The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-08-20 00:00:00

ROWLEY LOCAL BOARD.

The usual monthly meeting of this Board was
held in the Board Room, Old Hill, on Monday last,
Mr. W. Bassano (chairman), presiding. There
were also present Messrs. Plant, Barker. Taylor,
Newell. Guest, and Bennett. Mr. D. Wright
(deputy clerk) read the minutes of last meeting and
they were confirmed.
FINANCE CommiTTEE.—The report of this com-
mittee showed that the amount spent on the
Highway account during the month was £ll5 8s
8d ; that the surveyors had a balance in hand of
Xll 8s Bd. It also showed that the surveyor re-
quired to defray the current expenses of wages
.2150 Os Od.
INSPECTOR'S REPORT.—This report was read from
which it appeared that the wages spent on the
night-soil account during the month amounted to
£l7 17s 6d, and that he had a balance of £8 Os 5d
in his bands. He also reported that he required to
defray the current month's expenses for wages the
sum of £24 103 OW He further reported that the
tush collected for ashpits amounted to Di 18s Od,
and that during the past mor.'h 69 ashpits attached
to 71 closets had been emptied, at a cost of 78 7d

per ashpit.
Mr. Beasley (medical officer) reported that the
death return for the past month still kept compara-
tively low, viz., 33, or an annual average of 15.8
per 1,000, being an excess of 2.8, on the corres-
ponding period last year. Seven deaths were due
to zymotic diseases, viz., 5 to diarrhoea, 1 to ,carlet
fever, and Ito typhus fever. Four of the deaths
from diarrhoea occured in very young children and
the fifth in a man aged 48 ye as The scarlet fever
case mound at Tivedale, and the typhus fever at
Foxoak Street, and is the only one that has been
registered since Jan. 1877. The mortality has been
great amongst old people, no less than 10 having
died above the age of 60, and 3 were over 80 years.
He had received frequent complaints during ths
past month of the scarcity of water in Rowley
Village, in consequence of which he had made a
house to house in-pection and found that the com—
plaints were well founded. The only premises
supplied with water at the present time. between
, the Wesley chapel, Hawes Lane, and the church
I was the Ward Arms Inn, and that but very scanty.
The other part of the village was not much better
off, not more than one house in ten having any
water and very few indeed having a good supply.
The chief sources from which water was now
obtained were from the workhouse well, at Tiperty
Green, the spring at the quarry at the back of
Rowley Hill, and a well known as " Lowe's Well,"
and a spring at Hyam's Hill. The first two were
often emptied by the frequent demand male on
them. The great difficulty to contend with in this
instance is that the Waterworks Company could
not supply water without erecting a pumping
engine for that purpose. A similar dearth of water
exists at a part of Whiteheath, but as the mains
are laid within a very short dietance of the building
he should ask the Board to give orders for tap
water to be supplied.
Mr. Goulder (assistant medical officer) reported
that in the lower district during the last four
weeks 18 deaths had taken place, giving an average
of 4.5 per week, and the annual rate per 1,000 of
15.6, Four deaths took place under one year, four
between 1 and 5, two between 5 and 15, three
between 30 and 60, and three over 60. There was
one death certified as being due to spinal fever—a
very uncommon disease—which occured in High
Street, Cradley Heath. Three deaths took place
from disewies of the respiratory organs, two from
narasmus, and the others from premature birth,
gustictis, and old age.
The reports were adopted.
The Chairman promised to see the. Waterworks
7.'mpany's officials with refereme to the matter
oomplamed of at Rowley.
After some discussion it was decided to purchase
from the Dudley Corporation, a horse—roller, to be
used upon the roads of the district, at a cot of £25.
The Chairman said, with reference to the lighting
of the Cradley Heath district, that a new agreement
had been drawn up and submitted to the gas com-
pany proposing to take away ten of the existing
lamps and to remove eight others to more advan-
tageous positions. Mr. Hingley—the chairman of
the Board of Directors—was now absent from home
but would return in time to have the matter laid
before the Board at their next meetinz of confer-
mation after which the lighting season would at
once commence. The Local Board would, he
thought, have to contribute something toe ards the
removal of the eight lamps referred to.
A memorial was laid before the Board, asking
them to make Station Street, Cradley Heath, and
lay a 15in. pipe drain down.
A deputation, consisting of three of the property
owners in the street, appeared before the Board,
and urged the Board not to do anything in it, unit ss
they thought it was absolutely necessary.
The Board decided not to take any part in the
matter.
There was no other business of importance.

RE-OPENING OF THE PARISH C1111RCH......F0r Some
years tile parish church of Rowley Regis has Inen
in a dirty and dilapidated condition. About three
months ago it was decided by the vicar, church-
wardens, and other i..fluential churchmen in the
parish, to take steps to restore the church. Sub-
scription 4 were promised and assistance offered
which justified the churchwardens in closi:4g the
church six weeks ago, for the necessary work to be
done. The ednice has been thoroughly cleaned
and painted and various improvements have been
made. The work that has already been done has
necessitated an expenditure of £3OO, but other im-
provements which the churchwardens consider
necessary will entail a further expendituve of £7OO,
which sum, it is hoped, will be obtained during
the coming twelve months. On Sunday last the
church was re opened for divine sJrvice. The
sermon in the morning was preached by the Revs
Canon Melville, M. A., vicar of Great Witley ; in
the afternoon by the Rev. 11, W. Atkinson, L.L.8.,
vicar of Old Hill • and in the evening by the Rev.
Canon Bowlby, ILA., rector of St. Phillips, Birm-
ingham. At the morning and evening services
there were large congregations, and the collections
ma,e were conddered to be satisfactory.