The Montgomeryshire Express and Radnor Times

NEWTOWN WATERWORKS. What May .Happen. Angling in the Reservoir. The Right of Friends, Wives, and Sweethearts. The Newtown Urban Council, upon the report of the Estimates Committee, agreed on Thursday evening to levy a rate of 3s 9d in the X in the inner district, and 3s 3d in the outer district—a threepenny reduction in each case. Mr S. H Jar vis, in moving an amendment, said he did not desire to affect the amount of the pro- posed rate, nor to fight over again in the Council the battles that had been fought in Committee, but the matter he wished to bring forward was one of so serious a character that he felt it his duty to have placed on record the fact that some members of the Council were alive to their re- sponsibilities with regard to the water undertak- ing. It will be within your recollection, said Mr Jarvis, that the Water Committee, on Monday night, when the estimates were considered, recom- mended that X100 should be set aside as the starting point of a reserve fund to provide for future emergencies in connection with the works. The works, when taken over by they Council, were accompanied by an Act of Parliament, defining the powers of the Council, and one of those powers was to provide a reserve fund up to and not exceeding £ 5.000 In my judgment, and I think in the judgment of most business men, it is ex- tremely desirable that we should deal with this matter as a matter of business. We have a wasting underraking which will not always remain as it is at present. When I say that I think it is necessary to mention one or two things In the first place, when the works were acquired, it was arranged that the Council should construct filter beds, and a certain sum of money was pro- vided for that purpose. These have not been made and that money has been spent. Again, although the water is of excellent quality it is contained in one reservoir, and IF ANYTHING WAS TO HAPPEN to that reservoir or the water to become contamin- ated, as is within the range of possibility, we have absolutely no other source from which to draw a supply for the town. The members of the Water Committee and other Councillors will bear me out in saying that the question of forming an addi- tional reservoir has been discussed many times, so that in the event of our having to stop the supply for the cleaning out of the present reser- voir, we should be able to do so without inconveni- ence to the inhabitants of the town. Another point is this: The reservoir, although at present of sufficient depth and holding an excellent supply sufficient for the town, is undoubtedly silting up. I think there can be no doubt about that. The depth at the present time in the different parts is not what it was when we took the works over, and the time will come, as it has come at Welshpool, and in other places, for the reservoir to be cleaned and cleared of some of the deposits. Then again, there is the question of the water mains. Com- plaints are made to the Water Committee almost every day in the week as toffee lack of pressure in different portions of the town. This particu- larly applies to the higher portions, but speaking generally I think it is not too much to say that the mains of the town are in such a condition as ought to exist. MAINS CORRODED. They are corroded, and I believe I am within the truth in saying that they have never been scraped, and that a good many of them, at all events, have never been relaid from the time of the original making of the works. Of course, I know there have been new mains laid in certain parts, but speaking generally the mains and pipes are not in a satisfactory condition in the town. This corrosion is responsible for the lack of pressure. We have discussed in committee the question of corrosion and it has been pointed out by experts that in many places a system of scraping the mains has been done with considerable success. It has in some instances resulted in the pressure being doubled. Well now, this year we intend- the estimates provide for it-to spend a small sum on scraping the main from the reservoir to Sunny- bank, a distance of half-a-mile. That is a small amount of the necessary work, and no doubt you will have in the near future to seriously consider either the relaying of the mains or scraping them all through the town. That is a matter which is to involve considerable expense. AN EXTRAORDINARY FACT. I am exceedingly glad that my pessimism of last year has not been justified in the result with regard to our general financial condition. The reason for that arises from the fact—and it is an extraordinary fact-that in the case of nearly every item of expenditure during the last year the expenditure has actually been less than the estimate. That is an excellent thing, but I think we can scarcely expect it to contidue year after year. We have estimated to have at the end of the present financial year a balance of XI,049 9s 2d, and my suggestion is that .£100 of that should be set aside as the commencement of a reserve fund for the purposes I have meetioned. It wont make one half-penny of difference in regard to the rate, but will show that you recognise the princi- ple of building up a reserve, and I am perfectly certain that you will never regret the step. This question has been repeatedly postponed. I think there is no time so opportune as the present, because we have bad a most successful year as far as expenditure is concerned, and in connection with the water department we have expended 4>50 less than we estimated. Therefore I am asking nothing unreasonable, but only what is fair and equitable, and what, in my humble judgment, ought to be a starting point to a reserve that will provide for contingencies. It does not follow that this J6100 will be spent-I hope it will not be necessary-but the interest on it will benefit the Council, because you know the bank treasurer lumps all the accounts together. I move, and I sinceraly hope the Council will see their way to accept the Water Committee's request, that .2100 of the estimated balance at the end of the year be set aside as a reserve for the waterworks under- taking. NO ALARMIST—BUT. Mr Forster seconded. He was not an alarmist, and did not look forward to anything very serious happening, but he did think it was their duty as business men, and as a matter of common sense, to prepare a fund for what might happen at any moment. A sum of JG50 was to be laid aside for scraping the main for a distance a little over half a mile, but no doubt a very considerable amount of scraping would have to be done in the next year or two-probably the whole of the town would have to be dealt with. Mr Jarvis I may point out that the whole of that C50 is not allotted to' the scraping of the main; it includes the dealing with the Llanfair- I road 1, matter Mr Ford: Mr Jarvis has opened up a very interesting question with regard to the water. With reference to the pipes being, corroded, that is a question which we should make ourselves more acquainted with. If members of the Council feel interested in it they can borrow a little book from the Surveyor, and as the result of its perusal they will be more able to speak about it. Then they will know what they ought to know. We ought to be acquainted with such facts, for some day a great deal of scraping will have to be done, and it will cost money. With regard to the proposed reserve fund, of course, we know how important it is that any Company of this kind should have such a thing But a reserve fund does not seem to be in very great favour in Newtown. We have SOME LARGE COMPANIES IN NEWTOWN who have not a halfpenny of reserve, and still they are going on, and seem to be going on very comfortably. But apart from that we are arrang- ing for a reserve fund at the end of this year when we eatimate to have.91,000 of a balance. I think that is a very good start for one year, and is quite as much as the ratepayers ought to be expected to burden themselves with in one year. We have nothing to be afraid of at all. If the money is wanted that .21000 will be ready. Then with regard to the quantity of the water and the silting up of the reservoir. If the reservoir were 600 feet deep there would be no more water avail- able for the town than at present, because you cannot take water from the reservoir lower than the outlet, and that is many feet from I the bottom. There is as much water now for the town as ever there was. As to the probability of the embankment giving way. we know that accidents of that kind do happen, and we must prepare for them; but I think we are preparing for them to a sufficient extent-as much as we can be expected to do for that or any other purpose. I don't see how X100 should be allocated to the waterworks when we have 1,000 to fall back upon. Anyone who feels inclined to criticise the position ot the waterworks ought to be satisfied with that amount, which will be allocated to any purpose for which it may be required. I don't see why we should trouble our- selves on that particular account. A TERRIBLE FIGHT. Mr Ellison: We had a really terrible fight upon this question before, and I am surprised to see it brought forward again after we had come to a satisfactory conclusion. I agree with Mr Ford, and as I took up that attitude on the question before, I don't see any reason to change my opinion. We have £ 1,000 reserve every year. You pay back Xl,000 on your loan. I think that is a very good thing, and is as much as might be expected from the ratepayers. It is quite true that a reserve is wise policy, but is it a necessary policy ? I say it is not. I think, and the water manager will bear me out, that if we cmid use twice the amount of water from the re-rvoir it would be purer than it is. If you had A reserve reservoir what would you do with the water ? It would practically become stagnant. The present supply is quite sufficient without saddling the poorer ratepayers with the cost of additional works. Mr Jarvis has mentioned that we were fortunate last year in making our estimates higher than the expenditure. That has happened many times before, but there are times when the reverse is the case, and you balance the one with the other. I doa't think it is necessary to inter- fere with our arrangements in regard to the rate. We fought it out in committee, and, as I think we were satisfied, there is no necessity for re-opening the question. Mr J. H. Jonas took it that the reserve fund proposed by Mr Jarvis would be available for anything which might happen not necessarily at the reservoir, but by way of improving the water system as was considered necessary. It would be a nest egg for the improvements that would have to be made in the near future. It would be no interference with the rate at all. NO IMMEDIATE DANGER. The Chairman (Mr Samuel Powell) lam sorry I cannot see my way to assist Mr Jarvis and Mr Forster in their proposed alteration of what was threshed out the other evening. We are in a better position than six or seven years ago, when our rate was 5s 6d in the X, and we were threatened by the auditor respecting our over- draft at the bank. We have lowered our rate from 4s 6d to 3s 9d, and in 1912 I think we shall reduce our loans by something like £ 400. So we shall be in a still better position in two years' time. The reservoir has been in existence for about 35 years, and if there is any immediate danger it would have shown itself before now. When the works were taken over by the Council it was estimated that the reservoir contained a supply for Newtown for 61 days without any more going into it. Last summer we gauged the depth of the water in the reservoir, and found that the pool had not silted up very much. Mr Evans I was one of those who proposed at the Finance Committee that .£100 should be set aside as a reserve fund. There is a difference of opinion respecting this matter, both respecting the need and t he urgency, and, of course, we have all the right to difference of opinion. What Mr Ford and Mr Ellison have said about the £ 1,000 balance does not touch the question at all. We balance does not touch the question at all. We will have that £ 1,000 to utilise in an emergency in any case, but if £100 was set aside out of that sum to commence a reserve fund for the water undertaking it could not be touched for any other purpose Mr Ford: How much would X100 do in case of an accident ? Mr Evans: It would not do a great deal, but you would be able to supplement it. Mr Ford You have got £ 1,000 now. Mr Evans: If next year we can reduce our loans by X400, which is equivalent to a reduction ot the rate by 43d, we might be in the position to supplement it with another XIOO. No doubt the town fe Is that the rate is already high, but we should make provision for a necessity. It may arise at any moment; it may take years, we don't know. The longer the better. A TIFF. Mr Ellison: Mr Evans has stated that the whole of the Water Committee agreed to this suggestion. I did not agree as a member of the Committee, and I state this because I don't want to make my position to-night seem peculiar. Mr Jarvis: Mr Ellison was not present when the matter was discussed. Mr Ellison I anticipated it, and mentioned it before I left the chamber. Mr Evan <: Still, if you had left, we cannot take you into account. We were unanimously agreed, and you were not present. Mr L, Ilison: Will you take me into account here ? The Clerk (Mr Woosnam) holding up a copy of the standing orders The members are expected to address the chair (laughter). j Mr Evans: Very sorry. On a division there voted .for the amendment Messrs Jarvis, Evans, Forster, and J. H. Jones, 4; against, the Chairman, Messrs Ford, Ellison, George, Pryce, Barnes, and Bennett, 7. The amendment was therefore lost. THE WATER COMMITTEE'S REPORT. Thereafter the Water Committee presented the following interesting report, which occasioned a good deal of discussion :— Nyodd Mill.—Your committee, through the Water Manager, has had correspondence with Mr B. B. Rowlands, the agent for the lessor, as to the con- dition of this mill and premises, but the same is not satisfactory. The committee asks the Council for authority to take the necessary steps to obtain a record of the condition of the holding under section 27 of the Agricultural Holdings Act, 1908.— Authority granted. Timber.—The committee have resolved that an advertisement be inserted in the Montgomeryshire Express for tenders for the timber felled on the Reservoir ground.—Agreed. Fishery Tickets.—Complaints having been made to the committee of the inconvenience at times caused to applicants for tickets by the conditions which have prevailed, it was resolved that the caretaker be supplied with a book pf day tickets for issue at the Reservoir, and that the question of admittance of any person or persons accompanying the ticket holder be left to the caretaker's discretion, but the committee expressed the opinion that leave should not, as a general rule, be withheld, where it is only intended that one person shall fish. Water Supply to the New Infirmary.—Further correspondence was read from the Secretary to the Infirmary Trustees with regard to the water supply to the proposed new infirmary, and the committee recommend that a sub-committee, consisting of Messrs Jarvis, S. Powell, and John Humphreys, be appointed for the purpose of conferring with the Infirmary Committee thereon.—Agreed. Analysis.—The committee recommend that the annual analysis of the town's water be made, and that it be entrusted to the Climical Research Association, of which the Council is a member.— Agreed. Water Supply.—The aurvepor reported that the supply to the town continues good. He had had the water connected to the Yeomanry Camp, and there was an ample supply afforded. The pressure in some districts was not what it should be, but this was accounted for by the extra amount of water required at this time. He had had a protective fence erected on the roadway near the Reservoir above the position of the recent landslip. THE CARETAKER AND FISHERS. Prior to considering the Committee's recom- mendation concerning the fishing at the reservoir, the Council listened to the following letter from the caretaker, Mr John Mostyn :— On Monday, May 30th, I made my monthly inspection of the brooks and farmyard. Cwmyrhiew- dre and Nyodd in a fair condition owing to the dry weather. The Mill clean, only the water is turbid owing to the grinding. The Reservoir is full, and flowing over. There are a good many gentlemen fishing, and they are complaining of the fishing path and the weed. There htve been two small bags of worms found on the path, but I could not rightly say who had been using them. Some people want to bring a number of persons with them when they come to fish, and other gentlemen are complaining that they are treading on the path and shadowing the fish. On the old ticket no one was to bring any- one with them except a ticket holder. I find it is not on this year's ticket. If anyone brings another with him I shall not be responsible for them in any way, as I find it impossible to keep them away from the water. I shall expect the Council to send me printed rules for ticket and other matters. I have had no orders for sheep washing, but expect the farmers every day, as the washing is nearly done in our stream. Please to impress upon the Council to send me the rules at once without fail, as things are very unpleasant at the present time. Mr Jarvis moved the adoption of the Com- mittee's proposal regarding the fishing The Committee, he said, had framed that recommenda- tion before hearing the caretaker's letter. Pre- viously it had been arranged that fishing tickets could only be obtained at the clerk's office, but complaints were made that the clerk and his assistants were not always there when tickets were wanted. Besides, there were holidays, and gentlemen who might wish to fish on those days could not get tickets. It was therefore felt that faciiities for obtaining them should be made easier than hitherto. The- Committee had also learnt that gentlemen, when they fished, were sometimes accompanied by friends such as their wives. He did not wish to mention names, but a gentleman of position not very far from Newtown went up on one occasion to the reservoir to fish, but was not allowed to take his wife with him within the grounds. On a nice day it seemed to him rather an extraordinary thing if a gentleman in that person's position, or any other gentleman c.)uld not take with him his WIFE OR SWEETHEART —(smiles)—to relieve the monotony of fishing, if he chose. Therefore the Committee thought that there should be no hard and fast rule. Of course, if they gave unlimited liberty it might be abused. A man going there to fish might take half-a-dozen friends, which would be obnoxious to other anglers, and possibly result in damage to the Council's property. If the caretaker were carefully informed of what his instructions were they had no doubt the new managemt-nt would work satisfactorily. He (Mr Jarvis) was not a fisherman. Angling seemed to him too deadly slow for anything, and therefore he couldn't say very much about it, but other members might speak more authoritatively on the subject. Mr Ford I would suggest that this matter be referred for consideration to a smtll Committee Mr Jarvis admits that he is not a fisherman. My friend on the left (Mr Forster) has practiced fish- ing under my supervision—(laughter)—on one occasion at any rate, when we managed to catch one fish between us. Mr Jarvis is not aware of the conditions under which the rules were made There were very good reasons for suggesting that no one should be allowed to accompany a fisher- man without a ticket. It was not thought advis- able that any professional angler should go with any person who might have taken a ticket. Our clcrk is a fisherman on a very large scale, and I may acknowledge his generous treatment of his friends when he catches a large salmon (laughter). Mr Jarvis Some of them (more laughter). A HINT TO THE CLERK. Mr Ford: I would therefore propose that a committee be appo'nted to revise the rules, under which fishermen can go to the reservoir. Mr George seconded. Mr Forster I propose that Mr Ford, under whose supevision I learnt the gentler art- (laughter) -jhould be a member of that com- mittee. The Clerk: I agree with what Mr Jarvis has said regarding the public convenience that ought to be provided in the matter of obtaining tickets I remember on one Sunday afternoon I was quietly reading at home-I wont say whether it was the Bible or what it was—(laughter)—when a friend called, and wanted a ticket for the reservoir the following morning. I would not go down to the office for one, because I didn't know where the book was, but I gave him a letter for the caretaker asking that gentleman to be allowed to fish, undertaking to see that the ticket was paid for. He went, and the thing was all right. It is inconvenient for people living out of the town to come to the Clerk's office. Mr George: Doesn't it put the caretaker in an unenviable position that he should have to discriminate between people who go there ? The Clerk So long as a person has a ticket no objection will be taken to a friend accompanying him. The rule was intended to prevent pro- fessional fishers going with others who had taken out tickets but did not fish themselves, the ticketless professional doing the fishing for them. If a man wants to take a friend with him there can be no objection. It was agreed to appoint a committee foi a revision of the rules.

Remarkable Speech by Mr. Roosevelt. At the Guildhall, London, on Tuesday, Mr Roosevelt delivered an arresting speech on the subject of Egyptian Government. "In Egypt." he said, "you have been treating all religions with studied fairness and impartiality and instead of gratefully acknowledging this a noisy section of the native population takes advantage of what your good treatment has done to bring about an anti-foreign movement-a movement in which, as events have shown, murder on a large or a small scale is expected to play a leading part Boutros Pasha was the best and most competent Egptian official, a steadfast upholder of English rule and an earnest worker for the welfare of his countrymen, and he was murdered simply and solely because of these facts and because he did his duty wisely, fear- lessly and uprightly. The attitude of the so-called Egyptian Nationalist party in connection with this murder has shown that they are neither desirous nor capable of guaranteeing even that primary justice, the failure to supply which makes self- government not merely an empty, but a noxious farce. Such are the conditions, and where the effort made by your officials to help the Egyptians towards self-government is taken advantage of by them-not to make things better, not to help their country, but to try to bring upon the land chaos, in which murder should be one of the prin- cipal ingredients—then it becomes the primary duty of whoever is responsible for the Govern- ment in Egypt to establish order—(sheers)—and to take whatever measures are necessary to that end (cheers). It was with this primary object of establishing order that you went into Egypt 28 years ago, and the chief and ample justification for your presence in Egypt was this absolute necessity of order being established from without, coupled with your ability and willingness to establish it. Now either you have the right to be in Egypt or you have not. Either it is or it is not your duty to establish and keep order. If you feel you have not the right to be in Egypt; it you do not wish to establish and keep order there—why, then, by all means get out (laughter) If, as I hope you feel that your duty to civilised mankind and your fealty to your own great traditions alike bid you to stay, then make the fact and the name agree—(cheers)—and show that you are ready to meet in very deed the responsibility which is yours (cheers). It is the thing not the form, which is vital. If the present forms of government in Egypt established by you in the hope that they would help the Egyptians upward, merely serve to pro- voke and permit disorder, then it is for you to alter the forms, for if you stay in Egypt it is your first duty to keep order and above all things also to punish murder, and to bring to justice all who directly or indirectly incite others to commit murder—(cheers)—or condone crime when it is committed (cheers). When a people treats assassination as the corner-stone of self-government it forfeits all right to be treated a3 worthy to receive self- government. You are in Egypt for several pur- poses, and among them one of the greatest is the benefit of the Egyptian people. You saved them from ruin by coming in, and at the present moment, if they are not governed from outside, they will again sink into the welter of chaos. Some nation must govern Egypt. I hope and believe that you will decide that it is your duty to be that cation" (cheers).

Frank Lloyd's Horse Sales. Messrs Frank Lloyd and Sons are holding their great June quarterly sales in the North Wales Repository, Wrexham, on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thtusday, and Friday next, when 1,000 horses of all classes will come under the hammer. Tuesday and Wednesday's sale comprises 500 harness horses, hunters, hackneys, show horses, cobs and ponies These are all a genuine lot of horses, many of great merit, big goers and fit to win. On Thursday 200 powerful waggon mares and geld- ings will be sold; they are all 4, 5, 6, and 7 years' old, 16 hands to 17-1, with weight and substance, fit for town work. Friday, the last day's sale, is for 300 Welsh lurry and vanners and young geldings. Two days trial is allowed for work, and all descriptions are guaranteed. Catalogues may be had from the Auctioneers, Wrexham.

Competitive Festival at Llangynog Under the auspices of the North Montgomery- shire Association of Independents the annual singing festival was held at the Llangynog C M. Church on Friday week. The afternoon meeting was presided over by the Rev Wynn Williams, Sardis, and the evening meeting by the Rev J H. Williams, Llanfyllin. The united choirs were under the baton of Mr J. O. Williams, Machyn- lleth, and the hymn tunes included Helen," composed by Miss Clara H. Williams, Llanfyllin, which the conductor highly praised Mr R. E. Lloyd, Llangynog, presided at the organ, and instrumental music was also provided by Miss Nancy Richards, Penybontfawr, Messrs E. O. Jones, M. Roberts, and Trevor Jones, Llangynog. Certificates were awarded to the following for a musical examination: Miss J. C. Evans, Messrs Ivor E. Meredith, Llangynog, and B. Ll. Roberts, Penybentfawr, while the following are the results of the scriptural examination, the exami- ners being Mr J. P. Williams, Revs E. Jones (Llansantffraid), and Rev R. Thomas (Meifod) :— Class I., Section I.; maximum marks 120.— Sarah Mytanwy Jones, Llanfyllin, 120; Jennie Wynne, Llanfyllin, 118; David Jones, Penybont- fawr, 118; Jane Jones, Penybontfawr, 117; John Enoch Ellis Llanfyllin, 117, Annie Lizzie Lloyd, Llangynog, 113; Price Lloyd, Soar, 108; Nellie Jones, Llangynog, 108; Richard Henry Evans. Penybontfawr, 104; Annie Myfanwy Morgan, Llanfyllin, 102; John Haydn Davies, Llanfyllin, 100; Gwendolen Morgan, Llanfyllin, 96; Florrie Winifred Morgan, Llangynog, 96; Job Elpbin Watkins, Meifod, 76; and Edith Jones, Siloh, 70. Class I., Section II.; maximum marks, 145.— Sarah Evelyn Grace Owen, Meirion Ellis, Trevor Owen Morris, Samuel Thomas Hughes,. John Daniel Richards, Richard Morris Hughes, and Mary Elizabeth Moreton, Penygroes, 145; Cather- ine Edwards, Penygroes, 140; Mary Elizabeth Morgan, Llanfyllin, 117; Artwel Lot Hughes, Soar, 93; and Patience Evans, Llangynog, 81. Class I., Section III.; maximum marks, 140.— Mary Blodwen Davies, Llangynog, 140; Lily Lloyd. Soar, 140; Margaret Winifred Owen, Soar. 140; Jennie cklnes, Llanrbaladr, 140; John David Morgan, Llangynog, 140; Jane Anne Evans, Pen- llys, 140; Mary Ellen Evans, Penllys, 139; Harriet Jane Meredith, Llangynog. 139; Stanley Simeon Meredith, Llangynog, 138; Frank Edward Ellis, Llanfyllin, 138; Maggie Mary Jones, Meifod, 13R Lily Ceredwen Powell. Llanrhaiadr, 127; Robert William Jones, Llanfyllin, 125 Gertrude Blanche Powell, Llanrhaiadr, 97; and Catherine Watkins, Meifod, 90 Class I., Section IV.; maximum marks, 140.— Constance Emily Hughes, Penegoes, 140; Edward Parry, Penl'ys, 140; Elsie May Rowlands, Meifod, 140; Sarah Elizabeth Lloyd, Soar, 140; Matthew Albert Williams, Soar, 140; W. Edward Williams, Soar, 140; Robert Thomas Evans, Meifod, 140 William Emrys Owen, Pen groes, 140; Edward Edwards, Penegroes, 140; Edward Ejirys Watkin, Meifod, 140; Nathaniel Anwyl Watkin, Meifod, 140; Gwilym George Roberts, Llanrhaiadr, 140; Evan Jones, Penllys, 140; Ivor Hughes, Siloh, 139; Dora Meredith, Soar, 138; Mary Myfanwy Evans, Penybontfawr, 137; Mary Sydney Evans, Penybontfawr. 136; Elizabeth Parry, Sardis, 136; Thomas Henry Jones, Siloh, 135 John Price Hughes, Siloh, 132; Emily Williams, Sardis, 127; Mervin Hughes, Llanrhaiadr, 125; John Richard Hughes, Peoegroes, 121 Edward Thos. Hughes, Penygroes, 120; Edward Spurrel Evans, Peny- bontfawr, 112; Annie Mary Jones Llanfyllin, 107 John Henry Morris, Llanrhaiadr, 93; Margaret Sarah Williams, Sardis, 98; M&bel Lioyd, Sardis, 74; Jane Anne Evans. Llanfyllin, 65; Hugh Griffith Davies, Sardis, 64; Rowland Hughes, Sardis, 57; Laura Jane Davies, Ssrdis, 56; rhos. Edward Bennion, Meifod, 50; and Joseph Mald- wyn Evans, Penybontfawr, 48. Class I, Section V., maximum marks, 140,— Rose Evans, Penybontfawr, 140; Annie Nesta Evans. Llangynog, 140; Mary Margaret M. Mere- dith, Llangynog, 140; Thomas Herbert Morris, Penygroes. 140; Mary Catherine Ellis, Penygroes. 140; Ifor Emlyn Meredith, Llangy Fog, 139; Mary Jones. Penybontfawr, 139; Jane Edwards, Peny- groes, 139; Sarah Annie Prodger, Penygioes, 139 Jennie Jones, Os westry, 139; Annie Jones Peny- bontfawr, 138; Richard Einion Evans, Penybont- fawr, 138; John Eivion Evans, Llangynog, 136; David James Hill, Llangynog, 135; Winnie Mor- gan, Oswestry, 128; Lizzie Morgan, Llangynog, 119; Mary E. Roberts, Oswestry, 118; Dilys Matthews, Oswestry, 117 ;*Rowland Price Hill, Llangynoe, 105; Iorwerth Evans, Penybontfawr, 98; and Florrie Thomas, Oswestry. 92. Class II. (oral); maximum marks, 130.-Susie Ellis, Llanfyllin, 122 Jane Parry, Penllys, 120; Margaret Parry, Penllys, 109; Gwennie Davies, Llanfyllin, 106; Lily Roberts, Llanrhaiadr. 105 David E. Ellis, Penygroes, 105; Cissie Evans, Llanfyllin, 103; Martha Jones, Llanrhaiadr, 102 Katie Lloyd, Sardis, 98; E. T. Powell, Llan- rhaiadr, 9S; Eddie Davies, Llanfyllin, 92; Catherine Davies, Sardis, 92 David Parry, Sardis, 91; T. W. Ellis, Llanfyllin, 85; Blodwen Lloyd, Llanfyllin, 80; Joseph T. Lloyd, Sardis, 74; Pbylip Watkins, Meifod, 69; Mary Jones, Penllys, 67; Letitia -Davies, Llanrhaiadr, 58; Maggie Williams, Soar, 56; and John Evan, Pen- llys, 54. Class 3 (written).-I Florrie E. Evans, Llan- gynog 2 Sarah Parry, Penllys; 3 Catherine Parry, Penllys. Class V (written).-i Job Watkins, Meifod; 2 B. Ll. Roberts, Penybontfawr 3 T. M. Owen, Meifod.

Our Finest Bowler. Mr Pelham F. Warner contributes to the June Windsor Magazine' an interesting article entitled Bowlers I have played against," which is accom- panied by some admirable full-page and other reproductions of famous cricketers' portraits, Mr Warner says :— Lockwood, of Surrey, has retired from first- class cricket, but a fe*v years ago he was the finest fast bowler this generation has seen. Richardson in his prime ran him very close, and in the matter of consistency he was Lock wood's superior. When he was bowling well, Lockwoud had no equal. Perhaps, as a Middlesex cricketer, I may have an unduly high respect for Lockwood, for is not Lord's the ground on which he accomplished many of his most splendid feats ? Over and over again has Lockwood knocked us out for a small score on a good wicket. But it is not only Middlesex who have had to bow their knee before. him, for the Gentlemen have felt the weight of his attack very sevel ely on more than one occasion. It will be enough to instance a single match. In the Gentlemen and Players game at Lord's in 1901, the Gentlemen had, at lunch time on the second day, scored 206 for one wicket, with the Jam of Nawanagar and Mr C. B. Fry well set, and yet, an hour after play was resumed, the Gentle- men were all out for 272, Lockwood having taken seven, I think, of the wickets. It was one of the finest pieces of bowling I have ever seen, that wonderful slow ball of his deceiving batsman after batsman Cricketers, as a rule, do not carry in their minds the memory of any one particular ball which they have Been bowled, but there is one ball which I shall never forget. England were playing Australia at Lord's in July, 1893-it was the Hon. F. S. Jackson's first test match-and Lockwood was bowling from the pavilion end. J. J. Lyons, the great hitter, went in first, but, after making seven runs, Lockwood clean bowled him. It was a good ball—a very good ball-but nothing like the one which George Giffen, the next bats- man, was asked to play. This was an exception- ally fast one, and pitched about four inches out- side the off stump, kept very low, and hit the middle and leg. Of course, Giffen had no chance —that ball would have bowled any man in the world—and though it is nearly seventeen years ago, I can see it all as plainly as if it were yesterday."

Welah Newspaper Pays for Carelessness At the Merioneth Assizes at Dolgelly on Tues- day, before Mr Justice Jelf and a special jury, Robert Owen Davies, solicitor, of Blaenau Fes- tiniog, sued Thomas Williams and Co., printers and publishers, for libel. The action arese as the result of an anonymous letter in defendants' journal on April 9th. Plain- tiff, who is clerk to the Festiniog Urban Council, acted as presiding officer, and the letter alleged that plaintiff gaves offices at the polling booths on the occasion of the triennial election at the beginning of April to his friends and money grabbers, ignoring more competent persons. The defence stated that the editor was away, and in the pressure of work and being short of copy, the letter was selected frem the editorial desk,' presuming it was all right. The defenee admitted carelessness, and had failed to ascertain the author of the letter. Plaintiff was awarded .£150 damages and costs.

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See the ONOTO Window at No. 19, Broad-street, Newtown.