The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-06-11 00:00:00

Oar Foltbon t'orresponttnt.
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rWc (kern it riAt to stoto that we do not at all times
enrosive:with our correspondent's opinional

There is now every reason to believe, or at all events
to hope, that Government will succeed in passing their
Irish Land Bill. Tnis is said without any reference to
the particular character of the bill itself, but from a
belief that it would be a great boon cot only to Ireland
but to Ergland if the Irish land question could thus
be answered. Among the ether Government measures
the two moet important are the E lunation Bill and the
Parliamentary Elections Bill. The Whitsuntide recess
is a favonrsble time for people taking a retrospect and
a prospective glance at the work of the session, and I
cannot but think that the majority of those who in-
dulge in a review of recent parliamentary history and
In speculation as to the future will incline to doubt
whether the two lattsr bine will be passed. In the
ens ease there are immense difficulties iu the way, aris-
ing from the conflict of opinions and requirements, and
In the other there is a doubt as to there being sufficient
Vote for the measure this session, as well as the probe.
bility that the House of Lords will not regard it with
moult favour.

Some War Office and Admiralty orders relative to
the hair of soldiers and sailors have just been pnblished,
and really come of them are rather ridiculous. As at
present ordered, since ?Mg, in the army "moustaches
are to be worn, and the chin is to be shaved." But
suppose the moustaches will not grow? An exception
is made in favour of pioneers, "who will wear beards
also." But if the beards will not come? In the navy
"officers and men may wear beards and moustaches,
but one must not be worn without the other." Why
Slut? As regards marines, officers and men, "may
wear beards and moustaches, or moustaches only."
But may they wear beards only? Why should there
be any regulations at all, beyond insisting on cleanli-
nee. ? The police are better off; they do as they like,
and many of them have very respectable beards. One
would think that soldierly quilities depend on the
growth of hair. It is tyrannical to make men shave or
prevent them from shaving, and our soldiers and
railors would certainly not be one whit less brave, nor
would discipline suffer, if they were allowed to do as
thoy lee.

The Tramway movement progresses here, and no
wonder, for the tramway car is its own adviv-tiseruenti.
These oars are running on the Brixton-road, and between
Whitechapel and Bow. And very commodious and
c anfertable carriages they are, easily accommodating
46 passengers each, and drawn with apparent comfort
by two good horses. Inside there is room for the con-
ductor to pees up the centre to take the fare, and the
passengers are spared the crowding and discomfort of
the ordinary omnibus. The a-icent to the roof is so
sae and easy that a new feature is apparent in street
travelling ; ladies frequently ride outende. The motion
oi the cars is steady and solid, and not the least ad-
vaiqtage is the safety of the new vehicles. It is
nuarvellrus that the metropolis has solong been without
them commodious cars, and now they have been adopted
tip t ill always be preferred to the ordinary omnibuses.
The preprietorei of the care, however, might add a grand
improvement—a covering for wet weather. There
wotti4 ant be the least d:lliculty about it.
The Hone Show at the Agricultural Hall is really a
very fine sight, and the animals exLibited are generally
admitted to be the finest that have ever been shown
during the seven years that the exhibition has been one
of our itiatitutions. Man's faithful friend is well repre-
s‘nted by several noble op-chums of various cla-ses,
and by others to which the word "noble" would be ill
applied, but who may deservedly be spoken of as pretty
pets, and the little loves of ponies, as the ladies cell
thsn., are certainly not the I,,tst p!ea-ing feature of the
ili ,w. If any one who wanders through this immense
building will carry back his memory to the era when
railways comnaenced—a period that many of us can
retrember—he wi I readily admit how certain carica-
tures of that period have not been verified. It was a
favourite theme mith the caricaturists of that time to
trprerent horses as literally going to the dogs (and
cab) and being well nigh tutliss. But horses are now
mere valuable than ever.

The propertied started by the Lancet to fill up the bed
of the Serpentine with sea-water brought in a pipe
feta Brighton haa now been pretty well discussed,
and though it has not been proved absolutely
impracticable, no tine appenrs likely to commence
carrying out the idea. The great objection is
the bringing the pipe through London ; above
ground it would be an eye-sore ; under ground the
water insist be forced through. Bat could we not have
sea-water athe near London Bridge? The water could
either be brought through a pipe along the line of
railway, or in tanks attached to the treins. There is no
doubt that the scheme would pay handsomely.
An advertisement has appeared frequently of late
codling attention to the demand for domestic servants,
and urgirg clergymen and others to make the want
known, naming, of course, a particular address. And
no doubt there is a demand for good servants beyond
the supply. And yet we are always hearing of the
want of female employment ; always being told that
the fields for woman's work are very restricted ; and
continual efforts are being made to force women into
eccupations hitherto followed exclusively by men,
although there is not work enough for our men to do.
Our domestic servants are es rtainly now not what they
wed to be. Machine-work in various departments,
employment in shops and factories, and a variety of
cccupetions brirg very fair wages to young women,
and the natural consequence is that they dislike
" cervice." Under the system of occupation for a
certain number of hours a day young women—young
Imlies they must be called, I suppose,'have their
evehinge," which is a great charm ; and it results from
this that among the middle and the upper sectionof the
working class it is very difficult to obtain servants,
and good servants of all work are at a premium; while
among the middle class and the class just above, it sea.
vents, knowing their market value, certainly do give
themselves intolerable airs. Which is the lady of the
house and which is the cook or upper housemaid it is
often difficult to tell by their dress or manners, and
frequently the lady is more simply dressed and more
retiring and quiet in her manners than are her I
servants. This used not to be so. The age is increas-
ing in luxury, and the lines of demarcation between
the various clatses of society are becoming less clearly
defined than formerly.
Poetry, like any ordinary commodity, can be bought
aril sold—of course it can't be bought without being
sold ; se at least thinks a person who advertises
thus in The Times: "To Poets—Wanted 144 original,
short erotica, or little love verses; must be terse ; to
consist of four or six lines each. Apply," Sze. Curious
demand that. Why 144? Stop, that is a gross; so it
must be something commercial. And se it turns out to
be. The London Figure has been curious to ascertain
what these 141 little love-poems are, and discevers that
they are wanted for cracker boabona. And it is not
very strange that such a demand should be made, for
there is greet room for improvement. Everybody who
has read the so-calllcd poetry in the tnaeic nuts or
bonbons at Christmas parties mast confess that they
are amusing from their pitiable character. Some poor
fellow perhaps may now earn a little honest money
tide way, and he may pcesibly become Poet Laureate !
Society owes much to such gent'emen as the Mar-
finis of Townsend who evstemasically strive to repress
professional begging. A gentleman has just done good
service in this way by giving into custody a woman
who was found to have pinched a poor little child to
make it cry, and so excite compassion and bring
money. I allude to this case and call attention to the
fact that such instances are now comparatively rare.
Only a few years ago cases of this hied of cruelty were
very common, but thanks to the continued efforts of
ease who by to repress mendicity this professional
cruelty, and indeed all kinds of begging, are on the
decline. If people would not give under such circums
stances professional mendicity would Boon cearre. Yes—
ii; but people won't cease from giving.
"A day in the country." That is now the heading of
many a letter which day after day appears in some of
our papers. Clergymen, ministers, and others are
appealing for funds to give poor children their annual I
treat. A day in the country to many people has little I
significance. To people with money and time at their
disposal, in these railway days, a day in the country
is easily procurable, while thousands enjoy, not merely '
a day, but several weeks during the year. But to I
thousands of children "A day in the country" means I
au annual treat looked forwerd to with eager hope and
looked back upon with sweet memories, while many
other thousands of children look forward to the
first "day iu the country" that they will have
had. We who live in towns, and who frequently
have our little excursions, or we who live in
verdant suburbs not far from pleasant fields, or those
who live in the country, can scarcely form any esti-
mate of the immense treat which "a day in the
country " affords to children who live, or exist, in close
confined alleys sad courts, in wretched and
ventilated rooms, and to whom "the country" is
almost a myth. The appeals now being made will
generally be liberally responded to, and the money for-
warded by benevolent persons will not be badly laid
cut. It will make many a poor, ill-fed, and badly
clothed child happy for one "day in the country," and
inn cently happy too; and is not that a large reward
fo. teuevolence ?

The Austrian correepondent of the Cologne Chwette
says that nmmlaluts arise on all sides of the ruthless manner
in which the valuable mountain woods are sold to specula-
tors And cut down by them. This misfortune has now
reached the Salskammergut with Its lovely woods, and an
earnest remonstrance appears in the New Free Pre n on this
subject. The woods are recklessly cut down and the land
stripped of WI magotticent growth of Umber.

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