The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-10-26 00:00:00

SUGGESTIONS FOR THOUGHTFUL
WORKING-MEN.

The following leader from Wednesday's Times, although
more especially referring to London, should nevertheless be
thoughtfully perused by every working-man in the kingdom.
for in It are contamed counsel and suggestions of priceless
value and of iseseLt need
Our working classes have just won a succession of
great victories. The campaign of labour against
capital may be considered at an end for the pre-
sent, and the results may be calculated alm sit as
easily as those of the late Franco-German War. They
may be stated either in time or in money. Taking
the latter test, it is not too much to say that live
million men have won on the average a shilling a
week from their employers, even when all allowances
are made for the increased price of food. That is
thirteen millions sterling a year, and, if capitalised,
is about the amount of the French Indemnity. We
may dismiss the consideration whether this is likely to
last. Another question of much more practical and
immediate importance is forced upon on. What use
are the working classes making of their victory and
their gains? How are they spending their increased
time and money. their hours of liberty and their
extra shillings? They need be at no loss for objects
at once useful, respectable, and the source of much
reasonable enjoyment—better houses, schooling,
cheap literatu.e, institutes for self-improvement,
healthy outings, assistance to less successful rela-
tives and friends. A multitude of good works are
at a stand for want of money or of men, and, as a
working man in these days is as good as his
employers, there is no reason why he should not take
his turn, and lend a hand, in labours of love, whatever
they are. Fos the present, we grieve to say, we see no
signs of the working classes taking the place of their
employers, or even honestly trying to be their own em-
ployers, as they have a perfect right to do. We may
look over our own columns day after day for the proof
of that regeneration which ardent politicians have con-
fidently predicted from an extra sixpence and an extra
hour a day. Iu one column, and one only, do we
seem to trace a came and effect. The Police In-
telligence is becoming a very serious part of our news ;
the casualties of a single day are often as heavy as those
of a battle. On Monday Mr. D'Eyncourt had to dispose
of fifty-three charges of drunkenness. At Westminster,
of the twenty-Mee prisoners on the charge-sheet, the
whole had been more or less drunk when taken into
custody. At Worship-street and Lambeth drunkenness
supplied the chief business of the day. At the other
Police Courts there is a strong smell of liquor about all
the CABER. One of them was that of a painter on glass,
who insisted enforcing himself on his dying wife when
in a state of intoxication, and giving a violent blow in
the eye to the ji or woman's mother, for wishing
him him to wait till he was sober. After this feat
he withdrew to a publichouse to get up his courage
afresh, and returned to assault another woman. We
should think this is, probably, a very fair sample of
near a hundred cases, fer anybody well acquainted
with out streets must know that it is not mere stagger-
ing, reeling drunkenness that brings a man to the Police
Court. So long ais a man can hold to the railings and
leave the Queen's Fubjectrq in the quiet possession of
their teeth, eyes, and noses, he is generally allowed to
recover himself at Is sure, or to find his way to the
friendly ehelter of the nearest puhlichouee.
May we flatter ourselves that all this is exceptional,
or that the Police Reports are the worst side of things?
Monday May, indeed, boa little worse than other days,
and one street may be worse than another; but the In-
land Revenue tells much the same tale, and no doubt
a considerable percentage of the increase in wages finds
its way to the Exchequer. The hours gained from
labour are given to the country in one sense at
least, that they help to build our Ironclads. These
float, so it is sail, in strong drink, as the mor-
tar of our old chordh steeples was said to be
made with strong beer. But this is not a cheerful
view of things. There is no promise of stability
about it. The nation—the Constitution, we may say
—is undergoing great and rapid changes, and supreme
power is being thrown with eager and impetuous haste
to the working classes, on the supposition that they
are wiser, and better, more thoughtful and self-re-
strained, than their fathers before them. how it may
he for mental development, and for the exalted quali-
ties which in all time have been desired in rulers,
and the men who have to choose rulers, it is not
easy to say. What gunge is there for men's minds
unless it be that which they apply to themselves
in life and condnat We are reduced to use the
feeble and erring aid of sense in this matter, and
what the senses bring to our notice is an in-
crease of intoxication and disorder. The other
day four thousand policemen met and solemnly
declared that the energies of seven thousand policemen
were overtaxed in keeping up a semblance of order in
the streets of this metropolis. But fifty years ago
there was no such thing as a policeman, or anybody
charged with the maintenance of peace in this
whole metropolis unless it were watchmen, in
great-cuats, carrying lanterns and rattles, crying
the hour of the night and the state of the weather.
It would be treason to deny that we are better
than our fathers, and London a better ordered
city than it was at that thue. All this we take ac-
count of, but it is not enough to account for the social
condition of this metropolis at this present time, or
the condition of any of our large towns. Slavery is a
very bad thing; and it is hardly less bad that a man
should have to work like a slave the whole day in
order to keep body and soul together and support him-
self, wife, and children ; but there is that which is
worse, inasmuch as a brute—a violent brute, a man
who makes himself a violent brute—is worse than any
slave, who can hardly be held answerable for his own
degradation even if toil weigh him down to the meanest
beast of horde's.
It is not one question, but fifty that present them-
selves. But what are the Churches and the Societies
about? Of course they cannot do everything or be
found everywhere at ones; but, for the matter of the
result, they might be nowhere. We have Societies
now to overlook Societies; Societies to fill up the
gaps of Smieties ; Societies to do what Societies do
not do, or to do better what they all do; Societies
for every Impose that oan be described in words or
imagined wltheut a description. At least a dozen
sects, and still more associations, are battling for
every given soul in this metropolis, and the Church
of England would certainly hold that its three mil-
lions had undergone an irremediable loss if they
were suddenly deprived of its protection. In mere de-
fault of aid, soul, we must add, in the course of reason
and common sense, we must turn to the people them
selves—the working men—to rescue themselves, and
to put theeruielves in the right before the country.
'They have been fighting for time and money, both
things of value and most lawful objects of desire.
They have Ft the most of what they wanted. As
those acquisitions are comparatively novel, they
may be excused for 'not knowing at once what use to
make of their spare shillings and hours. It is time
they should see to this. If they make a good use of
these gains they will realize them, keep them, enjoy
them, and make them the means of further and
larger acquisitions. If they fail to make a good use,
they will speedily lose the step they have gained,
and find themselves falling the heavier because they
have been climbing higher than they were fit
for. This metropolis, with all its faults and short-
comings, does yet provide the working man with
means and opportunities for comfort, improvement,
and progress, whether material or mental. In other
words, everybody can do well, live well, and get on well
here; and it is his own fault if he does not. Un-
questionably the recent triumphs of industry put these
things still more within the leach of ordinary men.
But they must put cut their hands to secure the prize,
or it will soon elude their grasp and disappear befere
their eyes.

CURIOUS FACTS OF LIFE AND DEATH.
Many interesting facts concerning the deaths among
infants and persons of extreme old age are furnished
la the Registrar-General's annual report recently
issued.
In the healthier districts of England it appears that
cut of 100 children born alive 10 die in the 12 months
fidlowing. The births in a quarter have been corn-
seed with the deaths in the same time under one year
age in 17 large English towns, and the deaths are 15
. 100 births; five are killed by various causes in these
.wns in addition to the ten that die in healthy country
istricts. Real infant Mortality may be measured by
3 proportion to births registered; to each 100 births
1570, 16 deaths of infants under one year of age oc.
curred (the percentage was 174 among male and 14.5
among female infants
Among children aged between 5 and 15 years of age
, 33,890 deaths were registered in 1870, or per cent.
of the deaths at all ages ; among male children the
, proportion was 65, and among female children 6 6 per
cent. Between 1:5 and rz years of age the deaths of
males also exceed those of females. Between 15 and
35 the !dolls of f, males exceed those of males. Not
only is the mortalitv among male infants larger than
among females, but of perootur sprviving the years ot
Infancy tile mean age at death is greater among
Amides than 11M1014 males.

The deaths of persons aged 55 years and upwards
showed in 1870 a proportion of 271 per cent, of the
total deaths; the deaths of males at these ages did
not exeeed 251 per cent., while three of females
was 299 per cent. The greater longevity amobg
females is more remarkable at the extreme ages; in
1870 the deaths of only 4,601 males at the ages 85 years
and upwards were registered, while those of females
at the same ages were 6,660 ; the proportion of deaths
of males aged 85 and upwards was 17 per cent, of the
total deaths, while of females it was 27 per cent.
During 1570 the deaths of 18 males and 63 females
whose ages were stated to be upwards of 100 years were
registered; in all 81 persons, against 63 and 79 respec-
tively in 1868 and 1869. The highest ages said to have
been attained in 1870 were 108 by a male and 107 by a
female. In 1870 the deaths are recorded of 18 males
aged 100 years and upwards, viz., sin aged 100. .me
aged 101, three aged 102, two aged 103, tire aged 104,
and one aged 108. In the same year the deaths are
announced of 63 females aged 100 years and upwards,
viz., 22 aged 100, 13 aged 101. 11 aged 102, six aged 104,
two aged 105, and one aged 107.