Prestatyn Weekly

EDUCATION ACT, 1902. Flintshire Local Education Authority. Notice is Hereby Given, In accordance with the provisions of Section 8 (1) and (3) of the Education Act, 1902, that the County Council of the Administrative County of Flint, being the Local Education Authority for the purposes of Part III of that Act, propose to accept a transfer to them, under the provisions of the Elementary Education Act, 1870, of the Gwaenysgor Undenominational School situated at the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in the Parish of Gwaenysgor. The School will be available for the following Area :— The Parish of Gwaenysgor. Dated this 29th day of April, 1907. FRED. LLEWELLYN-JONES, Secretary of the Flintshire Education Committee. Section 8 (1) and (3) of the Education Act, 1902, provides as follows (1) Where the Local Education Authority or any other persons propose to provide a new public elementary school, they shall give public notice of their intention to do so, and the Managers of any existing school, or the Local Education Authority (where they are not them- selves the persons proposing to provide the school), or any ten ratepayers in the area for which it is proposed to provide the school, may, within three months after the notice is given, appeal to the Board of Education on the ground that the proposed school is not required, or that a school provided by the Local Education Authority, or not so provided, as the case may be, is better suited to meet the wants of the district than the school proposed to be provided, "and any school built in contravention of the decision of the Board of Education on such appeal shall be treated as unnecessary. (3) Any transfer of a public elementary school to or from a Local Education Authority shall for the purposes of this section be treated as the provision of a new school.

Record of Coming Events. June 5th.-Christ Church Literary Society Pic-nic to Marian Mills, starting at 3 p.m.

A Plea for Seats. Prestatyn will be unable fully to lay claim to the title of holiday resort until a large increase has been made in the number of seats provided for the use of the visitors, many of whom when amongst us are content just to ramble round the vicinity and take things easy generally. In the whole district there is at present not more than half-a-dozen seats of every description, good, bad, and in- different, and most of these have been provided by private generosity.

Three-quarters of a Seat to a Mile of Road. The town surveyor states there are eight miles of road in the district. We have there- fore an average of one seat to every n- mile 3 of road, or three-quarters of a seat to every mile of road. On the other hand, take any resort with the smallest pretensions to at- tractiveness, and you will find seats scattered here, there, and everywhere-hundreds of them.

Where are Seats Required? Seats are required principally on the roads leading to the hillside. But any spot having a pleasant outlook, such as the pavement in front of Town Hall Buildings, might with ad- vantage be planted with seats. There: are no loafers in Prestatyn, so there would be little fear of the accommodation being used by the wrong persons. And not visitors only, but many of our residents would gladly avail themselves of a tempting rest by the way, were such provided. As matters stand at present, however, this is an impossibility; holiday-maker and resident alike are obliged so long as they are out of doors to forego any rest for the soles of their feet.

The Boys' Brigade. The Manchester lads left on Saturday evening last after their week's encampment here, and doubtless many of them derived considerable advantage from a short stay amid surroundings so totally different to their everyday life. Evidently the charms of Prestatyn are not on the wane with officers and lads, for there is every probability that they will pay us their fifth visit next year.

An Illegible Sign. Motorists are notoriously in a hurry, and the sign lately erected for their benefit at the junction of the Gronant and Nant Hall Roads has two defects which hinder those who run from reading. In the first place, the angle at which it is fixed is too acute, so that it is impossible for the approaching motorist to read the words until nearly alongside the sign. Secondly, legibility has been sacrificed to ornamentation. The word PRESTATYN appears in ornamental character, and at first sight looks like PRESTRTYN "a very un- pronouncable name.

Football in the Streets. The result of the case of football-playing in the Rhyl streets (reported elsewhere) should have a sulutary effect on the youth of Pres- tatyn, for the nuisance so strongly complained of in that town prevails to a considerable extent here also, and it is high time an ex- ample was made of some of the offtmders- especially so seeing that it is often young men and not small boys who are responsible for this state of affairs. One can often see half-a-dozen young fellows playing football in our main street, much to the annoyance of pedestrians, cyclists, and traffic generally. Residents in the vicinity also suffer consider- able annoyance, for time after time the ball is kicked or thrown into people's gardens, with the result that these thoughtless fellows go trampling over flower beds in search of their ball.

The Tennis Courts. Although as yet we have not had much tennis weather," the game has been ex- tensively played, especially at the Gronaut Road courts. The enthusiasm which was manifested in the municipal courts last year seems to be lacking so far this season. Pro- bably matters will improve when we get warmer weather.

Postponed. The pic-nic of the Christ Church Literary Society to Marian Mills, arranged to take place on Thursday, had to be postponed on account of inclement weather. The event is to take place on Wednesday next if the elements are favourable. The arrangements already made as to time, etc., will hold good on that day. Thursday will not be available on account of the annual distribution of prizes, etc., at the National Schools.

The Big Camp. During the past week there have been rumours abroad that there is a possibility of the big camp of the Church Lads Brigade coming to Prestatyn again in August. It had been decided to go to Rhyl, but owing to certain difficulties, officers have been inspecting the new camping ground at the top of Prestatyn. Nothing is yet definitely known, but certain residents have taken steps to try and induce the brigade to pitch there tents once more at Prestatyn.

Disappeared. The premises erected some little time ago 0 in close proximity to the English Wesleyan 0 y Chapel, and over which there was such a flutter in the Council Chamber, has now dis- appeared, the original contractor having cleared the site.

Half-Holidays. Yesterday (Thursday) was the final half- holiday this season for the shopkeepers. It is strange, nevertheless a fact, that the ele- ments do not seem to have been favourably disposed towards the shop assistants, for with but one or two exceptions rough wet weather has been experienced each Thursday after- noon during the winter. During June of last year several of the shops closed at five p.m. each Thursday. Probably many will do so again this year.

Sunshine or Rain. The vagaries of the weather forms the general topic of conversation in these days, and anyone desirous of being posted up in a forecast of the elements should consult one or ] other of the weather-glasses conveniently placed in our main street by enterprising tradesmen. According to the calendar we ] should be experiencing a period of sultry I weather, but in practice winter clothing is ] still the order of the day. AHNBHBBHHDBHNENANEBEMNBMNAMNA m

SUNDAY SCHOOL MUSICAL FESTIVAL. The Welsh Congregational Churches of the Vale of Clwyd held their annual Sunday School musical festival at Queen Street Church, Rhyl, on Thursday. Meetings were held both in the afternoon and evening, under the presidency of Mr W. Lewis Jones, Pwllglas, and were well atten- ded. The conductors of the singing were Mr Owen, schoolmaster, Ruthin, and Mr J. Morris Jones, Rhyl. The result of the scriptural examination held in connection with the Vale of Clwyd Union, was disclosed by the secretary—Rev. T. Jones, Denbigh, who said that 240 sat for the examination, an increase of thirty on last year The following children from the Congrega- tional churches of Prestatyn and Dyserth passed the examination and obtained certi- cates. Prestatyn Ceridwen Jones, Trevor Roberts, Doris Morgan, Willie Roberts, W. Edward Hughes, Emlyn Jones, O. Rhydwen Roberts, Howell Davies, Kassie Roberts, Hilda Lloyd. Dyserth Elizabeth Margaret Roberts. Walter Caradoc Rogers, Joseph Oswald Rogers, Ellis Glyndwr Roberts, Mary Williams, Lucy Roberts, Trevor Rogers. Although the secretary of the Union said that more candidates failed to pass the examination this year than usual, we are glad to say that all the candidates from Pres- tatyn and Dyserth passed and obtained certificates.

GWLAD Y MENIG GWYNION." The North Wales Circuit, where Lord Alverstone, the Lord Chief Justice, is now on tour, is proving once again its title to be regarded as the playground for the judges. Lord Alverstone reached North Wales on Friday last week, and up to yesterday (Thurs- day) morning he had only tried two persons, and the civil actions had consisted of a simple dispute about a footpath alongside the Mawddach Estuary, near Dolgelley. While in Montgomeryshire the Lord Chief Justice, who is still fond of open-air sports, spent most of his spare time on the Bryn golf links. At Dolgelley Lord Alverstone had a good choice of fishing, boating, and climbing while at Carnarvon, where he opens the Assizes to-day, he will find an equally good range of recreations. It was of a Dolgelley jury that the story used to be told to illus- trate the late Judge Bowen Rowlands' witchery as an advocate. The jury brought in a verdict so palpably contradictory to the evidence that the Judge asked them what they meant. Well, my Lord, we did all meet last night at the Blue Lion and take a vote as to who we should give the verdict for, and the vote was unanimous for Bowen Rowlands."—"Manchester Guardian

Welsh Church Commission. There seems to be little likelihood of the Welsh Church Commission resuming its sittings for some time to come. The chairman, Lord Justice Vaughan Williams, will pro- bably be fully occupied with legal business until the long vacation.

Colwyn Bay Invites the King. At a meeting of the Colwyn Bay Council on Tuesday, it was unanimously decided to invite the King to come and open the new promenades on the occasion of his probable visit to Bangor to lay the foundation stone of the new college buildings.

Mr. Chamberlain. Speaking at a Tariff Reform League meeting at Midhurst on Wednesday, Viscount Tumour, M.P., said that he had received a private letter from Mr Chamberlain, written in a most cheerful spirit. Mr Chamberlain gave an excellent account of his health, and said he hoped to be back in his place in Parliament by the beginning of next session.

That's Me." First Little Girl (eagerly pointing to a pic- ture post-card taken during Whit-week) You see Mary Anne there ?" Second Little Girl Yes." Well, you see them boots behind bar ?" Yes Well, that's me!"

How to Succeed. To succeed in life," it is said. one must take all that one can." But if the other man is inconsiderate enough to call the police, one may get more than one meant to take.

JUST PUBLISHED. ONE PENNY. THE Rambler's Guide to Prestatyn AND DYSERTH: A brief description of all the Places of Interest in the vicinity. May be had from all Stationers and Newsagents, or at the office of the "Presta,tyn Weekly," High Street, Prestatyn.

Still Rising. The Flintshire Education Committee met at Mold on Wednesday. Mr A. M. Ralli, chairman of the Finance Committee, in submitting the estimates for intermediate and higher education, explained that a deficit of £ 1,300 had grown up on this account, owing to the cost of educating pupil teachers in the county schools. It was there- fore proposed that a rate for higher education purposes of 2d. in the pound be recommended, instead of ltd. 2 The Finance Committee submitted the estimates for elementary education, showing that the total outlay would be £ 44,730, of which £ 32,500 would be paid as salaries to teachers. The balance to be met by rate was £ 14.026, and a 9d. rate would produce £ 14,168. Having considered the figures, the Committee recommended the levying of a rate of 8td. for the year ending March 31st, 2 1908.

Cause of the Increase. Mr A. M. Ralli, in moving that the In recommendation be confirmed, stated the rate last year was 7d., so that the increase on elementary education account was ltd. The 2 total cost to the county of all the new schools which had been built was £750, or only a halfpenny rate, and he would not like the public to think that the increased rate was altogether due to the building of new schools. The largest item of increase was in teachers' salaries, the total of which this year would be £ 4,200 more than last year, sssuming that the amount paid in the month of April would be equalled in the other months of the year. An increase had also had to be made in the pay of the school-cleaners, who now received nearly double what they were paid on the appointed day. Dr Humphrey Williams seconded the motion. He remarked that it was only fair that the country should know where the money was going to. Practically the in- creases of teachers' salaries accounted for a 3d. rate, or at least for a 2!d. rate. The increase of £4,300 was made up in this way. There had only been t20 19s. lOd. increase per month in the salaries of teachers in the provided schools, to which must be added the salaries in respect of the new schools opened, which made the total increase in the Council schools t99 8s. 4d. But salaries had been advanced in the non-provided schools to a total amount of £257 10s. 7d. per month, and twelve times that gave £ 3,090 7s. for the year. When the "other side" threw it in their teeth that the rate for education was so much, he would ask them to be so kind as to remember that, if the rate had gone up, practically it was their own friends who had collared the money. He did not wish to say that the teachers were being paid too much, but he wished the public to know exactly how the money was being spent. He did not suggest that the teachers in Flintshire were too we!l paid, but he did claim that they were as generously treated, on the whole, as in any other county in North Wales.

All Economists. Mr W. Y. Hargreaves, replying to Dr Williams, declared himself a staunch econo- mist, but thought that the worst possible economy would be to diminish the teachers' salaries, It was true that a certain pro- portion of the increase had gone to teachers in the Church schools, but Dr Williams's turn of expression seemed to infer that the money had gone in some way into the Church managers' own pockets. The speaker pro- tested against the word collared," and hoped Dr Williams would withdraw it. Dr Williams said he would withdraw the word. He meant that the money had gone to the Church managers' own friends. Mr Hargreaves said there was one form of economy which he was going to try his best to effect, and that was in the building of neW schools. On that ground he protested again against the scheme for a new school at Gwaenysgor, where there was already an adequate building. Mr P. P. Pennant asked the Committee to recollect that there had been a considerable increase in the average attendance, and a consequent increase in Government grant, and also an increase in the work of teaching, for which larger salaries were necessary. Mr H. A. Tilby disputed the conclusion of Dr Williams as to the amount of the increase in the salaries. The actual expenditure on that head in 1906-7 was £29,9i7, and the estimated expenditure in 1907-8 was £32,500 or an increase of £ 2,500 only. When a man was 100 per cent wrong in a financial argu- ment, it was not necessary to pursue the matter further. Dr Humphrey Williams said that his cal- culations were based upon the schedule supplied by the secretary. Mr Tilby reminded the Committee that the Voluntary schools were three times the number of the provided schools. The recommendation to the County Council that the rate for higher education be 2d. and for elementary education 8|d. was then un- animously approved.

Rhyl May-Day. A draft balance sheet of the above wafe submitted on Tuesday evening, shewing that there was a balance in hand of £ 21 as against a deficit of t5 at the beginning of the year.