The Cardiff Times

SUNCLAD tl"^ TOBACCO IS the Best. Try IL

WORKMEN'S TOPICS. TWO YEARS' LIBERAL LEGISLA- TION & ADMINISTRATION. (By MABON, M.P.) On the 10th of this month there was issued from 12, Downing-street, London, a publication of great value and significance. For the first time in the history of this country, I believe, there was published in a connected form state- ments as to the legislative enactments con- ducted by each Government Department, and the administration appertaining thereto, and each of the statements being prepared under the direction of the responsible Minister. And it is evident that the record thus issued by Mr George Whiteley, the Chief Government Whip, is one that any Government might be proud of, and which few Administrations have ever attempted, or much less equalled in realisation, in past times. Doubtless the present publication will be found to be so useful that it will be issued in future at the end of each Session. Legislative Results. For the two Sessions of 1906 and 1907 the classified list of Acts parsed make the follow- ing fine show Commercial, 15 labour, 8 agriculture, 10 Scotland, 9 Ireland, 12 Colonies and India, 7 law and justice, 21 Army and Navy, 7; Post Office, 5; local government, 5 general, 19 total, 113. Coming to the work of administration and beginning with the Treasury, I find that, taking the actual reduction of the National Debt in 1907 and the estimated reduc- tiort of the National Debt in 1907-8, the enormous sum of X30,514,000 is secured. The reduction of the tax on earned in- tonies not exceeding £2,000 from Is to 9d in t,he £ is one of the most familiar of Mr Asqqith's reforms at the Treasury. Mr Asquith's tables show plainly show the reduc- tion of our National Debt. which used to go on at the rate of seven or eight millions per annum, if going on at the rate of about 17. Reduction of Armaments. In regard to the Admiralty, while the policy of the Government is to keep, as at present, the unquestioned command of the sea, they have taken the lead m Europe of promoting the re- duction of armaments by practical proposals. As to The Board of Agriculture, the drowning achievements, we all agree, were the passing Of the Agricultural Holdings Act oi 1906 and the Small Holdings Act of 1907- Still, the President of this Board did excellent work in passing the Butter led Margarine Act of last Session, and also in promoting small holdings on Crown lands. Added to this is some very useful if unostenta- tious work in a departmental sense. The Education Board. Though the Education Bill for England and "Wales was strangled by the House of Lords in 1906, admirable work has, in my opinion, been dche by this Bond- In fact, our friend Mr MrKenyB'j ito the '^ce of -muoh opposition and with fine courage. lias carried through admin* iatrat-ive charges of vital and far-reaching character. The training colleges for teachers and the secondary schools supported by public fundL-have been freed from religious tests and a gra nt of 11-00,000 has been made for building elementary schools where they are required, and the" esh Education Department has "been formed, and an Imperial College of (science and Technology has been established. This is no mean record. Work in General. It is more than I can do to notice all the Departments as 1 would like. But I would Fay that the Postmaster-General has brought his Department to a high state of efficiency. As to the Board of Trade, I have called the attention of readers of this column time after time as' to bow ex- ceedingly and successfully active our friend the President of this Board has been in pro- moting the interests of commerce a nd ship ping and trade in general, and not the least of his achievements, and with which he frowned his two years' work, was the passing of the most important Act. relating to patents and designs. Even the War Minister succeeded after a very prolonged and many a keen struggle in carry- ing his Territorial Army Bill to the Statute Book. and the President of the Local Government Board carried seven useful mea cures of more or less importance and crowned his useful activities by passing a most im- portant Act affecting the good of the people. And notwithstanding the jealous bickerings of big foes Mr John Burns has proved himself- and will, I think. no so again—to be a most efficient constructor and administrator of laws appertaining to the welfare of the people affected by his Department. The Home Office. "Everyone who reads the daily paper and at- tempts to form an opinion as to the value of work done in our various Government De- partments will know that Mr Herbert Glad- stone. the. Home Secretary, has introduced and carried through several lcgislative enact- ments of no mean order yet, of quite first- rate importance, and notwithstanding his general disadvantage, he has done so with skill and ability after all. His piloting through the House of Commons of that most important of Labour measures, the Workmen's Compensa- tion Art, must be acknowledged to be a great achievementskilfully done. The Street Betting Act was another of his valuable Bills successfully carried through- Notwithstanding that these measures deserve special mention as some of the best legislative work of his department, we should not forget to mention the Mines Eight Hours Bill, which has only had its first reading, and must have given him some con- siderable a nxiety and trouble. Still, it will be acknowledged by all and at once that. Herbert Gladstone has shown skill and influence in the way he has used his power as administrator and in the direction of humane considerations. There are records there of four eirculaxs-one, securing the" benefit of the doubt to alien refugees, another exhorting magistrates to be more liberal in granting bail, a, third recom- mending in more general terms a merciful discretion," and a fourth dealing with the case of the conscientious objector to vaccina- tion. All of tbc proclaim that tbe present Government is conscientiously humanising the administration of our existing laws. The Home Office record under the head of Fac. tory inspection and industrial diseases is equally satisfactory. If this Minister had not passed a single Bill during the year, he would have claimed considerable merit and sympathy for using his power and influence in this direction, and therefore serve the ideals of the democracy of the world, and so deserve the applause of his country. In fact, to attempt to sum up in a column the work of those two years-e,ven in the sphere of administration- would be a hopeless task. Doubtless the idea so original and valuable- though experimental—will be repeated every year, and as no party can patent its ideas, I have no doubt that the Conservative Govern- ment will follow suit. Records of this kind should be permanent naturally, and at the end of a term of years they will form the basis on which friend and foe alike will rely upon for forming an estimate of any Government's -w.bievement,s. The record, in my opinion, will he a positive contribution to the political .ducation of the people, and should be-, no mean stimulus to Ministers themselves to be fruitful in good works.

Do you think you will learn to like your titled son-in-law?" "I don't know," answered Mr Richley. I can't quite tell where to put him in my expense account. He is neither a recreation nor an investment.

MUSIC IN WALES. By D. EMLYN EVANS. THE NATIONAL EISTEDDFOD, SWANSEA. The interest, outside a given area, in the musical competitions at this year national gathering-especially in the choral classes— was largely discounted by the fact- that they were practically limited to South Wales, and in the more import-ant contests, the chief and male voice items, entirely so, the only con- testants hailing from other parts than the southern half of the Principality being UOIC- ford and Portsmouth in the second choral, a choir of ladies from Bangor, and a juvenile choir from Liverpool. Of course, Monmouth- shire, which was represented in the chief com- petition by a choir from Newport, is claimed' and recognised by all eisteddfodwyr as being part and parcel of Wales. It is to be regretted that the struggle for the year's chief choral honours was thus shorn of its national and international character -the former, at least, being highly desirable—as it is conceded that the mark attained by some of the contending choirs on this occasion was very high. However, it cannot be laid as a fault against them of the Deheubarth, that none from either Gwynedd or Lloegria came forward to do them battle. Now, Mr Roderick Williams and the victorious Cardiff forces can afford, after Rhyl (1904) and Swan- sea, not exactly to rest on their oars, hut to advance to higher and more systematic efforts. In the field of competition-gooa. and useful enough as a means-the contestants are always plentiful. But higher up, where greater energy and superior resources are necessary, the labourers are but few, although the harvest is great there, too. Some surpi ise was felt in musical Eistedd- 'fodic circles at the strictures passed on the test pieces in the second choral competition by the judge, when delivering the adjudi- cation. Although he spoke for himself and his fellow-adjudicators," as the papers in- formed us, it could hardly be thought that the three Welsh adjudicators, all young as national Eisteddfod judges, would have intentionally j placed themselves in the unenviable position of disparaging the work of one of their fore- most fellow musicians. But be that as it may, we cannot help feeling that the thing, if done at all. could have been accomplished in a. better way and at a better time. W e know very well that there is often ample room for improve- ment in this matter of selecting tests-these columns will bear witness to our views on the question in the past; and it goes without saying that, we hold ourselves indebted to those shining lights from London and else- where who come occasionally into our midst and enlighten us further. StiU< there was no such crying necessity nor such pressing urgency for that early pronouncement. It could have been well postponed for a day or two, when a, general statement would have been just as effective and less offensive in a per- sonal sense. To have their due effect, also, these deliveries require to be made by some one of commanding power and posi- tion-a George Alexander Macfarren, for in- stance. But experienced adjudicators, as a rule, whether English or Welsh find it exacting work enough to attend to and properly dis- charge their own duties during a week of Eisteddfodauing. There may be exceptional occasions ealling for an expression of opinion in regard to such a question as this but there are other opportunities when it can be done more satisfactorily and to a better pur- pose than on the platform. After admittedly high-class work in the choral classes—the chief, second, the la.dies with eecpectaA praise tawtke Pontypridd 'winners —and the juveniles, it is discouraging and tantalising to find ourselves at the very end compelled to endure the almost unvarying summing up of the relentless adjudicators Intonation bad," or very bad," or "cloudy," or piano had to be stopped," &c- This was the case in the male voice contest. So, here we are back exactly in the same cid position, notwithstanding all the admonitions and warn- ings of the past, as well as the sharp lassons administered by our Saxon friends across the border. Complaints are made that the piece sung—" The Nun of Nidaros "-was long and difficult, but it was not more so than some of the compositions selected for other similar con- tests of late years. Nevertheless, one cannot help thinking that if a, portion of "Nidalo" had been sung, and the late Pughe-Evans' Lovely Maiden the second selected piece, the testing would have been more complete, while the voices would have felt the benefit of the contrast, and the audience have been more interested. It would also have only been a tribute to the memory of the talented and genial young author, who lived and died in Swansea. The audience's patience was tried, too, by the long delay which took place before the award was delivered. But all this has nothing to do with the choirs' exhibi- tions in erratic intonation. As one of the adjudicators stated, these catas- trophes of flatness or sharpness are things that can be easily avoided," and our male choristers should see to it that this very first essential requisite in correct singing should at least be secured. The high encomiums paid by the a djudicators to the competitors in some of the instrumental classes is pleasant reading, although the paucity of entries in the full orchestral band and other subjects is anything but satisfac- tory. High praise was also given, and no doubt fully merited by, the lady vocal soloists, and it is intm-t-st-ineto note that the soprano (mezzo) and contralto winners formed the successful female duet- This was not Mr David Ellis, Cefnmawr's, first.. National success as tenor vocalist, but he is to be complimented as a North Walian upon his pluck and ability in snatching one honour, at any rate, from the strong grasp of the Hwntw, while our old friend, Mr Gwilym Thomas, of Tynewydd fame in another connection, has once more proved his prowess as a fine basso. In regard to the evening concerts, the per- formance of Berlioz's Faust and Mr David Thomas's new cantata, Llyn y Fair i I -to whom congratulations upon the success of his work—were satisfactory. But that can hardly be said of the opening and closing miscellaneous ,O,L concerts. As the orchestra, was present at the first, it is a pity it was not more utilised and the picture of a concert in connection with the National Eisteddfod of Wales, the majority of the artists also being Welsh, without a, single Welsh song in the whole programme, is too ludicrous to comtemplafce. True, Hen wlad fy Nhadau figured as the closing item. May we reverently but fervently pray God save hen wlad fv Nhadau from patriotic displays such as this

Overcome. An irritable-looking man entered a hair- dresser's shop and remarked to the proprietor 1, Can you hollow-grind this razor for me, You want mc to hollow-ground it, I sup- pose ?" said the barber. No," repeated the other I want you to hollow-grind it." If it's ground hollow, isn't it hollow- ground, sir?" asked the barber, with a superior smile. If you grind it hollow, persisted the man. don't you hollow-grind it • You can't tell me anything about grinding razors," returned the barber, showing signs of anger. I've been hollow-grounding razors for a good bit over twenty-five years "No you haven't! You've been hollow- grinding them Do you think I don't know my business ?" demanded the barber, whose voice was getting hoarse. *• I don't know and I don't care," responded the customer. Will you hollow-grind this razor?'" No, sir, I won t! I'll hollow-ground it or I won't touch it At this juncture the owner of the razor paused for reflection. Well, then," he asked at last, can I have this razor ground hollow here ?" In His Own Country."—A young man recently returned to the country village where he was born, after having successfully worked his way up to a desirable position in the Government office. I suppose the people here, Thomas have benrd of the honour that has been conferred on me ?" he inquired of one of his friends. Yes, they have," was the gra.tifving reply. And what," said the man of fame eagerly—" what do they say about it. Thomas 1" "They don't say nothing," replied Thomas—'t they just laugh.

Fashion and Things Feminine. By MISS IDA MELLER. Smart Simplicity. The present is generally admitted to be a most convenient period of dress, for once more the tight-fitting coat is at the disposal of the woman who favours neat, trim effects, whiie the Russian blouse and loose sac have.not by any means exhausted their popularity. A yea.r or two ago, while the pouched blouse was in the zenith of its career, the tight-titting coat was quite out of the good graces of lashion makers and was relegated to the limbo of discarded fashions but to-day it is liailed as a charming novelty," and comes fresh again to the world of modes It is welcomed especially by those whci incline towards the severely simple tailor-made, and in its smartest aspect, that is with cut-away fronts, extend- ing to the knees, has a style and distinction eminently becoming to tall figures. Typical of one of the most popular modes of the moment is the simple tailor-made of striped tweed, sketched, guiltless of any trimming, and representing smart simplicity in its most practical sense. The costume throughout is characterised by the utmost plainness. The skirt, is a gored one, and the coat is cut with curved seams following the lines M the figure, and is fastened with horn buttons. A fashion delighted in by the Parisienne is the wearing of a big cloche hat trimmed with a hand- some bow of glace silk, with a tight-fitting tailor-made, the contrast of the close fit of the costume and the superfluous width of the hat bringing about an uncommon and very pretty effect. An Embroidered Flannel Blouse. Embroideries ring the changes with pieats on blouses and shirts for the autumn, the morning shirt of cream flannel having about it groups of small pleats interspersed bylines of em- broidery, or being devoid of pleats and showing the fronts lightly embroidered all over. An afternoon blouse of fine French cream coloured flanneJ, sketched herewith, is smartly made with an embccvdered plastron and yoke, a collar-band to match, and cuffs in harmony The same design carried" out in pale blue, with either blue or cream embroidery, is also very dainty looking, as in a shirt of mauve nun's veiling with a collar and centre-front of Torchon lace and cuffs to match, the material being arranged in a few tucks from each shoulder seam, these being about six inches in length. How to Live. The problem of how to live in the most com- fortable, economical way is one that the single woman, obliged to work for her support, and having no home circle, finds difficult to solve satisfactorily. If she has her own furnitme she will probably think it the best plan to take unfurnished rooms and fit them up her- self but if she is without belongings of the kind, it is probable that she will take furnished rooms, or a bed-sitting-room, and in this way have the benefit of attendance, which is not supplied, of course, with unfurnished apart- ments as a rule, though now and then one .comes across exceptional instances where there is a housekeeper on the premises who under- takes the cleaning of the rooms, the cooking, and attendance generally for a couple of shil- lings a week for each room. This adds, of course, to the weekly expenses, and the woman bread-winner of small means may prefer to save the cost of daily attendance, and adopt the plan of having a charwoman once a week performing the daily dusting, etc., herself. In the case of two women living together, a small fiat is preferable to a couple of rooms, for many reasons, one being the advantage of having a kitchen but the single woman living alone is apt to find the solitariness of aflat pall, and to choose, therefore, rooms in a house where there are other signs of life about. The boarding house offers another solution of the problem of how to live, but this, again, has ii- subjective side. For instancy, the com- pany may not always be congenial, and the dinner hour may not suit one's own business arrangements, this especially being the case in regard to the woman who cannot depend upon being home at the same time every day, and who would naturally begrudge paying for meals which she docs not eat, and being put to the expense of providing others which she does eat. A part from the methods of living enumerated, the single woman may take advantage of making her home in the chambers erected specially for women which are springing up in various towns and suburbs. Here she can have a cubicle for about five shillings a week, or better accommodation for a higher sum. There is generally a great run on these apartr ments, and the would-be occupant has to wait a considerable time before her turn comes. To some the restrictions which attach to renting rooms in these mansions for women arc drawbacks that outweigh the charms of the establishments, which, otherwise, seem to meet a long-felt want. A cheerful locality and environment means so much to natures easily influenced by sur- roundings thatmanylo-nely women gladly pay rather more than their incomes justify them in doing on rent for the sake of keeping up their spirits Back streets and slum districts would have too depressing an effect to be thought of seriously as home, and the temptations of the table are willingly forfeited and the simplest, cheapest food adopted in order to enjoy a pleasant outlook or a saving is made-in other ways for the sake of meeting the case. The choice of where to live is often gov- erned by circumstances-nearness to one's place of occupation or to one's friends but where neighbourhood is optional it is well worth while to pay for cheerful locality if one is sensitive to environment. In any case, a little taste can be exercised in making one's habitation pretty.

Tramp Madam. 1 am suffering from indiges- tion. '-<adv; Why, I'm sorry! What can I do to help you ? Tramp Madam, you can cure me instantly by giving me something to digest. Now. children," said the teacher, who had been giving a lesson on military fortification, can any of you tell me what a buttress is ?" Please, ma'am," cried little Willie. it's a nanny goat.

Welsh Tit-Bits. Neu Wreichion Oddiar yr Eingion By CADRAWD. A RECORD DAY. On the Park, outside the Eisteddfod Pavilion, at Swansea, a group of bards were chatting, seeing the people pouring in with such rapidity before the chief choral competition it was apparent that the day was likely to be a record day in the his- tory of the National Eisteddfod. It suggested to one of the group to ask, what was the Welsh for a record day. and the following were sug- gested by Welsh bards, who had either been chaired or crowned at the National. The following were given :— Penllanw Tor Cyfri;" 14 Uwchgyfri Tor gyfres." After adjudicating on the four words above quoted, the company came to a unanimous agreement that the second was the best—" Tor Cyfri— so let it go forth that the Welsh for a record day shall be— Diwyrnod tor-cyfri," as agreed by the bardic congress of the Bards of the Isle of Britain—" yn ngwyneb haul a llygad goleuni." Mr Llewelvn Griffith, J.P., Cwmavon, was at the Eisteddfod held at Swansea in 1863, and he gave me an englyn which he heard Talhaiarn repeat from the platform of that Eisteddfod, which is as follows :— Mae Clwydfardd yn far a fu—a'i a wen Yn berwi holl Gymru A Cheiriog felcog a'i fawl cu, Ond Tal yw pen y teulu." "Caws o FelaJr Ci." This is a very familiar Welsh proverb, and is applicable when there is no hope of regain- ing a thing, or of having anything returned from a certain quarter. Fifty or sixty years ago, it was customary in rural parishes to collect a rate agreed upon at the Vestry, which was called a supplementary poor rate, under the old poor law system, which was called by the Welsh, y dreth fach." A rate collector iu Llanrhaiadr, of which parish the celebrated Gwallter Mechain was the vicar, called at the vicarage for the little rate, and telljjxg the vicar, Y dreth fach ydy hon, Mr Davies, mi gewch o yn ol yn y dreth arall." (This is the small rate, Mr Davies; you shall have this back when you pay the other). The old vicar turned round on his heels, and in a gruff voice, answered Ni waith i ni mofyn caws o fol y ci, Na dim yn ol o'th ddwvlaw elL" We look forward to see this winter quite an increased number of Welsh classes in every town and village throughout Wales, to teach the language. It is to be trusted that such answer as the following will not satisfy our Welsh teachers, as was the case some years ago, in a Welsh Sunday School. The teacher asked his pupils the meaning of the word athrodwr (slanderer), but no one at- tempted a reply; so the teacher had to explain himself. He said that the meaning was quite clear, if they only divided the word —athro (athraw), dyr (dwfr)—a Baptist preacher. With a strong pull, and a pull together, we may see the language of Carac- tacus. Arthur, and Taliesin vigorous yet- Y Gymraeg wen. gem auryw hi—a syw barch Oes y byd fo iddi Mirain iaith, ni chymrwn i Dunell o aur am dafti." The Cambrian Shakespaar, There are many references to Wales and Welshmen in SQuttife and Correspon- dence. His estimate of the abilities of our bards is kindly, aud his criticism upon their productions good humoured. In a letter to a friend, dated November 20th, 1801, he writes as follows— You remember your heretical proposition de Cambro Britannis, that the Principality (of Wales) never could produce a great man; that I opposed Owen Glendower and Sir Harry Morgan, to the assertion in vain. But I have found the great man, and not merely the great man, but the maximus homo— we must create a super-superlative to reach the idea of his magnitude. I found him in the Strand, in a shop window, laudably therein exhibited by a Cambro-Briton the engraver represents him sitting in a room that seems to be a cottage, or at best, a. farm, pen in hand, eyes uplifted, and underneath is inscribed— The Cambrian Shakes pear." But woe to me for my ignorance the motto that followed surpassed my skill in language, though it doubtless was a delectable morsel from that great Welshman's poems. You must, how- ever, allow the justice of the name for him, for all his writings are in Welsh, and the Welshmen say that he is as great a man as Shakespeare—and they must know, because they can understand him. I enquired what might be the trivial name of this light and lastre of our dark age, but it hath escaped me but that it meant, being interpreted, either Thomas Denbigh, or some suehevery day baptismal denomination. This picture was that of Thomas Edwards (Twm o'r Nant), which Mr Southey refers to. It was an engraving from an oil painting of the bard taken six weeks before his death, and was then in the possession of Mr Edward Parry, a Chester publisher. Twm o'r Nant" wrote, played and published a good number of interludes in his lifetime, which at that time were very popular, and the comparison between him and William Shakespeare ends there, for, unhappily, he bears no striking resemblance to the myriad-minded bard of Avon. However, Twm's muse was brilliant, his wit pointed, and his sarcasm bitter. His muse dwelt much upon the grievances which existed in church and State—to correct local abuses. He was abhorred by the indo- lent clergy, by the selfish land, stewards, and the imposers of unjust tithes. His Gardd o Gerddi," he published at Trevecca, 2,000 copies—for which he paid j352 in 1790, and has gone through other editions since.

In Exchange. Conversation at the club had turned to the youthful members of the family. The father of one daughter listened gravely while the father of three sons told of his anxieties. Between Will's fondness for every sort of water sport, Jim's craze over cricket, and Arthur's reckless daring where horses are con- cerned, their mother and I aren't having a pleasant time of it. 1 can assure you," con- cluded the boy's father. •• Of course we don't. want them to be cowards, but their mother thinks there might be a line drawn somewhere —she doesn't know just where." Then turning to his neighbour, he con- tinued :— We often think of you two with nothing to worry you—only a pretty daughter just left school." Now see here," said the girl's father, with a grimace > you don't know what you're talking about. That girl of mine has come home with views on every conceivable sub- ject. Now it would be a rest to her mother to exchange her and those viqpws for your three boys, say for six months. I'll do it anytime you're ready." Where He Drew the Line. Arthur Herkimer. the Missouri historian, told at a dinner in St. Louis a story about the famous governor, Claiborne F. Jackson. Jackson," he fsaid. married one after another five sistenr. The thing is incredible, but it is a fact. When for the fifth time Claiborne Jackson broached a marital proposition to his father- in-law the old man was 80 and quite deaf. This is the conversation that ensued :— •' I want Lizzie.' I want you to give me Elizabeth.' Oh, you want me to give you Elizabeth, do you ? What for V For my wife.' For your wife I—want—to—marry—Lizzie.' Oh, yes I hear you. You needn't rouse the neighbourhood.' Well, do you consent V Yes, I consent,' said the old man. He shook his head and added slowly :— Yes, you can have her. You's got 'em all now, my boy. But, for goodness sake, if anything happens to that poor misguided girl, don't come back here and ask me for the old woman. If I were younger," said the rich old man, I believe I might win you for my wife." Yes," replied the cold beauty, dreamily con- sidering his sixty years, or, saqb-fifteen or twenty-yeaes aider*

Illustrated Humour. Heard in a Chemist's Shop. Small Boy (to chemist): You'll find the smell in the bottle, sir, and I want twopen'orth of it." Knew Her Value- What's the wages, mum ?" asked an appli- cant for a situation as cook. "I'm willing to pay you whatever you are worth," was the reply. I've never worked for so little as that, mum Good day to you." The Reward of Forbearance. How did you get that black eye, Willie ?" I got dat," cried Willie di.sgusted!y."by waitin' to count ten when I was angry, like you told me to." A Rustic Compliment. Tourist Do you know whether I'm right for Stratford-on-Avon Rustic silent. Tourist (encouragingly) Stratford-Shakes- peare's country. You know Shakespeare ? Rustic (brightening) Yus, be you he ? Complaint Not Stated. Insurance Official Of what complaint did your father die Applicant The jury found him guilty. Had Him Sized Up A schoolmaster was trying to explain the meaning of the word conceited." Now, boys." he said." suppose that I was always boasting of my learning-that I knew a good deal of Latin for instance-or I said that I was a handsome man. What should you say I was?" A liar, sir," was the ready response. The Mistress Wa- Satisfied. Mistress Mary, are you doing the washing ? The Girl; No. ma'am, I'm filling the cop- per. Realistic An art school student recently painted a pic- ture of a dog under a tree so lifelike that it was impossible to distinguish the bark of the tree from that of the dog Smart In reply to an advertisement for a messenger boy, one of the applicants was a dull country youth "How far is it from the earth to the moon ?" was the first question put to him in his exam. "How far- is it from the earth to the moon ?" echoed the lad. I say, guvpor. if you're going to put me on that route, I don't want the job." « The Throes of Matrimony. Smith My wife is a ventriloquist. She throws her voice, you know. Jones Ob. that's it, eh ? Now, what would you call my wife ? She throws the first thing she gets her hands on Contradicting Herself. Has your son arrived at vears of discre- tion ?" Oh, yes! He's about to get married." How you contradict yourself I" Her Memory. Gay ley You haven't had occasion to accuse me of playing poker for two years. Mrs Gayley Three years, my dear Uavlev: How do you know it's three years ? Mrs Gayley Because I've worn this dress that, long, and I got it the last time I caught you. i • A Sufficient Reason. Kind Old Gentleman: Why arc you crying like that, my boy ? Boy 'Cause its the only way I know how. Too Slow For Anything. The train, as usual, had crawled along, and then came to a sudden stop. Guard," shouted a jovial passenger, may I get out and pick some flowers ?" Afraid you won't find tnatry about here," replied the guard good-humouredly. Oh, there'll be time, heaps of time, before we make another start," said the jovial one. 44 I've got a packet of seeds in my pocket."

Yout-t Hi Modesty.—Mrs Brown had issued stern orders to her son Reginald under no circumstances to play again with the Martin boys, lest he be corrupted. But, mamma." protested Reginald, I like them, an' I don't learn anything bad from them." -ell,I have told you you must not play with the Martin boys. I won't have you with them. I don't believe they are good boys." Mother," cried the youngster, with noble candour, I..p=. baps I'm nK4 sQlgood mywell". <

A Rare Iris. There is no more beautiful Iris than Iris tingitana, but it has the unfortunate disposi- tion of displaying its flowers at rare intervals. It is an Iris we have tried in vain to bloom respectably. It is so tantalising that it will give one bloom just to make one thirst for more and that is all. Perhaps the treatment given to it is incorrect; at least, a gardening correspondent appears to have revealed the mysteries, if mysteries there be. of ii), cultiva- tion. He mentions that when with Mr Elwes the talk was of tender plants, and the well- known authority on plant life said that it was useless in this country to use the same soil as that in which they grow in their native land, that a plant which in its home grew in sand would not succeed in that staple in England, but required richer food to make up for the change of climate. I had grown Iris tingitana for some years with complete ill-success so long as it was left in the ground during the winter, but with an occasional flower when it was lifted, as soon as it had died down and re- planted in October. I had always, however, grown it in sandy soil. I then determined to act up to Mr Elwes' advice, and placed a deep layer oi manure 8in. below the surface. mixing spent Mushroom-bed manure freely with the upper soil. The bulbs were planted 3in. deep and entirely surrounded with silver sand. The next year I had twenty-nine flower spikes from thirty bulbs. For the past three years, treated in this manner, this Iris has flowered splendidly. Last year I planted 200 smaller sized bulbs in a reserve garden, where, greatly to my surprise, about fifty flowered. My suc- cess I attribute entirely to Mr Elwes, and am convinced that what Iris tingitana requires is a very rich soil Bulbous Irises. September is the best month in which to plant these Irises. If they are placed in dif- ferent aspects in the garden, and a judicious selection be made of the best varieties of both the Spanish and the English types—the latter is a fortnight or more later in flowering than the former—a display of these flowers may be had for about five weeks. The best rooting w medium for both types is a light, rich soil that has been deeply worked. A general mistake is made in planting these Irises too thinly a group of a dozen or more bulbs, 'planted at 6in. apart, produces a much better effect than the same number scattered thinly along a border. 1. pavonia (Mowea), the Peacock Iris, and 1. tuberosa. the Snake's Head Iris, are also desirable species for plant- ing they should be given the same treatment as that described above. 1. reticulata, is one of the best garden species.—" Gardeners' Chronie- Perpetual-Flowering Carnations. The flower bud: on the earliest plants that are grown for flowering in winter will now begetting-into a forward condition, and no time should be lost In housi! them. If allowed to repaaui outside after they coiamencelt'. show colour, the blooms are never so clean and free I as when de\ p'.oped under glass. Thoroughly wash the interior of t he hou*>e bet« -e reroov ing^the plants. Attend to the detail* -»f tying ana disbudding, this latter operation being essential if tbp finest blooms ,u-' desired. Xr- range the plants thinly on the siagr, aad fumigate the house at the first opportunity to get rid of any fly that may be lurking itiipccn on any of the plants. If, after housing. any hot weather is experienced, it will be advisable to use the blinds for an hour or two in the day, and to give the plants a slight spraying with the syringe late in the afternoon: this will have an effect similar to the night dews to which the plants are accustomed when out of doors. Late-Flowering TuHps. Darwin, Cottage, Parrot, and manv snecies of Tulips require a longer period of growth than the ordinary bedding kinds. They should there- fore be planted as early as possible now. Home- grown bulbs should first be cleaned and sorted any outer scales that are at all imperfectshould be rubbed off. These Tulips should be planted closely together, and in heavy soils at about 4in. deep, but if the soil is light thev may be planted slightly deeper. Most late-flowering Tulips succeed well when grown under partial shade and under conditions sutable for-tbe smaller Fritillarias, which should also be planted at the present time. Tomatoes. The outdoor crop is very backward, and the earliest fruits have only now finished swelling. To hurry the development of the later fruits the plants had better be stopped harder than is usual. If some old glass lights can be placed in front of the plants, or even a covering be provided at night-time, using 'any light shad- ing material for the purpose, some good will result. If rains are frequent when the fruits are ripening, insert the spade into the soil at a distance of about 18in. from the main stem, and by severing the roots thus counterbalance the excessive supply cf moisture, which would be likely to cause the fruits to crack. Celery. Owing to the cool that have pre- -v-ailed this season th:s crop has in many places made good headway. Spot is prevalent in some crops, and where it is the plant should be care- fully sprayed with Bordeaux mixture at a two- thirds strength. This will not cure the decay- ing leaves, but will protect the growing hearts of tbn plants, says a writer in the Fruit Grower." Judged by some specimens that have reached us for examination, unless this matter of spraying is attended to the Celery crop will be quite ruined. The mistake is some- times made of earthing up the crop too much at a time. the result being that the heart of the plant is covered. Crops that are full grown may. of course, be fully earthed, as all that remains to be done in their case is to get the crop blanched and to market it as soon as possible. There are places where the rain of late has not been sufficientto well soak tberoots, and this should be done by artificial means, where possible, be- fore earthing commences. Remember that earthing i.,Inot done to make the crop grow, but t-o blanch it, and that so far as growing is concerned, it will do best without much moulding up. If slugs abound or red worm is in the land, the rows should be well dusted with fresh-slaked lime along the trenches and air- slaked among the plants themselves. Or the trenches may be dusted with a small dressing of agricultural salt, and the rows them selves with the air-&ked lime. Leeches should be cleared of and dead leaf-stems, and the plants be eithl" tied with raffia, or be held together with o line to keep the soil out of the hearts. Some earth first with the hands, but the line will be much quicker where it is used properly. The line should be run out by the side of the rows, and the operator must stick the pin in at one end of the row, then carefully give the line a turn round each plant, keeping the line tight in the right. hand as each plant is dealt with, and kept just above the point where the soil is to come. Cauliflewers. The plants raised from the earliest, sowings should now be large enough for pricking out. For late districts these will probably be the most satisfactory but they may prove too early for more favoured localities, in some of which it would not be too late even now to make another sowing forforming a gradu&l sue- cession, if not the main upply. In all cases ] these and similar plants should be transplanted as soon as they are large enough to be handled conveniently. This will ensure their making a sturdy growth previous to being pla-ced in their permanent quarters. Onions. The spring-sown Onions, including those that were raised in boxes or frames, and were subsequently transplanted to beds in the open garden, and that. having been lifted, have be- come well-dried and ripened through exposure to the sunshine, should now be stored in a light, well-ventilated shed until a more con- venient time, when it will be necessary to tie them up into bunches or ropes. The matter of thoroughly drying and ripening Onions is a very important one. especially where the bulbs are required to last in good condition through the winter and well into next spring, for unle-ss the drying is done thoroughly decay is sure to get in at about mid-winter. As regards the tying together of the bulbs, it will be found that in trying them in bunches of from twelve to twenty bulbs each is more convenient and economical than roping them, but this. of course, is a matter of opinion.

Did I tell you the story of the old church bell ?" •• No let's hear it." Scrry, but it can't be tQilel till Sunday,"

I WELSH GLEANINGS. News and Views in Lighter Vein. Sir William Crossman. Lord Mayor of Cardiff, has promised to preside at the temperance mass meeting at Newport on Saturday, October 5th. In old Welsh literature th" name of Fonmon Castle, the beautiful resioenoe or Mr O. H. Jones, in Pcnmark. appears as Ftwl Mwn, It is not to be supposed, however, that the name thus given is meant for Full Moon. Tb r»re is at Swansea an ex-cabman named Frank Hopkins who had not heard of his tather for 25 years. Now it is stated that an uncle recently came across the father in Montana inquiring for the son. and as the result of com- munications which have passed Frank will go out and join his parent, who is said to own plains of unworked gold." In the Gorian for September thp editor (the Rev. Peter Hughes Griffiths^ remarks :— We have spent. many hours in second hand book shops during the last two years, and seen hundreds of volumes of the Story of the Nations series offered very cheaply. We have never, however, seen among them single copy of O.M.E.'s Wales." One of the features of the registration courts which are being held just now is the presence of the registration agents of the Labour party. At Newport Mr E. A. Owen. the revising barrister, paid a real compliment to the Labour party's agent (Councillor J. Twomey). declaring that he was by no means an amateur in the work. Then, in rather a low voice, Mr Owen said that the Labour party had cer- tainly justified its existence. In 1859 several eisteddfodau on a large scale were held in different parts of Wales, as, for instance, those of Lampeter, Llancarfan, in the Yale of Glamorgan. and Newcastle Emlyn. At Lampeter the late loan Cunllo had the prize for an awdl—a literary gem—to his friend Daniel Ddu o Geredigion. At Newcastle Emlyn Gwvn- ionydd took the prize for an essay on the his- tory of that town, and at Llancarfan Dewi Wyn oEssyllt carried off the prize for an awdl on Providence." The Rev. J. C. Morrice, =\:1._0\ minor canon of Bangor Cathedral, owing to a throat affection, has been obliged to resign the minor canonry and desist from intoning church services. Mr Morrice occupied the post of Welsh professor at the Sonth Wales University College, Cardiff. during Professor Powell's enforced absence through illness a few years ago. He is under- stood to be engaged on a critical edition of Gwilym's Lleyn s poetical works. Gwilvm Lleyn flourished in the early part of the fifteenth century. What a-ils the Welsh Baptists ? The Union meetings at Llancliy this year," remarks eren Cymru," the organ of the denomina- tion, proved very clearly that the denomina- tion is divided into three clashes—the iBsswick SchDol. the Higher Criticism School, and the Old School, which is also .always new. Strenuous efforts were made to sAleertam—but in vain-to which of these schotAs some of the brethren present belonged. There are indeed dangerous elements present in the denomina- tion. and unless the opposing parties are endowed with a greater measure oi grace to bear with one another in love a storm will soon break." Harvest Time in Breconshire. The (v-.ri i Lnoar- c of fine weather is telling splendidly on the crops in Breconshire. b-* oats wheat, and hay are stall out in Farther up North," wW our holiday correspo £ :'+ent. there are son- remarkable records. The long ..1 i > n harvesting lias told in improving both ear ar,d .straw. Near Cor- wen, la.st week. oarc were cut- which measured 6ft. 9in. and the strength of tilr st-r»-w h be imagined when I state that upon one stoiillt. pecking away at t he oats, were three sparrows. This may appear to be a traveller's tale, but can be vouched for. and the little thieves were in a jubilant mood. and pecked away and chirruped and actually danced I" The Romillys and Barry. Some sixty years ago the Romillv family took great interest in Welsh education and tlw welfare of the tenants on the Porthkerrj estate. At that time there resided on the estate one Thomas Richards, a mason, a maw far above the average for intelligence. He wa* taken in hand by the Romilly family and sent to a training college in London at their ex- pense. They further erected a schoolroom at Porthkerry. and appointed Thomas Ttichards as the first schoolmaster. The old schoolroom is still standing. When Richards died he wae succeeded by Catherine, his dauhter..3. woniac who acquired undeniable fame as a teacher. Cryngae. Mr O. M. Edwards, in his index to his edition of Dafydd ab Gw-ilyni s work! explains Cryngae" as meaning eae ger ty j. small field near a house). The word occurs is the cywydd to the woodcock — Na fydd aflonvdd dy lam Wrth gryngae'r gruglatb gringam. TTI1 yn lew oddiam d'ewin A'th dduryn cryf. wyth-rawncrm. Cryngae is the name of a farmhouse in till- Vale of Teifi. It is an ancient. site, and a mansion stood there in the days of Dafydd at Gwilym. It was, in fact, one of tlie residerT- of his uncle, the other being Doigoc Emlyn. Cryngae is probably a W'n lorm of the Latin granga" and the .English grange." The I. L. P. Grievance "A Member of the Cardiff Temrancc Party-- writes: With regard to the paragraph by Cbware teg" in Saturday s •• Welsh Gossip," the Independent Labour Patry ought to know that the Cardiff Cory Hall, which appears tc have been closed against them, is in no way the property of the temperance party, but if is owned by the gentleman whose name it bears, and managed by trustees of his own appointment. If the trustees have closed the Cory Hall against the I.L.P., the Cardiff tem- perance party, as a body, must not be held responsible. At the same time it would pro- bably be untrue to say that all the members of the temperance parry arc free from blame. Many members of the temperance pa-rry fee) that the great need of Cardiff to-day is a public hall and institute for the masses, where tem- perance and social questions can be freely and frankly discussed. Many Happy Returns. Sir Theodore Martin celebrates his 91st birth- day to-day. The veteran litterateur is at pre- sent staying at his Welsh seat of Bryntisilio. in the Vale. of Llangollen. His health con- tinues excellent, although advancing years render it necessary he should moderate hi? activities. A visitor who called on him the other day found Iml busily engaged npon a new edition of Bongaulker ballads, which may soon be published. Sir Theodore takes the keenest interest in gardening, and any day may be seen busily engaged among the flowers in the beautiful grounds at Bryntisilio. He says he long since decided to cease writing for publication, and that the older he gete the more desirous he is to cultivate the tendency he has always had to take the attitude of a pupil rather than a teacher. Sir Theodore states that the secret of long life and success is to work hard, to strive worthily after high ideals, to realise that there is no royal road to success. That does not necessitate long and arduous toil.

Not Unreasonable. A prominent member of the Bar is also an amateur farmer, and at his farm. for a week in the summer, he entertains a band of poor children. On one of these occasions, when he had taken his visitors round the farm, and they had seen all there was to be seen. the owner treated them to milk. It was good miik—it came from his best cow. Well, bovs, said the farmer, when they had drained their glasses, what do you think of that milk ?" That's fine." said One little chap, enthn- siastically. Then. after a pause, he add. I wish out milkman -.kep' a cow."