The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-09-17 00:00:00

0 lir fontant torrespoubtnt.

[We deem it right to state that we do not at all times identify
ourselves with our Correspondent's opinions.]

After the abnormally long spell of dry weather
to which we were subjected during the summer,
autumn has at length evidently set in. Cloudy
skies and broken weather have become the order
of the day; and those who have deferred their
holidays until September are not as atmospheri-
cally favoured as those usually are who go away
in the ninth month of the year. But it is a trite
enough remark that business should be con-
sidered first and pleasure afterwards, and there
is no doubt that the country was so sorely in
need of rain that every drop that has fallen has
been welcome. It was not only the agricultural
districts, but the towns which were in need.
Places that had prided themselves upon the ful-
ness and surety of their water supply have had
this summer to confess that the drought has
sorely tried their resources: and even after it
had rained, for many a day the old accustomed
quantity of vy ater in the reservoirs was far from
made up. It is when people are put upon short
commons in the way of water that they realise
what a blessing is a constant supply; but
they are too often apt to conclude, much in the
same illogical fashion that made Dogberry believe
that "reading and writing came by nature," that,
in the matter of water, it is only to ask and to
have. That this is very far from being the case
all who have had experience of the question can
testify. A constant and full supply of water is one
of the great problems of the time for our grow-
ing towns. We in London have been taught to
realise it, and our provincial bretho., a have their
share of trouble in the matter.

One consequence of the prolonged drought and
the subsequent heavy rains has been a distinctly
sad one for the metropolis. As all sanitarians
would have prophesied, the drainage system
became disorganised during the summer, and
with the break up of the weather sewer gas was
poured into our houses in such quantities that
scarlet fever is more prevalent in London just
now than it has been for several years. It is not
alone the poorer ani less cared-for districts which
have been visited by this insidious malady, for in
some of our most highly-rented suburbs the fever
is to be found in house after house, the
number of children attacked being especially
alarming. It is easy to say that by the exercise
of proper precautions much of this might have
been avoided, but it will be difficult to find
afflicted parents to agree with this sentiment.
All that medical skill and sanitary science can do
to diminish the severity of the outbreak is being
done, and it may be hoped that when the cooler
weather sets in the number of cases will rapidly,
diminish. But the epidemic—for its propor-
tions have almost reached that point—should
teach a valuable lesson for the future. Many
householders are almost wantonly careless upon
the all-important points of drainage and ventila-
tion, while care for the proper use of the dust-
bin is in a large number of dwellings almost ab-
solutely unknown. It is just these points which
deserve close attention from every one interested
in the management of a household, and the fact
that they are so frequently ignored is really a
reflection upon our civilisation.
What with fever while he is at home, and bur-
glary when he is away for his holidays, the
London householder has not the merriest time
of it just now. Never an autumn comes but the
constabulary authorities issue a warning against
dwellings being left empty, and never an autumn
goes without the warning being so extensively
neglected as to afford a rich harvest for thieves.
Within the past two or three weeks the
police in our suburban districts have had
their hands full of cases in which families
have gone away for a holiday and their
houses have been despoiled meanwhile.
The mode of operations adopted by the predatory
gentry who live on their fellows varies a great
deal, but as a rule it is a very simple one. They
mark a house which appears unoccupied, and an
accomplice, who is frequently a woman, goes to
the door and rings the bell. If they have chanced
to be mistaken, the visitor has always a plausible
explanation to offer. If the house proves to be
empty the way is clear as soon as darkness sets
In. And, when the householder returns, he
finds that drawers have been ransacked, desks
forced open, and a state of confusion
and loss almost appalling. Then it is
that the robbed bewails his fate, and blames
himself for not having taken proper precautions;
but all the bemoaning in the world will not bring
him back his vanished possessions. The idea ot
having a poli2eman in every street is utterly im-
practicable; if we want to be taken care of, we
must assist to take care of ourselves, and a little
reasonable precaution would do much to save
our property from the spoiler.
The terrible disaster at Exeter, with which all
England has been ringing during the past fort-
night, conveys a lesson not only to those
who patronise theatres, but to all who go
to places where multitudes of their fellows
assemble. The old lesson is taught that loss of
presence of mind upon such occasions always
involves loss of life, and yet, taught as that
lesson has been so often, who will be bold
enough to say that, if an alarm of fire were
raised in any crowded building to-morrow, a
similar catastrophe would not occur to that
which happened at Exeter? Those who have
never been in so terrible a scene may imagine
that it is easy to display presence of mind • but
what is really the cause of a panic is that no
single person among a crowd can feel certain
that the remainder will exhibit that enviable
quality. The consequence is that such among a
crowd as think at all in a moment of disaster
reflect that all the rest are likely to make for the
nearest entrance, and that, if there be actual
danger, those who are hindmost will certainly
perish. A nd thus, what with the instinctive and
terrified rush of those who are too frightened to
think, and the following on of those who, having
thought, feel that they can do nothing to stern
the torrent, but perhaps something to save them-
selves, a panic is created with deplorable results,
but results which under the circumstances are
nothing more than could be expected.
There having been a September sitting of Par-
liament last year, those who are not versed in
political history may not think it very re-
markable that there should be a September
sitting.in thepresent autumn also. But this year's
length of session is a much more abnormal
matter than was that of last. For then a general
election had taken place during the summer,
and the new Parliament met for a few weeks
to do certain necessary business, and then
adjourned. This year the Houses met at an
earlier date than the average, and have sat until
a far later one; and it is doubtful whether, in
the whole course of a Parliamentary history, a
longer continuous session is to be discovered.
As a consequence members have become exceed-
ingly fatigued, and such of them as have been
left at Westminster to the last have almost
groaned aloud at the infliction. Some of them
have felt such deep disgust at the lengthened
session and prolonged sittings that they have
expressed their wish to retire into private life, and
the party " whips " have had to exercise all their
flattery to prevent these intentions from becoming
effective. Probably during the recess, and when
ever-tired members have had a rest, matters
will be viewed in a somewhat different light;
but certainly not for many a year has it been
known that such a large number of representa-
tives of the people had signified their wish to
withdraw from Parliament altogether.
It has not been often during the past few
years that so much pleasure could be derived
from the perusal of the monthly Board of Trade
Returns as from those just issued. The August
figures are encouraging from all points of view.
The exports of British and Irish produce
show a marked increase, chiefly under the
headings, " Metals and Articles Manufac-
tured Therefrom," " Yarns and Textile
Fabrics," and "Machinery and Mill Work ;" and
the largest increase in the imports was in raw
materials sent to this country to be manufac-
tured. More cheerful statements than these it
would be almost impossible to extract from a
Parliamentary paper. The gradual improvement
which has been taking place in trade has some-
times been so gradual as almost to escape
observation; but there is always an apparent ebb
even in a flowing tide, and those who have taken
a cheerful view of the immediate future of English
commerce can now congratulate themselves upon
the fact that that view was evidently a correct
one. It is of little use expecting in these days
that prosperity will return to us" in leaps and
bounds ;" if it reassert itself gradually, it is as
much as can be hoped for. But "slow and
sure " is a good motto, and if we can only by
degrees recover our old position it may be that
we shall hold it longer, because it will be laid
upon more secure foundations than the old
rapid rise could ever boast. It is not well to be
too sanguine, but there is good reason to hope
that the coming winter will be as great an
improvement upon the last in the matter of
trade as was that one over 1885.
Bats and balls and stumps now having been
practically put away for the season, lovers of
football have their opportunity, and it will be
eagerly availed of. The enthusiasm for football
has rov bitten Via clxillara in tbe South of
Eogiand quite t) deeply ne it luta done thoH in

the North, but even in London there is a grow-
ing admiration for the game, and the crowds
which attend the greater matches are larger than
they used to be. But it will take a long time for
the enthusiasm of the South to reach the boiling.
point attained within the past three or four years
in the North. In some of the Lancashire and York-
shire towns the game has become a fanaticism;
" crack " teams are almost worshipped by the
crowd, and nothing but football appears to be
talked among the masses. The Empire may be
in danger, Ireland may be discontented, even
taxes may be raised, but the "cup competitions"
excite in certain towns far more interest than
either. How far it is desirable that any gam*
should absorb so large a share of public attention
is open to doubt; but the fact stands that it does
so; and, after all, there is a redeeming featurein
the consideration that football is a good, hearty,
healthy exercise of a peculiarly English type.
And we shall continue to want good, hearty,
healthy Englishmen for some time to come.
A. F. R.