The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-02-03 00:00:00

THE COAL TRADE.

A meeting of the South Yorkshire coalowners was
held at the Victoria Station, Sheffield, on Tuesday, to
consider the proposal of the Yorkshire Miners' Asso-
ciation for the restriction of the output of coal by
working five days a week and eight hours a day from
bank to bank.

Mr. Benjamin Pickard, as secretary of the associa-

tion, forwarded a circular proposing that the masters
should combine with the men, and suggesting an inter-
view between coalowners and colliers' delegates on the
subject.
At Tuesday's meeting, which WAS presided over by
Mr. J. D. Ellis, of Aldwarke Main and Car-house
Collieries, it was resolved to write Mr. Picard as
follows:

"A meeting of the coalowners of South Yorkshire
was held to-day, and it was of opinion that the pro-
posed restriction of the output of coal as put forth
in your circular was detrimental to the interests of
the masters and men, and should not be entertained.
They are willing, however, to meet the men and
explain the reasons which have compelled them to
come to this decision."

The employers contend that if the exigencies of
trade demand supplies of coal sufficient to keep the
pits going six days, it would ire improper to set them
down simply to create an artificial demand.
The sole objeot of the present movement is regarded
by the coalowners as one to stimulate the demand by
reOricting the supply and thus enable the miners to
obtain a higher rate of wages. Though such a result
might be temporarily advantageous to the coal in-
dustry, it could not fail in the long run to be detri-
mental to the trade of the country, and to coalowners
and coalgetters. At prefeat, in spite of the cold
weather, there is a lowering tendency in house coal,
though the slight advance obtained before Christmas
In steam fuel is still maintained. Most of the pits
which supply steam coal are working full time, and
the house-coal pits four days a week.

MR. S. MORLEY, M.P., ON MR.
GLADSroNE.

On Monday evening Mr. S. Morley, M.P., presided
at a lecture delivered by the Rev. E. Paxton Hood,
at Falcon-square Chapel, Aldersgate-street, London,
on " Gladstone : The man and the Minister—his place
and power."
In his opening remarks Mr. Morley said that Mr.
Gladstone's life and labours had been to him like an
inspiration. He had watched Mr. Gladstone under
every conceivable phase—for he had had various
phases of political life; but that great statesman bad
always given olear evielonsa that he bad eonstoienee

enough to see whether another course might not
be a wiser course for the country. Therefore, start-
ing in life as a Conservative, he had gradually opened
to the needs of the English people, and no man could
be thought of who had more cl: any exhibited a Lelief
that the great object of a statesman should be to care
for the people as distinguished from any class. He
had passed some of the most valuable legislation which
the country had witne,sed during his lifetime, and
they must all hope that his career would be prolonged
so that he might still pass great azid needed reform.
He (Mr. Morley) was thankful to believe that while
the Premier was head and shoulders above everyone
near him in the House of Commons, when the hour
for his departure came he would carry with him the
deepest feelings of personal affection and regard by the
whole of the English people. No doubt there were
some who extremely disliked Mr. Gladstone, but for
reasons which should make the people love him—
because he was so true and so real.