The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-12-09 00:00:00

Oar Into Corresponbmt.

(We deem It right to qate tha—t wo do not at all
tiouttty maselvga with our Corrovondent's oplulonal

t 1r..r0

If anything had been wanting to prove the loyal
affection of the country towards the royal family, the
deep interest that has been manifested throughout the
MIMS of the Prince of Wake would have supplied the
something wanting. I doubt whether during the Francorrussian war the telegrams were read with any more
eager anxiety than have been the suceessive bulletins
relative to the Prince's malady, while the melancholy
death of Lord (loge:flail, while the newe has been
received in sorrow for the deceased nobleman, Las
served to intensify the anxiety of the public to know
the latest newl of the Royal sufferer. This anxiety,
too, has been somewhat increivied by the peculiarly
careful wording of the bulletins, for most people who
read them attentively must have concluded that the
eminent men who signed them were never thoroughly
confident of the recovery of the royal patient. At
the time I write the latest bulletin is the most favour-
able that has yet been issued, and there appear. to be
very good ground Jur the hope that all danger has
passed away, and that the Prinee will now steadily
pass through the stage of convalescence to that vf sound
health.

During a great part of last sessions there was more
excitement on the licensing question than any other
public question. lam nut about to endeavour to solve
the many .lifficult problems ba connection with legislation
and license-4, but merely to Cots the throwing up of a
feather to show which way the wind blows. The
Home Secretary wishes to receive a deputation of
licensed victuallers authorised to state the views of the
trade, and the publicans are about to meet to send
delegates as a deputation to the Home Office. So
that Mr. Bruce. it would seem, is to try his hand once
again, neit session, at legislating on this very, very
difficult subject. If this be the case, let his proposals
be what they may, they are certain to evoke no little
amoent of opposition. The Government—their sup-
porters and (Tponeuts will agree on this--find them-
selves in a rather awkward position in this respect. It
seems that they must deal with a *abject which posi-
tively bristles with difficulties.

Touching the agitation that hi springing up in
various quarters against the Income-tax. lam gra-
ciously pleased to approve of the said income-tax ; I
think it is a very good tax—for other peoplts But
when it touches myself, why then I rather object to
the illustration of my theory. Seriously, however, it
is not the tax itself that is so much to be found fault
with as its incidence- to use the excruciatingly correct
word--while its arbitrary mid unjust assessment in
many cases is an evil which ought to be remedied. It
is probable that we shall have some legislative pro-
Posal on the subject next session.
What is called private bill legislation, but what
really is legislation on public works, will next session
be unusually active. There Lave been given no less
than 206 notices of bills for railways and other schemes,
whereas last year there were only 104. What an
immense amount of money this soggests as being spent
among "promoters," lawyers, parliamentary agents,
surveyors, engineers, .te., and if but one-half of these
schemes receive parliamentary sanction, what a number
f peceije--from the tip-top director or chairman down
to the lowest labourer—will thus be employed! There
is evidently no lack of energy and enterprise in the
country, not is there any lack of money, the latter fact,
by the way, being shown by the reduction cif the Bank
re to 4 per cent. ; and everything tends to show that
in the spring and summer of next year several
branches of industry will be more brisk than they
have been for years. But there is a question
that wcurs to use with respect to these 206 "private "
bills. Why should committees of the Commons
deliberate and decide on these bills, and then the
work have to be done all over again in the House of
Lords committee rooms? Public time is thus wasted,
and the energies of members of Parliament are used up,
while the real business of the nation is hindered owing
to members being tired with their labours in wen.
mittee. We ought to have a separate tribunal for
private bills, the Houses of Lords and Commons having
the right of ref°.

The Postmaster-General has issued a circular to pro-
• incial postmasters in condemnation of the system of
rural postneseters and letter-carriers presenting to the
public cards containing appeals for i'hristmas-bexis,
adding that this system will no longer be permitted.
A good deal may be said for and against the system of
Christmas-boxes, but !surely we ought to deal rather
tenderly with rural postmen, whose labour is protracted,
and whose pay is very small. For my own part, I
never begrudge a boxing-day present to the postman.
They are a hardworking, intelligent, and honest class
of men, and frequently take a great deal of trouble
that they are not absolutely bound to undertake.
With all due deference to the Postmaster General, I
think he might very well leave the matter alone.
Why not let people give, or refrain from giving, as
they choose?
'l'he Sheffield earpenters and joiners have set a good
example to their brethren elsewhere, having invited
their masters to co-operate with themselves in the
formation of a Board of Arbitration, to be composed of
eight employers and eight men, all matters in dispute
to be referred to this Board. There is an el Meet fair-
ness ale sot such a Board as this, and there is no reason
whatever why many disputes might not thus be
satlesi, and impending strikes obviated. We have a
great deal yet to learn in this country as to the practi-
cability and advisability of Boards of Conciliation and
Arbitration. Thanks are due to. Mr. Blanchard
Jerrold for basing show-n us how admirably such
Beards work in France. Why shouhl they continue to
manage these things better in that country? We in
Fncland are very fond of leagues and brotherhoods,
and cenferences, and Boards of Arbitration in our
several trades might be early established and worked.
At a time when we hear so much about the nine
Mews' movement, reference may fairly be made to a ten
hours' movement, in which to some extent, the whole
public are interested, for it originates with railway
employ.:ss ; and if these are overworked the Hew of
travellers are endangered, as has been shown over and
over again. The men engaged on the lines running into
Loudon have just formed a society, the objects of which
must, I think, commend themselves to all who desire
amicable relations between masters and men. Among
the objects ainfesl at are these--" to promote a good
and fair understanding between employers and em-
ployed ; to prevent strikes ; to afford a ready
means, by arbitration or otherwise for the settle-
ment of disputes." I hope to hear that railway
directors and ,Mieiale have manifested a reciprocal
feeling in the matter. Meanwhile, may we not heir
upon this expressed desire to avoid strikes and try
arbitration as an encourasing sign of the times?
We have in Londen at the present time about 19,000
less paupers, in-door and out-door, than we had this
time last year. This fact tells a very agreeable tale,
but from other isourees it may be learned that the
metropolitan poor are not so badly off now as they
have been at this season during the last three years.
Conning over the last reports in the Lataur News, I
find that throughout the country there is decided
activity in the various brancheif of industry, and that
en the whole the working classes are well employed ;
in fact, the numerous strikes that we have lately had
are a certain indication of activity of employment
lint in spite of all this, there is, as initial, a good deal
of charity-seeking amongst the poor. Very much of
this is Utterly uncalled fer, but there are sums people
find it so much easier to live by charity than by work.
A week or two of frost and snow will, of course, pro-
duce serious effects on the labour market, but at
present sem prospects for Christmas are cheering.
A gentleman who has the misfortune to be short
writes piteously about the manner in which the ladies
of the present day strive to make themselves look taller,
by means of peg-top heels and perpendicular bonnets.
And really there is some ground fur the lamentation—
only the ladies may retort that we men have long been
in the habit of nearing high-heeled boots and chimney-
pot hate. Just so, but then we have by this time ac-
quires! a prescriptive right to these things ! Somebody !
somewhere advertises that, by a discovery peculiar to
himself, he can make short people taller ! If the cor-
respondent who so plaintively bewails his fate in being
short can have faith in such an announcement, by all
means let him try the secret.