The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-04-02 00:00:00

5t el tan c Gll5 c4lltelligente
HOME FOREIGN. AND COLONIAL.

As IT COMES.— Yo mg Lady : "Well, Peggy, how
have you weathered through the long winter ? "
Peggy " Ay, deary, whiles better, whiles worse.
Better when ye keep sending me things—worse when
ye don't."—Fun.
BRILLIANT METEOR.—Mr. Stephen Bretton, F.M.S.,
writes from 30, Cavendish-place, Eastbourne, under
date March 28 :—" I saw a meteor of great splendour
early this morning (1.15 a.m., Greenwich mean time),
certainly the finest I ever observed. Its size was
apparently rather larger than Venus at her brightest,
and for two or three seconds illuminated the heavens
very brilliantly. Its colour was of an intense purple
white, and moved somewhat slowly. I first noticed
it a little south of Regulus, and going in direction of
Castor. When immediately below Prcesepe it burst
into about five or six fragments, each about the size
of a star of the third or fourth magnitude, these
assuming a deep, fiery red. It then immediately dis-
appeared. The night was especially clear; tempe-
rature in air about 30deg. ; barometer about
29.850."
THE TOBACCO DUTY.—Mr. Gladstone, in writing to
Mr. Wills, M.P., in reply to a representation from
the Tobacco Trades Association, states :—" I am abso-
lutely precluded from entertaining at present any
proposal for repealing the tobacco duty lately imposed
under the Government of Lord Beaconsfield. The
immediate loss of revenue would be such as I have no
means of meeting in the present state of our revenue
and expenditure. lam sure you will comprehend the
distinction between approving an impost and being
able at a given time to remove it."

FLOUR FROM BROOM CORN.—From America comes
yet again a new and important article of food,
namely, broom corn, from the seed of which can be
made the finest and most nutritious flour to the extent
of one-half its weight. The average yield per acre is
300 bushels, or 30,000 pounds have been procured. It
is more profitable for cultivation than Indian corn, as
it not only feeds from a deeper soil but assimilates its
food from a cruder state. It belongs to the genus
Sorghum saccharatum, or sweet cane, which is an
article of food much esteemed in America.—Land and
Water.
To CHESS PLAYERS.—ShouId the wife of a bank
cashier be called a cheque-mate?—Funny Folks.
GREECE AND TURKEY.—Lord Edmond Fitzmaurice,
M.P., presided on Saturday at a meeting at Willis's
Rooms, London, at which Mr. Arthur Arnold, M.P.,
gave an address upon the claims of Greece. Mr.
Arnold said that among the possibilities of the future
they must reckon with an increase rather than with a
decline of menace in the hostile attitude of Greece and
Turkey. If war did come, it would only be through
the blind and wilful obstinacy of the Turkish power ;
but nothing, he was convinced, would tend so surely
to the maintenance of peace as the conveyance to
Turkey of an assurance that, just as the ships of Eng-
land were stationed at Marsala, Messina, Palermo,
and in greater force at Naples, in 1860, so might they
be found in the waters of Greece if, by a mockery
and disregard of the rights of humanity, the obliga-
tions of treaty, and the deliberate opinion of Europe,
war now ensued between Greece and Turkey.
TRICHINOSIS.—The United States Government, ac-
cot ding to a telegram from Washington, has issued
an elaborate report, signed by Surgeon Glazier, of the
l‘larine Hospital Service, on the history of trichinae
and trichinosis. The report, which is largely com-
piled from German authorities, shows that all animals
may be affected by trichinee, which are found in all
countries. Ordinary cooking, however, renders them
harmless, but owing to the German habit of eating
raw meat, more cases of trichinosis are found in Ger-
many than elsewhere. Surgeon Glazier adds that the
statistics of the American medical institutions,
where dissections are made, indicate the infrequency
of the disease in the United States.
THE FORTHCOMING LAND BlLL.—Discussing the
nature of the forthcoming Land Bill, the Daily News
Urges the necessity of adopting fixity of tenure and
free sale. "A law which deprives a tenant of all
right to compensation for disturbance because his rent
happens to be in arrear is unjust and mischievous. It
practically amounts to depriving a creditor of all claim
to recover any part of a debt of a hundred pounds
from a debtor to whom he owes fifty. To make a
tenant really secure in his holding it is also necessary
that there should be a strong Land Court, to prevent
arbitrary increase of rent, and that the law which it is
to administer should be, not hinted or indicated, but
clearly and precisely laid down."
A USE FOR "SLAG'—The enormous heaps of slag
(says the Echo) which at present occupy so much
ground at every ironworks may become useful in time,
for blocks of concrete slag have lately been used in
more than one building, and some of the railway com-
panies are beginning to use blocks of slag in making
platforms' a purpose for which they seem well suited.
At present, however' slag is a useless product, and, as
there is plenty of it, a good opportunity awaits the
man who can utilise it.
THE COCA PLANT :—At a meeting of the Royal
Botanic Society, Regent's Park, London, held last
Saturday, there was exhibited a fine flowering specimen
of Erythroxylon coca, the " Coca " of South America,
grown in the society's greenhouse. Professor Bentley
said that, although in this country little was known
of it, in South America its consumption was calculated
at 40,000,000 lbs. per annum, and the natives con-
sidered it a necessity of life as tobacco in other coun-
tries. Marvellous tales were told of the power of the
coca leaf in allaying hunger and stimulating and sup-
porting the body in extraordinary exertions, more
especially in that of climbing heights and travelling
over mountainous districts.
AMERICAN MARBLE.—We have long been accustomed
to consider Italy as the country from whence the best
marble could be procured, but America now claims a
superiority even in that important article of trade.
The trade in marble at Rutland, Vermont, is on a
scale of great magnitude. "On an average 2,000
hands are employed, and more than 200 gangs of saws
are running day and night ; nearly 60,000 tons of
marble are shipped annually from thence" (says the
Boston Journal of C9mmerce). The business at Sunder-
land Falls has quadrupled in the last ten years.
A HAPPY FAMILY. —The following are among the latest
fashionable arrivals at a Liverpool establishment (says
The Cuckoo):-121 grey African parrots, 2 chimpanzees,
2 Diana monkeys, 24 mixed African monkeys, 2 large
snakes, 1 Genet cat, 1 porcupine, 1 mongoose, 1 tapir,
2 rosa spoonbills, 1 heron, 1 moustache ironkey, 1
Peccay pig, 1 large tortoise, 12 Capuchin monkeys, 17
Amazon green parrots, 19 flying foxes, 3 black swans,
1 dead gorilla, some African curiosities, 23 cock
Virginian nightingales, 15,000 land tortoises.
THE CROWN PRINCE OF GERMANY'S LOVE OF
AQUATICS.—One of the strongest and most expert
swimmers in the German army is the Crown Prince,
who, during the summer months, is accustomed to
take exercise early every morning in the vast swimming
school specially affected to the use of the garrison at
Potsdam (says the Daily Telegraph). His Imperial
Highness is a man of jovial temperament, by no insane
averse to a. harmless practical jest, and has not infre-
quently amused himself, when the school has been
full of huge guardsmen undergoing their aquatic
drill, by swimming rapidly up to some clumsy
Anak, seizing him by the neck, and ducking his
head under water until he gasped again. But Frederic
William can take as well as play a joke, and one
morning, having succeeded in submerging several of
the giant Grenadiers belonging to the celebrated First
Regiment—in which he himself had served his military
apprenticeship—he called out aloud, " Now you may
try it on with me if you can!" He had hardly spoken
these words when his neck was grasped from behind,
as in a vice, and he found himself compelled to per-
form several involuntary dives, so prolonged that he
presently fell short of breath, and swallowed a
considerable quantity of liquid. As goon as he
could get his mouth above water he cried out
that 'he had more than enough," and his colossal
immerser let him go. The Crown Prince, when he had
recovered his breath, turned to the Grenadier, still
in the water, and asked his name. "Schott, Imperial
Highness," was the answer. "Whence do you come?"
" From Ninamersett," a village on the distant frontier
of East Prussia. " How long have you served
'Two years, Imperial Highness." "Have you had
any furlough yet?" No, Imperial Highness •my
home is too far off, and the journey thither cost's too
much money." The conversation ended there; but,
two days later, Grenadier Schott was summoned to
his regimental adjutant's office, and there informed
that, a fortnight's leave having been granted him to
visit his family, he was ordered to apply for his travel-
ling expenses and diet money to the Court Marshal of
his Imperial highness the German Crown Prince.

LABOUR MARKET.—The activity in the labour market
in all. the principal industries continues. The iron
trade in its various branches is good, and prices are
firm. The mills and furnaces in every district are in
full work, with every prospect of a busy season, as
i
good orders are n hand for home and foreign demands.
Briskness in the cotton trade is well maintained, and
manufacturers express great confidence in the future.
—ln Staffordshire business shows a marked improve-
ment, the pottery exports being very large.—The
London builders are very active, improvements and
new works being announced every week. Engineers,
ironworkers, patternmakers, and smiths are well em-
ployed. The meat and provision trades are better
than a few weeks ago, the supply being more plentiful.
The printing trades are fairly active, and the smaller
industries in the various parts of London are, on the
whole, busy.—At Leeds the engine works keep busy,
but is a falling off in some branches of the machine
and tool trades, and several firms are doing with fewer
hands. The sales taking place in the cloth halls and
warehouses are satisfactory,
CANADIAN HORSES.—A correspondent from Ontario
states that large purchases of horses have been made
there for the United States (says Land and Water).
"We have excellent horses in this country, quiet and
active ; their good temper is proverbial, a really
vicious horse is almost a phenomenon; I have seen
hundreds of teams hitched to farmers' lumber
waggons, which for appearance would grace any
nobleman's carriage in England. A first class roadster
can be purchased for from twenty to thirty nounds.
Equine longevity is also remarkable here, for although
our roads are rough, yet not being macadamised, tra-
velling is not so jarring as on the stone roads of Eng-
land. Horses here will often remain fresh and frisky
up to nearly twenty years of age."
AN AUSTRALIAN SIIARK.—The Sydney Morning
Herald of Feb. 14 says :—An enormous shark, mea-
suring 16ft. in length, Bft. in girth, and 2ft. 6in.
across the jaws, was captured in the Newcastle
harbour, N.S.W., on Friday by two menU Inside of
him were two dogs, several pieces of pork, a large
number of bones, and a quantity of rope, bagging, and
sundries.

ELECTRIC NOTES.—The Electrician has the follow.

ing :—" It is reported that the interior of Windsor
Castle is shortly to be illuminated by the electric
light.—M. Ader has just been awarded 3,000 francs
by the Paris Academy cf Sciences for his advances in
phonetic telegraphy, as also telephony.—Efforts are
being made to establish telephonic communication be-
tween the Houses of Parliament and the clubs and
private houses of members. The cost, if carried met,
will be £l5 per annun for half a mile, £lO for a mile,
and £4 for each additional half-mile.—Rouen is to
be illuminated, and tenders have been received from
Messrs. Siemens and a local firm, The project will
include the establishment of a motor of 500-horse
Dower, capable of supplying 1,200 lamps, of 50 Carcel
burner power each. The light will be distributed
among subscribers, who will be enabled to turn their
own lights off and on at will. The underground wires
being laid between Paris and Nancy are placed in an
iron tube, accessible by. means of doors at every 500
mUres distance. In this way the necessity for break-
ing up the ground
.to get at the wires is obviated.
The working of this system will be of interest to
telegraph engineers on this• side the Channel, par-
ticularly now that the guestioP €d overhead v. under-
ground wires is so prominent,

THE Mar STARE.—The latest fashionable idiocy in A REMARKABLE BIBLE.—A remarkable old Bible is
England is what is known as the "baby stare" (says likely soon to arrive in this country from Germany
the Court Journal). It is affected by young ladies, (says Academy). It was printed in the year 1533
and consists in opening the eye as widely as possible under the direction of Daniel Bomberg. It then
without raising the brows, and slightly turning the passed into the possession of Andreas Wesling, who
corners of the mouth upwards. The necessary position , obtained from his celebrated contemporaries, Luther
of the mouth is obtained by many repetitions of the 1 and Melanchthon, autograph commentaries on certain
word "mouse." theological subjects, and these are found bound up in
MOST LlKELY.—Sister: "What are you crying for, t
he volume' the binding being of wood. Martin
Billy ? " Billy: "Cos Jack Stone's licked me." Lutherwrote three octavo pages in Latin, and
Sister: "What ! a little boy like that licked you all Mn ela chtho pages
n two es and a half. This Bible was
alone ? " Billy: "He worn't alone at all—he had his once in the collection of the celebrated Count Zinzen-
legs and his fists with him."—Fun. dorf, the founder of the sect of Moravian Brethren,
THE CATTLE SUPPLY.—Tuesday's Pall Mall Gazette
who received considerable attention from John Wesley
when he visited England.
says :—" Prices appear to be hardening a little in the
cattle and meat market. The very severe winter is AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH CORN.—The following
reducing the supply of home-grown animals from all are the average prices of British corn for the week
quarters, and we should have felt the effects of this on ending March 26, as received from the inspectors and
retail prices in a decided way before now but for the officers of Excise .—Wheat, 435. id. ; barley, 325. 2d. ;
large foreign supply. Last week there were only 3,500 oats., 2.15, Bd. per. imperial quarter. Corresponding
head of fat cattle in the London market, the smallest
week last year :—Wheat, 475. 3d. ; barley, 345. 5d.;
number since 1878, and considerably below the average oats, 225. 10d.
supply of recent years. Sheep appear to be in better A NOVEL RACE.—A "Noah's Ark Race" is an
supply, but lambs are scarce and dear. At Liverpool arriusiruz novelty on the Turf. It was introduced at
there was a small supply of cattle and a large supply the Madras fair, and was a handicap for all animals
of sheep. The American arrivals for the past week bred in the country, the competitors including
were 902 cattle, 504 sheep, and 4,500 quarters of beef, buffaloes, elephants, a goat, ram, emu, and elk, and
The market there was steady." other creatures, besides ponies and horses. The ele-
EPITAPH ON A SMOKER.—Puffed out !—Judy. phants were as placid as if moving in a marriage pro-
cession, and went over the course at a quick walk.
THE MORGUE IN PARIS.—The most dismal feature The ram and goat, ridden by little boys, ran well,
of the Morgue in Paris has at last disappeared. and the buffaloes went at a good gallop, but the emit
Instead of exposing the bodies of the dead in a nude would not stir, neither would the elk, until the end of
state, as heretofore, it is now determined to exhibit the race, when it tgok fright and darted down the
them in their clothing, even to caps and bonnets, course at great speed. Finally, a ram was the winner,
the idea being to give as far as possible, the exact
appearance which the deceased presented when a horse coming second, and a buffalo third.
living. In the case of corpses found without clothing THE CENSUS IN INDIA.—The singular fears of the
the inspection will no longer be public; though natives respectingthelate Indian Census were highly re-
facilities for identification will of course be accorded markable. In Calcutta on the eventful night the streets
to persons in quest of missing relatives or friends, were deserted from early in the evening, as it was
JUST LIKE WALTZING !—A New York girl while in firmly believed that any
dark
perambulating the
a machine shop recently had her scarf and clothing Queen's highway after dar would decapitated.
caught by an upright water wheel making eighty Moreover a rumour had been
.spre.ad that at nine .m.
revolutions a minute, and was whirled about three all gas-lamps were to be extinguished, and every') in.
minutes before the machinery could be stopped. On habitant must then keep burning a lamp or candle
being released she said it was just like waltzing, only Consequently quantities of oil were bought up, and
there are not more than six fellows in society who go on the Census night no i
t a candle b was to e purchased.
so slow. In one quarter of the city t was rumoured that a male
THE REASON WHY !—Captain Haworth tells a story and a female European would enter each house and
decapitate the inhabitants, while a more amusing
that will raise a smile on the faces of hunting men.
Hounds were one day at fault, when suddenly a holloa report was that
came from a distant spot. Off everybody g '
wives for the soldiers returned from Afghanistan, and
it, and there was a youth yelling wildly. "Seen
to were going to count the available brides.—The coolies
Seen the ill the Darjeeling district bolted en masse to the jungle,
fox ? " inquired the huntsmen. "No," replied the dreading some unknown horror; while the Nepaulese
boy. Inexpressible disgust on the part of the dis- believed that a child would be taken from each house,
appointed field. "Then why did you holloa ? " was
, and its head put under the foundations of a neigh
the contemptuous query. "'Cos I'm a crow-boy, ' bouring bridge, the trunk being placed on the tram-
replied the boy uttering another wild shout to disturb way for the engine to run over !
some birds that had just alighted for luncheon at the
other end of the field. PRESENCE OF MIND.—As young Chesterfield was
NEWFOUNDLAND SEAL FlSHlNG.—Telegraphic ad- getting into a railway carriage the other evening, he
turned round to bid a friend farewell. In doing so,
vices received in Dundee state that the crew of the he happened to press the foot of a young lady who
Dundee steamer Resolute had killed 50,000 seals'
taken and was sitting next to the door. The damsel, compressing
had at the date of the despatch cf the message t her pretty brow into an awe-inspiring frown, ejacu-
'
on board 8,000. The Dundee steamer Narwah,l, fishing lated "You clumsy wretch!" Many men would
at the same place, is supposed to be full, and ten other have looked foolish and apologised, but Chesterfield
vessels are reported to have been among the pack, al- was equal to the occasion. "My dear young lady,"
though their catches are not given. The catch of the
Resolute alone will yield about £30,000. he exclaimed, " you should have feet large enough to
. be seen, and then they wouldn't be trodden upon."
COMPRESSED AIR CLOCKS FOR LONDON.—There is Her brow relaxed, her eyes sparkled, her lips smiled,
a Bill now before Parliament to give London the and the injury was forgotten !—Judy.
benefit of the system of compressed air clocks, which A SAVAGE SHEEP.—A lady living in Paris possesses
has been successfully and extensively established in a pet sheep whose bellicose disposition is rare among
Paris. The compressed air clocks consist of a new and the bovine species (says the Court Journal). This
very simple construction of the works of the ordinary pet has been owned by its mistress ever since its
timepiece, by which all the clocks of any city or town,
however much separated and distant from each extreme youth ; but neither the caresses of its friends,
other, can be governed and wound up and regu- nor the company of numerous other tame animals in a
poultry-yard, has been able to tame its fierce and
lated by means of a pneumatic air current and con- ungovernable temper which it lately manifested by a
necting mechanism that secures their regular going memorable outbreak'. Its mistress had passed the
and their constant synchronization. The move-
merit can be applied to all existing clocks or entire afternoon out, after locking up the obstreperous
timepieces, wherever placed, and there may be mutton in a large chicken coop. 'On the lady's return,
her first thought was to release the woolly pet, whose
either one central motor or several, according to the bleats had saluted her ear as soon as she had entered
area of each municipality. If the system were her door. But no sooner had she thrown open the
adopted in London and the environs, as proposed by chicken-hatch, than the sheep, no doubt enraged by
the Bill already referred to, which has the consent and his long confinement, bounded violently out and over-
sanction of the City authbrities, and the Metro- threw its mistress, jumping on her face, and tramp-
every Board of Works, the result would be that ling her savagely under its pointed little hoofs. This
every clock embraced within the system, no matter species of war-dance being concluded, it withdrew
where situated, would always indicate precisely the a few steps, and landed once more upon its
same time of the day or night. The number of stations victim's breast with snorts of fury; and perhaps the
proposed for the metropolis by the promoters of the unfortunate lady might have been seriously injured by
Bill now before Parliament is ten. The maximum the brutality of her pet, had not her husband arrived
charges for public clocks is not to exceed 12s. 6d. per upon the scene in time to prevent this result. The
annum. savage sheep was again locked up, and a night's
. - -

fasting restOred it the next day to &- more sheep:like
humour.
MASCULINE INCONSISTENCY.—LoveIace de la Poer
Spinks (his usual soliloquy before his glass): "After
all—it's not a man's personal appearance women care
for. It's his character, it's his intellect, it's—"
[Proceeds, as usual, to squeeze his neck into a collar
which prevents him from turning his head, his feet
into tight boots which prevent him from walking, and
his waist into a belt which prevents him from drawing
his breath.—Punch.
BASE INGRATITUDE !—A party of vegetarians were
strolling through a meadow where a herd of cattle
were grazing, when one of the beasts, becoming
furious at the sight of a red shawl worn by a young
lady, chased her with such fury that she only just
managed to escape with her life over a stile at the end
of the meadow. "You horrid, bloodthirsty brute 1"
cried the girl, trembling in every limb, as she watched
the infuriated animal on the other side of the hedge;
"this is your gratitude to me for touching nothing
but vegetables for the last six months! From to-day
I shall begin to eat roast beef again !"
A CURIOUS CORRESPONDENCE.—The Cuckoo says :
"Of all the odd correspondence in the world commend me
to that of the great Yankee showman as the oddest.
Addressed to 'Mr. Barnum, America,' they come from
remote parts of all the four quarters of the globe.
Written by literate and illiterate, they are already ton
loads in weight, and include among those who have
scribbled them, according to my good friend the Era,
clowns, clergymen, schoolboys, backwoodsmen,
magicians, and swallowers. Paragons of every
imaginable description are held out to him in tempta-
tion. Requests of the wildest kind are preferred to
him by young and old alternately. Unlike the
begging-letter writer who asked Boz to leave a donkey
out for him on the door-mat, a boy eight years of age
writes entreatingly, "Don't you send me the little
jackass that pitches the boys off his back."
PARLIAMENTARY EXPENSES OF RAILWAYS.-offiCial
statements of the chief railway companies show that
the amounts paid by the companies for parliamentary
expenses have of late grown greatly. In the last half-
year the London and North-Western Railway paid
£7,000 for parliamentary expenses ; the Great Western,
£3,943 ; the Midland, £2,249 ; the North-Eastern,
£5,000; the Lancashire and Yorkshire, £5,577; the
Great Northern, £1,0f4; and the Manchester, Shef-
field, and Lincolnshire, £2,253. The amount paid by
these seven railways for parliamentary expenses is
thus at the rate of over £54,000 yearly, while many
of the smaller companies spend substantial sums in
the same manner.
PRIVATE INQUlRY.—Surveyor of Taxes (to Literary
Gent). "But surely you can arrive at some estimate
of the amount received by you during the past three
years for example. Don't you keep books ? "—Literary
Gent (readily). "Oh dear no. I write them !"
Surveyor. " Ahem—l mean you've got some sort of
accounts—"—Literary Gent. "Oh yes, lots "—(Sur-
veyor brightens up)---` unpaid ! "—Punch.
THE REV. C. H. SPURGEON'S HEALTH.—On Sunday
morning the Rev. C. H. Spurgeon officiated at the
Metropolitan Tabernacle after an absence of a few
weeks, owing to a rheumatic attack. The rev, gentle-
man stated that, though quite free from pain, he was
still very weak—so weak, in fact, that he felt unable
to perform the evening ministrations. His place at
the evening service was consequently taken by the
Rev. Mr. Lovell, of Leytonstone.
A VALUABLE POSTAGE STAMP.—Thirty pounds for
an old postage stamp seems rather a high price, and
yet this was the sum recently offered to an American
fora "Pittsylvania Courthouse Stamp," only three of
which are believed now to exist. This stamp was
issued by the local postmaster in 1861, when Virginia
had seceded, and before the Confederate Government
had commenced any issue of postage.
THE EDUCATION OF WOMEN.—The facilities for
woman's education are everywhere increasing. The
University of St. Andrews proposes to provide
instruction for women. A movement is on foot for
securing something of the kind at the college estab-
lished at Newcastle in connection with the University
of Durham. The new college at Liverpool is designed
for both sexes, and at Owen's College there is a talk of
following the example of University College, Gower-
street, and admitting women to the lectures.
THE INDIAN BUDGET.—Mr. Baring's financial state-
ment has been published in the Gazette of India. The
accounts for 1879-80 show that the revenue amounted
to £68,485,000, and the expenditure to £69,668,000,
leaving a deficit of £1,183,000, including the frontier
and Punjaub Northern Railways. £6,125,000 is
brought into the account, of which £385,000 is con-
tributed by Government loan, thus leaving an Im-
perial surplus, exclusive of war expenditure, of
£4,607,000. To the end of 1880-81 the war expendi-
ture proper is estimated at £16,605,000, and provision
is made in 1881-82 for a further outlay of £2,210,000,
on the basis of the evacuation of Southern Afghanistan
being completed by the end of May.
THE GAELIC CENSUS.—In reply to a query from the
Registrar of Fort Augustus as to the precise meaning
of the expression "habitual speaking" in the Gaelic
column of the census schedule, the Registrar-General
says :—" I think the expression in question may prce
perly be held to apply to all persons who are so
familiar with Gaelic as to be able to converse fluently
in that language." , -
A FEW REMARKS ON BACKSHEESH.—The Graphic
remarks :—" The question recently asked in the House
of Commons respecting the gratuities to postmen at
Christmas, and the advisability of prohibiting them
and replacing them by an increased salary opens out at
wide field of argument with gratuities in general. Mr.
Fawcett replied that even if gratuities to postmen were
prohibited people would continue to give them, and
herein lies the whole root of the matter. We confess
we have never been able to understand why certain
classes of people should be entitled to gratuities and
others not. No one would dream of feeing a ticket
clerk, and yet the porter who labels your luggage
holds out his hand as a matter of course. The
man who fee'd his income tax collector would be
regarded as an amusing anomaly, and that much-
abused official is no less useful a civil servant
than the postman. Again, the waiter who brings
a chop is universally regarded as entitled to
a tip, but the damsel who serves at a railway bar
would be considerably surprised at the offer of a penny
for her trouble. Perhaps the real solution of the pro-
blem lies in the fact that these gratuities are practi-
cally bribes, and originated in the very human desire
of a man to get the better of his neighbour namely,
to secure his luggage being labelled without 'delay, or
his chop being more carefully selected than those of
other people. Where in many cases the fees have
been actually charged in the bill, or included in the
price of a theatre ticket, the r ractice has never been
really abolished, and people will always be found
ready to pay for any advantage they can secure over
their fellow-creatures. The system is ingrained in the
European constitution, and bad as it is, will, we fears
never be wholly rooted out."