The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard

FARMERS' CLUBS. LAST week an important meeting of the Towyn Farmers' Club was held in that town. Mr WYNNE, of Peniartb, was also present and made a speech. We have published a full report of the proceedings, from which it will be seen that farmers are at last realising in most distinct ways that they have hitherto stood in their own light by not joining together to protect their own interests, and are determined in future to remedy past mistakes in this direction. There is one characteristic in the speeches delivered at Towyn which will be common probably to speeches delivered in other districts wherever farmers combine together in clubs for their own protection, namely, reference as to how land- lords have I- tyrannised over tenants, and how tenants have been robbed of their privileges. It is scarcely likely that all speakers will be as careful as those at Towyn were to point out how, by the tyranny of landlords, is meant only the domination of the strong over the weak, antf how by tenants being robbed of their privileges is m^ant only the taking of privileges by land- lords which tenants were not watchful enough either to guard or to value. As the discussion goes on, language will be used without qualifying n Z:5 phrases, and the word "tyrannise" and "robbery" may become common-place terms. At present landowners must confess, if they will take the trouble to read the speeches delivered in different paits of the country, that farmers manifest no desire whatever to proceed to • • L ^1.1 1.. u L. extremities eitner in speecn or action, uuc are almost morbidly anxious to express the good will existing between then, and their landlords, and to manifest desire for the co-operation of the owners of the soil. Mr MICHAEL DAYITT is ostentatiously, and almost unnecessarily, repudiated, whilst the formation of a land league on the Irish pattern is utterly disowned. I There is danger, we think, to landlords in the very mildness and moderation which are dis- tinguishing features of the speeches delivered by farmers themselves up to the present time. Landowners may think that the mildness and moderation are signs of irresoluteness. and that if the movement is ignored and tenants are treated with a sufficient degree of hauteur the whole thing will die out. This we believe would be a fatal mistake. Farmers are really in straights. They have only been brought together to discuss their necessities by painful experiences, and if they discover that landowners refuse to assist them when their case has been fully, calmly, and moderately stated, then we are ab- solutely certain they will proceed further and will by action carry conviction where argument was ignored and depised. The real signi6cance of the formation of farmers' clubs in different parts of the Principality does not lie in what is said, but in the fact that farmers, who of all men have been slowest to combine, are now acting in unison to an extent that a few years ago would have been deemed impossible. For some time tenants, startled by their own audacity, will rest content with mere union, but if landloids are unwise enough to ignore union, and to under- estimate the significance of the new attitude of their tenants, then they will have to face further developments which will be far more difficult than the present situation to deal with. In these days movements, such as that which has started amongst tenantfarmers in Wales, proceed rapidly. That which seemed impossible yesterday is feasible to-day and is accomplished to-morrow j and we should not be surprised if the reason- able requirements of tenant farmers are not met quickly, to find the movement changing its nature and falling into the hands of men who will be less careful of the interests of land- owners than the tenant farmers who have hitherto spoken are disposed to be. It is said at Tregaron that on one of the great estates there is a disposition to treat with some measure of contempt the Farmers' Club recently formed. This is a mistake against which we are anxious landowners should guard them- selves in every possible way, Jest what is a perfectly reasonable movement should be con. verted into a proceeding that landowners at a.hy 1 "'TI rate would not deem to be reasonaoie. vv netner public opinion is to go entirely with the far- mers depends on the course pursued by land- owners now while they have the whole matter in their own hands.

ALLOTMENTS FOR LABOURERS. A most of our readers know, Mr SSE COLLINGS'S Allotments Bill proposes that local authorities shall have the power to purchase lands eompulsorily, and that any deficiencies arising from letting, resale, &c., should be borne by the local authority. To entrust local authorities with the power to purchase land for allotments, and to enable them to levy upon the rates for all legal expenses, costs of manage- ment, and loss of letting or resale, opens out such a prospect that ratepayers not unreasonably are afraid, and thousands who are most anxious to see labourers provided with allotments shirk from the provisions embodied in Mr JESSE COLLINGS'S Bill. There is; another great objection to which attention has not been sufficiently called. In rural districts allotments are required, not in groups, but separately, and at great distances from each other. We presume it is not intended that local authorities should purchase one acre or three acres of ground wherever the labourer happens to live who requires an allotment, but that large tracts should be purchased, and should be cut up into allotments. We contend that the only scheme by which allotments can be satisfactorily secured must provide for single allotments at great distances from each other, and must not expect local authorities to purchase entire farms and afterwards cut them up into one acre or three acres lots. It is obvious to anyone who will consider the subject that labourers cannot live together in communities, but must be provided with allotments where they have their work and j where their houses are situated. It may, we know, be contended that labourers already live in villages, and that it would be convenient to purchase adjacent farms and so provide allotments for the villagers, but it is well-known to those who have studied the subject that the driving of agricultural labourers into villages is just one of those results of past mistaken action which requires to be remedied. The agricultural village, as a rule, is an unmixed evil, and the labourers who live in them often have to walk five or six miles a day to and from their employment, and are consequently utterly unfitted for further labour of any kind. It seems to us that the sole question of providing allotments could be solved by much simpler provisions than are made in JESSE COLLINGS'S Bill. W hy, for instance, should not, something of this kind be done, ? Let local authorities—rural sanitary authorities, local boards, town councils or county boards, when they are formed—have the power to receive from labourers applications for allotments. Let these applications be registered, together with the name of the applicant, the house in which he lives, the nature of his employment, and the name of his employer. When the applications are sufficiently numerous to absorb say thirty, sixty, or 100 acres of land in different parts of the district, let the authority have power to serve notices upon the landowners in the immediate neighbourhood of the applicants' re- sidences, to apportion allotments to each house. The rent should be the mean rent of the adjacent property, and a small additional sum might be added to cover rates, tithes, taxes, tfec. It would be a matter for ar- rangement whether rents for allotments, appor- tioned in this way, should be paid to the farmers from whose holdings they were taken, or to the landowner himself. We think it would be pre- ferable they should be paid to the landowners. If after the local authority had served notices such as we have. described upon the landowners, the allotments were not apportioned within a given time, then the local authority should have power to go before a county court judge, who should make the necessary order for apportion- ment and from this order the landowners should have the right of appeal to a superior court. We venture to say that not in one case- out of a thousand would landowners object to appor- tion allotments to labourers' cottages under the circumstances we have attempted to describe. A fair rent would be paid to the owner of the land, no expenses would be incurred, no liability would rest upon the ratepayers in urban or sanitary districts, and it could not be said by the greatest stickler for proprietary rights that anything had been done to interfere with them. We cannot think of any substantial objection to a scheme of this kind, which, as far as we can see, meets all the requirements for allot- ments and evades all the objections raised against the provisions of JESSE COLLINGS' bill. rhe subject is one of great impertance, and we invite our readers to discuss it in our columns, which are perfectly open to them.

ABERYSTWYTH MARKET TOLLS. ON Monday last some of the famers who usually attend Aberystwyth monthly cattle markets went to Llanbadarn to protest against the levying of tolls on cattle. The weather was so ex- ceptionally severe that it is impossible to draw any conclusion as to the attendance either at Aberystwyth or Llanbadarn. Only some half-a- dozen trucks of cattle were taken away by rail, a fact which the weather alone is fully able to account for. In another part of the paper a letter will be found from the principal buyers of stock who attend the Aberystwyth markets, in which they say that they will not go to Llan- badarn if farmers persist in taking cattle there. There is another point to which the attention of farmers must be drawn, namely, that the Cor- poration have power to levy tolls in any part of the borough, a power they will probably exercise if the present stupid action is persisted in. The result will be that all cattle taken to Llanbadarn from the southern portion of the county will pay toll before the village is reached, and all animals sent off by rail at Aberystwyth will also be made pay. The tolls fixed upon are reasonable, and it is simply preposterous that farmers should expect Aberystwyth rate- payers to find them accommodation free of cost. The fairness of the action taken by the Town Council is generally recognised, and it is most ungrateful that the delay in levying tolls should be urged as a reason why they should not bn levied at all. If a light is insisted upon, there can be no question as to the ultimate result, but we think farmers are wise enough to see that the tolls fixed by the Corporation are reasonable, and that they are running the risk of injuring the fairs in the action they are taking, and that the whole agitation if it may be dignified by such a name, will gradually die out. -+-

THE. PROSPECTS OF AN ELECTION. THE impression is deepening every day that there will be another general election very soon —probably before Easter. The determination af Mr GLADSTONE to try and settle the Irish iiificulty once for all is given as the reason for I in appeal to the country, in order to test whether the constituencies are with the Prime Minister or against him on the policy in refer- ence to Ireland which he will shortly untold. It is, of course, possible that a substantial majority of the House of Commons may be in favour of his proposals, and that the constitu- encies by public meeting, petition, and in other ways may so emphatically express their ap- proval as to render an election ur necessary, but the probabilities are decidedly the other way. If an election is decided upon the issue will be simple, the conflict will be short, and we venture to think the result will be decisive j one way or other. Until the seherue is before the country the present state of suspense must continue, but even now men are making up their minds on the. main n question, namely what degree of legislative independence shall be given to Ireland. In Wales it is necessary to be ready for the con fiict whenever it conies, and we are 3ure uhat the measure of freedom given to Ireland will have to be extreme before it will be objected to. The political organisations should be ready for action, as doubtless they are.. We question whether the Conservatives of Merionethshire, Montgomeryshire, or Cardiganshire would try to v oust the sitting members, who are sure of the renewed confidence of their constituents, In Montgomery Boroughs therf must be a stern .3 !71 fight to retrieve the disaster of last November, and it is a mistake that Mr EDWARD DAVIES or Mr HUMPHREYS OWEN has not been fixed Mpon. The certainty of a speedy appeal to the eonn try cannot fail to spur the Liberals in the boroughs to some definite action, as it is intolerable to | think that Mr PRYOE 3 4) N is to continue to misrepresent an undoubtedly Liberal eonstitu- j oncy.

THE CAMBRIAN RAILWAYS. I THE Cambrian Railways have been without a manager for nearly a year, a condition of things which is very properly beginning to disturb the ¡ minds of the shareholders. The last half-yearly meeting was held on Saturday at Crewe, but no 1 notice of the meeting was sent to this paper nor, as we decline to enter in a barter arrangement with the company in reference to advertise- ments, was any notice of the meeting pub- lished in our columns. Our columns are so crowded that we must leave the company to obtain publicity for their reports in the papers which find it worth their while to exchange their space for passes. One of the shareholders, 1 Mr. Ma< is to have said :-I He was about to ask the CHAIRMAN, and he hoped he would not consider the question in- appropriate, if he was able to state to the "meeting what arrangements had been made with regard to a manager. That was un- questionably a matter of very great impor- tance. Of course if the board had not arrived at any decision, he should not press the ques- tion, and, on the other hand, if they had come to any decision, perhaps they would intimate what it was. It was a question which affected the future of the company very closely, and one which he had no doubt the directors would very seriously consider, because the union of Welsh railways would be greatly facilitated if soineoiie commanding the confidence of the other rail ways with which they were connected should be placed in the position of general riiaiia-er." A large number of people are of opinion that it is a matter of very great importance whether a railway like the Cam- brian shall be worked in a happy-go-lucky style without a manager. The present system may have its conveniences, but it is not diffi- cult to imagine circumstances in which the absence of a general manager would have its inconveniences also. The Deputy CHAIRMAN, in answer to Mr MACKENZIE, said: V7ith regard to the manager, he did not think he was at liberty exactly to enter into details, "for after all it was a detail of management lie thought he could point to the report and to their own admissions in support of his alle- "gation that the management of the Cambrian Railways in the past half-year had not "suffered from any action of the board. It was for the board at the proper moment' to make suitable arrangements, arrangements which he had no doubt would be perfectly satisfactory to the shareholders when they were made, to meet that question." The peculiarity about the directors of the Cambrian Railways is that it takes them a very long time to learn anything. At last they have dis- covered that Aberdovey is a port that might be made to feed the line. They also now seem to have a glimmering notion that there are fish in Cardigan Bay. They may in time discover that it is ridiculous that there is no connection between their line and the Aberystwyth harbour, and in the end they may find out that a railway without a manager is not likely to increase its business. During the past twenty years we have seen a good many changes on tne^ Cambrian Railways, both as regards policy and-* management, but we do not believe the bullying policy will be successful, and are pretty certain the original, if not brilliant, idea of working the line without a manager will fail. A railway is, after all, only a business, and no business can be increased by offending the customers who support it. There is from end to end of the Cam brian Railways a feeling of soreness, the result of a high-handed system which hus given to those who cringe and refused to those who stand upon their rights. The directors, and the dieectors alone, are to blame. In ordinary cases the general manager would be the scapegoat, but the Cambrian Railways have no general manager, and nobody, as far as the public knows, is responsible for the erratic courses pursued. The only course open to the public is to protect themselves as far as possible by steamers, alternative routes, and by removing businesses to districts where the curie of an un- managed railway has not to be contended with. As far as we are concerned we have paid the full penalty of the company's ignorance and stupidity, and are prepared to hail any changes that promises an alteration, firmly believing that any alteration must be for the better. Our con- dition is the condition of thousands. The only hope is that the day is not far distant when the Cambrian Company will be swallowed up in some larger concern where, at any rate, it is deemed to be necessary to employ a manager of some sort.

HUGHES V. GIBSON. The plaintiffs costs in this action delivered by Mr. GRIFFITH JONES, Aberystwyth, were taxed before Mr JosMPit DAVIKS, the district registrar at Aberyst- wyth, on Friday and Saturday last. The bill of costs delivered amounted, to L'iTS 4s. 5d. The amount taxed off was ;e 1 -10 18a. SIt. thus leaving a balance of only ;E207 -)s. 9d. The figures apeak for themseives. Mr. EVAN KVANS, .solicitor, of the firm of Messrs. ROBKRTS, SON, and KVANS, appeared for the defend- ant.

LOCAL AND GENERAL NOTES. Leall continues to advance, and there are increasing hopeB that the cloud which has so long rested upon the Cardiganshire mines is about to lift. I' The return (of -kir I, J. ltxi:i) at Cardiff last Satur- day by a majority of 8(i3 is a substantial victory of which the Liberals of that town may well be proud. No effort to blacken the eharactcr of Sir E. J. REED was spared by the Tories, and their defeat will cause widespread satisfaction. At the last election the Liberal majority was only 1412. Prince KHAJ'OTKI:¡'; has been lecturing in Paris. He told his audience that A great and sanguinary Revolution would close the present century. All great Revolutions had occurred at the end of eeiitiiiic-s. The tide was nearly at its height, and othiii, could bar its advance. The worst was that the present ruling classes did not listen to the warn- J ings of those who, like himself, saw plainly what was "coming, but shut them up in prison." There arc undoubtëdly forces at work which cannot be viewed without anxiety, but in these days even revolutionary forces are subject to public opinion, and those against whom the Hag of revolt would he r aised can no longer be charged with inability to learn by experience. < At the annual dinner of the Association of Chambers of Commerce held last week in London, ^Ir MUNDKLI.A, who was one of the speakers, said the necessity was great that British traders should adjust their busi- ness to the altered circumstances of the time. Enor- mous changes had been going on in the conditions of "mercantile transactions, Acunnilated* stocks had' been gradually annihilated, as no longer necessary to "be kept np, because orders from distant countries could now be carried out in one-fourth the time they ■■formerly occupied. Hundreds of millions of stocks which used to be 011 the ocean or in warehouses had had to lie used up before trade could resume its for- mer briskness. This process was uow nearing com- "pletion. He believed English manufacturers aiid •'merchants would be found to accommodating: "themselves to the new condition of things." There can be no doubt as to the fact that large stocks have had to be worked off, but it is to be feared that those stocks were accummulated when trade fell off and pro- duction was continued at the old rate. Mr HKKBKKT WIUGII r, the editor of the LandAgeix* Record, is dead. He was fifty-eight years of age, 11111 had edited newspapers in Suffolk for many years. It is said that fifty thousand people have beeI swindled by a lottery in North Wales. As long lotteries arc encouraged in churches and chapels fo" the purposes of religion these swindlers for purdY secular purposes may he expected. It has been decided by the French Coveinmeut to order extensive public works all over the country so as to remedy the distress existing among working men. This is necessary, notwithstanding protectine tariffs which were to save France. -Or After a great struggle the opponents of the C,)11 tagiows Diseases Acts have won. It is understood th"* the Government are prepared to accept Mr. Y.KLD'S resolution for the repeal of these Acts. trust the time is not far distant when many othel Act-a limiting individual action will be repealed. has been far too much legislation of a restrictive nature during the past twenty-five years, and the pronloters of it have, unfortunately, been Liberals. A Bill has been i-eaci t first time in the House (If Commons to remunerate common juries. A COJllIHoIl juryman, if this Bill becomes law, will receive shillings a day for every day of his attendance, a"'1 five shillings for every night which he is obliged t" spend away from home. He is also to receive tra-A-e .ling expenses. This is a reasonable Bill, and it i,tt' be hoped no obstacles will be thrown in the way of passage into law. The faithfulness of Tory Governments to their porters is beyond all praise. Amongst Liberals party faithfulness is often left to be its own reward, hI it amongst lories it is otherwise, as is shown by thC recent appointment to the Bala postmastership. The Bala appointment, it will be seen, was the subject of question in the House of Commons the other events' when it was made pretty clear that the late Go-c") ment did not allow the well-being of a widow to ijite" fere with a party appointment. The other day, in the House of Commons, Mr. C 11 n: DIms, in reply to Sir SF.IAVYN-IBKKTSON, said that th Government intended during the present session to reo introduce the Police Superannuation and Pensions b'11' This measure has been introduced on three or four vious occasions, but nothing has come of it. The polic( are at present most unjustly treated, and do not cLij" that security which they are fairly entitled to. SUK^' words are very pleasant, but a strong measure pu^1 energetically forward would be far more satisfactory #- Never during the past twenty years has sev-e''1'1 woather been experienced than on Sunday nbdit Monday. Snow fell heavily and blocked the rlilv.^ so m- to interfere seriously with the traffic. A east wind blew a gale, and drove the snow into and dangerous drifts. Sheep died on the mounfc'i"' and much suffering was entailed in many ""If" Towards evening on Monday the storm abated. i'ltt the weather it still rery severe. The mortals amongst sheep has been very great, and pri(le., fculToncing rapidly. # Mrs. WFLDO-i labours in the courts of law have e suited in Bills being brought into the House of to amend the Lunacy Laws, so as to make it more fieult than it is now to put sane people in lUll:' asylums. No woman has done more than Mrs. K'| DOJT to expose the dangers to which people are OXP0^ whos« seclusion in asylums would benefit rapacious lations. If the Bills now before the Lords pa.-s illtl law, it will be very difficult to subject anybody to indignities Mrs. WKLDON was subjected to. Mr JifcWE CoLLixiis has explained the origin ot expression, Ihree acres and a cow," which Couse^'1 tives have most assiduously tried to fasten upon CHAMBERLAIN and Mr JBS.SK COLLIN US. It Seolol ht" that Three acres and a cow is the title of a ]c.ll "issued by the Allotments and Small Hol(li Association, 9.>, (_ olmore-row, Birmingham. loaiiet "Wiis, Mi believes, the origin phrase. What Air Corj.i.vfis lias advocated, iu- is that facilities should be afforded to supply la" ".a fnir rent wherever it is legitimately required b) "labourers." This, everybody must eonfes, reasonable object enough, and the only question i J)11 labourers are again to be brought upon the land. Much has yet to lie done before public bodies perform their duties satisfactorily. Last Saturday V Kidderminster an inquest was held upon T:i"lj JOL.LY, a shoemaker, when a deplorable conditi^ things was revealed. He was found lying on the of a house practically in ruins, and the medical witJI &aid he had never seen so much misery, even iJI r slums of London and Constantinople. Death celerated by want and by exposure from the in the walls. A verdict to that effect was returned, lle the Sanitary Authority's attention directed t« i house. This is so everywhere. Death comes t" ( -f poor in their hovels, and then the Sanitary All! "je i attention is called to the duties which they neglected. Are there no Christian ministers in minster—110 Poor Law —no medical officers ? AbO the same questions be asked in places nearer home Kichlcrminstcr ? I Somebody has been hissing the QrKEX. This to be a very tremendous offence, and even wortW j- notice in the House of Commons. Whether hissed or not is scarcely proved, but lovalty is in some quarters, if not very discriminating- other day, in the House of Commons, Mr R\c'¡' p1 "c\ gave notice that he would ask the UNDER 11,i OF STATE for the Home Department whether hl "lef 'in) the ATTOKNEY-GKNKUAL were not present at a given to the labour representatives, held at theCriti'1" when the health of her MAJHSTT RP^IRNL \1 hisses, and, if so, whether he and the Am^' j GENERAL, being members of the Government, in the room without protesting against such a I ful and disloyal exhibition. Is it disgraceful to J11;111 political institution? We never hissed the now understand that it would be a very risky t'i-i to do. There is a wise blindness and deafness Mr LAUMANN ought to encourage in reference to -,i and other matters. Nobody would hiss the j/ W ales, but if .anybody was so daring, nobody wo" silly enough to notice the expression of opinion. ll1'1 The effects of protective tariffs in France and Ht, if I countries cannot be too closely watched by farllle'(¡() this country. In France a tax of three francs pel kilos has been placed upon imported wheat and francs 011 imported flour. These duties were of intended to raise the home quotations, but they .j; not had that effect. Corn is this month quoted at twenty-one francs to twenty-one francs seventy centimes the 100 kilos., whereas in February Iysf: its prices was twenty-one francs to twenty-tvro fifty centimes. The protective tariffs have ""t', ill' ever, been without effects which will tell upon :11 I oÎ habitants of France later on. The ,)or wheat into France between the I st of August, /1' the 31st of January, 1886, was :2,:44,6Z0 ",]If tals, and that of flour 84,270 quintals. IJI,r' corrcsponding period of the previous year the •' ^,5 tation was 0,844,S09 metric < pi in tals of 't|,c :SO,Gfj* (Iuintals of flonr. The exportation-; ,¡tl¡J, (Ii I "(j same term were ï ,GSS quintals of corn, and 1 flour, against 21,7b"> of corn, and 44,632 of the anterior period. There has consequently :1,1 diminution of 4.>17,210 metric quintals of ''0' t 231,300 of flour, representing a value of 100; ,|i francs. The decrease in the importations will Ile until a deficiency in the home crops sends I ];is I famine point, and then there will be uproar. just the effect of protection. When home jjiJ' plentiful prices fall very low because cxl)or&"tlo 1'111 possible, and when home crops are deficient pl up to prohibition point because importation .•<• siblc. The net results are that the cousin"* starved and the producers arc ruined M m