The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1874-02-17 00:00:00

loud &multi exprtoo.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1874.

NOTES OF THE WEEK.

Toe annual meeting of the Dorchester rifle
corps has just been held, and Captain Coombs,
with pardonable pride, contrasted the happy
finauchl condition of his company with the
state of " up-spoutedness" that seems chronic in
some others. No doubt the thoroughly business-
like management of the 3rd D.R.V. has much
to do with its succesa ; but, in mitigation of the
Indifferent finance of some corps it is to be
remembered that they have had difficulties, and
in the way of officeriug from which
hip .7 the Dorchester corps has been free ; sad,
while others have had frequent losses from the
rank; and new admissions of recruits, all
involving some expense, the Dorchester corps
has held on the even tenor of its way with email
variation in its list of members. This
is indicated by the fact that Private
Parmiter, who has been associated with the
corps from it., commencement, and was, indeed,
the first in Dorchester to wear the uniform, has
only just got his first step of promotion, being
now distinguished as a Corporal. But if advance-
ment in the ranks is slow, it ii satisfactory to
feel there is no jealousy, but that a good spirit
pervades the corps, and that both numerically
end financially its condition is sound. We are
glad to note that the Wimborne corps, so long
in want of active officers, is about to have
appointed to it three gentlemen who are sure to
impart to the company new vigour—Captain
Swinr,ty, an experienced army officer, and, as
Lieutenant., Privates LloydiJones and T.
Rawlins, who have hitherto been valued and
efficient members in the ranks.
Candlemas hiring fair at Dorchester is be-
coming year by year lets • time when farm
servants make new contracts for service, and
the day seems to be increasingly spent in frolic
and indulgence. No doubt the Labourers'
Union with it. promises of a thousand places,
schemes of emigration, and constant counsel to
make only monthly enagements, has had some
effect in making the men careless at this time
of renewing the old or effecting new engage-
menta ; but they will do well to remember that
"a bird in the hand is two in the bush,"and
that in Dorset with lower money wages they
have "perquisites" unknown in other counties,
the loss of which, as many have experienced,
is not compensated by the 2s, or Bs. additional
cash they may obtain. Arch, the agitator, did
not appear at the " mass meetings" as announced,
In his stead the "Dorset delegate" addressed a
small knot of followers, advocating what were
really Communistic principles, and thereupon
the meeting "resolved" on the desirability of
their obtaining a "permanent interest" in the
land. No doubt it would be pleasant for many
of us who are land leas to acquire • "permanent
interest" in the broad acres of our wealthier
neighbours, but hitherto Englishmen have
recognised the distinction between meum and
tuum ; we hold it is a sound principle, and that
the specious advocacy of revolutionary notions
concerning property is reprehensible in the
highest degree. The Union may legitimately
help its members to migrate and emigrate, but
to instil them with Republican crotchets is to
do them a serious injuty.
The returns of births and deaths for the last
quarter of 1873, just issued by the Registrar
General, show that Don:theater was healthy
above the average, and that the natural increase
of the population was 693. This, we believe, Is
no unusual preponderance of births over deaths
In this county, and as the warmal population is
stationary, it is clear that a constant stream of
emigration is going on, and, indeed, must
continue failing new demands for labour, such
as are not likely to be forthcoming in a purely
agricultural district.

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