The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-05-15 00:00:00

THE SHIPPING "RING."

There are evil rumoura (says the Graphic) 012
'Change about the formation of a powerful combina-
tion in the Eastern shipping trade to force freights
up to an artificial level. This is effected by a mixture
of conciliation and coercion. Shippers who join the
" Ring " get certain advantages; those who refuse are
placed under interdict, and subjecred to extortionate
charges whenever they send goods by a vessel belong-
ing to the combination. The rnodus operandi is of
little consequence, however, nor need it be questioned
that shipowners have been making very poor profits
during recent years. What concerns the public is
the prejudicial effect likely to be exercised on British
trade by this interference with freedom of contract.
If shippers have to pay higher freights on gooris
des.Wched to, say, Melbourne an Sydney, it is
certain that tier buy'ers there will be at the loss.
But suppbsing that they can .8u p ply them-
selps with goods of equal quality at lower
rah from some other quarter how then?
There is where the mischief comes in. The
irrepressible Teuton is so desirous of partici-
pating in our Eustern trade, that he has just
established a subsidised line of Steamers to ply between
German arid 4ustralian ports. These will not only
carry German goods, however, but, in the broadest
spirit of catholicity, offer to convey British com-
modities at through-rates from London for lower
charges than the " Ring " tariff fixes. Clearly here
we have the beginning of an effort, not only to oust us
from our colonial markets, but to filch some
portion of our invaluable ocean-carrying trade. It is
a grand conception, quite worthy of the brain of Prince
Bismarck, who is said to be the prime mover. But
it could not do us much harm, did not the artificial
laising of freight charges against shippers compel
them to give their custom to German instead of to
English ships. The next time any tender is thrown
open for the conveyance of oceanic mails, it should be
made a governing condition that no line belonging to
a freight combination will be admitted among the
competitors.

A horrible accident happened in this city the other
day. As a dude was about stepping across a gutter,
a button in the rear of his shirtband broke, and his
high collar sweeping upward cut off both his ears.
"Some infernal old idiot has put my pen where I
can't find it," growled old Asperity the other morning,
as he rooted about his office desk. " Ah—aw—yes,
I thought so," he continued in a milder tone, as he
hauled the Ivrit'ng utensil frora out behind his ear,

BRUTAL MURDER OF A COMRADE.

Mr. Justice Day was occupied at Winchester on
Monday and Tuesday in trying Edward Brown, who
was indicted for the murder of James S. Parker, at
Winchester last month. The prisoner, who is a native
of Greenwich, and the deceased shipped in the vessel
Nellie, at Miliwall, last March, and proceeded on a
voyage to Southampton. They were on the best of
terms. At Southampton they were paid off, the
prisoner receiving 15s. 6d. and the deceased 4s. The
latter was paid 2s. by the prisoner as money owed him.
They left Southampton tdagether and walked to Win-
chester, where they inquired of a policeman the way to
London. They were afterwards seen together near
a field, where, on the following day, the body of the
deceased was found. The prisoner, when arrested
at the house of his wife's father at Greenwich, stated
that he left the deceased in the tent of some tramps,
as the deceased was going to walk to London, and
he himself intended to proceed by train. His clothes
were examined by Dr. Stevenson, who found spots of
blood upon them. Parker's throat had been cut and
his head battered, and near his body was found part
of a razor-case, which the prisoner's father-in-law
identified as belonging to the accused. Parker's
money was gone. The prisoner was found guilty,
and was sentenced to death, Mr. Justice Day holding
out no hope of a reprieve.