The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-09-13 00:00:00

DUDLEY.

CASTLE FETES BALANCE-SHEET. -It appears
that the net amount realised by the last Whitsun-
tide fetes exceeded that of any previous years,
and upon this circumstance the president (Mr.
Holier) and secretaries (Messrs. Booth and Porter)
are to be congratulated. The profit amounted to
£675, and of this £270 goes to the Mechanics'
Institution, and £405 to the Guest Hospital.
POLICE NEWS.-At the Public Office, on Monday,
before Mr. Charles Cochrane and Alderman Bagott,
a miner named William White, of Netherton' was
sentenced to one month's imprisonment with hard
labour for assaulting Arthur Clifton Mence. The
case arose out of the charge of highway robbery
tried last week, and the evidence in connection
with which has appeared.—William Hingley, vice
maker, was fined for leaving his employment with-
out notice on the Ist inst. Defendant was engaged
by Mr. Samuel Johnson.—A youth named Thomas
Neath pleaded guilty to leaving his employment
whilst an apprentice to Mr. John Large, glass-
cutter. He WW3 ordered to pay £4 2s compensa-
tion, and the costs, or go to prison for one month.
TOWN Couircie.—A special meeting was held
on Tuesday in the Council Chamber, Town Hall,
, under the presidency of the Mayor (Alderman S.
, Rudge).—A special meeting of the Finance Com-
mittee recommended that Mr. Robert Clarke be
appointed an additional collector for the country
district, and that he be paid a commission of 21
per cent., with an additional I per cent. shouldhe
succeed in collecting his portion of the rate with-
in six months.—The Mayor said he was very much
11 pleased to state that within his recollection the
rates had never been better collected than they
had been of late, and further, that the books for
the new rate would be ready next Monday. On
the motion of Councillor Dudley, seconded by
Alderman Bagott, a general district rate of 2s in
the pound, to extend over the whole borough, was
agreed to.—The Mayor then called attention to
the delay in the audit of the borough accounts,
and complained that there had been a neglect of
duty on the part of the borough accountant. The
March accounts were not yet ready for the auditor,
and such a state of things ought not to exist. In
fact, it seemed as if they were unable to get the
Council work done like other boroughs.—Mr. C.
W. Challingsworth (borough accountant) replied
that the accounts would be ready in a few days.
The delay had been occasioned in a great measure
by the refusal of Mr. T. W. Smart to serve as one
of the borough auditors.—The Mayor That has
nothing to do with it. The accounts should have
been ready before now, and they could have been
submitted to the other auditor, Mr. Langham.
The books are not yet ready for examination, so
that Mr. Smart's resignation has nothing to do
with it. Ido not want to go out of office, and
leave any necessary work undone. This is a most
important work, and should not have been neglec-
ted.. There is another subje it to which I desire
to call attention. I should like to know upon
whom it devolves toexamine the collectors' books' •
for if we had not four honest collectors we should
be in a nice pretty mess. In other boroughs I
know that the accountant examines the books
every month, and the governing bodies know how
they are going on. I don't know when our col.
lectors books were examined.—Councillor Holier

was pleased with the Mayor's remarks, and he
should like to know who looked after the market
toll accounts. It appeared to him that a very
loose system was at present in vogue. There was
no check upon the collector, and he thought it
was high time a new system was introduced.—
Alderman Smith I thought there was a sub-com-
mittee appointed to overhaul and look into the
accounts —The Mayor That was only a partial
affair.—Alderman Wilkinson The committee met
and did the work entrusted to them.—Councillor
Shephard Is it not the duty of the borough
accountant to examine these accounts ?—The
Mayor I thought so ; but he tells me it is not.—
Councillor Hollier Then who looks after Windsor's
accounts F—The Borough Accountant said the
collector brought his books to him once a week,
and he saw the total sum collected. He could not
go through the market daily and see how many
sixpences or shillings the collector received. If.
however, a better system was suggested, he should
be happy to do all in his power to carry it out.
—The Mayor : Jam just as forward as! was eight
months' ago, when I first mooted this question.
It cannot be said that the present system works
well, or is in any way satisfactory. I have fre-
quently spoken about it, and up to now I have
failed to secure a better state of things.—Alderman
Wilkinson If you wish it, the Finance Committee
will go into the matter at the next meeting and
report to the Council.—The Mayor There must
be some alteration.—Aldermau Smith: As a
member of the Finance Committee, I will give you
an assurance that the matter should be thorougly
sifted al the next meeting of the committee.—
The Mayor : I am much obliged to you, and I hope
you will work such a change as shall prevent any
complsints being made in the future.—The subject
then dropped, and the Council separated.

BavlAL ASSAULT ITPuN AN I;FANT.—At the
Police Court, on Wednesday, a tramp named Ann
Luditt (30) was charged with assaulting her
illegitimate child. It appears that on the tNth
instant prisoner completed a term of imprison-
ment in Worcester Gaol, and, upon reaching
Dudley, visited several public-houses, and became
very drunk. She then commenced to ill-treat her
child, and inflicted upon it serious injuries. She
was seen not only to boat the infant in a most un-
merciful manner, but to dash its head many times
against a brick wall. The magistrates commented
severely upon the conduct of the prisoner, and
sentenced her to three months imprisonment
with hard labour.