DOI Heft:
August 2, 1873
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16937#0062
WHOSE FAULT?
Wife (reproachfully). “ 0, Charles ! ” (She had returned to the Dining-Room, wondering why he had not come upstairs to Tea.)
Charles (who had evidently taken a little too much Wine.) “ Y’v well, my dear ! ’Sh not my Fault! ’Sh your Fault!
’Cooksh Fault ! ’Bisque Soup was Salt ! Sh’preme d’la V’laille was Smoked ! And Orange Frittersh ’Tough as Leather !
What did Capt’n du Cane shay? Bad Cookery cause of all sorts o’ Crimes. ’Shamed of Yourshelf!”
POST-OFFICE ECONOMY.
The Postmen are imploring a little increase of their ever, but
now, in these dear times, more than ever inadequate salaries. Their
agitation for higher wages is stifled by threats of dismissal.
Happily, these menaces are effectual, and our letter-carriers do not
strike. Unhappily, on the other hand, too many of them are tempted
to eke out a subsistence by stealing the contents of money-letters.
This practice is, however, in a great measure checked by the
registration necessitated for letters which contain money. But the
registration of letters containing money in the form of postage
stamps is not as yet imperative ; so some of the straitened letter-
carriers sometimes steal even postage-stamps out of letters. To
stop this pilfering also, what expedient can be more obvious than
that of extending the registration system to letters in which postage-
stamps are enclosed F Accordingly, the Postmaster-General has
announced that he proposes to institute this arrangement on the
1st of August, to continue thenceforward. Mr. Monsell, however,
as a simply economical Minister, seems not to he so thorough as his
principal colleagues. He has stated that his proposed new rule
will not he enforced until the House of Commons has had an
opportunity of recording an opinion on its expediency.
It is to he apprehended that Parliament will condemn it, as
subiecting letter-writers to an inconvenient and vexatious impost
without sufficient reason. The purpose of preventing underpaid
postmen from being tempted to steal will, perhaps, hardly appear
sufficient to Honourable Gentlemen. Too many Honourable Gentle-
men, probably, are unprepared to go so far in parsimony as to agree
in the proposition that anything is preferable to the slightest increase
of subordinate officials’ wages.
ARMY AND NAVY EXAMINATION.
Q. What, on shore, corresponds to tarring a rope?
A. Pitching a tent.
A GLUT OF DIAMONDS.
The increased price of coal coincides with a reduction of the cost j
of a purer form of carbon. Whilst black diamonds are quoted at ,
high figures, the rates commanded by diamonds proper are very low.
Amongst commercial intelligence it is announced that ‘ ‘ the market
for diamonds continues in a very depressed state, owing to the
abundance of the supply.” Some of our wealthier readers, hereto-
fore wont, at this time of the year, to be apprised by their coal-
merchants of their usually reduced prices for the season, may have
received, instead of that accustomed notice, a circular from their
jewellers, recommending them, on the assumption that they most
likely have, or are in the way to have, wives, daughters, or other
female relations, to seize the present favourable opportunity of
laying in a stock of diamonds. The wisdom of taking this provident
forethought will he manifest from the statement that, ‘ with the
exception of stones of very large size, and brilliants and small rose
diamonds of the very finest quality, the fall in value has been
general, and in some descriptions, such as rose-cut diamonds of
mediocre to middling quality, equal to from_ 30 to 40 per cent.”
Should the supply of diamonds go on increasing in excess of the
demand, it may be that they will sink to a point of depreciation
which will give cause for regret that the diamond, although com-
bustible, is not sufficiently so as to allow diaphanous diamonds to
he substituted for sable, and burnt instead of coals. Otherwise this
is the result which might ultimately ensue from a progressive
augmentation of the output of diamonds.
MAXIM OF A MICAWBER.
Those kinsfolk I account our kind relations
Whose ready loans our frequent needs avail;
Who still encourage all our speculations, _
And take the consequences when we fail.
Wife (reproachfully). “ 0, Charles ! ” (She had returned to the Dining-Room, wondering why he had not come upstairs to Tea.)
Charles (who had evidently taken a little too much Wine.) “ Y’v well, my dear ! ’Sh not my Fault! ’Sh your Fault!
’Cooksh Fault ! ’Bisque Soup was Salt ! Sh’preme d’la V’laille was Smoked ! And Orange Frittersh ’Tough as Leather !
What did Capt’n du Cane shay? Bad Cookery cause of all sorts o’ Crimes. ’Shamed of Yourshelf!”
POST-OFFICE ECONOMY.
The Postmen are imploring a little increase of their ever, but
now, in these dear times, more than ever inadequate salaries. Their
agitation for higher wages is stifled by threats of dismissal.
Happily, these menaces are effectual, and our letter-carriers do not
strike. Unhappily, on the other hand, too many of them are tempted
to eke out a subsistence by stealing the contents of money-letters.
This practice is, however, in a great measure checked by the
registration necessitated for letters which contain money. But the
registration of letters containing money in the form of postage
stamps is not as yet imperative ; so some of the straitened letter-
carriers sometimes steal even postage-stamps out of letters. To
stop this pilfering also, what expedient can be more obvious than
that of extending the registration system to letters in which postage-
stamps are enclosed F Accordingly, the Postmaster-General has
announced that he proposes to institute this arrangement on the
1st of August, to continue thenceforward. Mr. Monsell, however,
as a simply economical Minister, seems not to he so thorough as his
principal colleagues. He has stated that his proposed new rule
will not he enforced until the House of Commons has had an
opportunity of recording an opinion on its expediency.
It is to he apprehended that Parliament will condemn it, as
subiecting letter-writers to an inconvenient and vexatious impost
without sufficient reason. The purpose of preventing underpaid
postmen from being tempted to steal will, perhaps, hardly appear
sufficient to Honourable Gentlemen. Too many Honourable Gentle-
men, probably, are unprepared to go so far in parsimony as to agree
in the proposition that anything is preferable to the slightest increase
of subordinate officials’ wages.
ARMY AND NAVY EXAMINATION.
Q. What, on shore, corresponds to tarring a rope?
A. Pitching a tent.
A GLUT OF DIAMONDS.
The increased price of coal coincides with a reduction of the cost j
of a purer form of carbon. Whilst black diamonds are quoted at ,
high figures, the rates commanded by diamonds proper are very low.
Amongst commercial intelligence it is announced that ‘ ‘ the market
for diamonds continues in a very depressed state, owing to the
abundance of the supply.” Some of our wealthier readers, hereto-
fore wont, at this time of the year, to be apprised by their coal-
merchants of their usually reduced prices for the season, may have
received, instead of that accustomed notice, a circular from their
jewellers, recommending them, on the assumption that they most
likely have, or are in the way to have, wives, daughters, or other
female relations, to seize the present favourable opportunity of
laying in a stock of diamonds. The wisdom of taking this provident
forethought will he manifest from the statement that, ‘ with the
exception of stones of very large size, and brilliants and small rose
diamonds of the very finest quality, the fall in value has been
general, and in some descriptions, such as rose-cut diamonds of
mediocre to middling quality, equal to from_ 30 to 40 per cent.”
Should the supply of diamonds go on increasing in excess of the
demand, it may be that they will sink to a point of depreciation
which will give cause for regret that the diamond, although com-
bustible, is not sufficiently so as to allow diaphanous diamonds to
he substituted for sable, and burnt instead of coals. Otherwise this
is the result which might ultimately ensue from a progressive
augmentation of the output of diamonds.
MAXIM OF A MICAWBER.
Those kinsfolk I account our kind relations
Whose ready loans our frequent needs avail;
Who still encourage all our speculations, _
And take the consequences when we fail.