The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-11-26 00:00:00

ROWLEY LOCAL BOARD.

The usual monthly meeting. of this body was held
in the Board Room, Old Hill, on Monday last, Mr.
W. Bassano presiding. The other members present
were Messrs. Plant, Penn, Guest, Bennett, and

Robertson.
The clerk read the minutes of the last meeting
and they were confirmed.
. The Finance Committee report showed that the
amount paid for wages on the Highway Account
was £l3B 19s Id, and that there was a balance in
hand of £3 5s 3d. It also showed that the surveyor
required the sum of £ll2 to defray the current
month's expenses- Accounts, amounting to £57
16s lid on the Highway Account, were ordered for
payment. The inspector's report was read which
showed he had spent on the night-soil account £32
10s, and required £25 to defray the current month's
expenses. From the collector's weekly sheets it
appeared that the Board had £2,337 4s 8d forth-
coming from all their rates, but the chairman
mentiooed that they were £4OO in debt at the bank.
Who was going to pay the interest he did not know;
he was not going to. On the motion of Mr. Bennett
the report was adopted.
Mr. Beasley, medical officer for the upper district,
reported that 55 deaths had been registered in the
last five weeks. The annual average per 1,000 was
21.1, and is a decrease of 0:5 on last m >nth and an
increase of 3.2 on the corresponding period of last
year. Many of the unsanitary conditions com-
plained of in his report of last month had been re-
moved, or were in the course of removal. In com-
pany with Mr. Beale, he had made a house to house
inspection of the water supply of the whole of
Rowley Village, Perry's Lake, Treacle Street, Cock
Green, Knowle, Springfield Lane, and Dudley Road,
and found that it confirmed the statements made in
his former report. The supply was very limited
indeed, especially at the top of Rowley and Perry's
Lake, many of the inhabitants having to depend on
small' 'lade'' wells for their water' which from
their nature and situatiun must be highly charged
with organic matter. One of these holes he should
ask the Board to close, viz :—one known as the
"Workhouse Spring," at Tipperty Green. The
spring was situated at the bottom of an inclined
footpath, and at the time he saw it, it was I sur-
rounded by several heaps of human excrement and
other filth, which the firet shower of rain would
swill into it.
Mr. Geulder, the assistant medical officer, reported
that during the last five weeks 20 deaths had taken
place in his district, an average of 4 per week, and
a mean annual rate of 17.3 per 1,000.
A letter was read from Dr. Goulder, tendering his
resignation, and another letter was read from Mr.
J. B. Denne surgeon, (Messrs. Ker and Denne),
Crad'ey Heath, applying for the post.
The resignation of Dr. Goulder was accepted, and
on the motion of Mr. Robertson, Mr. Denne was
appointed as assi-taut medical officer for the Board
at the same salary as hitherto paid.
The chairman said he was sure they must all
much regret the breaking off of the cannection
between them, and hoped that the next medical
officer would fulfil his duties in such a satisfactory
manner as Mr. Goulder always had; more they
could not wish.
Mr. Denne was called in and Mr. Bassano in-
formed him that he was appointed.
Mr. Denne: Thank you gentlemen.
and do my duty.
The chairman stated that he had seen the Water-
works Directors, and the chairman of the company
had visited Rowley and was met there by Mr. Beale.
What the company naturally desired to obtain was
that water should be supplied all through Rowley
Village up to the top of the hill, up to the church
and on down towards the Knowle and Springfields.
All that district proved, on the inspection of the
medical offictr and the surveyor, to be in bad want
of water. There was scarcely any pure eater in
that district, and that, without the slighteßt doubt,
accounted to the outbreak of typhoid fever. 334
houses had no water, 44 had deficient supply. Of
the 378 Louses 81 could be supplied by the new
main which the company proposed to put in. The
Waterworks Company auked them for a guarantee
that they would cause those 81 houses to be con-
nected with the main as soon as it is laid down.
He saw the secretary on Thursday last and told
him that he did not see his way to give him any
guarantee, but the matter would be brought before
the Board to,be diseutssed, and the Board would
either pass a resolution that it would make the
orders, and in that case he would have his guar-
antee, or.it would decide to take no action in the
matter and he would know there was no guarantee
and he would not lay down the main. It was
entirely in the ham Js of the Board. He then read
a letter from the Local 3overnment Board, in which
it stated that Mr. Beasley had reported to them an
occurrence of typhoid in the Rowley district. It
expressed a hope that the Board would lose no time
in securing for that and other parts of their district
the advantage of a pure water supply.
After a long diseus,--ion it was agreed, on the
motion of Mr. Plant ,that tne company be requested
to lay down the main as propose 1, and that all
houses having an inadequate supply of water should
be compelled to have the water.
—lt was also resolved that the "Workhouse Well"
referred to in the medical officer's report, be properly
covered in, and that a pump be placed there ; also
that other wells be inspected and reported upon.
This concluded the business of pubic import-
ance.

I will try

BRIERLEY HILL.
REFUSING TO QUIT. At the Police Court

Nlonday, before Messrs. H. Smith and G. King
Harrison, Thomas Lovett, now residing at Common
Side, Pensnett, was charged with being drunk and
diserderly and refusing to quit the Crown Inn,
Pensnett, on the 14th inst. Defendant was farther
charged with being drunk and disorderly in the
highway on the same date. Tne landlady of the
house said defendant went into the house about
11.30 in the morning in an in!oxicated condition,
and she refused b sup, ly him with any ale, upon
which he became very disorderly. She ordered him
out of the house and he refused to go and remained
there until nearly four o'clock in the afternoon,
when he was ordered out by Police-constable Hick-
lin. Police constable Hicklin proved that when
defendant was outside the house he used bad
language towards him and the landlady. The
Bench said they should take the two offences to-
gether and fine him lOs and costs; in default 14
days,— William Heathcock, chainmaker, of Mound
Street, Quarry Bank, was fined 58 and costs for
being disorderly and refusing to quit the Red Lion
Inn, Quarry Bank, on the 14th inst.
DRUNK AND DISORDERLY—Henry Grey, mason. of
RugLy, was fined 2s 6d and costs for being drunk
and disorderly at Common Side, Pensaett, on the
19th inst. Police-constable Hicklin proved the
ease.
Coin STEALERS. William Cook (12), William
Lane (14), William Jones (11), and Eliza Pearson
(14), of Park Street and Moor Street, Brierley Hill,
were summoned for stealing a quautiiy of coal the
property of the Earl of Dudley. Additional con-
stable Taylor proved that the defendants were
taking coal from No. 30, Raceeourse Pits, Wallows
Colliery, on the 16th inst. Cook and Lane were
ordered to receive ten Ltrokes with the birch rod
and Jones six strokes. Pearson was fined 58.
WILFUL DAMAGE.—Charles Griffiths and George
Haywood, coal hauliers, of Stourbridge, were sum-
moned for damaging a fence, the property of Wm.
Blewitt, farmer, of Bromley. Mr. Holberton prose-
cuted, and stated that the prosecution was taken at
the instance of the Kingswintord Association for
the Prosecution of Felons. The defendants were
engaged in fetching coil from a colliery near the
field where the fence was damaged, and on the day
in question they were seen to stop near the field,
which contained swedes, and break down the hedge
and enter the swede fie!d. Blewitt. on going into
the field shortly afterwards, found that a quantity
of swedes had been recently pulled up. Inspector
Baker, Stourbridge School Board Officer gave Hay-
wood a bad character. Griffiths was fined 128 6d,
including costs, and 6d for the damage done, with
the alternative rf 14 days. Haywood, who is 12
years of age, was remanded to the Workhouse for
a week, with a view of sending him to an Industrial
School.
MORE COAL STEALERS. Mary Harris (14), of
Park Street, Brierley Hill, was summoned for steal-
ing coal the property of the Earl of Dudley. A
watchman, Beavan, stated that the defendant was
taking coal from No. 31, Racecourse Pits, at 7.30
on the morning of the 16th inst. A witness was
I called for the defence who stated that the defend-
ant was at her situation in -William Street at the
time stated by the witness. The Magistrates dis-
missed the case.—William Green (12) was sum-
moned for a similar offence on the 12th inst. He
was fined 5s ; in default of payment to have six
strokes with the birch rod. Lucy Didlock was
/fined ss, with the alternative of 7 days, for stealing
coal on the 12th inst, the property of the Earl of
Dudley.
ORDERS ON PARENTS. Joseph lurberville,
labourer, of Bank Street, Brierley Hill, and Richard
Bighnett, underhand puddler' of Albion Street,
Brierley Hill, were summoned to show cause why
they should not;be ordered to contribute towards
the support of their sons, who are at Industrial
Schools. Turberville was ordered to contribute
6el per week and Highnett Is per week.
PERMITTING DRUNKENNESS— At the Police Court
on Thursday, before Mr Boughey, Stiper 'Lary,
Thomas Blakumore, landlord of the Fiee w : iu,