The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-09-14 00:00:00

Our Ironton Corrtspoubtut.
w. 4iim It right to state that we do not at all times
idea* ourselves with our Correspondent's opinions.]

At last the long drawn out negotiations at Geneva
are completed, and the dittimlty between Great
Britain and America is solved. The difk rencee were
at one time so threatening, and the language of parties
on either Fide of the Atlantic was so hostile in tone,
that there was naturally aroused a sense of alarm, only
t be succeeded by a sense of utter weariness when
all danger had passed away, and when the only
question became what John Bull should pay
Brother Jonathan in damages. Still the nego-
tiations " bke a wounded snaks dragged its Flow
kngth along ;" and the little serape of news that we
were allowod to hear now and then were rather tan-
talising than comforting. At last a definite settlement
is arrived at, the award is made, and all that has to
ho done is to pay the bill. Of course this will not be
done without a good deal of grumbling, but still there
Ii a sense of relief throughout the country that we
know the worst, an lit is to be hop-d that we
and our Arum ican cousins sholl now be better
friends than ever. Commercially the conclusion of
the arbitration cannot but have a good greet.
While the ne,;ociations were still pending, the relations
between British and American traders were injuriously
affected—perhaps to a greater extent than the public
are aware of; but now there will be renewed confi-
dence and increased trade.

tho read Mg the accounts of the Autumn Mtuireuvres,
the thought naturally occurs, that the luaweuver are,
of course, a very sorry imitation of real war, and it is
well that they should be so; but there can be no doubt
that our Soldiers and Volunteers thus learn a great deal
with regard to the movement of troops, attack and
defence, and Military strategy generally, that no
amount of instruction on paper could ever
affoni them. And to learn all this, as practically as
circumstances will admit, involves a treat deal of
If-denial, real hard work, and no little hard-
ship. There may be very little actu d danger, but
there is a great deal of inconvenience and discomfort.
Whether the advantages to ba derived from this Autumn
campaign will ultimately more than counterbalance the
dieadvo Magee I leave to our military critics in due time
to determine ; but in any ease it will ',rove a very
costly affair, as we shall learn when our next army
estimates are brought forward.
It is to be hoped that certain pleasant statements about
the discovery of coal in several places will be verified in
the increased production of what may fairly be called
one of the necessaries of life; but it is nevertheless un-
deniable that there are already plenty of sources of
supply if the colliers could only be induced to work as
they did before the present scarcity. A writer on this
subject says, "In consequence of the increased rates
of wages the men can now earn in a few hours as much
as they formerly got for a whole day's work, and as
they refuse to work longer than is necessary to do this,
the quantity of coat brought to the pit's mouth is
entirely insufficient to meet the demand." This
exactly tallies with many of the reports from
the colliery districts, and in itself is folly sufficient
to account for the existing scarcity and high prices.
The price of coal is serious enough already, but it will
become itn,re serious in the winter. It is to be hoped
therefore that our scientific men will turn their rattan
Oen to the discovery cf some partial substitute for
coal, so as to relieve the demand for it, and that con-
sumers will economise as much as possible ; for we now
know to our cost that the high price of crcl directly
tends to raise the prices of commodities generally.

If the Internationalist idea be to well and anallga-
mate the working classes throughout the world into
one homogeneous whole, to establish a friendly feeling
among workmen, and to make that friendly feeling
powerful in antagonism to capital—if this be the In-
ternationalist idea (and the statement can't be far out)
the International Congress at the Plague is rather a poor
commentary on it. Seieral preliminary sittings appesr
to have been taken up by laboriously decisliug who
should be allowed to sit; there was much speaking as
to who should be permitted to speak; an.l roues resolu
Cora were passed whish are so will and vague that they
are mere Ha-bee in the pan. On one occasion the
Congress Nosed the following resolution :—" In the
name of the working classes of the whole world, we ex-
press our admiration for the heroism of the champions
who have fallen for the rights of the people, and we
send a greeting to all those who are still in fetter."
Having effected this the Congress felt considerably re-

lines i, 111111 i immediately adjourned, doubtleis under the
impression that they had iloue a glorious work. The
International Congress are dearly fond of broad
and general statements and sweeping manifestoes.
For instance, in their report they say, "At the present
intricanit three Emperors are holding a meeting in
Berlin with the object of projecting fresh wars, whereas
we assemble with theobject of rendering war impossible
by the emancipation of labour." Now I should like
ti know how these gentlemen know that the three
Emperor. have met to project fresh wars. The
general opinion is directly the reverse. And I should
like to know what is meant by the emancipation of
labour ; it seems to me that labour is pretty consider-
ably emancipated already. As to these Interns-
tionalists rendering war impossible, they have only at
present shown how difficult it is fir them to secure or
malntain peace, for since they first met they hove done
little else than quarrel with each other.
The annual report of the Postmaster. General is alike
interesting, valuable, and important. It shows that—
dealing only with the Unite I Kingdom—nearly 911 mil-
lions of letters have passed through the ;mist, bologna in-
crease sif 52 millions over 1870; that 75 millions of post-

cares have been us,d ; and that more than 12 millions

of telegraphic messages—both items also showing a
large increase—have been despatched. To accommo

date the development we have now come 12,000 post-
offices and 8,000 post-pillars, that is 180 of the former
and 800 of the latter more than in 1870. These facts
Indubitably prove that the business of the country has
largely increased, and that theelementary education of
the people has much advanced also. But while we
derive these consolatory conelusions tram the report,
there are in it many other facts which chow that a good
many of us are, to say the least, very careless, and
that the Post-office exercises a paternal care over a
great many stupid people. For example, 3i millions
of letters and 300,000 post cards were to erroneously
directed, or were so faulty in other respects, that they
had to be sent to the Dead Letter Office. It seems that
out of these 80,100 had in them more or less valuable
contents. A watch and two sovereigns were inclopeal
lira letter "unsealed and untied ;" 11,100 articles were
found loose in the post-offices, having escaped from the
envelopes, and 15,000 letters were posted with no ad.
dress at all. What strange carelessness does all this
chow! The Poet-office departmeot, as is well known,
Is strongly in favour of registering letters—in fact we
are always being told to; and Mr. Monsen plainly
tells us that next session he will bring in a hill to make
the registration of letters containing valuables com-
pulsory. But the public will scarcely like this. The
registration system is admirable, end it works very
well as it is, as is shown by the fact that only one
registered letter in every 1,400 is even the subject of
ultimate inquiry; but if we are to be compelled to
register our letters, registration ought to include the
declaration of value and &legal claim for compensation
in case of loss. Nothing less than this will satisfy the
public if the present voluntary re,istration is to be
altered. But then the registration fee must be raised,
and as it is quite high enough already, I venture to
say Mr. Mona 11 had better let well alone. And, in-
deed, this remark is to a great extent applicable to our
whole postal system.

One very good criterion by which to teat the pro,
perky or adversity of the country fri its railway troffic.
For several weeks past the sraffic returns slow
• considerable increase on those for corresponding
weeks. For the week ending September 6th the re.
eeipts in the United Kingdom, on a mileage of 14,030,
amounts to £1,078,786, or £76 18e. per mile. Corn.
pared with the corresponding week last year, this shows
an increase of £06,662, and of 239 miles opened. Nor
Is this week exceptional. The conclusion to be derived
from this is obvious. Increased railway travelling
means increased prosperity among the travellers. But
two considerations must not be overlooked ; these
Increased receipts are either partly due to higher fares,
or the receipts would have been !till higher had the
fares not been raised. I rather incline to the latter
supposition. But in any case our railway returns are
highly satisfactory. To this let use add another fact of
quite a different character—an isolated fact, it is true,
but one which may be regarded as a straw which shows
which way the wind blows. In the forthcoming esti-
mate. for the half year the guardians of the poor of
one of the largest London parishes will show a reduc-
tion of 29,500 as compared with the corresponding six
months last year. But there is something larger and
more definite than this. The official return for the
pauperism of the country in the fourth week of June
shows that the number of persons in receipt of relief
W. 14 63'1,078, whereas in the correstxmding week of
1871 there were 971,809. Nearly a million and a half
fewer paupers I Really this is a happy state of things.
But still we must not be too boastful. The general
opinion seems to be that we shall have a hard and
trying witeter.
Sir Richard Wallace, who has already done so many
kindly and philanthropic acts, and whose name is
specially revered in the British and French capitals,
has just ordered large quantities of game to be sent
from CampiCgne to the Paris hospitals, and he intends
In a similar way to devote a large proportion of the
game that he shoots this year. Will some of our
sportsmen take the hint and follow the example? Her
Majesty and the Prince of Wales have on several
occasions sent presents of game to the London hospital&

This unostentatious generosity must have been highly
appreciated by the poor patients, for I take it for
granted that They had the game, and not the doctors
and students. Now if a few of our noble and gentle
sr.rtsmen would do likewise what a boon it would be
to the sick patients ! I can even imagine that it would
I somewhat lessen the bitter feeling that now exists
against the game laws.
It is said that a Mexican trapezi,t will shortly ap-
pear in London, in a "novel sensational performance."
More's the pity. We have quite enough of sensational
performan,es already, and the public taste haa bete
far too much vitiated in this direction. What possible
good, or what pleasure can be derived from seeing a
man or a woman rill{ life and limb in dangerous per-
foinninces, I never couldsliseover, nndyet this is being
nightly done to amuse an/ excite gaping crowds.