The Welsh Coast Pioneer and Review for North Cambria

Llanrwst Appeal Case. Rev. John Gower and the Bridge Assessment. Appeal Successful. A Man of Many Parts. AT the Carnarvonshire Quarter Sessions, on Thursday, the Rev. John Gower, rector of Trefriw, and Mr J. Evans Jones, also of Trefriw, appealed against the assessment of the bridge and road between Llanrwst and Trefriw., the respondents being the Assessment Committee of the Llanrwst Union. Mr Samuel Moss M.P. (instructed by Messrs Wynne Jones and Jones), was for the appellants, and Mr" Ellis Jones Griths, M.P. (instructed by Messrs David Jones and Roberts), for the re- spondeltts. Counsel stated that the appellants were owners and occupiers of the road and bridge referred to, which was partly situated in the counties of Car- narvon and Denbigh. There were three parish- es concerned in Carnarvonshire, viz., Trefriw, Llanhochwyn, and Trewydr, and consequently there were three separate appeals while in Den- bighshire there was the parish of Llanrwst urban. He proposed to deal first with the appeal against the Trefriw parish, and if the court established a principle with regard to that they migm possi- bly agree as to the other two appeals. The total length of the road was 1,935 yards. In 1897 a valuation was made of the bridge and the road by Mr Charles Jones, of London, Who was ap- 1 pointed valuer by the Assessment Committee, and those figures had remained in force, the total assessment being ^253 10s, and the nett 1'168 ios. Since the assessment was made the receipts had gone down year after year, and counsel contencled that the only way of getting at the rateable value of such a property was by accepting the receipts after deducting working expenses and statutable deductions. The appeal was against a rate made on 1st April, according to which the appellants were rated £ 516 gross and £412 nett. Against this tremendous leap, as counsel termed it, the appellants wenit to the Assessment Committee, who, in October last, after repeated meetings, and after having been threatened with an appeal to Quarter Sessions, reduced the gross valuation to £420, "being the actual rent at which the road had been let," with a reduction of 20 per cent. for rateable value.which accordingly stood at C336 instead of £400. Tihe Trefriw portion of this represented Z260 gross and £208 nett. ine committee, counsel maintained, had gone altogether wrong in principle and in fact, for they assumed that so long as the road and bridge in 1884 were let for f420 they were entitled in their own arbi- trary way to adopt the same figure now, and, without any principle whatever,, to take off 20 per cent., to arrive at the rateable value. As had already been decided in courts above, rent must not be taken as a criterion of rateable value, thought it might be an element in arriving at it. Outrageous Assessment. Though in the present case the bridge and road were one year let for £420, all the repairs were paid for by the landlords'; but, in face of the average receipts and expenditure during the last three years, the present assessment was one of the most outrageous made by any committee. The gross receipts were estimated to average £ 360 a year for the three years, and from this were deducted £67 in respect of management and rent of toll-house, way-leave paid to the railway company 3 3s, rates £20, repairs, contributions to sinking fund, etc., £ 174, and after deducting the whole of this from the receipts it leaves the rateable value at £96. The Rev. John Gower, rector of Trefriw, said j. he was a joint freeholder of the Trefriw Bridge with Mr John Evans Jones, of Trefriw. The bridge was opened in 1884 at a cost of Z4,000, and it was first let to Mr R. Owen for £200. In 1888 Mr O. Isgoed Jones and Mr O. Williams were offered it at £ 420,, but they were to have all < the expenses. Witness bought the land practi- cally for a tramway. The receipts, which he called "trespass," and not tolls, had been less for some years, the reason being that noi. so many people crossed the bridge as formerly. At one time, Mr Dutton, of the Belle Vue Hotel, used to pay him vCi6 10S per annum for foot passengers and £50 lor vehicles, but these payments had now been discontinued. Witness bore out in detail the s-tatemeiits made by Mr Moss as to profits, and stated that he had not included in any of th, items any money as a sinking fund to raise the bridge if it collapsed. Cross-examined by Mr Griffiths, witness said ■that he would never again let the bridge and road if he had to do the repairs. When in 1888 he received a rent of £420 he also received £ 220 in tithe, whereas now the tithe only amounted to /'130. He had, moreover, a great number of houses unoccupied. ç Witness created much amusement by his answers to counsel's questions as to the various businesses in which he was engaged. He said that the owned a flour mill, a saw mill, a smitny, two quarries, and he farmed about three acres of land, but he w?.s not a car-proprietor. (Laugh- ter). Mr Griffith At what rent would you let this bridge, supposing you took care of the repairs yourself? Witness When you are ready to make an offer, I will consider it. (Laughter.) Supposing a tenant undertook to look after the embankment and everything, and take the bridge for ten or twenty years, I nrght accept a rent of £ 200. Midnight Watches. Woluld you take £ 500 from a responsible tenant if offered to you in this court now, you to look after the repairs?-N--o I will not let it on those terms. But you look after the repairs now?—I try to take care of it. I get out of bed at midnight when the flood is up. If Mr Williams, who took it before from- you, offers you £ 450, will you take that?—I will not let it to him if I am to look after the embank- ment and bridge. Will you let it to David Roberts for £ 500?—I would not le't it to David Roberts on any account. I would rather walk bare-footed over the road. I have no emnity against any people. I leave them where they are. (Laughter.) Witness' went on to say that there was some talk some years ago as to taking over the road by a tramway company, but it was not true that he was offered either ZS ',ooo or rl2,000 for it. He would be surprised to understand that Messrs Isgoed Jones and Williams once received ,,r649 53 6d in rent. Owing to the rapid de- velopment of other summer resorts in North Wales, the prosperity of Trefriw had gone back a great deal. Llewelyn Goronwy Jones, the toll-keeper in charge of the bridge, said that he was paid £1 a week for looking after the bridge and road. He was tenant of the flour and saw mills, for which he paid Mr Gower an annual rent of £ 28. Mr Evan Evans, county surveyor, of Carnar- von, said that he had taken the gross receipts for the last three years, and had arrived at an average of ^360, and after making all necessary reductions he arrived at £96 as the nett rateable value. He had allowed nothing for tenant's profits, but considered five per cent. a reasonable figure. Replying to Mr Griffith, he said that his valua- tions of the same property for county rate pur- poses was £ 96, which included the Denbigh- shire portion of it. Mr T. B. Farrington, engineer, Llandudno, gave corroborative evidence. Respondent's Case. This concluded the appellants' case, and Mr Ellis Griffith, before addressing the court, called Mr John Gill, the borough surveyor of Bangor, as the first witness for the respondents. Basing his calculation on the rent of Z420 paid for the bridge 13 years ago, he estimated the total re- ceipts to reach CS66 15s, the difference being made up of jC45 for collection and supervision, £ 6q 15s for tenant's profits, and £32 to repre- sent the increase in the traffic since 1888. The present rateable value he put down at £ 350, after making deductions to the amount of ;6216. For sinking fund purposes he had taken 60 years, and his estimate of the cost of replacing ,the bridge was ^590. In reply to Mr Moss, witness reiterated his statement as to the estimate he put on the cost of the bridge. He 'had, moreover, made no allowance for insurance nor for the embank- ment. Mr W. E. Jones, county surveyor of Ang esey, said that he also started with /420, but in con- sideration of the increased traffic between Llan- rwst and Trefriw he added ^50, and this brought it up to £47°, the rent which a hypothetical tenant would give. The deductions which he made amounted to ^132 173, thus leaving £ 338 as the rateable value. The bridge was a very ordinary structure, and a number of country farmers could have put up an equally good one. He had allowed for tenant's profits before arriv- ing at the £ 470. Mr J. R. Adams, surveyor of roads for West Denbighshire, also gave expert evidence. David Roberts, one of the overseers for the parish of Trefriw, spoke to the increased traffic over the road in question. He was prepared to take the bridge and road at a rental of [500, pro- vided Mr Gower paid for repairs. Replying to Mr Moss, he said that he and others were responsible for the valuation arrived at by the Assessment Committee, and it was based upon what they thought Mr Gower's re- ceipts were. He denied that he was very much annoyed with Mr Gower for constructing the road and bridge, and it was not true that he protested against it to everybody in the village. At this stage, Mr John Msnzies inquired what were the actual figures that were being appealed a'gainst, and Mr Jones replied that they were f.405 gross and 4324 rateable. Free Trips. William Williams, Preswylfa, Llanrwst, said that for the year 1888-9 he and Mr Isgoed Jones rented the bridge and road from Mr Gower for ,C42o, and their receipts for the year amounted to more than £576. During that time neither Mr Gower nor Mr J. Evans Jones nor members of their families paid tolls for passing over the bridge. Witness would be prepared to take the bridge at the same rent now. Mr E. J. Griffith then briefly addressed the court for the respondents. He criticised the fact that Mr Gower had been content to keep the accounts of such an important business as this was in small penny and twopenny books, and that he had also, on his own admission, omitted up to last year to keep the bridge ac- counts separate from those of other transactions in which he and Mr Evans Jones were partners. Some years ago there was, undoubtedly, negotia- tions for the sale of the road to a tramway com- pany. Mr Gower had said that he would have been prepared to treat for the sale if he we"e offered £ 12,000, but he (counsel) ventured to ask the Bench if they believed such an absurd thing as that Mr Gower asked £ 12,000 for a concern which only brought him one per cent. The point to be considered in this case was what a hypothetical tenant would give. According to his learned friend, a hypothetical tenant would only pay £96, in which amount no allowance was made for tenant's profits but here mere were two actual tenants. When THE road was first made in 1882 it was let for [200 a year, and in 1888 the rent was £420, and he seriously asked whether there had been such a depreciation at Trefriw as to bring the receipts for the bridge and road down from 66oo to £ 360. Mr Moss having replied, the Bench retired. They returned after a few minutes' deliberation, when the Chairman announced that it had been decided to reduce the. gross value to £385, and the rateable value to £195, the toll-house in each case being excluded. The appeal was, there- fore, allowed with costs.

New Church at Llangollen. Quietly and unostentatiously the picturesqi e ceremony was performed last week of the cutting of the first sod for the erection of a new English Wesleyan Church at Llangollen. The new struc- ture, which will materially add to the artistic features of the Vale of Llangollen, will be built of Cefn free-stone, with a well proportioned spire, and will be of the Gothic style of architecture The new edifice will cost 63,6oo. The site, which is situated on the banks of the Dee, was generously given by the Rev. J. S. Haworth, F. R.G.S., a prominent local Wesleyan, and formerly of Manchester. Mr. Haworth who has further given £ 500 towards the scheme, gracefully performed the sod-cutting function, and offered a few con- gratulatory remarks. The Rev. Hugh Hughes, of Llangollen the president of the Welsh Wesleyan Methodist Cymanfa, in his pastoral address to the chut ches of the denomination, issued this week, urged the members of the Connexion to start a movement for erecting a Hugh Price Hughes memorial chapel" at Carmarthen, where Mr. Hughes was born. 11 The Rev. T. W. E:!is, who recently settled as minister of the Aberllefeni Calvimstic Methodist Church, left this week for a course of training at one of the German Universities, where he will stay until August next. The Rev. J. Morgan Gibbon, of London has ac- cepted the invitation sent to him to preach a special sermon in connection with the annual Assembly of the North Wales Federation of Free Churches, to be held at Colvvyn Bay in April,

Llanrwst Petty Sessions. Temperance Associations Memorialise the Bench. Black-listing a Drunkard. THE above sessions were held on Monday,before Col. Johnson (in the chair), Col. Higson, Dr Jones, Messrs Jelf Petit, W. B. Halhed, and W. J, Williams, with the clerk (Mr Allard), Memorial from Temperance Associations. A deputation representative of the Llanrwst Temperance Union and the Llanrwst Women's Temperance Association waited upon their wor- ships with a memorial which they requested leave to present. The Clerk, having intimated that the Bench were desirous of hearing what the deputation had to lay before tnem, The Rev P. Jones Roberts, in presenting the memorial, said: In addressing the Bench I wish to say at once we are not here, as a deputation, In any dictatorial spirit. Recent legislation has emphasised very clearly ,e 'interest of the pub- lic in the licensing laws of our land, and we are here to represent a goodly proportion of the inhabitants of this town and district to show the interest we take in the public welfare as associ- ated with the licensing laws. I shall now z, merely satisfy myself with reading these few lines to your wo,rships Mcnwruil to the Tjhmrvst Justices. Gentlemeu.—On behalf of the Llanrwst Tem- perance Union, the Llanrwst Women's Temperance Association, and six churches of the town, we desire to express appreciation of the new Licensing Act which has just come into operation, and our hope that its provisions will prove of great benefit withm this district. We beg respectfully also to draw attention to the action which in recent years has been taken by some benches of licensing justices, with the object of reducing the number of houses in their district licensed for the sale of iiitoxicating liquors, and in bringing the drink traffic generally under nroper control. We would refer particularly to what has been accomplished at Liverpool, Bir- mingham. Bradford, and Farnham. We rejoice to find that at Bangor, Conway, and other places, the justices have already taken steps to instruct the police to furnish them with a full report of all the public-houses in their districts, and all other information that may be deemed necessary to enable them to form a correct judgment as to the requirements of their localities. In presenting this memorial, we desire to express our confidence in your willingness to do all that can be justly and fairly done in the direction suggested. (Signed, on behalf of the deputation), "Wmr.IAM THOMAS, Frondeg. "P. JONES ROBERTS, Llys Myfyr. The Chairman We are obliged to you for your address, and I think you will find we shall carry out the laws as they stand properly. The Rev, P. Jones Roberts: Thank you, Mr Chairman, and gentlemen. Alleged Trespass under the Games Act. Owen Ellis, of Llangerniew, was summoned under the Games Act for unlawfully killing a pheasant on the property of V olonel Sandbach on the 20th December. Mr David Jones! (Messrs David Jones and Roberts, Llanrwst) appeared for the defendant, who pleaded not guilty. Tom Williams, under-keeper to Col. Sand- bach, said that on the date in question he ob- served the defendant stand on a hedge bank in Handre-isaf fields—which property was in the occupation of Mr William Morris:—wherefrom he sihot a pheasant which stood in the field below. Two dogs then rushed; at the bird, and took it away some distance, but eventually wit- ness secured it. Witness then. saw Morris Ro- berts, of Tanyclo!gwyn, standing not far off. and the defendant was by that time close by Roberts. Witness charged Ellis with killing, the bird, and he denied all knowledge of it. Cross-examined by Mr David Jones, witness .said he himself carried a gun that day, but he would not use it under any circumstances. He did not see defendant that day before the time in question. William; Morris owned the hedge. He only heard one shot that day, and he could have heard shooting a mile away if there had been any. He was standing about 150 yards away when the shot was fired. In the course of his address to the Lench, Mr David Jones said that his client's answer to the charge was an absolute denial. Lewis never fired at the pheasant, neither was he anywhere near the spot in question. Morris Roberts, road surveyor for the Llanrwst Rural District Council, living at Tanyclo'gwyn, said, that on the day referred to he had sent to defendant asking him to give his, assistance in a bit of fenretting, because he wanted a rabbit for an indisposed relative. He saw de- fendant leave his own house, and come to with- in a very short distance of where he witness stood at the time when the keeper alleged de- fendant shot the pheasant. He never lost sight of defendant except while he was passing a bit of a rock, and he stated positively defendant was nowhere near the spot in question. The only shot that was fired during the short time they were out was that discharged by a defendant when he missed a rabbit. The case was dismissed. In Illegal Possession of Game, Elizabeth Jones, an elderly carrier, living at Llwyn Onn, Pentrevoelas, was summoned for being in illegal possession of certain hares on the nth ult. Mr Davies Jones appeared for the defendant, who denied the offence. Superintendent Jarvis, the informant, stated he had no desire to press the charge on account of defendant's advanced age. At nine o'clock on the morning in question, whilst near St. Mary's Church, Llanrwst,' he observed the defendant driving a pony and cart in the direction of the town. Noticing a suspicious-looking sack in the cart, he asked the woman whether she had any game. The old dame replied in the nega- tive, and whipped up her pony. Not satisfied, witness! hung behind the cart, and succeeded in cutting a hole in the sack with his pocket knife. He then saw what he took to be the fur of a hare. He followed defendant into the Eagles' Hotel, yard, and brought to light three hares. -UE woman was charged, and she said a certain "John of Noge" gave her the game. P.C. Davies stated that when he served the old lady with a summons she said the name of the man who gave her the hares was "John Owen, of Fron, Pentrevoelas." By Mr Davies-Jones: I made no inquiries about the man. Mr Davies Jones contended the police had not made out a case. The police must have been satisfied that there was a reasonable sus- picion on the part of the officer that the person charged had been obtaining the game- by some illegal means. That had not been proved in the case before their worships, As a matter of fact, his client had had the hares from Mr John Owen, who was himself an owner of land, and who, as such, was entitled to dispose of the game, and her part of the transaction was simply that of one who bought and sold goods in the ordinary; course in the Llanrwst market. Supt. Jarvis She has not a game licence, your worships. Fined 10s and costs, the Chairman observing that the fine was considerably reduced owing to the defendant's great age. The First Case for the Black List. A number of cases of drunkenness was heard, and the following fines were imposed —John Hughes, of Llanrwst, is and costs; Griffith Owen, Station-road, Llanrwst, is and costs;' John Edwards, Farmer, of Llangerniew, 5s and costs; Hugh McDutton, Scotland-street, Llan- rwst, as 6d and costs John Jones, mason, 1 en- machno, is and costs j David Jones, Narrow- street, Llanrwst, is and costs; and Ellis Wit- Hams, of Llanddewi, 5s and costs. In the case of John Wynne, of Eglwysbach, it appeared there were two summonses out against him for being drunk on December 23rd and January 3rd. In the first instance he was fined 25 6d and costs, and in the second 5s and costs. In reply to the Bench, Supt. Jarvis reported this to be the third ap- pearance of the defendant during the past twelve months. The Bench then retired for a few minutes, and, on the return of their worships, The Chairman observed that the Bench had been forced to class the defendant as an habitual drunkard under the new Act. They must, there- fore, proceed with the necessary steps to protect the defendant against himself, and would give in- structions to Supt. Jarvis to communicate with the superintendent in charge of the neighbouring district with a view to carrying out their inten- tion. Should defendant come before them again they would impose so heavy a fine that he would' be unable to pay it, and he would consequently find himself in gaol. He hoped the defendant would understand that for the next uiree years he. would be unable to get drink anywhere.

Ten hundred and fifty-five, fatal accidents, involving the loss of 1,166 lives, occurred last year in mines and quarries of this country, states a Home Office return published on Satur- day night.

WILLIAMS & RICHARDS PRESTATYN, General Drapers, Milliners, Dressmakers, General House Furnishers, First-class Tailors, and Ladies' Costumiers. FIT AND STYLE GUARANTEED. Costumes from £ 3 3s. BEST CLASS OF OOODS AT REASONABLE PRICES. 6047 J. D. SIDDALL, OPTICIAN TO CHESTER INFIRMARY, THE CROSS, CHESTER. W. W. SIDDALL, F.S.M.C. VISITS MONTHLY COLWYN BAY:—Wednesday, January 14th, at MR. J. SMITH'S, Hairdresser, Conway-rd. BANGOR Friday, January 16th, at Ma. JOHN PCGH'S, Saddler, near Market Hall. Also attends Holyhead, Llangefni, & Amlwch. 5857 One Thousand Diamond and Gem Rings 21/- TO £150. FINEST VALUE IN THE WORLD. GREAT BARGAINS IN ALL DEPARTMENTS. JOHN BYRNE & SON, LIMITED, 10, BOLD STREET, R WORKSHOPS— • BOLD ST. TO WOOD ST., ERPOOI, AND AT 83, HATTON GARDEN, LONDON. 9023 BEECHAM'S PILLS, CUBE BILIOUS and NERVOUS DISORDERS, CONSTIPATION, SICK HEADACHE, INDIGESTION, DYSPEPSIA, And all STOMACHIC TROUBLES. -.o- Beecham's Pills REMOVE WIND and PAINS in the STOMACH. AROUSE SLUGGISH and TORPID LIVERS. ENSURE PROPER ASSIMILATION of FOOD. STRENGTHEN THE STOMACH. Beecham's Pills MAKE YOU LOOK WELL, FEEL WELL, and KEEP WELL. REMOVE PIMPLES and BLOTCHES on the SKIN LAY the FOUNDATION OF GOOD HEALTH. SUITABLE for OLD and YOUNG Beecham's Pills PURIFY the BLOOD and REMOVE SCURVY. ARE MILD but EFFECTIVE in their action. REMOVE the RESULT of OVER-INDULGENCE- CURE RESTLESSNESS and INSOMNIA. Beecham's Pills Are SPECIALLY SUITABLE for the DISEASES & AILMENTS COMMON to FEMALES. IMPROVE the COMPLEXION. INCREASE in POPULARITY. BEECHAM'S PILLS have stood the test of over 50 years without the publication of testimonials, aB they RECOMMEND THEMSELVES. BEECHAM'S PILLS are sold everywhere in boxes, Is. ljd. and 2s. 9d., containing 168 pills respectively. 5T91