THE GENERAL ELECTION

The break-up of the Coalition makes election prospects in Berwick very complicated. Sir Francis Blake, who supported the Coalition, is retiring, and Mr Hilton Philipson, who has consistently spoken of himself as a Liberal, has until now had the support of the Unionists in the constituency. Will he continue to get it? A meeting of the Unionist Association has been called for Saturday, by which time Mr Bonar Law will have announced his programme at Leeds and Mr Lloyd George will be speaking the same day. It was announced on Wednesday morning that the Conservative headquarters had decided not to bring out further candidates against any Coalition Liberals who are willing to give general support to Mr Bonar Law’s Government. By Saturday both Mr Hilton Philipson and the Unionist Association should know where they stand. There is no such doubt as to Mr Runciman’s position. He will have the support of the Independent Liberals, and there will be no Labour candidate to detach votes from him. Either there will be a straight fight between Mr Runciman and Mr Philipson or a triangular contest between Mr Runciman, Mr Philipson and a Conservative. Until we know more as to what is to happen it is, useless to go into possibilities.

The “Alnwick Gazette,” in which many people understand that Mr Charles Percy has an interest, last week stated that there was a considerable expression of opinion in the constituency – “now that the Conservatives have adopted an independent course- that a Conservative should stand for the Berwick Division. The name of a sitting Member of Parliament, resident in our own district (Alnwick), has frequently been mentioned as the right man to do successful battle on behalf of the Conservative party.” Some people have assumed that the sitting member of Parliament resident in Alnwick might possibly be Mr Charles Percy himself. He heads the list of five candidates at the poll at Tynemouth in 1918 with a majority of about 450 votes over the next candidate, and he announced some time ago that he would not recontest the seat. This would not prevent his standing as an Independent Conservative candidate for North Northumberland with or without official support.

HOLY ISLAND

The new hostess at No. 10 Downing Street will probably be Lady Sykes (ness Miss Isobel Law), Mr Bonar Law’s eldest daughter. She was married to major Sir Frederick Sykes in May, 1920, and the couple, it will be remembered, came by aeroplane to Holy Island for their honeymoon.

On Friday evening the harvest thanksgiving festival was held in St. Mary’s Parish Church. The church was most elaborately decorated with beautiful fresh flowers, abundance of fruit, vegetable, corn- perfect in taste and beauty. Certainly the churchy has never looked prettier; the font was laden with flowers, green sprays and vegetables making a pretty border round the bottom. The pulpit had handsome sheaves of corn as a background, with apples in rows round the front and bunches of black grapes hanging to each lamp, and different coloured flowers and green covering the body of the pulpit. The altar, too, was magnificent with lovely white flowers and brass brightly polished, and apples in rows in front of the altar rails and two huge sheaves of corn with white loaves round them.

The fisherman’s aisle was decorated with the harvest of the sea, the “lines” with fish attached hung prettily from each pillar. The oars and small boat and seaweed made it exquisite. The next most touching site was a pretty cross of flowers and greens placed by loving hands below each memorial tablet of departed friends. The Rev. H. Haslam, Vicar of Beadnell, preached a very inspiring and striking sermon to large congregations, while the choir rendered a pretty anthem- “Oh, Lord, how good and manifold are Thy works”- in perfect style. The hearty singing of harvest hymns and Psalms brought the service to a close, the organist (Miss Bell) doing her part exceeding well. The services on Sunday at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. were conducted by the Vicar.

FALL IN BIRTH AND DEATH RATES

The Medical Officer’s quarterly report for period ending 30^th September, having been printed and circulated, was taken as read. The report, adopted without comment, was as follows: – There has been a marked fall in the Birth Rate as compared with the preceding quarter and “a most remarkable fall in the Death Rate. This latter is in keeping with similar fall noted all over the country. The small number of deaths in infants (4), including only two from infantile diarrhoea, is due to the cold damp summer. Infectious disease in the borough remained slight in amount. Six cases of scarlet fever occurred and all were removed to hospital, as was the one case of diphtheria. The new Hospital Wards have been in use during the period and have proved to be very convenient and comfortable. The Child Welfare Centre continues to be well attended.

The births in Berwick were 13 boys, 17 girls, a total of 30; in Tweedmouth, 8 boys, 9 girls, a total of 17; in Spittal, 2 boys, 4 girls, a total of 6; making a total for the whole borough of 23 boys, 30 girls- 53.

The deaths in Berwick were 4 males, 10 females, a total of 14; in Tweedmouth, 5 males, 7 females, a total of 12; in Spittal, no males, 3 females, a total of 3; making a total for the Borough of 9 males, 20 females-29. The ages at death were:- Under 1 year, 4; 1 to 5, 3; 5 to 15, 1; 15 to 45, 5; 45 to 60, 7; 60 to 70, 1; 70 to 80, 4; 80 to 90, 3; 90 upwards, 1.

Causes of death were:- Whooping cough, 1; phthisis (pulmonary tuberculosis), 3; cancer, malignant disease, 4; organic heart disease, 5; pneumonia (all forms), 1; other diseases of respiratory organs, 2; diarrhoea and enteritis (under 2 years), 1; appendicitis and typhlitis, 1; congenital debility, etc., 3; violent deaths excluding suicide, 1; other defined diseases, 7; total, 29.

Of Infectious Diseases there were the following cases:- Scarlet fever, 6; pneumonia, 3; tuberculosis, 2; erysipelas, 2; diphtheria, 1; total, 14. Removal to hospital, 6 cases.

LOCAL NEWS

With a strong sea running and a stiffish south-easterly gale combining to make conditions bad enough for a wreck, Berwick lifeboat crew were summoned for a practice on Thursday afternoon. After a smart launch, the boat proceeded down the river under oars. When the end of the Pier was reached sails were hoisted, and the boat ran for a considerable distance out to sea, bearing towards the Farnes.

She then turned round and made for home, after having been out for about an hour. The bar was somewhat difficult to negotiate. A crowd at the River View Works at Spittal Point were interested in the practice, as well in watching the inroads of the sea, the waves are high tide breaking on to the roofs of the works. Groups of people on the Walls and Pier watched with admiration the lifeboat crew undertake their unpleasant task in answer to the rocket’s summons.

A very successful dance, organised by the dressmakers of Messrs Paxton and Purves, Ltd., was held in the King’s Arms Assembly Rooms on Wednesday night. About 38 couples were present. Everything was conducted in a very business-like way, and a great deal of the success depended upon the non-dancing friends of the organisers who assisted in the preparation and serving of supper.

There was no “sitting out,” the enticements of the orchestra under the direction of Sergt. Parker were much too strong, for the very latest and best music was played in perfect time. At one o’clock everyone made for home tired but happy.

On Tuesday and Wednesday last week a meeting for retriever trials in connection with the Scottish Field Trials Association was held on the Mellerstain estate near Gordon by permission of the Earl of Haddington. In the trials on Tuesday, Capt. H. Liddell Grainger’s dog, “Troop of Faskally” (Labrador) was placed 4^th in the open stakes for all ages. The non-winners’ stakes were decided on the Wednesday at the farm of Darlingfield, Gordon. Colonel Trotter, Charterhall, acted as one of the guns. The hole of the “work” took place over ideal ground for the purpose, principally among roots, and, notwithstanding the bad season, it provided a fine variety of game, especially partridges.

A COMPLAINT AS TO DIRTY WAGGONS

The Committee of the Berwick Branch of the National Farmers’ Union agreed at their meeting on Saturday to send a resolution to their Executive expressing the hope that railway companies would exercise proper care in the cleansing of waggons and that a supply of sawdust be available at all stations for those who use it. The discussion arose out of a complaint made by Mr J. Rand Gainslaw, that sheep he had purchased at Wooler were put into a filthy waggon and he had been charged for sawdust that had never been put in the waggons. If thousands of sheep were coming to the sales the railway company ought to be prepared for the traffic. Mr W. Davidson, East Learmouth, moved the resolution, which was carried, an amendment by Mr J. B. Barr, Moneylaws, to take no notice of the dirty waggons, as this was a rare occasion, being lost by 7 votes to 2.

Mr Davidson urged the importance of sawdust being put into the waggons as perhaps more cruelty was done to animals by not putting in sawdust than in any other way. If sent in waggons to England without sawdust, sheep could not walk when they got out.

Mr J. R. Wood supported Mr Barr. Were owners of stock inclined to pay for sawdust? There were two sides to consider. He knew that on trucks of sheep arriving at Wooler sales the railway company had put men on there and then to get the waggons cleaned to get the sheep away from the sale. On one occasion he had had the choice of getting his stock home the night of the sale if he used a dirty waggon or of waiting till the next day to get a clean waggon. It was often to the benefit of purchasers of sheep to get them away the same night. Had Mr Rand taken any steps to bring his case before the railway company?

Mr Rand- I thought it was a suitable case for the National Farmers’ Union to take up.