The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-05-21 00:00:00

THE STRAW HAT TRADE OF LUTON.

The straw hat and bonnet industry of Luton and the
neighbourhood will be disastrously affected by the
new French tariff, unless the original proposals are
modified to a very large extent. There is at present
a low specific duty of about ten francs per 100 kilo-
grammes charged upon manufactured straw goods, but
under the new tariff the duty is to be raised to 250
francs per 100 kilos., which is practically a prohibitive
impost. The increase is so large that the general reduc-
tion of twenty-four per cent. which is hinted at ,h ould
be quite inadequate to meet the case, and a very liberal
concession must be made to prevent the English manu-
facturers being shut out of the French market. Last
year the amount of trade done with France was esti-
mated at £l7s,ooo—about one-tenth of the whole—
and, although the sum is not large as compared with
other threatened interests' it represents a very serious
item to the working population of the limited area to
which the industry is confined. Its loss would be the
more keenly felt, because the demand for French
goods comes at a time of the year when there is little
else doing. The "season " commences earlier in that
country than in England, and the manufacture of
straw goods for France is the principal source of occu-
pation during the months of August, September, and
October. Under these circumstances it is probable
that the local Chamber of Commerce will make
strong reptesentations to the Foreign Office, either
asking for a return to a low specific duty or a reason-
able ad valorem, impost. It is feared, however, that
the main object of the French Government is to pro-
tect the home manufacturers, many of whom purchase
the straw plait in the English market, and if that be
the case, the new tariff, which will add from twopence
to threepence to the selling price in France of a six-
penny hat manufactured in England, will answer the
purpose most effectually.

OLD WORLD NOTIONS.—In the year 1762, when
there were only six stage-coaches throughout the
kingdom, a person named John Crosset, of the Char-
terhouse, London, took alarm, and wrote a pamphlet,
demanding the suppression of these conveyaxces, on
the ground that they would inflict a serious injury on
society. Some of his reasons are both amusing and
curious. "These coaches," says he, "make gentle-
men to come to London upon every small occasion,
which otherwise they would not do but upon urgent
necessity—nay, the conveniency of the passage makes
their wives often come up, who, rather than come
such long journeys on horseback, would stay at home.
Here, when they come to town, they must be in the
mode, get fine clothes, go to plays and treats, and by
these means get such a habit of idleness and love of
pleasure that they are uneasy ever after,"

Y THE VICTORIA CROSS.

Tuesday night's Lot on Elamite, Contains ,the following
notice from the War Office, dated MOie, Isl
"The Queen has been graciously pleased to signify
her intention to confer the decoration of the Victoria
Cross upon. the under-mentioned officer, non-com-
miisioned offieer, and soldiers of Her Majesty's Army,
whbse Claims bait been submitted for Her Najesty's
approval, fot their gallant condutit during the redent
operationt in Afghanistan and South Afrida, as re-
Corded against their names
-

"Captain (now Brevet-Major) Euston Henry Sar-
torius (59th Foot).—For conspicuous bravery during
the action at Shah-jui on the 24th of October, 1870, in
leading a party of five or six men of the 59th Regi-
Ment against a body of the enemy, 'of unknown
strength, occupying an almoit inaccessible position
dn the top a prebipitous ,hill. The nature of the
ground made any sort of r6gllai forniatibnimtiosaible
and Captain Sartorius had to bear the first brunt of
the attack from the whole body of the enemy, who
fell upon him and his men as they gained the top of
the precipitous pathway; but the gallant and deter-
mined bearing of this officer, emulated as it was by his
men, led to the most perfect success, and the surviving
occupants of the hill top, seven in number, were all
killed. In this encounter Captain Sartorius was
*Winded by word cuts in both hands, and one of his
men WWI killed.

"Sergeant Patrick Mullane (Royal Horse Artillery).
—For conspicuous bravery during the action at Mai
wand, on the 27th of July, 1880, in endeavouring to
save the life a, Driver Pickwell Istead. This non-
commissioned offic;er, when the battery to which he
belonged was on the point of retiring, and the enemy
were within 10 or 15 yards, unhesitatingly rift batik
about two yards and picking up Driver 'stead, placed
him.on the limber, where, unfortunately he died al-
most immediately. Again, during the 'retreat, Sergeant
Mullane volunteered to procure water for the wounded,
and succeeded in doing so by going into one of the
villages in whioh so many men lost their lives.
" Gunner James Colliss (Royal Horse Artillery).—
For conspicuous bravery during the retreat from Mai-
wand to Candahar, on the 28th or July, 1880, when
the officer commanding the battery was endeavouring
to bring on a limber, with wounded men, under a
cross fire, in running forward and drawing the enemy's
fire on himself, thus taking off their attention from the
limber.

Provisional Lance-Corporal Joseph John Farmer
(Army Hospital Corps).—For conspicuous bravery
during the engagement with the Boers at the Majuba
Mountain, on the 27th of February, 1881, when he
showed a spirit of self-abnegation and an example of
cool courage which cannot be too highly commended.
While the Boers closed with the British troops near
the wells, Corporal Farmer held a white flag over the
wounded, and when the arm holding the flag was shot
through, he called out that he had 'another.' He then
raised the flag with the other arm, and continued to
do so until that also was pierced with a bullet."