The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-07-23 00:00:00

COMMENTS ON4 CURRENT NEW.

THE Victlria Rises a:-e jubilant at the
success of thei- crack shot, Lieat. Warren,
who with the capital a---pre,ate of 274 points.
sacceeld in securing the "Blue Rib Anti" o:
myrkmanship this week at Wimbledon.
A.rtnomer-Se:Trea:lt Hill, of the sth Lanari,
re;o won tho Silver Medal in the earli--r
stAo.es of the competition, was a good secono,
ir-die the third Oleo was taken by Private
Bain, of the sth Durham. The twals A
800 and 900 yards wt-re ow, cc.nYparativoly
speaking, and many men with good sc re 9
n th,3 fist and second stages of the shoot-
ing for the Queen's Prize were low down in
the ''Hundred" lis on Tuesday night, tie
reason being the prevalence of changing
light and shitting winds. The sliooin._
has, on the whole, however, been capi:al
year. and the weather as pleasant as any ex-
perienced for many meetings past Lieut.
Warren, a young praeiser of te la was a
proud man when the Prince of Wales pinned
the gold badge to his uniform, and when Ls
comrades carried him in triumph from the
president's pavilion, while the band played
‘•;See the Conquering Hero Comes " It is a
curious :cc-incidence that a member of the
Vietorias was the Queen's przeman twenty.
five years ago, so that the famous Middlesex
rifle regiment has carried off th most
coveted of volneteer shooting honours in the
twenty-fifth and the Jubilee years of her
Majesty's reign. One o!' the first to congrat.
ulato Watren neon his success at the targA
was Captain F ley, the mArksrnan who hea:
all corners in 18752.

Sin HENRY DRUMMOND WOLF, skilled diplo-
matist as Lord Salisbury, Lord R..Churchili.
and many other statesmen credit him wi;-11
')eing, is no match for the masterly pro-
crastinating proclivities of the Porte. Afte:
Cie exercise of much patience, 11:. has been
compelled to return to En4land without
having secured a ratification of the Conven-
tion as to Egyptian affairs France anc7
Russia, jelious of British infinence with th
sultan, have exerted themselves very much
to keep the matter open, and are now not a
little rejoicel at the failure of negotintion,,
which have cost this country a good deal
looney. As a result our troops will remai
in EgvPt. La' a:a indefinite period, an 1 the
Eastern gm St ion is the Eastc.rn question
still, as vexatious as ever to us.

, -
iLI ,
SAT U. R 'AY'S irralict aV Rev w ben), c
he Majesty at Spitlie.d is the biogest thing
in Adtnirrlty displays which this country
has witness, d; but it Vas been preceded bi
inore than one unt,ward occurrence. First
the Orontes and a Royal yatch colfded, th
latter be'ng disabled. Then, on Monday
the Ajax and Devastation fell fonl of eae •
other, both armour-clads being badly dam
aged. As Lord Charles Beresford
said in the House of Co.nmons, it
.svfls a "somewhat cur-lona culler.ltion of slips
which were brought together:for disptv, at
Spi! head'; and ;some of them are not likely,
iurther remarked, to be very useful
on any erne%-rency. Stokes Bay has this
week-end seen a great fleet assembled, aid
the Admiralty has done its best to make as
zrand a show as possible; bat after all it is
questionable whether in the eyes -of the on
looking foreign sea-fighters who were in-
vited to the review, there was not more
seeming that reol force and strength in
some of the &pain L'viathans. The ;Iron
Duke, the BL. and several othr.-rs,
are certainly an .quated ; and the guns o;
the Invinc;bie. the Coiiing'wo,d, the evas-
tation, tail one or two more a;-e har Ily tit to
match with those of the navies of some 0'
our continental neightours. This is scarce".
9,4 it should he, when we rememt:.er how de-
oeudent Britain is upon the impr,gnal:ility
of its bulwaaks on the brine.

A GIVAT dot' has loeF•n exreted of tin,
Government's long- pr a-dsed•Ailotmen ts Bill,
which has at last seen the ight: Mr.
Ritcnie's measure, even it it get upon the
statute bouk, is nOt tikeiy, however, to bo of
much practical value until a cc.mpr, hensive
reform in Coutny Government has been ef-
fected, and" this ;ruportant subject of legis-
lic;on, though Miniit._:rs aLe deep!), tm, 4tb
o it, cannot 1.),J progr*ssed wit • a on
time yet, becans• oi! the a-narso Parlia-
mentary Oi:k. Most landlords :ire not un-
willing to giant to their smail holdings on
fair terms. Mr. Rit,hie',: bill aims at bring'.
jug facilities for obtaining such desii•ab!e.
allotments within the reach of those who
are denied the pri.-ilege of farming and
g•trdenin..r in a small way at present. When
County Government is amended, Lie local
anthority will probably be mo: e favourablt-
-6o the al:otment sistem than Boards of
Cluardians—upon which there are few re-
presentatives ti those who would be the

-.euants of small holdings--usually show
- - -

tht.mselves to be. In tis tnatt,,:r- there
,aust be an all round co-operati-m if we are
co have success.

THERE are few more thoughtful agricul-
turists in England than Lord Tollemaehe,
and he has done much to promote the welfare
tif farming on his Suffolk and Cheshire pro-
perties. His opinion with regard to any
matter respecting tillage or dairying is well
worth having. Lord rollemache, the other
day, said he did not inind American compe-
ti:ion as regards che•.se if British landlords
and farmers w ,uld only do their duty in
keeping up the quality of the ari ice. N; either
was lie afraid of American corn-growers,
because ne much labour must be
expended up, ,n grain cultivation, and w4.4.e8
a! e 1 'ss here than over the Atlantic. What
ha does reckon serious, however, im the
equrtueus importation of agricultural produce
fr m where labour is eKtremely cheap. Here
is problem for olitical economists to think
ovi r. English capital i v,oiniy largely into
Indian rk‘ls, and Ciereby :leap corn is
coming here, to the exclusion of that grown
at home. C,:ninierce is certain to strive to
get its wares in he most fallourable market;
but are we consultieg out best interests by
Jppiying money to the fosteting oi Indian
and other induAries which pl.tee our ()Hist
aril most legimate ino:ley-inakin2;
1;) pr iding pu,sui::.s at a 'treat
:lisadvantage ? The farmer (loos no :hink
so. If unwise sp..eulatiou and colo.riorcia,i
shortsightedness ,;.ive the British agri;ml-
- turist from the fhJd, it will be a bad job for
the country.

C3N7,IiMPTION.—.7 have a p ,3it ye rm vfr tme
• as- ; y I,a 4 .:1C.4.4 t 1,4
Ir'nd of I r, ct•pd g 1)3,713 b.n enrol d sc.
strong t-, r y h ais latu 0w... 7WO
BUT k t ,Itt a \11,0"..1.Y NEVI
Also V;LLAtsi E 1.1i.i11. on he i.en e t 3.1
.. .:.lao4dUll.
6 Mina Wtee COllO, ilaniugdon Sine% Loadba.