The Sun.
London, England, 1871-02-09 00:00:00

ble, including tea, coffee and sugar, spirits, wine and
tobacco.

MR. GOSCREN ON VAGRANCY.

In conferring with a deputation from the county
of Kent on the subject of vagrancy, Mr. Goschen said
that the Poor Law Board was anxious to establish a
uniform system with regard to diet, work, and
general treatment, but he could not deal with the
labour question until some change was
effected in the law. This would, however,
be shortly obtained. Food must be given
to the vagrants, or alms-giving could not be
effectually stopped. Some slight improvements
were effected in certain distracts by the police fol-
lowing regular tramps and imposters, but isolated
cases could not do much good, and it was necessary
, for all the districts to act in unison in the matter.
Mr. Goschen was opposed to the system of
sending casuals to private lodging-houses, be-
cause such cases afforded no discipline or labour.
He was also against the practice of closing the work-
houses at an early hour, because it induced the
tramps to follow the illegal course of sleeping in
hedges and barns. He was in favour of separate
wards for tramps, and he thought the powers he
should ask from Parliament would enable . him to
order guardians to erect new wards, which were
greatly needed in many places.
TRAINING SHIPS FOR BOYS.

There has often been much perplexity as to the
best means of dealing with our street arabs, but
one method of education has been almost in-
variably successful. The training ships at Li-
verpool and elsewhere prodtice gratifying
reports. It seems as though the natural
boy love for the sea, and the comparative
freedom and animation of the life on board ship were
valuable elements in breaking in the young wanderer
of streets and alloys to a regular and settled mode of
earning a livelihood. The sixth annual meeting of
the Liverpool training-ship Indefaigable shewed
that situations are easily found for the boys when
ready for sea, and those that have been already pro-
vided for are well spoken of by their employers.
Mr. Graves, M.P., who presided, remarked on th)
great need which existed for organising some com-
prehensive scheme for recruiting our navy, as by the
decadence of our coasting trade, and the introduction
of steam in connection with shipping, we had lost our
old nurseries for sailors. A. Liverpool committee last
year instituted inquiries into the subject, and the
result was that the falling off in seamanship in the
mercantile marine was owing to the abolition of the
compulsory apprenticeship system, and the consequent
want of training. If the system .on which these
training ships are based were. enlarged and extended,
it would supply this great want, as well as being an
incalculable benefit to the boys themselves.

THE RECENT GUNPOWDER. EXPLOSIONS.
The late terrible explosions in ammunition manu-
factories have directed public attention to the
necessity of an increased supervision of such estab-
lishments. The Aston Local Board addressed a
memorial in reference to the fatal explosions at
Witton to the Home Secretary, and have in return
received a reply stating that the works
of Messrs. ICynoch and Ludlow have already
been officially inspected, and also that the general
question of the manufacture and storage of gunpow-
' der is " under the consideration" of the Government.
The Home Secretary's letter points out to the Local
Board that there are considerable powers
of control and search conferred by the
existing acts. If local authorities would make judi-
cious inquiries from time to time as to the manner in
which such dangerous manufactures are conducted,
they might, if any illegal practice was carried on, ob-
tain a search warrant and enforcement of penalties.
It is well that this fact should be clearly under-
stood and generally known in regard to
dangeroui manufactories, since if any autho-
rities had taken the trouble to investigate the
manner in which tke manufacture of cartridges was
carried on at Messrs. Ludlow's works, they would
certainly have never sanctioned the use of stoves
which could be opened for the warming of dinners
in the midst of gunpowder.