The Cardiff Times

MR W, BRACE REPLIES TO MABON. Mr Brace, addressing the Council of the Doutb Wales and Monmouthshire Miners' Association at the office at Newport on Saturday, taid that Mr Abraham, M.P., the champion of Mty help but self-help, had been criticising a 'etter which he (Mr Brace) sent to the South. Wales Daily News, protesting against contri- butions for Miners' Associations being deducted Dy the employers through colhery offices, dealing jvith the statement that the Pentre and Gelli SoUieries; numbering 800 and 600 respectively, having decided to rejoin the Cambrian Association, the speaker said Mabon's statement was made to mislead the South Wales miners but what were the facts of the case ? Ballots were taken at the Pentre Colliery in July, 1893, September, 1893, and in May, 1894, and each time a majority decided against the Cambrian Association, but now, according to Mabon, as the colliery has been canvassed by men who were in favour of the above association and who declared that a majority voted in favour, we are to believe that at a meeting held in the long room of the Pentre Hotel that the minority Agreed to fall in, and the Pentre Colliery has rejoined the Cambrian Association, and all men employed are to have their contributions deducted by the employers through the colliery offices. Wnat a farce The room in which the meeting was held would not accommodate anything hke the 800 men employed at Pentre Colliery, yet because at a meeting where not a fourth of the 800 men were present a resolution was carried, the whole of the 800 men are compelled by the help of the employers to be members of the Cam- brian Association. What applies to the Pentre Colliery applies also to the Gelli, for we have it ou the authority of Mr Abraham himself that it was a public meeting that decided for the Gelli men to rejoin the association. That being so, no public meeting that did not reckon the total 600 men engaged at Gelli had any right to compel men to be members of an association against their will and without their consent; and as the room in which the meeting was held could not accommodate the 600 men, he (Mr Brace) argued that the meeting had no right to bind the whole colliery and as they have members both at Pentre and Gelli, in face of what might be said to the contrary, he challenged Mr Abraham to debate the question of deductions by employers through colliery offioes for Cambrian organisation versus organisation upon the voluntary Trades Union principle as understood by every organisation in Great Britain, with the exception of the Cambrian Association, at two meetings (one at Pentre and one at GeUi), and then let the men decide by ballot which was the most advantageous to them. Unless this was done Mr Abraham would find if any money was deducted from their members that they had more members than he credited them with, although not having special lodges for those collieries. And when Mabon tried to justify the deduction of his 0" wages through colliery offices by stating that the money paid whim (Mr Brace) from the Sliding-scale Fund for the blasting experiments was kept through colliery offices, he drew an unfair analogy, for there was nothing to warrant the illustration. In the first place the Sliding-scale Fund was raised to clear the expenses of a wage regulator pure and simple, and did not amass money for defensive purposes. While the Cambrian Association was supposed to be a Trades Union, the fundamental basis of which is to maintain and protect the rights of labour, and by so doing must of necessity tf 111 does its duty come into conflict with the employers. The two cases therefore were as far apart as the Poles. More than that, force of circumstances compelled him (Mr Brace) to receive payment from a fund that is raised by a ystem he did not believe in, and if he could have chosen whether he would be paid from a fund raised by che voluntary contributions of the men, or through the present constituted Scale fund he would have chosen the former. The difference then was this. He got paid from a fund because circumstances did not allow him to choose and Mr Abraham gets his money through a. colliery office, because be prefers having it that way. It so happens that if be (Mr Brace)dida day's work for the South Wales workmen outside of hIs own association he muss gee paid by them, because every day he worked outside he did not receive piy from the association. If he were drawing a salary from half a dozen sources like Mr Abraham such as travelling advertisement for tobacco, cigars, and matches, chief con- fidence creator for an Insurance Company, etc., h<) might be able to choose the fund from which he would receive payment, but as it was Mabon himself would see the reason and difference in receiving pay periodically from the Scale fund for services rendered to the general body of the workmen of South Wales and Monmouthshire, and depending solely upon the employers for the existence of an organisation and for his wages being kept through the colliery offices. All the other leaders joined issue with him (the speaker) upon this uoint, for although they all receive pay from the Scale fund when they do any work for the general body of workmen, still they draw the line ttt having to depend upon the employers for keeping the contributions to their organisations back throng!) the offices. Mr David Morgan, who had i*xperi*ucn of the working of !>nth the Vitlvuu: rv ;>nd office method, said, on November 281,1" 1894. if they could get the men rioderately to p -y voluntarily this was the most "udependenb and best way to get the rights "f labour conceded. Mr Onions, on Feb. 4th, 1895, said "He was sorry to notice that their Rhomida friends were unwilling to go with them in the matter of paying ccmtrihutions independent of the offices. Mr Abraham had approved of the old system, but he (Mr Onions) was of opinion that the only true basis for contributing toward a Trade Union was for each hian volun- tarily to pay his contribution without seeking the aid of the employers in any way whatever." Mr Brace, continuing, said that as this is the only way a great organisation could be established he was determined to do everything in his power to end a system that will not only prevent complete organisation amongst South Wales miners but is a'so degrading to the workmen, the leaders, the oa'fie!<J, and tli-3 whole c.iiise of LaVni. For it is clear if we are to have a T??d» Union which will effectually prevent the employer* from en- croaching upon th-sr rights such a Union will have to he builfc up entirely without the help of the employers and outside tiie colliery offices. As ihe Cambrian Association was the only miners' organisation that adopts this method in the whole of Great Britain, so far as he could glean, it was hoped that the supporters of it would reconstitute it upon a Trade Union basis, the same as the ather organisations in South Wales and Mon- mouthsbire, and then it would be able to connect '"•M with the Amalgamated Society of Colliery Workers, which was bound to succeed if the South Wales and Monmouthshire miners want a Union at all. (Applause.)

MINERS' MEETING AT ABERAVON. Ou Saturday night a well attended meeting of miners was held at the Victoria Hotel, Aber- avou, Mr Smith, a workman, presiding. The object of the meeting was to hear an address from AldermauIsaac Evans on the present crisis in the cai trade. Alderman EVANS, in his opening remarks, said that he had read wi th care the recommended arrange- ment that had been made, and he was led to believe that the employers had taken undue advantage of their position. Ou the other hand he was afraid too much had been made on the workmen's side of the lack of organisation, because it should be remembered that although they had not the general organisation in South Wales and Monmouthshire which they might have, yet they had very good local organisations in almost every district. Besides, he was conifdent that if the worst came to the worst, and the Sonth Walians were drawn to a fight, they could hold out in a conflict with the employers for a few months. The strike of 1875 should not be forgotten, when the workmen then held out for five months, and then they were no so well organised in local districts as they were at present. As far as he was concerned with reference to the arrangement, he really con- sidered that the workmen's representatives had gone further than they should have eone in pledging themselves for a period of 18 months, even taking it for granted that it was only a recommendation on their part. The speaker po:nted out very strongly that he fully endorsed the remarks of Mr Dd. Morgan when he stated that the balloting of the men for the withdrawal of their notices meant that if the notices were to be withdrawn on the workmen's side that the employers also should withdraw their notices on the same grounds, and without receiving any compensation from the workmen. He was sorry to find that some of the workmen's leaders were always complaining of the inopportunenes3 of pressing for revisions or improvements of the Sliding Scale agreement, whilst they admitted at the same time that all the requests as made by the workmen were righteous and reasonable, and ought to be attained. He could not help thinking of a remark made by one of the leaders at the last conference at Cardiff, which was to the etfect that it would not be inconsistent for the workmen to withdraw their notices as the times had considerably altered, and such a sudden depression of trade had set in since the notices had been given. That statement he (Mr Evans) unhesitatingly said was not correct. The fact should not be lost sight of that they were continually claiming that they were the largest exporters of coal of any one district m Great Britain. Admitting that the trade was chiefly an export trade, if they took time to compare the shipments, they would see whether there was the great depression of trade or not. Further, in reference to the same gentleman to whose remarks he had referred, when an opportune time had arrived, and a few improvements had been secured, the majority of the work- men then wanted to press for other amendments; but this same individual remarked, "Remember Rome was not built in a day." It was given people to believe on that occasion that they had better accept what they had, and at a later period seek further amend- ments. Since then notices had been served on three separate occasions, and, according to that individual's opinion, no opportunity had yet presented itself for holding out in earnest for the amendments that he himself considers reasonable. Mr Evans then presented an array of figures showing the cost of production of a ton of coal at the pit's mouth in Great Britain, France, Belgium, Austria, Hungary, Germany, and the United States. The cost of production was lowest in Great Britain, notwithstanding the superior quahty of the coal worked. With refer- ence to the proposed agreement, as far as he was concerned, he thought that the general meeting which was to be held on Monday week should disregard the recommendation, and both parties proceed as though nothing had been done. His opinion as to the term of notice to be given for terminating the Sliding Scale was that it is much too long, or, namely, six months, because if it was reasonable for the employers to give one month's notice to terminate and cease all contracts, and by so doing lay the whole of the collieries ot South Wales and Monmouthshire idle (a factor much more serious and disastrous than termi- nating the Sliding Scale), surely one month's notice ought to be sufficient for the former. He could not see why South Wales miners should be bound by any agreement for longer periods than any other class of workmen in Great Britain. The speaker, in conclusion, urged upon the necessity of the men clinging closer than ever to their own organisation, and advised them stronger than ever to establish in future more than they had done in the past a union between themselves and their own earn- ings, so that when the day for figbting did arrive, as arrive it would sooner or later, that the em- ployers should inderstand that they were not only fighting with the funds of the Association, but with the funds which the men themselves had gathered and had in their own possession. The speaker's remarks were listened to with the closest attention, and he was frequently inter rupted by loud applause.

HAULIERS AND THE SLIDING SCALE. Interview with the Hauliers' Leader. PONTYPRIDD, Tuesday Night. No little excitement prevailed in Pontypridd and the Rhondda this morning when a rumour gained currency that in many pits through- out the vailey the hauliers had not returned to work after yesterday's holiday, and that consequently many pits were idle. Happily, things were not so serious as they were said to be. At Wattstown and all other pits in the Ferndale Valley work was resumed as usual this morning, and this was also the case at the Great Western Colliery, near Pontypridd. The pits idle so far as can now beascertainedarethe Coedcae and Hafod, about four miles from Ponty- pridd, the Maritime Colhery belonging to the Great Western Coal Co. (partially), and the Pen- rhiw Colliery of Messrs Crawshay. At the Mari- time Colliery the hauliers assembled as usual this morning on the pit top, but that they refused to descend, the reason given being that their request for a representation on the Scale Comii.-ittee had nos yet been granted. The colliers at the Maritime descended, and for some time did their own driving and some coal was raised. It is said, however, that the colliers down below have objeetsd to do any more driving, and the manager (Mr W. M. Jones) has just descended the pit to take consultation with them. Among other collieries affected was the Albion Colliery, Cilfynydd, where there waa this, morn- ing large abstentions among the hauliers. This did not interfere with operations down below, and that coal winding went on as usual. Shortly after mid-day Mr Morgan Thomas, the hauliers' agent, and Mr Morris Gale, the treasurer of the Hauliers' Association of South Wales and Monmouthshire, drove up the valley, and met a laige number of the hauliers at the Porth Hotel. He there strongly advised them to resume work: and the men, we hear, agreed 10 act upon his advice. Later iu the eveninK 110 mass meeting of the hauliers of the Great Western, Maritime, Coedcae, Hafod, and Pen- rhiw Collieries was held at the Prince of Wales Hotel, Pontypridd.—Mr Morgan Thomas ad- dressed this gathering also, and advised the men that they were wrong in leaving their work as they had done, and advised them to go back and proceed with their work until such time as he should issue a call to action. He declared that if anything was done by the em- ployers to injure the hauliers he would not hesitate so to act. A resolution was adopted, we are informed, assuring the hauliers' agent that the whole of the hauliers of South Wales and Monmouthshire were attentive to his call at any time, and it was also agreed, without a dis. sentient, that all hauliers represented at that meeting should return to work on the following morning. THE AGENT'S ADVICE. Subsequently Mr Morgan Thomas asked us to announce that he advised the hauliers and wage- men of South Wales to remain at work until he gave a sign to break upon the present agree- ment." INTERVIEW WITH THE ROCKING STONE CHAIRMAN. With a view of obtaining information to elucidate the unexpected attitude of the hauliers, our Pontypridd representative yesterday sought and secured a prolonged interview with Mr Morgan Thomas, the erstwhile" Rocking Stone chairman," who is now the agent of the Hauliers' and Wagemen's Union of South Wales and Monmouthshire. Mr Thomas, who had just returned from visiting sections of the hauliers who had revolted in the Rhondda, assured his interrogator that the starting proceedings of the day had been entirely unexpected by him, and that his advice to the men bad been to resume work all cost. "I did not hesitate totell them," lit- added, that they were wrong, and I advise all i^en to go back t,o work pending our proceedings on the first Monday in :r.:lay, when we shall hav.,i a general conference of all the hauliers of tiie \VoI*h coalfield at Pontypridd." "Have you tny idea how to-day's revolt originated ?" I have one idea, and it is that the men have been misdirected. Tcey .te also suspecting that the employers, althougu withdrawing the notices terminating the contracts, are still bent upon enforcing those notices m the case of some individuals who are members of our Union, and the men are determined to stop this victimisa- tion.' We are determined if necessary to fight this matter to the bitter end, and to spend all the money we have in our funds so that the individual may 3ecure his rights as well as the many." Had the question of Scale representation auything to do with to-day's proceedings T' After the statement made as to Mr David Morgan's attack in London upon the employers, because they were ready to concede to us a seat on the Scale Committee, we have changed our views on this question. It is now absotutely immaterial to us whether we get a representative on the I Scale or not. We have in view a certain mode of procedure, and this procedure shall be enforced on a certain date unless we get representation. We do not want direct representation for hauliers. All that the hauliers ask is that their agent shall be one of the Sliding Scale members on the committee to clear up certain points which specially affect hauliers and wagemen but the agent, if elected, will be a general representative. as are all the other members on tha workmen's side." "Are the hauliers going to act upon yonr advioe and return to work ? Tb*y are. I advise all hauliers and workmen to work on until they get their advice from me. j- I have studied the hauliers' question for upwards of 11 years. Now our point is this, that if we, as hauliers and wagemen of South Wales and Monmouthshire, do not get fair play, we will at once repeat the programme of 1893. There will be trouble, I can tell you, unless we have representation on the Scale. I am anxious for peace in this crisis, but I will wait my opportunity." It will doubtless be suggested that to-day's revolt was the outcome of a conspiracy ?" Wet!, that is not so; for as I have already said, to-day's proceedings are due to a misunder- standing. The hauliers who are out have so acted because they were not present at our conference yesterday. Had they been present at that conference they would have been at work to-day. It was decided yesterday that work should be resumed to-day at all cotlienes but if anything is wrong with regard to their treatment, then the men will at once kick over the traces. Certain colliery officials regard hauliers as the most I obstreperous, the most lawless, and the most drunken of all classes but I can assure you that our Union has been conducted on the most I virtuous lines possible. In fact, I do not believe we have a lodge anywhere that allows beer to come into the lodge-room during the meetings. Furthermore, any man that swears has to pay a I fine of a penny for every abusive word that he utters." I The Pressman suggested that it was this, then, that accounted for the strength of the Union funds, but the hauliers' agent, with a smile, dis- owned the soft impeachment, and drew a rosy picture of the financial condition of the Associa- tion, adding that at the last meeting the receipts had increased by £100. Miners' Meeting at LIwynhendy: A well-attended meeting of miners was held at Zion Baptist Chapel at Llwynhendy on Monday. The Rev. L. Evans, pastor, presided. AldermanD. Morgan and Alderman Isaac Evans spoke at con- siderable length on the subject of organisation.— Alderman Morgan said that if the miners of South Wales were only properly united in a healthy and well-established organisation they could improve their position to the extent of at least 25 per cent. The speaker proved this state- ment by a long array of figures.—Alderman Isaac Evans, who spoke in Welsh, urged those present who were not already members to join the local lodge. He cautioned them against deciding too hastily to affiliate, as hasty action and tenacity seldom or never went together.—On the feeling of the meeting being tested, every man in the chapel held up his hand for joining the local lodge. Many of the miners of the district are already attached to it, but the miners of Pencoed and Hendra, who were present in considerable numbers at the meeting, were not in the organi- sation prior to Monday's meeting. Apprtaehing Settlement of Dispute. During the last three or four months there has been a dispute between the men employed at the Tunnel Colliery and Perch's Pit, Abergwynfi, and the management. Both collieries have been idle since the beginning of the year. Several attempts have been made to bring about a settle- ment of the matters in dispute, but without success. It has now been agreed to refer the points to open arbitration. If the arbitrators fail to agree, both parties will have the right to nominate an umpire. Alderman Isaac Evans has been chosen to represent the views of the men, and it is his intention to visit the collieries th s week. Work will be resumed pending the decision of the arbitrators, and it is agreed that their decision shall govern the wages paid as from the first day of resumption of work. Western Valleys District. The leaders of the different miners' associa- tions, whilst declining to commit themselves definitely upon the question of the hauliers being directly represented upon the Sliding Scale Com- mittee, yet appear to be opposed to the demand, on the ground that hitherto the employees at the collieries have beeu represented as a whole upon the committee, and if the demand of the hauliers was acceded to, then the enginemen, the timber- men, the mechanics, the cokemen, and the day labourers might make a similar request, and such request could not logically be refused. It is pointed ont that in most of the districts the hauliers are members of the general associations, and as such have an equal voice in the choice of representatives upon the Scale Committee. In many of the Monmouthshire collieries the hauliers are members of the local Unions, and express themselves as being quite satisfied to co-operate with the colliers and the other workman to obtain the best terms possible. Hauliers' Conference at Pontypridd. The usual monthly conference of the South Wales and Monmouthshire Hauliers' and Wagoners' Union was held at the Prince of Wales Hotel, Pontypridd, on Monday, a delegate from the Rhondda occupying the chair. A long discussion took place with regard to the hauliers' claim for a representative on the Sliding Scale Joint Committee, and the matter was adjourned for a month. Several of the speakers dec.ared that they wanted to get inside the employers' ground to discuss their frievances instead of being ou tside as they now were, t was decided to hold a mass meeting of hauliers at Pontypridd, on the 1st of May, and a dinner will be held at 3.30 the same afternoon. It will be open to Unionistsjand non-Unionists.and secre- taries of the various lodges are asked to commu- nicate with the agent (Mr Morgan Thomas, 9, West-terrace, Pontypridd) or the treasurer (Mr Morris Gale). A number of members of Parliament are expected to attend the meeting. All hauliers who might be un- fairly dealt with by the expiring notices are requested to report the matter to the agent, who will, if uecessary, call a. general meeting to consider the matter. It was decided to make a levy of 61 per half-year to aid members unable to follow then- occupation, and several payments were made ranging from 25s upwards. The agent was aslced to inquire into grievances at Cwmbran, Celynen, Grey, and Rosheyworth Collieries and report to the meeting, and a strong resolution was passed condemning those colliers and others who started work at the Abergwynfi Colliery when they knew the dispute had not been settled. Meythyr. In accordance with the resolution parsed at the meeting of hauliers and colliers at the Globe Hotel, the whole of the Plymouth workmen resumed their employment at the Plymouth pits on Tuesday. Nothing arises in connection with the Sliding Scale. The dispute, as already stated, refers to the question of enforcing payment of the fines lately inflicted upon certain absentee hauliers. Aberdare Valley. Our Aberdare correspondent, writing on Tues- day evening, states that as far as can be ascer- tained no movement bas taken phC6 among the hauliers there. All the pits worked as usual on Tuesday, but naturally on Tuesday evening the news contained in the Echo caused considerable excitement throughout the valley, ami groups of hauliers were to be ileen discussing the state of affairs at various spots and in the various public- houses in the valley. At Aberaman especially, where there is an element of discord existing for some time. the news was discussed naturally with considerable warmth, but so far there ia not the slightest prospect of any difficulty. Swansea District. So far there is no friction in the Swansea district with respect to the Sliding Scale, and there is amongst the owners little fear of trouble from the hauliers. The collieries here are so small and the relations between the whole of the sections of workersunderground so cordial that itis not believed any section would act independently or could do so with success. Hence the friction in the larger collieries is nob expected to extend to Swansea. Abercarn District. No difficulty is anticipated in the matter of the Sliding Scale as far as the hauliers at the Abercarn Colliery are concerned, where they are paid by contract, and at the Celynen Colliery, the colliery not being included in the Coalowners' Association. The arrange- ment with the men is to follow the award of the Sliding Scale Committee a month later. Work is still very irregular at Abercarn, the colliery beingidle on Tuesday and this morning. Miners' Meeting at Bedwas. A general meeting of the Llanbradach Colliery wonkmen was held at the Royal Oak, Bedwas, on Monday, under the presidency of Mr Fred. Talbot. After a few remarks from the chairman upon the advisability of affiliating with some other district, the following resolution was unani- mously adopted :— That the workmen of the Llanbradach Steam and Bouse Coal Collieries, in public .meeting assembled,con- sider that the time has arrived that ihis section of miners should be affiliated with a district branch of the Amalgamated Society of Colliery Workmen of South Wales and Monmouthshire, and that lodges of the new society be established as early as possible throughout the district. The question of the introduction of high explo- sives by the company into the house coal pit instead of the ordinary gunpowder was con sidered, and after a long discussion a resolution was unanimously adopted disapproving of the action "f the management in insisting npon the use of roburite, this being detrimental to the interests of the workmen. Complaints were made of alleged attempts to iuirotiuca the contract system into the House Coal No. 1 Pit, which was stated to be coutrary to the rules of the district. A resolution was afterwards passed disappiovmg of the action of tbe management in tbis direction. The workmen decided to consult the miners leaders with a view of having their assistance in the matter. It was also decided that those collieries be represented at the forthcoming miners' conference at Cardiff on Monday, with discretionary power to vote on the questions that come before the meeting. Ebbw Vale. Our representative met some of the responsible men among the hauliers on Tuesday evening, who stated that there was at present a strong feeling amongst them for direct representation upon the Sliding Scale Committee, and general dissatisfac- tion nt the low rate of wages paid, and it is not unlikely that a meeting will be held during the month to take into consideration their position. They are, however, affiliated with the Ehbw Vale Colliers' Federation, and will, in a large measure, be governed by that body. Notices Pested at Tredegar. The workmen employed at Elliot's pit were astonished on Saturday morning at the posting up of notices at the pit top. intimating that on the 30th of April all contracts between them and the employers would determine, and, similar to the action taken the previous month, each in- dividual workman was likewise served with a WrItten notice to the same effect. No such notices have been issued all other pits belonging to the same company. Gadlys Collieries, Acerdare. The nobices at these collieries, whose owners are not members of the Coalowners' Association, were withdrawn on Saturday. AN IDLE DAY AT ALBION COLLIERY. Twelve Hundred Men Suspend Work. PONTY:PRWD, Wednesday Night. The gratifying intelligence reached here this morning that to-day work was resumed at all the collieries which were rendered idle or partially so yesterday by the action of a certain number of the hauliers in absenting themselves from work, and, furthermore, that the hauliers themselves had without exception resumed operations. I met Mr Morgan Thomas about midday, and he, being the hauliers' agent, confirmed the result of my inquiries given above. All the men over whom 1 had control," he explained, have gone back to work, aud I am sure that no one can say that I have not dealt with the outbreak with every promptitude." "But the men at the Albion Colliery are now put," I remarked, and elicited the reply, Oh, I have nothing to do with them." The Albion Colliery at Cilfyuydd was slightly affected by abstentions among the hauliers on Tuesday, but it was not till this morning that affairs in that colliery reached a climax. The colliers as usual went to work. but found that not a single haulief bad put in an appearance, and con- sequently operations could not be proceeded with. Each man asked his neighbour the why and where. fore of the stoppage, but no one was found able to suggest any reason. Twelve hundred men were idle, and why ? The colliers could nob tell. The hauliers did not know. The officials were absolutely ignorant of any cause. The stoppage, was enshrouded in the profoundest mystery At 2 o'clock in the afternoon I attended, by invitation, a mass meeting of the hauhers and wagemen of the Albion in the Assembly-room of the Bassett Hotel, Norton's Bridge, and when I entered I found Mr Ben Davie.?, the erstwhile Federationist agent, in the act of interrogating the audience. Why are you idle ?" asked he of the hauliers but there was no response. Is there anyone of you here who has a grievance 1" was the next question, and still no answer came, Then all of you who intend going back to work to-morrow, hands up and without any mora to do every man in the room made the requisite sign. M And, of course, if some of yon are absent you will not blame the colliers if they take out your horses?" "No." "Then work shall be resumed to-morrow, so let us now go back in a body to the Workmen's Hall and inform the colliers assembled there of our decision." Before wt" leave," said Mr Ben Davies, ad- dressing the Pressman, I should inform you that we had a very representative meeting in this room on Monday last, and that the hauliers then assembled passed a resolution strongly protesting against the action of Mr Morgan Thomas. Here is the resolution :— At a mass meeting of the hauliers and wage- workers of the Albion Colliery held on Monday morDlng at tho Assembly-rooms of the Bassett Hotel, a resolu- tion was uuanimonsly passed conil. runing the action of Mr Morgan Thomas ilt seeking a seat on the Sliding Scale Committee as a special representative of our class of colliery workmen, for we believe that there are plentyalrea.dy on that board; and what about the promised standard of 5i1 a day ? We have asked if auy man in the Albion Colliery has a grievance," continued Mr Ben Davies, and if so to bring it forth. There is no man in this meeting that has a grievance. Now, I would recommend you to pass a resolution to go to work to morrow, unless you have a sufficient reason for staying out. This kind of thing is child's play." A resolution to this effect was accordingly passed, as was another to the effect that the hauliers should elect one of the repsesentatives that were to attend the Cardiff Conference on Monday on behalf of the Albion Colliery. A haulier here interposed with the remark, Let us go to the masters ourselves, without any middleman between us. I propose that we should ask every colliery in South Wales and Monmouthshire to elect two hauliers each to attend a conference to discuss our grievances face to face with the em. ployers and the workmen members of the Sliding Scale Board." This also was agreed upon, and Mr Ben Davies undertook to make a motion to this effect at the Cardiff Conference next Monday. Mass Meeting at Cilfynydd. The hauliers and wagemen then repaired in a body to the Workmen's Hall, Cilfynydd, where the Albion colliers were already assembled in conference. Immediately upon their arrival in tho room Mr Joseph Bowen, who presided, in- vited Mr Ben Davies or some of the hauliers to explain how came the Albion Colliery to be on stop that day. Mr Ben Davies, in the course of a long speech, reported what had transpired at the several meetings of the hauliers, as given above. Nothing at all was said at those meetings as to stopping the works, and it was a mystery to him how the stoppage came about. The hauliers, he explained, did not approve of the action of the Scale leaders in advising the men of Wales to bind themselves to the present Scale for another 18 months, and they highly congratulated Mr David MnagaR upon the noble stand he has made for the freedom of the Welsh miners. (Loud cheers.) Having vigor- ously denounced sectional organisation as illustrated in th9 separate Union of hauiiers, the speaker again disclaimed any responsibility ou behalf of the Albion hauliers for that day's stoppage. The hauliers were completely at a loss to understand why the Albion Colliery had stopped that day—(laughter)—and had passed a unanimous resolution to return to work on the morrow and to ask that meeting of colliers to permit a haulier to be one of their representatives at the Cardiff Conference next Monday. Pro. ceeding, the speaker condemned the present mode of electing representatives on the Sliding Scale Committee. ¡In the Rhondda the two members for that district were always elected in the long" room ot the Windsor Hotel at Ton by delegates, without any ballot in any colliery while in Monmouthshire two out of the three members were elected by delagates at Bryuml\wr, while it was a profound mystery where and how the third had ever been chosen. (Laughter.) When Mr Isaac Evans resigned his seat, a conference in Cardiff elected a successor to him from a small colliery out of the Union, and without in any way consulting the workmen of the Neath, Swansea, and Llatielly district. Miners' leaders who advocated the Scale were not ready to have. their own salaries regulated by the same method. The revolt of the hauliers and others on this occasion was inexplic- able to him, but he suspected it was in some way attributable to a statement which he had been told had been made at Monday's conference of hauliefs at Pontypridd, that no hauher should go back to work unless he had a standard wage of 4s a day. The CHAIRMAN remarked that they were yet not a bit wiser. Here they had been idle for a day, and no one knew why. This was not the first time for this sort of thing to happen. A Speaker from the audience said it was difficult to understand the hauliers. In 1893 it was all" hurrah for Morgan Thomas, Now it seemed the Albion hauliers had left Mr Morgan Thomas and had selected Mr B-n Davies but if the whole of the hauliers of South Wales and Monmouthshire were going to follow Morgan Thomas it occurred to him that the best thing for the Albion hauliers was to do the same if they wanted to win their battle, especially as it appeared that both the employers and the work- men's representatives were ready to give a seat to Mr Morgan Thomas on the Scale. It seemed to him that this was a case of leaders not being agreed, and therefore that others must bo drawn in with them into the conflict. The speaker pro- tested against the suggestion that colliery work- men had no voioe in tne selection of Scale represen tati ves. A Coliier said that it was all very well to call the stoppage that day a mystery, but aU he knew was this, that there was not a single haulier on the pit top that morning when the time came for men to go down. The action of the hauliers seemed to him then to have been irregular and illegal, and he maintained it was wrong of them to have adopted such an extreme course without advising or consulting with other sections of their f!tHo\ workmeii. He asked the hauliers, as he had asked them severa) times that day, why did they stand idle about the streets instead of going like men to work? (Lnud cheers.) Mr Ben Davies declared the hauliers were not responsible. Well, this was a mystery. In the name of h8<1.Vën, let them have more trust In one another. Why should a pit full of men be thrown and tossed about m that manner? (Loud cheers,) Was there anyone behind the scenes egging these things on ? If. so, let the veil be torn away, and let them not tolerate this child's play any more. (Loud and prolonged cheers.) A Haulier explained that fthe reason why they desired to have a haulier to represent them at Cardiff on Monday was in order to enable them to voice their disapproval of Mr Morgan Thomas's action in seeking a seat on the Scale. Another Haulier, who said he had been eon. nected with Mr Morgan Thomas, contradicted the statement said to have been made by the hauliers' leader that he had 17,000 men in his Union. He (the speaker) felt certain that he had not a. hundred members throughout the whole of the Rhondda; and that, according to the balance- s'neftt of the Hauliers' Union list Junf, there was not a farthing in hand. Mr Thomas did not represent the bulk of the hauliers, and that was why they were deteiuiined to oppose his claim to a seat on the Scale. Eventually it was resolved by a majority of 50 that one of the Albion representatives at the Cardiff Conference on Monday should be a haulier. Eneinemen and the Hauliers' Union. Mr Morgan Thomas states that on Wednesday he was waited upon by a deputation of 10 enginemen, with a request that they and .the men they represented should be allowed to join the Hauliers' and Wagemen's Union. Mr Thomas, in reply, stated that as so many engine- men had already joined, be did not see why they should not admit the remainder. Our Rhondda correspondent writesThe rumour that the Tylorstown collieries were at a standstill on Wednesday was unfounded. All the pits in the valleys were working, and there is no disquietude anywhere in the district. The cnsio is therefore entirely over.

THETINPLATE TRADE. Action ef the Beard of Contrel. When the movement was made for a restriction of make in the tin-plate trade, with the object of increasing the price of tin-plates, it was very generally ridiculed, on the ground that it would be impossible to get all the employers to join in a movement which might iu the loug run benefit those employers who are interested in works in America. This feeling partially subsided when it was found that the men had, through their Union, joined with the employers who advocated the movement, and so formed what is now known as the Board of Control, and consists of repre- sentatives of the masters and men. The basis on which this Board of Control worked was that to increase the prices it was necessary to get one-third of the limited number of mills then working to stop, and as the Board was strengthened in the carrying out of this idea by a decision on the part of the men's executive to enforce its being carried out by the employers at any cost, it is now interesting to see what the result; has been so far. The decision was to enforce the resolution as from the first of April, and from information which has been supplied us by representatives of the men, it would appear that a starb almost completely in favour of the Board of Control has be6n made. On the 1st of March, when the men handed in their notices, there were 340 mills working, and on Monday last 93, or not far short of the required third, stopped. The greatest difficulty has been at Llanelly, where, we under- stand, only the largest of the works-the South Wales—has complied with the demand. Then there has been strong opposition at Briton Ferry and Pontardulais. At Briton Ferry the men to bring the necessary pressure are out at the Viliiers and the Gwalia owing to the refusal of the employers to comply, while at the Vernon work is going on under the Board of Control conditions. At the Jersey Works a partial com- pliance is visible in the form of wages, the works now substituting a 12% per ceut. reduction for one of 15 per cent. At Pontardulais on Monday a number of meetings were held between Mr Freemen and the men. The men, howaver, remained firm, contending that one-third of the mills must be stopped before they will resume. An arrange- ment has been made there by which the wash- house men may finish the stocks, the company agreeing to pay the full list of 1874 for the work. Cwmavon Men. The Cwmavon tinplaters agreed on Monday to continue the 10 per cent. reduction and to restrict the make as recommeuded by the Board of Con- trol, the basis being 456 boxes per week each steam mill, and 462 boxes per week each water mill, the agreement to extend for two months until the end of May. Mr Thomas Phillips attended the meeting and delivered an address on the Board of Control.

EAST GLAMORGANSHIRE COLLIEUr RULES. Close of the Government Inquiry. The arbitrators appointed by the Home Office in October. 1893. to introduoe a new set of rules into the East Glamorganshire colliery district, met at Whitehall, London, on Tuesday, and settled the award, which will come into force on the 1st Juiy next. Under the Mines Regulation Act, the Home Secretary determined to arr.eud the special rules of the collieries in Glamorganshire under the charges of Mr J. T. Robson, H.M.'s Inspector of Miues, affecting about 170 collieries, with an output of 70 per cent. of the 30 million tons per annum pro- duced in the South Wales coalfield. The arbitrators, Sir Wm. Thomas Lewis, for the coalowners; Mr John Bat-y, mining- engineer, Coleford, for the Home Office; and Judge David Lewis, umpire, have been sitting 11l Cardiff and Londoh during the past 18 months, the counsel engaged being Mr B. F. Williama, Q.C., for the colliery owners (instructed by Mr Vazie Simons) Mr Abel Thomas, Q.C., M.P., for the Home Office, the solicitors being Messrs Strides and Belling- ham, Swansea; and Mr Gascoigne Dalziel, secietary for the colliery owners. A committee appointed by the colliery owners under the ctiairuninship of Mr Wm. Jenkins, of the Ocean Collieries, watched the case. Her Majesty's Inspectors of Mines examined were Messrs Hall (Lancashire District), Stokes (Mid- land District), Martin (South Wale3 District), and Scoti (Birmingham District), besides several colliery managers. The rules numbered 240, and some 85 of them were under discussion. The rules more parti- cularly debated were those relating to the timbering of the working places and road- ways, the comparatively large number ot deaths mainly occurring through the unusually bad condition of the roofs and sides of the collieries in that district. Amongst other rules specially considered were those in re- gard to the use of safety lamps and explosives underground. The proposed alter- ations with respect to shot-firing were withdrawn by the Home Office in view of pend- ing legislation on that subject, as the result of the inquiries of a Royal Commission which has recently reported. The owners claim under the award to be in the same position as before, but the Home Office consider that the new rules will effect a substantial improvement, especially with regard to the future timbering arrangements. The Home Office have expressed their apprecia- tion of the desire of the coalowners to avert or minimise the dangers of working the collieries. It was agreed that the costs of the arbitration should be divided equally between the Home Office and the oolJiery owners. The arbitration on the special rules for the Western district of Glamorganshire will be held next week at; Swansea. Mr John Batey will again act as arbitrator for the Home Office and Mr John Roberts for the colliery owners, and Judge David Lewis will be the umpire,

THE 'VARSITY BOAT RACE. So after all it was not such a procession as they prophesied, and Oxford had to do everything it knew to keep the despised rivals in the back- ground. Frank Willau, the umpire, despatched both to a very even start at 4 p.m., the wind blow. ing from the S.S. W., and the water inclining to lumpiness. This wail all in favour of the Dark Blues, especially as they had won the toss and had chosen the Surrey shore as being more sheltered. At Hammersmith it was a most interesting struggle, the nose of the Light Blue boat being TBI?. 'VARSITY BOAT RACE, LIEUT.-COL. F. WILLAN IOKUT. • COII. F. WIIXAN (Starter and umpire). T. FENNSB (The judge). level with No. 7 in the Oxford crew, but that fatal Eyot with its cross current and windy reach proved the Cambridge stroke's Leipsic, and although he was well backed up by his men, who rowed as plucky a raco as was ever seen, it was a foregone conclusion long before Barnes Bridge was reached. The Cambridge crew turned out 50 per cent. better than good judges had estimated them, and when the final goal was reached, and Mr Fenner, of the L.R.C., who was judge, gave his verdict as 2% lengths, a great roar of satisfaction went up from all the Cam- bridge supporters at their men's performance. No doubt the best crew won, but it was far from the 6 to 1 chance which was the betting on the banks and at the clubs.

NEATH BANKRUPTCY COURT. TCKSDAY.—Before Mr Regisbrar CHARLKS. BANKRUPT COLLIERY PROPRIETORS.—RK T. W. HARRIS AND OTHERS.—This case had been ad. journed from previous courts. T. W. Harris said they had traded as the Lower Resolven Colliery Uompany. He did not know where his wife had got the sum of £ 702 10s as shown on the amended statement of affairs. Illness had prevented her from attending the court.—Evan Harris, partner, s)id he had not prepared an amended statement of his affairs, and he was ordered to do so.—W. H. Harris, the third partner, said he had been a sleeping partner in the concern. He was now the secretary of tbej Villiers Tinplate Works, Briton Ferry, and was earning about JB300 per annum. His directors would probably object to his setting aside so much per annum towards the.payment of the debts.-The case was adjourned. BANKRUPT FARMERS.—.RE M. and T. Jones, Varteg Farm, Margam.—Debtors, who bad been examined at previous courts, had carried on Abergwynfi Farm, Varteg Farm, and Laleston Fields. They repeated the statement previously made as to the wholesale theft of sheep on the Abergwynfi mountain. —Replying to the Regis- trar, they said they did not give information to the police when they first lost the sheep.—The case was adjourned until the next court.—The Registrar said he intended to make a new rule, as both solicitors and debtors appeared to disregard the Registrar and everybody else. In future no casa would be closed until the court following the one at winch the order was made. Then the debtor and his solicitor must appear and have the notes signed.—The Official Receiver (Mr Thomas) expressed his thanks.

The various biographers of the late Admiral Alcester have omitted to mention two distinctions achieved by him. In 1883 he received the Freedom of the City, together with a Sword of Honour; and shortly afterwards the Grand Master, the Prince of Wales, conferred on him the distinguished post of Grand Warden of the English Freemasons. DISFIGURED FOR LIFE is the despair- ing cry of thousands afflicted with unsightly skin diseases. Do you realise what this disfiguration tUeans to seusitive souls ? It. means isolation, seclusion. It is bar to social and business success. Do you wonder that despair seizes upon these sufferers when doctors fail, standard remedies fail, and nostrums prove worse than useless ? Skin diseases are most obstinate to cure or even relievo. It is an easy matter to claim to cure them, but quite another thing to do so. CUTICURA REMEDIES h-<ve earned the right to be cailed Skin Specifics, because for years they have met with most remarkable success. There are cases that they cannot cure, but they are few indeed. It is no long-drawn-out expensive experi- ment. One shilling invested in COTICUBA SOAP will prove more convincing than a page of adver- tisement. In short, OUTIOURA WORKS WONDERS, and oiirM are "imply marvellous

I Alleged Libel in ¡ Pembrokeshire. CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS AT HAVERFORDWEST. DOCTOR PftOSEGUTED BY SOLICITOR, Startling Disclosures. Last Saturday's Roost; Petty Sessions, which were held in the Shire Hall, Haverfordwest, were unusually interesting, seeing that the magistrates —Messrs James Phillips and W. P. Onnond-had to deal with charges of an extraordinary character which had been preferred at the previous sitting by a solicitor and his wife against a well-known I doctor, formerly m practice in Pembrokeshire. The Court House was packed by a mixed assembly of town and country residents, and there was a great rush for front places m the incommodious hall when the parties to the action appeared. The prosecutor, who conducted his own case and that of his wife, was Mr F. J. Bendall, solicitor, Milford Haven, the defendant being Dr. John I' William Lane, of Vernon Lodge, Hounalow, Middlesex, who was defended by Mr Gilbertson, solicitor, Pembroke Dock. A STRING OF CHARGES. The charges against the defendant were that between the 7th and 11th of August, 1894, aud on subsequent days, particularly on or about or between tbe25th or26thand29chDec.,1894-,the 1st and 3rd, the 17th and 19th, aud the 29th and 30th Jan. and the 4t,h of Feb., 1895, at Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, and other places, the defendant did unlawfully write and publish, and cause and procure to be pubhshed, certain false, scandalous, and defamatory libels of and concerning Alice Bendall and of and concerning Francis James Bendall: the defendant, John Wm. Lane, well knowing the said libels to be false." Mr Bendall prosecuted under Lord Campbell's Act, which statsd that any person publishing any defamatory libel knowing the same to be false should be liable to imprisonment not exceeding two years. He had before pointed out to the bench that such an offence was indictable, and therefore, if a prima facie case was made out, the defendant would have to take his trial at the assizes. The charge was a dual one for libels not only on his wife, but also on himself. The evidence was meant to show that the libels com- municated to his wife were repeated in substance to him. He alleged that the letters were senb to him, and that he was the third party as required by law. Mr Gilbertson would nob admit this, neither would he accept Mr Bendall's contention a fort- night previously that this was a technical point. On that occasion it was stated by the prosecutor that these proceedings were THE RSSUIIT OF A COUNTY COURT ACTION. In the summer of last year prosecutor said the defendant had a bill of charges agamst him for professional attendance, medicine, &c., on his family. Defendant wrote to him for the money, and he replied by objecting to the charges, and asking for full particulars. Defendant answered by sending him a county court summons claiming £4710. Proceedings resulted, technical objec- tions were raised by him, and the matter went from court to court, and judgment was given for Dr. Lane. The case was afterwards taken to the Divisional Court, and an order was made setting aside the judgment of the county court and directing a new trial. Immediately after the new trial had taken place, the first of the letters, all of which he (the prosecutor) said were of a very gross character, was written. He alleged that the first libel took place between the 70h and 11th August. In the County Court proceedings, the present defendant was (be said) compelled to render detailed particulars of his claim, aud m those particulars he said the following entry appeared, viz., 25th March, 1893, visit 8,4 a.m., medicine and abortn." On the same day, another visit was entered for the evening. The defendant's books now and then came into his possession as the defendant's solicitor. On looking through the bill and com- paring it with the particulars he knew there was nothing in the books 1; suggest that defendant sold his business in 1893 to Dr. Neale, who waa now entitled to the custody of the books. He (the prosecutor) said that ill the particulars the 1 ALLEGATION OF ABORTION was entered for the morning visit of the 25th March, but that in the day book it was entered for the evening visit of the same day. He pointed out that "abortn" was a highly penal offence, punishable by seven years' imprisonment, and that was one of the libels he said the defendant had committed. Immediately after the prohibition proceedings had been issued by the Divisional Court the defendant (said the prosecutor) wrote a letter to Mrs Bendall from Douglas (Isle of Man). She would swear to the defendant's handwriting, and say that she got the communication on the 29th of December, 1894, and, like A COURAGEOUS AND FAITHFUL WIFE, who (he alleged) had been traduced, she took the letter to him with tears in her eyes. He was in bed at the time. Prosecutor said the de- fendant admitted before the County Court judge that the letter was written by him. He (Mr Bendall) wrote, in reply, a letter of an indignant character, stating that the letter would have the effect of separating husband from wife and mother from children. Another letter was received under date of 3rd January, and the allusions in it with regard to himself were, he said, of such a filthy character that, man as he was, he would be ashamed to discuss them in public. That letter was not answered. In another letter, dated 17th January, from Hounslow, he, afraid that his reference m his particulars and in the letters to Mrs Bendall might have been misuuderstood, puts the matter out plainly aud alludes to what he (the prosecutor) described as various disgusting subjects, and explained the various things used to prevent pregnancy following on the allegation of abortion. It was also stated that defendant in his letter alluded to pills and things of that sort, and that he sent a newspaper from Rugeley bearing the postmark of the 30th January, 1895. He (Mr Bendall) put in another letter from the defendant from Haver- fordwest, dated 4th February, which he said was also of a very disgusting character. He pointed out that after obtaining an order from the Divisional Court setting aside the judgment of the county court, the defendant adopted a system of sending letter after letter with the object, it was alleged, of BLACKMAILING to prevent them (Mr Bendall supposed) through false delicacy from investigating the case. He and his wife were, however, more determined than ever, after receiving those letters, to go on with the case, even if it cost them £200. Mrs Bendall went to the court with the object of giving a positive denial to the insinuation and innuendoes contained in the letters. Ho said he could not understand how a man could have the audacity and filtliines8 of mind to write such letters. The prosecutor claimed, as a matter of strict law, that the books in Dr. Neale's possession should be put in as evidence. MRS BKNDAM/a TKSTIMONT. Alice Bendall, wifa of the prosecutor, pro- duced the particulars of a claim by the defendant against her husband and herself for alleged attendances and medicines supplied to her and hpr family between May 23th, 1890, and November 23rd, 1893, and deposed: In that bill, under date of 25th March, 1893, is the word, "abortn," before the money charged is filled in. It is not true that the defendant ever attended me for abortion, or miscarriage, or mishap, and th#re is not a shadow of foundation for any suggestion that he did. On the 29th December, 1894, I received the letter and envelope (pro- duced). It is dated 26i.h December, 1894. It is in defendant's handwriting and signed by him. The statements therein made, and the innuendoes are false. I showed the letter to my husband aa soon as I received it. I have no frienas or relatives in Rugeley. Cross-examined by Mr Gilberston My atten- tion was called to the particulars (produced) on th morning they were received from the defen- dant. My husband called my attention to the entry of the 25th March, 1893. I have no recol- lection of the period between 23rd and 27th March, 1893. I do not remember, as a matter of fact, that the defendant attended me on those days. I had not between those dates, or at any other date, had a slight miscarriage. I have had no experience of technical medical terms. When my attention was first called to the word abortn I thought Dr. Lane accused me of having used means to procure a miscarriage. I did not take any steps to repudiate that sugges- tion by writing to Dr. Lane. I have no reason to believe the defendant had any friends or relatives at Rugeley. The letter given m evidence is the only letter I have received from defendant. Re-examined by the prosecutor I do not know whether Dr. Lane has or has not any friends or relatives at Rugeley. The letters alluded to were not read in Oonrt, but handed to the Bench, and afterwards attached to the evidence. A SOLICITOR'S EVIDENCE. Francis James Bendall, sworn, said I am ft solicitor practising at Milford Haven, and the husband of the last witness. The defendant has been the medical attendant of my family. We were on visitmg terms of friendship, and he was very frequently at my house at the end ot 1893. The defendant sold his business to Dr. Neale, who is still in Milford, and in the early part of 1894 the defendant left the neighbourhood to reside at Hounalow. Up that time I had not received any account, from •aim, although I bad several times asked him fo Shortly after he left he sent me a bill wibhout details, and on my applying for details he at once sued me. I obtained an order in that action for delivery of better particulars, and received those particulars from him in the early part of August, 1894. Those particulars were referred to in the evidence of my wife. On receiving them I fonnd at the bottom of page four the word abortn already referred to. On the morning that another letter was received, Mrs Bendall showed it to me. I was then, and have repeatedly since been, TEMPTED TO COMMIT A BREACH OF THE PEAOJ: on the defendant. I wrote to him a letter in reply on the 3rd January, 1895 I received from defendant the three letters ar,.d envelope (pro- duced). All the letters are in the handwriting of the defendant, and were received at my residence at Milford Haven. I heard the defendant admit that they were in his handwriting. There is not I in any way, so far as I am concerned, the shadow of a shade of foundation for Anything snid in those letters, and I believe them to be iqua ly false about my wife. Up to the 14th insc. the defendant had never attempted to explain the word "abortn" in the particulars. Cross-examined by Mr Gilbertson; The in- formation in this case is laid by myself on behalf 1 of my wife and myself. I decline to tell you what in these letters or papers is a libel on myself. I say every allegation as against me is libellous and particularly as to tbe whole of the second page, except the first word of letter No. 3, is a libel on me. The references in all the subse- quent letters with reference to myself are libellous. I decline to answer any questions as to my business relations with the defendant. I decline to say whether he repeatedly asked me for my account. I did not pay defendant anything on account of his bill against me, because I had not had any particulars. I did not write on the aubje-oll of the word abortn until December, 1894, when I wrote in answer to letter No. 2 to my wife. I took the present criminal proceedings in preference to civil ones because I DETERMINED TO PUNISH HIM FOR ATTEMPTING TO SEPARATE HUSBAND AND WIFE, and because I thought he wrote words which I thought were a disgrace to his profession and a further reason was to vindicate the character of my wife and myself. A HORRIBLE CRIME REPUDIATED. Mr Gilbertson submitted that the Bench had to considet whether the documents complained of contained what was in fact a libel. He considered Mr Bendall had failed to show that there was any libel at all as far as he was concerned, and, as regarded Mrs Bendall, he said it was out of all reason that Dr. Lane should have deliberately made use of a libellous term in an account of his own charges. He maintained that the word "abortn" was a technical term, and that it was incredible that anyone would charge Mrs Bendall with a horrible crIme-a. crime that was regarded so seriously by the eyes of the English law. With regard to publication, he maintained that Mr and Mrs Bendall were one in the eyes of the law, and, therefore, as the alleged libel was not com- municated to a third party the evidence of publication fell through. On that ground the magistrates could not have sufficient ground to commit the defendant for trial. A MEDICAL WITNESS. A claim having been put in by the prosecutor for the production of certain books on Saturday, Albert Ezra Neale, who took the Scotch oath, said: I am an M.B. of Durham University, and a B.S., and reside and practise at Milford Haven. In October, 1893, I purchased the defendant's medical practice at Milford Haven, and at the time he handed me his books of account. Among others he handed me the day book (pro- duced). 011 the 8th August last I lenb Dr. Lane the book for production in court in some proceedings on which he was interested, and he returned it to me on the 8t,h of August, and when he returned it I found the word "abort and "att" added to the entry at the bottom of page 595. The words were not there when I lent him the books on the 8th (a few days previously). The writing appears to be in the same as the rest of the book of defendant. I heard the defendant admit on oath in the County Court that the writing was bis, and that he had not added any- thing to the entry while the book was in his possession. Cross-examined by Mr Gilbertson Idonotknow what was in dispute between Mr Bendall and Dr. Lane with regard to the entry in the book. Under the terms of my agreement Dr. Lane was entitled to see the books be handed over to me at any reasonable time at my house. DEFENCE RESERVED. The Clerk Dr. Lane, you are aware, of course, that the charge preferred against you is one of libel ? Defendant: Yes, perfectly. But I am not guilty, and I reserve my defence. Mr Gilbertson said he based his defence upon the arguments that he before used, viz., that there was no libel in the words used, and that there was no publication. THE BENCH'S DECISION. The magistrates, having retired, returned their written decision as follows We have carefully considered the evidence given in this matter, and wehave decided tocommit the defendant, John William Lane, for trial at the next Assizes of the county of Pembroke on the charge of libel in respect of the letter of Dec. 26th, 1894, to Mrs Alice Bendall, and of the letters of January, 1895, 17th January, 1895, and 4th February, 1895, to Mr Francis James Bendall, and of the entry in the defendant's book produced by Dr. Neale of 25th March, 1893. We do not commit the defendant for trial in respect of the entry in the County Court particulars, as such particulars having been delivered in an action under an order of a competent Court are abso- lutely privileged. We commit the defendant for trial under Section 4 of 6 and 7 Vic., chap. 96, commonly called Lord Campbell's Act. The defendant, on being admitted to bail in the sum of J6100 and a surety for a similar amount, was informed that the trial at the Assizes would take place on the 1st of June.

CARDIFF INTERMEDIATE EDUCATION SCHEME. A meeting of the Board of Governors in connec- tion with the Cardiff Scheme of the Intermediate and Technical Education Act was held on Tuesday, Alderman Thos. Rees presiding, There were also present Councillor F. J. Beavan, the Rev. Canon Thompson, Councillor Munn, Councillor E. Thomas, Dr. Treharne, Mrs Marychurch, Mrs Fiddian, and the clerk (Mr D. Shepherd). At the opening of the proceedings the Chairman moved a vote of condolence and sympathy with the widow and family of the late Councillor W. E. Vaughan. There was no doubt, he said, that had Councillor Vaughan been spared to them he would have proved a useful member of that body. (Hear, hear.) The resolution he bad to move was as follows That this Board desires to express its profound regret at the loss sustained by the death of Councillor W. E. Vaughan, and wishes to offer to his widow and family its sincere sympathy and condolence in their sad bereavement."—The Rev. Canon Thomp- son seconded the motion, which was carried in silence, the clerk in the meanh- time being instructed tocat) the attention of the town clerk to the vacancy on the Board caused by the death of Mr Vaughan. ADMISSION TO THE GIRLS' SCHOOL. Councilor Beavan asked whether it was the rule elsewhere for the head mistress of these schools to be the sole examiner with regard to children whose parents desired to have placed in the school. He questioned whether it was desirable for the head mistress to have the sole responsibility in such a matter, and it was resolved that the clerk should make inquiries as to the general custom. THE FORMAL OPENING OF THE GIRLS' SCHOOL. The Clerk stated that it was thought there would be some public function shortly taking place with regard to the college, and an effort was being made to get Mr Acland down, and if this was arranged it was thought Mr Acland would also consent to formally open the girls' school, which function could be arranged con- veniently for his visit. The matter had been lefb in the hands of the chairman (Alderman Sanders) and Principal Jones, but as yet nothing definite had transpired. ACCOMMODATION FOR BOARDERS. The Girls' School Committee reported that an application bad been received from the Misses Marks, of the High School, Roatb, for a licence to accommodate boarders attending the Girls' Intermediate School. Dr. Treharne had visited the school and given a satisfactory report as to sanitation, etc., and the com- mittee therefore recommended that the appli- cation of the Mifaes Marks be granted. A similar application was received from Mrs Jennings, of Wellfield-road, which was also granted, providing a similarly satisfactory report was received as to the sanitation of, the premises. INCREASE OF TEACHING STAFF. The Head Mistress applied for the appointment of another assistant mistress in view of the appli- cations she had already received on behalf of pupils desirous of entering the school. She suggested that an assistant teacher should be appointed to take charge of a new form, at a salary of B110 a year. The application was granted.

CAROIFMECHNIGAL INSTRUCTION COMMITTEE. A meeting of the Technical Instruction Com- mittee of the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire was held on Tuesday even- ing, under the presidency of Councillor T. H. Riches. The Chairman stated that Councillor Henry White had written to him that evening with reference to the balance that was left from the exhibition of 1870, stating that Mr T. J. Waller was prepared to hand over the funds in his possession and also the accrued in- tereet upon receiving indemnity from other claimants. It was proposed and carried that Mr Riches should sign the indemnity on behalf of the Technical Instruction Committee.— Mr Ivor James asked whether it would not be advisable that each recipient of the funds should also make themselves responsible.—Councillor E. W. Sbackell said that that had been praetically agreed upon, and each of the committees mentioned wonld give indemnities. Councillor Shackell submitted a resolution to the effect that their secretary be authorised to communicate with the secretary of the Science and Art Depart- ment, asking him to render assistance by loan of works of art and any other interesting subjects for exhibition, to be held at Cardiff in 1896, the prooeeds of which it is proposed to use for educational and charitable objects. This was seconded by Councillor Munn and carried.

NOT A DIPLOMIST. MISS PASSKE (giving a dinner): This wine is over forty years old. IDIOT (thoughtfully): Bottle it yourself.

I All hope of oomfortin my home had dl^d until, the Matcruesa Cleanser Soap I tried.

THE LATE LORD ABERDARE. TO THE EDITOR. SIR,—Will you kindly grant me the use of a small space in your columns for the purpose of informing your readers that several of the late Lord Aberdare's friends and admirers have appealed to me, as chairman of quarter sessions for this county, to take the opinion of the county as to the advisability of erecting a fitting memorial representative of this county and Wales generally to the deceased peer, and that in response to these appeals I am taking measures I for obtaining an expression of opinion on the question. Ib is felt that the memonal should be representative of the feelings of the whole community irrespective of political or religious opinions, for it is conceded by all that the splendid public services rendered by the late dis- tinguished statesman benefited all sorts and conditions of men," while his private benefactions were not restricted to any denomination or party. A Churchman himself, always ready to promote the interests of the Church be loved so well, he never turned a deaf ear to the numerous applica- tions made to him on behalf of the various Nonconformist bodies. So that it may, I think, be truthfully stated, that his admirers are not confined to any religious community.—Dear sir, your obedienb servant, GWILYM WILLIAMS. Miskin Manor. March 30th, 1895. TO THE EDITOR. SIR,—-Mr Gwilym Williams has anticipated me. and it is well for a Welshman who has self. sacrificingly given so much of his time and fortune to the Liberal cause in Wales can speak with an authority entirely independent of bis public positions as County Court Judge and Chairman of Qaarter'Sessiona. Everyone, I think, in both divisions of the Principality will agree with his Honour the Judge as to the desirability of erecting a fitting memorial, representative of the county and of Wales generally," to tbe ever- lasting memory of Lord Aberdare. We shall all be with Mr Gwilym Williams in his declaration that whatever form the tribute may take it should be representative of the feelings of the whole com- munity, irrespective of religious or political opinions." It is undoubtedly the fact, as the learned Judge says, tha.t "it is conceded by all that the splendid public services rendered by the late distinguished statesman benefited 'all sorts and conditions of men,' while his private bene- factions were not restricted to any denomination or party." And again I agree with his Honour, that the admirers and mourners of the late Lord Aberdare are not confined to any one religions denominatJion or community." The only point left in doubt, or as a possible point of controversy, has reference to the meaning Mr Gwilym Williams attaches to the phrase, a fitting memorial." Most men will be apt to inter- pret this term as a proposal for a monument in marble or bronze. I venture to think that we shall do dishonour to his Honour's reputation for strong common-sense if we construe him to suggest a bronze or marble effigy of our departed friend. If it were determined that it should be a monument of the stone and stalwart order, I clearly foresee that there would be almost as many claimants for this site as there were in old legends for the exact spot of Homer's birthplace. Merthyr would assert a prescriptive right, and stick the statue in its 'ugly market-square, Aberdare, at present unadorned by a single monument, outside its graveyards, could insist that there was no better site than the open space between the Boot Hotel and the Black Lion. Mountain Ash, where Lord Aberdare lived his life, making a rut in inrbe of the small domain under the sheltering woods of PeDDar-Mountain Ash would claim the bronze or marble as the fittest place for the memorial to be placed, and as a gracious, if a melancholy, adornmeut of its singularly unadorned streets. Cardiff, I take it, would not remain silent in the matter, if it be a monument that Mr Gwilym Williams refers to. Lord Aberdare's latest years and latest cares Were devoted to and arose out of the fortunes of the University College. A. monument is It? Then the most appropriate place would be the space in front of the College in Newport-road. Even a bad monu- ment—which Heaven forfend !—would be better than nothing to relieve the grotesqueness of the appearance of the College frontage, with its in- tolerable wooden sheds impudently emerging on the street. I take it, sir, that thousands will readily subscribe to a fund for the purpose of com memorating Lord Aberdare's name and services. I presume that I am speaking for the bulk of men when I say that they will reluotantly give a guinea to a monumental effigy. Let me rather think that he will live in our hearts in a more enduring manner than he could live to our eyes in stone. If Mr Williams will allow me to suggest that the subscriptions he invites should be applied to one or two "Aberdare Scholarships" at tbe University College, I ilrulybeHevethatl can assure him that the necessary, even more than the neces- sary, funds will now in. I do not know what money it is that he regards as the sum required. Five thousand pounds would found two bursaries, or call them scholarships if you will. With J65,000 consecrated to the memory of Lord Aberdare you could establish a rich and tempting scholarship in arts or science, and another equally tempting to be offered to women students in honour of the lady, still happily surviving, who lent her name and remains the presiding genius of Aberdare Hall. If I hear more of the monument I shall be obliged to address you again. For the present, air, my interference, and yet J. hope it will not be considered impertinent interference, ends with my thanks to Judge Williams for raising the ques- tion, and my thanks to you for permitting me to carry this subject to a more practical stage.—I am, &0., ARTHUR O'NEILL. London, April 1.

SOUTH WALES LIBERAL FEDERATION, Mr R. N. Hall, the secretary of the South Wales Liberal Federation, has addressed the following communication to Mr D. A. Thomas, M.P., the president of the Federation, with respect to the meeting which it is proposed to hold at Aberystwyth during the sittings of the Welsh National Convention In the absence of Mr Williams, chairman of the Executive Committee, I think ib is my duty to report to you that after making many inquiries among the loading Liberal Associations in South Wales, J have ascertained that we should not be able to secure an adequately representative meet- ing of the Federation at Aberystwyth during the Easter week, nor would the delegates from South Wales likely to attend be sufficiently numerous to constitute such a meeting as is competent to deal with the serious questions of Welsh Liberal organisation, more especially as the local constituency associations have had no opportunity whatever of discussing the proposed scheme of amalgamation. There are other reasons for supposing that the association meeting should be postponed, and I am only conveying to you the general opinion of Liberals that the meeting when held should be held in some central town in South Wales, at which all interested could attend with convenience. I find that the Convention for considering the Welsh Disestabhshment Bill is to be held on the day following our suggested meeting, and I do not think that in the middle of Easter week Liberals would be prepared to sacrifice four days for the purpose of attending all the meetings. I feel sure that if the whole of the executive had the matter laid before them they would approve of the postponement under these circumstances." B

The ordinary monthly meeting of-this board was held at the Holton.road Sohools, Barry Dock, on Monday evening, under the presidency of Mr John Lowden. In reference to the com- plaint made by the Navvies' Union against Mr George Rutter respecting the rate of wages paid by that contractor upon the Cadoxton School extension works a mass of correspondence which had passed between that board and Mr Rutter was submitted, which was considered as a satis- factory termination of the affair, the latter stating that he paid| his labourers 5%d an hour. —Dr. J. Livingstone. in accordance with notice given, formally moved that the Education Department be petitioned to in- crease the membership of the board from 9 to 11, stating as his chief reason the enormous increase of population and the rates used for educational purposes.—Mr Benjamin Lewis seconded the proposition, which was eventually lost by 4 votes to 3.—A letter was read from the secretary of the Barry Cymreigyddion Society enclosing a resolution passed by that body desir. ing the board to redeem their promise and intro- duce the teaching of the Welsh language into the curriculum of the schools under their jurisdiction. —Dr. W. Lloyd Edwards and Captain R. Davies supported the view that some arrangement might be made to introduce Welsh as a class subject during the next school year, and it was eventually agreed that the question be discussed by th School Management Committee at their next meeting.

THE CASE OF AMY GREGORY. Immediately on the sentence of death being passed upon the woman, Amy Gregory, for the murder of her child, under distressingly painful circumstances, Miss Gertrude Jenner, Wenvoe, interested herself, with characteristic promptitude and energy, in the welfare of the unfortunate culprit. She drew np a dutiful address to the Queen, praying her Majesty to commute the sentence, and gob it very extensively signed in the Law Courts on Saturday, and also in the Paddington district, whilst in one large hotel near Russell-square, W.C., some sixty signatures were readily appended to it as soon as. Miss Jenner had asked the proprietor's leave to exhibit it. Afterwards she took the document herself to the Home Office, it being the second that she had delivered there. She has received the fallowing lenerfrom the Home Office:— [COPY]. April 1, 1895. Madam,—The Secretary of State having con- sidered the case of Amy Gregory, sentenced to death fcr murder, I am directed to acquaint you that he has felt warranted under all the circum- st.ancesi'of the case to advise her Majesty to respite the capital sentence, with a view to its commuta- tion.—I am, Madam, your obedient, servant, (Signed) V. E. DIGBY, To Miss Gortrude Jenner, 7, Gower-street, W. C

A BABY stores away energy in fat. A child or an adult stores up energy in solid flesh. Scott's Emul. sion develops this energy in young and old alike. It gives strength, overcomes excessive waste, and insures healthy digestion and assimilation of food. 1068f SPECTACLES TO SUIT ALL SIGHTS, as recom- mended by the medical profession.—XiiBih, 2, St" Mary-street, Cardiff.

The city of Melbourne has lost 40,000 inhabi. tants in two years and a half. The annual congress of the British ArchjW logical Association wiil be held at Stoke-oB* Trent during the summer. For the present the Czar does not intend ttf abolish the law prohibiting Jews from living within 50 versts of the frontier. Mr Vert, the well-known concert) agent, has beeu elected a member of the board of manage* ment of the Carl Rosa Opera Company. Surgeon-Colonel W. S. M. Price has baeD, directed to take over the post of Principal Medi* cat OSBcer, Woolwich, on the 21st of April. The Liberator Relief Fund now amounts to £50,000, a considerable number of contribution* having been received during the past few weeks. Sir William MacGregor, Administrator of the Possession of British New Guinea, has beet appointed Lieutenant-Governor of that Possession* The motion to reduce the salary of the Governor, of New South Wales to £5,000 has passed through committee in tho Legislative As.sembly". Sydney. A man recently floated three days on a cake of ice in Lake Michigan. To keep awake he pricked himself frequently with a knife, so at least th* Philadelphia Ledger avers. The export butter trade of our Australasta" Colonies has assumed very large proportions From July last to the 16th ult. Victoria alon*; shipped no less than 20,000,0001b. Wilson Barrett has produced his new play* The Sign of the Cross," before a large audience at St. Louis. It is said to be the most daring play ever-produced in America. The Brussels Federation of Labour has reo solved to placard the streets with an appeal to the working classes of the city, asking them to hold themselves in readiness to join in a general strike. Following the example of the House of Com' mons, the members of the Bar intend to hold. point-to-point steeplechase just before Easter. probably on the 10th of ApriL A Renter's telegram from Paris says M. Henri Ronjon, director of the Fine Art Depart- ment in the Mmistry of Public Instruction, will shortly leave for London, to study the organisa- tion of the English museums. A correspondent of the Church Times claims to have discovered the parish church which is the burial place of Little Nell." It is St. Bartho- lomew's, Tong, Shropshire, sometimes called the Westminster of the Midlands." Two suicides due to influenza are reported froJP South-east London. In the one case Mr W. Styles, a retired publican, of Bromley, shot himself ) in the other a traveller named Benjamin Challen. of Whitbread-road, Brockley, swallowed a draught of carbolic acid. A new association of French manufacturers and merchants has been formed in Paris. The chief objects of the new society are the development of industry and commerce and the promotion of commercial relations with all foreign countries b1 means 3f congresses, meetings, publications, a.a so forth. Most of the vessels of the Channel Squadron, eight Italian men-of-war, and three or fout Austrian ships will be included among tbj hundred or so war vessels that will be in Kiel Harbour at the opening of the Baltic Canal. The cost of the great Hamburg banqueti to which about five hundrod guests will sit dow0 on that occasion, is to be defrayed by the Imperial Treasury. Steam tramways are more general in Italy thftO in any other country. At the end of 1890 there were 1,575 miles, and, notwithstanding the period of commercial depression, there have been at leaSl 300 miles added since. The lines radiate princi- pally from Turin and Milan and the Valley of the Po but they are not confined to North Italy- There is a much-frequented one between Napleø and Pozzuoli. The Church in Wales (says the World) baS sustained a heavy loss in the death of Chancellor Woods, of Llandaff, who graduated in the saoo0 class list at Oxford with Mr Gladstone and thØ late Lord Sherborne. He was one of Dr. Pusey's earliest pupils in Hebrew, and when chaplain Vienna he translated from the German into Enghsh the leading dictionary (at that time) of the Fatherland. Rulliere, who boasts that he is a son of th* dynamiter Ravachol, and is supposed to bad assisted hts alleged father in murdering tlbe hermit of Cbambles, has been condemned to eight years' penal servitude for having attempted to murder the manager of a mine at Villars, io the Loire. RulJiére tired four shots at tW manager while working underground, but none of them took effect. Telephonic communication in Germany is mor| complete than in any other country. The capitaK' is directly connected with 250 localities, thfc longest line being to Memel. In Berlin there all, 22,070 subscribers having telephone stations* This figure is nearly equal to that of the whole 0& France. Hamburg has 9,000; Dresden, 3,267f Leipsic, 3,290 Cologne, 2,717; Frankfort 2.674 and Breslau, 2,204. A railway clerk will "book" eight hundre4 passengers an hour; in the days when be baa really to book them—to write their names in 4 book—he would have thought the eight hundred a good day's work. The saving of labour hat- been enormous, and, unlike most inventions, thjL ticket remains much as it was ab first. Ib is stiE numbered and dated, as it was then, and its onty changes have been in colour and the words printeC on it. The injuries received by Lady Augusta Boyll4 Lord Glasgow's daughter, in a fall from her hortX while riding, are much more serious than was first believed, and it is feared her leg will have tt be amputated. Lady Augusta is a bandsotDd girl, not yet nineteen, and has made her dAbnt since her father was appointed Governor of Ne* Zealand. She is an excellent rider, and it ft not yet quite understood how the accident too- place. Sir Arthur Sullivan will not, after all, write t new work for the Leeds Festival. What wi!1 tbe difficulty in procuring a satisfactory boofc > and the need of setting to work at once upon f new Savoy opera, Sir Arthur finds it quite impossible to fulfil bis promise, which waflg indeed, only a conditional one. The festiva* §rogramme is now practically settled, and Hert auer has been engaged tc appear at two of tW concerts* Among the eccentricities of Harriet Bmob0< Stowe is said to have developed in her old age it a detestatton of all reference to her famous booh 51 Uncle Tom's Cabin." Nor can Lewis Carrol stand much allusion to his books in publio. Ooot. be arose in the midst of a dinner-party wbeJI Alice in the Looking-Glass was being talked about and left the table. The writer had the tall from the late Alice Havers, the artist, who wa* present at the time. The interesting old gateway at Oalais-atl out time tbe principal entrance to the town—know* as the Porte de Havre, is now being demoliahedt the site being required for a boulevard which it being made across tbe north side of tbe town, as d" part of the extensive scheme for the naval ano commercial harbour and other improvementi being carried out at this port. The gateway waf erected by Cardinal Richelieu in 1633, and has C drawbridge and portcullis. There is a survivor, after all, of the 420 souK that composed the crew of the lost Reinf Regente, the Spanish cruiser whose fate is still « mystery, His name is Pabio Fernandez. H< took too much wine at Tangier, and missed hi* ship. His mother lives at Cartbagena, and shtf thought him lost with the rest, until she receive^ a letter from him the other day. The sin ol Pablo Fernandez did him supreme service, andt under the circumstances, he will think lightly 01 the punishment he has incurred for breaking bit leave. The Whitehall Review is responsible for th* statement that the Duke of York has recently been much more seriously unwell than has beelt generally known or supposed. Every effort, it seems, has been made, jnst as in the casa of the Duke of Clarence's illness in the first in" stance, to hush the matter up, and it has beett semi-ofticially announced that his Royat Highness has been merely confined to the house with a bad cold. As a matter of fact, tb. Duke's illness was something much more serioufc than a cold. and has given rise to no littlf anxiety, as he is known to have anything but t robust constitution. An instrument has just been brought out that will accurately measure time to the thousandth part of a second. By means of this it has been found possible to register the reaction time ilf sight, or the period taken by the operation of thf will coming into effect in muscular movements. There have been, previous to tbis, some very elaborate chronoscopea controlled by clookwork) but the new machine, besides being more relIable, is remarkable for its simplicity, its mam idef being the swing of a stop pendulum along < curved indicator. It is the invention of Messrf Bliss and Hogau, of Yale and New York Univer- sities, and is attracting attention in American scientific circles. Lord aud Lady Bute have Itft Dumfries House, Ayrshire, after a residence of two months, foi House of Falkland, Fifeshire, where they will I stay until they como to town for the season at the beginning of May. Lord Bute purchased the Falkland estate in 1887 from Mr Tyndal Bruce, and has ever since been engaged in excavating and restoring the ruins of the ancient castle, where the Dnke of Rothesay was starved to deatb by Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, in 1402. The adjoining palaca was a hunting seat ot James V., Queen Mary, and James VI. of Scotland, and its large chapel has been carefully restored by Lord Bute, whose own house is a modern Gothic edifice on the edge of a wooded glen, and is surrounded by very beautiful grounds. —Th World. For some time a music hall singer bad beet besieged by the demonstrative admiration of half-dozen sons of noble families, and she mined so make an example of them for the benefif of their kind. Accordingly she sat down and answered tenderly each of the letters that came to her in the morning's post, and to each of het admirers she wrote the request that if he loved her he would wsar a bunch of scarlet carnationt I in his buttonhole and rise in Ins place in tbe; middle of her first song. The spectacle of sis perfectly attired young gentlemen, each wearing the conspicuous flower, rising in the tront roW of the stalls and glaring at each other, was too much for the naughty singer. She forgot the notes in a laugh, which gradually rippled through the audience, who somehow caught the joke. Tb« six young men decided to leave the theatre. A* least so says the Pelican.