The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-02-27 00:00:00

COMMISSIONERS' MEETING

:The usu:il monthly meeting of this Bcs:a was
in ttle Commisgioners' livom, Corn Exchange,
!‘ Monday afternoon last. Mr. W. Platt presided,
-3I there we-e al s ) present Memo. W. J. Turney,
Ilughea, M. Palfrey, W. Jones, A. Walker, C.
I. Collis, J. Cadwallader, W. Woolley, G. It. Per.
..a, Y. J. Haskew, W. Griffin, J. E. Jones, H.
Jame, and J. Skelding.
The minutes of the last meeting were read and

The Finance Committee reported that tl.e
tresour..)r's balunoes on the several accounts at this
date re as follows ;—lmprovvusent Account, due
from trea-urer, .472 15,12 d, Highway Account, due
from treasurer, £328 Is id, Urban Sanitary Account
due from treasurer, £2OB 11s 4.1, Loan Account, due
ft at treasurer, ",'1,839 18i 4,1, Your Committee
hvia caretully.examined the following accounts
and finding them correct recommend that they be
paid :—lnaprovement Account £126 lOs 10.1, lligh-
way Account £lO2 15s Od, Urban Sanitary Account
.2272 14s lid, Loan Ace unt £589 7s 11d. Your
Committee have examint-d the you:a:tars of accounts
ordered to be paid at the last montnly meeting and
find them to be correct.
_ _

The Clerk produced the annual accounts of the
Stourbridge Gas Company for the year 1885, and
they will be laid before the Board.
:4-.The Chairman here asked that Mr. Newrysm
might be allowed to take his seat at the Board. Mr.
Newman then made the usual declaration and took
his seat.

In reference to the gas accounts, Mr. Newnstu
proposed 'that the accounts be referred back to the
Finance Committee for examination."

Mr. James said that no good purpose could be
served by this course. Without going into the
books of the company it was impossible for them
to aicertain anything more about the Gas Company
than the statement on the table.

Mr. Tutney asked whether the 10 per cent paid
lay the Gas Company was earned last year. or had
been paid partly out of the reserve fund ? There
had been slight hints aeout raising the price of gas
in coneequence of residu is being at such s low
price. It was important they should know Low the
Gas Company paid that 10 per cent, as some day
the cuestion of the purchase of the gasworks would
be coming to the front, and tee Commissioners
would have to be posted up in the matter.
Mr. W. Jones said that if the Gas Company
could mike 10 per cent when reeiduale were £3 les
a ton, what could they do when they got £2l a
ton ?
Mr. James Lsaid;there was some mise.pptehen-
sien as to the question of 10 per (tent being paid by
the Gas Company. It was only 15,000 of the
Gas Company's stock which could claim 10 per cent
and £12,000 could claim only 7f per cent. Ile had
14) ,keti through the figures, and found the Gas Com-
pony had to take from the reserve fund mere than
£lOO to make up the dividend.
Mr. Newnam said he knew something about the
gei accounts sonse year,. age, in connection with
Mr. McEweu, and he knew how difficult it was to
get to the bottom of the accounts. Mr. Newnam
withdrew the resolution he had moved onjthe sub.
j et
The Medical Officer of Htalth (Dr. Eager) re-
ported the number of deaths registered in the town-
ship of Stourbridge from January 18th to February
15. 1836, was 22, viz :-14 males and 8 female..
Namber of deaths registered in the same period, 31
*la males and 10 females. Birth rate 27 4,
deith rate 38 1. Tho officer reports :—"The death
rate for tee past month is very high, viz, 38.1. The
birth rate is 27.4. This high death rate is caused
by an epidemic of measles. The death rate of the
measles is 20 0. Considering the number of case,
of measles that have occurred this rate is not high.
The last high death rate occurred in January 18e2,
and was 46 7. That death rate was caused by
eisles and 'looping cough. It will be noticed that
measles have not been the cause ef death in any
cite by themselves; the cause has b.:en lung
disease tollowing the meesles, and there ie no doubt
that if most of the children had had better nursing
the mortality would have been much less, The
notice steered concerning Old King's! Head and house
a Ijobling, occupied by Mr. Witten, dated De,:tini-
ber 15, and also the notice served concerning the
'leased occupied by Bird and six abets, in Dike
Street, dated Dec. 16th, have expired, and I insist
recommend the Consasheiioners to give instruetiene
to the Inspector to take proceedings to enforce these
notices.

The General Purposes Committee recommended
that the necessary instructions be given to the In-
c•or of nuisances to enforce comp!ianee with the
notices ?..iven. The journal of the medical offieer
wag laid before your Committee.
Town Officer's report. Nuisances brought forward
23, reported 37, removed, old, 19, new, 32, remain.
i::g 10. The officer reports !—"I have found and
r -r,orted upon 37 nuisances, consisting of 7 dilapi-
d.tted unsanitary buildings, 11 dirty unsanitary
heuses and outbuildings, 5 dilapidated unhanitary
pr!vics, 6 premises with dilapidated spouting and
a,cuinuiation of manure, 4 dilapidated de?ective or
choked dreins, premises consisting of six houses with
i 'npure well water; the remaining 2 come under
he head miscellaneous. Notices have been served
for the abatement of the said nuisances. I have
frequently inspected the 7 registered lodging houses
arta the 18 registered slaughter houses and found
th ,rn in a good sanitary cludition. The 7 rexistered
1 Aging houses have teen occupied as follows, viz
taily 72, weekly 586, and during the month by
2024, person. There have been no complaints.
Night Soil removal. 148 privies, 106 ashpits, 1
usspool belonging to 928 houses havo been emptied
and cleansed and their contents removed, Number
of loads 201."

As to tbe removal of lamps and the public light
in generally your Committee report progress. With
r gard to the letter respecting the Colonial and
Pidiau Exhibition your Committee recommend the
appointment of a committee of the following :
Nle,asr4. W. J. Turuey, I. Nash, W. Platt, H. Oil-
lingham, J. W. Woolley. and W. Jones, to make
arrangements for carrying into effect the objects of
the exhibition. The committee have considered
the state of the roads in the townsnip and have
given directions to the Surveyor respecting the
sitne. Your Commit's° have received the annual
report of the Fire Brigade, which will be laid before
th.l Board.

A deputation, consisting of Messrs. Robinson,
P. Lawremce Lichfield. Cur, and Pries, at-
te-ided the meet;ng, from Bonchall, and com-
plained of the very bad state of the roads.
Mr. Platt said rotice of the deputation ooming
ou4lit to have been given.
Mr. Robinson said a meeting bad been held at
St smbormill and a deputation appointed to wait en
the lionvl to ask them to consider the had condt-
tiou of Bagley &feet, Yardley .iltreet, and Lawren::::.
Street. He did not want to exaggerat... but any
one who had seen them would any that there were
not such bad streets in any of the neighbouring
parishes. They had to pay the Highway and Dis-
trict rites, and they wanted something in return.
In a case that occurred that day—and one some-
ire ego—on the occasiou of 4 funeral, the people
i to ci irry the coffin to the top of the iitreet befor
they could put it in the hearse. The streets were
in a frigirful condition, over the shoes tops in mud.
onetitues you had to jump two and three yards
to get out of the mud. He hoped they would do
something in the matter.
Mr. l',arBall said he could endorse the words of
Mr. Robinson. The streets bad been ten times
worse tint day than they had been for the last
twenty years. He asked the Board to I.ty the
iit:-eets down as good as they were before the sewer-
-35,re waslaid down. If it was not in their powor
to 'make, or dedicate the streets, he hoped
th.l would slow them the way out of the difficulty.
Mr. Platt said he could not see how they were to
help them. On behalf of the Board he.said they
would do their utmost to alleviate their dtstrems.
still they (the Board) were not to blame, and 11,
must commend them for looking after themselves.
Mr. Turney sail it was a preper thins for these
gentlemen to complain bitterly about the state of
their roads. He had complained to Mr. Perry, the
dur, %ray or, about tile dreadful state of the roads left
by the contractor, and it was a disgrace to civilira-
tion. If they were to blame anybody let the blame
be put upon the right shoulders The surveyor was
was sorry to say it, but it was toe proper person, he
u use mincing matters. Ile Gould not imagine
woat the surveyor had been doing to let the contrac-
tor leave the roads in such a state.

The Chai:roan promised the deputation that the
matter should have their serious consideration, and
thy then withdrew.
Mr. Collis ntov,.d that the matter be referred to
the Improvement Committee, which was curled.
tu,ney asked how long the paving of the
str.ma was going on. The men had ben at work
oppssite the Talbot Hotel door for over a week do-
ing ti yds. of paving. It was a disgraceful thing.
The pavement we there pulled up for eight days,
and it ought to have been :;one in a day and half or
two days, and when it wss done it was two inches
above the kerbing.
The Surveyor 'aid the Finance Committee agreed
lIIA work was noing satiraetorily, and the
men could not work fast.
Mr. Tani(?y said the way the work was going on
it yr me perfect scandal, and if the man could no j
go on with the work quicker he would not have him
on a jab.
The proposed appointment of a sub-cumittes o
pr .pare evidence tor the eily.:iry isiiieoing the
hunnuary .in, of Stour bridge leo to a prolunized
, diaicussion. Mr. W J. Turney asice,l that his ua
gLt b. acricti to tlitr ountruittee, witich .t Was pro.
ridd sEraid 00111411 Aims. A. Jame, C. A