The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-07-15 00:00:00

THE PROGRESS OF TEMPERANCE

REFORM.

The Archbishop of Canterbury's Committee,
oomposed of eminent members of the House of
Lords, is now engaged in inquiring into one of
the most difficult problems of the day. For
years we have been told that the traffic in strong
drink has increased, is increasing, and ought
to be diminished. Formidable calculations
have been made and telling statistics produced
to prove the baneful effect of the abuse of
malt and spirituous liquors which is constantly
going on. It occupies the attention of Parlias
went, and taxes the ingenuity of statesmen and
philanthropists. It has become a pressing and
an important social question; and the House of
Lords, not content with an ordinary debate
upon it, has appointed a select committee to
inquire into the prevalence of habits of intemper-
ance, and into the manner in which these habits
have been effected by recent legislation and
tither causes.
Now there can be no denying the allegation
that drunkenness is a great evil, which every
respectable ineruber of the body politic would
desire to check. Time was when this vice was
held in very little reprobation amongst the
Upper classes ; but in our own time the more
educated and civilized a man becomes, the less
likely he is to indulge in habits of intoxication.
The evils deprecated during the discussion in
the House of Lords are unmistakeably real, and
there can be little doubt that drunkenness does
prevail to a very great extent. Yet it is doubt-
ful whether downright intoxication is so much
on the increase as some accounts would lead us
to believe. The ltegi§tranGeneral tells us that
it is on the decline,while the clergy are inclined
to take a less hopeful view. It will be for the
select committee to decide which of these
opinions is the correct one. It is held to be
Wear that the rise in wages caused by tho
Inflation of trade between 1872 and 1875 has
had a are Lt deal to do with the extra amount
which has been spent in intoxicating liquors.
The more prosperous a town or a community is,
the higher will be the rate of wages, and the
more will be the money available to be spent in
beer, wine, and spirits. The British working
man is the subject of a great deal of criticism,
much of it. founded upon an imperfect kuowledge
if his habits. To do the working man justice,
he has very few pleasures, and the somewhat
vulgar proverb " life is not all beer and skittles,"
sums up with tolerable accuracy the somewhat
limited range of eejeywents open to the English
mechanic or artizan. In the country often
enough the working man may be seen sitting at
the door of the village inn, taking his pleasure
in a leisurely way; while his comrade in the
metropolis, when any amusement is plovided for
bira of the kind which he objays, behaves well
as a rule. Look :it him at theatres, at the more
respectable linnie balls, nt seletrban tea
gardens, /Old pluees sae!' as liosherv;lle anti the
" Welsh Harp," and it will be found that tl a
London working man enjoys himself, after his
own fashion, in the most irreproachable way.
Mechanics' Institutes have not proved so suc-
cessful as their projectors had hoped ; and
what the working man wants is a place where

he will not be bound to listen to lectures which
tie cannot understand, but where he can take
his recreation in the manner which seems to
him meet. In default of such places he resorts
to the public-house oftener than would other-
wise be the case.
The Lords' Committee will doubtless have
much scientific evidence respecting the effects
of alcohol brought before it, and it would be
well at the same time if practical opinions
c.,uld be elicited as to the best means of por-
viding cheap and reasonable amusement which
shall make his holiday hours seasons of recrea-
tion and enjoyment. The best friends of tem-
perance are those who provide cheap and
accessible arnutements of a popular kind for
those who build our towns, construct our docks,
and put together our ships. The social con-
dition of the working man is worth a great
deal more of the public attention than it has
received ; and it is no exaggeration to call the
industrial classes the bone and sinew of the
country. We have lately been aroused as to
the necessity of giving the working man what
is termed technical education in order to enable
him to competewith the Swiss and the German ;
and it is now for the philosopher and the states-
man to show how innocent and healthful enjoy-
ment eau be supplied to him during his hours
of leisure which shall wean him away from
indulgence in that, which taken in excess is
admittedly one of the greatest evils of the day.

-
THE IRON TRADE.

WOLVERHAMTON, WEDNESDAY.

The quarterly meeting of the iron trade was
held to-day, there being a large attendance of
both ironreasters and merchants on 'Change.
Matters still continue in a deplorable state, and
from inquiries made it is believed that there is
no prospect of any alteration being made in the
quotations at the Birmingham meeting to-
morrow. The best brands of finished iron
marked bars are quoted £9 per ton, the Earl of
Dudley's and other makers being .R 9 12s 6d per
ton. Sheets singles are sold at £lO per ton and
upwards ; plates, £lO to £ll per ton. The
demand for pig iron is greatly decreased owing
to the short work which is at present being
done in the district. Cinder pigs are quoted
from .22 15s to -..C3 55 per ton. The demand
for coal has not improved, and the output in
South Staffordshire is greatly restricted.
Several collieries are being shut down, the de-
mand for fuel not being sufficient to pay work
ing expenses. In most cases the men are not
employed anything like full time, the demand
having fallen off to such an extent.

BIRMINGHAM, THURSDAY.

The quarterly meeting of the South Stafford-
shire ironmasters was held to-day in the Ex-
change, the new portion of the building being
used, greatly to the satisfaction of the trade,
who, of course, much preferred meeting here
instead of having to assemble as heretofore in
the Town Hall. The meeting has been for
some time looked forward to with very consider-
able interest as possibly affording some little
relief from the depression which has so long
over-shadowed the trade in the South Stafford-
shire district. Although the principal houses
were well known to have come to an agreement
to make no farther reduction in the price of
finished iron, there can be no question that both
merchants and speculators have persistently
held back in the hope, if not in the expectation,
that some fall would actually take place. All
these were disappointed, for not the slightest
change has taken place in prices, 8.8. H. and
other similar brands of bars still remaining on
tbe basis of £9, Round Oaks at £9 12s. 6d., and
unmarked bars being from £7 to .27 10. per ton;
all-mine hot-blast pigs from £4 55., and cold
blast £5 10s. There was a fair attendance of
iron and coal masters, merchants and others,
and there were active inquiries respecting best
iron, but they were evidently more to test prices
than for business. Several matters affecting
the trade, or supposed to affect it, were discussed
at length, amongst other subjects being the
question as to the position which Russia is about
to take in imposing duties upon iron which may
be imported into that country. For many years
past Russia, as is well known, has been a large
customer for railway and other iron from this
country, but now it appears the Government has
resolved to nurture the home trade and protect
its own interest at any cost. We have already
announced the important changes which are
being inaugurated by the Russian Government
with this view, and the matter it is known has
received the serious attention of Lord Derby.
It is, in fact, understood that communications
have been made with our Ambassador at St.
Petersburg on the subject, but until his reply is
received it is of course idle to speculate upon
the result, though in the meantime the matter
was regarded as one deserving serious consider-
ation this afttrnoon. Looking at the foreign
markets for our English iron, it cannot escape
attention that the American demand is fast
ceasing, and another important inquiry is sug-
gested as to the falling away of this branch of
our trade with the United States. Looking back
over a period of fifteen to twenty years, we find
that our iron taade with America averaged from
9,000 to 12,000 tons a month, whereas we find
now—notwithstanding a vast increase in the
American consurupn of iron—the suply from
this country has fallen down to from 2.000 to
3,000 tons a month. Of course much of this
decrease is attributable to the American pro-
tective duties ; but there are doubtless other
reasons to account for it.