The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-10-03 00:00:00

C,IRA D LEY HE&TH.

On Thursday night Mr. Brooke Robinson, the
Conservative :candidate, delivered an address in
the New Town Lane Schools, Cradley Heath; Mr.
I. Standish presiding.—Mr. Brooke Robinson con-
trasted the policy ol the late Government with that
of the present Governmart, and said he wanted to
keep a good army in India, so as to be a che, k to
Rtssia. He looked upon the war in Egypt as a
massacre' and wished to know how it Was that they
abandoned General Gordon, and was answered by
et lea of "Policy, policy." His policy, he remarked,
would be to strengthen the empire, and to hays a
sufficient defence of the coasts and the colonies, to
bring about the federation of the colonies with the
mother country, and to maintain the integrity of
the empire. He was in favour of the commission to
enquire into the depression of trade, and to do away
with the depression by ascertaining its cause, and
he thought they all would be satisfied with that
policy. (Cries of" No," " Yes.") If returned to
Parliament he should be in favour of allowing tea
and tobacco to come into the country free, and any
things which could not be produced in this countty
he would extend to them the same privileges. On
manufactured goods which came into this country
he would impose a duty of 10 per cent. Here the
meeting was interrupted by a considerabl) portion
of the audience singing "'Wait till the clouds roll
by," and " For he's a jolly good fellow," cheers
being also given for Mr. Chamber:ain and Mr.
Sheridan. The c tudidate was asked a number of
questions, after which a resolution in favour of his
candidature was carried.

" KILLED BY RAILWAY RATES."

This is the epitaph which, at an important con-
ference upon the railway rates question held in
Birmingham last week, Mr. J. Brinton, M.P., said
might be very well inscribed over the tombstone of
any of our English railway companies that might
come to grief by their suicidal policy in the matter
of railway freight and charges. Mr. Brinton did
-peak without being able to give good proof that
there was need for the companies to be careful con-
cerning the manner in which they are treating the
manufacturers. He contended that, if the com-
panies could afford to carry sea-borne articles from
tae coast to the centre of the country at a certain
rate, they could afford to make a proportionately
low charge in respect of the carriage of inland pro-
ducts to the coast. The effect of the policy of the
companies was illustrated by the action of Messrs.
Charles Cammell & Co. removing their great In-
dustry from Sheffield to Barrow, so as to avoid the
rates. Such a move was a serious loss to the rail.
way affected; but the carriers have not yet learned
wisdom, The Midland and Staffordshire iron, steel,
I and allied trades assembled at the Birmingham
conference did nothing more than their bare duty to
their invested business capital and to the work.
people for whom they are finding employment when
they heartily responded to Lord Henniker's appeal
for their co-operation with his lordship's Lon ion
committee ts.) appeal against the recent extraordinary
decision of the Court of Queen's Bench in the case
of Hall v. The Brighton Railway Company. This
decision reverses all previous decisions of the Rail-
way Commissioners upon the question of railway
charges. The Birmingham conference resolved to
at once open a gurantee fund in aid of the parent
fund of Lord Henniker's committee. If the appeal
should be unsuccessful, and the carriers, embold-
ened, should continue their present policy, we may
not improbably by and by see the epitaph which
heads this note inscribed over some directors'
board-rooms.
Iron.