit tyre and possessing the latest improve- •
talents. They sad that they are confident that in
this their eutlesvour to provide the blavo Life.
boatmen, who nobly }mud their lives in order that
they may save others. with the but possible means
for carrying on their great work, they. will .meet
with the Mire approval of the peopl- of this .the
ere t it malitime eouutry in tbe•world. It appears
that the Committee have already during the curs SW
'ear been compelled, in furtherance of this *project,
to draw on the Institution's capital to the . extent
of upwards £lB,OOO. and it- is probable that this
amount will be greatly ineressed by the end of to.
year. It is to meet this large expenditure; and to
provide for a conr.nuanet of the 'work, that they
now ask for funds. The cost of a fully equipped
Life.boat, *with transporting carriage, life-beite, ac.,.
Is VW