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MLD-CARDIGANSHIRE EDUCATIONAL…

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MLD-CARDIGANSHIRE EDUCATIONAL CON- FERENCE. ATTENDANCE AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. PROPOSED UNITED ACTION BY TEACHERS, SCHOOL BOARDS. AND MAGISTRATES. A conference of head teachers, members of school board1), managers of voluntary schools and others taking an interest in elementary and second- ary education was held at Felinfaoh, near Lam- peter, on Saturday, July 1st, with the view of con- sidering what steps to take towards remedying the poor state of the attendance at elemen'ary schools in the county. The conference was called by the Llanfihangel Ystrad U D. School Board, through Mr Daniel Watkins, who was amply repaid for the great trouble he has taken in the matter by the hearty response given all rcund to his invitation. The chair was taken by Mr Darlington, H. M. in- spector of schools for the di-rrict, who was sup- ported 0& the platform by Mr E C. Willmott, member of the Executive Committee of the National Union of Teachers Mr T. H. R. Hughes, J.P., Neuaddfawr the Rev J. M Griffiths, J.P Aberayron; Mr Mnrgan Evans, J.P., Llnnarth the Rev T. C. Edmunds, J.P., Trefilan Mr D Tivy Jones, of Lampeter Mr Daniel Jones, chairman of the Llanfihangel Ystrad School Board. Among others present were Profe-sor Robert Williams, Lampeter; Mr J. M. Howell. J.P., Miss Evans, Aberayron Dr Evans, Tynant the Rev — Morris, Silian the Rev B. C. Davies, Tyny- gwndwn Mr D. E. Davies, Gelly, chairman of the Llancrwys School Board; Messrs M. Giiffiths, D. Jones (Cribin), D. Hughes and J. Davies, members of the Llanfihangel School Board, and Mr Daniel Watkins, member of that Board and hon. sec. of the Conference. There were also present the following headmasters and headmistresses of elementary schools :-1r Dan Jenkins, Fa'dy- brenin Mr Davies, Ram Mr Lewis, Lampeter Miss Bowen and Mrs Jones. Lampeter Mr Lewis, Llanybyther Mr Jones. Llangeitho Mr Davies, Llanddewibrefi Mr Thomas, New Court Mr Griffiths, Cnbin: Mr Jones, Llanwnen Mr Stewart, Silian Mr Jones, Bettws; Mr Davies Llangybi Mr Davie-, Farmers Mi-s Evans, Di- hewid Miss Jacob, Llanarth Mr Richard Davies, Talgarreg Mr Issac Evans, Mydroilyn Mr R. E. Bevan, Llanarth Mr H. Jones, Penlone Air J. R. Davies and Mr H. Jones, Aberayron Mr S E. Davies, Llanddewi Aberarth Mr T. R. Da\ies, Llannon Mr D. Rees, Pennant Mr W. Morgans, Cross Inn Mr W. D. Evans, Cilcenin, Mr J. B. Jones, Ciliau Park Mr J. LI. Davies, Felinfach and Mr D. Davies, Bwlchllao. As will be seen by the above list, there wt re schoolmastersand school- mistresses present from all parts of the county in spite of the boisterous weather and the great dis- tances over bad roads through the bleakest country which some of them had to travel. This is evid- ence alike of the widespread character of the evil complained of in the circular and of the large place which the prosperity of their schools occupies in the hearts of elementary school teachers of Cardiganshire. The CHAIRMAN*, speaking in Welsh, said—The fact of the holding of a meeting of this kind is a hopeful sign, and the recent revival of interest in the whole question of school attendance is one of the encouraging elements of the situation. (Hear, hear.) It was high time to move in the matter. Wales has been far too self-satisfied in reference to education and is too inclined to rest upon her oars. For years the inspectors have been calling serious attention to the subject of attendance at elementary schools and it is to Mr Legard that the honour is due of having moved first in the matter and of having had something done. (Hear, hear.) It is remarkable how little is generally known of the relative position of Wales in regard to school attendance compared with the other parts of the United Kingdom. Our system of education is com- plete and there is a natural tendency to suppose that because the machinery is perfect that the edu- cation itself is faultless, but while we have beeu congratulating ourselves upon being better than our neighbours on the other side of (jtfa's Dyke, the fact has been too much ignored that the attendance in Welsh schools is considerably lower than it is in England. The reports of examiners in intermedi mediate schools have beeu a rude awakening to us and have shown us that for some reason or other the state of education in Wales is considerably below what we had thought it was. Side by side with ignorance of facts has been ignorance of the law When I commenced to exercise presuure on school boards and school managers, I found much ignor- ance of the state of the law in regard to the com- pulsory attendance of children and especially as to the age when a child was-permittcd to leave school and the standard which he was compelled to pass. There are many cases of schools in a pitiful state as regards attendance which I could mention, but I will not go into details at present. There is on. thing I want to lay special emphasis upon, and that is, that in the ultimate resort, everything depends upon the public mind—upon the enlightened co- operation of the public—(applause)—and the diffi- culty in Wales is that public opinion is not suffi- ently enlightened upon this subject. I will quote the words of the Departmental Committee of 1SS1, which were as follows: "There is in Wales much enthusiasm for education in singular combination, with considerable ignorance of what is meant by the word." This is as true to-day as it was eighteen years ago. though since then education has made considerable strides. (Hear, hear.) People in Wales know how to make sacrifices for secnnriary education and for higher education, and yet they have not succeeded in grasping the elementary fact cf the necessity of sending their children to school regularly. There is in Wales zeal without know- ledge. (Hear.) How is it that public opinion in Wales is not so enlightened as it is in Scotland Well, it is i matter of history. In Scotland, they have had an excellent educational system for centuries, while Wales was almost destitute of educational opportunities until some twenty years ago. Hence the absence of an educated public opinion in Wales as compared with Scotland. People in Wales do not realise how much they lose and their children lose by being absent from school on one day out of five, (Applause.) They do not realise how much the whole school IOSPS by the absence of a number of children every day in the week—(hear, hear)—and I tell you, we must educate the parents before we can expect to educate the children. (Laughter and applause) I do hope a.nd trust that a tew era is now dawning upon Wales. There are signs that the public mind has been roused, and I hope that one of the results of this conference will be that the people will be awakened to a sense of their duties in this matter. (Cheer?.) Recently some gentle- men from London have been giving us their views upon this subject. I have not read their speeches, but I understand that they laid special emphasis on the fact that as regards attendance in elemen- tary schools Wales comes out a bad third as com- pared with Scotland and England. Well, there is DOthing new in that. Some of us have been preaching that for years—(hear, hear)—but for my own part I am glad to obtain the assistance of these gentlemen and we welcome their criticism so far as it is based upon knowledge and sympathy. (Cheers.) Wales in the past has learned much from her critics and she is ready to learn from them in the future. However, I do not wish to leave the impression upon anybody's mind that I credit Wales with being a bad third in education generally, as she is in the matter of attendance. If Wales is behind in some of these things, she is an easy first in others. (Cheers.) For it is not by talking about education that Wales has shown the greatness of her love towards it, but she had paid towards it generously, wil- lingly, not from her wealth, but from her poverty. (Loud cheers.) We readily admit that there is much ignorance in Wales in reference to the true means of education and its true nature, but Wales does not yield to England in her love for education. This is not easy optimism, it is the saving factor of the situation, for it is this spirit that created her intermediate schools, her colleges, and her University—(cheers)—and it is to this that we must look to remedy the manifold faults of our elementary education. We must educate public opinion upon this subject, and for this reason I welcome this conference, because I believe it will be the means of awakening interest and securing the co-operation of parents and the public generally in the difficult work we have before us. (Loud applause.) The Rev T. C. EDMUNDS moved That this meet- ing is of opinion that the model bylaws issued by the Education Department should be immediately adopted throughout Mid-Cardiganshire without a half-time clause and with Standard V. or any standard above that as a standard of exemption." He said—It affords me much pleasure to obey Mr Watkins's request to move this resolution knowing that he has the good of the schools at heart, and I certainly hope and trust that this meeting will bring forth good fruit. (Hear, hear.) After what Mr Darlington has told us 30 excellently in regard to the schools, I do not think it necessary for me to go into the matter at any length. I may say that for the last twenty years I have been more or less associated with public schools and the most vexed question at all times has been the question of attendance. (Hear, hear.) Resolutions upon resolutions have been passed, but so far nothing has really been done. The non attendance of chil dren is not only a loss to the school managers and to the school, but the greatest loss of all is to the children themselves. (Applause.) Why are we in Wales so much behind other people in this direction? I believe it is simDly because there is not sufficient pressure brought to bear upon parents to compel them to attend school. I do not know where the fault lies. It is not altogether the fault of the parents, though they are more or less to blame, but I think that if the school managers exercised their authority a little more stringently the attendance would improve immensely. (Hear, aear.) I should prefer that Standard VI. should be the standard of exemption. I believe our children leave school a great deal too soon. A child in Standard V. when he leaves school, in a short time has forgotten everything he has learned, and for that reason I would make the standard of ex- emption higher. (Applause.) Mr LLOYD, Adsolwen. Llanon, seconding the pro- position, said he would also prefer the standard being the sixth. Now they experienced great diffi- culty in keeping the children at school until they had passed the fourth standard. He agreed with Mr Darlington that they would have to educate the parents betore they could get at the children. He feared that the educational movement in Wales had begun at the top instead of at the bottom. (Laughtei and hear, hear.) School boards at present were backward in prosecuting, and then when they did prosecute magistrates were backward in the matter of tiuing. He therefore thought it would be a good plan to have a conference of schoolmasters, school boards, and magistrates so as to secure a better un- derstanding all round. (Applause.) Mr T. H. R. HUGHES, who was received with cheers, said in regard to the question of exemption that great difficulty was at present found in keeping children until they had passed the fourth standard. The other day a farmer was telling him he feared that with all this education they would before very IOUH have no working men. He (Mr Hughes), however, thought that if children everywhere wera like they were at Llanwenog, where very few passed their fourth standard, there was no fear of that coming about. (Laughter.) Mr JENKIN LLOYD, Tregaron, said he was in full sympathy with this movement and as one who had had something to do with the question of attendance he was glad to see that something was going to be done at last. The first thing uhat was wanted was co-operation and a good u 'derstanding all round. At present school boards did not work togethir and if one board took drastic measures there was always a quiet little b ard close by which did nothing at ail and the children fled to that school. (Hear, hear.) There was no doubt much to be done. At present it Wil-S as if a Welshman was going to run a hundred yards race with an Englishman and a Scotchman and he gave them fifty yards start. Welsh children were handicapped in their race in life by the neglect of Welsh parents in this matter. (Applause.) The Rev Mr MORRIS, Silian, was in favour of raising the standard to the sixth, and asked the Chairman whether it would not be possible to insert in the bylaws the words Fifth or any standard above that." The CHAIRMAN thought the exact standard would have to b3 mentioned. The Rev J. M GRIFFITHS, Aberaeron, said he was going to move an amendment to the orginial proposition. Speaking for himself, he considered tait Standard VI., w's quite low enough. (Fear, hear.) If they raised the standard and fixed it at Standard V I. they would undoubtedly find that the parents would be much more assiduous in their efforts to make their children attend. It was not difficult for a child of average intelligence to reach the sixth standard ac a comparatively young age. His (the speaker's) child was now only ust ten and long before he reached his eleventh year he would be in Standard VI. and before he was twelve he would have passed that standard. He thought a child of ordinary intelligence could pass Standard VI. before the age of twelve and he maintained that no child under twelve should be allowed to leave school to do manual labour. (Htar, hear.) He begged to move that thp standard of exemption should be the sixth and not the fifth. Mr T. H. R. HUGHES seconded the amendment. Mr MORGAN EVANS, J.P., thought it would b. better to leave the proposition as it stood. It would be quite easy to raise the standard again, but by placing the standard too high now they wcuid be risking the loss of the co-operation of some of the school boards. The CHAIRMAN then put the amendment, for which thirty-one voted. The Rev Mr MORRi-May I ask whether it is possible to embody the resolution as it reads in the bylaws ? The CHAIRMAN—I do not think so, as a particular standard is mentioned in the model bylaws. Of course, it rests with the Education Department, but it is extremely unlikely that they will depart from the existing form of the bylaws in this particular. The proposition was then put to the meeting and, thirty-five voting for it, it was carried. Mr MORGAS EVANS, J.P., moved that a certain minimum percentage of attendances should be re- quired annually of each child between five and fourteen years of age and not legally entitled to exemption from school attendance." Mr Evans said he had been connected with a school board for I exactly twenty-eight years and had been as faith- ful to the work which devolved upon him in that cipacity as circumstances permitted. His ex- perience was that there were special difficulties in the way of board schools carrying out their duties. The first difficulty was in connection with thnse who contributed the education, that was, the staff He took advantage of the presence of h,r Majesty's Inspector at that meeting to say that he believed there was considerable fault attached to the Edu- cation Department in this matter. He (Mr Evans) did not admit the right of the Education Department to say that there should be a certain number of teachers for a school of so much average atten- dance, only to find fault if the school boards did not employ more. (Hear, hear.) The second d fficulty was the attendance at school. He feared that was not a matter to be dealt' with altogether in the abstract. They might be able to initiate a system of dealing with the question of non-atten- laoce generally, but after all the greatest difficulty would be experienced in dealing with -individual cases. (Hear, hear.) However, one thing was manifestly essential and that was the co operation of school boards all over the district. He had observed that in all schools the worst cases were those of children living on the borders of the school districts who, if they were dealt with by one board, would go under the other. (Hear,hear.) Again they wanted a change in the method of dealing with recalcitrant parents, A more futile remedy for the neglect of parents to send their children to school could not be conceived than a fine of five shillings and costs and the chance of being left off. with a caution. (Laughter.) He knew parents who said, It is more advantageous for us to run the ri-k of being fined five shillings," because it was merely a risk. Very often it paid better to let the child go out to work and pay an occasional five shillings, as the earnings would amount to perhaps double that sum. (Hear, hear.) The only way to deal with this kind of thing was to tackle the employer, because the tine in his case was much heavier. He expected more from the co operation of school boards and magistrates than from anything. (Applause.) It was high time that parents were roused to a sense of their duty to their children. This period was the most crucial period in the existence of the child, when his nature was unfolding and he was beginning to open his eyes to observe the world around him. (Hear, hear.) It was astonishing how indifferent parents were in this matter. Many of them would not get up a quarter of an hour earlier in order to send their children to school in time. It was the indifferent parents who ruined children-the parents who did not care whether they went to school or not. These children went out into life without any definite aim or object and became, if not actual beggars, what was next door to that. (Ap- plause.) Mr D. JONES, chairman of the Llanfihangel Ystrad School Board, seconded the motion, observ- ing that it was time something was done in this matter, for on the attendance of the children of this generation at their elementary schools depended the future of Wales—Cymru Fydd, (Applause.) Mr WILLMOTT supported the motion, remarking at the outset that he would have preferred to have it couched in more definite terms. He would like to have a certain minimum per centage set down. Proceeding, he said there was no doubt that the most serious hindrance to the education of the country was the way in which children attended their schools. (Hear, hear.) Let them consider for a moment how many children did attend schools throughout England and Wales every day. At present there were absent every day that the schools were open over a million children. Every morning and afternoon in London there were over 100,000 children absent and the worst feature in this was the fact that these children, almost without exception, were the children of thriftless, careless parents who-did not care what became of their children and the very children which they wanted to get into their schools. (Hear, hear.) But do what they would they could not bring these children to school and they gradually drifted into the street and made up in the end a large proportion of the criminals of the country. The bulk of parents no doubt sent their children to school with great regularity and at great sacrifice, but if they went and looked at the registers of the schools of the country what did they find ? They found that a lar £ e per centage of children were habitually absent whose parents did not trouble or care whether they went to school or did not. Yet they were supposed to have compulsory education. In the Act of 1S70 provision was made that every child should receive an efficient education and should attend school regularly, but it had become practic ally a dead letter. When the Act was introduced Sir Charles Dilke said it was the most tyrannical Act passed by any country and yet this very Act was now laughed at alike by the parents and em- ployers of school children. (Hear, hear.) The law was all right, but it was the administration of it that they grumbled at and he took it that one of the objects of that meeting was to try and secure a better administration of the Education Act. (Ap- plause.) He believed that at present in the majority of places children left school at any time after they had passed the first standard. He believed that was so in Cardiganshire. He had I been making enquiries and he had found that prac- tically the same method of dealing with this matter prevailed here as all over the country. He did not wish to cast all the blame on the attendance officers for this state of things. As a rule, he believed that the attendance officer tried to do his best, but what did they do with him? He had to walk from village to village and do a. lot of hard work and I they paid him, in some cases, five pounds a year. (Laughter.) The attendance officer knew he could not do the work properly for that amount and the whole thing became a farce as far as he was con- cerned. But, suppose the attendance officer did his work and brought some parents before the board or an attendance committee, every sort of frivolous excuses were accepted and it was with the greatest difficulty in the world that he could get them to put the Act into force. But, again, suppose the attendance committee did take action and brought the people before the magistrates, what happened ? In many cases the magistrate did not want to be unpopular in his own district and winked at the offence. (Hear. hear.) Now, he said, that the law, as regards attendance at schools, should be applied in the same way as law concerning every other offence. If a man was brought up (or keeping a dog without a licence or anything of that kind he was soon brought to his senses. But for non-attendance the fines were small-the maximum penalty was only five shillings—and very often the cases were adjourned for a month or two, which WAS the VFRY worst thing that could be done, for during that period the child never went to school at all and when the t me was up the parents were only too glad to pay the fine out of his earnings. In Scotland the fine was never less than 20s and cost-" and if they went to Germany they did not get fined at all, but they were put in prison. (Laugnter and hear, hear.) Now, he did not say for a moment that the magistrates were really against popular education, but he did say that they did not grasp the situation. They forgot or did not realise that the schools of the present day were the training grounds of the nation. If they took these things a little more into consideration they would impress upon parents the value of regular attendance .1' school. He thought a meeting of this kind would do a great deal in districts ike that, whfre the attendance was undoubtedly bad—(hear, hear)— esptcially when they could get a gentlemanlike Mr Darlington to take the chair, and as many magistrates as they could get on the platform That meeting, he thought, was a credit to Mr Watkins who organized the meeting. (Hear, hear.) Now was the remedy for this state of things? He would increase the maximum fine, one thing. If they went to the pcckets of the parents they would find that they would soon send their children to school. Again magistrates should have a list of legitimate excuses to accept and out- side these they should not be allowed to move— they would be bound to convict. (Hear, hear) It was not a bit of good managers of schools and school boards going on building and furnishing schools uuless they could bring parents to thoroughly understand that it was a serious crime to rob their children of the education within their grasp. (Applause,) Mr Willmott went on to refer to the Half-timers Bill now before Parliament which he said had been spoiled by the com- promise which the promoters had been forced to arrive at owing to the opposition of members representing the agricultural commuLity. Coming to the s ate of attendance in the immediate neigh- bourhood, he said from the Government returns he found that the percentage of children attending schools throughout the country was :—Scotland. 84*3 England, 81 6—just what Scotland was six years ago— Wales, 75 86 Cardiganshire, 72-97, be ing one of the three lowest counties in England and Wales. The lowest county in England was that which had a percentage of 74, so that C'rdiganshire was much lower than the lowest of the English couniies. Now, he did not see why this should be so. The children of Wales were quite as intelligent as those of any other part of the United Kingdom. Coming to Mid-Cardieanshire, he found that the percent- age was more serious even than that of the whole of Cardiganshire. He believed it was as low as 61'. Ir one school, the percentage was as low as forty. va8 time the authorities were roused to a sense 01 iheir responsibility. It was a curious fact that in the matter of children leaving school, Cardigan shire had a better percentage than that for the whole of England and Wales. The percentage of children who attended in Cardiganshire after pass ing the exemption standard was 22-l and the per- centage for the whole of England and Wales was 19'7. (Hear, hear.) In conclusion, he urged tha- the conscience of the country should be roused. So long as the present state of things was allowed to continue, so long would the crime of the country would increase and grow. (Applause.) Mr ÐAXIEL WATKINS explained the purport of the resolution in Welsh, ano, referring to the ques- tion of child labour, said in the parish of Ys rad no child leaving school ever applied for a labour certificate, and it was the same in most other par- ishes. Unless Mr Darlington put his foot dowu and stopped the grant, there was no hope of our school boards doing anything. (Hear, hear.) Why were our school boards so apathetic ? If was because persons became members who had no object except to continue to sit on the boards and who would not do their duty if it meant risking the loss of a. single vote. (Cheers.) The Rev J. M. GRII-FITH,> next moved:, "That &h" managers, head teachers, and others engaged in Mid Cardiganshire in the administration of the Elementary Education Acts should form themselves into an association to carry out the resolutions passed at this meeting and to consider other matters of common interest, and that the immedt- ?te arrangements be entrusted to a committee con- sisting of one representative from each body of school managers joining the association, and a certain prop ^rtionate number to be agreed upon of head teachers." In doing so, he said great credit was due to the YsLrad School Board, and especially to Mr D. Watkias, the hon. secretary, for having called that meeting. (Hear. hear.) They were not there that day to reproach each other. If they were to do that it would be a very easy thing to fiud faults on all sides in regard to the administration of the Education Acts. He quite agreed with Mr Willmott as to the necessity of increasing the maximum fine. He thought per- sons should be fined not up to five shillings, but up to five pounds according to their circumstances. (Hear, hear.) But so long as the law remained as it was, magistrates could not go higher than five shillings including costs. They were told that magistrates did not do their duty because they did not wish to be unpopular. That might be true, but he should like to ask whether school boards and school attendance cornm ttees were quite blameless in the matter. (Applause.) He was sure he could answer for the Aberayron bench that they were quite as anxious to administer the law as the generality of school managers. Continuing. the speaker emphasized the I ecessity of having the cases better prepared before going before the magistrates and if necessary engaging solicitors. But he was surprised that the people of Cardigan- shire who, he was sure, were as shrewd as any people in the world—(laughter)—did not see what they lost by this non-attendance, heavy ratepayers as they were. A great loss was the loss to the child, and to the nation, and the future of our country, but there was also a substantial loss to the ratepayeis. (Applause.) He maintained that if all did their duty the percentage for Cardigan- shire could be raued to something like ninety. (Applause.) Mr D. TIVY JONES seconded the proposition aod said he was not going to tffer a word of apology for the magistrates who took a lenient view of what had been properly described that day as a crime, but he might be allowed, with due respect to school boards and attendance committees, to mention the fact that during his short experience as magistrate he had seen cases brought before the Bench in such an unprepared, unmethodical man- ner that no jury in the world, let alone magis- trates, would convict. (Hear, hear.) The least thing that could be asked was that the case should be prepared be- fore coming into Court. In conclusion, he said he was glad to see Mr Willmott preseut that day. He (the speaker) would like to tell him in common with the other friends there that day that though the role of candid friend was never a pleas- ant one, there was no danger of Welshmen resent- ing the efforts of anyone who tried to assist them to reach high educational ideals, and they would be thankful in the end for any remarks which might at first be a little unpalatable. (Applause.) The Rev J. M. GRIFFITHS expressed the sincere hope that one of the matters considered by thin Association would be the establishment of central classes for pupil teachers. (Applause.) Of all the weaknesses in our system of elementary education, he was convinced that the greatest was the lack of means for training their pupil teachers who were also over-worked. (Hear, hear.) He hoped they would be able to form central classes in the district where pupil teachers could be trained and be was sure that school managers all over the district would be glad to contribute towards the expenses. (Applause.) Professor ROBERT WILLIAMS supported the motion, and speaking in Welsh, sid it was time that the standard of elementary education was raised. There was no class of men whom he ad- mired more than teachers of elementary schools— (hear, hear)—and he said this with all sincerity— that they did not receive the support which they ought to receive. (Applause.) Much had been said as to the faults in our system of elementary education and it had been suggested that the parents should be educated. He would go further and say that school boards should be educated. (Laughter.) One lesson they ought to be taught was to pay more salaries to their teachers. (Applause by the teachers.) He could tell them that he did not consider his work to be a whit more important than the work of an ele- mentary teacher. (Cheers.) To secure the reforms which they desired they must get co-operation among school boards. He thought it would be a good thing to have a county council of education, as it were, made up of men who were not afraid of doing their duty from fear of being lower on the poll next time. (Hear, hear.) He might say in reference to the training of school teachers that if that might be of any use to them he would take a class of teachers in history at Lampeter College free of charge. (Loud applause.) The proposition was then carried and it was decided that two representatives on the Association should be elected by the headmasters of each of the three unions of Mid-Cardiganshire and a represen- tative should he elected by each school board. Mr Watkins and Mr Lewis, Lampeter, were appointed hon. secretaries. Mr J. M. HOWELL, J.P., Aberayron, proposed a vote of thanks to the Chairman and Mr Willmott for their attendance, remarking that they would never forget the part which both took in that move- ment. Their thanks were also due to Mr Watkins, the disinterested and indefatigable secretary, to wh"m the credit was due for that successful meet- ing. (Applause.) Mr DA JENKINS seconded the proposition which was carried amid applause.. Both Mr WILLMOTT and the CHAIRMAN then re- sponded, the latter observing that Mr Legard had written declaring his sympathy with the movement, but was unable to be present. He was at Lam- peter on Tuesday and it was impossible for him to come down to Lampeter twice in one week. The meeting then broke -ip.

TREGARON.

YSBYTTS YSTWYTH.

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BAR IOUTH.

LAMPETER.

THE WATERWORKS.

OUT OF ORDER.

THE MARKET PLACE.

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PWLLHELI.

THE COUNCIL GETS EXCITED.