The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard

ABERYSTWYTH. ] BOARD OF GUARDIANS, MONDAY, JANUARY I 7TH.—Present: Mr H. C. Fryer, chairman, Mr Edward Hamer, vice-chairman, Mr B. E. Morgan, ex-officio; the Rev. J. T. Griffiths, the Rev. B. Edwards, Messrs. David Rees, David Morgan, Davul Jones, Rest. Isaac Morgan, John Jones, Tre'rddol, J. T. Morgan, Hugh Hughes, John Jenkins, John Price. Griffith Griffiths, Hugh 'Hughes, clerk, and Dr. Morris Jones, medical officer. Mr Bircham, Local Government Board Inspector, was also present. Statist l- —Out-relief administered during the past fortnight: Aberystwyth district. per Mr T. G. Thomas. £31 13s. Od. to 241 paupers; Llaufihangel Geneu rglyn district, per Mr John Jones, :t>8 17s. Od.. to 2-14 paupers; and liar district, per Mr Joseph Morgan, £ 53 7s, Od.. to 229 paupers." Number in the house, 8.3. last year, corresponding fortnight, 90; vagrants relieved during the past fortnight, :2.), last year, 52. Balance in the Bank, £ 563 9s. lid. Assistant i in-r* —Mr Bircham, the Local GovernmenS Board Inspector, asked if there were any assistant overseers in the Aberystwyth Union who were appointed overseers, but who were appointed not to collect the rates. It was an arrangement like that into which he had to enquire at Tregaron concerning a deficit of £ 60, where the son of an overseer did the work, and the arrangement was made so that sureties need not be provided, and certain books need not be produced before the auditor.—The Clerk replied that there were no such appointments in the Aberystwyth Union.—The Chairman remarked that one of the Llanrhystyds appointed no assistant overseer. There, however, the overseer collected the rates. The auditor appeared to be in despair over the books, for it seemed that the overseer had credited himself with all arrears, and said it had been customary to do so. LlanfiJuuvjel CrtvdtUn.—The Chairman said a letter had been received from the Auditor asking to be informed as to what was to be done in respect to the sum of f65 9s. 7 ill., certified to be due from Lewis Lewis, the overseer of Llantihangel-y-Creuddin Upper?—The Clerk stated that Mr Rowlands, the assistant overseer, had the money, and a fortnight's delay had been asked for. He had no doubt the money would be paid.—The Clerk was directed to reply to that effect to the Auditor. The LIznhatlarn l-awr A,<Ú'<t" iI/ Ori;<err.—The Chair- man said he had received the following letter from Mr. Frederick Shaw, Cambrian Lodge, Llaubadarn Fawr:— Gentlemen,—I have a little matter respecting your Assistant Overseer for Llanbadarn, Mr. Lewis Jones, that I widi to bring under your notice, in the hope that you may be able to give him a little.advice for his future guidance. (Laughter.) I will state the facts as they occurred. In the first instance, Mr. Lewis Jones called and left a demand note for a poor rate, during 'my absence from home for a month. In due course he called again, when I saw him, and told him I would j send the money down in the course of a fortnight. In about ten days time he called again, when I was absent from home for the day. Of this fact he was apprised, but he behaved in a very rude manner to my wife and daughter. Then lie went straight to town and issued a summons against me, charging me with refusing to pay this rater Upon his way to town he called upon my two next neighbours, neither of whom paid him, yet they were not proceeded against. AN-lial I com- plain of is the injustice. Of course, if all were treated alike, I have nothing to say. I have been a ratepayer for over twenty years, and never defaulted in a rate in mv life, and never had a summons from any cause be- fore and I was not aware that an assistant overseer had the power to proceed against anyone unless they had refused or defaulted. I am aware that in the case of income and assessed taxes the collector is only bound to demand them once, but I think the case is different when the collector is the paid servant of the ratepayers. However, I shall be glad for the public to be cnlight-! ened on this point. A more spiteful or groundless charge was never made against a man, and I trust you will kindly sift the matter, as it is not a pleasant thing to have a policeman open your door after dark and walk into your house and alarm your family. (Laughter.) t It caused such a shock to my wife that she has been confined to her bed ever since, and is not likely to get over it at present." (Laughter.) The Chairman said it was a parochial matter, and -All. Shaw must state his grievance before the Llanbadarn vestry. AArrears.—The Chairman, referring to the monthly statement for Aberystwyth, said that the overseers ought to know the state of affairs.—The Clerk They do.—The Chairman added that at the beginning of the year there were £ 2,150 recoverable arrears, and only £ 312 12s. 9d. collected during the past month.—Mr Hamer What is the amount due now?—The Chairman: £ 1837.—Mr Bircham: How long has the rate been made ?—The Clerk Some two or three months.—Mr Bircham What were the recoverable arrears of the previous rate ?—The Clerk £ 600 or £ 700.—The Chairman said there were only erdit monthly statements sent in out of thirty.—Mr John Jones, Tre'rddol, remarked that Aberystwyth was worse than the lot. What was to be done ?-The Chairman said that the overseers paill the Union calls so the question of arrears was more a question for the Aberystwyth vestry to consider than for that Board.- Mr Bircham remarked that the Collector was the servant of the Board, and the Guardians could call upon him to attend and ask him certain questions.— The Clerk was directed to request the Collector to attend the next meeting of the Board. Monthly Statement.—Mr Jones, Tre'rddol, asked what notice was taken of those persons—of those assistant overseers or collectors who did not send in their monthly statements.—The Chairman said they had been written to over and over again. He did not know what replies the Clerk received.—Mr Bircham feared that the monthly statements were brought in a heap to the Auditor.—The Chairman believed the Auditor gave the matter up last time as a bad job. It was agreed a short time ago to report the defaulters to the Local Government Board.—-Mr Bircham said the Central Board had power to remove the officers. They y had better be written to at once, and if they did not send in their statements they should be reported to the Lecal Government Board.—Mr Hamer Then I pre- sume that the Local Government Board will remove <0 them. — ihe Chairman remarked that there were some assistant overseers who sent in their statements regularly.—The Clerk was then directed to write to the officers in default. House Committee.—A conversation occurred respect- ing the House Committee and the supply of provisions to the workhouse, and Mr Bircham advised that the Master's requisition book should be regularly presented every fortnight, and certified by the Chairman. Ahi-i-ijstiri/th -The Chairman said he had looked carefully into the last half-yearly statement of accounts, and was still not quite able to find out how ifc was that there was an increase of pauperism in the Aberystwyth district. It had been stated at that Board that it was the opinion of many that paupers had removed into Aberystwyth from the country in order to participate in the benefits of Downie's bequest. He did not find that that had been the case. The fact was that there had been a decrease in the other (listricts of thirty-three, while in the Aberystwyth district there had been an increase of forty-three.—Mr Hamer believed that there had been temporary relief given to some of the paupers.—The relieving Officer le added that there had been three or four large families relieved. He could not sav whether any had come from the country or not.—Mr Hamer did not think that the town guardians should be blamed for the increase when it was in consequence of the people going into the town from the country.—Cries of "No from the country guardians.—The Chairman said that an increase of forty-three was a very considerable one in a half-year.—Mr Hamer said he was quite sure the Chairman would agree with him when he said that the town guardians had attended regularly, and had paid special attention to the question of out-relief with a view to diminish it.—The Chairman concurred and said that that was how he could not understand how the increase had occurred.—Mr Hamer said the Relieving Officer ought to be able to say exactly how the increase arose. —The Relieving Officer, in answer to a question, said he believed the increase was due to natural causes and to the relief of large families.— The Chairman said there was a difference of thirteen in the number of children relieved. There were twenty- seven weeks in the past half-year, so that if one week were deducted there really would be a decrease in the out-relief for the half-year. Of course that applied to all the parishes in the union. There was another point to which he wished to refer. He noticed that there had been a large increase in the cost of in-maintenance. He thought a good deal of it was due to the fact that the half-year with which the present half-year was compared was an exceptionally favourable one. If it were compared with the cost of in-maintenance for the half-year in 1879 it would be found to be nearly the same.—Mr Bircham said the best way would be to add the two half-years together, and then compare the years. Certainly 3s. 11 \d. per head per week was higher than usual.—Mr Hamer said the corresponding half-years had been favourable because the master had been called upon to make up stores.—The Chairman added that he did not care much about the increase in respect to the indoor paupers. In the out-door relief, however, the Board had gone back from 2'5 to 2-6, or one-tenth of a pauper per thousand more.—Mr Bircham said lie was glad to rind the guardians having a conversation about an increase of twenty paupers; because if the Board looked back ten years—to 1871, it would be found that there were 1,5S1 paupers on the books. Now there were 725.—Mr Hamer said the paupers had been reduced more than 100 per cent: and the Chairman observed that it was by looking after the tens that the Board were able to reduce the hundreds. Mr Bircham said it had no doubt been very severe times lately.The Chairman agreed, and thought that if the Board had been able to hold its position in the [ face of those times they would improve when the times improved. List of pan —Mr John Jones, Tre'rddol, gaY8 notice that he would move at the next meeting that 1 1 7 the list of paupers should he attached to each half- j yearly abstract of accounts instead of to alternate i abstracts. Next year, very probably, he should not be j a guardian, and if the list were published he should be able to follow the action of the Board.—Ihe Chairman said the Board could not have too much publicity in such matters. School apt I S'-hool —The Chairman said there had been appended to the abstract of accounts this half-year the annual statements of School Boards, It had struck him very much, and he thought it would strike anyone who saw the statement, that a very small sum was realized from school fees. He could not under- stand how it was so small. Yery small sums seemed to be raised by fees as compared with the sums raised by rates. It seemed to him to be a mistake to throw nearly the whole of the cost of schools upon the rates, and not to make those who had the benefit of the schools pay for them. He did not think the parents thanked the ratepayers for it. There was the parish r' Ti l 1 of Trefeirig, for instance. In that parish the school fees and the sum realized by the sale of books amounted to:27 6s. !5d., whereas £ 119 was raised from the rates. The expenses of the school wore £ 12S.—Mr. Hamer said the members of the School Boards would do welL to look into the matter.—The Chairman added that Trefeirig was not an isolated instance. In nearly every case it was much the same. At Melindw r, where there were large schools, the fees and sale of books realized £:8 10s. Sd., and the rates amounted to ninepence in the pound. He thought it would be wiser to put a little more upon the parents and a little less upon the rates. (Hear, hear.) He feared the ratepayers did not know how matters stood. At Llanbadarn Fawr things were a little better, for jE50 13s. Od. was obtained from fees and £ 191 from the rates. At Cyfoethybrenin the fees amounted to £ 53. and at Llancynfelin £ .>6.— Mr. John Jones. Tre'rddol, remarked that Mr. Fryer was chairman of the Llancynfelin School l,otr(l. -'f lie Chairman said it was a principle lie had acted upon at Llancynfelin, where fees ranging from lid. to 4d. per week were paid by parents.—Mr. Hamer said, if the average were taken, it would be found that the rates were sixpence in the pound, whereas the parents paid one penny only a week.—The Chairman added that Aberystwyth obtained £ 206 from fees, but the main- tenance oi the schools cost £ 730. He noticed that nearly all the School Boards had balances against them. He did not know how they managed, because lie saw that in the case of a London School Board interest had been disallowed by the auditor.—Mr. Hamer thought it would be well to suggest to the School Board the advisableness of increasing the school fees.—The Chair- man had no doubt it would be advantageous to supply the Boards with a copy of those statements, for it might promote healthy competition.—The Clerk said lie had some statements on hand, and it was understood that they would be distributed. NORTH CARDIGANSHIRE AUHI- CULTURAL SOCIETY. The annual general meeting of the North Cardigan- shire Agricultural Society was held in the Town Hall, Aberystwyth, on Monday" afternoon, February 7th. There were present Mr Vauglian Davies, Tanybwlch, in the chair, Mr R. Gardiner, Mr Hugh S. Richardes, Captain Hughes Bonsall, Mr Lewis Williams, Mr G. G. Williams, Mr Evan Richards, Nantcos, Mr James Jones, Tyllwyd, Mr Evan Jones, Nantsiriol, Mi- Richard Hughes, Cefnliemlre, and Mr William Morgan, clerk. The CHAIRMAN", after waiting half-an-hour, said—I do not think it is any use waiting longer. The pro- verbial half-hour's grace which the people of Aber- ystwyth require is gone. It is now half-past three— half-an-hour after the advertised time—and I think the sooner we get to business the better. The first thing I have to say has respect to my duty as your president. If there had been a larger meeting it would be my duty to hand over the accounts to the gentleman who would be appointed president for the ensuing half-year. Unfortunately, the accounts are in that state that it is impossible for me to hand them over. There are so many members of this nssociatloii who have not paid their subscriptions that it is impossible to go into the accounts properly, for they are not in that state in whirls T sVicmlil fn t.hmn lirmdfwl r>vt»r t.o the "J'L' "J O-.j. "¥" future president. I need not tell you. because you all remember as well as I do, the fearful and terrible (lay we had on the occasion of the last show. Naturally, it was not only a fearful day for us and for the exhibit- ors and for the animals, but it also entailed a great financial loss to the Society. Under thes circum- stances you would have thought that gentlemen living in this neighbourhood, who are rather often given to talking what they wish to do for the benefit of every- body in the neighbourhood, knowing that this Society must have been hit nard on that day, would have come forward and have paid their subscriptions a little quicker than they would have done if the Society were in a flourishing state. Instead of that, however, we cannot get the money in at all. There is between JE30 and £ 40 now out, and when you read over the names of those who have not paid, you will see that the names are good enough for anything, and that the sub- scriptions are to all intents and purposes good. It is, I think, a very great unkindness to this Society for gentlemen to put down their names and then not to pay their subscriptions, for the reason that we calculate upon our income; and if reliance cannot be placed upon the words of the subscribers this Agricultural Society, like any other society, must come to grief. I hope you will do your utmost to im press these gentlemen that they ought to pay their subscriptions, and pay it early enough to enable us to make them up properly. I have nothing further to say. If you take my advice, you will adjourn this meeting for a fortnight, in order that the money may be got in, in the meantime, and in order to give oppor- tunity for the consideration of matters affecting the T,Illl, C, welfare of the Society. I have a letter here from a gentleman who has acted for several years as one of the secretaries of the Society, and it will be for you to con- sider whether you will not ask him to continue in office, or whether you will appoint another in his place. There is also the appointment of vice-president to be considered. At such a smaii meeting as tins, though it may be in accordance with the rules, I do not think that it will be well for us to proceed to-day, but to ad- journ the meeting for a fortnight. Tiie CLERK—Do you not think it better to adjourn to the first loIHlay in March ? The C HA i KM AX—I don't think the first Monday in any month is a good (lay, because it is a market and fair day. Mr. Hron S. RICHARDKS—I should like to ask how it was that gentlemen were allowed to exhibit without paying their subscriptions ? I wont mention names, but I see some of them among the defaulters. The CLERK—No one was allowed to exhibit without having paid his subscription. Mr. LEWIS WILLIAMS—We have made it a rule to refuse to allow exhibits to enter the yard if the sub- scriptions were unpaid. Mr. Hn;n S. RICHARDES moved that the meeting should be adjourned for a fortnight. The CHAIRMAN said, perhaps, he had better read a letter he had received from Mr. Fryer. It was written to the Chairman of the North Cardiganshire Agricultural Society and was to the following effect Will you kindly inform the members of the North Cardiganshire Agricultural Society that it is my wish to retire from the post of hon. secretary. I was placed in that post as representing the Gogerddan estate. I no longer represent that estate and I trust that the Society will replace my name by that of some other gentleman. As I have some special business to attend to I am afraid I shall be unable to attend your meet- ing on Monday afternoon. I hope some man will be found to infuse a little new life into the Society. I think the experience of past show (lays clearly points to the advisableness of fixing an earlier day in summer on which to hold it. P.S. Would it not be better to call the four secretaries—as I hope you will appoint a fourth in my stead—the Executive Committee, as Mr. William Morgan is really the Secretary. The Chair- man added that it would be better to adjourn the consideration of the matter for a fortnight. He did not coiisl I" I think it made much difference whether they called those four gentlemen the Executive Committee or any- thing else so long as they did the work. Mr GARDINER agreed with what the President had said, that it would be highly desirable to adjourn the meeting a fortnight, because it was impossible to balance the accounts as they were at present. The subscriptions last year amounted to gi.192, and this year, taking the amount collected, X240, leaving a deficit of about £ 52. It was a shocking day for the show, and the admission money was very much short of what it was in the previous year. The year before last the total amounted to zC41, and last year to i:15 only, showing a falling off of £:). That item added to the £ 52 deficit in the subscriptions, made a short- coming of £ 77. -NLoNi-, out of that f52, a few of the subscribers might not be able to pay, but at least X40 ought to be collected from those gentlemen who did not give notice of the withdrawal of their subscriptions before the fixing of the prizes. He agreed with the President that it was very unfair for gentlemen, after the prize list had been fixed, when they knew that the Society depended almost entirely upon the income it received from subscribers, to neglect to pay and to leave the Secretaries to contend with a deficit. In going over the accounts, he saw that the liabilities amounted to between zC35 and 1:40, so that if those gentlemen would come forward and pay their subscrip- tions the Society would once more be clear. He pro- posed that that meeting should be adjourned to that day fortnight, and that in the meantime letters should be sent strongly requesting those gentlemen to pay their subscriptions. Mr. HUCIT S. RICHARDES seconded the proposition and it was agreed to, and on the suggestion of the 1 President the Clerk was directed to convene the adjourned meeting by post card. Mr. t. G. WILLIAMS suggested that a clause should be added to one of the rules to the effect that any subscriber not withdrawing his name before the first Monday in July in each year, when the prizes were I fixed, should be considered as desiring to continue his subscription. 0 Mr. LEWIS "WILLIAMS said as it was likely lie should be leaving-this country before the next show. it would be well for the Society to consider at the next meet- ing who they would appoint in his place. The? meeting was then adjourned for a fortnight.