The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard

BARMOOTH COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS. AT the last mpeting of the Barmouth Town Council Mr WILLIAM OWEN called attention to an alleged failure of the SURVEYOR to carry out a resolution said to have been passed in the spring of the year in reference to some work at the sewer outfall. Several of the members of the Council agreed with Mr WILLIAM OWEN as to the passing of this resolution. The SURVEYOR said that he did not know of any resolution passed in the early part of the year, but that after high tides in August he himself called attention to the need for something being done and a resolution was then passed. It is most important that resolutions when passed should be acted upon, but it is equally important when assertions are definitely made that resolutions have been passed that it should be ascertained whether they have been passed or- not. Mr WILLIAM OWEN, and those who bore out his assertion that a resolution was passed in the beginning of the year that work should be done, which is only being done now, should find out from the records of the Council whether a resolution was passed or not. It is most important that this should be done. Indeed, it would have been the wiser course for Mr WILLIAM OWEN, who was not allowed to proceed in the first instance because he was out of order, if he had obtained this resolution and had come to the meeting armed with his facts and with a resolution based on them. Irregular conversations, interlarded with personalities, do not promote the transaction of business, and the MAYOR may see from what transpired ab the meeting that rules of debate and procedure will have to be introduced gently. Mr WILLIAM OWEN and some of the other members do not see why they should not say whatever they think as they are momentarily inspired, and it will take time for them to realize that it is for everybody's advantage in the long run that the debates should be regular and that there should be as little desultory conversa-tion as possible at the Council meetings. There can be no doubt that municipal efficiency depends on resolutions being acted upon unerringly, once they are passed, but all the members of the Council and the officials will have need of patience and forbearance in order to get rid of the loose and casual methods which have hitherto prevailed. The SURVEYOR is entitled to the fullest fair play, and if it is found that a resolu- tion was not passed at the beginning of the year he ought to be fully and openly exonerated from blame. The difficulty of getting work attended to, 1 not only at Barmouth, but elsewhere, is very great. It would be within the mark, we think, to say that if the pro- csedings at almost any of the local governing bodies in the district had been conducted regularly, and the resolutions passed had been acted upon decisively and continuously until they were rescinded, progress would have been more ] rapid and the local governing bodies would occupy a much higher place in < public estimation than they now venture to claim, We do not think it is neces- sary or desirable that there should be no freedom of debate on local governing bodies, but only the subject in hand ( should be discussed, and the ordinary ( rules of debate should be observed. This is the only safeguard against those little ( squabbles and offensive personalities which ] tend to lower public life and to hinder municipal progress. Every member of a 1 town council should remember that he is a ( possible county councillor and that there ( are still higher positions within reach. f The question that is awaiting an answer at < Barmouth ig whether a resolution was passed < early in the year that work at the sewer outfall should be done. If not, then the SURVEYOR is not only not to blame, but is entitled to an apology. If a resolution was passed, then the reasons why it was not acted upon should be thoroughly in- vestigated and steps should be taken to prevent that sort of neglect, not necessarily on the part of the SURVEYOR only. We see growing up in the Barmouth Council two sides—the moderates and the progressives. This is as ir. should he. As yet neither side has developed, but there are signs of two rates of progress. This is healthy and will tend to the benefit of the com- munity. Barmouth may grow and develop in many ways, and all will be well if those who take part in public life have patience with each other and are willing to learn the great and difficult art of self- government.

A RALLYING POINT FOR WOMEN. THE discussion at the last meeting of the Merionethshire County Governing Body, on the resolution previously passed by the Managers of Dr WILLIAMS'S Girls School, preferring a claim for the due share of the county rate and Treasury grant, reveals a state of the public mind that it has long been contended did not exist. This reasonable, legal, and equitable claim was rejected by thirteen to three votes, after a discussion which we commend to all those who cannot understand why in old times injustice and cruelly and wrong pre- vailed, and evil was done openly in the face of the sun. Notwithstanding this apparently overwhelming defeat, and we have no desire whatever to minimise its gravity and importance, we claim as a victory the bringing of this conflict into the open after so many years of under- ground fighting, and we trust that Mrs HOLLAND, Mrs BEALE, and other governors of Dr WILLIAMS'S School will also accept the result as first fruits of victory. For more than ten years we have struggled to get the nominal friends but implacable foes of the Girls' School to reveal them- selves, but it was not until a few weeks ago, when Mrs HOLLAND succeeded in carrying a resolution to prefer the claim of the School to the County Governing Body for justice, that the nominal friends hut real opponents of the School were forced to declare themselves. It is not the first time in the history of Welsh education that we have had to fight a battle on behalf of justice against the pro- fessed friends of an educational institu- tion. Our readers will remember the struggle against the foes of the University College of Wales who sat on its governing bodies, took its honours, profited by their association with it, and yet sought its destruction in order to do something which they thought was more calculated to advance the interests of Wales than that College could advance them. In the long run those false and misguided friends of the University College of Wales were defeated, and that institution to-day stands head and shoulders above the other two colleges, and is the symbol of all that is best a,nd truest in the aspirations of the Welsh people for higher education. We thought the battle for equality in educa- lonal privileges in Wales had been finally won, but we find ourselves face to face with a fierce, uncompromising strife for justice to girls—women, and the old condi- tions are reproduced with startling completeness. The School has its most uncompromising opponents on its own governing body. The refusal of justice is based on the plea that in- jury will be done to the cause of boys' education. The law is ignored and is said to be based on mistake. The claims of boys are placed before the claims of girls, and what is due to girls by law and equity is handed over to boys because boys, it is presumed, have superior claims. The importance of the local question, as it affects Dr. WILLIAMS'S School, cannot easily be exaggerated, but the general question of the right of girls to equal privileges of education with boys, and all that is involved in it, is of far wider and deeper importance, and we ■ appeal to women all over the Principality, and beyond the borders, for help and counten- ance in this struggle. We are not going to attack the motives of Dr. EDWARD JONES and those who voted with him, either as chairman of the County Governing Body when a grant was denied by a majority of thirteen to three, or as vice-chairman of the Governors of Dr. WILLIAMS'S School, when the motion to apply for a grant was only carried by Mrs HOLLAND'S casting vote. Incalculable wrong and injustice have been done in all ages by men who have been inspired by the best of motives. To the bulk of the thirteen who voted with Dr. EDWARD JONES last week, it was enough that he was opposed to the grant. His position as vice-chairman of the Governors of the Dolgelley Girls' School, and his strong expressions of interest in it, make it exceedingly difficult to be- lieve that he can be opposed to anything that would add to its efficiency, especially anything to which the school has an un- impeachable legal claim. Our task is to prove that this is his attitude, account for it as we may, and we shall not abandon the case until the people of Merioneth and everybody else concerned are convinced that a wrong is being done. We wish to clear the ground for action, and at the outset we express our regret that Dr EDWARD JONES has deemed it to be wise to maintain so long a position that cannot be otherwise described than as inimical to the institution of which he is a governor and the vice-chairman. The Governors of the School are crippled by his presence and action, owing to his influence in the county, and to the general belief, which we do not question, that he is acting to the best 01: his belief in the public in- terests. Unfortunately, a vast amount of the wrong in the world is done by people who act quite conscientiously and from the best possible motives. The re- port of the proceedings at the meeting of the County Governing Body made it clear that the Boys' School was allowed to make a representation which was denied Lo the representative of the Girls' School. This difference of treatment was pointed out to Dr EDWARD JONES, who presided, by the Hon. C. H. WYNN, who made a clear and accurate state- ment of the legal position, and concluded by proposing that a grant should be made. It was seconded by Mrs PRICE, Rhiwlas, and supported by Mrs BURTON. Dr EDWARD JONES'S ong speech, as Mrs PRICE pointed out, had nothing whatever to do with the question before the meeting. We will now show from the Merioneth County School scheme that the Girls' School is a. School under that scheme. It is true that the School is not under the scheme on identically the same terms as the other schools, for the simple reason that the scheme for the Girls' School had recently been passed and the School tias endowments. What was done, and we call especial attention to this fact, was to make Dr School a bounty School under the Act so that would be no occasion to establish it Dolgelley a second school for girls, md also to make necessary pecuniary provision for it and also to protect it by mentioning it in the scheme from time to time as regards special provisions and exceptions. There are provisions, for instance, to prevent its endowments being used for the other schools; to secure representation from the County Council on the Governing Body of the School; to secure that the Governors of the Girls' School shall be deemed to be school managers of a county school established under the Merioneth scheme to secure for the Girls' School a share of the general futid under schedule four and to secure undenominational education in the School. In addition to the fact that the Girls' School is bracketed with the Boys' School in the fourth schedule, to receive a share of the grants from the building and general fund, there is the strong wording and express provision of the 59th clause which enacts The County School shall be so conducted as to allow of a grant being made in aid of it by the Treasury under the Welsh Act and also by the Department of Science and Art. It may also be so conducted as to be qualified to receive aid from a local authority under the Technical Instruc- tion Act, 1899. Any moneys payable by the Department of Science and Art or under the Technical Instruction Act shall be pud to the School Managers. The provisions of this clause shall, so far as may be, apply to Dr WILLIAMS'S School." These words are complete. The claim of the School is beyond reason- able question, and we trust that Mrs HOLLAND, Mrs PRICE, Mrs BURTON, Mrs BEALE, and the Hon C. H. WYNN will see that justice is done. A great advance has been made in getting the fight into the open, and we have no doubt whatever as to ultimate victory. We shall recur to the subject at frequeno intervals until the matter is finally and equitably settled. This is more, far more, than a mere school question. It is part of the ancient wrong done to women as a sex in the interests of men.

JTHTT TRUTH COMING OUT. WE have waited for some years to see whether by the feeble muddlement of in- capables a really efficient Intermediate School could be established at Aber- ystwyth. It will be seen from the re- port of the proceedings at the last meet- ing of the present Managers that not- withstanding the great liberality of Lord RENDEL, who at the recent opening gave three hundred pounds towards the debt, there is still a liability of a thousand pounds, and many of those who have promised donations and subscriptions either say that they did not promise what they are said to have promised or intimate that they do not intend to give what they at one time said they would give. In our opinion those who decline to Day what was promised five or six years ago, on the understanding that a really efficient Intermediate School was to be established, have a good case and may well resent Mr C. M. WILLIAMS'S pre- sumptious talk about their repudiation," and "dishonourable" conduct, and "flimsy excuses," and behaving shabbily," and feeling that their honour is pledged." Everybody does not take the precaution that one person who intended to sub- scribe liberally took when the scheme was first mooted. He asked whether the School was to be one for which sacrifices were to be made, or was to be only a sort of genteel academy to which people who felt themselves too re- spectable for the elementary schools were to send their children. It was made per- fectly clear at that time that the scheme was to be a small one, and that there was to be no real effort and no distinct sacrifice. The matter was therefore left to those who have since dealt with it, and the result, as is made clear, is far from satisfactory. We have maintained silence in reference to blunders and defections and partizanship and feebleness in order that if the thing could be worked to a successful issue on lines that appeared to us to lead to disaster, those who had the matter in hand might not be able to say that their efforts had been frustrated by unkindly criticism. The Managers as a body have never commanded the con- fidence of the people, and some of their acts have shown far too strong a party and personal bias to meet with the ap- proval of those upon whom the main burden of the school will ultimately fall. We are not even now going into anything beyond what was revealed by the Managers at their last meeting. It was admitted that there has been neglect on the part of the Managers, either past or present. We know how thankless B task it is to try and establish a great public institution, and the task is practically im- possible if one man has a private end to serve, and another has a friend to support, and a third has a little scheme of his own to piomote, and a fourth is anxious to please everybody and to support everything so as to make things pleasant all round. The private end may be quite worthy, the friend may be deserving, the scheme may be admirable, and the desire to please everybody may be most laudable, but in establishing a great public institution the great end should be to lay down the foundations with insight on solid and com- prehensive lines. No proper estimates were made in the first instance as to the amount of money required, and the promises made have been allowed to lapse. Why, if those who promised money five or six years ago had given the Governors cheques and had not attempted to cash them until now, they could not recover the money. Nobody should be expected to meet pay- ments five or six years after they are promised unless the conditions on every hand remain the same. Even a liability be- tween ordinary debtor and creditor loses its legal force in six years. Besides, in the case of the Aberystwyth Intermediate School the expectations of the people have not been fulfilled. The, Managers have been feeble, and have not even been united in maintaining a distinct policy. We do not think that -Lord RENDEL'S generosity has kindled any great degree of enthusiasm, but if it had the facts revealed at the last meeting of the Managers would kill it, or at any rate cause it to hesitate until public confidence can be established. Everybody knows as well as we do what is the matter, and it does not require the wisest man in the world to say what course ought to be pursued. If Aberystwyth is to support an Inter- mediate School the whole thing must be established on a basis that will enable it to compete with the best schools in Wales. Education experts do not believe that this is now possible unless great and radical changes are made which can- not easily be made and which it may be impossible to make. Nothing whatever would have been gained by attempting to keep the condition of things hidden, because secrecy is impossible in these days. Some of the speeches made were as wrong as they well could be, but even the silli- est of speeches it id better to publish than to allow them to pass from mouth to mouth growing in grotesqueness and exaggera- tion as they are repeated. The Inter- mediate School at Aberystwyth ought to have set an example to all Wales. Instead of that it has been landed in financial difficulties, and doell not even retain the confidence of those who were once its managers and who promised it subscrip- tions. If the Managers were strong enough and far-seeing enough there is a way out for them, but they will not see their way, and they would not adopt it if they did see it. There is, therefore, nothing for it but to wait until a deadlock is reached, or until some of the more dead'y drawbacks are removed by time or other means. We are anxious not to blame those who are trying to face the existing miserable condition of things. Some of the Managers are willing and anxious to do whatever is necessary, but experience has proved more than once that there is a fatal fear of outspoken- ness and a dread of the dire consequences that might arise from uncompromising action. We have waited five or six years and can wait five or six more. The desire and need for education are so great, and the position of the town of Aberystwyth is so strong, that no measure of ineptness can, perhaps, quite destroy the Intermediate School. The debt of o thou-and pounds is the least of the school's difficulties, but we quite believe that this liability is sufficient to make those uneasy who are responsible for it. The only reasonable course is for those who have subscribed the money to meet together and decide upon a strong course of action, and for the Managers to agree beforehand that they will work with the subscribers. They might ask Lord H.ENDEL to preside. He is an excellent business man and would quickly see where the weakness lies. We are anxious not to put the case against past or present managers too strongly. What we ask our readers to do is to give the report in another part of the paper their careful consideration, and to ask themselves whether those who decline to pay are not justified in their protest, and whether something drastic ought not to be done forthwith to quickly restore public confidence and to obtain whatever mcney is necessary to provide Aberyst- wyth with a school that would not be a whit behind Llandovery School or Friar's School, Bangor.

ANOTHER REFUGE DES- TROYED. By elow but sure processes the public are being placed in full possession of the way Aberystwyth Corporation leases are dealt with. A great point has been made of the allegation that in the Terrace-road premises a period of ten days had been reserved. Messrs ROBERTS and EVANS have now conclusively proved that not only have ten days not been reserved, but two days more than the original lessee possesses have been sub-leased and the original lessee could not, therefore, enter a distress for rent. Of course, whether there is a remainder of ten days or ten weeks is of no consequence, for the Uorporation have granted renewals of leases where there has been a remainder of five months, and the scheme of reversionary leases was devised in order to get over the difficulty which, it was supposed, was created by the original lessees having retained a few days, or weeks,- or months in hand. It is only in the case of this application that the remainder is made an obstacle, and as it happens it is in this case that there is no remainder. Those who oppose the granting of a renewal have been driven from every position they have taken up, and the object of the letter read on Tuesday from Messrs ROBERTS and EVANS is to show that this last refuge of ten days does not exist. This fact will make no difference to Captain DOUGHTON, who plainly sa.d at the last meeting after the reading of the letter, that he did not care what explanation they gave to him, they could not convince him that he was wrong. This admission is most valuable, and shows clearly how the question is met and in what spirit the subject is approached. Happily the object aimed at is not to convince Captain DOUGHTON, or Mr R. J. JONES, or Mr C. M. WILLIAMS, not one of whom, it seems to us is either master of the facts or the prin- ciples in reference to the renewals of Corporation leases. Captain DOUGHTON made a mysterious point of the fact that the lease had been shown to him. There is no mystery about it, and there is no occasion not to mention names. The ignorance of Captain DOUGHTON as to the provisions of the sub-lease was so great that Mr GIBSON sent him the lease, so that he could make himself master of its contents, and save himself from the position in which he has placed himself. The lease was never shown to Mr PEAKE, but any member of the Council could have seen it for the simple reason that there is nothing to bide, and everything is to be gained by publicity. Mr C. M. WILLIAMS, as usual, is quite wrong as to the matter having been quite threshed out. There may be a lull while he is Mayor in the discussion of this and some other subjects, but the leases come home to so many of the people that it is not possible to get rid of the subject when certain people are tired of it. On Tuesday we think there were signs that the personal element is dropping out of .P the question, and the fact that the matter has been referred to the TOWN CLERK still further eliminates the personal element. Quite apart from Mr GIBSON or Mr C. M. WILLIAMS, it is important that the TOWN CLERK should present the Council with a well-considered, well- advised, report on the subject, so that individuals who may be as objectionable to members of a future Council as Mr GIBSON is to some members of this shall not obscure a great public issue. At first it was said that Mr GIBSON had no right to a renewal of the lease because Z5 he did not possess the deed which had to be surrendered to the Council it was proved that he had this deed and could surrender it. Then it was said that he could not make the necessary alterations owing to clauses in the deed it was proved that he could make all the alterations and could take the place down to the groand. Next it was asserted that the original owner had retained a beneficial interest in the premises and that the lease ought to be granted to him it was proved that the original owner had sub-leased all his in- terest in the premises for a fixed annual moaey payment, and could not comply with any of the conditions imposed by the Council to those to whom renewed leases are granted. Then it was said that the original lessee had retained ten days, and could re-enter at the termination of the sub-lease: it was then proved that two days more than is held by the original owner has been conveyed in the sub-lease and that the original lessee has deprived himself even of his power to re- enter or to distrain for the rent. Then it was said that notwithstanding everything the original lessee retains something more than the bare L27 a year until the expiration of the term: it is proved that when Mr GIBSON'S term expires the premises reverts to the Corporation, and never again goes into the hands of the original lessee. There ara three interests in the premises. First, the interest of the original lessee, which consists of X27 a year for twenty- one years second, the interest of the sub-lessee, who has paid about £750 for the premises to make what he can out of it for the twenty-one years; and, third, the reversionary interest of the Corpora- tion, who get nothing out of the premises now, but will come into possession of whatever is left in twenty-one years. The only question for the ratepayers of Aberystwytb is whether it would be better for the present generation of Aberystwyth ratepayers that this property should be improved, so as to get a good rental and an increased income from rates, or it should be left as it is, so that those who happen to be ratepayers in twenty-one years to come may get an increased benefit The Corporation have in every case except Mr GIBSON'S acted on the principle that it is wiser for this genera- tion to get a hundred pounds than to get nothing in order that the next generation may get two or three hundred pounds. He must he a very dull person indeed who does not see where the difficulty really lies in the Terrace-road lease. It is entirely a personal difficulty. As regards Mr EDWIN JONES'S interest, it is worth £378 calculated on a basis of four per cent. After next Monday his interest will not be worth £378 on this basis, for he will by then have received another payment. His in- terest lik" the interest, of the sub-lessee decreases every year. There are hundreds of these sub-leases, and when re-renewals are applied for there will be numerous cases probably like that in Terrace-road. Mr C. M. WILLIAMS and Mr R. J. JONES may in time get a glimmering of the fact that Mr GIBSON'S chief end is not to get a renewal of the lease, but to achieve quite another object, and he has already almost achieved that object.

EDITORIAL NOTES. Lord RENDEL'S gifts were mentioned at the meeting of the Cardigan County Governing Body on Wednesday. The best way to manifest appreciation of Lord RENDEL'S gifts is to supple- ment them. The report of the meeting at Lam- peter is interest;ng. The question of a travelling teacher was discussed. And so Welsh history repeats itself! It will be seen that the Yorkshire Penny Bank have treated Barmouth very well about the loans and thus the town is helped again inLo a still better financial position. The great thingf now is to keep the accounts square and to get the pro- portion between the ratable value of the town and the indebtedness reduced. The place is growing and things are rapidly mending. The Dutch are holding thanksgiving services in their churches for the Boer successes in the Transvaal. Which side is GOD on in this war ? The Bishops of this country think He is on ours. President KRUGER thinks He is on the side of the Transvaalers. If people would only think a little there would soon be an end of war. By the way, President prediction that the war would be costly seems to be on the way to ful- filment. ♦ « Cardiff is ambitious, and among other things wants to be the capital of Wales. It has great difficulty in keeping its Infirmary doors open. Now we understand that the accounts of the Car- diff National Eisteddfod show a deficit of no less than JE650, and that the guarantors will be asked to pay up 10s in the pound. The National Eisteddfod has become the happy hunting ground of a lot of professionals and greatly needs re- forming. The Cardigan County Governing Body was face to face on Wednesday with the stupidity of the Charity Commissioners in reference to the building of a house for the headmaster 01 Tre- garon School. It is monstrous that civic life should be hindered by departmental woodenness. It would be far better for localities to make mis- takes, and even to act unjustly. than to be kept in leading strings by officials who are as dull as ditchwater and as blind as moles. Many of our readers it seems would like to contribute to the funds for the refugees, or for the sick and wounded, or for the soldiers' families. Any sums sent to us we will forward as the subscribers may direct. It will be seen that Lady EVANS makes a suggestion in an- other column, and it will also be seen that we publish a list of subscriptions collected at Mr PRYSE PRYSE'S hunt breakfast at Lodge Park last week and elsewhere. » At the last meeting of the Machynlleth Town Council it was reported that there were forty- two ratepayers still in arrears to the extent of JE122. The collector stated that for the most part the defaulters are large ratepayers. It was decided that proceedings should be taken for the recovery of what was due. What is true at Machynlleth is true at Aberystwyth. The last to pay their rates are the people who make most fuss about other people's deficiencies. The only fair way to act is to make everybody pay their rates promptly. There is a great deal to be said for the pro- posal Mr OWEN WILLIAMS gave notice of at the last meeting of the Barmouth Council, to discuss questions in the Council instead of in committees. No great harm will be done by waiting until the end of the year. In small towns most matters could be settled in open council, and when anything complicated arose it could be referred to a committee to be chosen for the duty. The committees of small local governing bodies are too often merely graves in which projects are buried and forgotten. The Duke of NEWCASTLE says that he regards disestablishment as the only one remedy for the evils from which the Anglo-Catholic party in the Church of England is Buffering. He adds that he was formerly a staunch Church defence man, but he can now no longer feel that the union of Church and State is good for the spiritual life of the former. What neither Churchmen nor Nonconformists seem to reali;re is that the masses of the people care nothing for a religion that concerns itself mainly about altar cloths, candles, and ritual, and has nothing to say about the throbbing, suffering, arduous life of the pres- ent moment. » It is to be hoped that no obstacle will be thrown in the way of Dr HARRIES'S scheme for pleasure grounds at Aberystwyth. The amount of capital that will have to be expended will ba great, running into thousands, but the public have nothing to do with that. All the Town Council should see to is that the work is carried out and that the land is not used for any other purpose or alienated from the town in the supposed remote contingency that the pleasure grounds were not as successful as is now antici- pated. The scheme is a large and costly one, and will make for the popularity of the town. The other considerations are for the promoters of the scheme. Temperance advocates seem to be totally oblivious of what is reasonable and what is unreasonable when a glass of beer is concerned. At the Carlisle Police Court, on Saturday, four railway men who had travelled from Crewe went to a licensed premises and obtained some refreshments during prohibited hours. They were proceeded against, but the magistrates dismissed the case and said that it was one for the decision of a. higher court. The people will not be dictated to as to what they shall eat and drink, or when and where. A very strong feeling is growing up, and the present re strictive legislation will be openly defied before long and the whole system will break down. Already, almost every gentleman's house in the country is a shebeen. It is absurd to take more than forty millions a year in revenus from the drink traffic and to make it an offence to be supplied with drinkI Protest is beginning to be made against the vulgar revolting levity with which some newspapen refer to the slaughter of the Boers in the Transvaal war. At best, war is a dire calamity,, and the creature who can exult in slaughter it not fit to be classed as human. to It has been decided to hold a show of poultry, butter, and cheese at the Aberystwyth Curn Market on Friday, December 22nd. A r-port of the adjourned meeting will be found in another part of the paper. It was intended ti hold tne show on the 21st, but as a show is held at Lalll- peter on that date, the Aberystwyth exhibition has been fixed for the 22nd. The London County Council have adopted a recommendation to the effect that the Council should introduce a Bill to enable it to bring water from the valleys of the Wye and Towy. Of course, some stupid person will try to as ert that Walts ought not to be deprived of the water which floods its valleys and wr rks wide- spread destruction. The more the centres of large populations are interested in Walts the better for the Principality. These great water schemes will prevent destructive floods. { Tne war correspondent. in th;, Transvaal are practically gagged. They might just as well be at home. The officers in command' have evidently made it quite clear that they must edit the Dews before it is sent home. Under the circumstances, it is difficult to see what the daily papers get for their moiiey. There has been a good deal of excit. m'nt over telegrams which are contradicted almost as rapidly as they are published. The only thing clearly revealed during the w-ek is that the war i a more eerious business than the Jingoes expected, and the tale of deaths is sobering those who only see the false glory of war. A paragraph has been sent to the newspapers to say that gold has been found near Welshpool. About twelve grains of gold to the ton was the asfayer's report. This is a ridiculously quantity. Why, years ago when Mr PRITCHARD MORGAN was in Merionethshire there were almost daily discoveries of quartz containing as many ounces per ton as the Welshpool stuff is said to contain grains and yet, alas, the Merionethshire gold mines have not yet paid off the national debt and Mr PRITCHARD MORGAN is in Clfina still on the gold mine tack By the way, we do not seem to have heard a great deal about bis mission in the Celestial Empire, but it may be early yet. ■» Lord ROWTON is doing really good work in London. Last week the Rowton Houae Com- pany (Limited) completed the erection of the magnificent establishment at Hammersmith in which provision is made for housing lOO men belonging to the poorest classes of the com- munity, and it is now being furnished ready for the opening in a fortnight. This is the fourth building of the kind which Lord ROWTON has founded, and it contains 800 beds. This hotel for men" has a nice frontage on the Hammer- smith-road and runs into Great Church-lane, the length being 320 feet. The time is coming when the people will provide for themselves, but they are a long way from this position yet. Look at the hovels in this district in which they are content to live We dare not trust our- selves to think about them. ♦ The difficulty of believing in the honesty of some of the defenders of the Transvaal war is very great. The Earl of SELBORNE, addressing a Unionist meeting of Peebles this week, justi- fied the pcliey of the Government in regard to the Transvaal. It was, he said, the undoubted duty of any country to protect its own sub- jects who, while loyally obeying the laws of the State in which they had settled, were mis- governed and ill-treated, as were the Uitlandera. It was clear that President KRUGER never had any intention of redressing the grievances com- plained of, and by his attitude he had deliber- ately forced this war upon us. Will Lord SELBORKE venture to say that if a large number of the people of this country emigrated to France, or Russia, or Germany, that England would go to war with any one of those nations if our people were badly governed ? Lord SELBORNE is not such a fool as to expect any sane man to believe such rubbish. We often woader how her MAJESTY'S judges preserve their primal innocence until they are quite old. Mr Justice GRANTHAM last week heard a case about a bogus mine and said the case had been treated as if it were one of a character of purchase and sale of property. It was nothing of the kind. There never was a purchase of property at all, and it was certainly an eye-opener to a person like himself, who was ignorant of the way in which these bogus gold mine companies were formed. It was never more, in the first instance, than an effort by a person, who paid very little for what was called the property, to get someone more able than himself to float a company, so that the public might be induced to come in with their thousands and buy that which was worth nothing." Our readers know that there are such things as bogus mines, and more than once bogus mine promoters have tried to prevent us from dealing with their schemes, and we have been threatened over and over again. We do not believe in the innocence of judges, and we think they make themselves appear ridiculous by pretending not to know things which are known to almost everybody who takes ordinary interest in common affairs. A great deal is made of the fact that the Boers have been found to be better armed and more fully prepared for war than was expected. Be- fore the JAMESON raid the Boers, on the authority of one of his colleagues, were badly armed, but after that scandalous proceeding the Boers got ready. Then when England was preparing to send fifty or sixty thousand men to the Trans- vaal the war party made it a serious grievance that the Boers did not wait until our forces had landed, and said foolishly that the Boers had forced war upon us. Let us be as fair as we can be even to people who fight us with some measure of success. The war is not yet fully started, but enough has happened to show that forces have been let loose which may cost this country dear. We are glad to see that the monstrous doctrine is being repudiated that a Government may lie and repudiate treaties and repress truth, and then when war has been forced may claim uncompromising national support. An immoral doctrine of this kind would be subver- sive of all right national action. The war in the Transvaal is as wrong a war as ever was waged, and neither victory nor defeat can either condone or justify it. If the Aberystwyth Public Works Committee will go round the town they will find that several rain water gullies are filled up with gravel. It seems to be a waste of money to spend it in making gullies and then to allow them to be filled up with gravel. At the corner of Pier-street, lead- ing to the Parade, the Public Works Committee may see that the road is being seriously cut up owing to the gutter not carrying the storm water which overflows into the road. That is not the only place where this defect may be seen, but that is one of the places. Why should we have to incur odium by pointing out things of this kind, and why do not the officials themselves see these defects ? There is another defect. Early in the year a drain was put in at a house in the upper part of the Parade. The road has never been made good from that time to this. There are scores of these defects, They militate against the success of the town and ought not to exist. Men are paid to see that they do not exist. Take awning irons, for instance. They are left out even over empty shops and are out week day and Sunday all the year round, but the Town Council does nothing except grumble that it is unfairly criticised. It is this partial administration of the law and this official blindness which bring local governing bodies into contempt. ITSUhff ale, Daily News, a paper of a m'st pious tmdency, published more than two c lumns of a prize fight la-t Monday. We know nothing like the South Walet Daily News for m,iki;,g the best of both worlds except, perhaps, s <m of the professedly religious papers. The Western Mail al-o published the report, but that paper iioes not turn up its tyes in holy honor ot such wickedness, and mak s no pre- tence of exceptional virtue. The Manchester Guardian ouly gave tour lines. Stiil Wales is very religious and the South Wales Da ly News c!a ms to Le an exp- ueut of religion in Wales. ♦ The Cobbe Memorial Library fur.d at Bar. mouth, it will be teen from the additional sub- scriptions published this werk, ic making steady prevre.-s An ,icl(litic,nal sum of fl,200 is still required and will be obtained. The inhabitants o: the town are making sacrifices in order to Miss FRANCES POWER COBIJK how greatly they appreciate her resoive to bestow her ibrary upon the tuwu. There are friends of lUrmoutK everywhere, and the Memcrial Com- mittee will be glkJ to bear from them. A bazaar is tngges ed as a means of rt-ising some I of the required m rey. The object is so uniquely wort"y in all sorts of ways that there is a strong (ies're to make it conspicuously and quick y successful. Mr C. M. WILLIAMS has been elected mayor of Ab rystwyth. His chief idea is to keep down t!ie rates. It is not likely that the work of ex- tending the P.trade will make progress during his y^ar of office. A year's de'ay is, of course, material, but it will have to be accepted unleew th ordirary members of the Council are more determined than they usually are. He has been nnyor before and has not developed in the interval. The great defect of the Aberystwyth Town Council is that it has no policy. Even in finance, which is supposed to be Mr C. M. WIL- LIAMS'S strong point, the Corporation revenue amounting to JE2 500 a year is mainly spent on current account to the great loss of the present generation of ratepayers, but the present genera- tion of ratepayers do not seem to mind f. Borth, near Aberystwyth, is one of those places where the inhabitants are compelled to spind large sums of money in order to prevent the sea fr m devouring the land on which the place is bui!t. The County Council certainly ought to defend Borth from the sea, and no doubt the right thing would be to carry the main road at the back of the houses and in front of the sea instead of pottering with temporary wooden defences. Last week we published a paragraph setting forth how a sum of nearly £1,100 has been collected for what is called the Borth defences. Anyone who really goes into the sub- ject will see that it is wrong for the Government and the local governing authorities to leave the people to keep back the sea. This is national work all round the coast if any work is national. It is hardly safe ever to utter a word of criticism about the National Eisteddfod, but in face of the fact that the National Eisteddfod at Cardiff has resulted in a deficiency of £650, and that these deficiencies are almost of regular occurrence, the question naturally suggests itself whether the whole thing is not wrongly managed, or on a wrong basis. That the eis- teddfod has become the hunting ground of a lot of voracious parasites, who are never satisfied, is certain. These devourers would feel they had not lived up to their chances if they did not obtain all the guarantee fund as well as all the takings. The professionalism that has been grafted upon the national festival is almost all bad. The liabilities of a national eisteddfod are now eo great that the thing is in danger of breaking down owing to lack of funds. When Cardiff cannot hold a successful eisteddfod, it ia time to examine the reasons ot failure. One of the great reasons is the hungriness of the pro- fessional eisteddfodwr.

DEVIL'S BRIDGE. OBITUARY. The death took place on Sunday morning at the Vicarage, Devils' Bridge, of the Rw D. Owen, vicar of Ysbytty Cynfyn, At the age of fifty-two. He had held the living of Ysbytty for sixteen j cars, and f.irm-rly was curate at Talearnau, Mori. neth. He leaves a. widow and three sons.

LL A NFAT ROLYBOGAU. SCHOOL BOARD H LECTION.—Five persona have been nominated for the five vacant seats on the School Board and there will be no election. The follow- ing five will be declared duly elected on November 15th by Mr David Lloyd, the returning officer Evan Abel, the Factory, spinner; David Jones, Waunfawr, farmer; Thomas Jones, Fort Farm, gamekeeper David Lloyd, Frondale, sheep dealer; Evan Morgan, Nantymedd, farmer,

LLANDRILLO, CORWEN. SUDDEN I;EATII.-Great sympathy is felt with Mr Owen Hughes (late inspector of the Merioneth- shire police) and the family in their great sorrow by the very sudden death of their beloved son, David Thomas, thirty-four yoars of age, which took place on Saturday at Cambridge where he was serving as chemist. The body was interred at Cefniidwysarn Cemetery on Wednesday. The funeral was private.

CORWEN. SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION.—The triennial election of the School Board for the parish of Corwen took place on Friday last. There were eight candidate*- tor seven seats, seven of the candidates having been nominated by their respective denominations, and Mr R. R. Roberts coming out as an independent candidate. The polling stations were at the National School, Corwen, being presided over by Mr Thomas Hugnes (returning officer), and Mr J. R. Jordan (solicitor) acting as poll clerk and at the Board School, Glyndyfrdwy, Mr John Evans being presiding officer. with Mr E. Derbyshire as poll clerk. The counting of the votes took place the same evening at the Assembly Room and the result was announced as follows :—The Hon. C. H. Wynn, Rug (Church), 546 Mr W. Foulkes Jones, timber merchant (Congregationalist), 544 the Rev John Williams, Corwen (C M.), 535; the Rev J. R. Ellis, Corwen (Wesleyan), 469; the Rev H. Cernyw Williams, Corwen (Baptist), 467; Dr Horatio E. Walker (Church), 434; Mr R. R. Roberts, auctioneer (C.M.), 299; the Rev W. Williams, Glyndyfrdwy (C.M.), 269. The first seven were declared elected.

CAMBRIAN RAILWAYS.—Approximate return of traffic receipts for the week ending November 5th, 1899: Miles open, 250. Passengers, parcels, &c., £2,125; merchandise, minerals, and live stock, 12,728; total for the week, E4,853 aggre- gate from commencement of half-year, £ 128,939, Actual traffic receipts for the corresponding week last year Miles open, 250. Passengers, parcels, &c., E2,153 merchandise, minerals, and live stock, £2,627; total for the week, £4,780; aggregate from commencement of half-year, El 23,573. Increase for the week Passengers, parcels, &c., E-; merchandise, minerals, and live stock, £101 total for the week, £ 73; aggregate from com- mencement of half-year, Decrease for the week Passengers, parcels, &c., £ 28 merchandise, minerals, and live stock, ;E total for the week, £ — aggregate from commencement of half-year, £ —. Aggregate increase Passengers, parcels, &c., £ 3,956 merchandise, minerals, and live stock, £1,410; total for the week, L- aggregate from commencement of half-year, £ 5,366. Aggregate -Ye decrease Passengers, parcels, &c., £ —; merchan- dise, minerals, anj live stock, £ total for the week, ;C-; aggregate from commencement of half- year, L-.

A receiving order has been made at the London Bankruptcy Court against the Earl of Yarmouth. the eldest son of the Marquis of Hertford, and described as of George-street, Hanover-square.

ijimimg appointments. THE GOGERDDAN FOXHOUNDS WILL MEET Friday, November 17th Furnace Bridge. 10 a.m. THE PLAS MACHYNLLETH HOUNDS WILL MEET Monday, November 13th Bwlchglyn-mynydd 10 30 a.m. Llanbrynmair Thursday, November 16th Derwenlas 10 30 a.m. PLAS MACHYNLLETH HARRIERS WILL MEET Tuesday, November 14th Caerseddfan 10-30 a.m. Friday, November 17th Talywern 10-30 a.m.

JJcciinjs, (Entertainments, &c. ABERYSTWYTH ENGLISH BAPTIST CHAPEL, ALFRED-PLACE, ABERYSTWYTH. fTlHE ANNUAL TEA MEETING and I MISCELLANEOUS ENTERTAINMENT will be held on TUESDAY, JANUARY 2nd, 1900. Further particulars shortly. w813 ENGLISH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, ABERYSTWYTH. On TUESDAY EVENING, NOV. 14th, 1899, THE REV PEDR WILLIAMS, LONDON, WILL DELIVER HIS POPULAR —LECTURE— ON "JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL, POET, PATRIOT, PROPHET." Chair to be taken at 8 p.m. by PRINCIPAL ROBERTS, M.A. Admission—Sixpence. w8l5 PUBLIC NOTICE. THE SECOND ANNUAL CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOW WILL BE HELD AT THE ROYAL PIER PAVILION, ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER loth, 1899. There will be a GRAND DISPLAY OF FLOWERS, FRUIT AND VEGETABLES. Private view of the Show from one to two p.m., Is 6d two to six p.m., Is six to ten p.m., 6d. J. PURTON, H q w S14 H. SHERATON, Hon' Secs*