The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-02-27 00:00:00

MR. CHAMBERLAIN ON THE DISTRESS.

On Tuesday a deputation waited upon Mr. Cham-
berlain and Mr. Jesse Collings, at the Local Govern-
ment Board; to ask the Government "to inaugurate
something of a useful, remedial, and practical cha-
racter." Mr. George Potter, Mr. George Mitchell,
and others who have been connected with working
class questions, were present. Mr. George Potter
introduced the subject. He said they did not wish
anything should be done to treat grown-up men as
children, or that the Government should over-
legislate, but there ought to exist in every en-
lightened and wise Government powers of inter-
ference for the welfare of the people. He advocated
the employment of labourers on public works of all
kinds. Mr. George Mitchell said his remedy was to
get people back to the land in the way contemplated
by Mr. Jesse Collings's Bill. The Rev. Buchanan
Ryley said that hopes had been raised by the advent
to power of the Liberal Government, which if not ful-
filled might prove dangerous.
Mr. Chamberlain, in reply, said that the very con-
siderable and unusual amount of distress now exisr-
ing did not show itself very clearly in the pauper
returns. In fact the number of paupers now was
very much less than at other times of greet
distress; but there could be little doubt that above
the class of paupers and in the °lase of those who
had the greatest horror of anything in the nature
of pauper relief, there was a great deal of suffering.
He readily accepted the statement that tha suffering
had been borne with a patience and a temper which
was worthy of the highest praise. He had accepted
his present office chiefly because he hoped to find
some means of meeting their bard case. Those per-
sons, however, who advised the working classes to
acts of violence were their worst enemies. In a con-
stitutionally governed country like England, there
was no conceivable excuse for revolution. He could
not contemplate any scheme for State emigration,
unless absolutely certain that the distress was
chronic, and could not be overcome in any other
way. He quite agreed with what Lord Granville
said the other day—namely, that it was the duty
of the Government to secure the best possible in-
formation from the colonies on this subject. In
regard to the restoration or the labourers to the
land, he thought that would do a very great
deal to relieve the congestion which pressed so
severely on the towns, and they might rest assured
that he would take every opportunity of giving a
practical application to those principles which he and
Mr. Collings had supported ,during the last few
months. But if Mr. Jesse Collings's bill were passed.
to-morrow that would not meet the present excep-
tional distress. lie doubted whethei anything could
be done in the way of great works undertaken by the
State; but he had no doubt that in every district
there were public works of real ne3essity which
might be hurried forward, and the whole of his
efforts at the present time were directed to stimulate
the local authorities to undertake those works, but he
had no legal authority tc compel the authorities.
Any facilities that the Local Government Board
could give in the way of loans and consents would be
giyen.