The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-06-09 00:00:00

COMMENTS ON CURRENT NEWS.

WITH regard to the Metropolitan Board
of Wur'<s scandals, the inquiry has already,
t;) pat it mildly, established the existence of
improper practices in connection with the
working of the body which has so much to
do with the local government of London. It
is quite as well, to adopt the metaphor of
the noble chairman, that "the death-angel
is hovering near" a body of such vast res-
ponsibil ties, and inspiring so little public
confidence."

THE bunt for that hardened expert in
crime, Jackson or Firth, or whatever his
rightful name may be, who took a poor
warder's life in Strangeways Gaol at Man-
chester, in order that he might regain his
liberty, has been a hot and exciting one, and
the way in which he has eluded the police
has been really most unsatisfactory. That
such a desperate fellow should remain so
long at large is certainly a menace to public
safety.

Why should not the police, immediately
upon their obtaining a reliable portrait of
any important criminal who has escaped them
circulate it for reproduction in all the news-
papers of influental circulation in neighbour-
hoods in which he may possibly be con-
cealed? The adoption of such a plan would
make it mach more difficult for a criminal
to go about undetected, for, having become
familiar with the features, and acquainted
with any peculiarities of the runaway, nearly
everyone would be able to recognise him.

BOULANGER has made his speech to the
Deputies, but it contains little but the empty
words of a charlatan. The support he
received in the Chamber was but small, and
it seems likely that he will prove to be
nothing more than an idol of the populace,
whose day of notoriety in France will be but
brief

THE fatal fire in the Edgware-road, Lon-
don, was a sad occurrence; and its lessons
are threefold. No firm ought to 130 k up its
sleeping employees, thus rendering, for the
sake of possibly otherwise defensible pur-
poses, their escape in case of fire extremely
difficult. No fire-escape should be at any
time left unmanned under any pretext, or
unavailable for use immediately on receipt
of a call. And no person should be permitted
to break down or through party walls with-
out fitting fireproof isolations, always to be
kept in place at night.

WHERE is the scientific frontier which
divides the course of true love, with all its
responsibilities, from the freer and less serious
pathway of company keeping? A Kentish
farmer sougkt to set it up in the Queen's
Bench this week in his own defence, but the
"darling Sally" with whom his faithless
heart had for some time dallied p:revented
his establishment of such a set off of his
attentions, and the "company keeper" had
ts pay to her whom he hgd led to indulge in
dreams of future rural wedded bliss £2OO and
costs for his change of views.

THE "England in Danger" scare which
was so loudly raised a little while ago by a
certain sensation-loving London daily paper,
and continued by others who followed the
alarmist cue, seems to be dying out, despite
frantic attempts on the part of a handful of
pessimists to keep tho "cry agoing. Tne
fact is, the profession militant has so often
raised the shout of " wolf " without reason
in past, that public opinion, grown wise by
experience, will stir on the warpath for
nothing less than the sound of the first in-
vading cannon shot.

* 41,

THE absence of news of how Itmley fares
in his adventurous expedition to thi relief
of Emin By is giving uneasiness to many
admirers of both ; bat an experienced African
traveller has this week sought to stay alarm
by the statement that, in his opiniml, intelli
genee of any mishap would quickly rea/Jll us,
on the principle that, if any wher.3, "ill news
travels apace "in Africa. It is to be eacnest!y
hoped that the intrepid explorer who found
Livingstone at Ujiji, and who has since
founded the magnificent Congo Free State,
will be spared to succour Emin, and to re-
turn to England in safety.

IN view of the opposition raised in France
as well as at home against the bottled wine
duties, which he introduced into his Budget,
Mr. Goscher. is making a material modifica-
t.on. As the importation of taxable wine
in bottle from across the "silver streak "
wil henceforth he really very insignificant,
the Chancellor of the Excheluer will reap so
little from his new impost that it is scarcely
worth his wh!le to risk irritating a friendly
neighbour for so paltry as consideration.

THE maintenance of the improvement in
th health of the Kaiser Frederick is cause
for general joy iu Germany, especially since
the august sufferer has been able to remove
from Charlottenburg. The physicians and
MU geons in attendance on his .N.l.i.jesty are
n )w 11,,ping that their patient may not ex-
., •rience any serious relapse, and the gradual
diiappearance of "proud flesh " from the
turou.t, wound and the absence of any malig-
trln:, cancer are regarded as most favourable
signs.

AN incident in the House of Commons the
other night recalls one of the many evidences
of Lord Beacontield's sagacity as a diplom-
atist. A rosolution was submitted allocat-
ing al dividends received after 189 t in re-
spect ..f the Suez Canal Shares to the repk -
ment of the principle of the amount borrow,!,l
The shares were purchased from the Khedive
Isnrtil for four sterling. They sir-
now actuarially valued at more th•in nine
millions, and would, it is estimated, realize
ten millions sterling if sold in the open
market. Even Mr. Gladstone would be
puzzled to discount this prodigious result of
his late rival's characteristic foresight.