The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard

€he (Eambriatt ifctos, Friday, July 5th, 1895. IMPORTANT PROPERTY SALES. ON Wednesday next, July 10th, Mr J. E. JAMES, auctioneer, Aberystwyth, will sell bv auction at the Lion Hotel in that town, nearly three thousand acres of land belonging to Sir PRYSR PRYSE, Bart., Gogerddan. Particulars of the different lots are published in our advertising columns. Plans and fuller knowledge can be obtained on application to the AUCTIONEER. Cwm mansion and grounds were included in the sale, but have been disposed of by private treaty to Mrs BONSALL, the tenant. On Wednesday, the 17th of July, Messrs DEW and SON, auctioneers, Bangor, will sell at the Wynnstay Arms Hotel, Machynlleth, the Cwmrhaiadr Estate, situate in Montgomery- shire, and in the parish of Machynlleth. Particulars of this estate and also of valuable properties in Carnarvonshire to be sold during July by Messrs DEW and SON can be obtained from the AUCTIONEERS and from others, as will be seen from announce- ments in our advertising columns.

THE PROBABLE OUTCOME NEWSPAPERS state that the Liberal party, which some time ago was disposed to take a gloomy view of its prospects at the General Election, has become more cheerful since the resignation of the Government. What is the probable outcome of the appeal to the country? We do not attach much importance to the increased cheerfulness of the Liberals as the day of battle approaches. The prospect of a fight is always inspiriting, and the chances are that the depressed state of mind which preceded the defeat of the Government has better reasons for its exist- ence than the more elevated mental condition that has resulted from the removal of sus- pense and the cessation of harrying attack. Wales at the last election, in the year 1892, returned thirty-one Liberals out of thirty-four members. This is high-water mark which it is scarcely possible to main- tain. Farmers in Wales are discontented, and are disposed to look to the Conserva- j tives, who it is hoped will do a vague and undefined "something" for them. This dis- content may not in itself be sufficient to transfer any Liberal seats to the Conserva- tives, but together with other causes, such as defective local organization, party divisions, and the sort of disappointment which always gathers about the party in office, may result in a falling-off in the Liberal strength by several seatp, the losses accruing in unex- pected places. In Scotland there have been many indications of dissatisfaction with Liberal non-fulfilment of expectations. The expectations may have been unreasonable, but they were encouraged at the last election, and now whatever penalty has been incurred will have to be paid. It seems to us that Scotland will not send as strong a force of Liberals to the next Parliament as was sent to the last. The falling off may not be great, but losses may be anticipated. In Ireland the Parnellites will probably gain some seats from the Nationalists, and the Nationalists and the Parnellites may also lose some seats to the Conservatives. Without reckoning on the latter possibility it is clear that a Par- nellite gain would not add to the Liberal strength in the House of Commons, as there would not have been an election at the present time if the Parnellites had steadily supported the Government. In England there is not only the depressed condition of agri- culture to contend against, but in many constituencies there is a good deal of alarm felt at the pretensions of socialistic and indus- trial representatives. The Conservatives may be expected to more than hold their own in England. If there are slight Liberal losses in Wales, Ireland, and Scotland, and no gain in England, the Conservatives will be in a majority. If the Conservatives gain seats in England, which is quite possible, the Conservative majority may be anything from twenty to a hundred and twenty. We may be asked what reasons- can be given for thinking that there will be a falliog off in the Liberal forces in each of the four nations? We think there are, as we have already hinted, several reasons of a general character. In the first place the impending election will have to be fought without Mr. GLADSTONE as the Liberal leader. His absence will make itself felt all over the four nations, either in actual loss of Liberal seats or in reduced majorities. Secondly, Lord ROSEBKRY h a peer, and » »<>» mean/ th« best leader that could have teen found. Nonconformists cannot oe expected to oe enthusia-tic on behalf of a horse-racing PRIME MINISTER. Mr. GLADSTONE'S earnest- ness and religious fervour appealed to the Nonconformist conscience, but neither Lard ROSEBERY'S peerage nor his horse-racing appeal to the Nonconformist conscience. Thirdly, the Liberal Government has not removed by legislation any of the subjects which tended to divide the people. Irish Home Rule is still to be fought; Welsh Disestablishment is still to be fought; the House of Lords is still to be fought; the Enfranchisement of Women is still to be fought; Local Option Is still to be fought. 0 The Liberal programme consists of a number of projects which the late Government was not strong enough to pass into law, and there is no reason for thinking that under a new Government of the same kind the old projects would fare any better. Fourthly, the claims of the Independent Labour party have frightened a good many people and there is a tendency to combine for what is called the protection of capital and the preservation of our commercial system. There has been a good dpal of wild talk about men like Mr TOM MANN and Mr KEIR HARDIE. Fifthly, a consider- able number of old members are retiring from the Houses of Commons and, what is of more importance, the best men in every constituency have been convinced that the House of Commons has been brought to a deadlock and that it is a place where legislation is impossible and where personal intrigues and selt-seeking prevail. The rank and file of the electors in the four nations are every year becoming more educated, and it is no longer possible to persuade electors to vote for this man or that after Parliament is dissolved. We believe that the complexion of the next Parliament has been in process of settle- ment since the last general election and that very little, if anything, cau be done to modify the process between now and the impending election. None of the causes which we have enumerated, taken separately, may he sufficient to wipe out the existing Liberal majority but the whole of the causes taken together are, we think, sufficient, and we shall neither be surprized nor dis- appointed if the Conservatives return to Parliament with a strong majority. Liberalism can only flourish when those who profess it act up to it and are prepared to incur loss of office and popularity on its behalf.

POLITICAL SEE-SAW. IT is only at times when the two great I parties in the State are manipulating a transference of power and pay from one to the other that the rank and file cf the people have an opportunity of seeing through the game of political see-saw. There is in every department a permanent body of government officials fully capable of tran- sacting the business of the empire, and this business goes on, according to the ancient and long-established rule of thumb, whether Lord SALISBURY or Lord ROSEBERY is Prime Minister. Of the six hundred and seventy members of the House of Commons and about five hundred and seventy members of the House of Lords there are only about a. hundred and fifty out of the twelve hundred and forty who have any chance worth talking about of becoming members of governments. The electors outside are numbered by millions, notwith- standing the fact that women, who are half the adult population, do not possess votes. If .the Liberals had not cared for office and had been indifferent as to the trouble and cost of a general election, Parliament would have been dissolved after the Irish Home Rule Bill had been rejected by the House of Lords. Instead of then appealing to the country the process of see-saw was entered upon. Time was frittered away in first one sham political fight and then another until three years had been wasted, and then the Ins and the Outs, having grown tired of see-saw, threw up the game and are now preparing for a fresh start. In the constituencies the rank and file of the electors are very much in earnest. They do not see how much make-believe there is in tne stlain battles which take place in the Houses of Parliament. For instance, if the Liberal Government had not been defeated on Supply it is almost certain that the Factory Bill would have been fought clause by clause to the end, as it was fought at the beginning, and would 0 have been one more measure added to the list of Liberal efforts which could not be embodied in legislation owing to Conserva- tive obstruction. After the defeat of the Government the tactics of the Conservatives changed in reference to the Factory Bill, and in one or two days the Bill was through Committee. It will probably pass the Commons and the Lords, and in a year the country will be told that before the Conservatives had been in office a fort- night they passed that great and useful measure! This is political see-saw. Look at the Welsh Disestablishment Bill. Line by line the Conservatives fought it, and the Liberals allowed the miserable battle to go on. At last a real amendment was proposed. The Government gave way, and a perfconal victory was achieved by Mr LLOYD GEORGE at the cost of losing the Bill, for immediately the impossible concession was made the Government resigned, and so the country was treated to more political see- saws. One of the great reasons often given for keeping a Liberal Government in office is that Liberal administration is so much better than Conservative administration. The present Liberal Government has been in office three years, but the scandal of the army administration continued, and it remained impossible to the end to extort from the Government any concession in the manage- ment of the Post Office monopoly. For instance, it id sftill impossible to send a pound of anything by parcel post without paying for two pounds, because the wooden- headed officials will not allow a couple of ounces for wrappage! The Liberal Govern- ment did not make an effort during thel three years of its administration to reduce the monstrous armaments. If an attempt [ of this sort had been inacb the Liberals I would have been promptly turned out of office, and the one thing the Liberal < Government did not. intend to risk was 1 being turned out of office ou the question of armaments. There was talk, of course, and Mr GLADSTONE wrote a letter about the growth of armaments, but Sir WILLIAM HARCOURT provided for increased expenditure on ships and guns and forts, and did as much as any Tory Minister could have done to make Europe still more like an armed camp. Why did not Mr GLADSTONE appeal to the country when he was in office on the question of armaments 1 Why did not Sir WILLIAM HARCOURT appeal to the country on the question of ftrmaraents 1 The reason is simple. The country would I nave gone against tne jjiuerais n tney nact attempted to reduce the national armaments and the delightful and profitable game of political see-saw would have been interfered with. In every constituency women are being pressed into the service of the candidates. In the Montgomery Boroughs, for instance, we are told what a good sign it is of the morality and purity of the Liberal cause that women are work- ing for Mr HUMPHREYS OWEX and Mr OWEN PHILIPPS During the past three years the Liberal Government has done nothing towards the political enfran- chisement of women. Both sides have talked goody-goody to women who should understand by this time what is meant by political see-saw. We are imprecsed-our readers who know the Montgomery election petition story will expect us to be impressed —with the yearning desire in Mont- gomeryshire for political morals and purity of election. Sir GEORGE OSBORNE MORGAN says that Wales must go solid for Liberal- ism. Let us see. How did Sir GEORGE OSBORNE MORGAN get his title 1 Was it not given to him so that the game of political see-saw could be played more freely ? Of course it was. Why did Lord RENDEL get a peerage 1 Was it not because he played at political see-saw better almost than anybody who ever came into Wales ? The Liberal rank and file are fooled from Parliament to Parliament. They are fed on words, while their representatives secure places, titles, pensions, and pay. We ask the Radicals of Wales what they have secured, after all, during the past fifteen years which they could not have secured in one session of Parliament if the House of Commons had been in earnest. The House of Commons is not in earnest. Earnest men cannot go to the House of Commons, and if by chance they get there they leave it in anger and disgust because they cannot play at the game of. see-saw and retain the slightest shred of self-respect.

THE CONTEST 1.N CAR- DIG AJNSHIRE. MR VAUGHAN DAVIES has been selected by a sufficient number of districts in Cardigan- shire to give him a substantial majority of votes over Mr WYNFORD PHILIPPS, and there was nothing for the delegates at Lampeter to do except register the conclusion reached. A good deal has been said about Con- servatives who have voted at some of the meetings, and it is not improbable that in a few of the places Conservatives turned the scale against Mr WYNFORD PHILIPPS and in favour of Mr VAUGHAN DAVIES. In other places, however, where Conservative influences were said to have secured Mr VAUGHAN DAVIKS'S nomination, second meet- ings have been held and the firsi decision has almost in every case been confirmed. We regret the decision of the, majority of the Liberal electors, but we do not intend to explain away the fact, and we frankly accept what seems to us to be a more com- plete defeat of Liberalism than if Mr HARFORD. the Conservative candidate, had been placed at the head of the poll by a laige majority. When Mr VAUGHAN DAVIES was some years ago made the treasurer of what by courtesy is called the Cardigan- shire Liberal Association we looked upon his candidature as certain. He was practically selected then. We never under-estimated his efforts, and over and over again we have urged the Radicals of the county to form a real Liberal Association and to live up to their principles. We urged in vain. Nothing was done by the nominal leaders. The districts have been forced to act on their own judgment and the result is that the PRESIDENT of the Cardiganshire Con- servative Association nine years ago is now the Liberal candidate. We believe that a large number of those who were in favour of Mr WYNFORD PHILIPPS will now work and vote for Mr VAUGHAN DAVIES, but a considerable number of those who have worked for him up to the present time will certainly throw in their lot with Mr HARFORD- The Conservatives have acted, we think with reason on the assumption that Mr HARFORD'S chances of success would be greater with Mr VAUGHAN DAVIES as the Liberal can- didate than with Mr WYNFORD PHILIPPS. Whatever may be the result of the polling there can be no question that what is called the Old Liberal Gang, considered to be identified with Aberystwyth, has been annihilated. Mr VAUGHAN DAVIES, unaided by us and with the "leading" Liberals of the county against him, has carried the majority of the rank and file with him. He owes a good deal of his success to Mr WILLIAM DAVIES, his agent, who has been indefatigable, and has taken for granted everywhere the absence of Liberal organiza tion. He has used the tools ready to his hand without troubling himself too much about their quality, and his Conservative helpers may find at the close that they 'have not been as clever as they thought they were. The Liberal rank and file in the county have long been sick of their figureheads-their nominal leaders who did not lead. We believe that if the choice of delegates had been left to the Liberal electors of Aberystwyth instead of to the members of four societies which are made up largely of non-electors, and certainly do not include all or nearly all the Liberal electors, the result might have been different. The Women's Liberal Association is com- posed, of course, entirely of non- electors. The Junior Radical Club is mainly composed of non-electors, and we have always understood that the Cymru Fydd Association was a non-political asso- ciation. Great irritation was caused at the Aberystwyth meeting last Wednesday by good Liberals, who were not members of any of the four Associations, being asked to retire, but unless they had been asked to retire it would have been impossible to make clear the system by which the delegates at Aberystwyth were chosen. There are Liberals who can no more vote for Mr VAUGHAN DAVIES at the forth- coming election than they could vote for Mr DAVID DAVIES in 1886. These divisions are unfortunate, whether they arise, as in 1886, from differences of opinion on a great question of national policy or, as on the present occasion, from absence of organization and want of faith in the Liberal leaders. We are disposed to think that as far as Mr VAUGHAN DAVIES'S vote is concerned, if he is elected,, it will be recorded on the Liberal side. To the great bulk of the Liberals, not only in Cardiganshire but else- where, this is the only consideration. The present is not the time to discuss political ethics. The situation in Cardigan- shire has not arisen suddenly, or without warning. Whatever may w the final result cf the present state of things it is almost certain that the remaining fragments or wnac is caused the County liberal* Asso- ciation will be swept away. TKe Con- servatives are no doubt gratified with the choice of the Liberal delegates, but wo are not disposed to think that they' have much ground for grafeulation. As we have already said, the bulk of the Liberal electors are' prepared to work and vote for the candidate who has secured a majority of the*-votes.. If Mr WYNFORD PHILIPPS had been- selected some of Mr VAUGHAN DAVIES'S- friends would probably not have voted ,for him. It is probable that some Radicals-: will find it impossible to accept Mr VAUGEATCVDAVIES. Whether inability to work and vote with the Liberal majority develops into hostility will depend largely on the course adopted between now and the day of-the poll. We have pursued a certain policy in refer- to this matter ever since 1886. We have seen the power Mr VAUGHAN was gaining and have not been oblivious- to the methods he bas adopted for gaining. it. The people have a right to choose,, and they have chosen. We have done all. we could,, single-handed, to reach another result, and we accept defeat without desire to minimise its completeness. Our defeat is. the lasting disgrace of the nominal Liberal leaders.

LOCAL AND GENERAL NOTES. Mr CHAMBERLAIN, Mr AUSTIN CHIVMSJJRL ALN, his, son, and Mr JESSE COLLINGS are all in the new- Government. Thus is apostacy rewarded ♦ ♦ Mr C. E. J. OWEN, of Hengwrt Fchaf, DoIg.ellev,. a former high sheriff of the county, has. been adopted as the Conservative candidate for Merionethshire, in opposition to Mr T. E. Ellis, Mr OWES will not win, but this is the way forJihe Conser- vatives to keep their party togetfear. Liberals do not fight forlorn hopes of this kind. I 4Ir LLOTD GEORGE has begun to make speeches in the Carnarvon Boroughs. We do not discuss his statements at the present time, but however the J election goes we will discuss these SPEECH^ lit-r ou. I We think it would be unfortunate if a fighter was hindered in his candidature. There is a good deal to be said on the other side, but we do not want to provide his opponents with weapons. Miss ELIZABETH HEALEY has been.. appointed by the South Wales University College to a ieeturtship. Little by lLtle womea are winning their way. In these days we do not heir a great deal about women being unable to compete with men in the fields of learning, but it is ttill common for small, weak males to tell big, pswerful women that men must rule Mr A. C. HUMPHREYS-OWEN has received a letter from Mr GLADSTONE to say that he has not changed his views in reference to Welsh Disestablishment. We wonder what Mr GLADSTONE thinks cf the arrangement about the Montgomery Election Petition costs. Mr A. C. HUMPHREYS-OWEN did not try to get Mr GLADSTONE'S opinion is reference to that very shady transaction. We wish he had tried, and at the same time had explained his own share in the miserable business. A very large and representative meeting of Par- nellites from all parts of IRELAND was held on Tuesday afternoon at the offices of the National League in Dublin, under the presidency of Mr JOHN REDMOND, M.P. The opinion of the delegates was strongly in favour of contesting all available seats, and large sums of money for election purposes were subscribed on the spot or handed in by delegates on bshalf of Parnellite organisations in the provinces. It was finally decided to fight twenty-four out of the thirty-two Irish counties. All the borough seats, with the possible exceptions of' Derry and Belfast, t will also be contested by the Parnellites. We believe in the ultimate victory of the Parnellites. We should not like to say anything unkind of the Aberystwyth Town Council, whose members act up to their limited lights, but what is to be done with a body which never by any chmce enforces its own resolutions. At the meeting on Tuesday last the General Purposes Committe, in reference to the Salvation Army, Recommended that a resolu- tion passed at a special meeting of the Council held on the 18th September, 1893, be adhered to." If there was one man in the Council worth his salt he would get to know at any cost why this resolution and scores of others have not been adhered to. Non-adherence to resolutions is AS old as our memery of the Town Council. • Nothing is more common in places like Aber- ystwyth than to hear the inhabitants say that the public men are not worth their salt. This may be true, but why are public men not worth their salt ? It is because tho inhabitants themselves are not imbued with a right spirit. For many years, for instance, we have urged that something should be done to maintain and to improve the markets and fairs. The inhabitants have done nothing, and it is impossible to elicit the least sign of interest in fairs and markets from either the shopkeepers or the inhabitants generally. Nobody cares how the town is governed, and it is possible for the self seeker and the honour grabber to get into the Town Council. We do not remember a case during the past thirty years when the inhabitants of Aber- ystwyth picked out one of their own number and nominated him because they thought he would deal righteously with public affairs. The Montgomery Borough Liberals held a meeting last week at Newtown. Mrs HCMPHREYS-OWEN presided and said they ought to enter upon political work with the intention of purifying it. The Liberal battle needed no lies to support it, nor any false promises which might be kept to the ear, but would be broken in the intent. These they might leave to those who thought they needed them. The Liberals would fight their battle with all truth and honesty, and with the more truth and honesty they fought it the better it would be for them." In view of the election petition costs arrangement this sort of piety, is saddening. The Rev T. E. WILLIAMS, who spoke as a Christian minister, made a speech and said nothing that would lead any one to seppose that the Montgomery Boroughs are not just aching in their desire to live up to a high standard of political morality. We dare not describe the tort of silence which the pious politicians of the Montgomery Boroughs are gqilty of. Let the rank and file of the Liberals think of the three bankrupt petitioners and then try to describe it for themselves. • Mr JACOB BRIGHT has announced that it is not his intention to seek re-election. In the letter in which he takes leave of his constituents he says :— "The freedom of the press, the liberation of religion from Stats control, the free education of the people, and their local control over the liquor traffic have invariably had my support. Much that I have tried to accomplish belongs to the legislation of the future. Ireland's freedom is foremost in. my political thoughts j as it has long been. As you know, I have given what influence I possessed to procure for wormeu the equality to "which they are in everything entitled,, T have uniformly opposed all laws dealing unequally with man and man or with men and voioeo." The truth it that much that every, true »an tries to accomplish belongs to the legislation of the future. The timid, half-hearted person in always a^ekinc; to do less tfcau is possible, while the true reformer is always n-iming at more than is possible. The former achieves personal reputation as his Utmost good. The other makes highways to progress in which his own feet, alas, are often destined not to walk. It is I better to fail with men like Mr JAOOB BRIGHT than to SUCCEED witblmoa. like Mr JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, ¡ e wish it were possible TO teach local govern- ing bodies that tiiiby weaken themselves by not EMG true to the broad interests the people. Liberal leaders in Parliament have made the mistake of compromising,.ami NOW, whan the day of battle-has come the rank., andi file upon whom the issue depends are not enthusiastic. They have no clf, policy before them. They shrewdly ask what can be expected from- a House of Commons made up,of men like Mr YAUOHAN DAVIES, who is one day, AI Tory and the next a Liberal. Mr BIRCIIAM has been tolling; the Carnarvon Guardians some PLAIAV unpleasant truths about their RATES of pauperism. He said that they made no inference between the drunken and thriftless and the deserving poor, and pointed out that their method of administering retief was a direct incentive for people not to jpin friendiy societies or to make-other promion.. We Agent years in trying to get a common sense administration of the Poor LAWS 10 this distriab, but our object was misunder- stood, and at last the-whole question resolved itself into a miserable effort to redtee the rate, and not to-improve the condition of tho poor. «.TM,TORS'.F°NMR OF„THS MI"D8" D»E' °»T seem, to be very welllup.to tha-work. A choice of easy miracles is made. Just think of the followinly a sample ot the pious humHug which is now ing on m Wales A service was coaducted by the Rev PAW,. FLETOH^, the master and chaplain of the guild, who addressed the pilgrims on the miracles of the saint. Afterwards FATHER FLETCHER presented the relic of the saint for veneration, and as each pilgrim parsed round be "went on his knees and devoutly kissed the relic. In the case of- those afflicted with bodily ailments* "the relic was. applied for a few seconds to the particular part affected." T*he particular part affected i3 the head we shousld think and the appli- cation does noft seem to do the Rev FATHER FLETCHER any good. Anybody who wants to understand how the political machine is worked cannot do better than read what the newspapers have to say about the j formation of the new Government, and the way the appointments are grabbed at, truckled for, and hunted after. Peers of the realm, and all sorts of titled and needy persons are wallowing in political filth in order to get place. It is said that Lord HALSBCRY will have the Lord Chancellorship. The younger Tories are mad at the greediness of the Old Gang. Every appciatment that is made causes a yell of disappointment to be sent up, and Lord SALISBURY, after he has satisfied his own hungry relations and lickspittles, must be weary of the pack at his heels. Our readers must not think that we think the Conservatives are more eager than Liberals for place. 0, no but they make less effort to hide their desires or their disappointment. The average Conservative is like Mr VAUGHAN DAVIES who wants to get into Parliament and if he cannot get there as a Tory he is willing to go there as a Liberal. Anyhow, so that he gets there. The Western Mail has. for some time tried to run Mr VAUGHAN DAVIES against Mr WYNFORD PHILIPPS, but that paper does not want Mr VAUGHAN DAVIBB to succeed. Now that Mr VAUGHAN DAVIDS may be the candidate to oppose Mr HARFORD this is what the Cardiff Tory paper says: "Cardiganshire Radicals are being divided into two hostile camps. "They have two candidates, Mr VAUGHAN DAVIES (Tanybwlch) and Mr J. WYNFORD PHILIPP^— the former in favour in the country districts amongst the more moderate section of the party and the latter the chcsen of the ultra- Radicalism. Mr VAUGHAN DAVIES is credited "with a determination to go to the poll in any "case, for since he- married a wealthy lady he has been possessed with the fixed idea. thafrv St. Stephen's is his proper place in life. Years ago he was willing to go there as a Conservative, now "he is equally ready to go as a Radical—his main "desire seems to. be to get to Westminster." There can be no question that Mr VATTQHAN DAVZIZSI s chief aim is to get into Parliament, and he does not care whether the Liberals or the Conservatives send him there. ♦ Principal VIRIAMU JONES presided at a meeting of the South Wales University College the other day when the Bishop of HEREFORD distributed the prizes to the successful students. We always look at the PRINCIFAL of the Cardiff College as laughing in his sleeve at the Principals of the other two colleges. The BISHOP spoke wisely, and said that he was disposed to think that in some of the university colleges (he did. not mean Cardiff) the professors and teachers had not quite realised the magnificent opportunity they had of impressing.. themselves on the popular education of the country through the great mass of the people who were, engaged in the.daytime and could give only their evenings to college work. The professors were inclined to take a top academic view of their work. It may be true, as the BMttop said, that with regard to the University of Wales, the Carcliff College will be the strongest and chief constituent. The Cardiff PRINCIPAL is too clever. He works the oracle smartly, but a little too obviously, and in the loug run his .smartness is recognised to be smartness ¡ and that is bad form. 01, if some peeple, we do not mean anybody at Cardiff,, could only see a hole through a Jadder" what.,progress might be made. By the permission of the Worshipful Company of Drapers a conference, on apprenticeship was held last week,, under the presidency of Sir JOHN LUBBOCKJ Bart., who said that the usefulness of apprenticeship was shown by the fact of the practice having survived so mftny centuries. Much had been done of late to develope technical education in this country and if. they were to hold their own in the competition of the world, it was very necessary, that steps, should be taken to maintain the efficiency of what was produced. TheM was no place where a young man could learn a trade so well as in the. workshop itself. Mr HAl-UN advo- cated the rer introduction of the system of,apprentice- ship,. oa. the groupds that it was necessary to maintain the effieiency of work; that assistance was necessary to help the apprentice to, be bound, and he. urged that an institution to do this should be established. Dr GARNET insisted upon the ab- solute necessity, of. a youth serving timio a work- shop so, as to become practically accomplished in the trade- be. was learningt Mr ROKEBY PRICE said- that in old times the City Companies apprenticed lads, and. epcouraged them to do good, work; that was required at the present time. The apprentice system has broken down partlyc- owing to the refusal of men to teach apprentices, and partly to the fact that apprentices think they are a great source, of profit to those who teach them their craft. Mr, BALLIN is right in urging the re-introdcction ef the system of apprentice- ship. It is only in the country, that boys can learn handicrafts thoroughly. The problem of unskilled labour must be tackled by dealing with youths. A man who is master of; a craft is able to earn a living. What is wanted is that the young workman who has given indications, of skill during his apprenticeship should be helped to acquire perfect Ifkill in his craft. The sublet is one of great im- portance, and Mr BALLIN cannot do better work for the county than to. encourage the system of apprenticing youths to handicrafts so that the crafts may not desline. the Confejsace Mr COLE, secretary of the Operative Plasterers, stated that since appjanticeship had gooe out his trade had deteriorated to a considerable and alarming extent. jobs were now given out te sub-contractors, and tha work was done by raou who had not bad a trade training. They were now tiying to resuscitate 1het apprenticeship system, hut there was great diffi- nalfey iik fading the \n\oney necessary for the pre- t