The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-04-05 00:00:00

THE CENTRAL CHAMBER OF AGRi-

CULTURE.
The usual meeting of the Central Chamber of Agri-
culture was held in London on Tuesday at the Society
of Arts. Adelphi, Lord Suffolk, as vice-chairman,
presiding at first. Mr. Chaplin, M.P., the chairman,
took his usual position after the disposal of the formal
business.
On the motion of Mr. Chaplin, seconded by Lord
Suffolk, a resolution of condolence was passed on the
death of the Duke of Albany.
Mr. Long drew attention to the "local taxation
victory" won in the House of Commons on the
motion of Mr. Pell, and moved a vote of thanks to
Mr. Pell.
Admiral Dunoomb. ,conded the motion, and made
severe comments upon those agricultural members who
had not voted in the House for the motion, or had
absented themselves from the division.
The motion was carried unanimously, and Mr. Pell,
who came in shortly afterwards, was received with
warm claeers. He briefly acknowledged the vote.
The subject of the Contagious Diseases (Animals)
Bill was introduced by Mr. Rigby, of Cheshire, who
moved—" That this meeting most strongly objects to
any alteration of the bill now before the House of
Commons to reduce the safeguards against the im-
portation of disease ;" and having objected to the
proposed clause limiting the action of the measure to
two years, said that 90 per cent. of the meat con-
sumed in this country was raised at home, and that
the production could be easily increased by the other
10 per cent. There need be no fear of insufficient
supply of animal food if the bill were passed.
Mr. C. Smith seconded the motion, which was
adopted.
Mr. Priday, of Gloucester, on the subject of internal
regulations and the enforcement of slaughter in out-
breaks of foot-and-mouth disease, moved a resolution
that the Council would favour the slaughter of dis-
eased animals at home when considered expedient,
provided the contemplated legislation to prevent the
importation of foot-and-mouth disease was sufficiently
stringent to dfect that object.
Mr. Pell, M.P., seconded the motion, and said its
adoption would show that the agriculturists were
ready to submit to regulations to prevent the spread
of the disease at home,
Mr. Stratton moved that the local authorities
tliould decide in what cases there should be slaughter.
Mr. Lipscombe urged that there should be uniform
action and uniform regulations, which he contended
could only be carried out by the central authority.
Several members argued that the proposed regula-
tions should remain in the hands of the local
authorities.
Mr. Pell was of opinion that to press that the whole
of this matter should be placed in the bands of the
local authorities would jeopardise the position taken
up by the agriciilturists in Parliament.
Major Harding, of Somersetshire, thought the Con-
solidated Fund should bear the cost of the internal
slaughter of animals.
Mr. Jabez Turner said the Privy Council should
be left to make its own regulations, and that the
meeting should not give the Government a weapon
with which to beat the stock-rearers of the country.
He held that the Government should have the task of
extirpating the disease, and should pay for the loss
caused by stamping it out.
After further discussion, in the course of which
strong objection was made to the counties being
charged with the cost of stamping out disease at
home.

The Chairman remarked that for the Chamber th
adopt the proposal to leave it to the local authorities
to decide when there should be slaughter and when
there should be no slaughter, would be to adopt a
course utterly subversive of the principle of general
regulations. He suggested that the resolution should
run, "This council would view with favour proposals
for compulsory isolation and disinfection, and propo-
sals for compulsory slaughter, with adequate compen-
sation."

The amendment by Mr. Stratton was withdrawn,
and the resolution, as amended on the suggestion of
the chairman, was adopted nem. con.
Major Harding proposed,. and Mr. Stratton
seconded, that the costs of stamping out the disease
should be borne by the Imperial funds, but the reso-
lution was afterwards withdrawn, and the chamber
adjourned.

WEST SOMERSET ELECTION.—The return of the
expenses in connection with the. recent election to fill
the vacancy in the representation of West Somerset-
shire--the grst county contest under the Corrupt
Practices Act shows that Mr. Elton's were
£ll5l 10s. ed., and Lord Kilcoursie's ..E1390 12s.
This is considerably less than one-half the cost of the
last election in this division.
Fisn CuurnaE.—Yrotessor Cossar Ewart, in the
last of a series of lectures on "Fishes for Food," in
the Hall of the Museum of Science and Art, at Edin-
burgh, referred more particularly to salmon. The
lecturer described Howieton hatcheries and breeding
ponds, near Stirling, where provision was made for
hatching 2,400,000 eggs, and where 90 per cent, sur-
vived the process. The fish in the ponds eat three
horses in a week. The lecturer strongly deprecated
having the hundreds of acres of water lying barren
when they might be made to yield an abundance
of fish, the stock being kept up from artificial
hatcheries.

"TOE AGRICULTURAL OUT-LOOR." Early-rising
Hodge peering through his cottage window, to see
what sort of temper the weather has got up in.—
Moonshine.

A PIIENOMENON.—An American traveller, describing
a tropical shower, wrote to a friend in the following
words: "The rain-drops were extremely large, vary-
ing in size from a shilling to eighteenpence."

STOPPING THE INTEREST.—DanieI Webster once
dined with an old Boston merchant, and when they
came to the wine, a dusty old bottle was carefully de-
canted by John and passed to the host. Taking the
bottle, he poured out Mr. Webster's glass and handed
it to him. Then pouring out another glass, he held
it to the light and said, "How do you like it, Mr.
Webster? "—" I think it is a very fine specimen of
old port." "Now, can you guess what it cost me?
said the host.—" Surely not," said Mr. Webster, " I
only know that it is excellent." "Well, now, I can tell
you, for I made a careful estimate the other day.
When I add the interest to the first price, I find that
it cost me the sum of just one dollar and twenty cents
per glass! "—" Good gracious, you don't say so !" said
Mr. Webster; and then, draining his glass, lie pre-
sented it again, with the remark, "Fill it up again,
as quick as you can, for I want to stop that confounded
interest!"