The Montgomeryshire Express and Radnor Times

THE RECTOR OF NEWTOWN AND SACRAMENTAL WINE. To the Editor of the Montgomeryshire Express and Radnor Times. Sir,—In this week's issue of the Montgomeryshire Express I notice a somewhat lengthy report of an interview with the Rector of Newtown on the subject of the use of wine at the Holy Communion. Of the reverend gentleman's views on this par. ticular matter I do not now wish to speak. J wish, however, to call attention to one observation of the Rector's. It is this:—"Here I am speaking as a Bible Christian and not as a Churchman, my authority being taken from the Bible." I would ask first: Are Churchmen and Bible Christians different persons; and, if so, how? Secondly: Has the Church-and should it have— any authority" not taken from the Bible? Being a Churchman, I should like to know on what ground I stand.—Yours obediently. AN ANXIOUS ENQUIRER. To the Editor of the Montgomeryshire Express and Radnor Times. Sir,—The public have reason to thank you that a clear statement uf tne attitude of the Rdv E. A. Fishbourne towards the Britidh Women's Temper- auce Afisoci t r, on has been laid before them. It is efiJeuily a case of "tithing the mint and anise while ignoring the weightier matters of the law." Tae literal translation, even where the trans- lation is uuc irtaiii, must be adopted against the whole spirit of Bible teaching Is not our Rector well acquainted with the fact that different words are given in the original lan- guage to express the word translated for us as wine, and that the conclusion seems to be irresistible to any impa-tial reader of tho sacred Scripture, that it is an inn eent unintoxicating wine which the Spirit of God in His word commends, white it is an inebriating wine He condemns ? As to the particular passage referred to by the Rector, viz., 1 Cor. xi 20-3i, the great majority of expositors join in ascribing to the apostle's words a charge of selfish repletion, but not of intoxication. In no passage where God's blessing is connected with wine, does the oontext, shew it to be intoxicating. Dr Lightfoot is of opinion that by him that was drunken is meant the Jew that ate the Patchul Supper-, and by him that was hungry, the Gentile who was so, not out of poverty and necessity, but because he refused and avoided eating of the ante supper as savouring of Judaism." This supper was not the Lord's Supper. Dean Stanley says, Thb use of this word in John xi, 10, shows that it need not be always taken for intoxication." Archbishop Newcombe says "the word methuei does not neces- sarily import drunkenness." I would also refer the Rector to another passage of scripture, Romans xiv, 13, Let us not, theretor judge one another any more; but judge ye this rather that no man put a stumbling block in his brother's way, or an occasion of falling." As to the juice of the grape not being called wine. our Reobor evidently speaks without knowledge. Thomas Aquinas, the greatest of the logicians of the 13th century, says (discoursing of the proper sub- stance to be used in the Eucharist), G.-spe juice (Mustum) h*8 the specific quality of wine." S. Lee, D.D., Reg. Prof, of Hebrew, says, New wine is the juice of toe grtpe." Baron Liebig. in his letters ou chemistry, wrote, If a flask be filled with grape- juice, and made air light, and then kept for a few hours in builing water—The wine does not now ferment." It was with great surprise I heard such a puerile denunciation of a great movement, and such apparent fear that women of the Church of England are less capable than othbr women of testing truth and error. It will be as Dean Stanley states, Each age of the Jhurch has as it were turned over a new leaf in the Bible, and found a response to its own wants. We have a leaf still to turn—a leaf not less new, because it is so simple." I mast now conclude by thanking you for per- mitting one, who so seldom writes you, to occupy so muoh of your valuable space. A PBOTESTANT.

WHAT MAKES A CHRISTIAN? To the Editor of the Montgomeryshire Express and Radnor limes. Sir,—Quite recently I happened to be in the vicinity of a country church (not a hundred miles from New- town) on a Sunday afternoon, and as the service was! just beginning, I stepped in aud took a seat. There were few adults present, but an explanation may be sought in the fact, which I discovered afterwards. that it was a children's service. The usuna earmmon was dispensed with, and instead the clergyman pro- ceeded to question the children as to their Christian name. The manner in which he went about it rather amused me, and I jotted down some of the questions and answers. After taking for his text a portion of Revelation, which dealt with the name of the righteous being written on a great white stone, he proceeded as fol- lows What is your name? There was a long pause, but no answer was given. The question was then repeated in another form. If a child has not been brought to church to be christened up to the age of 18 or 20 years, what name is it that that child has not got ? This question appeared to be equally as formidable as the previous one, and the silence of the children seemed to exasperate the rev. gentleman, who said Now children, don't show your parents your ignor- ance. Because really it is not ignorance, as you do know, only I want you to think. I'll put it another way. Supposing a boy's name is John Jones-Jones is his father a name-what do you call the other name ? Christian name." Yes, and that is the name by which each child will be spoken of in Heaven hereafter. What is Jones's name ? The surname." Perhaps his father and his mother chose to call him John, and go down to to the Registrar, and say We want to name him John." What name would you call that ? Christian name." .Now you make a mistake. It is no Christian name at all. You take the name down to the Registrar in and is no Christian name at all. A child that is not baptized has not got a Christian name. That name John, given to him by his father and the Registrar, is the civil name. It is his name as a citi- zen,—a member of Her Majesty's kingdom. It is a name by which he is known in society. Now, who gave you this Christian name? Grown up people may answer this question, if they like. There was a mumbling of words, in which could be distinguished "Godfather" and "Godmother." Yes, but rather shaky. The ehildran were made to repeat it twice. This is the answer: My Godfathers and Godmothers in my baptism; wherein I waa made a member of Christ, the child of God, and an iuheriter of the Kingdom of Heaven." Then if the father goes down to to the Registrar, and tells him that hid boy's name is John Jones, would you call that child a member of the Church of God ? "No." It is like a boy putting his name in a saving's bank, and has nothing to do with Christianity. But when a child is received into the Church, and water poured upon its head, naming him by a name which is to dis- tinguish him for ever as a disciple of Jesns Christ, and who is to be taught aDd instructed in the Christian religion, he is saved from the world, he is a member of tha Christian Church, and will be an in- heritor of thl) Kingdom of Heaven. The other one whose name was given in the regiilter-to describe him-really has become a member of the kingdom of Quaen Victoria. He has become, in name, a subject of this great empire, and has become a citizen of the realm, This would be the desoription of such a child. Even if tha father, after the child has been baptized, should go down to and add the name of Robert to the John Jones, to distinguish him from other John Jones's, John only would be the Christian name Robert would be merely the oivii name. They would be known by their Christian names in tiearen. And this was hÙil argument. The Church on earth was known as the Church militant, and in Heaven as the Church triumphant. They were all soldiers of the same army, and they would therefore all be ea- roiled upon toe army book beie18 the battle in tito name by which they were known on eartli. Another point he raised in favour of his argument was that when Lazarus and the rich man died, they spoke to each other, and their names were the same as when they were on earth. So also was Abraham's who had been dead for many long years £ This was the text of the sermon to the young. One would have expected instead an earnest address upon other than matters calculated to instil terror in their young hearts for the fate of some of their playmates —the sons and daughters of unbelieving Dissenters. X. l We should like to know how Lazarus got his name. Was it a Christian name ?-ED.]

THE TEMPERANCE SUNDAY. To the Editor of the Montgomeryshire Express and Radnor Times. Sir.-The North Wales Temperance Association de- 8irea to eall the attention of all the Congregations of North Wales to the lemperanoe Sunday, viz., the last Sunday is November, and begs that special notice be given to Temperance at every place on that day. In his excellent address at Wrexham, the Venerable Archdeaoon Howell laid a great emphasis on that temperance should be elevated to a more religions sphere, and remarked that it was prayeis of Wales that succeeded in getting Sunday Closing for Wales. The present juncture is most important, when Parliament is about to take up the matter in earnest- It is essentially necessary that an earnest prayer to God should asoend from all our congregations, for guidance to our legislators, and success for the cause. Let this be done. Our resolution passed at Wrexham, was as follows That the prevalance of drinking habits among the population of our towns and villages calls for vigoroQ8 oruade by every possible means, on the part of all the friends of sobriety, to save those who are periahing." This resolution is short but full of importance, and ought to obtain serious attention. It has been suggested that a visitation of the Sunday schools of every denomination be made, to give a temperanoe address, and take the names of persons willing to sign the pledge. In some places much good has been done in this way. An effort to instruct the children and young people in the principles of sobriety is suggested, and that the ministry of the gospel should teach and warn in an nonest and earnest manner, and that no preaching meeting, or association, should pass without one speoial sermon for the purpose. And if the power is given to the people, as we trust it will be soon, it will be of immense importance that all the people should be thoroughly enlightened, so that they may, and will, make the proper use of that power. There- fore, an awakening with the cause is a necessity. Let .the. collection also be remembered, a large collection is not asked for—only a penny from each 1? y~f K congregation only do this faithfully, and send it to the County Associa- tion, a good harvest may be expected as a result. • x J. EIDDON JONES, Sttfttery N. W. Tvmperaooe Amaistign.

THE COUNTY RATE BASIS. FAIR PLAY FOR THE TOWNS. To the Eidtor of the Montgomeryshire Express and Radnor Times. Sir,-The attitude of the rural representatives towards the urban districts is becoming more acute day by day, two striking instances having occurred on Tuesday last, the 14th inst., one at the County Council meeting and the other at a meeting of the Rating Committee of the Council. So important are the interests involved and far reaching the consequences that I think nothing will be lost and possibly something gained by ventilating, even outside the Council, the qnestions now at issue between the town and country districts, thereby giving the ratepayers and the reading public fuller information on these subjects. The possible results may be overlooked by many at the present time, but rest assured that if allowed to pass, and when perhaps it would be too late, the towns will find themselves heavily handicapped in their powers and probably burdened with increased rates. The space in your columns is too valuable for me to give instances where public bodies and towns are suffering permanent injury through their neglect in having allowed their powers to be taken from them. PARISH COUNCILS BILL. On the 15th of September certain resolutions deal- ing with this Bill were printed in full on the agenda of the Montgomeryshire County Council. These resolu- tions were sent from the County Councils' Associa- tion for the consideration of our County Council, and the latter appointed a committee to consider them and to report to a meeting of the Council to be held within a month from that date. The Council, how- ever, did not meet until last Tuesday, the 14th inst., to receive the report. This Committee did not confine themselves to these resolutions, but made recommendations outside them which in fact comprehended the entire details of the measure. One recommendation was as follows:— Power should be given to the County Council in these cases to transfer any part of a parish which is within an urban district to the rural parish in cases where they are satisfied that such part at the passing of the Act included in an urban district is of a purely rural character. By clause 1, sub-section 3, power is given to the County Council to make separate parishes of any parishes that may be partly within aud partly w.th. out the rur-ii sanitary district. The reasonableness of the clause as it stands is clear, but to propose to make such an addition as the Council wouid wish would be to add something to the olause that has nothing whatever to do with urban districts. Tne effect of the addition, if the Bill be altered to meet the wishes of tue Moutgomeryehire County Council, will be that a portion of the rural part of tho Newtown and LlanLwchaiarn uiatrict may be di- vorced from the u. ban, at tho pleasure of the County Council, without auy appeal to tue Local Govcrment board by those who may feel themselves aggrieved. The power to make such a transfer is already given to the County Council by tltction 57 of the L. G. Acv 1888, but is wisely made subjecc to a provision giving the Local Government Board authority to interfeie if the alterations failed to meet with the approval of any of those who may be affected by it. in my humoie opinion tin Council failed to act with its accustomed discretion when it entertained any ot the recommendations which aie foreign to the resolu- Lions transmitted by the County Councils' Associa- tion, and my reasons are these :— 1. That, in the minute which appointed them the Committee were not instructed to report generally upon the merits of the Bill. 2. Because the members of the Council had not received copies of the Bill, and therefore c )al(t hardly be expected to folio w amendments whichareatti-a oirts to a Bill which covers 42 foolscap pages. It is to be regretted, I think, that representatives of constituen- cies which are distinctly urban did not take a greater amount of interest in tnis question. Possibly it jaay be attributed to the belief on their part that the Bill would not be affected by any suggested improve. ment of the Council, but may be salely left in the hands of Parliament. COUNTY RATE COMMITTBB. The County Council and its Committees having had this matter in hand for a considerable time, 1 will now ask how does it stand at present as regards the Newtown and Llanidloes Uniou ? This Union is rated to the poor at X112,953, but its ratepayers are paying ou X124,014, wnich is the same amount as that on which they were paying in the year 1883. That is to say, they now pay to the extent of £ 11,061 over and above the present rateable value of the Uuicn. The country mansions, railway, canal, water, gas and other companies are still paying on old valua- tions, whilst the Liverpool waterworks, which have now been constructed for a considerable tim*, and are valued at R8,000 per annum, contribute nothing towards our county rate. Under the Local Government Act of 1888, section 3, sub-section 1, power is given to the County Couucil for the preparation and revision of the bads or standard of the county rate," but the Council has not yet availed themselves of this power, preferring for the present to accept the different Union assess- ments, and to make recommendations to the c.aS:5 of property to which reference has just been made. Proceeding, I may say that the Rating Committee are serionsly considering the propriety of increasing by 5 per cent. the deductions allowed off the gross esti- mated rentals of farm houses and land. I shall endea- vour to prove by figures that the result of this will be that it will relieve one class of the community at the expense of the whole, and particularly affect ad- versely the householders and working ciasses of the towns and villages. I will take as an example a fairly large area of farms and land, and that chosen is the only one in which, so far as I am aware, houses are rated separately from land. I have the figures before me of that district of Newtown and Llanllwch- aiarn, which it was proposed should be taken out of the Newtown district. The rateable value is £ 7,481. It is divided as follows:— £ Representing houses and buildings. 898 Do. land 6,583 J67,481 To make the case clear, I give the deductions as worked out on the proposed new basis :— x 15 per [cent. off t7,481 land and buildings 1,122 7i.. J36,583 land separately 493 .£629 a i neretore tne difference of X629 remains for repairs on the houses, which is 70 per cent.; or, if 2i per cent. be considered sufficient off the land, 107 per cent., whereas the allowance to householders in the towns and villages is only 15 per cent. if the rent is over £ 6, and if below 20 per cent. Why our agricultural friends should be dissatisfied with their present liberal deductions is a point into which I will not enter. In these figures I have taken the net rateable value for the sake of convenience, and, whilst touching on this portion of the Newtown district, I may point out that although the part referred to is rated at > £ < ,481, for Local Board pur- poses it is only assessed at about £ 2,550. I am fully aware that the rural portion of the Newtown distriot is scarcely a fair comparison for the whole county, but even by assuming that the rent of houses as compared with land to be as one in four instead of nearly one in eight, as in the case given, the allowance for repairs of buildings is alto- gether out of proportion to the actual cost. Let me, however, take the county as a whole. Upon a eareful estimate I reckon in round figures that the portion of the county, which would be re- lieved to the extent of 5 per cent, is rated at J6300,000, i.e. the county will be minus X15,000 upon which to levy rates, consequently the rates must be increased to meet this deficiency, and the house- holders of towns and villages, while reaping them- selves no advantage, will have an extra burden placed upon them. Further than this, all the local rates will be levied upon this now basis, i.e., the rural part will be relieved and the towns and villages must submit to a further burden. I suggested to the Rating Committee that farm houses should be rated separately from the land with which they are occupied, but this was deemed im- practicable, although it is done for the purposes of Local Boards, and why it should be inapplicable in other cases, I am at a loss to conoeive. I hope the Rating Committee will recommend the Council to postpone, until after the Parish Councils Bill shall have become law, the consideration of the question of the deductions to be made from the gross rateable) value, except only in those cases in which there may be entire unanimity amongst the members of the committee. This would mean nothing more than the delay of a few months, with the compen- sating gain that thereby more information may be obtained and opportunity afforded for the further discussion of this important matter, and perhaps in the meantime those descriptions of property which are now assessed on too low a basis will have been re-valued. With respect to repairs, is not the question mis- understood ? If the deduction made 10 years ago to cover landlords' repairs were considered reasonable, what has happened in the meantime to justify an in- creased allowance ? The depression under which the agricultural interest is labouring, and which we all greatly deplore, furnishes no reason for interference. If it did, our manufacturing concerns would have a claim to be dealt with in a similar fashion. Finally, I may express the hope that County Conn- cils will carry out their powers and obligations in a just and broad-minded spirit, not overlooking the in- terests of less important bodies, otherwise I fear the effect will be that Parliament will be reluctant to en- trust the Councils with extended powers, which would be a subject of universal regret.—I am, your obedient servant, EDWARD PBYCE JONES. Ktwfcown Hall, ftmafav lmliam

THE MONTGOMERY BOROUGHS. To the Eailor oj the Montgomeryshire Express ami Radnor Times. Sir, When is our member going to give an account of his stewardship to his constituents ? He baa beeo elected since twelve months last July, but beyond speeches at Tory meetings on per&onal matters I haY. looked in vain for an exposition of his ideas on IeJII. lation-present and future. I suppose he claims to represent all classes in the Boroughs. I want to know how he is going to vote on the Liquor Bill, A TEMPERANCE VOTWR, [This letter was accidentally omitted last wockj^r ED.]

STRAY THOUGHTS FROM LLANWYDDELAN. To the Editor of the Montgomeryshire Express and Radnor Times.. Sir,—Perhaps it would not be unwise, after the School Board eleotion, to make a few comments on the election and the circumstanoes connected with it, if you will be so kind as to consent to their pub- lication. Without doubt it is to be regretted that this matter cannot be more peacefully settled, without being compelled to squander the parishioners' money. Things ef this sort ought to be dealt with con. clusively by a general meeting of ratepayers, and authority given to the said ratepayers to check the challenging the district, and demanding that the district should be thrown into the turmoil of an election. It so happened, with regard to the above- named School Board eleotion, which came off last Friday. Selection by Vestry was first of all acceded to, but it proved of no avail, for reasons already stated. In the late Board the policy advocated was thrift and proper care of the rates, yet in two or three months afterwards a considerable sum of money was practically thrown away, as far as the inhabitants of the district were concerned. No wonder then that the general feeling on this point was struck on a high key-note, and still keeps its pitch. It is char. acteristio of the inhabitants that they are patient, and lack in foresight, but when a thing becomes known, though perhaps too late to stop or mend, their revenge is thorough. The moat objectionable and unbearable fact in connection with elections held here is the intimacy which exists between some beings and Sir John Barleyoorn." It is disgraceful to the neighbour- hood, and on every account ought to be made public. To see men under the influence of drink in a place two miles from the nearest public-house is not a thing to be overlooked. A person should be ashamed of himself, if hd has a spark of manhood in him, if he cannot trust to win an election by personal attributes, and not by a glass of beer. A School Bo-ird is not the situation for all sorts of characters. It bhould be looked up to as composed of a steady, persevering, energetic class of men—men with sound judgments of their own, and who "fear uo foe" in the pursuit of the riyht. It if) to be feared that in these days personality goes before principle; no regard is taken of principle if the personality ill. pleasing, right or wrong. Parents who are desirous of rearing their childron in the way of righteousness and soberness should first of all look for the desired principle in School Board members, and all other effects will follow for the good of the children tho relief of tbe parishioners, and the elevating of humanity. Other comments are contemplated. Hoping that I do not trespass upon your valaableapace.-I remain yours truly, EAOI.E'S EYE."

WHAT AN EARTHQUAKE CAN DO. ro the Editor of the Montgomeryshire Express and Radnor Times. „ Sir,-Haviiig seen by the newspapers that the Principality has recently been visited by a few mild shocks of earthquakes, the following startling notes will, I have no doubt, interest your readers and especially more so as the writer was present:- The sea was running mountains high" is a favourite expression, but the highest natural waves I ever and often encountered were off the Cape of Good Hope and the Pitch of Cape Horn. Here at times waves trom thirty to forty feet high sweep along in majestic masses. The greatest wave of historic times was caused by the succession of earthquakes experienced all dong the loot of the great Andean range of moun- tains on the Pacific Slope, which took place on A1a5,U8' 13th'1?88- ,Tlw city of Arequipa, situated at the foot of the volcano El Miste," was in a few seconds levelled to the ground, and thousands lay lead and dying amidst the debris. The towns of Tslay, Arica, Iquique, and many others were en- gulfed; a great cry went up to Heaven as the terrified survivors saw the sea retiring, and the shipping in the harbour earned irresistibly sea- wards. In a few minutes the ftea stopped, and th«n arose a mighty wave, folly fifty feet high, and came rolling to with a fearfnl rush, the whole of the shipping coming back, many bottom upwards, and cast ashore by the great billows over the prostrate towns, where quantities of their timbers remain bleaching to this day, over a mile from the seashore. But large as this southern branch of the wave was, its northern arm was Taster still. When first it started on its voyage across the Pacifie its length was estimated at five million feet, or, roughly speaking, a thousand miles, with a vary- ing height of from sixty to seventy feet. This incalculable mass sped along at a rate of about six hundred miles an hour. As it widened out this dimuuahed as its length grew greater. In Mid-Pacific it formed a semi-circular wall of water measuring from end to end about eight thousand miles. Let us follow the monster's course as far as intelligent reports will permit us. „ Soon midnight tbe shore of California, fully 5 000 miles from the seat of the disturbance, was shaken by a wave nearly seventy feet in height, which burst with a crash upon it. The huge billow bad traversed this expanse of water in less than eight hours. The Sandwich Islands were next visited. This gronp is situated 6,400 miles west and north from Arequipa, and the natives might fairly consider themselves safe from any danger. Yet shortly after midnight a terrible 0"7 went out into the night that the Islands-were sinking. The wave did not break here, and, by a natural optical illusion, the onlookers could not resist the impression that they were sinking rapidly into the sea. Islet after islet was submerged, and panic was universal, until the advancing tide paused and retired. But far beyond the wave coursed on. The next day Yokohama, in Japan, was visited by a billow thirty-five feet high. In something less than twenty-four hours this wave had travelled over two-fifths of the earth's surface—a distance of' 10,590 square miles. From the Samoa and Mar- i qnesas groups came detailed accounts of the same' phenomenon. But yet on and on it rushed. New Zealand received the wave, greatly diminished and broken, but still alarming. Still not exhausted, the giant wave was seen and heard of on the Australian coast, 12,000 mues from its starting point. Passing thence, its power was broken and lost in the vast i, Indian Ooean.—I am, dear sir, yours faithfully, CHARLES AP THOMAS. Plas Ynoa, Singlewell Road, Gravesend.

NEWTOWN AND LLANIDLOES UNIOX ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE. To the Editor of the Montgomeryshire Exprett and Radnor Times. Sir,—Allow me to call your attention, and also ft public generally, to the Newtown and Llanidloes Union Assessment Committee, and their method of dealing with the ratepayers of the Union. Wedoeo* day last was appointed by the above-named Com* mittee to hear appeals against the rate made, and, as a ratepayer, I appeared before the Committee is order to have my rate revised according to my grom rental value, a right which I and every other rate* payer are entitled to according to justice, without any objection from any assessment committee wbat. ever. But, Mr Editor, before I gave half my eri- deuce (and true evidence too) the Chairman ordered me out while they made their decision, and come in after to hear their decision. Now, do you, Mr Editor, and also the public generally, see it fair > turn a man out and not allow him to lay his eviden i clear before the Committee, and after turning h, e out to call him in, and then declare their decisions. Do you see any justice for men fro Ttsffrv lwys, Newtown, and Bettws, to fix rates on honf in the distant parishes, and those houses toey hat. never seen nor know the least of their value f I don't know how the other ratepayers who appeared before the honourable committee were treated. 1, should like to hear the result of their applications through your paper. It is quite time for the publio to look out for more suitable men to compoee the Assessment Committee in place of those who conepcaw it now. A RATBPATB*. ONE WHO SUFFERS.—We cannot insert your loiter unless your name be attached. E. J.-Next week.

THE STEAM-ROLLER AT NEWTOWN* It is our pleasing duty to record the fact that the Montgomeryshire County Council have taken what we consider to be a step in tne advance of civilisat tion by the purchase of a Steam Road Roller. N one will deny the great advance which had bee made during the present ceneury through the st- ployment of steam. Steam has been utilised to drift our ships, to carry our merchandise, and as a means ot travel it is unsurpassed. Any laborious work to be done, steam has been the ready and willing servant ot man: whether it be the dri-7iiig of a mill, the threshing of corn, or the sawing of timber. BaG amid all this progress we repaired our roads just a# our forefathers did. It was generally considered that the old mechod of stonebreaking and road n- pairing would never be superseded. The greatest obstacle to reform, however, was the minute sub- divisions of the highway districts. In fact the dis- tricts were too circumscribed to afford an outlay in the purchase of machinery which has been in em- teno!! for the last quarter of a century. The passing1 of the Local Government Act placed all the principal roads of the county under one jurisdiction, namny the County Council. They have, we believe, about 400 miles of roads to repair. Early in the year 1802, their attention was called to the desirability (if ank. ploying steam in the repair of roads. A committee was appointed, of which Mr John Shuker was the Chairman. Now, JVJrSnuker resides just upon tho borders of Shropshire. About three yeara ago tho; Shropshire County Council purchased a steam roller which gave such great-, satisfaction that they have since purchased two more. Mr Stiuker, sveing the great improvement effected to tne roads by means- of the roller, did not caase to impress upon the Moot* gomery Council the desirability "f purchasing a rol' ler for the use of their roads. There is no man who can obtain the e-ir of the Council on any practical question more ro .dily ttian Mr Shuker. which weoou- sider te be alike creditable both to the Council ? we>l as to Mr Snuker. Our readers have no doubt, noticed that when a layer of metal i. placed upon the road, that tbe first vehicle that passed cut into it; like a small plough, and also crushing a proportion1 of stone, the srone also cutting the felloes of the car- riagewhopi. The second carriage aLo going as lieas" as possible in the same track, in a short time Use. whole layer becomes corrusrated; the roadmen then comes with a rake an i loosens the stone and levels the same, when the same procoe-s has to be goso through again. Should the stones havo been laid after Christmas, or the weather takes up dry, like the last summer, the probability is that they will have to be gathered up again or left roiline about all tho summer to the great annoyance of horses and aMO who have to travel along that road. The committee referred to above went into tlMt. question thoroughly, and recommended not only the Eurchase of a roller, but also of a stone reaker, the idea being that the roller might be used as such during the winter, and for breaking stones during the summer. That is., about 120 days a year rolling about 110 miles of road and 180 days breaking about 5,000 tons of stone. The roller wiil work as a traction engine, and convey thtP stonebreaker from one quarry to another. Then us to the question of cost the committee considered that the ratepayers would not object to an improve- ment providing there was no additional expanse. The cost of both implements would be about J&600, which if paid at once would be about three-eights of a penny in the pound The committee, however, made arrangements by which the payment should be in four annual instalments of about X150 each, this being considerable less than the one-eigth of a penny in the X, and this it is estimated will be saved* annually in the working, so that the ratepayers will not suffer in the least, and in four yearf they will be paid for. We may state that the Council were per- fectly unanimous as to the purchasing of the roller, but there was some difference of opinion with regard to the stonebreaker. Mr David Hamer contended that the stones were broken into chips instead of cubes, thus the stones being practically destroyed. Mr John Jones, the chairman of the Main Roads Committee, on the other hand, contended that immediate advantages were to be obtained from the use of this stonebreaker, and read the telti. mony ef several engineers to that effect. We may state that the stonebreaker will not be purchased until the spring, but the roller arrived at Newtown on Tuesday last for a fortnight, and will then be taken to Welshpool, where the roads are in much greater need of it. A capable correspondent writes us:— No Macadamised road is properly fit for traffic un- less it is condensed, consolidated, and reduced to » hard and regular surface by suitable appliances, and for this purpose the steam-roller was designed. A well-rolled covering contains at least from 70 to 80 per cent. of mass of stone, leaving only from 20 to 30 per cent. of intermediate space, which is filled by clean sand or chippings. In a cubic yard the spaces would amount to from 51 to 8 oubic feet, which proves that the spaces are reduced by rolling to nearly one-half cf the amount when the new metal is not rolled. It is scarcely necessary to insist on the increase of durability and the clear gain in economy of maintenance of roads by efficient rolling. Steam- rolling saves money as well as suffering, and the Legislature having recognised the importance of a- Sanitary Authority becoming the owners of a steam-- loller, they now permit money to be borrowed for the purchase of a roller as for a permanent work. Horse-rollers were first applied in 1830 in France and Germany, but it was not fully appreciated in England until 1843, when Sir John Burgoyne brought the system of rolling, as a measure of economy, in- his paper on Rolling of new-made roads," whi. was the first published recommendation in the Eng- lish language. In Calcutta bullock rollers were naèéJí in the year 1855, and it was the cruelty of this opera. tion that suggested the necessity for a steam-roller, the outcome of which was the well-known roller, as manufactured by Messrs Aveling & Porter of Rochester, and now so generally used througnont the world. The roller which the Montgomery County Council have now adopted was constructed by the* aforeinamed well-known steam-roller manufacturers, and patented by Roval letters. The weight is ten tons, which, no donbt, is the Blost suitable for this- county, taking into consideration the contour, con- struction, and the materials used in the county for road repairs. An Aveling & Porter ten-ton roller can consolidate from 900 to 1,200 super yards of roadway in a dllY of ten hours, much depending on the quality and quantity of the binding material used. We hail its coming to Newtown. as no doubt our streets and roads prove its necessity as well as any district in Wales. Printed and Published by JOHN PHILLIPS (Fros Terrace, Llanllwehaiarn), and WILLIAM Pve. PHILLIPS (19, Broad-street, Newtown), at Sir Mmy's Priatint Works, Old Charob-drook NWr lawn.