The Montgomeryshire Express and Radnor Times

Vicar of Mochdre. DR. SAMUEL DAVIES v. u HA.FREN." -a Sir,—The idea that at the Reformation the property of the Roman Catholics was taken away by the State and handed over to a new ,Church-now the Church of England, is a very absurd one. Hafren" is evidently not aware that this is an exploded fallacy, and has long ago been relegated to the history lumber-room con- taining the worn-out stock-in-trade of the so-called Liberation Society. HafreD," I fear lives danger- ously near that lumber-room No new church was framed; the old one was purified; it was not a for- mation, but a He-formation, as it is happily styled, I and with this fact it should not be forgotten that we did not rob Rome at the Reformation as some have slanderousiy affirmed, who tell us that since I the churches, cathredrals, and endowments were alienated from Rome by the civil power, it is law- ful for that power to alienate them again. Our rejoinder is, they never belonged to Rome, and consequently could never be taken from her. That she possessed them for a season, I readily admit; that she had a right to possess them, I utterly deny, and this I base upon historical facts. The Church of Rome was an intruder, she had no claim at all to the Church of England no claim whatever to the tithes, churahs, cathedrals or revenues of our church no, not even to those which accrued during the period of her usurped domination! The property bestowed upon the church during the Romish period was settled on the Monastries, and was confiscated by Henry VIII. There is no truth whatever in Hafren's clap-trap as to ancient endowments for the ,the maintenance of Roman Catholicism." All was acquired from England's enslaved people, and when the people regained their liberty, of course they did what they would with their own whilst they banished the usurpress to her own place on the Tiber. The Church of England, be it remembered, in that illustrious revolution, was privileged and blessed of God beyond any other branch of the 'visible Church. Her reformation was not ab extra but ab intra; it was not a reformation forced upon her by foreigners, but; evolved from her own bosom through the teaching of God's Word and the teaching of God's spirit. Every professing Christian this day, should bless God for what the Church did in those dark and troublesome times, and not seek to destroy her. Sir, it would ill-become me to comment upon "Hafren's" complimentary remarks as to myself. No doubt they were penned in all sincerity and honesty of purpose: believing so, I thank him.— I am, Sir, Yours, etc SAMUEL DAVIES. Dolfor Vicarage, July 22nd, 1909.

Dr. Samuel Davies v. Caerws Citizen." Sir,—I once again beg the favour of your permission to reply to the Rev Dr Davies's letter in yonr last issue. Dr Davies again refers to the tactics to which I referred in my last letter, and now he carries us far back into the myths and legends of Roman us far back into the myths and legends of Roman Britain. It is a wonder that he does not tell us that St. Paul himself visited Britain when he came to the uttermost bounds ot the west," or that the Christian faith was brought here by Bran the Blessed, the father of Curadoc, or, again, he might have tickled the fancy of your readers by relating the story of how Joseph of Arimathea came to Glastonbury, and made his staff take root, and grow into the Holy Thorn, or by telling the story of the Holy Grail, and other Arthurian romances. Christianity, it is well known, existed among the Romans in Britain long before it was embraced by the "Britons themselves. Dr Davies nienaons Samson as Bishop of Caerefrog (York) in A D. 170, and that Brawdol, Bishop of Caer- lleon-ar-Wysg, attended the Council of Aries in A.D. 314, and he maintains that these and others were "Brit;sll Bishops representing the British Church." Nothing of the kind. Caer- efrog, Caerlleon-ar-Wysg, Caerwrangon, and Hen- fforda were Roman stations, and it was among the Roman population of these places that Christianity existed. It is easy to understand that the wild tribesmen of North and South Wales (not the Wales of the present day, but the whole of the country from Strathclyda to Corn- wall) were not likely to change at once the Pagan habits they had clung to for ages, and embrace the religion of their Roman conquerors. When Ivor, Archbishop of York, Rhystyd, Archbishop of London, and Brawdol, Archbishop of Caerlleon- ar-Wysg, attended the Council of Aries (A.D. 314), they did so as representatives of the I primitive Roman Church ot Britain, and not as representatives of the Welsh Church at all. When the Romans left Britain Christianity departed with them for a time—about a hundred years. Dr Davies evidently confuses the one with the other. True, Christianity came to the Romans of Britain from Gaul, but it came to the Welsh from Ireland, as I said before. Dr Davies ought to know this, and he should raly upon some sounder authority for his historical facts (?) than the romances of the fiery historian, Gildas, or the myths and fables of Drych y Prif Oesoedd. After the departure of the Romans, it is hard to say when the Welsh tribes were won from their Paganism, but they were all, it is believed, nominally Christian by about the year 500" (Professor J. E. Lloyd, Bangor). So I am not far from the mark in saying the sixth century." Dr Davies admits that on the Continent pauppres meant the poor, but that in the Anglo- Saxon Church it meant the monks. Why should it mean the poor on the Continent, and the monks in England? Pauperes means what it always has meant-the poor, and it is only by a stretch of the imaginatiou that it can be said to mean the monks. The Apostolic Church considered it a duty to minister to the wants of the poor, so did I the primitive Christian Churches in post-Apostolic times, so also did the churches on the Continent, and would Dr Davies have us believe that the Church of England above all others disclaimed ) any responsibility in this direction and appro- priated for the use of a host of lazy monks what other Christian Churches devoted to the necessities of the deserving poor ? If so, it redounds to the everlasting shame of the English Church. Dr Davies's letter raises a number of other questions which I must leave for the present. I pass by his personal remarks upon myself. Under the glaring limelight of his own learning and intellectual power I am not surprised that we Nonconformists should appear only as a lot of benighted ignoramuses.—Yours truly, CITIZEN. Ancient City, July 20th.

The Vicar of Mochdre on Disestablishment. Sir,—I note the silence of the editor of your Welsh column lie has committed himself to a terminological inexactitude." I adopt the Churchillism, though not Bibli- cal or English as "understood by the people." The palpable falsehoods that the Church is alien and the clergy State-paid have been ably exposed by the Vicar of Dolfor. Referring to the third false statement that the Church had appropriated a part of the tithe which originally belonged to the poor, I have been expecting a reply to my letter of the 29th ult., which is apparent- ly unanswerable. *The poltroon Hafren gave three quotations in your issue of the 22nd ult. in support of the above proposi- tion. The first quotation was from Black stone, but I don't think Blackstone will be quoted again. I will now deal with the second quotation:—"And respecting tithe; The King and his witan have chosen and decreed, as is just, that one-third of the tithe which belongs to the Church go to the reparation of the Church, and a second part to the servants of God, the third part to God's poor and to needy ones in thral- dom." These words are clause 6 of No. IX. of the supposed laws of King Ethelred. The fact that the clauses of No. IX. are in a legis- lative form, as if enactments by a King (not named) and his witan is no proof that they were really such enactments or more than a project of law. I would point out how Canute, the successor of Ethelred, dealt with the articles of No. IX. relating to tithes. These were four in number, three being a mere repetition of Edgar's laws. The fourth was that as to the tripartite division of tithe, and it is remarkable that in No. IX. this was substituted for Edgar's law, which assigned to Manorial Churches having burial grounds one-third of the local tithes, and the rest to the elder or principal Church or minister, which in No. IX. was wholly omitted. It seems to have been the purpose oi Ethelred's ecclesiastical council- lors, in the latter part of his reign, to set aside and annul that provision of Edgar s laws. For the ordinances said to have been made by Ethelred contain an article ordering every man to pay all his Church dues, tithes included, to the nearest mother Church, that is to the oldest or principal Church, passing over all manorial or paro- chial churches. In Canute's laws the poltroon "Hairens quotation disappears, and instead of it (in the ecclesiastical code) King Edgar's law in favour of manorial churches with burying grounds, which had been omitted in No. IX. is restored, and (in the secular code) all men are required to give assistance to the repairs of churches. Nor has there ever been any later restoration or recognition of the articles of No. IX. from that time to the present day. If anyone should be inclined to ask why these two articles (for the tripartite divi- sion of tithe and the grant of special privi- leges to Abbotts) should have been pro- posed by the ecclesiastics who drew up No. IX., the explanation is not far to seek. There was in those days much rivalry bet- ween the regular and secular clergy. The authors of o. IX. were of the monastic orders. The parochial system, and the practice of endowing parish churches with tithe were then (as King Edgar's laws show) in the germ. The phrase" God's poor" and "Christ's poor' certainly did not mean poor inhabitants of those particular places within which the tithes arose. Whatever else it might comprehend, the brethren of the regular monastic orders, bound by vows of poverty, were within the meaning of the phrase as it was then understood. The Benedictine monks, and the monks of other orders, afterwards were called Christ's poor. Sir, don't let us have any more blatant mischievous nonsense about the poor. I have no space to deal with the third quotation, but if the young poltroon will turn to page 156 of Mr. Brewer's work he will find a note by Mr. Dibdin, the learned editor, which lie can brew for himself. The fact is that no law of any kind was ever made in England or can be shown to have been accepted as of force in England in which it was laid down clearly or other- wise that the poor, as we understand them, were to have any share in the tithes. All historical authorities which I quoted in my previous letter satisfy the minds of all in- telligent people. I note in your last issue Hafren" in- dulged in further personalities, and winds up with the assertion that the tithes be- longed originally to the Roman Catholics. He seems to know as much about the Roman Catholics as one of your faithful I readers whom I met the other day. The word Roman Catholics cropped up, and your reader asked me the profound ques- tions, "What are them things?" I cannot congratulate political Noncon- formity upon their anonymous champion, but I really thank you, sir, for allowing those very ancient falsehoods to be nailed to the counter.—Yours, etc. T. J. ROBERTS.

A Farmer's Fiscal Fever. Sir,—I think it is about time that Liber- als should reconsider their position. 1 am a farmer, and have been on the land the whole of my life. It's not about the Budget, that I trespass on your valuable space, but the fiscal alternative, which is known as tariff reform. When this was first mooted I was strenu- ously opposed to it, having been imbued with Liberal principles since my earliest days, and still adhere to them in the main. But records of our trade returns have made me convinced that something must be done for Britain to maintain her supremacy as an export trader. True, she still tops the list, but other countries are gradually creeping nearer and nearer, and there is little satisfaction to be gained by trading upon a past reputation. Our imports still are enormous, and -this, to my untutored I mind, appears more serious still. Shoals of manufactured goods come into this coun- try from America and Germany. Things which we could with ease manufacture in this old country of ours, and which would reclaim some thousands of our unemployed. I could cite many instances-take, for in- stance, such a small item as glass bottles. These come from abroad, principally from Germany, whilst men have been thrown out of employment in our own glass manu- facturing districts, notably at St. Helen's and in Swansea. Clap a slight duty upon imported glass ware, and it would operate in one of two ways-either the price to the consumer would be the same or the price of foreign wares would have to be raised. In the first instance the English producer would not be benefited, but the revenue would derive a considerable sum from the duties upon the manu- factured goods, the duty on which in this case must be paid by the foreigner. In the second instance the British manufacturer would not be prevented from selling at his own price, as the cost of production would not be raised, and would allow just that amount of preference to the British manufacturer which would enable him to greatly increase his sales at the expense of the foreigner, and would also lead to increased em- ployment, higher profits, and possibly higher wages. I for one, sir, have sufficient radical sense left me not to imagine capitalist employers are going to distribute all the spoils of increased prosperity amongst their operatives. Bat we can rest assured that Trades Unions will take care of the interests of their members. I followed the corres- pondence between Col. Pryce-Jones and Mr Luke Sharpe with great interest, and that correspond- ence has baen the cause of my reading more upon political economy within the last few weeks than I had read in my lifetime. I find that there is a theory that all exports are p,.id for by imports, and vice versa. It such is the case then, according to your figures in this week's issue, Great Britain has received £ 513,000,000 where we have only spent ■ £ 377,01)0,000, whilst on the other hand the United StateS has exported £ 360,000,000 worth of commodities to receive in return only £ 233,000,000. All I can say, if that be so, is that these cousins of ours across the Atlantic must be very poor at a bargain. I find that not many years ago there was another economic belief called the Wage Fund Theory. The theory which was universally be- lieved by economists has since been pricked and has burst like a bubble. It seems ludicrous in our days to think that such an idea that only a certain specified sum could be devoted to wage earners, but-still such was the prevailing idea, just as people thought the globe was flit. t:> Take again agricultural machinery. I am told that a ten per cent duty on the manufactured im- ports from abroad would enable our own manufac- turets to supply the total requirements of agricul- turists in our country. I <t.m also told by Free Traders that if a tax was levied upon imports the price of foreign goods would go up. and in the second place our own products would be quick in following. I am told that this is the rule in protected countries, but I cannot believe that our manufac- turers would thus do themselves a bad turn. Supposing, for instance, one British-made and one foreign-made machine costs a farmer £ 10. An import duty raises the price of the foreign-made implement to .£10 10s. As long as the home manufacturer can make a profit by selling at .£10 be would surely be committing a gross blunder to raise his price to a level with the imported 1Jup e- ments. If he keeps it at the ordinary price £ 10 —he will probably be able to sell a great many more and would gain an extra profit from having a larger output. For what reasoning farmer would think of buying a foreign-made machine when he might obtain one British-made at a smaller cost. Of course, I am reminded that the crucial point of the whole matter comes in when prefer- ence must be given to the farmer as well as to the manufacturer, for in justice one cannot be done without the other. This is where the principles of Tariff Reformers are most bitterly assailed. To do justice to the agriculturist he must have some protection upon his cereal products, and despite all that is said about the Colonies supp.ying our needs as far as grain is concerned. I am not blind to the fact that the cost of flour and in consequence, bread must inevitably rise- probably to more than the extent of the tax. I consider it sheer wickedness on the part of Tory spouters who declare that the price of bread will not rise and that the staff of life will ultimately be- come cheaper. However, when all is said and done. some sacrifice must be made, and it is this dearer bread which will constitute the sacrifice. I, how- ever, believe that compensation will surely come in the fcrm of revived and recreated industries, and that the agricultural interests of this country will receive a great and lasting stimulus. Know- ing your fairness and courtesy, I trust that you will insert this in your valuable columns.—Yours, etc., WUXS-A-RAD. p.S.—The question may be asked why, when corn admittedly will rise in price, will not our home manufactures leap up when imported ones pay a small tariff. The answer is simple. Under no circumstances can we grow sufficient corn to meet the needs of consumers here, but in the manufacturing line we have thousands of men and machines standing idle in every trade, and we can do without a single imported German bottle or American mowing machine, as there are factories in this country which can overtake all the work. ["This letter is dealt with in our Editorial columns.]

TARIFF REFORM For Montgomeryshire Women. Minimum Subscription, Id. a Year. Emigrants from the United Kingdom should not go to the United States in the hope of finding work, (specially to Ntto York, Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago. A great amount of unemployment resulted from the financial and industrial crisis of 1907, and reports indicate that the workers then displaced have, to a considerable extent, not yet been able to find employ- ment.-A recent official notice from the EMIGRATION BUREAU. Mrs Sidney R. Heap, wife of the Squire of Mel- lington Hall," Churchstoke, is taking a very active pa?t in promoting a Montgomeryshire Branch of ''Women's Unionist and Tariff Reform Associa- tion This organisation forms part of a many- headed movement to bring about in this country a fiscal system, which prevails in Mrs Sidney it, Heap's native country, the United States, and in her native town of Chicago. The objects of the Women s Unionist and Tariff Reform Association are set forth officially in three paragraphs as fos "(a) To promote iaritt Jtterorm as a means of securing to British workers fairer terms of com- petition for British work and wages, and of form- In a closer commercial union with the British dominions over the seas. "(b) To further social reforms, the conditions of labour and employment, and safeguard the rights and enterprises of individuals in all classes ot"the community. (c) To increase the interest of women in those political questions which affect their home lives and concern their duties and responsibilities as subjects of the British Empire. THE TARIFF OF SUBSCRIPTIONS is as follows: President and Vice-Presidents of the Montgom- eryshire Central Association, X2 annually. <=> Members, 2s 6d. Associates of the local branches, the annual subscription shall not b'j less than Id." The Association, according to the rules, shall consist of a Central Body and of Local Branches to be formed in the polling districts within the constituencies. The Central Body shall be c im- p3sed of the President, Vica-Piesident, Members, and Officers; each Branch t) have its locil "Chairman," Vica-Chairmen," secretary, trea- surer and associates. Any mem bar of the Association who entertains one of the League workers for not less than one day and one night shall b3 a member of the Central Body for the year without further subscription. The Central Fund shal!, so far as possible defray the expenses of speakers, of political liter- ature for distribution by local branches, of print- ing the annual report for the general meeting, and of any other expenditure sanctioned by the Central Committee. The Local Branches shall c)ntrol their own funds and shall bear the expenses of local meet- ings (but not the cost of the speakers, provided, from the Central Fund), of lectures, and cf social entertainments organized in their respective dis- tricts.

£80 a Year. IIINIMUM SALARY SUGGESTED FOR WELSEr INDEPENDENT PASTORS. FIFTEEN RECEIVE 15s A WEEK. The responsibilities of the diaconate in respect of ministerial stipends was the eye-opening paper by Mr Howell Howells (Treorky) at the deacons' meeting in connection with the Welsh Congtega- tional Uaion's Conference last week. They as deacons, he pleaded, should be leaders in organiz- ing a scheme to provide that there shall be no sweating of their ministers (cheers). In no part of the kingdom, said Mr Howells, was the voluntary principle in connection with religion more generally practised than in Wales, and no denomination in Wales believed more firmly in that principle than did the Congregationalists. And yet when they came to examine their connexional statistics they would find that they had much reason for feeling ashamed. They had a large number of pastors very inadequately paid, many of them unable to make provision for their own old age or for their families after them. 15 ministers with pastoral charge received stipends of less than £ 40 a year; 18 received salaries of from £-1-0 to £ 50; 28 frome-50 to £ 50; 43 from £ b0 to £70; and 60 from P,70 to £ 80 a year. Alto- gether they had 184 ministers, or over one-fourth the total number receiving less than X80 a year. English ministers in vvales were as a rule better paid than their Welsh brethren, but even so 11 11 17 per cent. of the pastors of English Congrega- tional churches in Wales had to be content with £ 80 a year. This was a state of things which did not reflect credit on the denomination. No young student should be invited to the Christian minis- try on a commencing salary of less than .£80 a year, and even that would be in many cases a starvation wage. A capital sum of £ 60,000 would be necessary to secure a minimum salary of .£80 for every pastor now receiving less than that a™rhe matter will be further discussed by the Union next year.

o of decrease is noted in the passenger traffic ^points of the Cambrian Railways during the week ended July 18th, but merchandise minerals, and live stock realised an increase of X70

SIR WATKIN'S MISFORTUNE. AND THE ABSOLUTE WICKEDNESS OF MR. LLOYD GEORGE; AND WHY EVERYBODY WILL SUFFER. | 137,025 Acres is the extent and £ i6,798 is the yearly rent-roll of Sir Watkin Williams. Wynn's estate according to the evidence given by the Secretary of the North Wales Property Owners' Defence Association, before the Welsh Land Com- mission in 1895. According to the Domesday Book" of 1873, 32,963 Montgomeryshire acres I belong to Sir Watkin, with a rental of XIO,341 a year. The Wynnstay estates also include portions of the Duchess of Denbigh, Flint, Merioneth, Salop and Cardigan. This does not include land in Sir Watkin's "own occupation, or any urban holdings." But at a Tory meeting held in Ruabon National school last Friday night week to protest against the Budget, Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, the chairman, declared that it hit interests which cou'd not afford to be hit in the way they were being hit (hear, hear). He did not think Mr Lloyd-George-though he admired the Chancellor of the Exchequer for his sheer determination, pluck and grit (cheers)- thoroughly understood the land question. The fact was that the small landowner was going to be hit the hardest. A rich man or landowner, and he (Sir Watkin) happened, unfortunately, to be the latter, would simply reduce his expenditure and employ less men on his estate, so that every- body would suffer. It he (Sir Watkin) died to-morrow, the opera- tion of the death duties would meaneither selling Wynnstay, or shutting the place up for three years or even more. That was not likely to bene- fit Ruabon, because many of those present were dependent upon Wynnstay. He considered it absolutely wicked for a man like Mr Lloyd-George I to introduce such a vindictive Budget, simply for party reasons. Mr Lloyd-George had meant to knock the Tory landlords down, and if he could not knock them II down in one way he would in another, by cutting the very ground from under their feet (applause).

"Unhealthy Excitement." MR. HARRY EY AXS ON EISTEDDFODIC COMPETITIONS. COMMITTEES CRITICISED. A familiar adjudicator in Montgomeryshire, Mr Harry Evana.F.R.C.O., Liverpool, read P. trenchant paper to the Association of Musical Competition Festival, which held a recent conference in London, Comparing the aims, methods, and results of the Eisteddfod and the Competition Festival move- ment, he said that as a rule in a Welsh Eisteddfod the music was selected by the whole committee, whe had votes but many of them little knowledge and the music publisher who offered prizes on condition that his trumpery publications were in- cluded in the schedule was unfortunately all too welcome. The great increase in the money prize was res- I ponsible for much unhealthy excitement with little or no thought of artistic development No Competition Festival would tolerate the con- ditions which prevailed in regard to the Eisteddfod Having criticised the method of judging and said that the graduation of test pieces from°vear t.o year in tae Competition Festival had produced to year in the Competition Festival had produced excellent results. Mr Evans mad0 some amusing references to the Eisteddfod Master of Cere- monies called the conductor," and said that a strong feature of the Competition Festival was the business-like management, the well-thought- out time-table. Welsh choirs had SLTF&RED FL.OM FULSOME FLATTERY and exaggerated praise of certain English judges who did not know the procedure followed in train- ing, and this did not help on choral singing in W' ales That the Eisteddfod was capable of doing much more for music than it did at present was evident to its friends, if only the great musical gifts of the nation were turned into the right channel and carefully developed. It h&d something to learn from the youngest institution. Mr David Jenkins, Mus BAC., Aberystwyth, in delivering his adjudication oa the Male Voice competition at the Pontlottyn Eisteddfod, Glamorganshire, this month, thanked the com- mittee for selecting Wyr Philistia," but be would have infinitely prefered that they had selected some of his latest compositions instead, as that chosen had been compose over 25 years ago. He would feel sorry if be had not produced something superior by this time. He was afraid that music committees did not select the best pieces composed by Welshmen, was couraging to have to be compelled foe judged by the public and the critics by the poorer samples that had been published

Sn jJiTemoncwi, GONE FOR EVR. She's gone, she's gone for ev-er But her shadow comes ELID ges While memory, bright as a river Each evening her likeneal 8hows. And nightly we watched her dying, Saw her spirit fade away, As the sunshine leavens a Rower At the closing of the day. At evening her cheeks wef tinted Were flushed with a timid hue Her brow had the chastened luse Of a pearl or drop of deit And we saw that her life wa. fragile, As about us oft she played Her hands as white as the daisies Half shut in a grassy she. We listened and loved her lan That flowed in a gladdeninJ^trajn From a mouth as fresh and fragrant' As a red rose in the rain; And oft we saw by her glat-- That she and angels were That her soul, so calm and radiant, Never figured the form of sit, We traced in her childish IIpeeches A charm that imaged he> worth And learnt that the light ot Heaven, Is sometimes with us on earth, It fades, but leaves us a blfesgjn ling, And brightens the memory long, As a tender tone of music Gives a witchery unto sczlg. She has fled, our poor yourig. idol She has left us aad and lqn, In vain we mourn for the flbwe'r Whose leaves are witherd and blown. She died ere the world had darkened Her life with a single w While thoughts of her perished beauty Like the angels come ano go. For us her glance had a me%,ig, A splendour that made u- alu That showed us her soul ws yearning, To wander in Heaven agf,in And when her bine eyes ha fa:ded With a smile her lips .we'e furled; Then we knew her soul in etlence Had fluttered out of the Vorld HUGHES —In Loving Memory of our dear friend Lotty Levina Hughes, Rhos, Llanbadftrn.Fynydd, who died on Saturday, June 26th, 1909. w.

TOWYN. PROBATE ACTION.-The hearing of an ac- tion in the Court of Probate r*]Qtin<r f() the Avill of Mrs Jane Price, of ld"is Villas, took place last week before Si John Bing- ham, the president. The win was pro- pounded by Mr Richard J OIles, Bacaeiddon, Machynlleth, a nephew of the testatrix, and opposed by her sister, :\frs Susannah Reynolds, of Llwynaire, LlanbiVnmair Mr Barnard, K.C., with Mr Lf,Wrence in- structed by Mr D. Evans, solici.or Machyn- lleth, appeared for the will, ard Mr Willis against, on the instructions of Messrs Wil- liams, Gittins, and Taylor, sol:citors, New- town. The President having lHard the evi- dence. said he was satisfied tlat the late Mrs Price had signed her wil before the witnesses came into the roo^ all(j not afterwards, that the witnesses ^ere jn a position to see the signature Gf the de- ceased if they enose, tha-. the late Mrs Jane Price had acknovled ed the document as her will, and 1hat he was satisfied that she also knew ay approved of its contents. Has Lordship thPerefore, pronounced for the will, but cecided that Mrs Reynolds was entitled tc her costs out of the estate. aer C0^15

GOLF GOSSIP. (By COLONEL FOOZLER). I should like-how much I should like I cannot tell you-to reproduce a letter J. H. Taylor sends me relative to my description of his exhibition at Machynlleth, together with a signed photograph of himself, which will find an honoured place in my portrait gallery of golfing celebrities. This much, however, I'll tell you of it. J. H. will be in our district again in the course of a few months. Those whom the rain made stay-at-homes t on his visit to Machynlleth, should not miss seeing him then, wet or fine. The sight is worth infinitely more than the study of a score of text books. By the vay, speaking of Taylor, few people would believe in the possibility of such an old hand, suffering from a lapse of memory with regard to any point in the rules; yet, what happened recently on the Bushey Hail course, suggested that now and then even the British and French champion can ba as human in this particular as a humble devotee." The occurrence in question took place during the semi-final round of the Southern professional foursome tournament when J. H. Taylor and his brother Joshua ware opposing James B. Barley and W. H. Horne. The Open Champion had played an approach shot to within a coupie of yards of the flag on the eleventh green when a stray dog came bounding on to the course through a neighbouring gateway, and made a beeline for the Taylors' white and tempting-looking Colonel." Before the horrified spectators could raise hand or voice against the playful intruder, the dog had rolled the ball some little distance further from the pin, and incident- ally scratched up several scars on the surface of the green with its sacreligious piws. This was a rub of the green in more senses than one and, after a few words of discussion, I the players decided that the bill must b9 putted from the spol: where the dog had left it. Now, according to clause 3 of Rule 17 (new code), this was a mistake. The clause mentioned runs as follows :—" It a ball at rest be displaced by an agency outside the match, exctpt wind, the player shall drop a ball as near as possible to the place where it lay, without penalty and if the ball be displaced on the putting-green, it shall be replaced without penalty." We are assured that the Taylor's ball had come to rest before the dog touched it; and, this being so, the decision to play it from where it subse- quently lay can only be attributed to a remarkable lapse of memory on thu part of four experienced professionals-the more remarkable from the fact that the interpretation of the particular rule is precisely similar in the old code and the new, ) though the wording is slightly different. The Newtown Club have new completed^the fencing of their greens, which the Pro is rapidly bringing to perfection. mt at present the course is in fine playable condition, thanks largely to the grazing tenant who possesses a sufficiency and a variety of stock, and while, of course, study- ing his own interests, courteously contrives to satisfy the wishes of the Committee. And what excellent stock he owns. For the moment the links are grazed by a herd of tiny ponies of various colours, and the pet and prettiest of all is a darling little foal, whose dark sable-plush-velvety coat commands universal admiration. This dear little fellow is diminutive enough to find his way beneath the wire on to the greens, but so lightly does he tread them, and so gently does he rub his soft nose against the flag staff that he leaves not an impress. I asked the tenant the other day whether he didn't feel to sell that boanie wee mite for consignment to the depths of a coal pit ? Ah well," he replied, you see us farmers must live on something more than sentiment." So they must, but I wasn't satisfied • • I say, what has come ovar the once invincible Newtown golfers that they are losing match after match ? No doubt there is difficulty in organis- ing a team of cracks for every engagement, but z;1 with such a galaxy of talent to choose from, these successive defeats want some explaining. Another disappointing matter is the frequency with which inter-club matches have been post- poned of late. If clubs will not fulfil engage- ments unless they can command their best players these disappointments must be continuous. Of course, it is not easy to arrange dates convenient for everybody, but surely the memberships are large enongh to provide a fair team almost at any time. When are we to start that county champion- ship ? As the oldest organisation in the shire, the Newtown Club might take up the question and communicate the project to our friends in the other boroughs. Who doubts but that it would be popularly received? We have now no fewer than seven clubs in the county, each of which, I daresay, considers itself superior, and is prepared to prove it. Woman woman take our votes; Take our fishing rods and floats; Take our guns and take our shot; Take (you're welcome) all the lot; Take the racquet and the bat Take first this, and after that, Work our work and drink our drinks Leave ah leave us just the Links 1" If this rhymer desires te divorce the ladies from the links, then I sturdily oppose him. To my mind the gracefulness of golf is typified in the proficient woman golfer. Indeed, I don't know where else woman is seen to more graceful advantage than on the links. Yet will I confess that Dame Foozler cuts an unlovely figure, and still more unlovely divots. Aye, it is wonderful what stupendous sods she will hew out in the course of her laboured trail across the links. Still we must all learn. Banish the ladies ? A thousand times No Here are other lines much more sensible, and I commend them for a place upon the notice board in every pavilion: AT THE TEE. Give those in front the time to play Two strokes before you drive away. THROUGH THE GREEN. Should casual strangers cross your path, Or guileless children halt before, Lay, lay aside your righteous wrath And bellow forth the warning Fore IN THE ROUGH. When you're out of form and foozle a shot, And your rage swells up like a roaring surf, Before you leave the unhallowed spot Don't forget to replace the TURF

CWMGWYN. BAPTIST SUNDAY SCHOOL ANNIVERSARY.—The annual treat to the scholars and other friends was held on Friday week. The tea tables were presided over by Miss E. Wilding, Cwmgwyn Hall, Miss M. James, Gwenlas, and Mrs E. Davies, Wain, who were assisted by Miss E. James,' Mrs E. James, Misses M. Wilding, E. Wilding, M. Davies, A. J. Davies, Mrs Davies, Butterw'ell, Mrs Lewis, Mrs Lloyd, Miss E. Jones, Mrs Jones, and Messrs Jones, Wilding, and M. Davies. In the evening a public meeting was held, over which Mr J. Williams presided. Dialogues, recitations and solos were given, and the choir rendered several pieces, ably conducted by Mr J. E. Lewis. The superintendent is Mr A. Jones. The chapel was crowded.—The following Sunday two services were held, presided over by Mr J. Pugh, Mochdre. These were well attended, and much enjoyed. The collections wrre in excess of previous years. The following contri- buted to the programme—Recitations: Pryce Wilding, A. Lloyd, D. Wilding, A. Pierce, A. Davies, E. J. James, M. Davies, A. Evans, E. F. Jones, V. Davies, E. James, E. Davies, E. Wilding, A. James, P. Lewis, A. Morgan, J. Jones, F. Williams, J. Davies, G. Price, W. E. Lloyd, L. S. Davies, and P. Wilding. Dialogues E. F. Jones, E. M. Jones, P. Lewis, and J. WT. James. Solos: Mr C. Stephens, Miss M. James, and Mr R. Morgan. Duetts: The Misses Morgan and E. and M. Jones. Quartette: Mr Charles Stephens and party. Mansfield College, Oxford, is fast becoming a Welsh College. It draws its students in a steady supply from the Principality. Last year of six entrants four were Welshmen, among them Mr D. Lloyd Jones, B,A., (Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge), eldest son of the late Rev D. Lloyd Jones, M.A., of Llandinam.

CONTEMPORARY CHAtt Unseemly Scenes in Parliament: Such scenes as that which took plaoo i:8 ibp House of Commons early on Thursday mornian have not been confined to that Chamber, nQoo. the Manchester Guardian. There was one in the other House when Brougham was Lord Chancel- lor. The Duke of Buckingham, in an attack on him. referred to his potations pottle deep.' Brougham in great indignation rose- from th.. Woolsack, and said he did not frequent the sam* a.^house as the Duke-an observation which wat followed by loud cries of "Order." "I have not. continued Lord Brougham, "a la;1g dic- tionary at hand." Shakespeare Mistaken for Slang. ilost of the Peers present rose to order. and amid the uproar the voice of the Lord Chan- cellor was lost, but he persisted for some time until the Duke of Buckingham stilled the clam- our by saying- tnat he had merely intended a pleasantry by borrowing a quotation from biiaKcspeare. On April 17th, 1823, while a. Mom- ber of the- House of Commons. Brougham ex- chanped aoue of such an insulting: nature with Cunning that the Speaker was compelled to order both into the custody of the Sergeant-at- Arms. and they only escaped by mutually re- tracting. Arrears in the Law Courts. The close of the legal term. which is rapidiv- approaching, as the courts now rise at the end of July, instead of the middle of August, will witness an unprecedented amount of arrears in litigation on the common law side. But it must be admitted, writes a correspondent, that the King s Bench Judges have made heroic efforts to cope with their work. sitting eariv and late, rushing assize business, curtailing speeches of cr unset. and speeding up generally. How- ever. the fact remains that they are too few, ar;d the Treasury is well aware of it. The Treasury and K.C. s. Indeed, a curious impasse has arisen at the Bar between the Treasury and some of the cir- cuit leaders. In crder to conceal the* real nature of the situation, and to give the public the im- pression that with a little help the present judi- cial staff is inadequate, the Treasury has for some time past been in the habit of inviting leading K.C.'s on busy circuits to sit as Commis- sioners. and so relieve the Judge when there is a heavy list. The K.C.'s have now struck, and have expressed their unwillingness to be made use of in this fashion, simply to save the face of the Treasury. A New Liquid Gas. A Swiss experiment for the transformation -of crude oil into liquid gas is reported by the American Consul at Zurich to have met with great success. The product is a transportable liquid, which is timply evaporated as used, and can be used for lighting, heating, cooking, soldering, and welding purposes. Producer cf Intense Heat. The gas is non-poisonous and three times less explosive than cidinary gas. The installation cost is said to be low. and manipulation simple and without danger. If mixed with oxygen liquid gas produces a heat so intense that ail ordinary bar of iron one inch in diameter can be cut in two almost instantly by placing it in the flames of a liquid gas burner. The new gas is com- peting Successfully with coal gas and electricity. Zoologist's Adventurous Exploration Mr. Douglas Carruthers. who has been in the hearr of Central Arabia, and has during his I wanderings covered some 700 miles cf unknown country between the Dead Sea and ancient Teimu. in the scutn of the great Nefud desert, I' k5 arrived in London. His main purpose in undertaking this adventurous piece of explora- tion was to study the zoolocry of that region, and collect natural history specimens. In this, fays a correspondent, he has been fairly success- ful. though hough birds were scarce and the smaller mammals difficult to procure. Attacked by Bedouin Robbers. Mr. Carruthers was fortunate enough to cb- tain line examples of the Arabian Oryx, a very rare species of antelope, cf which, it is said. no specimens haye ever before been shot by a white man. lr. Carruthers did not succeed in cross- ing Arabia, as he was stopped at Teima by the Enlir and compelled to retrace his steps. He was. however, well treated by the natives, and it was not until he wa's within a day's march of Damascus that he was attacked by Bedouin rob- ber,. who, however, appear to have let him off lightly. Welsh University College HalL Ir. David Davies. M.P. for Montgomeryshire, has offered, on behalf of his mother and sisters, to erect and equip, in connection with the rni- versity of Wales. Abervstwith. a college hall capable of dining fifty professors and 300 stu- dents. with the necessary common and recrea- tion rooms and other accessories, at an approxi- mate cost of Ecl,.Coo. It is understood that the college authorities will provide a suitable -site alongside the Davies laboratory and overlooKing the recreation ground, both recent gifts of the same family. High Fees for Preachers The Christian World states that E20 a Sunday is paid to supply preachers at the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, New York, and that "Gipsy" Smith, the well-known missioner, re- ceived £ 40 and L,10 for a single Sunday. Sup- posing that our contemporary is correct—and we do not doubt the fad-there- is a disquieting ele- ment in such high fees for occasional services, remarks the Daily Graphic. Provided, of course, that the preacher has not to meet exceptional expenses in undertaking the duty. the accept- ance of such payment seems to induce a profes- sional spirit which must be detrimental to the preacher's calling. Money Side of Religions Work. From time to time we hear criticisms of the large sums paid to American, nbssioners who visit this country, and of the amounts received bv English missioners to America. We trust there is no truth in the statements, and that these revivalists are content with the "living wage" remuneration and nothing more. If the facts are as suggested, the sooner these commer- cial methods are revised the better for ail that is best and highest in religious work. A Disgrace to Journalism Commenting upon the publication of what the Lord Chancellor describes as a mass of dirtv stuff constantly seen in rome newspapers in connection with reports of divorce proceed- ings. the Lair Journal think;- there ought to be no delav in taking steps to put a stop to what the Lord Chancellor described as "a disgrace to journalism." and & danger as well to moralirv. If it is difficult to get Parliament to move in such a matter, there is power in the Divorce Court itself to take action to prevent the scandal of the publication of details in. at least, the more glaring and dangerous cases. Publishing Divorce Reports. The late Sir Francis Jeune. when President. after a full consideration of the practice and authorities, came to the conclusion that tielit, was inherent jurisdiction in the Court to order a ncas-e to be heard in camera and he was of opinion that all ca«?es which involved questions of decency should be so heard. Here is a clear determining line on which some definite action could be taken promptly under the general powers of the Court, and the new President of the Court could not better inaugurate his a& sumption of office than by laying down. at once, a general rule governing trie publicity to be given to that class, of cases. "A Dead Cert." We often hear on the course that the only way for plungers to make racing pay is for them to follow form. But to this, writes "Captain Coe" in the Sketch. I would add that. before you can win. you must get a straight run for your money. I was told a little story the other day which is quite true, and which has a bearing on the. question under discussion. A well-known jockey gave a friend of his what he thought was 1110 certain winner of a big race. He added: "I have ridden the horse several times. and 1 look upon him as being a walk-over certainty." Why the Horse Lost: Well. the recipient of this bit of information proceeded to plunge heavily, only to see the animal finish in the ruck. He saw the j0ckey next day. and asked him how it was he did so fcadly on the horse. His answer was: "When I told you the good thing I had not received my riding orders. You must guess the rest." Well, the. Joser did guess the re-t. but he had to pay dearly for the owner coming between him and what appeared to be, on paper, a probable victory. Palpable Non-Triers. Luckily, adds "Captain Coe." we have large, majority of owners on the Turf who go straight; but there are others, and I. for one, ehouid like to see the Stewards of the Jockey Club give some of these a long rest. The book- makers get the advantage of accidents, incapable jockeys, and the running of fat horses, and it is hard lines to backers to find themselves occa- sionally on palpable non-triers; and the palp- ability, by-the-bye, is not seen until the raoe M being run.

J DROP A POSTCARD to the Music Salon, Newtown, for a new Illustrated Price List.

THE SOCIAL ROUND. It is not generally known. says a London con- temporary. how very near to being nipped in the bud was the distinguished career of the late Marquess of Ripon. He was not yet six when one summer evening an eminent physician waa hastily summoned to the London house of the Earl of Ripon. who had been advanced to that dignity a. few weeks before. The eminent physician was dming tete-a-tete with his wife when he received the message, and. tired with a leng day s work, he was in- clined to disregard it. The ladv persuaded him to go. and when he rerurned his words were: My dear, it is lucky I did not hesitate longer. The little Lord Goderich had a bone stuck in his throat, and if I had arrived five minutes later he would certainly have been dead." This incident occurred just. seventy-six years ago. Lord Ashburton was forty-three this week. He maTried for the second time three years ago an American lady, end he numbers another American among hit. a iice.-fcrs. The first Baron war; married, in the closing years of the eighteenth century to Miss Anne Louisa Bingham, daughter of Senator Bingham, of Philadelphia, and many years later the Republican Senator's daughter returned to Wasinngton as Lady -i-sh our Lou, wife of the British Ambassador. Lord Aehburton is among the. finest shots itt England, ranking with Prince ictor Duleep Singh and Lord Walr-ingham. He began to shOùt, at the age of eleven, and at The Grange, his Hampshire seat, the bags have always been large. The best year was 1877. -when 11.000 part- ridges were shot. A memorable day s sport wais in 1897. when 730 brace, were bagged. The Grange has a large park, and excellent truffles are found in it. M. Ciemenceau. the French Prettier, who, with his Cabinet, has resigned after a heavy de- feat in the Chamber of Deputies, in which the unreadiness for war of the Navy was admitted, was originally intended, -ays a contemporary, for a medical career. As a matter of fact, he practised medicine, taking a consulting-room in Montmartre. and prescribing for thousands of patients for a strictly nominal fee. M. Ciemenceau is a perfect- master of the English language, and in his own language ir the most powerful of living O!<ltcrs. and he once scored a unique triumph in thct capacity. He delivered a violent speech against, the Catholic extremists, and was wndly applauded not only by his Liberal panisans but by the Catholics themselves, and by The President of the Cham- ber. whom he had personally denounced. Lady Dickson Poynder. with whom the Duke and Duchesis- of Connaught and Princess Patricia spent last week-end at Ila-Tham Park. near Hor- sham. is an inteiWruai member of society. Her mother. Mrs. Rolieri Duixias, had at one time quite a salon in Edinburgh, and Lacy Dickson- Poynder. not content witli being an enthusiastic moiorist nJ sportswoman, ir kny interested in literature and art. Sue if a great reader, and the motto on her bookplate consists of the rather enigmatic phrase: The soul » not where it lives, buv where it loves." says tne Sh"h. Prince GeoTce of G^cs-ce. wno has t>een made an Honorary Knight Grand Cross of he Royal Victorian Order by the King, is noted for his fine physique, being well over six m height, proportionately broad, and exeeedingiv muscu- lar. When on one occasion ne was traveling in Japan with the Czar uhen the Czarevitch) his great sirengTh and aiertness W^TP The means of 53,in! his cousin from a 1';0V; aimed at him by a fanatic w irh an immense (luh. After diverting the blow, which would proliably have proved fatal had ir m-rt its mark. P-nce George felled the ar-sailan: witii a t-taff. whith is one of the most cheritned poorestK>ns of tne Winter Palaoe. P-ince Georsre has been a sailor, and lie acted for several years a £ Governor of Crete. H-is Royal Iiltrhness married -in 1907 Napo- leon's great-grandniece. Princess Marie Bona- parte, which brought the Bonaparte family once more into the region of the Royal caSte. The total cost of the bride's trous-seau was more than L60.000. Prince Lucien Bonaparte, the Prin- cess's great-grandfatheT. refused the crown of Italy and Spain. He was captured by the Eng- lish. and kept a prisoner in Worcestershire from 1810 to 1814. Princess Marie's grandfather, Pierre Napoleon Bonaparte, married Mile. Jusrine Rufhn. who started life as a milliner; while her mother, who died just a month after Princess Marie's birth in 1882. was a grand- daughter of M. Blanc, the founder and pro- prietor of Monte Carlo, so that she is very rich. A record of splendid military activity has been recognised by the appointment of Lieut.-General Sir Leslie Rundle TO be Governor and Com- mander-in-Chief at Malta. Although General Rundle first saw fighting in the Zulu Campaign of 1879. and took part in both,Boer Wars, it was in Northern Africa that his very full record of active service was achieved. From the Egyptian Expedition of 1882 down to the Nile Expedition of 1897. General Rundle took part in most of the fighting. After Tel-e.-Keblr General Rundle did service with the Egyptian Army on the Nile. for which he gained mention in despatches, a like recogni- tion being shewn him in regard to the opera- tions of the Frontier Field Force in the Soudan between 1888 and 18S1. In addition he received the D.S.O. ancl The brevet of Lieutenant- Colonel. For hijs share in the Dongola Expe- dition he was promoted Major-General. while after the Nile Expedition and the final advance on Khartoum he was made a K.C.B. and re- ceived the thanks of Parliament. His war eer- v:ces in South Africa gained him the K.é.l\1.G. The Earl of Leicester, who eucoeeded his father in the title but a few months ago. is just eixty-one. He is better known perhaps as Vis- count Coke, his former courtesy titie. lie is an old soldier, and entered the Scots Guards nearly thirty years ago. retiring from the regiment in 1899. Lord Leicester hae seen active service in the Egyptian and Suakim campaigns as well 88 in the Transvaal, and ill 1903 he was appointed A.D.C. to the King. In his fatner lifetime he took an active part in the management of the estates as well as a. great interest in county business, and it seemed only nat-urai. says tne L'rrninn Standard, that on the late Lord Leicester giving up the Lord Lieutenancy of Norfolk Lord Coke. as he then was. shoukl be appointed in his stead. Lord Leicester is devoted to agricultural and sporting: pursuits, and is an excellent shot and a good all- round sportman. Lady7 Leicester is almost as keen on sport as her husband, and skates ex- tremelv well. Sir Isambard Owen. who. in consequence of his appointment as Yice-ChanceUor of Bristol University, has resigned tho poet of Principal of i the. Armstrong College. Newcastie-on-Tyne. is & Weisnman. having been born at Chepstow in December. 1850. and his efforts on behalf of the formation of the University of Wales wiu always be remembered with gratituoe. W nen the scheme for the constitution of the University of be remembered with gratituoe. W nen the scheme for the constitution of the University of Wales waf being actively mooted. Sir Isambard threw himself heart and soul into the project, and contributed m no small measure to its suo- cessful realisation. The Hon. Frederick W alpole Mariners Sutton. who appeared the other day at Bow-street as prosecutor in a charge of defamatory libel against Mr. T. W. H. Crosland (the author of "The Unspeakable Scot"), is the only son, and heir, of Viscount Canterbury. Lord Canterbury, who is just turned seventy, is the fourth holder of a Viscounty which was only created in 1835. But he is of the noblest lineage, for the Man- ners-Suttons are a branch of the great ducal hohfie of Rutland. The first Viscount's grandfather was the third Lton of the third Duke of Rutland, and his father became Archbishop of Canterbury just under century ago. That is how it came about that when this Primate's son had been seventeen years Speaker of the House of Commons, an had earned a coronet, be took his title from Canterbury.