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- THE FAITHFUL FEW.

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THE FAITHFUL FEW. Annual Assembly of Welshpool Primrose Leaguers. I Vacant Chairs and Brave Statistics. Captain Mytton's Jeremiad. According to official returns, the Powis Habitation of the Primrose League now consists of 15 knights," 12 dames," and 683 associates," a grand total of 710. During 1908 1 "knight," 1" dame," and no fewer than 68 associates were enrolled, but, as in past years, the Council Chamber was considered ample to accommodate I the yearly meeting of this organization last Friday night. The seating preparations consisted of fourteen chairs upholstered in leather, and 66 common or cane-bottomed chairs. This meeting had been given plenty of publicity in the town by means of handbills printed in true blue colour. These had been duly posted up in the windows of those shopkeepers and licensed victuallers who are apparently enthusiastic over the Primrose League as an upholder of the Constitution, of the Empire, and of Religion." 8 p.m. was the advertized hour of assembling, and long before then Mrs M. Sbuker, the indefati- gable honorary secretary, was present to superin- tend the arrangements with her customary zeal. At five minutes to eight Captain D. H. Mytton's carriage stopped opposite the Town Hall, and whilst his coachman drove down to the Royal Oak yard, the veteran Squire of Garth mounted the staircase and joined the Secretary, who submitted her annual report for his approval. They were joined sooner or later by Mr Charles Shuker, Mrs and Miss Violet Rider (Conservative Club), Miss Ife,Grath, Mrs Roper, Mr and Mrs Forrester Addie (Powis Castle Park), Mrs Samuel Manford, Miss Parry (Mansion House), Miss Alice Roberts (High-street), Mr and Mrs Hibbott, Mrs McKenzie, Mr William Thomas (Raven-street), Mr William Edwards (out-porter), Mr and Mrs John Evans (Sunville), and Mr Samuel Manford. A score of members thus attended, filling one chair out of every four. Of the 680 WHO WERE ABSENT, Colonel E. Pryce-Jones (the Conservative candi- date for Montgomery Boroughs), Mr T. A. Bennett (The Cottage), Mr G. R. D. Harrison and Miss Harrison (Fronllwyd), had sent letters regretting inability to attend. In years gone by the yearly meeting of the Powis Habitation, adorned with a blue and gold banner, was a thing of beauty in itself, while the proceedings formed a joy for ever to Express readers. But four years ago the dazzling search- light of publicity caused a mild sensation amongst the local regiment of that army, which wages a holy war upon Radicalism and Socialism. The Treasurer's report showed that whilst 30 cc knihts" and" dames" had subscribed during the year X4 19a, an average of 3s 3d, the 586 men and women, who formed the rank and file, only paid altogether X5 lls, an average levy of 2ld Per head. In fact, the crisis inspired the following dialogue, which was destined to become historic Dame No. 1: Can anyone propose anything to benefit the cauae and raise the enthusiasm F There is nothing done. It just goes on Dame No. 2: Yes. Isn't it awful ? And thefollowing year, when a startling confession was made by the Earl of Powis that the Primrose League is at a discount from the Welsh National standpoint, it became necessary to keep such skeletons locked up in the family cupboard. Henceforth the annual meetings were private, and the giiety of nations suffered thereby. So last Friday no pressmen were admitted to the yearly conference in their professional capacity. Of course, if a journalist happened to be also a Primrose Leaguer, well, he could not be denied admisssion. But, greatest loss of all, Mr Herbert Carey, provincial secretary of the Primrose League for North Wales and the North of Eng- land was missing. No public meeting" this year followed the "business meeting." But great as the disappointment must have been, the absence was excusable. On May 26th, 1908, Mr Carey had told them that he had nearly 300 Habitations under his supervision. So, perhaps, Welshpool's turn had not yet come around on June 3rd, 1909. Including holidays, there are but 313 secular days in the year, and, although the work be religious," yet the Primrose League has not yet begun to hold Sunday meetings. But Mr Carey, none the less, was missed, as well as missing, last Friday night. From the man-in-the-street's point of view it was by no means uninteresting to note the prominent local Conservatives who walked up or down the road without glancing at the Town Hall door, which was to them open wide. Welshpool working men also, sturdy representa- tives of the humble associates," also PASSED BY ON THE OTHER SIDE. Boys and girls peeped in at the entrance curiously. Last year Mr Carey hinted that the Powis Habit- ation should form a Juvenile Branch at Welsh- pool, and they would find that "the children have more enthusiasm than you have!" But the little lads and lasses were not needed in the Town Hall, and they ran away to play. Viewed from Broad- street, the Council Chamber windows, that were lit up, suggested an idea as apathetic as it was indefinite that, There's something on in the Town Hall." About half-past eight the advent of the Garth coachman outside the Town Hall door suggested to the bystanders that Captain Mytton's in town Next to attract notice was the honorary Treasurer of the Powis Habitation himself, who came down the High-street pave- ment and disappeared into the Town Hall at a quarter to nine. The last arrival was he at the annual meeting. Just after nine o'clock the Garth retainer was again in dutiful attendance outside the Town Hall. He had but a few minutes to wait, for at ten minutes past the hour the annual meeting of the Powis Habitation for 1909 was over. It needed no Sherlock Holmes to guess this fact, as the Ruling Councillor's coachman sprinted down Broad-street towards the Royal Oak to get ready. The faithful band came out on the street one by one or two by two and scattered homewards in various directions. The Captain walked medita- tively down the street. The programme of the business meeting included no refreshments, no cheap dance, and accordingly only a score of Poolonians had been ABLE TO SPARE AN HOUR to assist in upholding the Constitution, the Empire and Religion." Oh, the times Oh, the manners I" • ( The official report of the proceedings in the Council Chamber states that the financial < statement, which was adopted, showed a balance in hand of £32 9s 9d, which was regarded as being satisfactory." The only 1 other financial sidelight appears in the Hon. < Secretary's report, which records that the social evening held in the Town Hall on October 23rd was a great success,—" Several ladies and gentlemen gave their assistance as well as food, so that we were able to save £ 7 16s 4 £ d after paying all expenses." In addition to the statistics which are quoted above, the report also records that last year one of the Welshpool associates had retired from the League, six had not paid their "tribute," and 27 had left the neighbourhood. Mrs Shuker's report of the Habitation s work chronicles that public meetings were Tield on two consecutive eveqings last March, at Buttington and Guilsfield, Mr Shuker giving an address at both places on Our Empire." Both Captain Mytton, who presided, and Mr Forrester Addie panegyrized Mrs Shuker for her work. Then Mr Shuker, who, together with Mrs Shuker, went as a dele- gate to the recent Primrose League meetings in London, gave an account of those pro- ceedings, and related how the Primrose League is doing good work" and increasing very rapidly in membership. An interesting local instance of t RECRUITING ENTHUSIASM I was reported. Out of the 68 new members who entered the Powis fold last year 48 had been enrolled by Mrs Ryder. The meeting then decided that she, together with Mrs Shuker, be recommended to the Grand Council for further distinctions." The Habitation officers were re-elected:— Ruling Councillor, Captain Mytton; Dame President (with whom a vote of sympathy was also passed on account of her indisposi- tion), Mrs Mytton; Hon. Treas., Mr Samuel Manford; Hon. Secretary, Mrs M. Shuker. The meeting added Mr Hibbott, a Powysland workingman, to the Executive Committee. This action was in harmony with another hint which Mr Carey had given last year in the following words:- We, or moat of us, who belong to possibly a more fortunate element in the population, certainly have political connections that are not likely to be altered. Our votes are quite secure. The people we want to get at are the working men." and you have done a very desirable thing in taking steps to have members of the working classes on the Executive. Mr John Evans was thanked for auditing the accounts, and also Captain Mytton for presiding. The Ruling Councillor then rose to the occasion, and is stated to have spoken with characteristic vigour, despite the de- pressing presence of sixty empty chairs that cumbered the Council Chamber. Addressing his twenty listeners, the Squire of Garth said he was sure there was not a person in the room who did not agree that the Govern- ment had done, financially and contitution- ally, as badly as any Government that had been in power. The Government's proposals were cruel in the extreme. The Captain, who owns over 4,000 acres of Montgomeryshire land, declared that the Government were trying to turn all the landowners out of existence! He also told his listeners that the principal historic places" in the country were kept in order at great expense, and employed a large amount of labour. The official report of the speech does not show that the speaker laboured the point to show clearly who are burdened ultimately with the expense of maintaining such CASTLES, HALLS, AND ABBEYS. But the Captain passed on to refer to the Holbein picture, "which, a nobleman, see- ing, he supposed, that the death duties would come too heavily on him, had decided to sell!" Without apparently explaining how a dead man can feel the burden of even a 15 per cent. death duty., the Captain observed that only that day they had had the news that a gentleman had put down £ 40,000, and so saved the picture from going out of the country. The moral drawn from this incident was that it is a great advan- tage to England that there are some rich men." It was apparently not considered necessary to balance against this advantage the slight disadvantage to England aoid Wales of having so many millions of people who are correspondingly poor. The ideas of the Government, said the Cap- tain, were good, but their action were bad. For instance, no one thought that the Pen- sions Act was not a good thing. But it was so crude and so badly thought out, without a single provision for paying the people, that the consequence was that many people who had money in the bank—some as much as £ 1,000—who really did not need the pension, had got it, and in Ireland the greater part of the population seemed to be over 70 years of age (laughter). The country, continued the Captain, showed that they hated the Govern- ment. But the Government had such an enormous majority in Parliament that they had decided to send a circular to all the members on their own side giving half of them a fortnight's holiday at a time. That was done to tire out the Opposition, and he thought it was a very unfair way of doing things. The Captain added that he would not refer to the Disestablishment Bill that night, but he thought that a more dishonest measure had never been brought in by anyone.

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