The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-02-01 00:00:00

FOREIGN DUTIES ON BRITISH IRON.

•
The Marquis of Salisbury has addressed to the
Secretary of the British Iron Trade Association (Nlr.
J. S. Jeans) the following letter from Lord Odo
Russell, rel,tive to the movement now in progress for
the reimposition of duties on English iron entering
Germany :
" Berlin, Jan. 10.
"My Lord,—With reference to your lordship's despatch
of the 16th nit, enclosing a letter on the subjet:•t of the
German iron duties from the British Iron Trade Associa-
tion, it is with deep regret tided I notice the steadily grow-
ing agitation, not only in favour of reimposing import
duties on iron generally, but also of taking such measures
as may tend in particular to exclude English competition
altogether from Germany. The battle of free trade will
be fought out during the next Session of Parliament, and
a Free Trade Association for that purpose has been formed
in Berlin under the able guidance of Herr Bamberger.
Meanesh•le; I hear on good authority that the Commissi 0•
now sitting to report on the p.otection to be afforded to
the iron trade of Germany will probably recemmend a pro-
tective duty of 50pf., or 6d. on the hundredweight.
- •

"I need not point out to your lordship that this duty
would have the effect of closing the German market alto-
gether to the British iron trade. "000 RUSSELL.
" The Marquis of Salisbury, E.G."

Some weeks ago the British Iron Trade Association
memorialized the Belgian Minister of Finances for the
repeal of tee duty of *I. per cwt. now, levied on all
Engli-h pig-iron entering Belgian. The Belgian Govern-
ment have now addressed Her Majesty's Minister at
Brussels on the subject of this petition,. and have in
effect, declined absolutely to give it effect, urging that
it is only the duty now levied that hinders foreign
pig-iron from taking a more 'and more preponder-
ating place in Belgium; and poting out that in
ten years—from 1867 to 1877 the imports of pig-iron
into. Belgiem rose from 3,000,000 to 18 t,000,000 kilo-
grammes, while the imports from the Grand Duchy of
Luxembuig, which had previously been insignificant,
Jose in 1877 to (30,000,000 kilogrammes. The present
time would also, say the Government. be ill chosen for
taking any step to render the position oi the native
producers of pig-iron in Belgium worse than it is
already, and it is argued that nowhere else, not-
withstanding the progress of free - trade ideas,
would such a proposal. be 'entertained at the pre-
sent time. A consideration of another kind likewise
tends to make the remission of the present import
duties inopportune. These duties bring to the Belgian
Treasury a receipt of 600,000 f. per annum, and this
would be altogether lost if the memorial of the British
Iron Trade Association were complied with. These
representations of the. Belgian Government have been
commu dicated by Sir Saville Lumley to the Marquis of
Salisbury.
•
THE COMANCHE INDIANS.

An American who has been studying the life,
habits, and traits of the Comanche, thinks that there
are at present from 10,000 to 12,000, of whom about
2,500 are warriors, Wholly nomedio, they 'have. no
villages or fixed. habitations, but roam and plunder
800 to 900 miles. from north to south, andloo from
east to west. They own large herds of horses
and mules, obtaining- horned cattle only for their
immediate wants, because they cannot• drive thern,
as fast as they want to move. All their animals
are procured by robbing the Mexicans and;
Americans; and all their wars are undertaken more for.
plunder of this sort than for any other purpose. They:
ilever take men prisoners, though they kill and scalp
them; but they carry off women and children; make
wives of the former and rear the latter as their own.
They have never had any permanent place of abode, as
the absence of all mounds or tumuli in the territory
they range over clearly proves. They teem tohave.been
born an horsebtkik,.where they do all their fighting,aud
in attacking trains they always try to stampede the
afiimails by cries, and war whoops—a stampede render.
log the destruction of a train almost certain. If they
attack a Village they kill everybody they encounter,.
and then drive off the stock. The chiefs of the
Indians do, not inherit their authority, but acquire it
by, superior knowledge, personal bravery, or success in
war. Any social disagreement is adjusted by a beim-.
cll. of chiefi and seniors of the lodges; but these dis-
agreements are few, and family feuds are rare. In-
deed, they live together more harmonrously than many
civilised people do. Of law they have no notion,
nor have they any conception of national policy.
They never observe treaties any longer than
self-interest prompts, in which they resemble
most enlightened peoples. Their religious ideas are
very crude and indefinite. In an evil spirit they
do not believe, but ascriba both. good and evil to
the good spirit. Their conception of a future life is
indistinct; but they hold that men who have stolen
the most-horses and taken the most scalps sill have
the best chance of happy hunting-grounds in another
world. Fire is sacred with them, and used in all their
religious observances. Ties of kindred are very
stroug, and extend not only to relatives by blood, but
by marriage. Offences against any member of a
family are avenged by all or any one connected with
it. They are polygamists, some Chiefs having ten or
twelve wives. Infidelity on the part of a wife is
punished by cutting off the nose, and tha seducer is
obliged to give.un his Vrailable property to the injured
woman.

• A female member of the Baptibt denomination
cpamed Millicent Ellicott has recenty died, respect:l.g whom
the following particulars may be read witli interest. De-
ceased resided at Oaciby, near Leicester, au e for upwards ef
42 years was a member of the Baptist church of the *village,
under tbe,puggril, charge of chyl Lyirilithere. ihe
' deceased leaves the followingsdrvivers ; t-sons,lll);figlrftli,
32 grandchildren, and 62 great-erandcbderena-total, 100
direct descendants; besides 21 husbands sod "wrves of chil-
dren and grandchildren, wbjah &ma &Mit 01104W0111J1 of
tolao 40,41.14 Wit.

PROFESSOR MAX MULLER ON ELE.
MENTARY EDUCATION.

Professor Max Willer, having been asked to distribute the
prizes gained by the pupils of the Central Elementary and
other schools at Oxford, spoke as follows
"I consider it a very great and undeserved honour
to have been asked to take the chair at this meeting to-
night. I very seldom take so prominent a part at
public meetings, add I believe this is the first time I
have done so in Oxford. There are many reasons why
I shrink from occupying a place of honour such as has
been assigned to me by your kindness to-night. The
principal reason is that I have made it a rule, all
through my life never to do a thing if I can helo it
Whiph I know that others can do far better than
myself. This rule I have broken through most reck-
lessly to-night, for I haye only to look to my right and
to my left in order to see many who would have dis-
charged the duties of chairman to-night far better than
I can hope to do it. A chairman who is to distribute
prizes ought to be able to say many pleasant things—
ay, he ought to be able to say something even if he
had nothing to say. I de not possess that highest
kind of eloquence which consist in saying a great deal
when there is really nothing to say—which consists in
saying smooth things when one ought really to use
very hard language. Fortunately, however, there
are a few things which I should like to say to-night
beyond merely congratulating the boys and girls
who are here assembled, the masters, the supporters,
and last, not least, the members of the committee
of our schools on the work that has been done
during the last year. You will want to know, what we
have done and what vanilla have been obtained. Now
there can be no mistake, on this point. Our pay-
ments, you know, go by results, Every year the grant
which we have squeezed out of Government has been
large, large not only as compared with most schools at
Oxford, but large compared with all sehools in the
whole of England. However, large as our grants have
alteays been, they have been larger than ever this
year. Now this is a fact that requires no eloquence
on the part of the speaker—it is an eloquent fact, it
speaks for itself, it speaks volumes—and I know you
would not like me to do that. Here are the facts
Our average attendance has been 128. With that small
army we have carried off a grant of £l36—i.e., each boy
has carried eff 21s, for his Echool. Government expected
to get off with about 15s. a head for each boy. We have
shown that each boy, if properly taught, can earn 21s.
But more than that, I fear, we cannot do. It is not in
human, it is not in boyish nature. In fact, I doubt
• whether we shall ever earn so much again. But now
let Me tell you why, after all, lam not satiefted. I
Joined the managing committee of our Central Ele-
mentary school many years ago when the eduoation
question was the burnin.e question of the day. I
wanted to know whether the grants sanctioned by
Parliament„ whether the educational legislation of
Mr. FOrster and Mr. Cross—for in this case equal
credit is due to both, parties—would enable this clam
"of 'schools to be self-supporting. Herein Lies to my
mind the
,whole
.problem of popular education. It
must be self-supporting, and as I said once at
Manchester at a similar gathering, the three R's
must not be allowed to be dependent on the
three Ch's—reading, writing, and aritlametic—i e.,
elementary education must be independent of
chance, church and charity. I have not a word to say
against church or charity. The Church has done her
work nobly in ages past in the cause of education.
Charity, too, has done her work nobly, and is doing it
still, and even chance has sometimes been in our
favour. Still I maintain, and I believe there is no
one here who would not agree with me, that education,
and particularly the education of the children of the
poorer classes, is a sacred duty, and far too sacred a
duty to be left to chance, church, or charity.
Well, now, has oar school been self•supporting?
In one sense, yes, but in another, no. I say no,
because I have to-night to appeal to you for
charitable contributions, but I say yes, because
I feel convinced this ought not to be, and if the
citizens of Oxford will only do their duty, I maintain,
without fear of contradiction, that all such schdols
as we see assembled here to•nigl4, can be maintained,
and efficiently • maintained, 'teeithort% one penny
either from the rich in the shape of charity or from the
poor in the shape of rates. This may seem a bold
statement, but I will give you the figures at once.
Our excellent secretary, Mr. Underhill, will give you
presently these figures in a more detailed and accu-
rate form. I shall only give you the rough aver-
age. I see from our report that every boy out of
the 128 has brought us, in 'grants and' school-
pence together, £2 Bs. ; that is, £307 per annum.
Out school-pence are 91., 6d,, and 3d. Our ex-
penses in 1877 were—for salaries, £302 2s. ; fuel,
£4 4s ; rent, £2O; repairs, £24; printing, £l6—i.e.,
£366 6s. per annum, or nearly £3 per head. Our salaries
are high, our rent is low, yet not lower than at many
other schools where the buildings have been provided
by charitable people long ago, and require only to
be kept in thorough repair. You see, therefore, that
there is a deficit of about £6O which ha to be covered
by charity. That is a very large deficit, and if the
same deficit exists at other schools, you will see that
the inhabitants of Oxford have every year to contri-
bute several thousand. pounds towards the maintenance
of schools which ought to be .self-supporting. Why is
that deficit so large? Why does it exist at all? First,
it exists because we have twenty-one pupils who have
passed all the six standards, and who have, in fact,
hen so well taught that Government declines to pay
for them. That, I think, is a mistake. But, secondly,
or rather chiefly, we have to appeal for charitable
help, because our school, which could easily accom-
modate 170 boys, has only 128. And why has our
school only 128, instead of. 170 boys? Because there
are too many schools at Oxford. And why are there
too many schools at Oxford? Here, I know, I am
treading on dangerous ground; but I should feel
ashamed were I to shrink from telling you the truth.
It is because every parish, and we have many, wishes
to have its own school; Hera lies the root of the whole
evil. You have a number of small schools, masters
and mistreeses with sritall salaries, pupil earning small
grants. You have only to combine your schools, and
I promise you not only will you never hear again of
appeals for subscriptions, never of a rate ; but you
will, if the matter is managed properly, have a surplus
annually out of your elementary schools. Take our own
school. Give us only 170 pupils which we can hold and
teach with our present staff'; they would bring in £.lOB.
Our expenses are, as I told you, about £366—that is,
we should have a surplus of £42 at the end of the year.
With larger numbers—ant there is no reason why
elementary schools should not hold 500 boys each—the
expense of teaching each boy ought not to be more
than £2, while his earnings can be £2 Bs. I can say
no more. It is for you, for the citizens of Oxford at
large, to decide whether they prefer to subscribe,
whether they prefer to be rated for what is in many
schools, if we judge by results—i.e., by grants—an
inefficient education, or whether they are determined
in future to bave elementary education all over
Oxford thoroughly efficient, and what is really the
same in other words, self-supporting and entirely inde-
pendent of Church, charity, and chance."

BISHOP ELLICOTT on ECCLESIASTICAL
POLITICS.
The Bishop of Gloucester acd Bristol has just issued his
annual pastoral address, in which he deals with Church
que‘tions that may occupy the attention of Convocation
and Parliament during the year.
The Burial question, of which, he says, every one
must now be heartily tired, will again be brought for-
ward, and he hopes it will be settled. His opinion re-
mains the same as expressed in his pastoral letter last
year. The Bishop afterwards refers to what he decribes
as the few and singular modest rubrical changes which,
after nearly ten years of consideration, are now almost
'ready to be formulated in a 'measure and brought
before Parliament. Parliament, he says, may now have
to be faced with a measure embodying- these changes,
and these may be reasonably expected to be acippted
very quietly. The only danger likely to arise itrfrom
an indiscreet rubric beiug ultimately carried-by Con-
vocation whereby the use of the cope (by way of
"compromise ") may be allowed in parish churches
where congregations wish it and the Bishop allows it.
This will cause difficulty and confusion; be hopes
that it will not be brought on, and that if it is the two
Convocations will not c,ncur in passing it. It is just pos-
sible that an effort will be wade, he thinks, to procure the
repeal of the Public Worship Regulation Act. Tbatsuch
an attempt would be utterly futile need hardly be said.
The country has long since formed a shrewd estimate
of the operation ancl use of that Act. It has long
been seen to be, as it was designed to be, A deterrent
measure. The very limited number of the clergy who
have adopted ritualistic practices compared with the
number of those who at one time were apparently
very favourably disposed to such progress is the best
proof of the, success .of the, measure. Though
• there are obviously many causes for anxiety and dis-
quietude, he sees no reason for not looking hopefully
forward. The party that has caused all present
difficulties is either passing into extreme and
schismatical positions, such ai appear now to -be
taken by the Reunion party, or is honestly, though
slowly, drawing hack from illegal practices. The
bulk of the old High Church party is fast giving up
its chivalrous but mistaken defence of men who at
heart hate and abhor the Reformation, and openly
denounce its leaders as villians and miscreants. The
chief present danger, he says, arises from the com-
promises now being made with some of those charged
with illegal practices.. Their wisdom and their safety
are loyally to acquiesce in the law when finally ex-
pounded, and, if they think the law wants altering,
to take. all constitutional methods for effecting the
alterations.