The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-12-23 00:00:00

Our fonbon orresponbmt.
Pre deem it right to state that we to not at all Urea
Identify ourselves with oar Cnrrespoodeet's opinions

11 did that the Government intend to bring in a bill
next session to abolish the " truck " system. More
than a year age a Royal Commission wen appointed to
Inquire into the varioue modes of paying workmen
abet than in the lawful coin of the realm, and these
commissioners a few months since issued a report
which showed that what is called the truck system of
payment exists to a large extent and in various
localities. Weekly wages in money Li known to be
the best possible system of payment for working
men ; but instead of this in many places non are paid
monthly, and this partly in goods, and in many in-
etancem in such gomle that the men are obliged to sell
again. It is said that the Government mean to
almlish this system entirely. Whether they will
aim at going so far, and whether they can accomplish
their aim if they do, may be doubtful; but, be this
as it may, there are few subjects of legislation more
important to many sections of the great industrial
clam.

As might have been anticipated, the etrike among
the telegraph clerks has llapsed, and the public have
not suffered that inconvenience which, at one time,
they had reason to dread. Mr. Sculamore and the
authoritiesof the Telegraph l)epartment have certainly
acted with a good deal of firmness and decision, and it
is well for the public interest that they did so. lint
still I take leave to say that they were not wholly in
the right. The telegraph clerks had something to
complain of, although they did not go to work exactly
is the right way to remedy their grievances. Now
that the outbreak is being calmed, awl that the (M-
-ashies are in train for settlement, it jute be hoped that
where real griesatissei do exist, tke Postmoster-General
will remove them.

It is namething new--hi fact, I believe, quite unpre-
cedented— for the Sovereign of one country te preside
at a meeting in another, but now it is stated that the
King of Use Belgians has consented to preairle at the
anniversary of the Royal Literary Fund in May next.*
That is a long time to come, and we than probably
forget all about it by that time, but the feet at present
is worth noting. By the way, I suppoae, his Majesty
will not be Made fully acquainted with the details of
the working orthin society, of which the public know
nothing, and its members not much more. This will
not be neceaaary for a mere after dinner speech.
Of course no one is absolutely obliged to read that
tedious, devious, long-drawn-out affair—the Tichborne
ems, unless be chooses, but I fancy that even the
readers of the voluminous reports of this trial can have
no objection to a vacation. For my own part lam
heartily glad that the trial is to he adjourned from the
22nd inst. till the 11th of January. Whenever will
this trial end ! 1 will have lasted 70 days when the
adjournment take place, and it may last 70 or 700
days afterwards. I cannot but think that all parties
connected a ith it are more or less to be pitied.
The Judge is evidently wearied of it, and it
is proliable enough that he ilreada the Hercu-
lean task of immuring up. The jury le not composed
of men to whom a guinea a day is any boon, coneider-
ing how they have to neglect their own affairs while
attending to those of the claimant. The counsel, or
/several of them, at all events, are losing money by it.
The trial may beagood thing for some of the witnesses,
but it is certainly a bad thing for others. The claimant
himself is to be pitied, whatever the result may be.
And the public! Well, I believe the public are
becoming thoroughlyeweary of the whole affair.
At this dark and dreary time of the year, when the
evenings are so long that they seem to last all day,
that interesting class of people who live by plundering
their neighbours do their nefarious work under favour-
able conditions. The l'orumissioner of Police thinks it
well, therefore, to give us some hints: DA to the maehina-
thins of there gentry—hints that are at least quite as
valuable to people out of London as in it. Col.
flenderson, it is true, tells us chiefly what we know,
but it is well sometimes to be even reminded el what
we are aware of. lie tells us that larcenies are goner
ally committed by thieves entering through windowe
left open or so insecurely fastened that they can Le
opened by thrusting back the catch, from the outside,
with a knife. (Why a knife?) Ile tells Us, Mao, that
the (ellewing are the means by which thieves: effect
their purpose :—" In the absence of the family, espe-
cially on Saturday and Sunday evenings, entering with
false or sleleten keys ; passing through an empty house,
going along the pru-al et, and mitering any window found
open ; climbing up the portico and entering through
ripper windows ; rolling at houses under pretence of
I,.as ing UlfistSgeft, AC . nod Ourieg the absence of the
is ream, skating artichs (rem the hall or passage. 'lle
t Lief I. u.inisioner has lent ~f jr:„
cernmenplace cautions printed, aiel has hen kind
enough to send them round to housele biers. I repeat
we knew all this before, but this was, advice wallet
1-e to widely circulated. Servants, is is to be feared,
have yet a g.od deal to learn on these matters.
Booksellers' shops and railway look stalls are just
now brilliant with all tire colours of the rainbew, and
a gcsal many more— well, Mr. Hypercritie, with shades
of uolour—cnntequent on the prolific display of Chi lot-
Mtn literature. The outside of these books an e as
attractive :1-9 the bookbinder's art can make theta, and
the inside of many of these hooka is not less attractive.
What a wonderful improvement there has been in
Christman literature of late years ! IX course there is
still a great amount of rubbish published, hut on
the whole our Christmas and New Year'.
gift-books very favourably contrast with those
of only a few years ago, and especially is this ob-
servable in the case of hooka for children. When even
young men were in their boyhood how different was
the literature then offered to them f Either sentimental,
namby-pamby books of the "goody" school, without
any healthy religion in them ; or childish productions
that boys despised; or tales of such a character as to
injure the moral tone of their hearts without even
stocking the mind with any fresh information.
But the juvenile literature of to-day is on
the whole of a totally different charaeter, and
may be regarded as one among the many evidences
that exist that society is really progressing. What an
immense amount of happiness these gift-looks will
produce! Anil, by the way, what a heap of happiness
is caused by gifts of all kinds at this sermon of the year !
Suppose we could ascertain it by arithmetic! Put
down all the happiness to givers and receivers, and
make a deduction for all the little jealousies, diaap-
isiintmenta, &e., how greatly wculd the former pre-
ponderate!
Business in I.ondon has nowrevived, and it is grati-
fying to reflect that commerce and trade have, on the
whole, been brisker this winter than fir many winters
pais Many departments of retail trade arc now
specially brisk, owing to the preparations for CI riatmas,
and tradesmen are snaking desperate efforts to make
their shops look gay and attractive, and so do a good
stroke of business. " Chrietrnas comes but once a year,
and when it comes it brings geed cheer !" says the ohl
thissrel, and long may it Is so. It is pleasing
to am to what an extent the kindhearted among
the rich and the middle classes are endeavour-
ing to make asrangements for the comfort and
happiness of the veer on one day in the year, at
all evente. John Bull, it *met be conformed, loves good
eating and drinking, but he le not a had fellow al-
torrether, and he gives away more nieney than, perhaps,
foseigners give him credit for. Especially at this One
of the year is he in a generous humour, and he is just
now very agreeably dial/laying it; and when to this it
iv &kiwi that this year there he not quite so much occa-
sion ter his larnevolenoe as is generally the ems at chie
session, we may fairly anticipate a merry Chrietmaa.
Permit me, by the way, to wish your readers, not ..nly
a 'Merry Christmas,' but a " Happy New Year !"