The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1880-03-16 00:00:00

FORESTERS' DINNER.

The annual dinner of Court "Unity* of the Ancient
Order of Foresters was held in the F.iresters' Hull, at the
Bull's Head Inn, on Thurelay evening. when Host and
Hostess Peering ha.l s moaner company than usual to
ester for. The Mayor (Councillor O. Curtis) presided, and
he was supported liy Hr. Charles Waring, Councillors A.
II Liston, It. Aldridge, R P. Philpots, H T. Treranion, W.
N. Weiitern, C. Hill, E. C. Oskley, and W. Mate; Dr. F.
E. Verne 1... Ileum P. E L. Badge, Pope, J. W. La, G.
Huey, J. Simms, J. Mowlam, Jun., T. H. Balaton, J.
Harris, H. Cuitis, flmalleombe, B. B. Parrott, dr. Mr.
C. J. Caine*, the Chief Ranger, we. in the rice-chair.

Sm. capital song* were sang in the course of the even-
ing.

A PARKSTONE WORKING MAN ON THE
COMING ELECTION.
To the Editor of the Pools reiterant.

Sir,—l'm only • pour working man, and I didn't live in
the days of Khool board, so may be thoueb I can't write
a grand lett•tr and spell properly, I can write to the point,
and I should like to lot you know what me and my
mates thinks of this here electioneering business as is now
going on. I lives at Parkstone, and wh,n I come home
the other night it blowed and rained so hard, wet and
cold, and so after I had my bread and cheese I went to
bed. I was just a-g,tting a kind of warm when I beard •
loud knock at my door with a stick. Lot, what a row.
My nitrous goo. to the door, and there stands three
gentry. "Is your husband in, mum!" says one. "Yes,
he be, sir; he be in bed." "Tell him to get up, mum, and
come down; we to canvassing, and we wants to see him."
Up comes the missus and says "Bill, getup; here's three
gentry come for: yet vote." "Not I, Mary," I says; " tell
Mr. Waring he ve no need to call on me, I allus voted for
him and altos shall." "Taint he," she says, "it's rather
party." "Well then," I says, "I shan't get up." Mean-
while' the gentry below was getting tired of waiting, so
they shouted up the stain "laome down, Mr.—; we
only want you for a minnit." You ea they roistered mo.
and seemed dreadful polite, so! thought I'd be polite too,
and I comes down all " Ab, Mister--e, we've
come to ask for your vote." "Yes, air," I says, " but I
fears you've a-conie to the wrong shop this time." "Oh,
no; we hears Jou will give Mr. Scribar one," they says.
"What for! says I ; then they begun to talk to each
other in a low voice, but I hard what it was all about—
'totment ground., Hein' in Sir Ivor's house. workin' in the
Ladies' Walking Field, and a lot like that, SO I stops 'em,
I did, and I says, says I, "This here house is mine, at least
I am a-buying it, garden an' all, and I be that sort of chap
as Mr. Waring spoke of in his speech the other night at the
Foresters' Hall, for

The CHAIRMAN. being • teetotaler, announced that he
.
should give two guineas to the funds of the court instead
of paying for the customary "glausis round, and added
.
that Mr. Pope and Mr. Balaton would both 'stand Blanes
round."
Tuts loyal toasts having been disposed of, the CHAIRMAN
gave that of "The Army, Navy. and Reserve Forces," te
which Osptain ALDR.IDOI and Lieut. BUDGE responded,
the former in his usual humorous vein.
The Vics-Casinigan, in proposing "The Mayor and Cor-
poration of Poole," referred to the numerous improvements
made in the borough 'stair by that body.
The MAYOR roiponded, and enumerated some of the
improvements effected in the borough, and this without
borrowing large sums of money as other towns had done.
He concluded by proposing "The Ancient Order of
Foresters, Court Unity." Ile said one of the things in his
native town of which he was proud was the benefit socie-
ties which existed in it, and he thought he might say that
there was not another town of the same number of
inhabitants in the Kingdom which possessed such a large
number of members of benefit societies as Poole. They
had four Lodges of Oddfellows and four Courts of
Forester,, besides the Shepherds, Rechabites, United
Patriots, and a variety of other societies, so that he could
not find a town anywhere in the Kingdom with • popula-
tion of 11.000 or 12,000 where there was such a number of
working men connected with benefit societes. The rates
were high enough already, and what they would be were
it not for such societiss he would leave them to judge.
Mr. G. PEARCE, the secretary, replied to the toast, and
said £1,500 or .£l,BOO • year NAI paid by the friendly
societies of Poele VI- relief in sickness. Court "Unity"
mbered 330 inembers, and had about AIM capital, and
lest year they paid Jleooo in sickness.
The VICECHAIRHAN next proposed "Kindred Societies,"
to which toast
Mr. W. N. Westgate, ex-Grand Muter of the Man-
ch.ot et Unity of o.lifellows, responded. He said the
OdElfello es commenced in P,ede with 13 member, and no
capital, and they now hod 1,000 members and £l2 UOO
capital:He impressed upon those present the desirability
of personal attendance at their Court meetings, and of
keeping up their contributions, and said he stiould like to
see the principle of superannuation carried out to a much
' greater set •nt than it now was in connection with
tiiendly societies.
The VICE CHAIRHAN proposed "The Visitors and Visit-
ing Brethn n.''
Mr. CHARLES WARING, who was received with loud
applause, respinded to the tout in a long amiable speech.
Ile said he to ii great interest in the friendly wri !ties of
this country, and looked upon them as calculated to im.
prove the social condition Ef the people more than any
other societies or institutions in the land. Ile thought
the country owed to these benefit societies and to kindred
ocieties a very largo debt of gratitude, not to say a large
pecuniary debt, for they were undoubtedly to • great
extent the substitutes for the dispensing of parish relief.
Therefore he said that the community were much in-
debted to friendly societies ter the economy which was
effected in the rates, and were indebted to them to •
much I ex,ent for the habits of economy which they
inculcated in the population of this country. They were
indebted to them, he believed, to • very large degree as
educators in the practice of thrift. When he said be
considered them the greatest educators in the prac,lcs of
thrift he believed be was paying them • very high com-
pliment, because he looked upon it that thrift was one of !
the chief vreipona with which they had to combat that
great and monstrous evil which he was sorry to say was
enormous in this country, Yin, poverty and pauperism.
Having made some further remarks on the question of
thrift, Mr. Waring spoke at some length on the progress
of freedom and enfranchisement of labour, and then
pand on to another subject He said while we were
i lightng at the extremities of our empire • barbarian or
semi-barbarian adversary we were far too apt to be led
away from the consideration of some of the enemies
within our gates. There were poverty and pauperism_
these were our greatest enemies. He should like to see
their warlike Jingoes grapple with these foes, and he
thought if they succeeded in gaining any Considerable
victory over them, or either one of them, they would
earn the gratitude of the people of this country,
much more than by endeavouring to promote the w
ars
which they had endeavoured to promote lately. It wee
perbspe a long time to look forward to, hat he thought no
civilintion could boast that hid still In its midst paupei
to the extent of three per cent. One man in every thirty
was a pauper. Just conceive what a position this was, We
could not be proud of our civilisation as long as that blot
was on our surface, awl he should like to sea the greatest
efforts of the Government devoted to the removal of that
evil from our midst, for there could be no real indepen-
dence so long as pauperism was rampant in this country.
Was it gaits itoPototblo to dthai lii Tim who win

members of friendly societies ought to know, and ought • I hear that one of the candidate, for the
to hope more than other members of the community that takes refuge in the fact that if Sir John n.
pauperism might be banished from the laud. The ilferte had been livieg now he w.;tild have been a ra 1,4"4
they made were directed to that s nib It seas not an , this is about the most brazen litre of h.toll,s•rer
aniehis ideo were not Ut mien. If e'
nvocul,lob.U..,
javn d B b "ugh, an,
kill Ir6gtewstetcoo•uilidldereouPiporle ittunini nal A
ei ,ever li-dened to. Fancy the ,
t was only I.r lit,, I
ir. Wa-in t•. the h •a
for the exteugion of their societies. to effect that object. tau+ ht the town to be idb•ral! No, .ir, it won
Already throughout the land friendly societies had try again.
diminished the rates by two 111 I llinns sterling per annum.
That was .considerable step in IRIVADON and he said if we I also boor that the candid de inPle-stiou d•
,
could all unite in pressing forward the advantages of these like to bear the word petition. fte byt
institutions so that the whole population could I, included,
then there would be an and of pauperism, became pauper-
lam was merely the application of rates which were tak.n
out of their pockets for the pauper. It the population
would consent to pay voluntarily to there societies they
would be able to keep the Mei m. the sick, and the aged,
without the humiliation of c .nferring on them the dotard
tle parish. There were loan wc.eties, friendly societies.
President swieties.: building moieties, penny hanks, :sad
Post-office savings banks, all of whieh were of the IMMO
character as affecting thie lie f..uud, taking the
*led, of the owl ties togeth-r, there we. an ag
number of depositors amount, g to ten millions of Peolil.i,l
and the amount °attributed was upwards of one bon lr
midi ins sterling. Now these were large figures, and it
was a yti believe that if these figures could let enlarged
there would be a corresponding diminution in the pauper-
ism of this country. (Applau.e.) it b-hoved the people
of England to endeavour to discover in the minds of thew
who aspired to be their rulers the intelligence to compre-
hend questions of this character. and thosi who would
courageously endeavour to carry them inlo effect. end they
might rely on it that by this means the p ;wet. and "-
licence of this country would be extended soul promotod,
and the happiness and well-being of its people would be
best ensured. (Loud cheer,)
Me Mier also spoke to the tout.
The CIIAIIIIIAN yrOPOSAd Court Amity and Neighbour-
ing_Courts,- and
Mr. MACKERELL responded for Court Amity," and
Mr. To.tar for C suit' Ernest," ot Park.tone.
"The ll,,nnrary Members" wail also given from the
chair, and Mr. POPS replied.
Th.. 4.3IIAIRMAN ext ii.poseil "The Andent Order of
Sheoherd• and the juvenile Furettera' t which
Mr. G. PKARCIC respunde I. Ile said the joveoile court
of which he was secretary had 250 tomtit ere, with •
capital of £lOO.
The Peet and Present Officers" we,, proposed from this
chair, and spoken to by Mr. MATg, the Cilia Ringer, and
the surgeon (Dr. Viteiltni), who auggesteil the advise.
liiiity of throwing open the vartus Courts to all the
medical men in the town.
The remaining toasis w.-re "The Chairman," "Tim
Vice-chairman "The Prove." "The Lubin," and "The
Host and Hoseess."

an pat aril
"Oh, no, we never mention it." But we .I,,!Gentian
i::,u sr uir;niclea, atm
hn'iT your c more ii
run
to, Poole th
dutine, and patr ataLto,
atepeon and all can ever wipe wit. It hag in ot .44
enemies, not to the Oarmrvative empt., p .
t-e
`II t".ruthle. (o::rnufiC?l:l::_frtorye. ~.khantainnywiwtae;

" Oh, but I had nothin4 t,. .I.i wit'. it," „ay, th
4
injured innocent. No, we krw p.m had hot, but
"the plies of the atepson shall, &e.

A license I %lett' .11or twi+t be a tnan jrrei,rn.„
able character, sea have thn. full
maaisterial bench, bef.,re be li all .ivol to keep":
pnblichouse. lie a-, therrf,re, 14111Ve thft
tradennan fr.,ln a un,ral 1 slew, and is usu‘ii.
an iht,gligent, str..ightfois.tr.hll li•ble
!lance it comes that the publicans 14 P.s,le
w are 'cr.;
sensible en.

tier,
Rut we hear that they are ing to be worked upet
by "that legal aemo •i, upon whieli I iv, imsli rely
who is to h. em-pocus them let., the belief that tie
Tories will take the duty AT malt, wines, mot „pirit
give thew their license+ free, and let them keep e 1
all night I ng and all day Sunday. Now, if Wil
tdal sleoainer, whether I was en f
expediet•cy, or "just to pleme the mis+ll.,- I 1/.444
leave this task loth.. hutch of eon) "a.' who woull.lesk
a wool he witty
tifoMe eeue blff.o.rreheins""if"hnelni" it, then
w atle a delkey
himself.

Make your mind esAy, I.yrurgm., the Ii
victualleri iovc long ago niede up t!..,ir 'bill 1., fit,
itedilbie men, as to who shall hive their et..and if
they had not I ff ar your entreaties would only Inset
with the reception tbry d. served.

I hear that arranaementa have la", in Is U.r a
cricket twitch, .1!1 Kngland r. Poole Cadre. risks
t.. b., played tr. insuotrate the wivinit of the People's
Park to Poole when the mad is all filled in. See 'his
a lot the town of Poole is inilehted to the Liberal
party for. If the Corp.wation had not cone '' hammer
and tongs" at that mud ipies,ion. Aral threatened and
p:epared to fill in that pestil,:ritial b 1; which has hies
allowed to poison the air of its immedi its I..eality
so many yeara, we should have hal the nuisance now,
Instead of bright hopes fir a park.
THit WAIIER6II, in Poore Tricyrast,
Longtleet, Bth March, I+'O.