The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-06-13 00:00:00

teen hands which were to contend in the mimic strife.
Bang-tailed, hog-maned, shin-bandaged, and brought THE LICENSING ACT AMENDMENT
CU 3 state of condition "as hanl as nails," and BILL.
with coats like satin, these game-haoking little On the sove ueetion The Times has published the follow-
animals lam convinced enter most heartily into the Lug letter:—
al Q
excitement of eaoh rush and 'bully ; " while thequali- Sir.—As Liverpool has figured so prominently in
ties of seat, hand, eye, and nerve, whioh go to make a the kite debates on the licensing question, both in and
perfect horseman. were most conspicuous iu the players out of Parliament, you will, perhaps, allow me space to
I have enumerated. Sir Hope Grant, one of the -best refer very briefly to a movement in various districts in
cavaliers I have ever seen as a proficent in Eastern this town, the effect of which is to diminish the pro-
trick of horsemanship, would have been delighted had portionate number of publichouses. and to promote the
he witnessed quick turns, headlong dashes, sudden sobriety of the people on purely commercial principles.
wheels, and dextrous rallies, which marked the various Capitalists have discovered that house property
phases of the five goals played on Saturday, yields a far higher percentage on the outlay in districts
and in which the 'First" had it all their own way where there are no publichouses than in neighbour-
-notwithstandimr the excellent play of Lord Wor- hoods where such are opened at every street corner.
rester and the Fitzwilliams. But an occasional drop That is to say, although the publichouse itself pays
of heavy rain, big enough to fill a teacup, warned the better, vet over a large area, the effect of the proximity
brightly clad fair ones to prepare for flight, and soon of a pUblichouse is to depreciate the value of the
the pitiless deluge came down to spoil our sport. A rush estate as a whole. This fact is so thorom lily under-
to the club-house, a hasty unrolling of umbrellas to stood and acted upon that, as a purely business trans-
protect the ladies, and a general call for carriages and action, extensive ranges of streets are constantly spring
cabs, brought this too brief afternoon's watteandike in.., up where, by the conditions of the leases, the sale
entertainment to a eese, the Royal party, in spite of of liquor is absolutely prohibited ; not a drop of
the storm, remaining to the last, liquor can be bought or sold in these districts One
of the largest of such districts lies between Prince's-
road and Park-road, Toxteth park, Liverpool. I am
assured that there is at the pri.sent time a population
of over 50,000, or one-tenth a tie whole population of
the town, inhabiting these districts, the houses are
much in demand, rents easily collected, and therefore
the returns on the capital invested far higher than in
neighbourhoods where publichouses abound.
On the other hand, it is the constant complaint of
owners of property in "drinking districts" that there
is a great hiss of rent and reckless destruction of pro-
perty where the glafing gin-palaces prevail.
It may be worthy the consideration of philan-
thropists who are at the same time capitalists, how
far investments in house property on the principle of
prohibiting the sale of liquor may aid the other
agencies, moral and legislative. now in operation in
promoting the sobriety of the nation.
A LIVERPOOL CITIZEN.