The London Welshman

WHAT A FRENCHMAN THINKS OF WALES. In his latest book, just translated into English under the title "Under the English Crown," M. Finain Rox has an eloquent passage in praise of Wales. It runs as follows :— I have often been enticed into dreams by the castles of Wales. English supremacy erected them-with all their strength and beauty--as a means of control and oppression. But after the lapse of many centuries their original purpose was abandoned. Conway has loosened its grip, and thrown open its girdle of towers, which enclose to-day a little prosperous Welsh village. At Carnarvon the inner courts are covered with grass, and the little town leads its peaceful life gathered round its now defenceless parapets, which it even points out to strangers with a certain touch of pride. Other castles are falling to pieces, kept together only by the ivy sprung from a soil which has recovered little by little what these hostile castles once strove to rob it of. These buildings, nevertheless, were to me a speaking expression of the vitality of the Welsh nation. For against this material strength con- tended a subtle and invisible force to which walls and dungeons were superfluous. You look in vain for its architecture. Cambrian endurance erected no fortresses which the enemy might take, and which time could not fail to demolish. It relied upon something more durable than the solidity of stone—the faithfulness of its own soul. It combated swords with nothing stronger than the dazzling gleam of its own hopes. For an immortal energy had taken refuge on the coast of Wales, and we see it re-appear after a long eclipse in a kind of brilliant rejuvenation. One has only to look at the bookshops to see this they are filled with books, pamphlets, and magazines, all written in the Welsh language.' It breaks out everywhere also, in poetic and musical competitions, in minor Eisteddfods and in the great Eisteddfod, an annual gathering to which representatives of every division of Wales gather together, in order to carry on the old traditions of their country. The Welsh language is flourishing, and the national religious services have reduced Anglicanism to the religion of the minority. National life is everywhere awakening and recreating an autonomy."

OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION OF THE WELSH CHURCH COMMISSION., The appointment of a Welsh Church Com- mission was gazetted on Friday. It makes quaint reading:— I "Whitehall, June 22, 1906. The King has been pleased to issue a 0 Commission under His Majesty's Royal sign manual to the following effect:— Edward R. and I. Edward the Seventh, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and of the British Dominions Beyond the Seas, King, Defender of the Faith, to Our right trusty and well-beloved Coun- cillor Sir Roland Lomax Bowdler Vaughan Williams, Knight, one of the ordinary judges of our Court of Appeal, and Our trusty and well-beloved Hugh Richard Heathcote Cecil, Esquire (commonly called Lord Hugh Richard Heathcote Cecil); Sir John Williams, Baronet, Knight Com- mander of our Royal Victorian Order; Frank Edwards, Esq.; "Owen Evans, Clerk, Master of Arts, Arch- deacon of Carmarthen Samuel Thomas Evans, Esq., one of our counsel learned in the law Andrew Martin Fairbairn, Doctor in Divinity, principal of Mansfield College, Oxford; John Ernest Greaves, Esq., our lieutenant of the county of Carnarvon and Henry Jones, Esq., Doctor of Laws, pro- fessor of Moral Philosophy in our University of Glasgow, ;■ "Greeting— Whereas we have deemed it expedient that a Commission should forthwith issue to inquire into the origin, nature, amount, and application of the temporalities, endowments, and other properties of the Church of England in Wales and Monmouthshire, and into the provision made and the work done by the Churches of all denominations in Wales and Monmouthshire for the spiritual welfare of the people, and the extent to which the people avail themselves of such provision, and to report thereon, Now, know ye that we, reposing great trust ZD and confidence in your knowledge and ability, have authorised and appointed and do by these presents authorise and appoint you, the said Sir Roland Lomax Bowdler Vaughan Williams (Chairman), Hugh Richard Heathcote Cecil, Sir John Williams, Frank Edwards, Owen Evans, Samuel Thomas Evans, Andrew Martin Fairbairn, John Ernest Greaves, and Henry Jones to be our Commissioners for the purposes of the said inquiry, And for the better effecting the purpose of this our Commission we do by these presents give and grant unto you or any three or more of I you full power to call before you such persons as you shall judge likely to afford you any information upon the subject of this our Com- mission, and also to call for, have access to, and examine all such books, documents, registers, and records as may afford you the fullest information on the subject, and to inquire of and concerning the premises by all other lawful ways and means whatsoever; And we do further ordain that you or any three or more of you have liberty to report your proceedings under this our Commission from time to time, if you shall judge it expedient so to do "And our further will and pleasure is that you do, with as little delay as possible, report to us, under your hands and seals, or under the hands and seals of any three or more of you, your opinion upon the matters herein submitted for your consideration. Given at our Court at Windsor the 21st day of June, 1906, in the sixth year of our reign, by His Majesty's command, "H. J. GLADSTONE."

LONDON'S FOOD SUPPLY. PART II. THE MILK TRADE. Nor is Dr. Thomas less severe upon the insanitary conditions under which our milk supply is often procured. Within his area there are 942 premises where milk is sold. These include 42 cowsheds. These, he writes "are licensed by the County Council and are liable to a double inspection, viz., that of the local authority and of the County Council. Either or both the authorities can object to a new cowshed, but anyone can become a milk vendor although his premises may be most unsuitable. The sanitary authorities can take proceedings if the milk utensils are kept in a dirty state, but do not give power of refusing to register milk vendors, when they are of opinion that the conditions are unsuitable. A large number of the above milk vendors are small general tradesmen, selling possibly a quart of milk only a day. In the shop and in close proximity to the milk itself may be seen cans of paraffin, soap, gorgonzola cheese, and other high smelling commodities. I am strongly of opinion that milk should not be sold in small general shops of this description. Sanitary authorities have power to compel the cowsheds to be well lighted, ventilated, and to be kept in a clean condition. They have no power, however, to insist on the milking being carried out under suitable and sanitary conditions. As I have stated on a previous occasion, the dirtiest servant in the employment of the milkman is always the person whose duty it is to milk the cows. The milkman would not dare send this man into the streets with a churn to sell milk in the same condition that he is always seen in the cowshed. It would be such a bad advertisement for him that his trade would be ruined in a very short time. Most of the milkmen who keep cows used formerly to be small tenant farmers before they migrated to London. I do not think that there is any improvement in the method adopted of milking than there was when they were farming. In analysing milk it is no uncommon sight to find decomposing straw, soil and other filth in the milk. When I have visited the cowsheds and watch the cowman milking I have not been surprised at this. He (the cowman) does not consider it necessary, but rather a waste of time, to wash his hands before he starts milking. In order to have the necessary moisture on the palms of his hands, he spits on them or soaks them in a little of the milk which he has added to the milking can for that purpose. His boots b are in such a filthy state that they have generally the appearance of not having been cleaned for weeks, and his clothes are in a similar state. It seems to be such an easy matter for the Legislature to make regulations insisting on the Personal cleanliness of the persons responsible for the milking of the cows. They could include a. regulation insisting on the cowman washing his hands before beginning to milk, and on wearing a clean white overall during the process. "If the milk was produced under clean conditions and properly cooled, it would not be

Yr oedd holl blant y lie yn ei hangladd; Pan ddaeth y corff allan 'i'r hewl, edrychent i ffenest" siop fach y widw, a llanwai eu llygaid wrth wel'd fod yna losin yn y tair potel. Erbyn cofio taw dydd Llun oedd, yr oedd ystyr i'w dagrau. Wedi i ferch fach y gweinidog, pumlwydd oed, dd'od adre' o'r angladd, ebai wrth ei mam Mae Lois Lewis wedi myn'd i'r Nefoedd i ddysgu plant bach IESU GRIST I

uecessary to add preservatives even in the warmest weather. Taking for granted that the milkman is responsible for the cowshed and its surroundings, and that the shop and the other part of the premises are under the supervision of his wife and daughters-I have nothing but praise for the latter-I have always found the milk utensils and appliances in a very clean condition. It was not necessary even to issue a caution to him in a single instance throughout the whole of last year. The trouble encountered in this direction was always with the small general tradesmen. Police Court proceedings were taken against 24 of the latter for not keeping the milk utensils in a clean condition, and several others were cautioned. Milk was taken for analysis in every shop throughout the borough during the year 1905. "At present no systematic inspection is made of the presence or absence in the milk of tubercle bacilli which are the cause of consumption in the human being. A cow may have tuberculosis and yet give perfectly good milk with no sign of bacilli in it. Immediately the teats of such cows become ulcerated the tubercle bacilli swarm in the milk. Such milk ought not to be used for human consumption." This report should be the means of strengthen- ing the hands of our food inspectors, as it is very evident that though insanitary areas may be responsible for the unhealthy state of our population to a great extent the main evil undoubtedly lies in the poisonous foodstuffs that are being offered for sale in low class neighbour- hoods. Dr. Thomas is to be congratulated upon his outspoken language and the people of the East End of London in particular have every cause to be proud of so astute an official as Dr. Dan Thomas.