The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-10-10 00:00:00

CONCERT AND DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZES
AT THE ASSOCIATED INSTITUTE.

A meeting and Musical Entertainment were
held in the Lecture Room of the Associated Insti-
on Monday evening last, on the occasion of th.!
reopening of the Institute after extensive repair:
and alterathms. Prizes which were awarded at
the close of last evening classes of last Session,
and the certificates of the Society of Arts were
also to have beendi,tributed. Thechair was taken
by Mr. Charles Cochrane, J.P., and there were also
present the Revs. H. Sherrard aim Maginnis, and
Mr. J. B. Shepherd. Mr. Talbot, Secretary to the
South Staftordshire Association for the promotion
of Education amongst Adults, was also in attend-
ance.

The Chairman in opening the proceedings, said
he had been asked to take the chair that eveti.ig
on the occasion of the re-opening of that building
after some extensive alterations and repairs had
been made in it. They inset all be pleased with
the appearance of the rooms. Re should at once
proceed i 0 call upon Mr. Jackson for a solo on the
:dna, ,forte.

'rhis having, been done in creditable manner,
Miss ne:kthc.,ek sang the Sewell ballad, "It was
within a mile of Ediuboro town." Mr. Charles
Perks next g.i.ve a capital rendering of ''True to the
Last," and both he and Miss Heathcock were
loudly applivided.
. _ .

The Nair man said its believed that now the
real business of the evening commenced. Several
persons had mtertaiue I them, and they all mast
expre.--3 theie satisfakdion with the way in which
that was do:m—applause). This was the first
occasion on, which he had had the pleasure to ad-
dress thou], aid hoped that if he made any mis-
takes u going through the business they would
pardon him. It was very satisfactory to see that
those institutes were fairly patronised, although at
the same time when theylooked at a town like this
emit:fining something like 10,000 inhabitants and
saw that institute with only 200 members—one in
50 of the inhaintauts of the town—they could not
help being surprised, that it was not more gener-
ally appreciated. When they considered that any
subscriber for the small payment of Id. or 2d. per
week. could eajoy a library containing upwards of
2,000 books together with a reading room where he
could look over the daily and weekly papers, they
must admit that that institute was not supported
as it ought to be by the public. With regard to
the cla,ses, he must remark that two subjects that
shoald have been taken failed to find a sufficient
untidier of students. These were political , cono-
my awl chembAry ; and they onght to be suppor-
ted. With regtrd to clumi,try, he considered it
a very import,,nt branch of anyone's education,
and if they could get seat a luau RA Mr. F. r.
lllal,l to take it they ,eight to be only to, ready
t rfsii to that class. The other classes—French
awl elaCumna, lea—had been well supported ; and
ha la,l to distribute seine prises ateongst them that
e He would ow IA the treasurer to maks
Araks.

I few

The Elev. B. Alaginn prefaced his remarks by
saying that he was not treasurer to the tiss4xdate,l
institutes, but treasurer to the ReAoration Fund
whi Is Lel been raised il,ring this year. It had
lson expected teat he should say a few words as to
whit lii! been done hi that direction. When as
a committee they had undertaken to make some
alt rations which were absolutely noccessary in
order to keep the roof over their heads, they
thought Hitt IWO would be all that would he re-
quired. But they had not proceeded far before
they found that £2OO would be requisite to render
the building water tight and to make some little
improvements in the building. Bye and bye they
found that £3OO ;would be desirable in order to
make the premises complete. They went before
th.. public a :king for a spin of 1200 and the apes!
was very generously responded to—(cheers).
He could not enter int ) a detailed account
at present as to the alterations, as the
work had not yet been finished, and they were
waiting for the architects report. He might, how-
ever, say that in addition to the improvements that
(meld be seen by those present, they had added 200
volumes t o tlye libraries—(applanse). They should
learn bye and bye through whose generosity that
hail been accomplished, He refered to it then to
show those present who were not subscribers that
they would have considerable advantages—if they
became uminbers —from that library. They had
had printed a new catalogue, which could he had
for thre,pence from the librarian. They thought
that now that room had been made comfortable,
they should have a few alterations in the course of
the.winter. Amongst other things they ought to
provide lectures, and it was hardly creditable to
the institutes that so little had been dont in that
way. He hoped that during the ensuing winter
the, should have some lectures on scientific sub-
jects; similar to those delivered by the Tyndall.,
the Itr,SC,l.l, and other celebrities. Next they
should provielo instruction for the young people
sell) lii be .T 1 cii ilWiv fr us..cho los ra early
for auchn.; those were of the
nut wtune tli..v ri,,,Xl at
institute through the libraries and the class-room

7r.