The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-05-17 00:00:00

THE IRON AND COAL TRADES.
(From Monday's Timci ,

There were large arrivals of vessels in the Northern
coal porte last week, and, in consequence of the limited
number of orders which End their way into the market,
there was great difficulty in placing them. In con-
sequence of the supply of shipping being in excel= of
the demand, moat cheeses of outward coal freights had
a tendency to get lower, ['here is • striking contrast
in the tone of trade during the first ten days of May
of this year with laid. Last year everything was in •
state of feverish excitement, with the prices of coals
running up with great rapidity. This year everything
is dull and inanimate, and but for the good &rimed
for manufocturing coals for the iron diatricte the
present prices for shipment could not possibly be
maintained. The bulk if the steam coal wrought
in the Northum oerland district is sold under con-
tracts, but the merchants who have those contracts
appear to have had thrir immediate wants sup-
plied, as they are not verj pressing for immediatesde-
livery, and turns at the Ndrthumberland Locks, where
these coals are shipped, are shorter. Some of the
collieries are making stock, but to a limited extent
The demand for household male .for London and the
coast is moderate. The price upon the Wear seems to
be somewhat lower, as a number of small roasters
have beer, towed round from the Tyne to the Wear to
load upon owners' account. G ail coals are iii steady
demand, and there is no alteration in the turns.
d here is somewhat less activity in the shipment if iron
from the Tyne. Railway tails seem to be lees in
demand for abroad; at any rate, less quantities are
being placed on board ship in that river, and the iron
shipbuilding trade is becoming Ascher. The engine
works in Newcastle are pretty full of orders. The
chyniicisl factories upon the Tyne, which are large
consumers of coal, are somewhat dull, and prices have
a tendency to get lower.

In the West Yorkshire district there wall on Saturday
afternoon a meeting held at Leeds between representa-
tive' of the coalowners and the Miners' Association as
to a resolution of the former, adopted on Tuesday, that
the prioe of coals to the public should to-day be reduced
3e. per ton, and that the miners' wage., in accordance
with a precious agreement, should be lowered in pro-
portion. No final decision was come to BA to whether
there shall really be any interference with the existing
rate of wages, and the meeting was adjourned to the
20th inst.

The condition of the South Staffordshire iron trade
I. not by any means eatistartory. The demand is re•
atricted to urgent requirements, and as the old orders
are being rapidly worked of it is clear that operations
at many of the mills and forges will here to be modified
wiliest there be a speedy cheer. Ills course would
so far curtail the consumption of fuel that, together
with the falling off in the household demand, it would
tend to bring about the reduction in Oct, which I. so
necessary to a return of healthy activtty in the iron
trade The,pig iron manufacturers quote £8 to £8 2.. 6d.
for best brands of native all -mine, and £5 15s. to £65..
for cinder, with proportionate rates for intermediate
qualities. Cold•blast Shropeldre iron is £9 to £9 ss.
per ton. The leading producers here entered into

contracts in anticipation of the current quartet
--
yield, and moond.ciale =Akan experience no
difficulty in effecting Wee, the aggregate pro.
duction of pig iron in the district being inadequate
to the local requirements. There is no immediate proba-
bility of additional furnaces being lighted in the die.
trict, but it is stated that many of the old furnaces are
to he recon.tracted on the most modern principles for
effecting the consumption of fuel. In finished iron the
commoner qualities show somewhat greater ease In
quotations. The cheapest class of bar iron is purchas-
able at £l3 per ton and even lower, although the beet
brands remain firm on the beats of £l6. For the inter-
mrdiate qualities quotations vary considerably, prices
b. nig ruled, in the unsettled atate of the market, by the
cirounatancea of the producer. In some instance• pigs
are rtill being rlelivered to finiabed iron manufacturers
on account of old contract+) at little more than half the
current rate, and in auch came, which are, of course,
quite exceptional, buyers are offered a little advantage.
This system of long contracts does not as a rule work
advantageously in the iron trade of this district, and
recent experience in not Likely to encourage its future
adoption. . . .

The coal trade of South Staffordshire and East Wor-
ces"ershire is a trifle- easier, the supply being more
proportionate to the demand than we have been able to
report for some time past. Consumers' stocks are,
however, low, and prices have only receded in a few
instances, and that to the trifling extent of 6d. or is.
per ton. The miners of the district are beginning to
take precautionary measures with the view of prevent.
ing such a surplusage of fuel during the summer as
would endanger a return to lower wages, They have
resolved to discontinue working on Mondays "during
the next three or four months."

MR. T. HUGHES, M.P., ON THE
CHURCH ESTABLISHMENT.
Mr. T. Hughes, M.P. lectured on the "National
Advantages of the Established Church," in St.
Andrew's Hall, Norwich, on Monday evening. The
hon. gentleman said that an ordinary politician, look-
ing at other Dailies, would come to the conclusion that
this was not a thne for overturning old foundations
without some very good reason. It was, however,
seen that almost all Christian communities not in con-
nection with the State wished to never the con•
unction between the State and the Church. These
persons were convinced of the paramount importance
of. religion to the State, and. yet they told us that

religion must be diesevered from all connection
• • • -

with the State. When he found Christiana for
whom he had the greateet respect saying sorb things,
is was bound to look 'very closely to his conclusions.
As a liberal politician, he held that there must be
equality before the law for every person and iostitu-
tion. But what was religious equality? If there was
to be religious equality, every Englishman must be at
liberty to set up any form of religion he chose.
Secondly, no citizen must be bound to contribute to a
religion which he did not believe in. Thirdly, it was
iequisite that every person should be at liberty to use
or let alone those religious appliances which the State
had to offer to him. Fourthly, every man should be free
to try and alter the conditions upon which the State
offers its religious appliances to the people. He main-
tained that every Hagliehman was at liberty to get
up any form of religion he chose. No man was
called upon to contribute for a religion he did not
feel belief in; no one was called upon to pay a
penny to the Church which he did not do voluntarily.
Every man and woman had a right to go to their
parish church; but they were perfectly at liberty,
without any interference from the Church or the
State, to keep away. There was
_perfect religious
equality in thin country already. He, for his part,
was not opposed to concurrent endowment, but the
Nonennformiete had always opposed it. The Noncom
fort:nista were opposed to endowments ea tending to
weal, eta religious] bodies. But he maintained that en-
dowments had not deadened the spiritual life of the
Church, but that the clergy of the Church of England
bad made noble c oAributions to the intellectual
activity of the wonderful age in which we live.