Evening Express

Telephone: National, 602, Poat-efflce, 95, Teiezramg: "Express, Cardiff."

CHANCE FOR THE AMATEcR. The year 1902 promises to provide the chance of a lifetime to the amateur (as well as the professional) gardener. If the chance had come a year later, or had declared itself for 1902 a. year sooner, a great many more people (ourselves included) would have been ready to seize its skirts. Now, we can only put others up to it. It is always the way with things mundane, that they come too late or too early to suit some people. Of course, there is always the early bird on the scene, and it is this early, bird, whether amateur or professional, which will be able to seize the golden opportunity. Hothouse, orchard, and garden produce will be in incessant and unsatiable demand in this country throughout the year. For, see, what is going to happen. The start will come with the celebrations over the end of the war in South Africa, when the whole Empire will rejoice, and flowers and fruit will have a conspicuous part in the mafficking. Then will come tHe celebration of the King's birthday on May 24, immediately followed by the Coronation on June 26, which in turn will be succeeded by the Prince of Wales's birthday festivities on July 6. Flowers, plants, and fruits will be required in large quantities and there is no reason why Wales should not share largely in the prosperity which is offering. A word to the wise is sufficient.

„ MARQUIS IT0 VISITS THE KING The Marqnia Ito, ex-Premier of Japan, who Visited the King on Friday was moat cordially received by his Majesty. He was introduced by the Marquess of Lansdowne, who came up specially from Bowood. The Japanese statesman and British Minister exchanged courtesy visits during the afternoon, the Marqui-s Ito calling upon Lord Lansdowne at Lansdowne House, afterwards receiving his lordaliip at the Alexandra. Hotel. In the evening the marquis attended Drury Lane pantomime. The plans of the marquis during his stay in London are not yet fully arranged, but M. Tsndzurka. a Tirember of the Japanese House of Peers, travelling with his Excellency, told a Central News representative that their visit would probably last seven or ten days, and that they would then leave for Japan. M. Tsudzurka explained that the tour of the marquis had no political significance, but that the journey from country to conntry and capital to capital was not being made for pleasure, nor yet exactly as a holiday trip. The plan of the marquis was to gather quietly information and ideas and to acquire an equipment of knowledge on various matters. His attitude was one of private study, but, the knowledge he gained could hardly fail to be of service to his country. The marquis dffiird to avoid publicity as much as possible, and anything approaching advertisement. The marquis has accepted an invitation to dejeuner to be given in his honour on the 3rd of Jantiary at the Mansion House by the Lord Mayor. Other invitations, notably from the London Chamber of Commerce and the Lord Mayor of Sheffield, have had to be declined, much to the marquis's regret, as it is arranged he will leave London on the 8th of January to catch a steamer leaving Mar- seilles for Japan on the 12th." For this reason also the marquis fears he will be unable to accept the offer of D.C.L. from Oxford Univer- sity. as the university term does not begin until the 15th prox.

WALES AND THE LONDON MISSION ARY SOCIETY. According to the one hundred and sixth tep-ort. of the London Missionary Society, Which is practically the foreign missionary society of the Congregationalists-which is about being published—the contributions from the various Welsh counties. &c., during the year were as follows: -Anglesey, £178 3s. 9d.; Carnarvon (South) f,233 7s. 3d., Carnarvon (North) £ 322 2e. 6d.— total, £580 9s. 8d.; Den- bighshire. £ 264 17s. 8d.; Flintshire, 4E69 15s. 8d.; Merioneth, £ 277 8s. 2d.; Montgomeryshire, £179 Cs. lei.; Breconshire and Radnorshire, £208 14s. 7d.; Cardiganshire, L672 8s. 9d.; Carmar- thenshire, £1,050 14s. 2d.; Glamorgan (North), £ 778 15e. 8d.. Glamorgan (West) JE532 16s. 8d., Glamorgan (South) £ 201 169. 3d., Glamorgan <East) £ 7C5 10s. 5d, Glamorgan (English Churches) je731 10s. 7d.-total for the county, £ 2,813 13a.; Monmouthshire i Welsh only), £ 255 6s. 5d.; Pembrokeshire (Welsh) JE501 11a. 10d., Pembrokeshire (English) £293 6a. 2d.—total for the county £784 49. 3d.: Welsh Churches in London, Manchester, Liverpool, &c., £ 434 10b. 3d. mafcing the total' of the Welsh Churches in England and Wales, £ 7,458 Is. 6d., compared with £ 7,117 19te. Id. for the previous year, or an increase of £ 340 la. 5d. The total receipts of the society were £172,369 lis., or, with contributions for special purposes £ 221,111 15s. Id. This shows a deficit during the last two years of £ 36,608 18s. 8d. The society has now 270 missionaries in the field-203 males and 67 females. "W ithin the next few days an appeal will be made to the Congregational Churches of the country to meet a total deficit of £ 55,000 in the funds of the society. Ten years ago the society entered upon a "forward movement," which resulted in a considerable increase of the missionary staff. This increased expendi- ture was not met by a. permanent increase of income, and, consequently, year by year the deficit has grown larger. As only £ 25.000 will be available from the Twentieth Century Fund for foreign missionary work, at least £ 3;>.000 must be at once raised to meet the diffi- culty in which the society is placed. An am.onymous friend of the society has promised £ 1.000 if the remainder of the deficiency is met.

A RAILWAY CRASH, The relief train to the dining-car express due at Newcastle from the South at eight p.m. came into the station there at too great a speed on Friday night, and, carrying away the buffers, crashed into the oil-man's cabin, which was completely demolished. Several passengers complained of shock, but nobody was seriously hurt. The cabin was unoccupied at the time.

Three Men injured by an Explosion Two explosions occurred in Welling-street, Gateshead, on Friday, by which three men were severely injured. Some excavations were being made near a manhole in the pavement, many yards of which were forced upwards by the explosion. The lamgs, &c.. in the imme- diate vicinity were damaged. It is not yet established whether the explosion waa due to _iewer or oAh* i\s»s« i

Why I Voted for Winfield. ANSWER TO A MUCH- CANVASSEU QUESTION [By Mr. Harry Bowen.] It seems pretty well known that my vote was recorded in the Cardiff man's favour. And. if corroboration were needed, I may say that there is not a shadow of doubt about it. Why I, a Western man, direfi to have any ideas of my own as to what was just and fair seems to be a mystery to some of my friends. Was it rot well known that Strand Jones and j I were fast friends? Was he not a Llanelly club man? Was he not as good as Winfield? To all these I unhesitatingly answer. Yes. He was and is my friend; he is a Llanelly Club man, and is Winfield's equal. Could I write "Winfield's superior" then matters would have been considerably sim- plified, but, to my mind, he is not that. I anxiously watched the both men at the Trial Match, and also at the Cardiff-Oxford game. I earnestly wished that any point of diffe- rence could be marked by which one man could be judged the better, and at the con- clusion there existed no doubt to me that either man was the other's equal. Again, Strand Jones's reputation was balanced by what I had personally seen Win- field do. Starting from this base, then, equality of play and equality of reputation, I had to consider that Winfield has been reserve to Bancroft for some time, was con- ¡ sidered by good judges to have deserved his place last season, has kept up his form and not deteriorated, and you. have the matter before you. But the majority of the votes went the other way. and I traat all sportsmen will bow to that decision. Even with the same data, our conclusions are not always alike, and I should like to state that I believe every mem- ber of the committee voted according to his own decision in the matter, and not out of any pique or disagreement with regard to anything else. I hope matters will be so arranged that no necessity will arise of reasons for this or that. Every footballer admits that Strand Jones will worthily uphold the honour of his position, and encouragement and not discouragement will now do much towards victory. I

Merthyr School Board TRIANGULAR FIGHT FOR A VACANT SEAT. A special meeting of the Merthyr School Board wae held on Friday to fill the vacancy cansed by the death of the late Mr. Joseph Owen. Mr. W. L. Daniel (chairman of the board) presided. At the outset a letter was read from Mrs. M. Tegwedd Williams on behalf of the Merthyr Women's Liberal Association, expressing a hope that the board would see its way clear to elect Mrs. G. C. James, it being explained that this communication had been sent without Mrs. James's cognisance.— The Chairman proposed the appointment of Mrs. James. During the term that Mrs. James sat on the board, he said, she was very faith- ful in her attendance, and did her work remarkably welL At the last election she was defeated by only very few votes.-The Rev. E. J. Rosser Evans seconded the nomination, remarking that it was quite possible Mrs. James might have been returned last time bnt for the loss of some of hef ballot papers.- The Rev. David Price proposed that the Rev. W. I. Jorree. pastor of Zion Baptist Chapel, be elected. Mr. Jones, he said, was an able man, well qualified to become a member. He did not see why the person at the head of the list of unsuccessful candidates should be elected to fill a vacancy. In some cases it wonld be a very unwise plan to adopt.-The Rev. James Williams seconded.—Mr. V. A. Wills favoured the election of Mrs. James, and urged Mr. Price to withdraw his amendment.- The Rev. David Price declined, saying that if Mrs. James had any sense of honour she would refuse the seat.—Mr. Michael Thomas thought that Troedyrhiw. where the late Mr.* Owen resided, had some claim to consideration, and he proposed that Mrs. Edmunds, Mr. Owen's daughter, be appointed.—The Rector of Dow- lais, in seconding, said be thought they would not be doing justice if they ignored the locality from which the deceased member ca.me.-The Rev. John Thomas supported the election of Mrs. James, not, he observed, because she was Mrs. James, but because he-wished to see the principle observed of electing to a vacancy the person who stood highest of the unsuccess- ful candidates on the poU.—Mr. W. R. Thomas spoke in support of Mrs. Edmunds.—The Chair- man, in winding uti the discussion, said the Baptist friends had had a meeting, and he had been told that the name of Mrs. Edmunds was put fbrward as well as that of the Rev. Mr. Jones.—The Rev. David Price: Mr. Jones's name was carried unanimously.—The Chair- man said he had been informed that Mr. Jones had 24 votes, and there were seventeen given for Mrs. Edmunds.—The Rev. David Price: There ware more than two names submitted, but there was an ftnanimous vote.-The Chair- man But you will admit she was supported by a large section.—The Rev. David Price: Yes.- Acting upon the advice of the Rev. James Williams, the Rev. David Price consented to withdraw the name of the Rev. Mr. Jones, but although an appeal was made to Mr. Michael Thomas he persisted in taking a division.-The result was as foHows :-For Mrs. Edmunds, 5— the Rector of Dowlais. Mr. Michael Thomas, Mr. W. R. Thomas, the Rev. James Williams, and the Rev. David Price. For Mrs. James, 4— the chairman, the Rev. E. J. Rosser Evans, the Rev. John Thomas, and Mr. V. A. Wills.- Mrs. Edmunds was, accordingly, declared elected. THE ORDINARY MEETING. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Mer- thyr School Board was held on Friday, Mr. W. L. Daniel, chairman, presiding. The staff committee reported the receipt of a letter from the Board of Education relative to the puail teachers' central classes, saying:—"The time spent by the pupil teachers at the centre is less than is usually the case, but very good use is made of it, the teaching being able, earnest, and conscientious." The returns for November showed that the average attendance of the boys and girls in standards in all the schools of the parish was 82.8 per cent., and that of the infanta 75.7 per cent.—The sites and buildings committee recommended that an acre of land be acquired on the site already selected for the new school proposed to be built at Quaker's Yard; that the clerk ascer- tain from the landlords the terms on which it could be obtained, and that a modern infants' school to accommodate 300 children, with sufficient provision for the first and second standards, be erected thereon, subject to the approval of the Local Government Board. The recommendations were adopted.-The mani- festo of the executive committee of the Federa- tion of School Boards for Wales with regard to the educational proposals of the Govern- ment was submitted to the board for conside- ration,-The Chairman referred to the action of Mr. Humphreys Owen at a meeting of the Liberal party in Wrexham, and said it would never do to put elementary education in the hands of the Welsh Central Board. It should be placed in the hands of some eleeTTve body immediately responsible to the ratepayers. So far as the Welsh members were concerned, they were particularly anxious to have some guidance, in order to enable them to form precisely the kind of measure that ought to be passed, and for that purpose a conference had been arranged to take place in London between them and representatives of school boards. Upon the motion of the Rev. John Thomas, seconded by Mr. W. R. Thomas, the principles embodied in the manifesto were approved. L

OBITUARY. MR. JOHN THOMAS, FISHGUARD. The death took place suddenly on Thursday morning of Mr. John Thomas, who was well- known throughout North Pembrokeshire as a suecessfuj farmer. He formerly resided at Penfeidr, Mathry, but retired, and since then had lived at Fishguard. Mr. Thomas left Fishguard on Monday for the residence of his nephew, Mr. John Perkins, Treveiog, St. Nicholas, and spent Christmas Day there. He retired to bed in his usual health, but on the morning of Boxing Day it was found that he had passed peacefully away in his sleep. He was 79 years of age. He was an authority on agricultural matters, a prominent Conserva- tive, and held the office of sidesman at St. Mary's Church. Fishguard. Previous to his death he had bee» attended by Dr. Morgan Owfiq.

Liverpool Train Disaster EVIDENCE AT TH E BOARD OF TRADE INQUIRY Self-sacrifice of the Employes. BOY COMPLIMENTED FCtR BRAVERY The Liverpool coroner on Frio fay opened the inquest as to the death of 1 She six men who lost their lives in the territ tie disaster on the Overhead Railway. Two weN > passengers- Forbes Irvine Bingham, solicito r, and James Beadon—and four railway emi Aoyes, named Charles Maloney, guajd Rc tbert Ashbee, driver; Thomas Randell, station foreman; and Joseph Charles O'Brien, carriage cleaner. It was stated that Ram Jell Isavea a widow and three children. Bead on leaves a widow and one child. Ashbee was> also married, and Bingham and Maloney were single. Mr. Crooks, solicitor, who represented the railway company, taid, on behalf of the directors, how much they depl 7 red the terrible accident, and expressed their sympathy with the relatives of the deceased. Evidence of identification w: ts given. In the case of Ashbee the featnr es were quite unrecognisable, identification be tng made by means of a watch and chain and a bunch of keys found in his possession. The guard Maloney was identified by his brother, who is also employed by ti&* -company. He said Maloney only returned last May from South Africa, where he had served at; a Volun- teer, afterwards resuming civil oc. ;upo.tion. Deceased was with the 1st Battalion, of the Kung's Liverpool Regiment. 'JJhe Coroner adjourned the inquest to the 8th of January, remarking that he "laS glad that the witnesses for the identification were so fevr in view of what they might have-seen. BOARD OF TRADE INQUIRY. The .Board of Trade inquiry waf. opened on Friday .by Colonel Yorks, R.E., assisted by Mr. Trotter, electrical expert to the Board of Trade. Pr/or to taking evidence they visited the scene 0: the disaster, waging through Dingle Tunnel to the station. William Ow&n, signalman, who1 was taken to the hospitaJ, deposed that aJ £ went well with the train uœil it was about eighty yards from the Dingle Station platform, when sud- denly he saw a flare at the end of the train. Maioney, the gnaard, shouted to witness to tell them in the station to have the cuiTent cut off at the generssting station. This wtas done in four or five reninutes. Witness doecribed what was done to extinguish the fire with chemical hand-grermdes and buckets of water. He saw two passengers reach the platform safely and stand there watching the burning train. The fire soon -developed into a- big blaze, but witness did not leave the si:?nal- box until compelled by the heat and smoke. Before starting for the platform he soaked his handkerchief in water, and put it into> his mouth, and he believed that this saved his life. Both his ears were scorched before, he got out. He saw the four deceased empdoyes • assisting pa£78engers. and 'believed they must suddenly have collapsed owing to the suffo- cating smoke. He had never seen, any acci- dent like this before on the Overhead Rail- way. He waa confident that if the two deceajced passengers had been on the platform instead of in the four-foot, way they would have fcven saved, as they had tlanee minutes' start of Itt/n- They must have mit sed the plat- form in the darkness and confusion. Mr. Cottrell, the railway engineer and mana- ger, said the motors used on the tl: a, in were of the best type known nine years aa). when the carriages were built. They would now adopt what .vas known as the Ironclad type, which was the latest motor. The fusing: occurred in the arma.^re of the motor, but they never anticipated it catching fire and firing the train. Tl^e thing might occur half a dozen tin.es without doing damage. He explain. m the general wca-king of the line and the means taken by the pas- sengers and of1. 1dals to effect their cttcape. He pointed oat tha t the rumour that the Dingle Station doors 1te\ locked was not true. It, no doubt, got about "wing to the fact that some of the passengers missed their way in the midst of the amoks and darkness and tried to pAt mit fit tlip r6B8 door inflt'C&d of the egress Sr The do^. we-e open, as during all working hours of tk 8 day. A boy train booker, earned Gough. stated that when the fire broke c 'ut he took the hand lamps and guided a numbt r of Passengers out of the tunnel to positions of safety. One of the passengers lay moaning' in the permanent way, and witness crawled to x 1.1B assistance on his hands and knees. Some passengers re- mained watching the burning coaches until warned of the danger, and tha te had to be helped away. Colonel Yorke complimented Gt. on his bravery. JHe had distinguished hi. neelf very much. A booking-clerk at Dingle Station str. ted that the incandescent gas lights were burni. con" tinuously in the tunnel in addition "I. ° the electricity, but owing to the smoke they were practically useless. After the accident thl", gas- lights were extinguished by the fireiA xn- Several passengers who came by the tr.R.n simply walked out of the station before wit- ness got any message as to the accident. ) Foreman Orford said that when he collected tickets at the station before the train took fire he noticed that the insulation was smell- ing. which he considered not unusual, especially in wet weather. The train was in a perfect working condition. Foreman Driver Cnnliffe had no complaint about any smell from this particular train, which only came from the sheds that morning after being overhauled and the brakes adjusted. Jackson, a coach-lifter, said that the motor had not always been under that particular coach. The only complaint he received of the motor was that it hummed, which was not a very serious fault, and arose from the friction of the brushes on the armature. He had heard no particular complaint of this train. The average mileage of each armature was 35,000 miles. Mr. Cottrell further stated that the directors had decided to eliminate wood from the struc- tures as far as possible in the future, and to use only iron. brick, and stone for the plat- forms and other purposes. On ordinary days he thought the fire would never have started. The gale fanned the flames on to the woodwork of the train and roadway. When the lights went low there must have been a very heavy short circuit. He had never anticipated the armature of*the motor catchihg fire and set- ting fire to the train. The sleepers, that caught fire were 18ft. from the train. There was evidence that the passengers were stand- ing in places where they could not have been had the sleepers been ablaze. On a damp day it was quite common for insulating material to get damp and for heat to be generated. The insulating material would. then smell, just as an ordinary dynamo .would. There would be about twelve minutes' interval between the first electric flash, indicating the firing, and the time when matters arrived at a serious state. During the interval there was plenty of time for the passengers to get out of the station. It was ten minutes past six when the passengers came out. It looked as if six or eight had lingered at the fire. The reason the flames advanced so rapidly was that the wind was blowing a hurricane up the tunnel. On an ordinary day he did not think the fire would have spread at aL'. The inquiry then terminated, and Colonel Yorke and Mr. Trotter proceeded to the com- pany's carriage works to inspect the motor apparatus.

SPORT OF THE DAY. T. Lane, the cross-country rider, is back again in England after a. year's successful work on the Continent. France is having quite a fresh stock of cross- country horsemen in ex-flat race jockeys— F. Pratt, Barlen, and Brennan. J. Boon, the jockey who died as the result of an accident at Auteuil on the 15th inst., was buried at Newmarket yesterday. The total value in stakes won during the last flat racing season was .E479.000 in England, £30.QOO in Ireland, and £14,000 in Scotland. G. M'Cal1, the Scottish jockey, was married on Thursday in Edinburgh, to Miss Annie Hastie Craig, daughter of Mr. Thomas Craig, of Dunbar. The American rider, Peter M'Dermott, will next year ride for Connt de 1'Etour in Russia, and his brother Martin will train the" >rses of that nobleman.

The Queen's Health, Sir Francis Laking saw the Queen at Marl- borough House on Friday. Her Majesty is going on satisfactorily. It is possible, so good has been the progress made, that the Queen may be able to leave London next week and go to Sandringham to complete her convales- cence. If it be practicable, her Majesty will I aimoet e&ruhiaiy.Ka doym Igr tfra StaiuTfar.

Municipal Trading. PROPOSED LIMITATION. Royal Commission Suggested. A correspondent, writing to the "Tim< !s on the question of municipal trading, saysi Liat action is now being t-flken with a vie iw to securing the appointment of a Royal Co mniis- sion to define the extent to which mun icipal trading should be sanctioned by Parliament, and a form of petition to Looxl Salisbuiy, strongly urging that such JJo.val Commission should be appointed, has jusv been circulated among the* associations representing the. dif- ferent industries of the com.^try aiMl also among leading banks, insarar. ce comfiama1!, chambers of commerce, iron. steel, aoti engineering firms and compani es, tramway,, lighting, and electric companies .dock, canal, and shipping companies, &c., w, üh requests for signature. The movement of' which this action is the outcome, originated i n the read- ing of a paper on "The Cost of Municipal i Enterprise," by Mr. Dixon H. Davi es, at tlie-l Society of Arts, in February, 1899. A a resulfc of the discussion of this paper, the Liberty and Property Defence League took stei ? which led to some 400 or 500 petitions bei ng pre- sented to Parliament in the session of 1899 asking for the appointment of a Con tmittee to inquire into the development and lir lits of municipal trading. Mr. Balfour inti mated that the Government thought a pi-oper m ethod- of investigation would be by a Joint Com- mittee of the two Houses. This Comm tt-tee, however, was not actually nominated i mtil May 9, 1900, when the Earl of Crewe (cl tur- man), Viscount Hampden, Viscount I- Vei. Lord Windsor, Lord Rothschild, Mr. Gr: wit Lawson Mr Hobliouse, Mr. Lewis Fry, Sir Walter Foster, and Sir William Dunn w< re constituted a Select Committee "to consic er and report as to the principles which shou. 'd govern powers given by Bills and Provision; d Orders to municipal and other local authori ties for industrial enterprise within or with- out the area of their jurisdiction." A num- ber of witnesses were examined, and at the close of the session the Committee presented the minutes of evidence taken by them, and recommended that they should be re- appointed during the next session of Parlia- ment. "The session of 1901," says a memoran- dum which is being distributed with the form of memorial referred to above, "has failed to give effect to this recommendation, the advo- cates of municipal trading—in fear of addi- tional disclosures of its evil effects—having- managed to successfully oppose the feeble efforts of the Government for the re-appoint- ment of the Joint Committee." Tl:>e pro- moters of the movement consider tiftit the evidence given before the Joint Committt.3 of 1900 fully justified the appointment of th/it body; but the evidence, they say, was incom- plete, while they find that municipal trading »' is steadily progressing. They are of opinion ] that it is essential to the commercial and trading interests, and also to the progress, of the nation that the inquiry into the character and extent of the trading of municipal autho- rities should be completed and reported on, and, seeing how Parliament has failed to re- appoint the Joint Committee, they are induced to ask that the subject should now be taken up by a Royal Commission.

CARDIFF FESTIVAL FIXED. A Race with Bristol Cardiff Wins There has been a race between Cardiff and Bristol with regard to the musical festivals of next year. In it the committee of the Car- diff Triennial Musical Festival were in a better position than their Avonmouth rivals. Festivals showed a tendency to jostle one another for next season, and between the calls of Norwich, Leeds, Sheffield, and several others there was practically one date-the week commencing October 6. Bristol tele- graphed. "We have fixed for October 6," and the Cardiff committee replied, So have we." On paper, the tub that followed was as between the Lord Mayor of Bristol and the ex-Mayor of Cardiff. It w~i found that the Cardiff arrangements were further forward than those at Avonmouth, and the Cardiff committee was in a position to engage artistes, &c., and now the Bristol committee is thinking A meeting, of the Cardiff executive com- mittee was held en Friday at the Town-hall, Mr. Thomas Andrews (ex-mayor) presiding. The musical committee presented a report, stating that the following artistes had been engaged: -)fadamc- Ella Russell, Miss Lilian Blauvelt, Miss Maggie Davies, Madame Marie Brema, Miss Ada Crossley, Mr. Ben Davies, Mr. Ffrangcon Davies, Mr. Andrew Black, and Mr. David Hughes. The committee added that it was deemed advisable to engage another tenor soloist.—The executive adopted the report, and empowered the musical com- mittee to engage the extra soloist required. Mr. D. W. Evans (chairman of the musical committee) said that the chairman of the executive had suggested that when the con- ductor (Dr. F. Cowen) paid his first visit to Cardiff in connection with the festival (pro- bably at the end of January or the beginning of February) the ladles and gentlemen who had been accepted as members of the chorus at that time should be invited to a reception to meet Dr. Cowen.-The executive agreed to this suggestion. In the course of a discussion upon general arrangements, it was stated that the arrange- ments for the orchestra were well advanced, and that the leader would be Mr. Frye Parker, who stands pre-eminent for such a position. The secretaries reported that the number 'of guarantors of jE50 each, who formed the executive council now reached 48. They are as follows:—Lord Windsor, Lord Tredegar, Lord Aberdare, Mr. T. Andrews (ex-mayor), chairman of the executive; Mrs. Cra-wshay A 1,Iley, Madame Clara IVovello Davies, General iF, H. Lee (treasurer), Aldermen S. A. Brain, al..ø J. Ra .adale (Cardiff), Alderman W. H. MaAin. (Porth), Dr. J. Lynn Thomas, C.B., Dr. B. W. Jx^oad. Messrs. C. P. Bell, Walter G. Blow, E. W. Jt. Corbett (vice chairman). J. Clifford Cory, Cory (Penarth), J. W. Courtis, C. E. Dovey em. auditor). J. Duncan (" South Wales Daily News "). Philip Earl. Richard England, D. W. Evans (chairman of music com- mittee), F. Fi.Vx t, (pdmund Handcock, junior; J. J. Handcock:S- T. Heald, James Howell, James Howell, ynv'ior, Robert Hughes. Jamea Human, Rees Je-ri.s, J. A. Jones, W. Henry Lewis, Lewis Mojfc'aV- Francis Morris. J. R. Nicholas, F. J. NtchoD- E- Powell, II. P. D. Phillips, Henry RadOO.^e- Daniel Radcliffe, Charles Radcliffe, John' San key. E. Wilson Taylor. D. Watkin Thomi^s ("Western Mail "), Ivor Vachel, and Gething' tewis and W. A. Morgan (joint hon. secretar\es>. The secretaries announced thfct promises of a number of subscriptions had bt,en received.

ENGLISHMAN'S AMOURS. Romantic Paris Tragedy. A strange scene was witnessed on FridA.7 r evening in the well-known Lorraine Tavern, I situated in the Rue des Ecoles, in the L-%tin ¡ Quarter, Paris. A young woman wa-e notined to be sitting at a table, apparently waiting fiir somebody to appear. Presently a yount? man entered the room with a pretty girl on his arm, and the couple were about to seat them- selves when the waiting lady rose, placed her- self in front of the man, and, speakinfc in English, said: John, you have killed me, but I forgive you. Farewell!" She then took a. glass of liquor in which, as it subsequently transpired, she had dissolved a quantity of corrosive sublimate, and before her band could be stayed drank the contents. The unfortunate lady was conveyed to the nearest hospital, where she remains in a serious condition. She proved to be an Englishwoman, aged nineteen, born in London. The young man fled from the tavern as soon as the lady began to speak to him. The girl who acconipanvxl him stated that she met him casually, and k-ieiv nothing of'his name or his residence.—Central News.

EDUCATION IN THE NEW C010NIES "Education in the New Colonies" is the subject of an article in the "Times" by a special correspondent at Pretoria. The principle that guided the late Tranaira.a.1 Government was that the responsibility fDr the instruction of children rested with the 1 parents. To make a complete break with the la.te system has been a first charge on the Executive Council. It is proposed to divide the two Colonies for the purposes of educa- tion into "provinces," in each of which otw "provincial" school will be established at the most important towns. The head of these schools will be responsible for the "ward" schools in the "province." Primary education, the writer holds, should be free and compul- sory, and there should be no interference with religious principles so long as they are not made a cloak for undermining the authority of the State. The British authorities at the end of last Ii month were imparting education to neariy as many Boer children—between 14,000 and 15,000 -,is the Boer Governjnent had on the school registers when the war began, and it appears that that total will probably have been exceeded by the end of this month.

SUIOIDE OF A LADY. At Kingstown on Friday Mrs. Louisa Smith. 60, wife of Canon Smith, of Comber, County Down, was found with her throat cut in her room at the residence of her brother. Colonel Price, with whom she, had been staying. A blood-stained table knife, which it is aupposed the deceased lady procured while the servants were preparing breakfast, was lying beside the body. Mrs. Smiti had been, in wesiir,hea,ltti. tew

Naval Training College. GENEROUS GIFTS BY MESSRS E .H. AND F. S. WATTS. In 1871 his Majesty King Edward VII., then Prince of Wales, laid the foundation-stone of a noble pile of buildings picturesquely situated on the River Weneum, about fifteen miles from Sandringham, and designed at a cost of over £30,000 as a county school for Norfolk. Frpm various causes the 3chool wae after some years given up, and ultimately came into the market. It was purchased in June last by Mr. E. H. Watts, o" the well-known shipping firm of Messrs. Watts, Watts, and Co., 7, Whittington-avenue, London, E.C. This gentle- man has now most generously conveyed the buildings and the land to the National Incor- porated Waifs Association (better known as Dr. Barnardo's IBomea) to be converted into, l and used as, a naval training school for the whole kingdom. Estimates for the alterations and repairs necessary to fit the structure for its new purpose amount to a further sum of £ 9,200, and Mr. Watts has further intimated Ilus intention of defraying this entire addi- tional cost, while his eldest son, Mr. Fenwick S. Watts, also a member of the firm of Messrs.

To-day, Saturday. Footballers' Feast! FOOTBALL PAPER EDITED BY A FOOTBALLER FOR FOOTBALLERS. Interesting Experiment in Journalism. The football public are exacting. However streliu- ous the ordinary journalist may be in the effort at catering for the tastes of footballers, it is in the nature of things that, being ,outside the charmed inner circle in some degree, he should not hit all the varie- tie s of that taste every time. It. Vias occurred to us that an .object lesson would be useh 11 Suppose that we could see with football eyes and b< 'ar with football ears and wmite with football fists, what sa rt of a paper would be tun ed out? We are going ti) see; and to this end we have asked one of the most popular football referees :in Wales, a man who is all football, from the top of his hat to the soles of his boots and the tips of his gloves—if he wears any—and who is, moreover, a man of intelligence, and one who has* the pen of a ready writer, to wit, Mr. HARRY BOWEN, a lead- ing member of the W.R.U. Committee, to, take edi- torial charge of the football j ..1 edition of the "Evening Express" THIS EVEN- ING, and to shorty how, in j his opinion, a football paper should be conducted, j THIS EVENING, then, 1 Mr. HAJRRY BOWEN will take hold of the J football Express," will supervis3 its contents, direct its arrangement, and use its columns for giving frank expression to his views of men and things in the football world.

THE NEW ARMY CORPS. The new army oorpe for London will con- vsist of 1,500 officers. 35,304 non-oommissioneid -officers and men, 11.86J horses, and 90 guns. It 'will be made up approximately of the foilow- ling: — Staff and Departmental 4,296 of all ra nks, "2,462 horses. Twenty-one battalions of Infantry: 2>,B37 of all ranks, 1,218 horses. Six regiments of Cavalry: 3,918', with 3,690 dorses. Artillery: 3,992, with 3/51 horses and 90 guns. Engineers (including pontcion. train, and "telegraph troop): 1,262, wtith 582 horses. Four troops of Military police: 300, with 260 torses. The headquarters of the Fourth Army Corps will be at the new barracks,, to be erected near the Houses of Parliament; tQ be called St. Stephen's Barracks. Seven thousand of the aforegoing will be permanently stationed at Woolwich, and the remainder set barracks in and near London. Army kmps of. similar! numerical strength are to he formed with headquarters in Edinburgh t and Dublin. Nothing official has transpi red af to the officers to be selected as genttralfi ia&JAS turee Arioi-^corua.

Local Projects. BILLS IN PARLIAMENT. Electric Supply in Sout Wales The South Wales Electrical Power Distribu- tion Company, which was incorporated by an Act of 1900, have lodged a Bill for introduction into Parliament next session, to repeal Section 10 of their Act, "which prohibits the erection of stations for generating electricity elsewhere than on the lands described in the schedule to that Act." Although this Bill gives no reason for seek- ing repeal of this section, the subject is fully dealt with in the preamble of a Bill which will be promoted, for precisely the same pur- pose, by the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Electric Power Company. In that Bill it is contended that the Electric Lighting (Clauses) Act, 1899, sufficiently covers the question of erecting generating stations elsewhere than on lands described in the private Acts of electric power companies, and as the new Bill of the South Waies Company expressly re-incor- porates with it the Electric Lighting (Clauses) Act, 1899, it may be taken that the same con- tention is intended to be made. The Bill also proposes to empower the com. pany to acquire compulsorily 124 acres of certain lands for the erection of a generating station in the parish of Llanflhangrel-Llan-. tarnum, ABEKCARN AND NEWBRIDGE GAS AND WATER CO. Proposed Acquisition by the U.D.C. ■'A Bill to empower the Urban District Coun- cil of Abercarn to purchase the undertaking of the Abercarn and Newbridge Gas and Water Company has been duly deposited for next session. The preamble recites that the com: pany were incorporated in 1884 and em- powered to supply gas and water within the parishes of Mynyddyslwyn and Llanhilleth, but that the company have never exercised any of their powers for the supply of water which is now under tne control of the council. By Part 2 of the Bill it is proposed to enact that the company shall sell their undertaking to the council for such price as may be agreed upon, or, failihg agreement, as shall be deter- mined by arbitration under the Lands Clauses Acts. The transfer is to take place "on such day as may be agreed," or, failing agreement, on the 30th of June or the 51at of December next after the expiration of three months from the date of the arbitrator's award. Until the date of transfer the undertaking is to be carried on by the company according to the ordinary course of their business, but as soon as may be after the transfer the affairs of the company are to be wound up and the company dissolved. The council's limits for the supply of gas are defined to be the Urban District of Abercarn and the Parish of Mynyddyslwyn, but provi- sion is made in the Bill to enable the 10Qal authority for the parish of Mynyddyslwyn to, acquire such portion of the gas undertaking of the council "as is contained within the district of such local authority." The price to be charged by the council for gas supplied by them is not at any time to exceed 5s. per 1.000 cubic feet within the dis- trict and 6s. beyond. By Part 3 of the Bill power is sought to borrow ''any earn which may have to be paid to the cfempany for the purchase of the under- taking." and a further sum of £2D,OOO for the extension and improvement of the gasworks and for working capital. All moneys borrowed by the council for these purposes is to be re-paid within 4Q years from the date of bor- rowing. WESTERN VALLEYS RAILWAY Proposed Transfer. TEXT OF THE AGREEMENT. The solicitors to the Great Western and 'London and North Western Railway Com- panies- have jointly deposited a Bill on behalf of their reepective companies to vest in these companies jointly the powers conferred on the Brynmawr and Western Valleys Railway Company, which was incorporated in 1899 with powers to construct a railway in the parish of Aberyetruth, commencing by a junction with the Monmouthshire section of the Wes- tern Valleys line of the Great Western Rail- way Company and terminating by a junction with the Merthyr, Tredegar, and Abergavenny branch of the London and North Western Railway Company. The Bill provides for the transfer of these powers upon terms contained in an agreement scheduled to the Bill. The transfer is to take effect "on the passing of this Act," and is to cover all the powers granted to the Bryn- mawr Company, exclusive of the powers of that company to raise capital by sharea or to borrow by the issue of debenture stock." The Brynmawr Company are to discharge all liabilities incurred by them as an indepen- dent company, including the costs of obtaining their Act in 18S9, and as from the passing of this Act the two companies shall hold the undertaking freed and discharged from all such debts, liabilities, obligations, and engage- ments, and from all claims and demands whatsoever on the part of any of the creditors -of that company," but subject to the provi- eions of the scheduled agreement, of which the following are some of the clauses:- Article 1. In consideration of the obligations on the part of the two companies herein contained, the promoters hereby jointly and severally undertake that they will use their best endeavours to procure to be vested in the two companies the whole undertaking, property, and powers of the Brynmawr and Western Valleys Bail- way Company, under the Brynmawr and I Western Valleys Railway Act, 1899, and, sub- ject to the necessary Parliamentary powers I being obtained, as hereinafter provided, the promoters shall convey (or procure to be con- veyed) to the two companies all lands neces- sary for the construction by them (as herein- after provided) of the railway authorised by the paid Act, free of charge. Provided that the promoter* shall not be required hereunder to procure t) be conveyed to the two com- panies any lands other than those shown on the survey of the proposed line of railway made by Sir James Sziumper, C.E. Article 2. The promoters shaJl discharge all liabilities of the Brynmawr Company np to the date of. this agreement, including the costs of obtaining the said Act, and shall indemnify the t-RO companies against any such liability. Article 6. In consideration of the foregoing, the two companies undertake to take effectual ste4>B for the construction and working of the sr.M railway by them within a reasonable time rrfier the necessary Parliamentary powers shall have been obtained, for vesting in them the undertaking, property, and powers of the Bryn- mawr Company as aforesaid; and for that purpose a Bill shall, at the expense of the two companies, be introduced into Parliament in the session of 1902, by the two companies, or one of them, and the promoters and the two companies shall, use their best endeavours to obtain the passing of the said Bill into Jaw Article 7. With a view to assisting the pro- moters in the acquisition of the land requisite for the construction of the railway, the two companies, or one of them. will undertake the steps necessary for the acquisition of the said lands and the settlement of all accommodation works necessary to be made for the benefit of the vendors of such lands, and will place at the disposal of the promoters the services of their solicitors and surveyors and their respective staffs, upon the understanding that the promoters will from time to time, as the purchases of such lands are ready for com- pletion, place the two companies in funds to meet the purchase money for, and the vendor's costs in connection with, such purchases, and the out-of-pocket expenses of every description incurred by the two companies, or either of them, in connection with the acquisition of such lands and the completion of the purchase thereof; but this clause is not to be construed to make the promoters or the Brynmawr Com- pany liable for the execution of any such accommodation works as aforesaid, the ex- penses of which will be borne by the two companies. Article 8. Upon completion of the purchase of the whole of the land requisite for the sai,J railway the two companies will -epay to Uie promoters one-half of the cost incurred by them in the completion of the said purchases as aforesaid, not exceeding the sum of £ 1.500. i Article 9. In the event of the Bill hereinbefore referred to not receiving the sanction of Parlia- ment in the session of 1902, or this agreement being otherwise rendered null and void, the two companiea. or either of them, shall ;io& directly or indirectly oppose any Bill which may hereafter be promoted by the Brynmawr and Western Valleys Railway Company for levying fhe powers and extending the time for the completion of the said railway. Article 10. In the event of this agreement or anything herein contained being considered to require the sanction of Parliament, then it shall be subject to such alterations ae Parliament may think fit to make therein; but should any material alteration made in the terms thereof then either paviy shall be I at liberty to withdraw therefrom, rnd this agreement and everything there-.n contained shall be null and void. Lastly. Any difference which may arise in reference to any of the matters hereinbefore mentioned, or arising thereout, shall be referred to and determined by arbitration in the manner provided by the Railway Com- panies Arbitration Act, 1859.

Anglo-Brazilian Dispute. The Brazilian Senate have approved the agreement for the delimitation of the boun- dary between British Guywia aod Brazil.— ™

HAVERFORDWEST AND THE PRINCE OF WALES. Singular, Privileges and Liberties A meeting of the justices of the town and county of Haverfordwest was called for Friday afternoon at the Shire-hall by the Lord-lieu- tenant of Haverfordwest (Sir C. E. G. Philipps, Bart.) for the purpoie of passing a resolution of congratulation to their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Prince33 of Wales on having that ancient title bestowed'upon them by his Majesty the King. The lord-lieutenant pre- sided, and there was a large attendance of magistrates, including Mr. Morris Owen. D.L., Mr. E. Eaton Evans, D.L., Mr. H. E. E. Philipps, D.L., Mr. R. Carrow, Mr. Jos. Thomas, Mr. T. Rule Owen. Mr. John Dawkins. Mr. T. L. James, [ Mr. R. P. L. Pennv Mr. James Thomas, Mr. W. P. Orinond, Mr. H. Rule Owen. Mr. James Grif- fithe, Mr. L Roberts, Mr. Wrm. Williams, Mr. T. P. V< illiams, and Mr. W. D. George, J.P. and clerk of the peace. The Chairman in opening the proceedings said that Haverlordwest was appointed a county of itself by one of his Majesty's ances- tors, and that privilege was confirmed by no less a Monarch than Henry VIII. of blessed memory. It. had had singular privileges con- ferred upon it by Sovereign after Sovereign, and it came to pass that Haverfordwest was a little county, absolutely complete in itself, and in no way bearing allegiance to the county surrounding it. Mr. Morris Owen moved that an address of congratulation be presented to the Priilce and Princess of Wales. Mr. T.' Rule Owen seconded. He said that they as Welshmen were proud of their ancient history, tnd were glad that Wales was appre- ciated by having this honour conferred upon it through the title of the Prince of Wales. Mr. T. L. James, in supporting, said the singular privileges and liberties which the people of Haverfordwest now enjoyed they owed in great measure to the generosity of the eighth Prince of Wales, afterwards Edward V. Prince Edward was Lord of Haverford, and in the nineteenth year of his father's reign (1479) he, by command of his father, the advice of his Council, together with the assent of his mother the Queen," first made Haverford a county, granting them to have a mayor and sheriff, to hold all pleas, real and of the Crown, and that the mayor of the town should be justice of the peace, coroner, admiral, and clerk of the markets The Lordship or Barony of Haverford was of considerable importance. Their county historian stated that it con- tinued to be a gem of the Crown for several centuries, and Princes were not thought dis- honoured by their acceptance of it." Queen Eleanor, wife of King Edward I., and mother of the first Prince of Wales, possessed two- thirds of the lordship. Queen Isabel, wife of Richard II., the fourth Prince of Wales, was Lady of Haverford. In September, 1394, King Richard was temporarily resident in Haverford Castle, and there confirmed by a special licence a gift to a chaplain in a neighbouring county. The burgesses of Haverford had also cause to gratefully remember th3 tenth Prince of Walee, afterwards the famous Henry VIII. King Henry granted them a charier confirm* ing the charter of the eighth Princo of Wales, and greatly strengthened the position of Haver- ford by Parliamentary enactment. An Act passed in the thirty-fourth and thirty-fifth years of his reign provided that where there hath been but twelve shires in Wales, the town of Haverfordwest shall be a countie in itself, as it hath been before this tyme. at the will and pleasure of the King's said Majesty, and that it shall be separated from the countie ot Pembroke at the King's pleasure. And that the King's High Justice of the said countie of Pembroke shall be High Justice of the said countie and town of Haverfordwest, as is limited and appointed to the Baid justices to and for the administration of justice in the said conntie of Pembroke." Two Princesses of Walefl— Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth—after they ascended the Throne est£emed Ithe charter of the eighth Prince of Wales, and all and singular in the same contained," just and proper, and also granted charters accepting and approving it. The exercise of the Sove- reign's pleasure in renewing the old title. The Prince of Wales," was an event specially inte- resting to Haverfordians, who must experience much pride and satisfaction in re-calling the good deeds done for their town by former possessors of the title. The present Lord of Haverford was his Majesty King Edward VII. (Applause.) The resolution was carried unanimously On the motion of Mr. Carrow, seconded by Mr. E. Eaton Evans, it was agreed that the lord-lieutenant should sign the address on behalf of the magistrates, and it was also decided, on the motion of Mr. JOB. Thomas, seconded by Mr. Penn, that the following should form a committee to draw up the addre2e :-The Chairman, Mr. E. Eaton Evans, Mr. T. Rule Owen, and Mr. T. L. James.

LORD LONDONDERRY AND AGRICULTURE Lord Londonderry was the principal speaker at the annual dinner of the Darlington Cham- ber of Agriculture on Friday night, and reoeived from the members a model in silver of a Clydesdale horse in recognition of his having placed an entire horse at the disposal of the members. Lord Londonderry, accepting the gift, said he had granted them the use of the horse with a view to carrying out the way he preached. The agricultural indus- try would be best served, and it would tend to remove the depression in that industry if farmers bred the best stock and land- owners and tenants lived in harmony. The chambers of agriculture fostered that feeling, and they were alflo able, through the central chamber, to carry their views to the Board of Agriculture, and, consequently, to the House of Parliament. Sir Joseph Pease, M.P" had tempted him to enter into a political con- troversy, but he would only say he wel- comed the assurance that the settlement of the war in South Africa should not be a party question, and if the Liberal party would join his party in solving that intricate problem they would receive the heartiEst welcome. He regretted he could not congratulate farmers upon a successful season, due entirely to the weather, which had damaged crops.

BANQUET TO SIR ALFRED JONES. Sir Alfred Jones, intimately identified with West African development and principal of the Eider-Dempster line, was banqueted on Friday night in Liverpool in honour of his knighthor He strongly reiterated the advice of the Prince of Wales to Englishmen to wake up. Alluding to American rivalry, he said Britons must realise that the old conditions of business no longer held good. He commended the good work of the School of Tropical Diseases, and instanced Cuba and Sierra Leone as free from all malaria as result of the expeditions carried on by medical heroes. He complimented the Liverpool Dock Board on the marvellous improvement of the port of Liverpool.

RATE COLLECTORSHtP OF NEATH. The Neath Board of Guardians on Tuesday last tabooed a resolution which suggested giving the Neath Town Council partial control of the collector of poor-rates for the area under the jurisdiction of the guardians, and which, of course, includes the parish of Neath, which contributes about three-fourths of the total rate. A private meeting of the Neath Town Council was held on Friday afternoon, when the situation was discussed, and a deci- sion unanimously arrived at that the Neath Town Council appoint its own collector. The position, therefore, is as follows:—The guar- dians had resolved to appoint at their next meeting a collector for the union at a salary of £225 per annum, and now the Neath Town Coun'cil have decided to appoint one of their own,

CATTLE MARKETS IN CARDIGAN. The "London Gazette" on Friday night con- tained an Order of the Board of Agricul- ture, dated December 24, which orders that from and a.fter January 1 next it shall not be lawful to hold any market, fair, sale. or exhibition of cattle, sheep, or swine within a district comprising so much of the old Par- liamentary borough of Aclpar as lies to the north of the River Teify, which forms the lowpr division of the parish of Llandyfriog, within the petty sessional division of Peurhiw- pal, in the administrative county of Cardi- gan, unless the premises are so paved as to permit of the same being thoroughly cleansed with water.

PONTYPOOL REGISTRATION DISTRICT The "London Gazette" of Friday night contains the following: — "Notice is hereby given that, in pursuance of the provisions of the 21st section of an Act passed in the thirty-eighth year of the reign of her late Majesty, intituled 'The Births and Deaths Registration Act, 1874,' I, Reginald Macleod, C.B., Registrar-General of Births, Deaths, and Marriages in England, have, with the sanction of the Local Govern- ment Board, ordered and declared that on and after the 1st day of January next, Llan- hilleth Civil Parish shall be detached from Pontypool sub district of Pontypool Regis- tration District, and created a separate sub- district of the same, registration district, to be called and known as Llanhilleth sub- district."

AUSTRALIAN SHIPPING CUSTOMS QUESTION The Australian Federal Government has assented to a temporary compromise on the ships' stores question, whereby the pursers keep count of stores consumed during a. vessel's passage from one Australian- port to another, ..tiie companies agreeing to pay duty without

Yesterday's War News THE REVERSE TO M.I. Tweefontein Mishap. STANDERTON, Sunday. Details have been received here with regard to the recent attack by a Boer force on a party of mounted infantry in the Ermelo dis- trict. Two hundred men of the 14th Mounted Infantry left General Spens' camp on the Ermelo Road on the night of the 18th inst., and pnceeded eastwards to raid a farm which was reported to be held by the enemy. When the party reached the place at dawn the enemy were found to be moving off. The mounted infantry, after pursuing them for some five miles towards the Vaal into the hilly country, encountered Britz with at least 500 men, and were surrounded. They charged through the Boers, and fell back to a position some three miles in the rear. A sharp fight ensued. General Spens arrived on the scene during the morning, when the Boers drew off. Our casualties were ten killed and fifteen wounded. —Press Association War Special. This action has already been reported by Lord Kitchener. The locality has been described as Transvalia or Holland. The Mishap at Tweefontein. Tweefontein, the ecene of De Wet's exploit jufit described by Lord Kitchener, lies mid- way between Harrismith and Bethlehem, in the Orange Colony, and its topography is eminently suited for guerilla warfare. There aire numerous kloofs in which an enemy can lie concealed, of which Tiger Kloof is best known, about 50 miles from Middelburg. Colonel Firman, the officer in charge, has had a varied and distinguished military career, and is a daring and an experienced officer. Of ginally he served as a captain in the Royal'Welsh Fusiliers; he saw service in Egypt and Barma, and when the Middlesex Imperial Yeomanry were raised, early in 1900, he was selected from the reserve of officers, and went out as captain with the Middlesex. Subsequently he succeeded Colonel Metford as commander of the lltli Battalion, and did much excellent work. Major-general Boyes, commanding the 17th Brigade, writing from Middle River in November, 1900, expressed high appreciation of the distinguished services of Colonel Firman and the men under his command; and again, in January of the pre- sent year, General Boyes thanked him for his gallant leading and the officers and men under him for their brilliant success in charging the Boers in an action near Bulfon- tein. For these and other services he was some time ago gazetted D.S.O. The "Times" makes the following comment on the mishap :Vith proper dispositions and precautions such a force ought not to have been easily rushed even by a greatly superior number of Boers. But, as Lord Kitchener fears that our casualties were heavy, we may be prepared to learn that in some way or other the Boers have succeeded in taking the Yeomanry at a disadvantage. The attack was made at a point where there was every reason to expect something of the kind, and where precautions ought accordingly to have been observed with particular care. Colonel Firman was guarding the head of the block- house line from Harrismith to Bethlehem, which is being prolonged to meet the Lindley line, and thus to run a barrier right athwart one of the districts where the Boers still maintain themselves in considerable force. Nothing could be more natural than that they should endeavour to interrupt an opera- tion of so disagreeable a kind. War Office Statement. The War Office had np to one o'clock on Friday afternoon received no further details of the reverse to Colonel Firman's column at Tweefontein on Christmas Eve. It is, there- fore, impossible to say how numerous the casualties are, but in the official view there is no ground for supposing that all the force was either rendered liors de combat or taken prisoners. The War Office is not in a posi- tion to give a statement as to the actual' number of men involved, because companies are not always at full strength. The four companies of Imperial Yeomanry forming the bulk of Colonel Firman's column may have been complete, and ,in that case there would have been between 460 and 470 men, but,this is considered rather doubtful in view of the work they were engaged in—guarding the head of the blockhouse line from Harriamith to Bethlehem. Originally the 34th, the 35th, and 36th Companies of Yeomanry were composed for the most part of London men, and the 53rd Company was raised in Kent, but the per- sonnel of .companies changes from various causes, and it is difficult to say what percen- tage of Metropolitan men may have been in the unfortunate column at the time of the disaster. Additional particulars are hourly expected from Lord Kitchener. Fighting on the Natal Border N'KANDHLA (Zululand), December 21. On the evening of December 14 Colonel Chapman moved out from here with every available man, a maxim, and a. gun, his objective being Ba,banango, where there was a Boer stronghold. His camping-ground on the first night was the scene of his former successful stand against Botha's army. On the following evening Colonel Chapman took up a commanding position on Babanango, and by daybreak on the 16th inst. his guns opened fire on the Boer laager. Although the enemy were perfectly aware of the movement of the column, they did not anticipate so early Sfn attack, the consequence being that they fled in all directions. With their knowledge of the ground, this was an easy achievement, but they did not escape without the loss of a few of their number from the effects of our shrapnel fire. The result of the day's action was the capture of a quantity of cattle and sheep, some wagons and Boer families, and five prisoners.—Renter. Barbarous Boer Leader Captured PRETORIA, Thursday. Colonel Wilson, with Kitchener's Fighting Scouts, made a night raid on the 2)rd a,lo,lg the Wilge River to the north-aast of Heil- bron, and captured a few prisoners and many rifles and saddles and a number of horses. Colonel Du Moulin, after a night march, recently surprised a. party of Boors under Commandants Dutoit and Saul Sarenis to the south-east of Jagersfontein. The two Boer leaders and 26 men were made prisoners. Dutoit is known to have shot lately some native boys. DIl Moulin's prisoners are a mixed lot, and belong chiefly to the Acker- mann, Joubert, Coetzee, Reeders, and Krogh commandos. His captures include 53 rifles, 2.000 rounds of ammunition, and 100 horses.— Central News. BLOEMFONTEIN, Thursday. Yesterday General Hamilton in the south- west of the Orange River Colony surprised Pretorius's laager, killing one Boer and cap. turing fifteen others. Thirty-nine rifles were also taken.—Reuter. Gloucesters in Action. The casualty lists announce that at Halle on the 19th the 2nd Gloucester Regiment Mounted Infantry lost one man killed and three men wounded. Heroes of the Fight at Fort Itala. It was notified in Friday night's Gazette that the King has been pleased to signify his intention to confer the Victoria Cross upon Driver F. G. Bradley, 69th Battery Royal Field Artillery, for conspicuous bravery during the fight at Fort Itala on the 26th of September, when he rescued a wounded comrade under a heavy fire and afterwards carried ammuni- tion up the hill over a space of about 150 yards swept by a heavy cross-fire. For their gallant conduct upon the same occasion the King has approved the grant of the medal for distinguished conduct in the field to Gunners W. H. Rabb, A. Boddy, and W. Bull and Driver E. Lancashire, all of the 69th Battery. Struck by Lightning. Colonel W. H. Williams, of the Royal Field Artillery, was severely injured by lightning at Winburg on Tuesday. Presentation to Reservists. A presentation to four Great Western Rail- way Reservists, Who recently came home from South Africa, of an illuminated address and purse of gold each was made by Mrs. W. E. Bradshaw in the Tondu Schools. A large and appreciative andience attended. The ad- dresses were supplied by the Western Mail Limited.

BARRY BABY'S DEATH. A single woman, named Eleanor M'Carthy, who lives at Park-crescent, Barry, gave birth to a child early last Monday morning. Her parents, who were not cognisant of their daughter's condition, found the child dead beneath the bedclothes. At the inquest on Friday Dr. King was of opinion, after making a post-mortem examination, that the child had, after living only a. very short time, been accidentally suffocated, and a< verdict '.1

"Cochfaif s" Comments. Pessimistic people are warned by those who look on the sunnier side of life not to "pile on the agony." I gave my Christmas story of want yesterday, and it is not the most distressing I have encountered during, this week's festivities. I am not a pessi- mist, and I will, therefore, with-hold the* experiences that fell to my lot in pursuing my quest for instances of w.ant on Christ- mas Eve and Evening, and I may weave them into my notes at some other time. Before passing on to other matters, I will- ask the readers of the "Evening Express" to read the true story of the "Stolen. Goose" in yesterday's "Western Miasl." It may tend to sadden our "Merry Christ- mas," but it will tend to make us wiser also. Under the heading of "Local Weddings," I see that Mr. Curtis, "who is a descendant of Siencyn Penhydd." took unto himself a wife this Christmastide. Years ago the; odd sayings and doings of this remarkable, man were the stock stories of the inhabi- tants of Mid-Glamorgan, and subsequently, through the late Rev. Edward Mathews- "Mathews o'r Wenni's" preparation of a popular lecture upon his "Life," he became one of the best known characters in Wales. Penhydd Farm is situated in a lonely spot on the side of a now practically disused mountain road between Maesteg and Neath, for the district is now served with: a network of railways, but many are the pilgrims who seek the time-worn old farm- house where a man whose uprightness and plain speaking have become a proverb lived and fulfilled his mission in life whilst fol- lowing daily the arduous occupation of a hillside farmer. Fortunately, not only did Mr. Mathews deliver his lecture on the farmer preacher in every part of the Principality, but he also published a biography of him in a con- venient volume. How often it is true that the good that men do lives after them more through their being favoured with an able biographer than even by the fragrance that follows good deeds always! Certain it is that, however able the subject of this' note was, his fame is known as much through the story of his life being written by the remarkable preacher-writer of the Vale of Glamorgan, and whoever desires to know the habits and traits of thought of the inhabitants of "Blaenau Morganwg" (the hill parts of Glamorgan) before exten- sive collieries were known, and when the sound of the steam engine had not been heard in the land, should know Edward Mathews's "Life of Siencyn Penhydd." I have reason to believe that the shutting out at night of dependents by arbitrary masters and mistresses is not sd prevalent as it was when the press took notice of it some time ago, but it is worth the while noting Mr. Plowden, one of the Metropolitan magistrates' stern view of such action when evidence of such a case was given at his court this week. It is to be noticed that turning out a< domestic by force was construed by him into an assault, and in fining her master for so doing he said—"Anything more in- human and more utterly unjustifiable than to turn a young woman out, what- ever she had done, he (the magistrate) had never heard of." I have, more than once, used very strong words concerning similar conduct towards servant girls, but I shall preserve Mr. Plowden's words as more fitting than anything I have phrased, and shall use them whenever similar ill-treat- ment is again brought to my notice. And this leads me to affirm a pretty generally held opinion, that holiday excursions are not an unmitigated bless- ing to young people, much less to the strong-minded young women who will visit our large towns alone, or, at least, in- sufficiently protected. I am no suppor- ter of the chaperone of the old six-shilling novels, but my sense of duty towards my neighbours compels me to attempt a trumpet blast of warning to parents and those who have the care of young women to be absolutely certain that their charges are entrusted to honest companions when they leave their homes for Bank Holiday pleasures. A life's degradation may date from the day when unscrupulous "smart" young men tempt from their homes on such clays the subject of a life's care of fond parents. Oh, it is a short story, but a very terrible one-a train is lost, a soul is lost—do readers want to know more ? Let them come to me, or some of the high-minded fathers of families that are to be found in the Cardiff Police Force, and if any of them are now in doubt I will guarantee their conversion to our views. I see that Cardiff is not to be permitted to remain in undisputed possession of pro- fessional jurymen, for I read m a contem- porary that London also is prepared to follow the example of the lesser Metro- polis. It will be remembered that the Cardiff Corporation emphasised its good opinion of the services rendered by what, Cardiff wags call our "Twelve Apostles" by increasing their remuneration by 50 per cent. The personnel of this unique body has changed greatly in a few years, but a few of them have a sufficiently long record of service to make their stock of information concerning inquests very inte- resting, indeed, grim though it may be considered. I desire to wish every one of them a happy New Year, provided the wish does not involve an. incrJkse of in- quests, but I am sure each of them is too humane to deny me such a reservation. The close of the first year in the twentieth century will be remembered in Watea as the time when organised capital and labour were gripping for a wrestle for legal supremacy such as had not occurred before in British history. The result of the two actions that are pending regard- ing the responsibility of the Amalgamated Society of RaiTway Servants to the Tarf Vale Railway Company and that of the Miners' Federation to the colliery proprietors, concerning alleged trade losses through stoppage of work and strikes will be anxiously awaited. There will be some history to be written when the cases are closed, but when they will be closed even the lawyers do not know.

VIENNA GAMBLING SCANDALS. The Vienna newspapers announce that the recently-reported gambling affair at the Jockey Club, in which a Polish nobleman lost jBS8,000, has been placed in the hands of I the police, and that the two persons concerned will be tried for illegal gaming. According to the Weiner Allgemeine Zeitung," the Hun- garian Deputy who was the chief winner waa' arrested and then released after a procea verbal had been drawn up. As the loser ia absent from Vienna, an official sommons aan* verbal had been drawn up. As the loser ia absent from Vienna, an official sommons oan-t -1"1 \w —"Rnritai*.

J. !!18 Watts, Watts, and Co., promised to fit and furnish the buildings throughout for the occu- pancy of the 400 boys, the captain, and the staff of officers who will be in residence. It is expected that the whole will be ready for occupancy by the 1st of August, 1902. Mr. Edward Hannay Watts ia tile senior partner of the firm of Watts, Watts, and Co., shipowners, of London, Cardiff, and Newport. For long past he has been prominent in his advocacy of the cause of the long.g\lfÏermr;. J .sailor. In 1887 he was elected president of tAc Chamber of Shipping. and in his presidential address sketched the outlines of a provosed pension fund for the relief of the widovs and orphans of deceased sailors. His rcoommrjn- danions wera subsequently focuaasd in a. Bill presented to Parliament. Mr. WsTtts is a. Northrcmberiiand man. He was hern in Blythe in 1830, and comes of a ahipbuiitding fiamily. He joined a schoolfellow, William-. Milttftrn, in a shipowning business in Newca stle, and the firm of Watts, Milbarn, and Co. ivere the first to pat steamers in the London aind Aus- tralian trade. In 1872 the house was dissolved, and ikn3 firm of Watts, Ward, and Co. eetab- lishoed. Mr. Watts purchasing 1 Jie Abercarn and Niafcional Collieries in South Wales, where 3,503 persons are now employed, whilst the outpBEt amounts to about 1,250,090 tons. Mr. Watts is largely interested and ck>sely con- nected with the most important marine insurance A-,ompanies and clubs ot the United Kingdom, and is a member of the committee of Lloyd's .Register. He is, molloover, chair- jtnan of the .London and South Wales Coal Company, tin, Abercarn Coal Company, and the National Steam Coal Com^tany. He was one of the original promoters of the Barry "Dock and Raihvay Company.