The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-03-07 00:00:00

WAREEIAM.

VESTRY MICETINGS.--OR Thursday, the 23rd ult.,
vestry meetings were held in the parish churches of
Lady St. Mary, Holy Trinity, and St. Martin's, at each
of which it was unanimously agreed that in considers,-
of Mr. Oxford continuing to oollect the Way, as well as
the Poor rates, his salary should be increased to £65
per anntlm, to be apportioned as follows: Lady St.
Mary £32, Holy Trinity £l6 10s., and St. Martin's
£l6 10a.
We observe with regret, through the obstinacy of a
few ratepayers, that our good old town is about to be
deprived of the advantage of the street gas lamps.
Surely this is a step in the "wrong" direction, and
will further add to the gloom thrown over the place by
the rumour afloat that the farmers are Wiring of
further reducing the wages of their labourers, the
present large sum of 9s. a-week being considered too
mach for a man and his wife and family—the eldest,
probably, not more than nine years of age. The lover
of his kind may well exclaim "God help the poor r
It is to be hoped the proposed reduction will end in talk
only.
Me. EDITOR :—SIB—The bakers of this neighbour-
hood appear to think that they have the power of
repealing Acts of Parliament; although it is enacted
that the peck measure is in all ca-es to consist of l4lbs.
avoirdupois. The custom and practice of the bakers is
to give Vbs. only to the poor man's quarter peck,
whereby he is a loser of 2olbs. on a sack. Surely this
ought not to be. We often hear of our active
superintendent of police in connection with the convic-
tion of publicans, marine store dealers, ironmongers,
petty shopkeepers, Woodbury-hill occasional beer sellers,
Sm. Query :—ls it not as mush his duty to see that
flour as well as beer is retailed in legal quantities,
and that the law is not broken by one class of traders
more than another? The ignorant, poor man bitterly
exelairris that the penalty for buying three penny-worth
of stolen hay is six months' hard labour—for buying
capper bolts nil.—Yours, kc., AN UNWILLING
OBSERVER.

CHILD OKEFORD,
On Sunday afternoon a sermon was preached in the
parish church by the Rev. J. R. Quirk, rector of
Blandford, on behalf of the Church Pastoral Aid
Society, when P. 15 9s. 3d, was collected,

SHAFTESBURY.
LITEHAST INEITITUTION.—A highly instructive and
entertaining lecture in connection with this institution
was given at the Townhall, on Monday evening, the
27th ult., by J. C. Buckmaster, Esq., of the Kensington
Museum, on "What people ought to know how some
of the public money is spent," giving an account of the
origin of the South Kensington Musuem science and
art department : objects therein : conditions on which
prizes and dertificates are given : information on general
and popular science—the value to working men and
others. The lecture was listened to with great attention,
and at its conclusion the Rev. J. J. Reynolds said that
he entirely concurred with the lecturer in what he had
brought forward, and that all his energies should be
used to establiNh a class in this town next year. A vote
of thanks to the lecturer brought the proceedings to a
close.