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.-1' 1 Political Notes 1 i By F. W. Jowett. CEORCE TURNS HIS COAT. Mr. Lloyd George lias ionce more trimmed his &til to the prevailing wind. In Ja-nuary last, at a meeting of the Supremo Council in Paris he declared it was his belief that "the mere idea of crushing Bolshevism by military force" was pure madness." Even admitting," he went on to say. t'hat it is done, who is to occupy Russia ? No one can conceive or understand to bring about order by force." This was good -souiid sense. It was eternal truth. Yet Mr. Lloyd George is Prime Minister of Great Britain and since the day he thus spoke he has spent somewhere near to a. hundred minions (of Bri- tish money .and wasted some hundreds of Bri- tish lives in quest of what he might have known all along was "pure madness." What is the explanation of this glaring contradiction? Mr. Bullit 'has reported to the Foreign Relations Committee of the I'nit.x] 8tatcs Senate that Mr. Lloyd George declined to act wisely because the Daily Mail headlines intimidated him. THE DAILY MAIL DICTATES. Doubtless Mr. Lloyd George was influenced to &ome extent by the "Daily Mail and threats of opposition from other quarters* when lie adopted the policy of pure madness and re- nwedt effort to "crush Bolshevism by mili- tary force." But anybody who is acquainted with the record of Mr. Lloyd George is well of the fact that he is quite capable of be- lieving that a particular course of action is pure madness one day and ou the next day believing equally seriously—that it is wise and safe. The fact is Mr. Lloyd George has no con- victions and his beliefs change from day to day, circumstances change. When he sent Mr. Bullitt on his unofficial mission to the Soviet Government of Russia to obtain satisfactory as- surances for embodiment in terms of peace, Mr. Lloyd George thought the Soviet Government was, in the military wiisc, in a strong position. When Mr. Bullitt returned, or at all events be- fore Mr. Lloyd George become "officially com- mitted to the terms of pc-ice (of which he 1111- ofSccially approved^ had apparently changed the military .situation, -anti" tins along with the" Daily Mail" and other intimidating forces at home altered everything. Hence, Mr. Iloyd George, in accordance with his practice in such circumstances changed 'his belief. The policy which, the day before, so to speak, he had described with as much conviction as he ever feels, as pure madness was now wise and sane, and he adopted it. CIRCUMSTANCES ALTER CASES. I Once more the circumstances have changed, and with them Mr. Lloyd George's beliefs. Kolt- chak is out of it. Denekin and Yudenitch ihave both been thrown back from Moscow and from Petrograd. 'Mr. Lloyd George talks now of an- other attempt to bring the contending parties of Russia, into conference. He made a similar „ proposal before but ^abandoned it. He now -states that the proposal failed because no section of Russia was ready; all were bent on conquest." This itateinentis not true. The Soviet Govern- ment of Russia Mas ready. It said so and Mr. Liovt? George knows it said so. But it declined to iay down its arms unless Koltchak, Dellekin and the rest of them laid down theirs. THE CHAMELEON. I Is Mr. Lloyd George to be relied upon at pre- sent any more than he was before, Will he ad- here to Iris belief of January last from which in the interval lie backslided ? This depends on what may turn up. A blast from the jingo trum- pet by Big Business, tif it be only loud enough, and a victory of the enemies of the Soviet Government of iRus-sia would probably be more than he could withstand even now, and he would find some excuse for changing his beliefs once more. MAKE PEACEI I Mea n while Russia 1Jas offered peace and as-ked for a deduction before the end of this week. All the assurances Mr. Lloyd George is said to have •insisted upon in January Inst are contained in the terms of the offer. Jf the people of this country 'had to decide there would be no doubt as to the answer. But the answer does not lie with \Iin this democratic country of ours—it lies with Mr. Lloyd George and his Government. And again Big Business will dictate the policy of England. And though the English people ha.ve no quarrel with Russia., the Government of England has. The quarrel between our Big Busi- ness dictators and the Russian democracy is bitter a.nd deep the quarrel betw een Capital and Labour. PROFITEERING IN TINPLATE. I The price of tinplate has been released from control. The controlled price was 33s. lOd. per box of 112 sheets (108 lbs.) at makers' works. The corresponding price at present, given in re- ply to a question in the House of Commons I • November 4th) is 41s. It mav tx- taken for granted that the controlled price (included a good margin of profit lor the makers. At the present prin-, they will be having a rare old time. They ?t)1 have more money to spend on motor-cars for pleasure and sport, on servants, gamekeepers for gardeners. -oil ganiel?eep(,I,s -,in? l In tl ( )tll"l. I big Pi-ofits of anti-s?-ia? expenditure. Meanwhile, the ]a- "on r and material em-ployed in providing per- ?ona) enjoy rncnt for ))rohtc?rs ];' nrcPTtiy rc- onir"d for titt? loll of food and neces- saries. all of which are consequently dear, and some C\vn unobtainable, except 'by people with largi- incomes. IT'S AN ILL WIND-, I The prices at which cotton-mills, ships, and other profit-making properties arc, changing hands affords further evidence as to the enor- mous amount of surplus value, which profiteers are beiiig allowed to take into their possession (' f for their own private use and enjoyment. One company, the Greenacres Spinning Company, Oldham, has been sold at a. price w'hich gives previous s hanholders tlS for each share on which only £2 has been paid. A shipping pros- pectus issued by the Jeffereo Line, Limited, states that a steel screw steamer has been ac- quired for £ 32,500, and that a -charter can be contained for it for three years, under -which it will earn a gross freightage of £81.000 in that period. Among the inducements the prospectus puts forward with the object of inducing in- vestors to take up shares in the Company are I two which show clearly how misfortunes arising out of the war have been turned into blessings for profiteers, and how -Big Business has worked tin ough its servant the Government to increase them. The prospectus states, (1) that "The IONS of ten millions (10,000,000) tons of the world's shipping during the war, three- fourths of it flying the British Flag, in itself constitutes a value-raising element as regards the remainder afloat, particularly as it is ob- vious from the present rate of construction that the resultant Shortage cannot be over- taken for some years to come." COMMERCIAL CANDOUR. Concerning the effect of the removal of Gov- ernment control and the reductions of Excess Profits Duty, the Prospectus points out, (2) that It is anticipated that the recent removal of Government Control from the Freight Mar- ket will further enhance values in this direc- tion, and the probable reduction, if not the entire removal, of Excess Profits Duty at an early date to largely increase the yearly bal- ances availa ble for distribution." LOUD CHEERS! I The Profiteers' Parliament cheered vigorously when Mr. Chamberlain announced the last re- duction in the Excess Profits Duty-from 80 per cent. to 40 per cent. They had good reason to do so. THE OLD CAME. I The shareholders of Messrs. J. and T. Coats, Ltd., have been called to a, meeting on Novem- ber 20tili to consider proposals to increase the capital of the Company from £ 10,000,000 to £ 20,250,000- In the circular calling the meeting it is explained that ordinary "hareliolders will re- ceive one share lice of cost for each share held, and one new share at £1 in respect of each two shares held. The effect of doubling the capital of the Company will be to reduce the current dividend by one half. The reason of this deci- sion to double the paper capital of the concern by a free distribution of share certificates to present holders of shares is that the balance- sheet recently issued shows a net profit, after deducting all appropriations including deprecia- tion and Excess Profits Duty, of 40 per cent. This does not look well to such poor folk as are [aware of it and are at the same time paying Îd. e?ch for reels of sewing cotton which they could preriou?y buy for 21d. ?3,899,383 net profit is a large :sum to reaHse on a capital of £ 10.000,000. It seems less ;if it is divided in terms of percentage as if the shareholders had invested £ 20,000,000 in the business; but the sum total of surplus value taken by the profiteers is the same in both eases. A PRESENT FROM PARLIAMENT, WITH I LOVE TO BIG BUSINESS. Parliament, which relieved the profiteers of one half of their Excess Profits Duty—thereby making ia present to them this year of not less than £ 50,000,000, and probably a much larger sum-sees nothing wrong in extracting ?55,000,000 from the people in food taxes. It now contemplates further measures of relief to those who pay Excess Profits Duty. What a mighty and iinliolv ramp Big Business is carry- ing on! FOOLS AND HARPIES. I Sir Ernest Wrild, M.P., understands that it is the province of a Member of Parliament to represent his constituents." The feeling of the people of this country, lie said recently, when the Aliens Bill Has under discussion "is one of hatred against all Germans." On a wave of hatred Sir Ernest land others were carried to the1 House of Commons. Having got there, pledged to hatred as a Parliamentary policy, hatred having helped to win the election," Sir Ernest went on to say "ft is quite Tinneeessary to ela- borate the point that we are here to redeem our pledges. What a weird collection of harpies and fools the Coalition tiekct-of-leave has car- ried into the present House of Commons! THE COAL FRAUD EXPOSED. I The debate in Parliament on the ùJ- increase on the price of coal seems to have made an im- pression tha.t will lead to some reduction at an | early date. To make out a ease for the full amount of this advance Sir Auckland Geddes es- timated the total output of coal from Julv, 1919, to July, 1920, at 217,000,000 torn. He (Sir [Auckland) must have been well aware at the time the estimate was made tlhat. there were several substantial factors left out of account: in arriving at that figure. He was reminded of some of them in the course of the debate, as for instance, that many miners returned from the army had to begin on repair work before they could dig coal, and, as Mr. Hartshorn pointed out. the returned miners, instead of filling eoa l, were filling rubbish for" a while. PRECEDENCE FOR PLEASURE PALACES. I Dr. Addfi son, Minister of Health, was asked in the House on November 6th, how many 'houses had b(,en completed under the Housing Act. In reply he went through the usual formality of stating the number.of plans that had been sub- (Continued at foot of next column).

I Old Gang Routed. I LABOUR'S COUP ON MERTHYR CORPORA- TION. I ALL CONTESTED COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN- SHIPS WON. That Labour, though two seats short of numerical superiority over the Coalitionist forces on the Merthyr Town Council, possesses a general working majority was clearly demon- strated at Thursday's meeting of the General Purposes Committee of the Corporation when committees for the ensuing year were selected. If the Coalitionists in supporting the nomina- tion of the Labour Group of Mr. F. Pedlar for the mayoralty hoped that Labour would recipro- cate by •permitting them to retain some influence in the committee stage of administration they were sadly disillusioned. Labour was not for- getful of the fact that for two years the mayoral honour, though their due on the principle of ro- tation, was withheld from the Labour members by force of the tihen superior voting power of the Coalitionists, and finding itself in a majority on the attendance, Labour was not slow in giving material expression to that Advantage. Two committee chairmanships alone were al- lowed to go to the other side of the Cham ber —that of the Museum Committee -to which Mr. F. T. James was Noted, and that of tlhe Taf Fechan Committee to which Mr. N. F. Hankey was appointed—neither office being desired by the Labour Group. Of the eleven members of the Watch Commit- tee eight (including the mayor) are Labour, a-nd of those Coalitionists who failed to secure re- election was Mr. D. W. Jones, hitherto chair- man of the committee. Mr. Jones also lost the chairmanship of the Parks and Cemeteries Com- mittee. On all committees, apart from those re- presented by the whole council, were gained La- bour majorities, which in respect to the Law and Parliamentary Committee previously made up of sixteen members the representation, on Labour's proposition, was increased to the fidl council membership. Mr. F. T. James, the chairman of that committee, and a solicitor, was deposed in favour of Mr. Charles Griffiths. The following are the committees composed of the whole CounL-il aiid presided over by Labour councillors: General Purposes, the mayor; Pub- lic Works, Mr. L. M. Francis; Finance, Mr. John Williams; Health, 34T. L. M. Jones; Waterworks, Mr. Wnu Jffl; Pflbjic Libraries, Mr. T. J. Evans; Parks and Cemeteries, Mr. D. Jones; Housing and Town Planning, Mr. Enoch Williams; Small Holdings and Allotments, Mr. D. Parry; Law and Parliamentary, Mr. Charles Griffiths; Education, Mr. E. Morrell. The Watch Committee members a.re: the Mayor (chairman), Messrs. T. J. Evans, Parry, Perking Morrell, Wilson, W. Jones, Griffiths (Labour), R. P. Rees, James and Hankey (Coali- tion). Those elected to the Museum Committee are: Messrs. James (chairman), Reels, Harper, F. A. Phillips, Marsh, and Mrs. Edmunds (Coalition), Messrs. Grimths, Francis, Evans, Parrv, J. E. Jones, Perkms, Morrell, W. Jones, Wil son and the Mayor (Labour). The death of Mr. Charles Fcnwick neces?tates the election of another member for this and the County Powers Committee. To the County Powers Committee were voted: Messrs. Perkins (chairman), Griffiths, Francis, Evans, Parrv, J. Williams, J. E. Jones, Morrell, W. Jones, Wilson and the Mayor (Labour), Messrs. Rees, James, Ha-nkey, F. A. Phillips and T. Williams (Coalition). The Joint Staff Committee are: Messrs. J. Williams, Wilson, Morrell, Evans, J. E. Jones (Labour), and Marsh (Coalition). To fill vacancies because of the non-return of Messrs. H. M. Lloyd and Gomer Thomas (Coali- tionists), Messrs. D. Da vies (Labour) and N. M. Price (ex-soldiers' member) were appointed on the Joint Asylum Board. The. Mental Deficiency Committee members are Messrs. Harper, James-, Wm. Lewis, Marsh, D. W. Jones F. A. Phillips, T. Williams, and Mrs. Edmunds (Coalition), Messrs. Davies, D. James, W. Jones and Mrs. Jessie Davies (La- bour), and Mr. Price (ex-soldiers' member). Messrs. Price and J. E. Jones were appointed to the vacancies on the Profiteering Committee caused by the non-election of Messrs.* Wm. Lewis and Thomas. Mr. T. J. Evans followed Mr. H. M. Lloyd, the defeated Coalitionist in the Park Ward, on the Food Control Committee. The new co-opted members of the Education Committee are: Mrs. Mary Harris, Brychan Place, Merthyr; and Mrs. Martha Bowen, Perrot Place, Treharris.

I Accidents in Mines. UNENVIABLE POSITION OF SOUTH WALESI I BY "SCRANTON." The most fruitful sources of fatalities in coal- mines in 1918, as in preceding years, were falls of roof and haulage accidents. With the exception of the Midland Division, where 155 miners lost their lives in am explosion at the Minnie Pit, South Wales stands a [one in the matter of accidents. It tops the lists in re- ference to the f ollowinz:- (a) Falls of roof. (b) From all causes above ground. (e) From all causes below a.nd above ground. (d) From all accidents per million tons of eoal raised. I South Wales has also the highest death rate in -respect to metalliferous mines, and also quarries. WHAT THE INSPECTORS SAY. One regrets to repeat year after year that a large number of accidents should never have oc- curred. Out of the total of 214 deaths 91 might reasonably be avoided. I have again and again pointed out the necessity of setting temporary supports, particularly in the case of the with- drawal of timber and the more frequent use of safety appliances for taking out timber. Atten- tion to these points would undoubtedly reduce a,ecidents. "-(Inspector's Report, Northern Di- vision). I ACCIDENTS FAR TOO NUMEROUS. There is in my view a possibility of reducing the number of accidents fatal and otherwise from falls of ground (which are far too numerous) by constituting safety committees at all pits on the lines suggested by the Acting Chief Inspector of Mines in his report for 1917."—(Inspector's Re- port, York and North Midland Division). It is clear that the majority of these acci- dents could be avoided and had the regulations been carried out they would not have occurred." —(Inspector's Report, South Wales Division). There was an increase of 14 deaths from falls of roof on the previous year, although 20,000 less men were employed. WHAT CORNWALL DID IN 1918. I I "Taking Cornwall alone, the death-rate from all underground -accidents per 1,000 persons em- ployed was 0.000 as compared with 3.637 in the preceding year. It is gratifying to report this remarkable decrease in the number of accidents, and deaths during the year. The immunity from fatal accidents below ground in Cornwall during the year constitutes a record for at least a quar- ter of a century. I attribute the increase to the greater care exercised both by the workmen em- ployed during the year and the officials. With a continuance of the practice of vigilance by the workmen and the officials the difference between the death-rate per 1,000 persons employed under- ground in Cornish mines, and the death rate per 1,000 persons employed in the remainder of the mines in the country would probably not be so pronounced as it has been in the past."—(In- spector's Report, Midland and Southern Divi- sion) I remember a terrible explosion in our vil- lage when I was at school. There were whole families working in the mines there, and you would see as many as four corpses 'being carried in one house. That's not a thing you can forget once you have seen it, and all the time there are accidents." That's what- the public forgets. They are upset perhaps when there's a big explosion; they forget that accidents are going on all the time, and a woman never knows when her men go off to the shift whether one or the other of them mayn't he brought back to her dead or dying." —(South Wales conversation reported in the Daily Herald "). Yes, it is quite right, the public, 'or the miners themselves for that matter, do not fully realize the enormous proportion of deaths that are due to accidents from falls of roof, and haulage acci- dents. Of all the accidents that happen at the collieries 71 out of every 100 are due to falls of roof, or haulage; 53 out of every hundred are due to falls of roof, and 18 out of every hundred are due to haulage accidents. It would not be so bad if these accidents were on the decrease but they are not. They are increasing persistently from yearr to year and there does not seem to be any well de- fined effort to reduce them. Something should be done, and I think the first. step is with the miners.

A SCARE ESTIMATE. I The average output of coal has so far increased that for the last eight weeks—excluding the week of the railway strike—the output average has been at the rate of 231,000,000 tons per annum. For the purpose of his scare estimate Sir Auckland Geddes furthermore included a loss of £ 11,000,000 on exported coal. This estimated loss was based on the assumption that the price would not lie more than 3.5 a. ton. In point of fact, during July, the month in which the esti- mate was made, the price of coal for export was 49/- a ton and in October it was 63/- a ton. Moreover, it is now disclosed that the Govern- ment's pledge to limit the profits of coal-owners to 1/2 a ton has dot- been kept, but on the con- trary the Government has actually increased coal owners' profits by means of a concession on the Excess Profits Duty. And all the whole the public has been paying 6/- a ton extra for coal— an increase for which there was not the smallest justification.

MORE LABOUR THAI- R-MEN. I These members of the Labour Party were ap- pointed chairmen of the sub-committees of the Merthyr Education Authority om Wediie..sd.,iy:- School Management, Mr. David Davies; Sites and Buildings, Mr. Bateison; Secondary and Evening S?hoc?s, Mr. A. Wikon (nomination of Mr. F. T. Jam<?., who has been chairman for 14 y?ars 1wing defeated); Education Finance Mr. I-Y(?ng Fdii(?ation F,inan<-(-, .L%fi-. Parry.

I A Labour Mayor. MR. PEDLAR APPOINTED AT MERTHYR. The Labour mayor of Merthyr, Mr. Frederick Pedlar, received the support of representatives of all the political parties on his election to office at Monday's meeting of the Corporation. His appointment was moved from the Labour benches by Mr. Andrew Wilson. Aid. N. F. Hankey from the Coalitionist side of the chamber seconded, whilst support came from the same quarter from Mr. J. Harper. In an embracing speech, Mr. Wilson referred to the hard and consistent work on behalf of the municipality put in by Mr. Pedlar during his 14 vea-rs stewardship a-s a member for the Cyfarthfa Ward. Mr. Pedlar was possessed of that oon- cilia.tory temperament which, like his predeoegsor-- in office (Aid. R. P. Rees), would make him an admirable mayor. Seldom had lie even come into conflict either with his opponents or his friends. Whilst expressing regret at the passing in the recent municipal elections of three coun- cillors—Messrs. Lloyd, Gomer Thomas and Wil- liam Lewis—Mr. Wilson remarked that party ties being greater than personal friendship brought about by intimacy in local administra- tion he must express his pleasure at welcoming the two new Labour men-Messrs. T. J. Evans and J. E. Jones—and the ex-soldiers' member*, who he was confident would also be with the La- bour group shortly. Mr. Pedlar became a member of the Corpora- tion at the inception of the Labour group, when the Labour men only numbered two. To-day, the party represented one-half of the council; and he was convinced they would discharge their duties with credit to themselves. NEWSPAPER'S SILLY REMARK. In a certain section of the local Press he had observed it stated that of the 32 members of the Corporation sixteen represented the rate- payers and the other sixteen represented the Labour Party. That was crather an interesting way of dealing with the situation. Until to-day he had not been aware that the Labour Party did not represent the ratepayers. An absurdity this, for as much as any other section the La- bour men, of course, represented the ratepayers. The difference between Labour and Coalitionism was that Labour in its reforms began at the bottom building upwards, and the other at the top building downwards. The retiring mayor, in relinquishing office,after The retiritig mawyotri,v.?.iii?&s -of the f?orough,in the dealing with war activities of the borough in the past year, said that with between L50,000 and 260,000 in hand the minimum sum required for the creation of the Berry Technical College had been secured, and it was probable a start would be made next spring with the building. Re- garding the Taf Fechan waterworks undertaking it was hoped that the proposed Bill in Parlia- ment would place the Corporation in a better financial position so far as the waterworks were concerned. Proposed by Mr. Harper, the vote of thanks to the ex-mayor was seconded by Mr. Pedlar. Addressing the corporation, the new mayor said that this endeavours would be to preside as impartially as he could, acting for the common good.. He knew of the enormous duties before the Council in the way of housing, the Taf Fechan works, the main sewer scheme in the lower part of the valley and other public works, whilst the pending Parliamentary Bill woufi deal with a number of important matters long outstanding, such as the rearrangemezvts of the Corporation's water contracts. WORKING WOMAN MAYORESS. "Thank you for this honour," concluded Mr. Pedlar. With your support everything will go on successfully, and I am sure I shall have the assistance of my wife as mayoress in carrying out my mayoral obligations, as she has assisted me in the fourteen years I have been here. At all times ishe helped me with all her strength in spite of her many household duties.. Wohad a large family and I am only a working \man, and I am sure She has acted as an excellent chan- cellor of the home exchequer during our married life. Whatever comes to her lot as mayoress she will do to the best of her ability." (Laughter and applause.) Mr.. P-edlaw chose Mr. John Williams, also a member of the Labour group, as his deputy. The mayor's salary was fixed at L200. Mr. Pedlar is a miner and was born at Heol- genrig 57 years ago. Son. of a Devonshire tailor, he first entered the mine as a door-boy at the age of thirteen at Gilfaeh Goch, but soon he was working nearer home at the Werfa colliery at Aberdare and later at the Abernant pit. Of those many trudges afoot from Heolgerrig over the Aberdare mountain, day after day, he still retains a vivid memory of weathering success- fully the great snow storm of tIle uiht of-Jan. 18th, 1881, then to work through his complete turn before reaching home next morning. A few years later lie found employment on the Merthyr side of the hill in the Cyfarthfa Col- lieries and there he still is a hewer of coal. Though no longer an active official in the Miners' Federation he, at one time, played an appre- ciable part in its affairs locally, for when the Federation was re-constructed after the strike of '98 he became secretary of the Heolgerrig Lodge. The friendly society movement claimed his at- tention for many years as secretary for two or- ganisations with big memberships in his native village, and in the religious life of Heolgerrig he figure* as a deacon and secretary of the Salem Congregational Church. The tscaence and art of mining has not been neglected by him, and his studies in that direction reached the point of his qualification for a colliery under-manager's certificate. Mrs. Pedlar is ajso a native of Heolgerrig, and they were married in 1883.

HELD OVER. Owing to pressure OIl space a c-oni-iiiiinicalbion from the Bridgend IVades and Labour Council, two interesting articles in reply to Mr. Dan Griffith's letter on Capital Levy, and a bardie effusion in 'honour of Labour's victories in Mer- thvr ar? crowded out this week. They will ap- tlivr,ni\- o,,it tlii?s wee k Tliev will i p-

mitted up to date. It appears that ploins for 31,101 houses had been approved. All he could sayt however, in reply to the question put to him, was that he was aware of a few cases where houses had been completed. Only this, and nothing more. Two other questions were put to him on the same day, which, though they were not iiite-nitioiially associated, when read together gave point to each other. In reply to one of them, Dr. Addison stated that there is a sliort- age of huiklillglahoue, and the progress of some housing schemes is hampered thereby. This re- ply indicates the nature of the first question. The second related to a proposal to lay out and build an amusement park and buildings at Car- diff, to he called a White City, at an estimated cost of £ 1,000,000. Dr. Addison replied that he was considering the effect of luxury building in relation to his housing schemes, and hoped to he able to make a stateujent on the subject at an early date. It is to be hoped that when, at an early date (which is the Parliamentary phrase meaning "This year, uext year, sometime, .1 Ue?Xt V O never Dr. Addison, makes his pronouncement on the subject of luxury building, lie will spare [ his friends the profiteers, and not let his precious balm break their heads. A CORRECTION. 'I Mr. -Sidney Walton lias written to me denying that he had charge of the Government's adver- tising scheme during the strike as I said he had in the Pioneer of October 24th. I accept Mr. Walton's denial, of course, and express my regret for having made the statement on what appeared to me at the time to be good authority.