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FOOTBALL NOTES.

MATCHES.

SHROPSHIRE & DISTRICT LEAGUE.…

THE COMBINATION.

DENBIGHSHIRE AND FLINTSHIRE…

DENBIGHSMIHE AND DISTRICT…

COTTAGE HOSPITAL CHARITY CUP.

WALES v. SCOTLAND.

SHROPSHIRE FOOTBALL' ASSOCIATION.

WELSHPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB. FIXTURES.

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---. TO CURE A COLD IN ONE…

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! CAERSWS BOARD OF GUARDIANS.

— « CAERSWS RURAL DISTRICT…

. A SOLDIERS FATE. '

JUDGE WADDY AND MONEY-LENDERS.

----+---LOCAL PATENT.

«> WHY THF. POOR RATES ARE…

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«> WHY THF. POOR RATES ARE HIGH IX THE TOWYX PARISH. A SERIOUS MATTER FOR THE RATEPAYERS. SECOND ARTICLE. [SPECSALLY CONTRIBUTED.] The article which I contributed under the above heading in your last issue has created a great deal of favourable comment in the Towyn parish. I simply gave vent to what is known to some of our local pubiio men as a "scandal that should not be tolerated any longer." I notice that the Editor has taken a stand in opposition to my views. All I can say is, that he has undertaken to champion a very bad case, and one winch will not bear the light of investigation. From the leading notes I qnote "We must bear in mind that the people who pay the rates derive no advantage from the presence of the poor ill their districts. Why then should Llan- brynmair ratepayers be mulcted in a penalty in the shape of an advanced rate for something from which they derive no benefit?" Sir, it is not Llan- brynmair that is mulcted iú an advanced rate bat the Towyn parish, and against which we are groan- ing. To illustrate my meaning I will use a mathe- matical process. Take, for instance, that the Machynlleth Union asks for a sum of 2s in rates from the above two parishes. Not only does the Towyn parish pay the half (Is), but it has also to pay another 4d for the support of Llanbryntnair, I which therefore only pays 8 1 as against Is 4d from the Towyn parish. In other words, tho Town parish contributes £799 and L anorvntoair £224, whilst the number of paupers m the former is 96 as against 54 in Llanbrynmair. The Towyn paupers receive less than is contributed by £29116-, whilst Llanbryntnair gets £158 in excess of the sum con- tributed in rates. This I consider is an injustice which should be remedied with the greatest speed. I do not want any parish to be unfairly treated, but I am firmly convinced that the poor rate levied upon the ratepayers of Towyn parish is unreason- | ably high. Our representatives should not fail to point this out to the guardians and thus relieve us by reducing our rates at the expense of increasing tho calls from the other parishes. Of course, the representatives of the other parishes will allow the existing state of things to remain while the Towyn guardians continue inactive. But should our representatives be mute ? Let them awake to their duties and speak on behalf of those who elected them. I hope to be in a position soon to make some astounding statements in regard to the as«et.emer;t of the different parishes. For the present suffice it is to say that the overseers for the Towyn parish have been seriously and grievously insulted by the Assessment Committee of the Machynlleth Union. I am given to understand that the over.«eers re- cently sent certain figures to the committee as fair assessment of certain properties, but when these figures were brought before the committee they were unceremoniously raised. The well-considered figures of the overseers should not be tampered with too cheaply by perhaps inexperienced mem- bers of even such an august body as the Assessment Committee. Let them not listen too often to those persons who may perhaps prefer to see the assess- ment increased rather than decreased. The time wiil be within the recollection of the reader when an enormously large number of ratepayers from Towyn and Aberdovey had to appear before the committee to appeal against the assessment, but with very unsatisfactory results. Will the repre- sentatives of this parish speak for or against the ratepayers when this matter again comes forward? I should like to draw the attention of all the Guardians in the Union to the annual ret urns of pauperism in North Wales. This shows that North Wales is improving as a whole,butthe Machynlleth Union is a dark spot. The number of paupers in receipt of relief at the end of the year was 15,875 as against 16,939 in the corresponding period of the previous year. There is a decrease of 882 in the outdoor paupers and 182 in the number ot in- door. The ratio of paupors to the population is 3'4 in North Wales as against 31 for the whole of Wales and 2'5 for England and Wales. Would it not be reasonable to expect that in North Wales—where the population is thin and the people law-abiding— the ratio of paupers should be much lower than in England which is given to all kinds of vices which we in North Wales are supposed to know nottnrig about? The facts are qnite the reverse. The tabulated list of LuioDs showing tho percentage of pauperism on the population pats Forden with the lowest percentage and Anglesey the highest. The cost per head in the Forden Union is 2s 3d, in Machynlleth 5s 41c1, in Llanfyllin 3s 6d, in New- town and Llanidloes 43 11d, and in Anglesey 6s 2d. In Machynlleth Union there has been an increase in the percentage of out-door paupers, while Dolgelley, Forden, Llanfyllin, and others snow a decrease. The above figures show that the Guardians do not pay suffzc:ent attention to the dis- tribution of out-rehef and the necessary discrimina- tion in giving relief to deserving and undeserving cases. Nest week I shall proceed to explain a scheme which I imve thought oat for rectifying this injustice. Maybe my views will not be participated iu by all tho ratepayers, and by some may not be Considered feasible, but I am bound to say that many in these parts will not rest satisfied until a radical change has come over the present state of things, -.1 have strong reasons to believe that our local members will have to act upon some of my suggestions or else they will be spared the trouble and expense of a viiit to Machynlleth after the ex- piration of their Lean of offico on tho Board,