Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1888-06-09 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

THE EXAMINER-SATURDAY, JITNE 9, 1888.  that the damage to the roads is done, not by the comparatively light traffic of the urban districts, but by the conveyance of raw material and of manufactured goods emanating from the large manufacturing centres. Yet the urban and rural sanitary authorities are to keop the roads in repair for the use of the large boroughs, which will not (according to the original provisions of the Bill) contribute a cent towards them.  MR. RITCHIE, in reply to the deputation, pointed out that "the largest of the boroughs, and those who had the largest rateable value, were quarter sessions boroughs, and they had never contributed towards the main roads of Lancashire." This may be apologetic, but it is scarcely argumentative. If the Government officials are to take up a motto of "kiss:. flair," it would be difficult to understand why the Bill aims at the removal of any anomalies whatever. But Mr. Ritchie evidently did intend his observation to be taken as argumentative, for he said, "without going into any question of detail, he might say that the Government wen; now examining the financial relations of the proposed county boroughs in Lancashire with the county, and the Government would take care that the county did not suffer financially by the exelusion of the boroughs which now contributed to the main roads." This is satisfactory to a certain extent, and a further very valuable admission was made by Mr. Ritchie, when he said that "the Government felt that the county had a claim upon the revenue of the excluded boroughs, and although there was no pnvision of the kind in the Bill, the Government were contemplating making proposals in the House of Commons by which the county would receive a share of the horse and wheel tax raised in boroughs." He concluded by assuring the deputation that all the representations made to him would be carefully considered by the Government. If this consideration results in some more equitable proposals being made, the influential deputation which waited on the President of the Local Government Board on Tuesday will not have made the journey to London in vain.  THE matter of the new Union for Gorton, Openshaw, Denton, &c., again came up in consequence of a letter from the Clerk to the Gorton Local Board, containing a resolution passed by the joint representatives of the districts concerned, affirming the desirability of the formation of the Union, and also intimating the desirability of forming the said places into a borough or into a county, if found practicable. The advantages which would accrue from the formation of the Poor Law Union as proposed (if possible) are otutious, but the same cannot be said off-hand of the proposed county or borough. The idea, however, deserves careful consideration.  DESCENDING from the regions of uncertainty to those of accomplished facts, it is gratifying to be able to note certain definite "tidings of comfort and joy" none other than the announcement of the reduction in the price of gas from 3s. Bd. to 3s. ad. per r,OOO feet. This is good news for the gas consumer. The Gas Committee evidently intend to do all in their power to encourage the consumption of gas.  A RATHER good story of a would-be suicide comes from the direction of Town-lane. It appears that a collier, named John Day partook of the "cup that cheers" on Saturday night, and became in the vulgar phrase, drunk. Intoxication produces strangely different effects upon different individuals, and our hero was possessed suddenly with a cheerful I idea of committing suicide, or I should say of playing at that fascinating pastime. The first step, obviously, was to ensure that if he should happen to play at it too much, assistance might be at hand,so he announced his intention to a neighbour. The despairing one then made for a pond of water in Town-lane, which has a depth of 3ft. 6in. of water in its least shallow part, and here the dread deed was to have been commtited Day managed to scramble into the waier, but shewed his sound sterling sense by scrambling out again. Despair was still predominent, however, and he rolled himself into the duckpond a second time, and was then hauled out by a second party, he protesting the while that he was "dead," and imploring to be allowed to rest in peace. Day is evidently a born joker and has an unusually keen sense of the ridiculous. It is with great pleasure that I congratulate him on his inherent talent for fun, and if he contemplates "drowning" himself again at any future time, I sincerely hope he will advise "O.L.A.F" of it beforehand, because the latter, though not a humourist himself yet appreciates the talent in others.  A PAINFUL case of real suicide occured at Chapel Green on the same day as the event recorded above, The person in this case was a man named John Newton, 63 years of age. who hanged himself. The evidence given at the inquest, seems to point to lowness of spirits, caused by loss of employment, as a primary reason of the act. A rumour is current that some officious busybodys had made some reflections upon him, because he was living on the bounty of his neice and nephew, and this made such an impression upon his mind, that it caused him to put an end to his life. If this is true it is a simple illustration of what pain the veriest dullards can inflict, by talking about matters which concern them not in the least.  SEVERAL lads were charged at the Ashton County Police Court on Wednesday, with throwing stones at telegraph wires and posts at Audenshaw, and were let off on the light penalty of 2s. 6d. each, including costs. It would be as well if parents were to caution their children against this form of mischief. The damage that might be done by the breaking of an insulator by a stone is almost incredible. Seeing that this is a case, would it not be well for a warning to be given to mischievous lads by small handbills being stuck on the telegraph posts? The cost would not , be much, and they would doubtless have a good eff:tt.  Finet4 Quality Briaiab Wsnea, 10d. pa Po te st Tiloat9Bo* and Co., 276, Stamford-4re* Ashton and 192, Manobeateratreet,_Oldhan