The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-03-21 00:00:00

,1%, A.:_tourbrikge (D. bserber

SATURDAY, MARCH 21st, 1885,

BRITANNIA'S BULWARKS.

How much England's supra mancy is due to
her ocean warriors is mattcr of history. Our
faregoers swept the seas, and established
their island home in its proud position as
first among nations. And even as we
marched "o'er the mountain wave" to pre-
eminent power, so have we since relied upon
our naval strength as at once an impregnable
defence and an irresistible force for use
whenever an appeal to Might should arise.
We have reposed much faith in the "thin
red line" of our military puissance, but our
chief confidence has long lain in our "bul-
warks on the brine." It is well, such being
the case, that Englishmen should assure
themselves that their trust centres in DO
splendid myth, no empty r flection of the
all-conquering fleets of former days. There
is a danger that, deluded by our own peace-
ful national disposition, we may permit
other Powers to quietly outstrip us in naval
equipment and capability, and that those
Powers may take advantage of the superiority
our comfortable self-confidence has allowed
them to attain, and strike a blow at our in-
sular pride and position which would sur-
prise as much as humbleus. Wise foresight
and prudent preparation will ward off such
an undesirable climax; and it is not, we
think, likely, whatever the alarmists may
say, that the necessity for such action will
be seriously under-rated, or the action itself
neglected. Indeed the danger of disregard-
ing the importance of maintaining the upper
hand in the matter of maritime force is just
now being fully recognised ; and Govern-
ment and the country at large are moving
to ensure efficiency in our naval armaments
for any and every emergency. It is a
- lamentable admission for this advanced age
to have to make that no nation, despite the
_ strides that thought and reason and wisdom
have made in influencing universal senti-
ment and action, can yet afford to cast aside
its weapons of war. Peace can only be
maintained at the expense of a costly equip-
ment for war. That is the extent to which
the onward march of the rule of right has
to-day taken mankind, even adjudged at its
best. We must accept the situation, sad as
it is to those who would have all men dwell-
ing together in unity; for if we neglect the
lessons of the hour we shall assuredly retard
the advent of the "good time coming." As
things are, Britain's bulwarks must be kept
up to the invulnerable standard. There are
times, when from some inscrutable cause,
the war-spirit seems to seize onmen's minds;
then the fear is that fevered opinion may
make even the most pacific of states over-
estimate the call to supply themselves with
the means of combat and the armour of de-
fence. Such a period seems to be upon us
now. But a nation like Britain, while wisely
watchful and equal to holding its own,
should still be panic proof. We must never
lost sight of the fact that wealth expended
upon the sinews of war is only rightly so
spent to secure peace, and even then at the
cost of its diversion from its proper purpose
of ministering to man's real requirements,
It may be, as will be the case with the naval
activity which we are now displaying, that
seeming temporary benefit will arise from
improvement in industrial and manufactur-
ing prospects by large orders for ships of
war and their equipments. But it would be
indisputably more advantageoas to this
nation and the whole world were capital and
labour employed in producing something
-else more essential to humanity's estate. So
long as men's passions and ambitions commit
them to the necessity of "lying down armed,"
however, what is best and noblest must
sometimes be subordinated to what is must
prudent. . Then action must be dictated and
controlled by dispassionate wisdom iii ordee
that what is best shall after all result. Such
is the end at which Britain is aiming now
in gravely addressing itself to the augaienta-
tion of its naval forces. All the resonrce::
of scientific skill and enlarged knowlede.o
have been taxed to the full. by. the Great
Powers in fitting out their ships of war.
England must keep pace with thc most
enterprising and energetic of the nations if
she would still stand °foremost. The days
when "our wooden walls" sufficed for secur-
ing to us the sovereignty of the seas are long
put. Invention treads so fast on the heels of
invention that, the maintenance of supremacy
implies increasing effort and heavy ex-
penditure. One thy "the nations of the
earth will learn war no more," but until that
happy time the arsenal and the dockyard
Will continue and enlarge. Torpedoes of
fearfully destructive power, and. armour-
encased floating leviathans of ingenious de-
sign and wonderful workmanship are now
national necessities. No one can say how
soon even thes) monuments of skill will be
superseded by yet more terrible construc-
tions. In view of all this the attitude of
Parliament in rather encouraging the
Admiralty to increased expenditure than
deprecating additional outlay on naval arma-
ments is natural, and will have the full
endorsement of the nation. The sum thus
given without grudging for the strengthen-
ing of Britain's bulwarks is large indeed,
and it is a pity that it cannot be applied to
the relief of distress or in similar desirable
directions ; but because other countries have
improved their navies so materially, and are
continuing their outlay for war purposes
with lavish hand, we are driven, no matter
how reluctantly, to do likewise. The effect
will, as has been hinted, be felt for good in
those centres dependent largely upon ship.
building and kindred crafts, where industrial
prostration has been more tte rule than the
exception latterly. But the drain on the
national purse, well-stocked as it is, will be
great because of all this attention to arma-
ment and defence. We can only hope and
trust that thereby peace and prosperity will
be secured, and bloodshed averted.

THE IRON TRADE

BIIMINUHAII, TOUR-DAY
Th iron mrk as flat tiiis afternoon. and th.:
tendtticy ot business and prices was u &favourable
Hay .18 presae ma,nuf .• mere fn• 1 .7,v,r qnot,int on.,
acd 'ear w ''any the 1.1)1 • the cxit,a•ts :4 v o
were tt r.re min' mutu q •tjtiOll. B,recial qualitied
ur.branaed bar iron were relatively in lleAer re.
quest than tt.e ordinary brander' s which
to infinence the market to any ap;..re-
ciable ile4ree, theug I still nominally recognised ai
t atamlartl tor governing prices and wages.
GM{ wsre bought at .g 5 lOs a ton, and in
e .tr rx isolated cases as 53 a ton b. low that
(P1'"i"• lilt L,,,0d mere ant iron in di oft titre," by
tufa • o hug a reputation in he uti•,l ict could not
be b •tit, under 45 155 A. ton, an-I te,tter cless...s of
pielactrpreJ • are raned fte ii t van',.f .E 7 103
Li fact tlie qoa:i• its of bar in, n, both tun, ked and
unmarked, are sa mime Ott, ;bat o. qtettati,n can
be taken as the ruling prie-. Iti p:aii drew s a fair
amount of oust:less wa,s don- for stani;.ing awl
rki purpo e,and galvaniters alto bough
excids. Cer.itill of the ,he.,t makers
• v • s-ctir low.; ferw tr.l .'elivery contracts on
.v,,tirahlt• ten ma than the current
• hie loot else Manufacturers are depend-
.
." ta.- totters receivt d from week to week.
t.e..ta st,•gi ~, were quoted to-day at £6 15s, and
Pi i:i • .t.:7 •wi,!: slivht, variations upwards and
• • riw .
a, • r.:ing to quality.
The inquiry f
k
- tint thene was a well-tust?ine I
u, „ .
• in. , • • /1., and wire iron. Pig iron wa,
• • .1,- It ere wt re rurnours that other
- t - •
• •• , ..i dis' tic! qi were about be
I"4' • . "••.0 •,11 th-liele have entered into no
0.461
•
- • tut..i•lng rt. &action as in the
L OE, _ , t—e
n co.t.‘te., stnecessities
tra.o iwuce the output, 41


L

pe: 'ally as the pri3es realised do n pty for I ee-
i•ig pigs in stock, and there appeArs to be no pros-
pect t.t any i,omdiate advance in the -ra' e No th
ampton forge pi tt was sold to-day at 404 a tort,
..b‘at Is or 5s extra being regeived for f, nirtry pig
D y hhe forge pig was qa.,ted tit ls to 42s 6t,
Ii I g slightly below the rtes which ruled up to a
month ago. In the coal trade stagnation pr. v
and the impending strike in Yorkshire ag.tihet
reduction of 10 per cent in wages is b jig watehe,l
with c( n-iderable interest in this Wstr.et, as tl:e
iesult will probably determine the ac,ioa of h.-
:heal owners.