THE MORALS OF THE POTTERIES. [To THE EDITOR OP THE
"SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Your correspondent "E. S. H." in the Spectator of January 23rd has fallen into a somewhat common error in speaking of the Potteries as the "Black Country." The blackened, barren stretch of country lying between Wolver-
bampton and Birmingham is well called the "Black Country," and it may be that some of the hard things said of the scenery of that district are not undeserved ; but the surroundings of the Pottery district (which lies some thirty miles further to the north of the county) are anything but horrible ; indeed, I once heard Professor Sidney Colvin speak of the Potteries as a "little black diamond in a glorious setting." At no point in the centre of any one of the group of towns forming the Potteries are the workers more than a few minutes' walk from some of the most delightful rural scenery in the kingdom ; and Fenton, where recently such prominent attention has been called to the vicious habits of some of the pottery workers, is exceptionally well placed in this respect. As regards the im- possibility of taking advantage of the humanising influence of gardening, your correspondent's remarks are altogether inapplicable to the Pottery district, as there is no manufac- turing centre in this country where the workers take a keener interest in horticulture.—I am, Sir, &c., E. B. W.
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