Weekly Mail

CARDIFF TOWN FINANCES WARM DISCUSSION AT A COM- MITTEE MEETING. A meeting of the Cardiff Corporation Finance Committee was held on Monday, when the position of the borough auditors was discussed. Mr F J, Beavan presided, and called atten- tion to published correspondence between Mr. Oswald Coleman and the town-clerk. Mr. S. Robinson asked whether it was a fact that the elective auditors' names were attached to the accounts without their consent. Mr. Lewis (deputy-treasurer); No; that is not correct. Mr. Meyrick: Where is their signature to the accounts? Mr. Lewis: They have not signed. Mr. Meyrick: Did Mr. Coleman sign these accounts (referring to the names in the blue book) ? Mr. Lewis: He did not. If you will allow me to explain, the position is this. Some portions of these accounts have to be in the hands of the printers in June, and the elec- tive auditors did not commence their work until the 18th of August. It followed, there- fore, that if their names were to appear at all, they must be printed before they had completed their audit. Mr. Meyrick: What business have you to attach their names to the accounts when they have not signed them ? Mr. Lewis: It has always been done. Mr. Robinson: Has Mr. Coleman signed the accounts now? Mr. Lewis: No, he has not. Mr. Greenhill (borough treasurer): The names of the elective auditors are inserted at their request. Mr. Meyrick: Neither Mr. Shepherd nor Mr. Coleman has signed these accounts. Here is a book issued which is supposed to be an authenticated statement of the financial posi- tion of the town. It is a fiction, a sham, and a delusion, because the auditors elected by the ratepayers have never signed it. Mr. Greenhill: They were asked to sign the first part, and they refused. The Chairman: Then why were the names put in? Mr. Greenhill: Better leave the names out altogether. It is not necessary to have them. Mr. Meyrick: Let us have the facts. Have you got the signatures of the elective auditors to these accounts? Mr. Lewis: No. Mr. Meyrick: Then it is a gross error to use their names. Mr. Greenhill: It is simply a. record, and an advertisement for them. The Mayor: A costly advertisement. I see we paid them E116 lis. last year. In the ensuing discussion it was explained that the elective auditors had three months to do their work after the accounts had been made up. Now they wanted to complete the work when one of them had ceased to be an auditor. The Chairman: Before you go to that, bad you any authority to pnt their names in this book? Mr. Lewis: No. The Chairman: Then you had no business to put them in. The town-clerk was then consulted with reference to the position which Mr. Coleman held as one of the auditors for last year, and stated that after the election he had no right to demand access to the accounts, be being one of the defeated candidates. Mr. Coleman was appointed one of the auditors for a certain period.. That period had expired, and he was no longer a. borough auditor. Mr. William Evans: If he had attended regularly, could he have completed his audit? The Town-olerk: There is no doubt about that. Mr. Robinson: He had six months from the closing of the accounts. The Chairman: Yes, but three months from the time the accounts were ready for audit. Mr. Robinson: That is quite sufficient. No resolution was passed, but it was under- stood that in future unless the elective auditors had signeJ the accounts their names must not be attached to those accounts.

DISSENTING CHURCHMEN. STRONG REMARKS BY A BARRY CURATE. Preaching at St. Mary's Church. Barry Dock. on .Sunday morning, the Rev. Lemuel James, M.A., curate, addressed some strong remarks to certain members of his congrega- tion. He had, he said, respect for Baptists, Methodists, and Wesleyans, who openly disagreed with the Church of England, but hie had the greatest contempt for Dissenting Churchmen, those of her own fold who, acting as spies within the Church, made use of every occasion on which they could criticise everything they either did not agree with or understand. He was detera ted, however, so far as in his power lay, botu y teaching and practice, to lift such people, who professed to be members of the Church, up to the level of the Book of Common Prayer.

NANTWEN COLLIERY FLOODED. The hones coal pit at Nantwen, Bedlinog, belonging to Messrs. Guest. Keen, and Nettle- folds (Limited), has been in a state of enforced ilenese for the last two days owing to the resence of water in the workings, following >n the deluge of rain experienced last week. T-r some parte the water, which is always a rjx-e d tn able to the management in this TOi iery, woe between 4ft. and 5ft. in depth, a.jdig it impossible for the men to follow "t employment. Great difficulty is also .1 g experienced in combatting the inflow }D onsequence of the clogging of the elec- 1. pumps by small coal and other debris, « it may be yet several days ere a reeump- n of work ia possible. In the village of 3edlinog itself a good deal of damage has oeen done through the bursting of a culvert which runs from the mountain side, with the -sail thai dwelling-houses and business premises in the lower end of the place were flooded. A considerable quantity of goods and 3tock were spoilt at the shops by the water.

CONSTABLE AND MADMAN. EXCITING STRUGGLE IN A CARDIFF HOUSE. Mr. E. B. Reece, coroner, held an inquest at the Town-hall on Saturday on the body of Patrick Daly, 26, a dock labourer, of 53, Tyndall-street. The widow said she had been married to Daly for three years. He had never before shown any symptoms of derangement, but had been strange in his manner of late, and on the 10th they were in the bedroom, her husband lying on the bed. Towards dinner- time he drank half a cup of tea, and picked up a table knife, his eyes looking wild. Witness beseeohed him, "for God's sake, not to do it." He raised the knife, and witness, affrighted, ran downstairs. She did not actually see him cut his throat. His hand was shaking. He had been shaking all over for a few days, and witness sent her sister for a constable. He had been drinking, but not heavily, and complained of a "heavy cold" coming on. Dr. Alexander Brownlee, Cardiff Infirmary) deposed that the man was admitted with a cut across the throat, three inches long, and a vertical wound, which separated the larynx. He was in a weak state, and did not improve. Pneumonia developed the day afterwards. The primary cause of death was the injury to the throat, and the secondary cause pneumonia. Police-constable Chedzey said he was called into the house, and saw Daly on the land- ing, with a knife in one hand and a poker in the other. Daly was greatly excited. He was bleeding from the wounds, and defied witness with the poker. Witness with a broom handle forced him into his room and secured him. but not before Daly had thrown the poker at him. He (witness) took the knife from his hand. The man was raving mad. There had been, it was said, a drinking bout in the house for about a week past. Witness ban- daged the throat, and sent for Dr. Buist. The jury returned a verdict of "Suicide whilst temporarily insane.

SWANSEA RESERVOIR DAN LETTER FROM THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD. The following is the text of a letter which has been received by the Swansea town- clerk from the L03al Government Board-- Sir,—I am directed by the Local Government Board to advert to the interview which a deputation from the Town Council of Swansea had with the board's assistant secretary, Mr. Kershaw, and their deputy- chief engineering Inspector, Mr. Law, on the 4th inet., with reference to the construction of the council's new waterworks at Cray, in Brecanshire; and as regards the substitution of brickwork for stone in the facing of the dam, I am to state that the board are advised that the town council are taking upon themselves con- siderable responsibility in departing from the advice of their engtneer. The board are glad to receive from the deputation a distinct assurance that in any future case material departure from plans of schemes in respect of which they have sanctioned loans will not be made without due reference to the board.-I am, tc., XOKL T. KEBSHAW, Assistant Secretary. The committee at their last meeting recom- mended that the tender of Messrs. Hamblet's Blue Briok Company (Limited), West Brom- wich. be accepted for the supply of from 2,500,000 to 3,500,000 best Staffordshire blue facing bricks at 83s. per 1.000 for pressed blue facing bricks and 57s. 9d. for wire cut brindles, and that the mayor be authorised to affix the common seal to the contract.—It was resolved that the sum of £ 710 be paid to Mr. G. H. Hill in respect of commission, making the total amount paid to him £ 3,757, calculated at 2J per cent. on Riso,276, the value of work done to the 24th of September last.

AN OLD MAN AND HIS DARLING. An application was made at Blaenavon Police-court on Tuesday by Cornelius Map- stone, a collier, 60 years of age, to have an order made against him for the maintenance of his wife reduced. Mr. T. Parry, solicitor, who appeared to support the application, pointed out that the parties had lived very unhappily since their marriage. Two years ago last May, he said, Mrs. Mapstone, who was only 35 years of age, obtained a maintenance order of 7s. 6d. against her husband. "She chose to be an old man's darling rather than a young man's wife," continued Mr. Parry, and it was a.case of "December marrying May." When his client married this young woman she was a widow with two children. One of these children was now of age and earning her own livelihood. The respondent was a woman with means of her own. She owned a home and kept a lodger. The Bench reduced the order to 6s. a week, but told the woman that she could come there and get the order increased when her husband found work.

SERIOUS LANDSLIP AT TREDEGAR. The huge landslip which occurred in the neighbourhood of New Tredegar in 1901 has again shown unmistakable signs of renewed activity. On Sunday morning at 11.20 and 12.45 there were tremendous falls, consisting of hundreds of tons of stone and earth, which fell from a height of over 150 feet. The Powell Duffryn Company, who^e No. 1 and 2 Pits are situated in dose proximity to the slip, have removed the stone which fell in 1901 for build- ing purposes, consequently, a gap was left, and it was into this that the boulders of stone and earth descended. Steps have been taken by the Bedwellty Parish District Council to re-open the road which was damaged previously, and the present dis. turbance has not interfered with it, but there are signs of a larger Quantity of the hillside giving way on account of the heavy rains which have been experienced, and it is feared that the road will have to be closed for an indefinite period. This will entail a great h&rdship on the workmen and inhabitants going to and from the village of Abertyarwg. Notwithstanding the danger there were hundreds of people who visited the locality during Sunday.

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LIBERAL OFFICIAL MANI- FESTOES. An important manifesto, signed by Mr. Augustine Birrell, the president, and the other officers of the National Liberal Federa- tion, was issued to the federated associations of the country on Saturday. It deals exhaus- tively with the present political situation, which, it says, is so unprecedented, and the date of the dissolution of Parliament so un- certain, that no excuse need be offered for placing the real issues before the electorate. Of the Prime Minister and his Cabinet, as it exists, nothing is to be hoped, if little need be feared. The Free Importers have abandoned the Premier to his fate, while Mr. Chamberlain has also left him, in order to more effectively preach against oar national system of finance. On this question Mr. Cham- berlain is Premier now without a direct per- sonal representation in the Cabinet itself. It is around Mr. Chamberlain that the battle is raging, and will continue to rage. After discussing the question from the Colonial point of view, and contending that if the matter were even seriously discussed, it would be far more likely to engender ill-feeling than purchase loyalty, the manifesto protects against this sudden hurling of our fiscal system into the fierce cauldron of party strife. There are always, in a great industrial com- munity like ours, some trades that are depressed, some occupations that are shifting. Occupation is not always to be had, and wages, unhappily, are often low. Grave, indeed, was the responsibility of any man of influence who would take upon himself to say that he knew a plan whereby work will be constant and wages always high. "But Mr. Chamberlain i, one who, to get his own way, will tell every depressed industry and every man who is un- employed that the ills they suffer from are curable by Protection. He is generally re- ported to expect one electoral defeat, and then to be rewarded with a great victory. Let it be our recognised business to help to make his first defeat so decisive as for ever to banish the hope of ultimate success from the mind of the most rabid Protectionist." THE CONSERVATIVE RECORD. The document proceeds to review a few of the results of Eight Years of Tory Govern- ment." The report of the War Commission is the subject of scathing comment, and it is contended that a country which could allow such a report to pass as a matter of small account must have lost not only its self-respect as a nation esteeming itself a military power, but also all the instincts of self-government." Attention is also directed to the collossal increase in the national expen- diture, to the two-and-a-half millions annually squandered by the Government on its friends," and to the effect of the Sugar Con- vention BilL On the question of elementary education the document says: "The Liberal party have unequivocably promised that the first use to which they will put any power that may be conferred on €hem will be to amend the Acts of 1902 and 1903, so as to place all rate-aided schools, without distinction, under popular control, and to secure that no elementary teacher in a rate-aided school shall be subjected to any religious test whatsoever. This is a plain issue, and one that will be fought out to the end. The con- stituencies are already quite alive to it. If Mr. Chamberlain ever imagined that his preferential duties would overshadow the education question, he must already have dis- covered his mistake. Even Birmingham has not yet forgotten her school boards. After a reference to Eastern Europe, and to the licensing question, the manifesto announces that the national Liberal campaign fund, started in May, has now reached a sum of over £ 29,000, and urges further contributions towards the sum of £ 50,000 considered neces- sary "After too long a period of depression and divided counsels the Liberal party has become united, because once more in earnest, and, therefore, it is in a. spirit of confidence that we appeal to our federated associations to spare no exertion at the next general elec- tion to secure a great and much-needed victory for the people."

DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE AND THE PRESIDENCY. We are authorised to publish the follow- ing letter, which has been sent by the Duke of Devonshire to Sir Michael Hicks-Beach. M.P. 1- Devonshire House, Piccadilly, October 13. 1903. "My dear Beach.-You informed me when I saw you last Friday that a wish had been expressed that I should join the Unionist Free Food League, and, perhaps. take a lead- ing Part in its operations. I understand that the principal object of the league is to oppose the new departure in fiscal policy which has now been definitely announced, and which includes the taxation of foud imports from foreign countries and preferential treatment of the Colonies, as well as a general tariff on imported manu- factured goods. I further understand tuat its objects do not involve opposition to the policy of the Government so far as it is limited to the intention of reserving to themselves the right of proposing to Parlia- ment tariff legislation for the purpose of the negotiation of commercial treaties and the nitigation of hostile tariffs But I also understand that, having regard to the trongly Protectionist tendencies manifested at the recent conference at Sheffield, to the prestnt, composition of the Government, and to the somewhat ambiguous declarations of the Prime Minister, it will be the object of the league to exert all the influence it may possess for the purpose of restraining the fjture action of the Government within the limits above stated. and of assisting them to resist the pressure which may be brought to bear on them by some of their supporters to commit themselves in the direction of a Protectionist policy. "1 believe that I am entirely in sympathy with these objects, and I ant also of opinion that it is desirable that the duty of present- ing to the country the economical and :r>litical arguments against the proposals of the rariff Reform League should not be left entirely to the Radical Opposition or to the members of the Cobden Club. "Holding these opinions, I feel that the request which you make that I should give some sign of sympathy with those with whom you are acting is one which I cannot reject. although I may be unable to comply with it unconditionally. "The body which you ask me to join is, as I understand, though bearing the name of league, substantially a Parliamentary com- mittee, and I anticipate that you will seek to broaden its constitution with the object of extending its operations. 'If this be done. and if I am invited to accept the presidency, I must ask to be consulted as to the nature of such extension, so as to have an opportunity of determining how far I may feel myself in unison with its new constitution. I would also ask that in any event it may be made clear that the views I have expressed above as to its attitude towards the Government are fully shared by the league. "It must also be understood that such services as I could render can only be of a limited character. It is now seventeen years since I took an active part in a campaign against Home Rule. It is not in my power now to take the same part as I then did, and [ must be regarded rather as an adviser than as a combatant. It is with some reluc- tance that I should consent to take even this modified share in the present eontro- versy, but I feel that many Unionist members :>f Parliament whose views I believe to be in agreement with mine are making great sacrifices in order to maintain their opinions, md I am unwilling that they should regard me as being indifferent to their political ntereste. 001 remain, yours sincerelv, "{Signed) DEVONSHIRE." A largely-attended meeting of the Parlia- mentary committee of the Unionist Free Food League was held at Westminster on Friday afternoon, when the following resolution was unanimously adopted, on the motion of Sir Samuel Hoare, M.P., seoonded by Mr. Abel Smith, M.P. The members of the Parliamentary com- mittee of the Unionist Free Food League have received the communication made by the Duke of Devonshire to Sir Michael Hicks- Beach with the greatest satisfaction, and willingly aocept all the conditions con- tained in it. They also trust that the Duke of Devonshire will afford them his full counsel and guidance in political and Parlia- mentary action, and in return they assure him of their most earnest and loyal sup- port. The foregoing resolution was at once com- municated to the Duke of Devonshire. Lord George Hamilton and Mr. Ritchie have also joined the Unionist Free Food League.

ANOTHER LETTER FROM THE DUKE. The Duke of Devonshire has addressed the following letter to Sir J. E. Backhouse, of Dar- lington, hon. secretary of the Durham and Northumberland Liberal Unionist Associa- tion:- Devonshire House, Piccadilly, W., October 18, 1903. Dear Sir Jonathan Baelthouae,-I have received your letter of the 16th inst. The differences of opinion which exist in the Unionist Party on the fiscal question have, no doubt, made the position of the leaders of the Liberal-Unionist organisations, whether central or loeal, extremely difficult. But these differences are not confined to Liberal Unionists, and exist to an equal extent in the Conservative section of the party. J Mr. Balfour said in June that it would be perfect folly on the part of the Conserva- tive party or th* Unionist party to m&ke P*ttenl«r rabjsoti -11 OIL party loyalty. Matters have no doubt progressed since that time, but I do not think that this declaration has ever been explicitly withdrawn. So long as it remains in force it appears to me that it would be unwise to attempt prematurely to define the position of the party organisa- tions in regard to the fiscal policy. A public announcement of neutrality on the question was made by the committee of the Central Association in July last, and has, so far as I know, been fairly observed. It may, before long, become necessary for the Liberal Unionist Association to take; steps to consider its position in regard to the fiscal controversy, but inasmuch as nothing has oocarred which in any way affects our opinions on the question of the legislative union between Great Britain and Ireland, or our sense of the necessity of taking every precaution possible against the revival of the Home Rule proposals in Par- liament, it is, in my opinion, most desirable that the Liberal Unionist organisation, which has done so much for the cause of the union, should not be lightly or pre- maturely dissolved or weakened.—I remain, yours sincerely, DEVONSHIRE.

LORD GOSHEN ON FOOD TAXES. Viscount Goschen presided on Friday night at the autumn conference of the Settle- n-ents Association. held in the Passmore Edwarda-hall, 'iavistock-place, London, when Sir John Gorst, M.P., and Mr. Seebohm Rcwntree spoke on the subject of Food Prices in Relation to Poverty." Lord Goschen said that we lived in a little island, with forty millions of people depen- dent fot nearly four-fifths of their food upon over-sea supplies. In that respect we differed fro'n all other countries which were continually mentioned as examples for us to follow. The Germans depended on other, lands for only one-third of their wheat sup- plies, and the French for only 2 per cent. Therefore, we, more than any other country, r ist see that the channels through which these supplies reached us were kept open. There was the extraordinary fact that. while we wert. not a corn-growing country, the price of wheat in this country was infinitely below the price of wheat in other countries. It was generally about 7s. a quarter less than the price in Germany, and from 8s. to 128.. and sometimes 13s., below the price in France. Why was that? It was because they had Protection and we had freedom. (Cheers.) It was the case not only with regard to bread, but groceries of all kinds, and calculation showed that the English housewife would spend 100s. on groceries, while the French housewife would have to pay 130s. for the same groceries. It was now proposed to put a tax on bread of 28., and a tax upon cheese and dairy produce of 5 per cent. There were many economic considerations to be taken into account. They heard of freights being low, and the community at large--exoept the shipowners—rejoiosd that their wheat would, in consequence, be cheaper. Then there were railway rates and other matters which must, except under very exceptional circumstances, affect the price of an article. A 2s. tax meant a farthing on a quartern loaf. When imports of wheat into Germany were free, prices in Germany were lower than prices in this country. Then they began to impose taxes, and, as those taxes rose, there was estab- lished between us and them a difference in price, until it came to this, that our prices were 6s lid. on an average below the prices of Germany. In France the same thing happened. They also began with moderate duties, but now they reached 12s. 2Jd. Were the proposed remissions on tea and sugar remissions equivalent to the imposition of a tax on meat, and especially on bread? He held that they were not. (Cheers.) Mr. Austen Chamberlain, whom he wished thoroughly well, recently said that the Income-tax payer had a claim. Certainly he had, but not an exclusive claim. Then came the great objection to this taxation of the food of the people, which could not after- wards be taken off without going to the Colonies and asking their permission, because the Colonies had, by the taxation, been induced to change their tariffs. The moral of all this was that they must not hang chains around the Chan- cellor of the Exchequer. Would the 2s. satisfy the Colonies, and might they not in the future ask for more? The company Mr. Chamberlain was keeping was not entirely pure as regards this matter. There were among them Protectionists who avowed their desire for a 55s. duty on corn. The proposed duty of 2s. was more than double the cost of bringing the wheat from New York to Liverpool, It was an interest- ing and rather significant point. Sir John Gorst argued that the people of the country were not able to bear any further taxation upon their food.

MR. ASQUITH AND FISCAL MATTERS. Mr. Asquith concluded his tour of his con- stituenoy of East Fife by addressing the annual meeting of Liberal delegates at Lady- bank on Saturday. Mr. Asquith said that before he left London some weeks ago a friend, who was outside the turmoil of politics, remarked to him that when he (Mr. Asquith) went into the country he would find that all the people were suffering from the new disease of fiscalities. (Laughter.) That had proved to be a true diagnosis of the situation. He was not afraid of the result of the controversy, having, as he had, great confidence in the sagacity, common-sense, and political instinct of the British people. Unless they suddenly took leave of all these three qualities, it was absolutely impossible that they could plunge into this abyss of fallacies. (Applause.) But there was a great deal of clamour about many of the argu- ments and suggestions that were put forwa.rd in support of Mr. Chamberlain's view which had an attraction for unthinking minds, and which appealed with very considerable force to those—be they employers or employed- who thought that their particular industry had been more or less the victim of foreign competition. The more they considered the scheme and traced it out the more they would find that, so far from bringing closer together the different component members of that great partnership, the British Empire, it would be si wing in every direction and in every quarter the seeds of probable discord. (Applause.) COLONIAL PREFERENCES. Men could not devise a scheme by which they could give the special products of all the different and distant parts of our great Empire an equal preference in the home market. They could not even do it as between, the different products of the same Colony, still lees as between different Colonies so divergent in their situation and their economic and industrial circumstances as Canada and Australia on the one side and New Zealand and South Africa on the other. (Hear, hear.) Many of the arguments that were used in support of either branch of the scheme as it affeoted British trade and the Empire were really as old as the hills. They were fallacies which were grappled with, which were killed, and which were buried by the champions of Free Trade sixty or seventy years ago, and no one ever expected to see them brought to life again. This panic fear as to the injurious effects to British trade of the free influx of men and goods into this country was chronic, and the only surprising: thing about the present situation wae that it should have got bold of the minds and of the imaginations of 110 large a number of ordinarily intelligent persons. He would not talk further on the matter, but w.ould pass on to say of the Liberal party that is all his experience he had never known it to be more united and more enthusiastic than upon this fiscal question. (Ap- plause.) He would go further, and affirm that they would find it difficult to discover many questions upon which the leaders of the party were divided. (Applause.) One of the good results of the fiscal controversy had been that it had compelled Liberals to scrutinise more closely the causes of and the possible remedies for the deplorable condition of large numbers of our own-people. THE DRINK PROBLEM. What was the greatest and most prominently- operating of these causes ? He had no hesita- tion in saying it was the drink evil. (Applause.) One hundred and iffty millions was the minimum estimate of the drink bill, and < did they not think of the difference it would make in the wealth of the community if part of that one hundred and fifty millions was turned to providing remunerative employ- ment? Pauperism and more than half the crime of the country would disappear at once, I and he thought it would be the duty of 1 Liberals, whenever they had an opportunity. 1

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SPEECH BY MR. JOHN MORLEY. Mr. John Morley on Monday addressed a great public meeting in the Free Trade-hall, Manchester, held under the auspices of the National Reform Union. When the audience of about 6,000 persona had become seated the organ led a vocal programme, comprising popular songs and choruses. The title of one of these was, Stamp, stamp, stamp, upon Protection." Another opened with the verse, "Just before the battle, Joseph, we are think- ing most of you." Mr. Morley on reaching the platform had a remarkable ovation, the audience rising and cheering vociferously for some moments. Mr. Morley on rising was again greeted with a tremendous outburst of cheering. He said that there was a great scene in a famous English comedy in which a rake and a spendthrift put up for sale the family por- traits, and the people were asked now, in this new campaign, to put up Cobden, Bright* Peel, and Gladstone—to put them all up tok very cheap auction. Every single living man who had worn the gown of the Chancellor of the Exchequer—Sir William Harcourt, Lord Goschen, Sir M. Hicks-Beach, and, not the least courageous, Mr. Ritchie—(cheer8>—every one of them experienced and authoritative men, took the same view as our ancestors took. (Cheers.) The whole weight of expe- rience and responsible authority was against these new proposals. Some people said, You axe making too much fuss; the only thing proposed is a 2s. duty on corn and a. 5 per cent. duty en meat." He was very much afraid of this shy, insinuating infant of a 2s. duty on corn. They had had that sort of progeny in Germany, and it had now grown to a 7s. 7d. duty. Again, in France the duty was first of all thirteenpence; it was now 12s. No man ever had a surer vision of the needs of his country in the times and circumstances in which he found it than Richard Cobden. He (Mr. Morley) was not a Little Englander; he was an Old Englander. WHAT FREE TRADE HAS DONE. Sixty years ago we were bound to adopt Free Trade, and that was the point from which he approached the whole matter. He did not believe that other countries were wiser for us than we were wise for ourselves. It was said that Free Trade had been a failure. He invited his audience to read on this matter Disraeli's "Sybil" and Mrs. Gaskell's "Ruth," and they would find in those agreeable works of fiction the facts about Lancashire in 1846. Nor was it in the least true that our agricul- tare had been destroyed. There had been a falling off in landlords' rents, and it was about time. The skilful farmer could still get a fair profit on his- investment. Did their friends want to bring agrioulture back to the condition in which it was before Free Trade? The position of the tenant farmer had been raised; Free Trade had enabled him to hold his head up, and the labourer was also in a much better position now. Let them have no more clap-trap about Cob- denism; let those who favoured Protection give them chapter and verse as to where the country went WTong in 1846. They said our trade was declining; but what were the facts? The Income-tax assessnnpts rose from ?98 millions in 1868 to 886 millions in 1901. Was it a lie or T#&S it true -that the Income-tax assessments tender Schedule B and the Post Office Savings Bank deposits had increased, and that our shipping had risen from 4,000,000 tons to 10,000,000 tons? Was it true that the average price of food in the last 25 years had fallen 30 per cent., and that wages had risen 15 per cent.? CAREFUL INQUIRY NEEDED. Lord Salisbury warned us against remedies which were no remedies, and which, being based on economic errors, might plunge the whole country into "irretrievable disaster." He admitted that there might be some cause for alarm, but he would not commit himself to the first remedy that was wantonly laid before them, and say "That will save us." The nation might play a good many tricks in politics, but if they meddled wrongly in economic things they were going to the very life, to the heart, to the core, of their national existence, and no step should be taken in that direction without the most care- ful, anxious, and conscientious inquiry. It took Cobden and Bright some six or seven years to get what they wanted. Mr. Balfour said, "I want to re-gain our liberty," and then he took them to an old chest filled with shackles and fetters, and gave them their choice. That was a nice kind of liberty. There was no dumping that could be so deadly as dumping a Customs House officer on our shores. These new proposals would deal a deadly blow to every man in that hall, whatsoever his occupation. Sir Wilfrid Lau- rier, who was no pedant, said the other day that if Great Britain abandoned her Free Trade policy she would curtail the purchasing power of her people. There were proposals for preferential tariffs to our own Colonies, but it was known that Canada would not consent to an effective British com- petition with Canadian cotton manufacturers. He noticed that, notwithstanding "dumping," some of the iron and steel companies had done very well. Retaliation was a very dangerous game. Suppose, through any large indignation raised against this retaliation policy, the Americans put a halfpenny a pound upon our cotton, where would Lanca- shire be? ATTACK ON TEE MINISTRY. Somebody wrote a letter to the "Times" quoting a passage of the Premier's about Walpole a.nd the Excise duty, but when Walpole found the country would not have his policy he dropped it. The present Prime Minister neither dropped it nor took hold of it. (Laughter and cheers.) He (Mr. Morley) did not know a passage in our political history more humiliating, more insincere, and more demoralising than the position of this so-called Government. (Cheers.) Qur democracy had a great tradition, but what example had these men with their brilliant dialectics set it -brilliant dialectics for which there was an- other name—intellectual shuffling. (Laughter and cheers.) They had ministers accusing one another of being unable to understand Eng- lish; he did not know in our whole political history so squalid and humiliating a posi- tion. It was said tha.t the Liberals wished to wreck the Government, but the Government bad wrecked themselves. (Cheers.) All this tariff-jingoism was the backwash of the war. (Cheers.) He did not believe this nation could be governed by psalms aod paternosters; nevertheless, if he had to choose whether he would be a preacher or a prize-t^hter, he would be a. preacher. How could this country' advocate the "open door" when Ministers went forth blatant to dtedare that Free Frade wae a. mittajkef It was the most sui- cidal thing he could imagine. The time was Doming rapidly-the sooner the better-when they would see this false image, with its front jf braes and its feet of day, shattered. (Load I md continued cheenj I

NEWPORT TRAMWAYS. MOTOR 'BUSSES RECOMMENDED FOR STOWHILL. A contribution to the question of motor- omnibuses v. electric tramway on Stowhill, Newport, has been made by Archdeacon Bruce, in a letter to Mr. C. D. Phillips. Archdeacon Bruce, whilst for twenty years he was vicar of St. Woolo's, Newport, obtained all the expe- rience necessary for speaking authoritatively on the question. The vicarage and the church are on the steepest bit of the hill. The archdeacon writes from Cornwall to Mr. C. D. Phillips. stating that the motor omni- buses of the Great Western Railway Company running between Helston and Lizard Town ire a great success, and he recommends the age of such cars on Stowhill in preference to tramcarg.

ElEGISTRAR-GENTERAL'S RETURNS. i The Registrar-General's returns issued on ruesday state that there were 8,466 births and 1,573 deaths registered in seventy-six of the rreat towns of England and Wales during the week ending Saturday last. The following ire the figures for the South Wales towns:- Death- Births. Deaths, rate. Newport (Mon.) 38 21 15 Cardiff Ill 49 14 Rhondda 73 35 15 Merthyr Tydfil 47 25 18 Swansea 49 33 18 The annual rate of mortality in the seventy- six great towns averaged 15.8 per 1,600.

CARDIFF PILOT AND HIS WIFE. A Channel pilot, of Paget-street, Grange, named J. E. Higgins, summoned his wife at Cardiff Police-court on Tuesday, alleging that she was an habitual drunkard. Mr. George F. Forsdike appeared for the husband. Mr. H. Morgan Rees represented the wife, in behalf of Mr. Harold Lloyd. The parties had been married over 20 years. The case was adjourned for a week to enable Mr. Morgan Rees to caJl

PONTYPOOL HOSPITAL OPENING PERFORMED BY MRS. HANBURY. The culminating point in the movement to provide the Eastern Valleys of Monmouthshire with a. general hospital was reached on Mon- day afternoon, when Mrs. Hanbury, wife of Mr. J. C. Hanbury, J.P., D.L., Pontypool Park, opened a magnificent building, erected on a site presented by her husband at Freehold Land, which is situated midway between Pontnewynydd and Abersychan. The work of erection has extended over a period of three years, and it is estimated that the new hospital will cater for a population of 40,000. An undertaking has been given by the workmen of the district that they will contribute a. penny each per week towards the maintenance of the institution. Rain was falling incessantly when Mrs. Hanbury, accompanied by her husband and Lord Tredegar, drove up in an open landau to perform the opening ceremony. Mr. A. A. Williams, J.P., the chairman of the hospital committee, formally welcomed the distin- guished party, and afterwards presented Mrs. Hanbury with a gold key, with which she gracefully opened the door at the main entrance of the hospital in Leigh-road. Pre- vious to this Mr. W. H. Hughes, the hon. secretary, made the pleasing announcement that it only required about X6 to pay off the establishment debt of the hospital. The party then proceeded into the ward for females, where a short meeting was held, pre- sided over by Mr. A. A. Williams. Dr. J. R. Essex, J.P., moved a vote of thanks to Mrs. Hanbury for her kindly action that afternoon,, and this was seconded by Mr. Waldren. Mr. J. O. Hanbury responded on behalf of his wife. On the motion of Mr. George Gay, seconded by Alderman J. Daniel, J.P., chairman of the Monmouthshire County Council, a "vote of thanks was also accorded the chairman. Lord Tredega.r supported the motion, and said that he gathered from the chairman's opening remarks that some difficulty had been experienced in establishing the hospital. There was a certain number of people who objected to every movement. There were some who objected to hospital because they thought that the advance of science in hospitals kept a lot of people alive who had much better not be alive. (Laughter.) Fortu- nately, that idea did not go very far. The survival of the fittest was, he thought, a far better term. There was one thing which always delighted him in attending functions of that kind. (Laughter.) It was that the subject of politics could not by any possible means be brought into it. They were all treated alike-the Tory foxhunter who had broken his leg in the hunting-field—(laughter? -the Anarchist who had smashed his hand in trying to carry out his diabolical amuse- ment—(laughter)—the unfortunate auctioneer who had his head broken by the umbrella of an irate female passive register—daughter)— and the passive resister himself who had caught a miserable chill by having to sacrifice his comfortable slippers for conscience' sake. (Renewed laughter.) MANAGEMENT OF THE HOSPITAL. The committee are opening the hospital with a staff comprising a matron, two trained surgical nurses, two probationers, and the usual domestic staff. Miss Todd, of Retford, Nottinghamshire, has been appointed matron out of twenty-two applicants for the position. Medical attendance at the institution for the present has been gratuitously undertaken by the Eastern Valleys Medical Association, who are arranging a rota of service from day to day.

ELECTRIC LIGHT MATTERS. SATISFACTORY REPORT BY THE CARDIFF ENGINEER. The Cardiff electrical engineer (Mr. A Ellis) presented a very satisfactory report for the month of September to the Oardiff Lighting Committee on Tuesday. Be stated that there are 901 consumers of the municipal electric light, equivalent to 89,438 8-c.p. lamps, against 58,096 last year, an increase of 54 per cent. The units generated were 220,815, against 116,689 for the corresponding month last year, an increase in output of 88 per cent. The revenue for the month was £2,65ö 2s lid., compared with £1,600 for September, 1902, an increase of 72 per cent. The committee allocated £912 to the reserve fund out of the JE3,072 13s., the surplus on last year's working. The remainder of this sum has been distributed thus:— £ 994 18s. 6d. to meet loan charges, R-444 4s. 8d. disallowed by the Local Government Board on capital account, being the cost of securing the Pro- visional Order, which, for the first time, is now paid of revenue, and 9771 9s. 10d. applied to the relief of the current district rate. The reserve fund now n-mflnnts to £ 2,135. THE REPORTED ARREARS. Reference was made at the meeting to a statement made in a letter to the "Western Mail" to the effect that there were large arrears of payments to the cor- poration for electric current, the figure JB872 being mentioned.—Mr. Ellis remarked that the letter needed correction on a good many matters.—Mr. Jenkins. the collector of accounts to the committee, said the amount of arrears had been very low so far. The total for the last two years was JE18 2s. 2d. It would be more this year, as he had aooounts for from JE35 to JB40, which he knew to be bad.—Alderman Ramsdale: I don't think we as a committee ought to be everlastingly bothering with statements in the press made by letter-writers. It's a sign of weakness. "SWEATING." The committee again considered the question of the salaries of their officers, and re-a&rmed the recommen- dations made to the town council sometime ago with slight modifications. It was said that one clerk, who was nearly nine- teen, was receiving 12s. a week. This drew from Alderman Jacobs the remark: "If that's not sweating, I don't know what is." METER READERS. Mr. Ellis stated that several com- plaints had been made by consumers with regard to the visits of meter readers. Complaints had been made in London and elsewhere that men had entered people's houses on the pretence that they had come to read the meter and had robbed them. Only last week in Oardiff three con- sumers refused to admit, meter-readers because they had nothing to show that they belonged to the department. At Mr. Ellis' request, the committee decided to provide the men with uniforms. LIGHTING OF CUTTON-STREET. A number of residents of Clifton-street, introduced by Jlr. O. H. Bird, appeared to ask that Clifton-street should be lighted with electricity.—The Chairman (Alderman P. W. Carey) said the committee hoped soon to get the oonsent of the corporation to erect thirteen lamps in this street.

SOUTH WALES TRAMWAYS. CARDIFF. No. 01 Passengers Receipts. Week cnatng: Cars- Carried. £ s. d. August 8 759 583,261 2^96 5 4 August 15 728 474,525 2,077 1 9 August 22 ..— 717 477.834 2.088 13 0 August 29 714 466472 2,035 5 10 Sept. 5 ——.—— 715 469.214 2.037 19 6 Sept. 12 ——— 737 485,182 2,096 12 11 Sept. 19 ——— 719 461,538 1,997 11 5 Sept. 26 .— 720 463,824 2.004 15 8 Oct. 3 695 480,121 2,069 5 6 Oct. 10 113 470,147 2.,015 8 2 Last Week:— Sunday 58 24.314 104 16 6 Monday 106 73,848 316 2 0 Tuesday. —— 108 64,539 .—. 275 16 10 Wednesday — 108 69,816 .— 300 13 10 Thursday 108 68,399 292 15 8 Friday .— 109 62,196 265 18 9 Saturday 124 95,839 406 8 1 Total. 121 458.951 1,962 11 8 Of the 7Z1 cars ran, 527 were ordinaries, 86 specials, and 108 workmen's. NEWPORT. RETURN OF TRAFFIC RECEIPTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 17. £ a.. d. Monday — 77 9 9 Tuesday — 6119 5 Wednesday 75 2 4 Thursday 66 711 Friday .— 63 5 11! Saturday 118 1 2 Total 462 6 6i Corresponding week last year 281 1 4 .tunn uomoer of passengers carried, 102.397.

CARDIFF GIRL IN TROUBLE. Lily Maud Turner, aged 19, of Arran-street, Oardiff, was charged at Barry on Friday with stealing two postal orders, the property of Isaac Bateman, 42, Newland-street, Barry Dock. Mr. F. B. Jonea-Lloyd appeared to pro- secute, and Mr. J. A. Hughes defended.—Mrs. Bateman, wife of the prosecutor, said the defendant came to lodge with her on the 30th of July, and the following day witness received a letter containing two postal orders of the value of 13s. The defendant was pre- sent when the orders were received, and they were put on witness's table in her bedroom. On the following day the orders were missing. —On the application of Mr. Jones-Lloyd the prisoner was remanded on bail in order that OM orders might be obtained from London.

=- ggtWfWWWWVflgg I iV*0 v £ *y uiTtE I *4 & HuQSQflS/ 3 It r*S A VERYLOtfG^^y 3 ^,°a* Cleansing and J Sweetening flie House J fjgr fsrosai top to bottom there is nothing so A- effective as £ Hudson's J £ 5 It does the work thoroughly, easily, and cheaply* 4 1 1 =— s 4 IBIRDS CUSTARD LSik, POWDER BIRD'S CUSTARD is Pure, Nutritious, I and easily digested. Eggs often disagree; BIRD'S CUSTARD never. BIRD'S CUSTARD is the one thing needed with all Stewed, Tinned, or Bottled Fruits. It brings out their flavor and imparts to them a grateful mellowness. NO EGGS! NO RISK! NO TROUBLE! j. i. |Sj Send a Post Card for No. 25 n\/pi PQ A Lift ||j Illustrated Catalogue, which U!ULIlu AHU jfgj describes & vast assortment of jS Cycles, Mail Carts, Perambu- DOMESTIC H lators, "Washing and Wringing — fjSl Machines, Sewing and Knitting |M!3PUIMFPY 3 Machines, Knife Cleaning Ma- ■ H| chines, etc., etc. Full particulars of Easy Payment e,. jS Terms (also of the Important Advantages extended ra to Cash Purchasers), are sent with each Catalogue. 9 Agents Wanted. Good Commission. ra Apply for Terms. H J. G. Graves, 861Division St., Sheffield. Dr. Allinson's New Drink BRUNAK INSTEAD OF COFFEE AND TEA BRUNAK Looks like Coffee, Smells like Coffee, Tastes like Coffee. Dr. ALLINSON eays:- Knowing: the ill results produced by tea. and coffee. I ha.ve for years advised readers to leave it alone, and drink' instead cocoa, milk, barley-Water, grael. or orange water. It is not everyone who can drink cocoa; they find it makes them dull or oauses a headache. I have been working for years trying various things to make a pleasant drink that would be non-injurious. At last I have brought out something that satisfies me, and a which will not cause Nervousness. Palpi- ] tation. Headache, Wakefulness, Loss of Memory, Low Spirits, Want of Energy, Flushing. Blushing, or Trembling, as do the ordinary Breakfast beverages. I have called it Brunak," which is derived from two Latin words. Brunak is as easily made as tea or cocoa. It is as refreshing as tea. as comforting as cocoa, and as harmless as water. It can be drunk at any meal OT at supper time. There is not a headache in a barrel of it, and no nervousness in a ton of it. It may be drunk by the young, the old, the weak, the strong, the braijjy man, or the athlete: also by all invalids. even in diabetes. If I can get the people of this country to drink Brunak" as a regalar beverage I shall have done more for my country's happiness than any conqueror or inventor. If yoa would like to try it, send to the Natural Food Co. (Ltd.). as below. T. R. ALLINSON, Ex-L.R.C.P. Ed., Ac., Author of thirteen books on Health, 4. Spanish-nlaee, Man- chester-sonar?. London. W. Sold by our agents and the usual cash grocery and stores in town and country, in lib. packets, duty paid, at Is. each. If any difficulty in obtaining it, a list of agents and a esmplp will be ornt post free, or a pound packet post free for ls., by THE NATURAL FOOD CO. (Ltd.), 208 ROOM, PATRIOT-SQUARE, BETHNAL GREEN, LONDON, E. HAVE YOU A BAD LEG. A BAD ARM. A POISONED HAND. OR A CARBUNCLE? I CAN CURE YOU. I dcn't say perhaps, but I will. BesauM others have failed is no reason I should. Yoa may have wounds that discharge, and perhaps surrounded with inflammation, and so swollen that when you press your finger on tha inflamei part it leaves an impression If so,, under the skin you have poison which, if not extracted, yoa may go on suffering till death releases you. A poisoned hand may lead to an amputation of the arm. Perhaps your knees are swollen, the joints being ulcerated; the same with the ankles, round which the skin may be discoloured; the disease, allowed to continue, may deprive vou of the power to walk or work. You may hav"e attended various hospitala and been told your case is hopeless, or advised to snbmit to amputation; do not, but send me a P.O. for 2a. 6d., and I will post you a Box of GRASSHOPPER OINTMENT and PILLS, which has never failed to cure.—C. M. ALBERT 73. Farringdon-street, London. R. J", HEATH AND SON'S GREAT PIANOFORTE AND ORGAN SALOON. MUSICAL JNSTRUMENTS By ALL JOKERS- SOLE AGENTS ] 17> BROADWOOD, ERARD, ,"Tn-:n A f.E& WALDEMAR, AND CROW 1 v RECITALS DAILY ON THE AND OTHER PIANO PLi v „ The Symphony and Self-pit. ENORMOUS DISCOUNT v 76» QUEEN"STREET> O Nat. Tel.: Cardiff, 01199. P< :1. Manufactory—LONDi N OM mllO G £ ALL C/i £ M/STsWm r H QR4/6;QRSEtsTAMWHERE QMRECt$H! r ar,TrowLE& c., wixi7,R- '4

to take a serious step towards diminishing the incentives to intemperance. (Applause.) Then another thing which had much to do with the depressed condition of considerable sec- tions of the people was the character of the houses in which they lived, and allied to that were the questions of land tenure, the acqui- sition of land for public purposes, and, above all, the taxation of land. The housing ques- tion involved all these, and they would never have a real solution of the difficulties which everybody admitted attended it until they had a Government and a Parliament strong and resolute enough to take hold of the land question and deal with it on fundamental principles. (Applause.) He hoped nobody would think he was submitting a Ladybank programme. To do that he had neither the authority nor the disposition, but he advanced these things as being questions in the pro- motion of which Liberals were prepared to march forward as a disciplined and solid force. (Applause.)