The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard

IS THERE A NATIONAL AWAKENING ? WE do not think it can be truly said that there is anything like a national awaken- ing in Wales, but there is unquestionably an uneasy feeling, not only in the oburches, but in political, social, and industrial centres. Even women are begin- ning to realize that they did not originate from the rib of a man and their pathetic submission is turning to, spmething like nevolt against a religiodaat practically makes them inferiors and slaves, and has no sympathy with their efforts for emanci- ption. The churches are no longer able refuse to discuss the question whether they should go to the people or the people should come to them, and to priestly ful- minations, whether from Roman Catho- lic altars or Nonconformist pulpits, the masses of the people now pay no heed. At the present moment in the United Kingdom there are millions of people who have not enough to eat. They cannot find work. They see their children die of sheer want: they themselves are ahun- gered. It is no answer to them to say that they are drunken, or lazy, or improvi- dent, or thriftless. They ask why GOD made them so imperfect seeing that, according to the churches. He is all- powerful and if so minded could have made them perfect. The Dean of WEST- MINSTER has been telling the people that much of the Bible is only an allegory-a parable, and one of the great London newspapers is publishing columns every day as to whether we believe or not. The churches feel that the life of the day has passed them by. All the conditions are altered. The people refuse to be slaugh- tered by insanitary defects, against which the churches make no protest. For thirty years and more we have fought a disagreeable sanitary battle without any help whatever from the churches in any part of the district. We have protested over and over again against the way children are done t6 death and have never received the slightest help or countenance from the churches. We do not blame the local churches for their indifference to the horrible life which the people are forced to live we know that they are as power- less as we are, nay more nowerless, for our words go among the neople and we fight a never-ending battle, but their words die as they are uttered and they fight no battle at all except for a blind and unquestioning dogmatism. What wte blame the churches for is not their power- lessness, but their presumption. At Liverpool the other day the Rev. A. R. BUCKLAND attributed the decline in attend- ances at the Anglican Church partly to a suspicion among artizans that Christianity was a religion for the well-to-do, and partly to a change that has come over the whole life of the nation. There can be no question that the change which has come over the whole life of the nation is very great, and there is no indication in that change of increased belief or trust in the churches. As far as we can judge the churches of Aberystwyth are willing to view with absolute indifference any degree whatever of municipal apathy, or suffer-, ing, or wrong. The only thing that might spur them to action, perhaps, would be the granting in the district of an additional public-house licence, but they would not .Iae disturbed if several existing public houses were increased in size that is dif- ferent. Last week at the Llandaff Dioce- san Conference a resolution was passed, That in view of the Welsh national awakening, it is the duty of the Church to adapt herself to the present needs of the Principality." In the face of this resolution we have the Church of Eng- land fighting for the teaching of Church of England dogmas in the elementary schools of the Principality. Against the Church we have a section of Nonconfor- mists protesting with all their might against the teaching of any religion in tax and rate-aided schools. Standing apart from both sets of combatants are the masses of the people asking sullenly what is meant by this religion which those who profess it cannot agree about. We are not sure of the national awakening in Wales, but there can be no doubt that there is a growing discontent with the inaction of the churches in view of their very considerable pretensions and assump- tions. It seems to us that as far as there is an awakening in Wales it manifests itself in a sort of silent sullenness. The people are discontented, but they are slow to break away from old religious associa- tions, and they would if they could con- tinue to believe in what the Dean of WEST- MINSTER calls the discredited allegories of the Bible. The present education war in Wales may be a sign of national awakening, but whatever it is, religion will not benefit by it, nor is the spirit of religion at all manifest in it. The war is a war of opposing sects and parties. We believe that Wales is every day becom- ing more and more alive to her own needs and possibilities, but we very much doubt whether there is not a ranidly deepening conviction that the churches are incapable of fulfilling those needs and of realising those possibilities. We fail to see any prominent signs of awakening among the rank and file of the- people, and until they awake nothing of consequence can be done. They feel that thev are helpless. The chapel organization is fixed and inelas- tic. The local governing body is far off and impervious to assault. It seems, therefore, to the masses of the people that very little can be done. They are help- less and hopeless in face of the narrow life of the churches and of the mere routine work of local governing bodies. There are always in the churches large sections y I that would like to see what they call a revival—religious excitement and what are called conversions. Here and there in Wales attempts have been made to start this sort of awakening, but hitherto the attempts have not met with much suc- cess. The hysterical revivalist will sooner or later make his appearance and then there will be what the churches call an awakening, to be followed by a more complete deadness than at present exists. We wish we could see some local indica- tions of the national awakening that we hear so much about in Diocesan and other conferences. Wales is at war and will fight stubbornly if that is a sign of a national awakening. —

ABERYSTWYTH" CORPORATION FINANCE. (No., 14). WHAT FOLLOWS NEGLECT, IN order that the ratepayers of Aberys- twyth may know what follows municipal neglect it is not necessary that they should wait for ten or twelve vears. They are conspicuously suffering from the con- sequences of neglect in manv directions, as we will try to point out. and although they may feel that just at the present time they are powerless, we believe the time will come when the best men in the town, many of whom now refuse to re- present the ratepayers on the Town Council, will recognize their duty and will give of the best of their services to the public. One of the consequences of neglect which has prevailed for years is that at the present time the town is utterly helpless if it were visited by an epidemic. There is no isolation hospital. Time after time this subject has come before the Council and on each occasion the subject has fizzled out and nothing whatever has been done. The fear that is bred of each outbreak of disease quickly dies away and the ordinary precautions that sensible men ought to take in the public interest are not taken and the results are much sickness and many deaths, to the lasting injury of the town as a health resort, to say nothing of the actual lives lost owing to municipal neglect. The poor, and especially the children of the poor, are the greatest sufferers in consequence of the non-existence of an isolation hospital, for their houses have no accommodation to make isolation possible. Some day there will be a summer epidemic of con- tagious or infectious disease and the Z, town will then receive a blow that will ruin many of the inhabitants in addition to the loss of life. The next case of persistent neglect is in the state of the drainage of the lower part of the town. The Council knows that the sewers are not efficient. They are not efficient. They are so inefficient that the authorities dare not turn waste water into them and the stench from them is unbearable. The Corporation water cart goes round now and then and goes through the farce of pouring a little water into these inefficient drains, but the Council has never seriously attempted to grapple with the evil as it will have to be grappled with before the Town Council can be said to have done its duty. We do not want to enlarge upon this un- savoury subject, but there it is, and some day we shall be able to appeal to these words to show that neither the ratepayers nor their representatives were in ignor- ance of what was necessary. This evil condition has existed for years and is a terrible reproach to the whole community. The consequences of financial neglect, which no longer needs proof or illustra- tion, have entailed very heavy rates, not- withstanding the revenue of £3,000 a year from the Corporation estate. The manipulation of the water rate for years was a very grievous wrong and has pre- vented the forming of a sinking fund for the carrying out of fresh works when necessary. Llanbadarn Flats were pur- chased thirty years ago on the water works account and the rentals from that land ought to have gone to the redemp- tion of the capital wrongly, but not un- wisely, expended on that land, but instead of that being done the revenue from the Flats has gone into the general funds and has been frittered away with many thou- sands of pounds besides. The local rates at Aberystwyth are so high that they are a very serious burden upon the bulk of the ratepayers, and one reason why it is diffi- cult to find candidates is that those who have given careful attention to local affairs know that the rates will have to be higher still before the town is put in a sound financial and sanitary position. A further glaring instance of pro- longed and altogether inexcusable neglect is the harbour. By a short-sighted policy long maintained the stone pier was shortened. Then for many years the pro- tecting groynes were so grossly neglected that they were at last destroyed and the town has been put to an expense that may reach the enormous sum of £ 20,000. We know, of course, that this neglect of the harbour was not official neglect. It was the carrying out of a policy deliber- ately adopted and persevered in by the Old Gang. When the sea at last swept through the Rofawr the defenders of the policy of neglect were dumb. They silently agreed to an expenditure of thousands of pounds which would have been saved if ordinary care had been taken year by year in maintaining the harbour defences. Perhaps the saddest and most disastrous consequence of the long-existing neglect in reference to borough affairs at Aberyst- wyth is that the people of the town have come to look at the body with contempt. The Corporation Estate is a means of terror, spite, corruption, and button- holing. Men are afraid, not without cause, of subjecting themselves to the sort of thing that drove Mr. D. C. ROBERTS out of the Council. The business of the town instead of being transacted in open Council is mainly managed at Committees, which have power to act. This power to act means secrecy, corruption, person- alities, and all sorts of favouritism and irregularity. There are those who have tested the Council up to the hilt and the results are not to the credit of that body. We believe that the air is being cleared and that in a short time the best men in the town will feel themselves at liberty to offer their services to the ratepayers without risk of shame. At the present moment there are a large number of cases of chronic neglect which in due time will bring forth their conse- quences. The ratepayers may feel that it would be less painful to suffer what follows neglect than to insist upon reforei. We believe it is best that the municipal stable should be cleansed. There is the Ceme- tery.. It seems to us to be a very sad thing that the bereaved of this community —and they are very numerous—should have to go to the Cemetery and find it littered with paper, heaps of sand, bricks, and mortar; that displaced gravestones should be reared up against walls; that the ground should be used as a builder's yard; that the paths should be not com- pleted; that dead trees and broken fences should be conspicuous in all directions. The Council is responsible. It seems to us to be a serious thing that notwithstand- ing the fact of the outlay on a town gar- dener the streets should contain dead trees and blank spaces where trees ought to be, and that Plas Crug should be in its pre- sent neglected and hopeless condition. The Council is satisfied and is alone to blame. It seems to us to be pitiful that the Corporation should dry sweep the streets; that shopkeepers should sweep their refuse into the streets; that awning irons should be left out all the year round; that Town Councillors should use the public streets as warehouses; that arrange- ments should be made by Corporation officials to defeat the deliberate decisions of the Town Council as regards stables in places like Portland-road. It does not require any great amount of penetration to learn what follows munici- pal neglect. We leei that it is a wrong thing that members of the Town Council should practically make a paying business of representing the ratepavers, and until the Council has been purged—thoroughly purged-we cannot expect men who re- spect themselves, and whom the people respect, to offer themselves for election unless they are born fighters. The rate- payers themselves must take action. Will they ? We doubt it. (To be continued.) The title of the next article will be Practically Settled."

THE EDUCATION WAR IT is a somewhat curious fact that the head of the Education Department who will have to put the Welsh Coercion Bill in operation in Wales is the Marquess of LONDONDERRY, who is himself more than half a Welshman. In a recent speech at Sheffield his lordship said It would 44 be useless for me to deny that there is a certain part of the kingdom in which H the Act has not been taken up, but in which, I regret to say, there seems to be a desire not only to make that Act a dead letter-to take no advantage of it, -but, if possible, to prostitute educa- 44 tion on account of dislike of the Act. 44 I believe, speaking in the interests of 44 education, that such a policy would be 44 absolutely ruinous. I trust that the 44 leaders of opinion in that part of the 44 country to which I allude will realise, 44 before it is too late, the responsibilities 44 they have undertaken in endeavouring 44 not to promote, but to ruin education. At the same time, I am bound to say 44 that if they will not endeavour to main- U tain and promote the cause of education 44 the Board of education cannot allow 44 education to lapse. Sorry as I should be, as head of the Department, to put U into force those powers which the Act recently passed gives us, it is the 44 bounden duty of any minister respon- sible for the education of the rising 44 generation of the country to see that 44 education is in no way allowed to de- teriorate, but is maintained up to the 44 standard of efficiency which the country expects and for which it so highly 44 pays." We do not in the least object to the way the Marquess of LONDONDERRY puts his view of the situation. One of the greatest difficulties in the way of pro- gress in Wales is that what Nonconform- ists call conscientious objection to tyranny the members of the Church of England call ruinous prostitution of education. We do not for one moment think that Mr. LLOYD-GEORGE, or any other of the leaders of the people of Wales, in the least expects that the Educa- tion Department will not put the Coercion Act in force when it is deemed advisable to put it in force. The whole of the Liberal and Nonconformist arrangements have been made with a view to the exercise of the coercion provided by the Act of 1904. All that Mr. LLOYD-GEORGE would pro- bably say-we have no right to speak in his name-is that in administering an Act of Parliament even the Education Depart- ment is bound by the provisions of the Act, and it is not unreasonable to suppose that Wales is as able as the Education Depart- ment to read and interpret an Act of Par- liament. We, at any rate, are not going to make a grievance of the fact that the Acts of 1902 and 1904 will be put into force, and whatever may be said by Eng- lish newspapers, or by the sort of people who never realize any condition until it is upon them, we are sure that Mr LLOYD- GEORGE and those who are acting with him are prepared for war with all its dire consequences. Lord LONDONDERRY knows something about Ireland. Wales is rapidly being perverted from a con- tented and peaceful country into a sort of turbulent Ireland, and the Bishops and other priests ane responsible for the unde- sirable change. We think the Bishop of St. DAVID'S has done more harm to Wales and to the Church of England by his be- haviour in reference to the Education Act than he would do good if he lived for a couple of centuries. Some of the news- papers have called the Marquess of LONDONDERRY'S statement embodied in the foregoing quofation a threat. We do not look upon it as a threat, but as a mere setting forth of an inevitable future fact, for which Liberals and Nonconfor- mists are as fully prepared as they are prepared for all the consequences which have certainly never been underrated by those who are at the head of the resisting movement. There are springing up in England and even in Wales all sorts of advisers and critics and prophets, but no heed should be paid to them. The lead- ing Liberals and Nonconformists are agreed. The rank and file of the people trust them and are willing to carry out their policy. The war on the Nonconfor- mist side is far more than a mere question of the administration of the Education Act of 1902, as Lord LONDONDERRY, the Education Department, the Government, and the United Kingdom, will discover before it is over. Already in Wales the war has passed beyond any considerations as to the educational advantages of the Act, or as to its controversial nature. Nonconformist Wales has taken up an attitude of general resistance and it is now for the Government to try to coerce Wales, seeing that the Church of England has decided to put its whole trust in the provisions of the Act without regard to justice or reasonableness. There will be loss, there will be bitterness, there will be suffering. Religibn will be brought into contempt by its State reoresentatives, and in the end everything will be in a more deplorable condition than at the begin- ning, except, perhaps, that the principle which is being fought for will have been won at the irreparable loss of this genera- tion. The Act has been passed; the Coercion Act has also been passed to make its enforced administration possible. The Marquess of LONDONDERRY has no choice, and if he had a choice that involved any avoidance of duty he would certainly not take it. Then the war must go on until the next general election when the Gov- ernment may find itself in a minority and Wales may then be in such a state of tur- moil that it may be necessary for the Liberal Government to speedily pass an amended Education Act that will give Nonconformists more than at one time they would have been willing to take, and may not even then get rid of the agitation for Disestablishment which is at the bottom of the present unanimity and eagerness. A large number of Liberals feel that their cause would be better served by the Coercion Act being at once put in force, if it can be put in force, than by the Education Department delaying action until the general election. It is felt that an active coercive campaign in Wales by the Government would at once greatly increase the power of Mr. LLOYD- (SEORGE as an electioneering force in the rest of the United Kingdom, and might turn anticipated Conservative defeat into utter rout. The Liberal leaders are quite alive to the advantages which they derive from the fact that the Government is not only old, but discredited, and that the points which the Church of England in Wales has unwisely raised are points which will tell against her whenever they are discussed in the wav Mr. LLOYD- GEORGE can discuss them. The Mar- quess of LONDONDERRY knows Wales and he knows also that the case we have put is moderately and correctly put. We know, as ne said on Saturday, that he is a strong denominationalist, and he will naturallyôe influenced by all his training and traditions, but we believe that he is a strong man of business, and we do not expect that he will either take action to show that he is strong, or abstain from taking action for fear of seeming to be weak. It Ís a pity that he could not in- vite the four Welsh Bishoos and a few deans to dinner and then talk some plain, common sense to them in a way that would be intelligible to them. Nonconformitv as an organization has everything to gain by conflict. The Church of Eng- land in Wales on the other hand has every- thing to lose by conflict. We are quite well aware of the ecclesiastical sneer with which this contention would most likely be received, and we are also aware that this sort of argument may lay us open to the taunt of fear. Well, we are not afraid and we do not mind the sneer. We dislike the war. We do not believe that the Church has anything to gain by it, while we do believe that it is necessary to protest against the principle that denomin- ational schools shall be maintained out of the rates and be practically managed by the parson of the parish. In one of the feeblest sermons it was ever our bad for- tune to read the Bishop of St. DAVID'S at Liverpool said 44 We are tempted to ask 44 ourselves whether it would not be pru- dent to surrender, at least, some por- 44 tion of the principles entrusted to us, 44 in order to conciliate our opponents.. Let us therefore, brethren, 44 resolve that, as far as in us lies, the 44 Church in Wales, whatever happens, 44 shall maintain the best welfare of our country-tfic salvation of Wales—as 44 the lofty aim of our earnest desires and 44 honest efforts. For a "particular controversy may involve a 44 religious principle. The issue 44 of the present controversy lies in the *4 hands of Divine Providence. The principle of public control where public money is spent is not a religious princi- ple, but an understood rule in the adminis- tration of public affairs. The salvation of Wales is net in the hands of the Church of England. A particular controversy may involve a religious principle, but the Bishop of St. DAVID'S knows that the issue here is not a religious issue, but is a mere question of ecclesiasticism. The issue of the present controversy is only in the hands of Divine Providence in the same way as the issue whether the Bishop of St DAVID'S will drive in his carriage or walk to church is in the hands of Divine Pro- vidence. Our advice to the Bishop of St DAVID'S is not to talk nonsense to the people, for they see through it. If the BISHOP is going to fight let him fight, but do not let him try to bring GOD into it, as the Nonconformists of Wales also believe that GOD is on their side.

EDITORIAL NOTES It is not of the least consequence whether or not Mr. BALFOCR repudiates Mr. CHAMBER- LAIN'S fiscal follies. The country has repu- diated dear food, and in a short time Mr. BALFOXJR will have more time to play golf. Poverty is a far more dreadful thing than those who have never been poor can realize. A correspondent has been dreaming about Machynlleth. We are glad. Sometimes dreams come true. Machynlleth is a delight- fully situated town and if the inhabitants be- lieved in it and would do a little public work there is no place in the district that would more quickly repay any effort spent upon it. The great evil at Machynlleth is that every- body depends upon the other person. Attention has been called onoe more to the leniency of the Aberystwyth magistrates in dealing with cases of drunkenness. There are well-known drunkards who are far safer before the magistrates than at home. This ought not to be. The police are discouraged, but the only remedy is to keep bringing the cases and in time the local magistrates, who may have reasons for their leniency, will pro- bably improve. Tregaron is going to drink pump water. It will be both food and drink, and will be cheap in addition! Happy Tregaron. Why not have a short life and a nasty one? A community that cannot drink its own sewage is neither brave nor economical. Tregaron sets the rest of Wales an example and all that will be necessary will be to enlarge the burial ground. Brave Tregaron. Why not drink pump water? Just think how tasty it will be. And who cares for microbes? The newspapers on October 14th said that the fall of Port Arthur was impending, but it did not fall. On the 18th the same paper announced that Port Arthur would fall on November 3rd, the MIKADO'S birthday! During the week there have been great battles reported with losses said to amount to more than a hundred thousand men. The Russians are said to have been defeated. The Japanese are said to have been surrounded. The Japanese are reported to have captured more than a hundred cannon, and to have lost most of them again. Very harrowing details are given in the papers of the conflicts. More than ten thousand dead Russians are said to have been buried by the Japanese and tens of thousands of wounded on both sides have been left to perish unattended. Men were mowed down, it is asserted, like corn by a steam reaper. Nobody knows how much is true and how much is false of the reports of the alleged victories and defeats, but the war is going on and the one thing evident is that human life la of no consequence what- ever-. It is said that success has attended the experiments in growing nearly every kind of Egyptian and American cotton in Sind, India. This is a great thing for India and its four hundred millions of people. We shall soon be less dependent upon the United States for cotton. Af the Aberystwyth Town Council meeting on Tuesday, tenders for lighting were sent in by the Electric Lighting Company and the Gas Company, A permanent official of the Gas Company is a member of the Town Coun- cil. Ought not the Electric Lighting Com- pany to have a paid servant a member of the Council? The Gilchrist lectures in the whole district have made a successful and promising begin- ning. Dr. DALLINGER'S lecture has created a most favourable impression and is an excel- lent recommendation. Mr. C. S. DENNISS, the manager of the Cambrian Railways, has given great assistance by affording most con- venient and exceptional railway facilities. The other lectures will be delivered as announced. The Marchioness of LONDONDERRY has been making a speech. Her ladyship put the atti- tude of the denominationalists quite clearly. That is the attitude which Nonconformists resist and will unquestionably resist. Hence the impossibility of any satisfactory arrange- ment. Really the attitude of the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England is substantially the same, and there seems to be nothing for it but war, and the strongest must rule. At the Aberystwyth Town Council on Tues- day it was stated that steps had been taken towards collecting arrears of rents which have not been- collected in some cases for fourteen years. No reason was given for this extraor- dinary state of things and no credit was given to the Ratepayers' Association for bringing about the revelation. Of course the people will object to pay. It is monstrous that bills should have been sent out for money which has been owing fourteen years. Mr. BRYN ROBERTS, M.P., is in favour of the St. ASAPH method of settling the education war in Wales. That is all very well, but things have marched a long way since that scheme was shelved-a very long way. The meeting was with the Cardiff scheme. If the Church of England wants war it must have war. There is no harm in Mr. BRYN ROBERTS flying the St. Asaph flag. In the end there will have to be a settlement. #■ A good deal of attention is being given just now to the theft of land all round the coast by the sea. In this, as in other cases, the Government says it can do nothing, and the sea must therefore go on stealing the land. This is a subject of interest to Wales, as ten or eleven of the Welsh counties have a sea- board. On the Aberystwyth Beach there are numerous flint pebbles) and the oliffls show how the coast is washed away more and more every year. The Cambrian Railways protect scores of miles of coast, and we think the Government ought to contribute hand- somely towards the maintenance of the em- bankment which protects the land all along the coast. At a recent meeting in Manchester Sir WILFRID LAWSON said:—"For fifty years we "have been denouncing the trade; for fifty years we have been declaring that it must be overthrown. We are splendid shouters, "but poor voters." Many years ago the writer of these lines wrote to Sir W ILFRI:8 LAWSON and asked him why temperance people did not protest against making national profit out of drink revenue. He received in answer a confession that temper- ance people were not ripe for objecting to drink revenue. So they just shout and take more than forty millions a year from drink revenue—and are untrue! Need we express our opinion of them? The weather during the week has varied greatly. Rain fell so heavily as to cause floods in many parts of Wales and to do much damage. The sea is yellow with storm water. This rain will be welcome in many large towns. At timfes high winds have prevailed and on one night at least there was a slight frost. On two days the atmosphere was still and fog prevailed. On otner days the sky was clear and the temperature was so high that it felt as if the summer had returned. Work is scarce and distress is impending. No matter whether it rained or blew, or hailed or snew, the lifeboat vane on the Aberystwyth Promenade continued to assert that the wintT was in the north-west and never changed. It has been blowing from the worth-west for at least six months according to this most trust- worthy authority. Something was said at the last meeting of the Aberystwyth Town Council about adver- tising. We are glad to see that the Corpora- tion are working cordially with Mr. C. S. DENNISS, manager of the Cambrian Railways. One of the best ways of advertising a visitors' resort is to keep it clean and healthy. It is a bad advertisement to sweep dust into the faces of visitors, as dust is associated with microbes. It is a mistake to leave a main street like Terracef-road unwashed until it stinks like an ill-kept stable. It is a mistake to leave awning irons out all the year round. In short, it is a mistake to keep a health re- sort as if it was a dirty, untidy ill-managed village. Look at that stable in North-parade. Aberystwyth is a beautiful place, but there is neglect in details. The black smoke from the Cambrian railway engines is a positive curse to the place. This is an evil that could be removed. Some of the Aberystwyth Cor- poration officials do not know muck when they see it. At the Aberystwyth Town Council meeting on Tuesday, Mr. C. M. WILLIAMS entered into the second stage of his personal conflict with Mr. GIBSON and, as we presumed a week or two ago, found it a tough job and far from satisfactory. He does not seem to be equal to it. This time he did not even move a resolution. Last time when he moved a re- solution he found no seconder. The minute of the proceedings, as it appeared on Tues- day, did not reveal this fact. This is hot as it should be. On Tuesday Mr. GIBSON entered into details and gave evidence as to how Mr. C. M. WILLIAMS for years has been quite fair-remarkably fair—overwhelmingly fair. We predicted a fortnight ago that Mr C. M. WILLIAMS would most likely find his adversary quite willing to meet any further attack. His adversary was more than willing, and if Mr. C. M. WILLIAMS will put a suitable notice on the agenda paper we believe he can have some more, not quite of the same sort, but not less to the point. We, at any rate, are not afraid, and if our business is not rightly conducted we court exposure. \Ve are not to be bluffed and have nothing to hide. Our advice to Mr. C. M. WILLIAMS is to try again. Perhaps Mr. GIBSON will be frightened next time, but we doubt it. Newspaper reports are terrible things when they are served up cold as they were served up at the Council meeting on Tuesday. Mr GIBSON did not seek this personal strife, but he is not exactly frightened and is quite ready for the next round. The public will sooner or later begin to understand who is respon- sible for the personalities at the Aberystwyth Town Council, As the KING was returning from Newmarket one day last week a policeman named SOAMES prevented a landau from crashing into the royal carriage. Lucky policeman, On Monday at the Aberystwyth Board of Guardians Mr. ARTHUR JONES, the new manager of the Aberystwyth branch of the North and South Wales Bank, was appointed Union treasurer, in succession to the late Mr. J. R. REES. In London the other day one of those idiots who carve their names on seats was fined a small sum and costs for the offence and was told that the next offence might be treated less gently. What a revenue Aberystwyth would possess if this sort of damage were paid for, The River Rheidol overflowed its banks on Monday in consequence of the heavy rain and washed away a portion of the permanent way of the Vale of Rheidol Railway. This is an event that most likely will be frequently repeated, as the River Rheidol is one of the most liable in Wales to heavy and sudden floods. < Dr. MACNAMARA knows nothing about Wales and Welsh educational policy and his opinion is not worth considering. Wales is going to fight and everybody will take the conse- quences. The only person Wales looks to is Mr. LLOYD-GEORGE and if he is afraid of the consequences, and he may well be afraid, we are sure he will not run away. • » It is said that London Liberals are not pleased with the way the chief newspapers are L treating Mr. ASQUITH'S speeches. Mr ASQUITH is not nearly as important as he thinks he is, and has not made any progress. He can make a lawyer-like speech, but that is all his best friends can say for him. He is not a leader and never will be, but he would make a very good dry-as-dust head of a department, and very likely that is what will beoome of him. • a At the invitation of Mr. LoNG, the president of the Local Government Board, a confer- ence of the Metropolitan Unions has been held to consider suggestions to deal with the impending winter's distress among the labour- ing population. Mr. LONG made a windy speech, in which he said that the Government could do nothing and that Parliament would not legislate and that the Local Government Board would give its empty blessing to any- body who did the work that was needed! It is to be hoped that the people will try to be thankful for—nothing. It is said that the Glamorgan Federation of Teachers have decided to approach the Welsh bishops and Mr. LLOYD-GEORGE with a view to arranging a conference and, if possi- ble, a compromise, on the education dispute. This action is late, and it is not likely that the teachers will succeed where Mr. LLOYD- GEORGE and the Bishop of St. ASAPH failed. War has been declared. The conference may be held, but the conditions of the conflict have been settled. A time will come when even the Bishop of St. DAVID'S will either have to listen to reason or be ignored. The Church must do what it thinks is well for itself. There is not likely to be any truce. The Liberals and Nonconformists of Wales have made their decision. It is for the Church to enable the County Councils to work the schools on reasonable conditions. The Congregationalifets of Denbighshire have discussed the sayings of the Rev. R. J. CAMPBELL about working men. The Rev. J. HUFFADINE said he was convinced that there was an undoubted coolness and aloofness on "the part of the working masses towards re- ligion or formulated Christianity. There was an idea that tJie churches were indiffer- ent to questions affecting the life of the "masses." There surely can be no doubt whatever that the churches do not consider the industrial, intellectual, domestic, or social life of the masses their concern in any degree whatever. We have been working for forty years for the improvement of the sanitary conditions of the people and we have been told more than once by the heads of the churches that they do not consider sanitary reform part of the work of the churches. We think the churches are beginning to be alarmed at their own isolation. From almost every large town in England there are reports of increasing scarcity of work and of impending distress. There is a general shrinkage due in our estimation to the late war in South Africa, the present war be- tween Japan and Russia, the agitation about protection, and a general sense of unrest. The leaders of trades' unions have made large employers afraid to take risks, ana with falling trade risks are serious. In London an attempt is being made to prepare for the bad times which it is believed are impending. To make bad worse working men complain that they are too old at forty. This is due partly to the Compensation Act, partly to the objection to piece work, and partly to the minimum wage movement. Building has fallen off so much that at one of the large quarries in North Wales the working days have been reduced from six to five. A hard winter seems to be in prospect. One of the causes of depression is the ever-growing use of labour-saving machinery. Even when the machine work costs more it is preferable, as machines do not make things unoomfortable by seizing on the rush of work to enforce demands. Whatever the teachers of Wales may do in the way of approaching the leaders on both sides in the Welsh Education War, there must be no doubt that they act solely on their own account. It has been decided, we are told, to preserve secrecy as to what steps are taken. One of the steps is to interview the Bishop of St. DAVIDS. He is mainly responsi- ble for the present situation and in the end it will redound to his shame and discredit. The course of Wales is settled and there will be no wavering and no turning back. The National Union of Teachers can do nothing as far as we can see to influence the Church of England to forego its determination to obtain denominational teaching at the cost, of the rates, and we do not think that the National Union of Teachers can persuade the Noncon- formists of Wales to agree to pay out of the rates for denominational teaching. well then, what can the National Union of Teachers do except take sides with one or other of the fighting forces ? As for any talk of throwing Mr. LLOYD-GEORGE overboard they might as well talk of throwing the ship overboard. As for the Bishop of St. DAVIDS, he is a wooden ecclesiastic and it is not worth while talking about him. He has missed his opportunity. The important thing for the National Union of Teachers and the Bishops, and the Govern- ment to realize is that Nonconformist Wales has resolved to fight and, wise or unwise, there will be fight let the consequences be what they may.

LLANGWYRYFON Assessments.—Having received explana- tions at the last meeting of the Board of Guardians as to whether the poor rate was levied on the assessable value of the. Union or oil the county rate basis and why the amount of out-door relief on the ratable value was so much higher in some districts than others. Mr. E. J. Evans will move at the next meeting of the Board that the County Council should be asked to prepare a new couny rate basis.

M ACH i NLLETH An ITarly Woodcock.—Majbr H. E. Bonsall, of Galltyllan, near this town, killed a fine woodcock whilst shooting on his property on Wednesday. This is the first woodcock killed or heard of ia the Jfiistrict this season. Flood.—There was heavy rain on Sunday and Monday morning when the Dovfey overflowed its banks and the Valley of tflfc Dovey waa all under water. C-harity.-Ag usual at this time of titb year, the Marchioness (D.) of Londonderry. distributed flannel, etc., to the poor ofi Uwchygareg and Machynlleth at tlte e Hall, on Wednesday. Obituary.—After a long and painful ilhiess we regret to have to announce the death of Mrs Pugh, widow of Mr. Wm. Pugh, flannel manufacturer, who predeceased her very suck- denly while away at Llanidloes about twt) months ago. Mrs Pugh was of a kindly dis- position and many of the poor will miss in her a true friend. Mr and Mrs Pugh were well known throughout North Wales and highly respected. The deepest sympathy is felt with the children in their bereavement coming so soon after the loss they sustained in the sudden deatii of their father. The funeral takes place to-morrow (Saturday) at the Noncon- formist Cemetery. MARRIAGE OF MR. J. T. HUMPHREYS, N.P. BANK. Unusual interest was manifested at Llan- dudno on Tuesday in a very pretty wedding ceremony which took place at the English Presbyterian Church, Gloddaeth-street. Both bride and bridegroom were so well known and greatly liked in the town that the sacred! edifice was crowded with their friends long before noon, the hour at which the service commenced. The bride was Miss Margaret Ann Owen, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs Thomas Owen, Milton Lodere. Abbe^-road. who are highly respected in the town, and belong to one of the best known of the old Llandudno families. Miss Owen herself was deservedly popular among a large circle for the kind and gentle disposition which has endeared her to young and old. The bride- groom was Mr. John T. Humphreys, son of the late Mr. Robert Humphreys, of Carnar- von. Mr. Humphreys until recently was employed at the Llandudno Branch of the National Provincial Bank, and made a large circle of friends by his never-failing readiness to be of service, and to lend his undoubted talents as a vocalist whenever called upon. Mr. Humphreys was recently promoted to the post of accountant at the Machynlleth Branch of the bank. The presence of so many members of the families of the bride and bridegroom made the function one of the most interesting which has reoentlv taken place at Llandudno. When the bride entered the church leaning on the arm of her father she looked exceedingly charming in an exquisite dress of cream silk de chine trimmed with, fragile Maltese lace, with a lovely white panne hat, trimmed with white tulle and handsome ostrich feathers. She carried a magnificent bouquet of lilies of the valley, orchids, chry- santhemums, and white heather, the gift of the bridegroom. She was accompanied bv two bridesmaids, her sister, Miss Laura Owen and the bridegroom's sister. Miss Humphreys* both of whom wore pale erev crenA dp, rhina dresses, trimmed with torchion lace, with a beautiful satin yoke, trimmed with passe meuterie and pearls. They also wore black picture hats, and gold, pearl, and ruby brooches and bouquets, being the gifts of the bridegroom. The bride's mother (Mrs Owen Milton Lodge), was attired in a handsome black silk dress, trimmed with white net and heliotrope velvet ribbon. The Rev. H. Barrow Williams, minister of Shiloh C.M. Chapel assisted by the Rev. Evan Jones, of Carnar- von, were the officiating clergy. The bride was given away by her father. The bride- supported by Mr. R„ T. Jones, of the iNorth and South Wales Bank, and Mr. D. R. Evans, oousin of the bride. During the service, Mr. F. Slater played the Wedding March on the organ. After the service, a reception was held by the bride s parents at their residence. Milton Lodge, at which about fift*- guest.s were pre- sent. The Rev. H. Barrow Williams pro- posed the health of the bride and bridegroom, and the Rev. Evan Jones seconded both making felicitous speeches, and the bridegroom responded. Mr. David Jones. Llwynfrvn proposed the health of the bridesmaids, and r VT i* Jones "^Ponded. In the course of the afternoon the young couple left for London ^jnd Paris amid the felicitations of a arge circle of friends. The bride's travel- ling costume was of light grey cloth, with a claret-coloured panne velvet hat, trimmed with roses of the same shade. The presents received were unusually large in number, and handsome in quality.

LAMPETER Police.-P.S. Thomas, who has just been promoted from Llanilar, arrived on Wednes- day to take up his duties here. Ex-P.S. Thomas has removed to Teify Cottage. Cwm" anne. Thanksgiving Services.—Thanksgiving ser- vices were held at Brondeifi Unitarian Chapel on Wednesday evening last when the Rev. T. Arthur Thomas, Llandyssul. preached to a fairly-large congregation. Temperance.—A meeting of the South Wales Women's Temperance Association was held at Noddfa Chapel on Tuesday. The meet- ing was presided over by Mrs. R. Cribyn Jones, anfcl various matters relating to the temperance cause were discussed. Falr.-The annual October fair was held on Wednesday last. The fair is never a large one and the attendance of sellers and buyers this year was very small. Trade was slack and only three truckloads of cattle were sent away by the railway. Yearlings fetched from C4 10s. to L7 10s., according to quality. Cows and calves realied from 21 4to JB15. but there were not many in the fair. The price of litters was small, namely, from 10s. to 13s.

Qtntttspnnb tnCt. (Continued) THE WELSH REVOLT. SIR,-A 'writer in your last issue passed Some very opprobrious and gratuitous strictures on the teachers of Wales, character- ising them as selfish aild mercenary, and otherwise holding them up fo universal scorn. Our would-be accus&rs and mentors will scarcely attain their object by means of such sweeping and unfounded reflections as those hurled broadcast by the swash- buckler from the banks of the Tyne Indeed, his high-sounding and shallow indictment might well be ignored altogether were it not so easy tb deceive the thoughtless and super- ficial by such tall talk On that account it behoves the Welsh teachers not to submit tamely and silently to the attack made upon them. The teachers had the audacity to request some assurance as to position and salaries in the event of certain eventualities, an assur- ance mark, not for a week or a month or a paltry few shillings, or even few pounds, but with regard to their whole add only susten- ance for an indefinite period, which might well mean for life should the Tory Party again be returned to power and should the injured consciences consistently keep up their present smarting. .Because they dared to consider their verv future existence, they are branded forsootn as unpatriotic. Because a few autocratic and all-wise patriots, together with well-rewarded party wire-pullers, and diverse rich English political chess players think it will serve their purpose to deny themselves a few easily-spared doles for the cause (which means much more to England than to Wales there being more voluntary schools and so more disabilities in England), the teachers are expected to risk their whole livelihood and the progress and advancement of the pupil teachers and assistants on the strength of a visionary fund and shadowy results, and to risk all without question or submit to be stigmatised4 as traitors. Granted either the justice or the opportun- ism of the present Welsh revolt who can reasonably blame the teachers for endeavouring to calculate the cost and to foresee the con- sequences to themselves? All lionour to our stalwart Welsh leaders who. should no reward of high office fall to their share. will, stiil in ease of defeat be worse off than before, indeed, motoriety will have been gained in any case, but it behoves teachers to think twice before recklessly allowing any- one to gamble with their whole support and prospects. Let no one conclude from this that Welsh teachers are not prepared to suffer for the real rights of conscience and oonnfcrv. but: rather let it be understood that they are not to be shouted down and intimidated to ex- pouse a cause which does not appeal fo their common sense and their ideas of fairplay and equity to aU.- Y-ours. etc. [ A Welsh RtmAJi TE.