The Rhos Herald

PONKEY. APPOINTMENT.—The Rev J W Hum- phreys has been appointed by the Rev J H Shakespere, M A the secretary of the English Baptist Union, to be superintend- ent of the examinatio i of collegiate pro- bationers for the Baptist Union Minister- ial List. ENGLISH BAPTIST UNION.—The annual meetings will be held at Mount Pleasant English Baptist Church, next week. It is expected that the Rev Thomas Phillips, of Bioomsbury Institutional Church Lon- don, will be among the special preachers. ri ACCIDENT.—On Friday last, Arthur Wakefield, Glanllyn, Ponkey met with a serious accident whilst following his em- ployment at Hafod Colliery. It appears that quite unexpectedly a heavy fall of roof occurred by which he was severely hurt. A number of workmen heard the noise, and quickly extricated him. He was at once taken in the Colliery ambulance to the Ruabon Cottage Hospital. Wake- field who is 23 years of age, is a member of the Rhos Silver Band and was the pre- vious Saturday one of the party that won the first prize at the Brass Band contest at Llangollen.

Dodges of Coal-Miners. In coal-mining, as in other trades, there are many tricks played. Seams below three feet are paid extra tonnage, gener- ally a penny per ton extra for each inch in the reduction in the thickness* of the seam Certain days are set apart for the purpose of measuring, and many schemes are re- sorted to by the miners to make the mea- surement as low a possible. Thus, acord- ding to the inequalities or irregularity of the floor and roof, a place may measure three feet one day and the next only 2ft 9. The miner takes advantage of this fact by Mettiog his place stand for a whole shift, and sometimes a day, when to a reduction in the thickness of the coal seam, and it pays him, too. in other cases stone bands rub in the Seam of eoal^ land they vary in thickness also, but the miner is paid extra tonnage for the increase in the thickness of the band. Thus. you see that it means a con- siderable addition to his income to obtain an increased measurement." r A popular trick among mine managers is to work the near and most accessible coal 'in the mine, with no. regard to system so long as they succeed in obtaining a large output of coal. Having worked all the best districts, they look out for anot- her situation, and you will understand the position of the next manager and the enormous diiffculties and expense to work the mine. t

PLEASURE STEAMER IN COLLISION Passengers from Margate by the GeneraJJ: Steam Navigation Company's steamer Eagle had'i an editing experience on Tuesday evening, their steamer coming into collision with the 4811ing xmack Keur off the Girtiler Lightship. The smack was sunk, but the crew of four" hsnde. including a lad, were saved and taken 011 board the Eagle, which arrived at Tilbury at 7.15 p.m., when the rescued men, amongst wboat was Jciin Warner, the owner of the smack, wer,' seat m Micir homes at Whitsta^Le.

RHOS INTERESTING—If you require good Fresh Butter, you cannot do better than call to-day with John JWtltiams, Bank Stores, High-st, Rhos. ApVT.. I. L. P.—An open air. meeting was held on the Cross on Wednesday evening in connection with the Independent Labour Party. Mr Piatt, Mr Jonathan Garner, Mr John Williams, and others delivered short address to a good audience. THE COLOURS.—Sergt T White and private R Gough, have been selected to accompany the contingent to London on z;1 June ic, to fetch the Battalion colours presented by King Edward at Windsor. A TRIP.—On Saturday last, Mr J. Johnson, School street, organised an out- ing- for the Royton Primitive Sunday .School. The party, comprising sixty in number, drove from Wrexham to Llan- gollen, via Llandegla. GOSPEL JEXT SERVICES.—Evangelist Walter Read commenced his gospel mis- sion in Mountain st Sunday last, when he preached two rousing sermons on the Second coming of jesys." The meet- ings are continued nightly. REFUGE ASSURANCE —A meeting of the district staff was held at Ruabon on Friday, when Mr J. Davies, the superin- tendent presided, and an address by Mr E. Lloyd Jones, Warrington, was given. The winners of the prizes offered for the best results were Messrs W. J. Davies, Llangollen, T. Davies, Ruabon, and J. T. Cheshire, Rhos. SAD DEATH.—We regret to record the death of Miss Gertrude Evans, who died at the age of twenty-three, at Newtown, on Tuesday. Miss Evans had only left college some two years ago. She came to Rhos from Liverpool, and was for over twelve months a teacher at Rhos Junior Schools. M.P.'s ATTENDANCES —There were 149 I divisions in the House of Commons from the opening of the Session in February to t, y the adjournment for Whitsuntide, and of these Mr Clement Edwards attended 34, Sir Herbert Roberts 97, Mr Hemmerde 54 Mr Idris, 27 and Mr J Herbert Lewis, 136. HOMING:—The Rhos & District Homing Society flew their fourth 0 B race on Sat- urday from Yeovil a distance of 143 miles Nine members sent about 70 birds which were liberated by Convoyor Winstanley. Crewe. at 10-45 a.m. The weather at t mid. day changed to rain and mist, and it was seen, that all clubs would suffer from a5smash. At 7 o'clock on)y one had suc- ceeded in finding its way home, and three more before 8 o'clock. Jon. Richards 1st & 2nd, Dan Davies 3rd. EIGHT HOURS ACT -On Monday an im- portant meeting in the Public Hall to dis- I ciiss the new Eight Hours Act. The proceedings, which were private, listed sometime. The Act and its probable effects upon the men engaged at Collieries, were discussed, and certain proposals were agreed to —The N,lrth Wales Min- erk also held a conference at.Wrexham on Wednesday. They passed resolutions and prpposals which were submitted to the joint conference between representativee of the masters and men at Chester on Thursday. MUSICAL—M"r,Caradog Roberts, Mus Bac (Oxon) has once more returned home afttera tour. He adjudicated at eisteddfods at Swansea, London; Pontarduiais, Llan- haran, ard conducted musical festivals at Barry Port Whitland, .Llangollen, Llan- i uchllyn. Bridgend, Pembroke, Rhondda, Trehafris N ewtowll, find Sarnau, nr Os. wegtry: So great is the call upon Mr Roberta services that engagements as far ahead as 1911 are being booked by him. RH.I$COXSERVATIVJP.—A meeting Of Conservatives arw Unionists of Rhos was held at the National;Schools, on Tuesday a large attend- ance ^Ihe c^ir tops taken by Mr A B Maxwefl^M^p%t^d by Sir Watkin W Wynh; S^ajor Radcliffe^ Mr E Lloyd^jng&v B$? Charles Simpson,' and otJiersv-yBpeetf&es were made by these geru 1 emhich they referred to the necessity cfSiiijgbrfecting the Conservative organis^tio^T^^he district, r rJ SERIOU-. A.bflSsNT.—A- miner named jotin Edwards, of.Mountaii>st,' whilst at work at the 1 fafod Colliery,!onf jhucsday week, a> heavy, iall of roof cam^. dpwn coitipletety bucying him. It took consicf- erabfer ticRe to extricate Edwards, and the surprise "is that he escaped with his life. He was c,on,eyeo't o Hospital where he is attended tot by"' Dr E> J Will-1 iatns, Riios. THE R E ep- v-, .Plt-.?A t —MOTFTTT" PleasAnt B^ptUt Chapel, on Sunday 11st, the Rev J, W. Humphreys strongly de- nounc'e'Ll'. action of certain Noncon formist ministersin Wales for their wil- lingness in offering their serviced as .chap- lains of the Territorial Ar-my.I,tf"refer- ring to the parade of the Rhos T^jferritor- ials which took place at Capel Mawr, he said he viewed with regret the attempt made to associate militarism with the Free Churches in Wales. The Free Church- es of Great Britain" he said, "have al- ways been bulwarks against ths spirit of jingoism add militarism. Christ advanc. es the work of His Kiqgdom by purely spiritual means, and not by carnal weap- ons. This truth must be preached in all its force and clearness at the present day, because a misconceptioa.jSeems-to-prevail concerning it on every hand. Unless the Christian churches of the land will be on the alert, our country wilt be landed in conscription in a very short time."

JOHNSTOWN. SAD DEATH.—We regret to record the the death of Mr John Morgan, aged J9, son of Mr and Mrs Morgan, Merlin street Johnstown, who died on Wednesday last. Deceased, who seemed in good health on Whit-Monday attended the fete at Wynn- stay Park, and caught ja .severe cold by reclining on the grass. He was struck with the deadly pneumonia on Tuesday. and passed away on Wednesday, despite every effort to preserve his life. The in- terment takes place to-morrow (Saturday) at Rhos Cemetery.

A Rhos Doctor's Failure. DEALINGS "WITH MONEY LEADERS. ) At the Wrexham Bankruptcy Court on Tuesday, Dr George Knapton, of Lees- wood House, Rhos, and lately living at No 5, Panton Road, Hoole, Chester, came up for his public examination. He gave as the causes of his failure borrowing money from professional money-lenders at an excessive rate of interest and pressure by them. The liabilities were stated to be ^736 6s ld., and the assets ^497 17 8d. 2 e leaving a deficiency of £ 238 8s Skd. The debtor, who is 56 years of age, stated that he began to practice as a physician at Southampton in 1883, .and sold it for £75°' He afterwards practic- ed at Eaton Square, London, and South- port. These practices he had sold for £1,050 and £ 1,8000 respectively. He Subsequently had practices at Bowdon, Cheshire, Hulme, Manchester and Hoole, Chester, before going to Khosllan- erchrugog. He was obliged to sell the Eaton Square practice owing to his con- tracting diphtheria. His late wife had an income ot over -1cl, 000, a, year, but he re- ceived no assistance from her after he left Southport. He sold the Hulme practice to an assistant, Dr Mackay, because his health was not good. Since 1904 he had been in financial difficulties. He had bor- rowed considerably over £2,000 from different persons. The largest amount he had ever borrowed in one sum was £ 150 The rest was borrowed in small sums, and most of it was borrowed to pay off money due to other money-lenders. The further examination was adjourned to the next court to enable the debtor to supply an account of his dealings with money-lenders for the past two years.

Welsh Territorials. ADVANCE OF FIVE THOUSAND SINCE JANUARY. Major-General Lloyd, who commands the Welsh Territorial Division, after a military church parade at Oswestry on Sunday, distributed, long service med- als to members of the Shropshire Light Infantry. The ceremony was attended by the Mayor and Corporation, and General Lloyd, addressing the company, said he was delighted to announce that the divis- ion, which comprises bf the whole of Wales and the four Border counties was five thousand stronget tliday than it was on January 1. This was an expression On the part of a free people that they intend- ed to remain free. He believed that in a short time we should have a Territorial army worthy of this great land.

New Brighton Band Contest There were fourteen entries for tire eleventh annual brass band contest, which took place at the New Brighton Tower grounds on Saturday. There were' seven prizes, the first consistii^| of the Tower Challenge cup, ^30 in cash, and a silver mounted baton. The winners were: I, Irwetl Springs (cup holders) 2, Goodshaw 3. Wingate Temperance 4 Cleckheaton Victoria 5, Shaw; 6, Pedection Soap Works; 7, Fodens. The Black Dike Band were among the unsuccessful competitors.

Oldest Welsh Bridge. The Flintshire and Denbighshire Coun- ty Councils are about to undertake jointly the repair of the old stone bridge which carries the Wrexham to Whit- church main road over the river Dee at Bangor-is-y-coed The bridge is one of the oldest in Wales, having being built about the middle of the eleventh century, and it is reputed to have been repaired by Inigo. Jones, in 1656.

-+- Mr Griffith Boscawen on Church Defence. Speaking on Church Defence at Llan- gefni, Mr Griffith Boscawen, said they ought to show the people of England that W elhmèn were in eat nest in defence of the Church. The Nonconformists had a perfect right, if they wished, to separate themselves from the Church, but they had no right to walk off wit a part of the Church's property. The present attack was an attempt to keep quiet a certain noisy portion of the party which support- ed the Government by bringing in a bill to disestablish and diseudow a part of the Church to which they had implacable hatred. ,j

A Children's court was held at Wrex- hamf on Monday, when a boy of twelve was charged with indecently assaulting a child of five. Mr Hopley Pierce prosecut- ed, and several witnesses gave evidence. The magistrates ordered defendant to re- ceive six strokes with the birch rod. Sunday was the birthday of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, Bart, C B. and on Mon- day the bells of Ruabon parish church were rung at intervals throughout the day The event was celebrated in the customary manner by the employes at Wynnstay. Sir Watkin, who is in the best of health, attended divine service at Ruabon parish church on Sunday morning. .a •&*# its-SeX"

Mr Hemmerde M.P., Speaks in the House. In the debate on the- Budget's land proposals in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Mr HEMMERDE said the whole ker- nel of the land proposals was in the valu- ation clauses. He valued the proposals not only for what they did, but for their rich promise tor the future. Nothing could be done In the direction of land re- form without valuation The municipal- ities had for many years petitioned Par- liament to be allowed to rate land values, and as there was no difference in princi- ple between the rating and taxation of land values he claimed that this was not really a party question. For Mr Cox to accuse the Government of indirect and vindictive motives when they were carry- ing out proposals tor which he himself ar- gued twenty years ago showed a lack of humour or something bordering on imper- tinence. To illustrate the growth of un- earned value, Mr Hemmerde told howa market gardener in Australia bought cer- tain plots of land in the then budding vil- lage of Melbourne. To-day his descend- ants were drawing an income of tens of thousands of pounds from the drunken folly of their ancestor.—(Laughter and cries of It was not folly.") Well, some people were only wise when they were drunk. (Laughter). The bulk of Lon- don was owned by about seven men, and the title of the seven to the land was just as ludicrous as that of the market gar- dener at Melbourne. Ground rents formed a private tax levied by'private individuals oti"p udder the protection pf the state, and he could conceive of no fairer subject to tax than such private taxes.

Denbighshire Licences. The principal meeting of the Denbigh- shire County Licensing Committee was held on Tuesday, at Colwyn Bay. The meeting was held to determine whether seven of the licences referred for extinction by the local magistrates should be with- drawn and the parties compensated out of the fund raised from the levies upon the licence holders of the county. COLLIERS' ARMS,-PENYCAE. The licence of the Colliers' Arms, Peny- cae, was extinguished on compensation, with the consent of the owner and licence holder. OTHER HOUSES. Other licenses extinguished on com- pensation were The Hand Inn, Llansilin, Eagles Inn, Denbigh, Crown Inn, Aber- gele, Bodnot Arms, Eglwysbach, Crescent Inn, Glan Conway. RENEWED. The licence of the Hand Inn, Llanar- mon, Dyffryn Ceiriog. was renewed. The net result of the sitting was to close six out of the seven houses The amount of the compensation will be fixed at the next meeting.

Sir Herbert Roberts' Generous Gift. At the meeting of the North Wales Methodist Association, held at Denbigh, on Wednesday, the Rev John Owen re- ferred to the fact that some time ago, Sir Herbert Roberts, M.P., offered to sub- scribe £ 50 a year for three or four years towards the Bala College funds and to give to the College ,Ci.ooo at the end of that period on condition that the money should go towards increasing the salaries of the professors. This. said Mr Owen, did not mean that the salaries now paid the professors should be increased, be- cause the scheme adopted two or three years ago included the proposed increase. Sir Herbert's gift enabling the College Committee to carry "that scheme out. Another condition appertaining to the gift was that neither the site of the college nor its constitution should be altered with- in the period named. The College Com- mittee had agreed to the conditions. The action of the Committee w^unani- mously confirmed by the Association, and a hearty vote of thariks was passed to Sir Herbert Roberts. I

News Of Evan Roberts. Evan Roberts has been visited at Leicester by Professor Pike, of Cambridge who records his impressions thus :— He pro/ed to be better than I hoped, both in looks, deportment, knowledge, and capacity. Bronzed and stalwart, he looks the picture of health though not yet ready, I should say, for a severe nerve strain. But there is no trace of the neurotic about him and we chatted free- ly for hours on the science of revivals and the secrets of spiritual victory. No word of repining or recrimination-such as we often hear from those who have broken down-passed his lips. He harbours no self piety. There is no doubt of his in- tellectual capacity, and he is thoroughly sane and sagacious. Mr Roberts lives in the present, and believes he has done more for the church and the world in his retiiement than he d.id before. Certainly he prays much, with an intelligent appre- ciation of the laws and power of prayer. It is evident, too, that he ponders much upon the theory of what h# practised so strenuously on these Welsh battlefields. >

RUABoif POLItE COURT. To-day, Friday, before Hugh Peel, (in the cbairy,, Mr R. R. Jones, Alderman Jonathan,. Giiffiths. ancr Mr R. Pritebard. EACH AS BAD AS THE OTHER. Edward Jones, School-street, Rhos, was charged with assaultiLg William Paddock, Johnstown, 01S May 31st. Complainant said that on Whit Monday evening he was coming home from Kuabon, when he was struck several times by defendant, for no provoca- tion whatever. David Evans corroborated. Jethro Carter also corroborated, and admitted that both defendant and complainant had drinks although they were by no means drunk. Defendant said he was coming home from Bua"" bon Park on the night in question, when he happen* ed to brufh against Paddock as passing him. Up- on this, Paddock turned to him, and asked him tv he wanted anything." Botla, then exchange^ words, which led to a fight. Dicky Jarvis, a ytung Rhosite of hercoleaxs? proportions, said that at the time, he was walking some distance behind the others. Ele saw the t-wo" young men having a smack at each other. L;om. plainant got the worst oi it. The Bench dismissed the charge, saying it was æ case of six of one and half-a-dozen of the other Each would have to pay his own costs. PONKEY MAN SENT TO PRISON. Richard Phillips, Chanel-street, Ponkey, was' charged with assaulting a girl named Elizabeth Large, twelve years of age, Tanylan, Ruabon, oni May 19ih. Mr Hopley Pierce, Wrexham, appeared for the' prosecution and ,Mr W. H. Churton, Chester, lol" the dEfeLce. Some discussion took place as to whether thØ" case should be tried as an indecent assault or aa w common assault. Eventually it was d cided to tvf. the case as one of common assault. Mr Churton said he would plead guilty to a com- raon assault, although by so doing he was not by* any means admitting an indecent assault. Mr Pierce in outlining the cise, paid that a little1 girl, not quite 12 yeard of «ge, living at TanylaJJ^ Ruabon, was sent with & message by her father CD May 19 She had to pass the shop of the d,-ieu& ant in Paddock Row, and when she was doing w he called her in and took her into the shop. He locked the door on the inside and took her near the fire and there committed the offence complained ois While the girl was in the s-hop, a man entered ther door to make a pu,chase. Mr Churton pleaded guilty of the charge of com-r mon assault. The M-gifatrates after retiring a bbort time, eaitB that they hud found the defendant guilty of a most dattArdly assault. lie would be sentenced to twC" months hard labour.

North Wales Miners. CONFERENCE AT CHESTES; A conference between coalowners and re- presentatives of the North Wales Minerso, Association was held yesterday at Chester, with the object of arriving at some under. standing for the amicable working of the Eight Houis Act in the North Wales coal field The meeting lasted for several hours* From the men's point of vipw the most significant proposal submitted was that the- first persons to be lowered into the mine# should be day men and boys. The men's representatives contended this would in* crease instead of reduce the hours of la* bour. The conference broke up without- any definite decision being arrived at;

Methodists and Morals in Walesa At the Quarterly Association of Norttl Wales Calvinistic Methodists at Denbigh yesterday, reference was made to the moø- ral and spiritual condition of the country.. A-decrease having been reported in tbe": membership of the Sunday Schools in the" Vale of Clwyd district, the Rev R J Jones' ascribed the decrease to the wave of apathy" that had swept over the country after the revival. Drunkenness and immorality were?5 the chief causes of the backsliding which had taken place since then. The Rev Wm Owen, Liverpool, said ther, spiritual condition of the churches in re- gard to morality and truthfulness was such as to cause serious alarm. He regretted to admit that immorality was rampant in tbap, country, and the people's consciousness of- sin and its inevitable results. seemed to be less susceptible than it was years ago. The' situation was a serious one, and should be' faced with courage and determination. It was decided to appoint a committed to consider the matter and report. I

The Greenwich magistrate comiritt-cd AiberC Hitchcock and his wife Ada for trial ehj.-trg'ecf; with concealment of birth. A charge of Tittu- slaughter was not sustained. At StocktoJi-on-Tees Philip Ilaswell, a grocery- was committed for trial charged with attempt" ing to murder his wife and five children at Haverton Hill. Positions on the sands at Blackpool for sale of ice-cream, oysters, and other refresh* ments during the ensuing season brought JB1,012 at auction. Major Grahain, of London, the technical ad- ji8jr ^le Tilbury (Ontario) oil fields, ha*' died of apoplexy at Chatham (Ontario). Portsmouth ships belonging to the first ancf second divisions of the Home Fleet arrived at' Spitheaa frpm Cromarty Firthi ;>- ..¿