9.--Mr. Charles Rackham Gilman was elected Mayor and Mr. Henley Curl
appointed Sheriff of Norwich.
18.--It was reported at a meeting of the Norwich Town Council that plans
had been deposited at the Town Clerk's office for a proposed tramway
scheme. At a meeting of the Council on December 15th it was stated that
another scheme had been introduced, and was known as the Norwich and
District Light Railways. Its object was to bring into closer connection
with the city the outlying hamlets of Costessey, Thorpe St. Andrew,
Trowse Newton, and Eaton, and plans had been deposited by the New General
Traction Company, Limited. Both schemes were referred to committee.
(_See_ January 19th, 1897.)
21.--The Duke of York, as president of the Norfolk and Norwich Christmas
Show Association, arrived at Norwich and visited the exhibition of the
association at the Agricultural Hall. His Royal Highness, on leaving the
show, had luncheon with Mr. Colman, at Carrow Abbey, and in the afternoon
left Trowse station for Sandringham.
25.--At a meeting of the Norwich Board of Guardians a deputation was
appointed to visit towns where the rate-books were made out in street
older, and to obtain information upon the subject of an improved method
of collecting the rates. This important matter, originally introduced by
Mr. William Coke Gee, resulted in the adoption of a system by which the
rate-books were made out in street order, the daily collection of rates
introduced, the rate collectors' districts redistributed, and the
half-yearly collection ended in March and September.
27.--Died at Hill House, Mill Hill Road, Norwich, Mr. Thomas Ballan
Stead, permanent secretary of the Ancient Order of Foresters. Mr. Stead
came from Dundee on the removal of the headquarters of the society to
Norwich. Prior to his election as secretary to the Foresters, Mr. Stead
was engaged in journalism, and devoted himself mainly to studying
questions affecting the social well-being of the artizan classes.