The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-12-07 00:00:00

TO MY LANDLORD, WHO THREATENS To
RAISE MY RENT.
You say you'll raise the rent for me—well, do:
'Tie clear that I can't raise the rent fur you—Judy.

WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE.

The Secretary of the National Union has forwarded for
publication the following extracts from a letter, addressed
to himby a lady—

with

' I also should be glad to know what action, if any, I
the Conservative Association is prepared to take on
the important question of the so-called 'women's
suffrage,' to my mind more properly to be named
'property suffrage.' Many, I know, concur with
me in opinion that the right of property to re-
presentation should not be forfeited by the acci-
dent of a woman being in possession. I am so
convinced myself of this being a thorough Conservative
measure, though involving a ra,aical change, that I am
grieved to see it treated with such indifference by our
party. It seems to me that the Conservatives are
throwing away an opportunity which can rarely occur
to tbem, doomed as they are in general by the neut.-
city of their position to a passive attitude in politics,
" The axiom that taxation and representation should
go hand in hand is a Constitudenal and Conservative
one. The enormous amount of pond, al power thrown
into the hands of the subversive classes by the last
electoral Reform Bill made it most important to secure
the rights of property, too long suffered to remain in
abeyance. But the greater part of tbe members of the
Home on our side either vote agaMst the bill or de-
cline to vote at all—actuate 1 principally by merely
eentimential reasons.
I rejoice to see in the minority in the last division
the names of some of my friends whom I formerly
failed to convince in personally canvassing them; but
I want to see the (motion taken up seriously by the
party. lamin no hurry to see the measure carried,
feeling quite secure that truth and justice must prevail
in the long rim; but I do grudge the monop sly of
those virtues (in politics) to the extreme section of the
Liberal party."

A law has been panned forbidding the erection of any
new buildings In Vienna daring the Exposition of MO.

THE GAME LAW.
..11steorologki" write( from Ilayward's•heath to the Stan-
dard :

The persors who are now agitating for an alteration
of the game laws baee their arguments on the assump-
tion that, if the land now occupied by preserves were
turned into arable more corn would be produced, and
the annual supply of home-grown food be increased.
I would, if you will permit me, call attention to one
or two facts which seem to have been overlooked. I
speak only of the part of England south of a line
drawn from Liverpool to Hull, as I know nothing of
the effect which would be produced by turning the
grouse preserves north of that line into ploughed land.
But of the southern portion of this island I can say
with confidence that the destruction of the woods would
have a disastrous effect in two ways. Filet, it would
necessitate the establiehment of an entire trade to
supply every house and cottage in the rural oistricts
and small towns with wood for lighting fires and for
baking purposes, at a very much higher cost than is
now t aid for faggots grown almost at our doors. But,
more important still, the wholesale destruction of the
preserves proposed—and nothing short of such whole-
sale destruction of woods is contemplated—would have
a serious effect on the whole character of our climate,
producing proa,dy alternate droughts and Hol. whose
(ombineo effects would be very Injurdrus to crops over
large areas.
As a met eorol gist, instead of desiring the destruc-
tion of woods, I should wish to tee large districts, as,
for instance, the open heaths between Mayfield and
Horsham in this county, turned into woodland for the
purpose of promoting and regulating rainfall. Milton
(not the poet) in his "Man and Nature," has forcibly
shown the total ruin brought on some countries, and
the vast injury doe to others, by wholes de destruc-
tion of woods and forests. I hope the day is far die.
trent when a body of agitators, dwelling in towns and
ignorant of country life, may be able to interfere with
the arrangement* of property not their own, and the
requirements of which they do not understand.
Believing as I do that the preservation of our woods,
and even the planting of fresh woodland, is of the
greatest importance to our agriculture. I aro glad to
see the land in the hands of large troprietors who can
afford to grow wood. I can pardon their indulging in
an amusement in which I am unable to share, but
which induces him to employ their land in supplying
me with firewood and rain water at a minimum of cost
to myself and of profit to themselves.