The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-01-18 00:00:00

THE LATE MARQUIS OF TWEEDDALE'S

WILL.

-- -
In connection with the will of the late Marquis of
I:weeddale (the Scotsman says) the principal point of
Public interest is the disposal of the remarkably fine
collection of birds to which so much care and scientific
attention was given by the deceased nobleman. Up till
the marquis's death it was believed by many that the
`44moes were that this collection would go to the
Pause= of some public institution; but this course,
it has been ascertained, is not the one which the
trtustees are directed to follow. All the library
,of zoological works and the entire ornitho-
logical collection are under the settlement he-
gueathed to the nephew of the late marquis, Mr.
Robert Wardlaw Ramsay, yr., of Whitehid, failing
Wb9M, to Major Godwin Austen, of Shalford, near
Guildford. In the clause providing for this there is
the Stipulation that should any question arise as to
What books should be included in the "library of
zoological works," "the trustees shall take the opinion
of the secretary of the Zoological Society of London
for the time being, who shall interpret such books in
tP3 widest sense according to his discretion." The
ai
isentailed estate of the deceased, such as Walden
Cottage,
Chiselhurst, goes to the Dowager Marchioness,
allcl after her to the present marquis. Directions are
given for the payment of numerous legacies, including
Siiiiiiltias of £5O to the valet of the late Marquis and to
his housekeeper at Chislehurst, £lOO to the butler at
'rester, similar sums to other servants, and £2OO to
the kirk-session of the parish church of Gifford, "to
ce held and applied by them in their discretion for the
benefit of any poor persons in the said parish whom
!roli; time to time they may consider deserving, and
In circumstances to require assistance." A valuable
diamond necklace, whose centre piece is a remarkably
beautiful brilliant, which was purchased by the de-
ceased, is constituted a family heirloom, and is be-
queathed as such on condition that an obligation be
come under by the successor to the title to regard it in
this character.

SHOPKEEPERS AND CO-OPERATIVE
STORES.
The Standard of Monday (in a leader) remarking
Upon the complaints raised by the shopkeepers against
the Civil Service Co-operative Stores, questins
whether in London the establishment of co-operative
stores has in the long run done the shopkeeper any
peat harm. With the exception of certain West-end
houses, which lay themselves out for a more or less
speculative business, most London ,shopkeepers now
look for prompt payment, if not, indeed for actual
cash. The prices they charge are little, if at all,
higher than those of the stores, and customers find
that their own individual wants are carefully attended
t?. It hasrather in country towns, especially in those
situate upon the main lines from the metropolis, that
theretailer has found himself pinched by the competi-
tion of the stores. And yet the remedy is simple. The
reel grievance of the tradesmen is competition. He
does not, or else will not, see that if his goods were of
the same quality as those to be purchased at the stores,
and at the same prioe, the stores could not under-
sell him. Nor does he see, beyond this, that the
only reason why he cannot afford to sell good
wares at a small profit, is that it is Part
of his system to allow long credit, and so to
inevitably make bad debts. In London a tradesman,
even
is
the most fashionable quarters of the West-
end, s almost always ready to allow • a discount for
Immediate cash, which in effect bringa.his prices down
to those charged by the stores, while not a few
announce their readiness to supply all ready-money
customers by the stores' tariff. Let country trades-
men resolve to adopt this judicious course, and they
need have no cause to fear the competition of co.
Operative agency.

?Ir. T. L. Plant, of Birmingham, in giving a rtcord
Of the late cold weather, says :—" For severity and duration
combined there has been no parallel to the above at this
place since the great frost of January an ign
pl rebju 185 b,
and' tor aztober coterie= we Inuit g 0 back to January awl
February,

The STRIKE of RAILWAY SERVANTS.

The following is an official statement of the inter-
view the signalmen's delegates had with the Midland
Board on Thesdery and the latest information (up to
that day) with respect to the goods' guards strike :

"The Midland Board to-day met 16 delegates from the
signalmen coming from the most important signal posts on
the system. The men urged that the growth of traffic on
several portions of the line increased their duties tsnd re-
sponsibilities, and that the cost of living, espeCially the
high rates they had to pay, erased MO reduction of is. a
week from their wages to press heavily upon them. The
chairman, on behalf of the Board, stated that the directors
regarded tho reduction as an unpleasant necessity, but that
It would leave the wages paid by the Midland Company in
no case lower and in many instances higher than those paid
by the other competing railway companies. After full die-
=mien the men withdrew, and when readmitted the chair-
man read the following unanimous resolution of the
Board:—

"l It is resolved that, having heard the statement of the
delegates of the signalmen, and having read the memorials
which had been received from the various stations, the di-
rectors consider that the arguments of the signalmen as to
the increasing importance of several of the posts on the line
deserve consideration, and that, while they cannot with-
draw the general reduction of wages of which notice has
been given, and which they consider fully justified by the
rate of wages paid by other companies, they are prepared to
carry out a re-classification of the signal-boxes, with a view
to place the most important main line boxes in a special
class without reduction; to increase the number of eight.
hour boxes, and to advance some second class boxes to first
class, and some third class to second. These alterations to
take effect on the 9th test?
"The effect of this was discussed, and the chairman ex-
plained that the re-classification was intended to put the
various signal-boxes upon an equitable footing, and that if
any men felt aggrieved by the mode in which it was car-
ried out, any representations should be carefully considered.
The delegates thanked the directors and withdrew.

"The position u to the goods guards is that either all or
a great majority of the men have returned to duty on the
company's terms at the following stations :—Leeds, Brad-
ford, Normanton, Sheffield, Staveley, Hasland, Derby,
Burton, Liverpool, Rowsley, Wlgston, Kettering, and Bed-
ford. The Manchester men have applied to be re-admitted,
but there are not sufficient vacancies. The number of appli-
cations for employment received by the Midland Com-
pany has been so great that only competent men, who
have had previous experience as guards, have been ap-
pointed. The mineral traffic upon the line has been exceed-
ingly heavy during the past fortnight, but it has been con-
ducted viith leas inconvenience than might have been ex-
pected. The accumulations at various centres were satis-
factorily worked off on Monday and all parts of the line are
now in good working order. The number of goods guards
on the company's books is greater than before the strike
began. With the exception of a goods waggon running off
the line at Isham on Monday night through the mistake of
a driver and involving a delay to the Scotch express, no
accident has occurred."