The Abergavenny Mail

SPORTS AND PASTIMES. I THE OLYMPIC FIND—OPEN GOLF CHAMPION- SHIP — PROMINENT BOWLER DEAD — FOOT- BALL: HARROW FIXTURES; A TEAM ON STRIKK THE MORAL VALUE OF FOOTBALL; LEAGUE MATCHES. The Olympic Fund has proved a failure. tut good use will at least he made of th*- money subscribed. To the Amateur Athletic has been allotted, and the Association have undertaken to appoint Mr. W. R. Knox, of Canada, as chief trainer for 'three years at a salary of £ 400 per year, with £ 150 estimated cost for travelling expenses; and nine supplementary trainers for two years at an estimated cost of C700 per annum. Mr. W. R. Knox is the famous Canadian coach, who has done many notable perform- ances in field and path events, and who last year won the all-round professional champion- eliip of Ame,rica. The scheme under which the Open Golf Championship has been held for the past seven years has been completely altered, a meeting composed of the representatives of the managing clubs and a deputation from ihe committee of the Professional Golfers' -A.p--oc-ia.tion, which was held at the Hotel Metropole, London, on Saturday, unani- mously voting in favour of the new condi- tions. It was resolved "that qualifying Tounds be held on courses other than the championship course. That all competitors play one round on each course, and that the first 100 scores 1 ay ) the championship proper-four round., oT the green. Any Lies for the last place to play off." Tho cham- pionship will be played at Prestwick on JTJ re 18th and 19th. The qualifying rounds -will be played on June 11th .and 12th, on courses to be named later. It is officially stated that the University Boat Race this year will be 'rowed on March 28th. On that day it will be high water at Putney at 3.42 p. rn., which will allow of a. titart being made between 2.15 and 2.45. According to a New Tort: correspondent, "the Woodland Golf Club will raise a fund of X160 to pay the expenses of Mr. Ouimet in taking part in the English and French golfing championships. Mr. Ouimet will start for England during the last week in April for the Amateur Championship Tournament, and -will go to France in the latter part of May. A race has taken place at Vera Cruz over a course of three miles for 12-oared cutters from the foreign warships, and was won by the French boat. The Spanish. German, British, and American boate finished in the -order named. The death took place at Edinburgh last week of Mr. James Pretsell, who more than ;any other man was responsible for the extra- ordinary development of the game of bowls in Scotland of late years. lie was one <if the founders of the Scottish Bowling Association, ■of which he later became president, and he was largely instrumental in inducing the Edinburgh Town Council, the pioneers of municipal golf. to start their now magnificent .equipment of public bowling-greens, in regard to which their example has been copied throughout both Scotland and England. Mr. Pretsell was associated with the various Colo- nia1 tours, say's the Sportsman, and as player, legislator, and historian of the game he was 'known wherever the game is played. 'Harrow School will, as usual, this term play Association football. The fixture list is not yet complete, but it already includes matches with Winchester, the Casuals, Mr. Wreford-Brown's Eleven, and Mr. Monck- 'ton's Oxford Eleven. The date for the game vwifch Eton has still to be arranged. England's International ffliatehe-s was played on Saturday at Twick- enham, wh,en England beat Wales by 10 points to 9. The second of the Irish iiuer- provinci'a! matches took place at Cork, and resulted in a win for Leinster over Minister 'by 5 poMus to 3. Owing to the Internationa l match at Twickenham few games wc,re lp'la,yed -iii Loridoji. At ithe close of a match against IT wider s- field on Saturday, George Thomas. the -oldest member of the Warrir-.gton team row on strike, addressed a crowd of about 4.000 people. He ,aid that th-c- players had h:í.1 grievances since la-si Apri.l, when they readied the final for the Northern Union Cup. Promises of financial reward were then made, and had not been fulfilled. The- committee during -the last Christmas holi- day's had again offered increments. and the players -had again acted loyally, but no better treatment resulted. They intended to maintain their present attitude until t he committee gave their rreq-uest fair and equit- able consideration. "I would -rather 'be a sweet sinner t)iin a four saint, whose aerbity and hypocrisy keep so many young men away from church," said Mr. T. S. <Goodger, a director of Clapton Orient. from the pulpit of Approach-road Congregational Church. Vic- t.ori.a. Park, on Sunday afternoon. The occa- sion was the first church parade of the "Victorian" Football League. and several footballers figured in new roles. Mr. J. Shaw, the Woohvieli Arsenal right back, singing solos, whits Mr. T. H. Kirkoc-k, secretary of th-e London Footiball Associa- tion. urged, in an address, the eor-7re-gr»t:on to follow in their daily live-• ihe football maxims Plax- the gatn" a id Play the man." Mr. Garnham Edmonds. L.C.C' called for the enthusiasm of th? football field to be shown in social work. whik> Mr. Goodger, declaring that they were not all saints in the football field. said he had met many players whos^ characters would hear the closest investigation, and who %i,c iAE, clean-living Christian men. Real --port did people good and built tip young manhood. Apart from the victories of Chcl-ca null Tottenham Hotspur, the outstanding feature of Saturday's football matches in the First League was the sorry figure cut by the more prominent clubs in that competition. Black- burn Rovers, Sunderland. and Oldham Athletic, in addition to Manchester United, all suffered defeat, and Bolton Wanderers, Bradford City, West Bromwich Albion, and Burnley drew. Thus not one of the first eight clubs on the list succeeded in gaining a victory. From the point of view of followers of Second League football in London, nothing could have afforded greater satisfaction than the excellent results achieved on Saturday by the three metropolitan clubs. All of them were successful, Woolwich Arsenal gaining a brilliant victory over Hull City at Hull. Clapton Orient winning at Stockport. and Fulham, on their own ground, overcoming ,,ro i( l ovei-corill)(I Glossop. On an afternoon when, with the exception of that between Leicester Fosse and Birmingham, every match had a definite result, the doings of Woolwicli Arsenal and Clapton Orient stood out prominently because they were the only clubs to win away from home. In the Southern League the sides to qualify for the second round of the Cup fared wonderfully u. 11, on Saturday. True. Queen's Park Rangers, after a struggle last- ing two hours at Bristol, could not win at home, but they had -strong opponent in I Northampton, and Crystal Palace, who also divided the points, met at Exeter one of the two visiting teams who proved succe^-ful a week before. Swindon did no more than ex- pected in easily overcoming Southampton. and eo improving their position at the head of affairs, but West Ham United accom- plished something better than they could ihave hoped in winning at Merthvr. while Plymouth Argvle put on 4 oal,, to I at Bristol. At Brighton the Albion followed their splendid, win over Oldham Athletic by beating Norwich City after a couple of days' rest; Millwall scored 4.-1 against. Coventry City at New Cross, and, perhaps the best performance, of all, Gillingham just won at Southend. Current form was, indeed, fully maintained, except perhaps at Cardiff, where Reading just lost, and the daY't4 work leaves Swindon more strongly than ever at the top of the League

I RILUARD AND BA6ATELLE TABLES ▲ Lars* !took of Hew and 8?-ond-hMd Ttb!? ?T??' ? hand j CMTMtibh Billiard and Dichtt T?M<t. Write for H? 0. Mw<(nh. mtlnfUnd Rd..N.E

WORK AND WORKERS. I NAVAL ARTIFICERS' GRIEVANCES—DUBLIN'S TROUBLES SIGNALMEN'S DISCONTENT— MINERS AND THREE-SHIFT SYSTEM—LEEDS CLOTHING TRADE DISPUTE MASTEH BUILDERS AND THEIR MEN—ARBITRATION CASES—THE SOUTH AFRICAN STRIKE. > The engine-room artificers of the Royal Navy have submitted to the Lords of the tAdmiralty a. memorial asking for the r-dress of certain grievances. They urge that the system of gradting i« extremely unsatisfac- tory, "as it results in highly-skilled engi- neers being placed under the control of men with little or no mechanical knowledge." An increase of pay commensurate with the skill required is demanded, and the memori- alists further submit that the new system of training stokers to take the place partially of engine-room artificers is having a serious effect with regard to urgent repair work. The great strike in Dublin, which has caused so much misery and anxiety, is appa- rently at an end. After sitting an night i.n Liberty Hall the men's leaders, it was stated on Saturday morning, reached a decision ad- vising all the men who are out to go back to work on Monday. The strike began on August 27th, and hRJs, therefore, lasted nearly five months. The strike of the employees of the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company was settled on Saturday night, as the result of a confer- ence between the workers and the superin- tendent of the line. Originally the men on strike were not asked to handle tainted goods, but they have now agreed to handle all goods. A hundred and thirty men were affected. At the annual conference of Irish Postal 'Clerks, at Dublin, a resolution was passed viewing with dissatisfaction the failure of the Holt Committee to grant increases in wages to sorters, telegraphists, and telephonists, especially in view of the Committee's admis- sion that retail prices had risen 13 per cent. Other resolutions passed demanded an imme- diate increase of 15 per cent, in wages, de- ploring the anti trade union principles on which the Holt Committee recommendations were based, calling upon the Postmaster- General to have the mail-bags washed and disinfected at regular intervals, and upon the ^Government to grant postal employees a kweokly halfholiday. Midland Railway signalmen of Burton-on- 'Trent held their annual dinner on Saturday evening, and an official, Mr. J. R. Tunnicliff, declared tjiat the position of the men in the IprineipaJI boxes was not one whit better than it was ten years ago. They had seen men in .other grades promoted wholesale, and piaced on the salaried list with increased pay amounting in some instances to 10s. a week. Signalmen, however, had remained station- ;,ary, and a petition recently presented by them to the Midland hoard of ditectors for liwproved conditions and better wages had flbecn returned with the statement that the com- pany could not afford to grant them anything. He knew there was seething discontent in the :ranks of signalmen, and if not voiced abroad jt was none the less deep and -se-rious. At a. meeting of the Northumberland Miners' Council at Newcastle on Saturday, on rthe question of the three-shili system, it was (decided to leave the question ie the hands of .the members a:t each th re, -fr pit, with power to make locally the best arrangement they can with the management at each pit. No final agreement is to be made in .any case .until proposals have been submitted to the Executive Committee in order that the general working conditions may be safe- guarded. The resolution will be submitted to the men for confirmation or otherwine.. A somewhat curious instance of trade union action has occurred at the clothing works of Messrs. D. Joseph and Sons, Camp-road, Leeds. Recently the management found it necessary, for reasons connected with per- sonal conduct, to discharge one of their machinists, who is a member of the opera- tives.trade union. The officials of this body attended the works, iand although they ad- mitted that the action was perfectly legiti- mate, jet asked the firm to take the man back. This Messrs. Joseph refused to do, and as « result the trade union leaders have withdrawn aibout thirty of their members Following the ultimatum of "he Master Builders" Society, representatives of the House Painters' and Decorators' Society, the Gasworkers and General Labourers' Union, and the United Order of (General Labourers, three unions who have no agreements with the master builders, met, and decided to instruct their members not to sign any agreement or give any verbal assurance to their employers, but to await instructions from their various unions. A conferenee of delegates of the Indepen- dent Labour Party, representing branches in the whole of Yorkshire and North Derby- shire, held at Bradford on Sunday, adopted resolutions instructing the I.L.P. Members of Parliament to vote against any increased ex- penditure on armaments, to oppose the Budget unless it contained a substantial re- duction of taxes on food, and to vote sted- fastly on the merits of questions without re- gard to possible consequences to the Ministry, Conciliation and arbitration cases dealt with during the month, according to the Board of Ti-ade Labour Gazette, include hemp and wire ropemakers, Gateshead; bobbin makers, Clitheroe; woodworkers at Letchworth; boot and shoe operatives at Leicester and at Hinckley; erallernen and chargermen, West Hartlepool; and plumbers and carpenters, Cardiff. A permanent Con- ciliation Committee has been established at Bridgwater, and the recently-formed Wages and Conciliation Board for the Stourbridge firebrick district has been registered under the Conciliation Act. Awards have been issued by certain chairmen under the Coal Mines (Minimum Wage) Act, and certain ap- pointments and awards made in connection with the Railway Conciliation Scheme. The weekly number of vacancies notified to the 409 Labour Exchanges for which a com- parison extending over twelve months is. pos- sible, for the four weeks ended December 12th, 1913, was 21,798, as compared with 22,236 in November and 22,364 in December. 1912. The weekly number of vacancies filled was 16,868, as compared with 17,013 in November and 14,708 in December, 1912. Labour affairs in South Africa have now become almost normal again. Work is going on rapidly in the mines and railways, and it as apparently agreed that the Syndicalist sym- pathetic strike is dead. Martial law will be continued until the Government feel that there is no fear of further disturbances, and the defence forces will be ready for service ■ulitil a proclamation releases them. Mr. Stephen Walsh, M.P., speaking at Wigan on Saturday on South African affairs, said that machine guns did not stand much arguing with, but no genuine progress could be made that way. Only by thinking things out. and bringing God-given brain and far- seeing intellect to the consideration of the problems confronting the workers could genuine progress be made. An open mass meeting of railwaymen was held at Burton-ou Trent on Sunday night. There was a large gathering and resolutions were carried calling upon the Executive Committee to convene a conference of repre- sentatives at the earliest moment for the pur- pose of deciding upon a programme, the main items of which should be a minimum wage, a forty-eight hours week, and full recognition of the union, and emphatically condemning the conduct of the Union Government of South Africa, who, in conjunction and with the approval of Lord Gladstone, have used the most brutal means to crush the workers in their efforts to protest against the unjust dis- missals of their fellows in the supposed in- terests of economy." The resolution also called upon the Labour Party to demand the withdrawal of Lord Gladstone, and a thorough inquiry into the whole of the circumstances.

CHIPS OF NEWS. I David Williams, a collier, of Borrymaea, near Swansea, took a draught oif ecwrorive acid in mistake for medicine on Saturday, and died shortly afterwards. Amid cheers the new Allan liner Alsatian, the largest steamer that has ever sailed te Canada, left Liverpool on Saturday after- noon, The new steamer came out of dock on Friday afternoon. The body of a well-dressed man who wae seen to throw himself in front of the Ports- mouth express at Surbitor; Railway Station on Friday has been identified as Mr. Richard Green, aged about forty-five, the well-known operatic baritone singer. At. Carlisle Assizes, on Saturday, Joseph Hewitson Gibson, a Carlisle solicitor, pleaded guilty to a cliai-ge of fraudulently converting to his own use clients' money. The amount involved was stated to be over E- 4,000. He wa« sentenced to three years' imprisonment. A boy named Thomas Eardley Williamson, 'aged eleven, the son of a farmer, of Weston, near Crewe, placed a wooden knitting-needle in his mouth, si-nd it became embedded in hie throat. He died shortly after. Mrs. Albert Midlane., of Newport, Isle of "Wight, widow of Mr. Albert Midlane, was buried at Carls-brooke Cemetery on Saturday. Her husband was the author of the famous hymn. "There^s a Friend for Little Children." The Pope received in private audience on Saturday Lord Edmund Talbot and his ,daughter, who afterwards visited 'Cardinal Merry del Val, Papal Secretary of State. The death took place at Wivelsfield, Sussex, on Saturday, of Mr. Alfred Lyall, son of the late Sir Alfred and Lady Lyall. Mr. Lyall was the father of Mrs. Alice Askew, the author. The death occurred in Norfolk on Sunday ,of Sir William Lee-Warner, a great adminis- trator in India and at the India Office. An appeal is made for funds to establish scholarships in memory of the late Lord Aveburv. The letter of appeal is signed by Mr. Walter Ounliffe, Governor of the Bank of England. On the personal appeal of the detective who arrested him, a man was allowed bail by Mr. Charles Lee. the Willesden magistrate. Mr. J. 11. Harnett, overseer of the tele- graph department at Southampton post- office, has been appointed postmaster at the Royal village of E.'lier, Surrey. A proposal to substitute margarine for butter at the Pontefract Workhouse, thereby eaviitg over E-200 per annum as estimated, was on Saturday defeated by 30 votes to 11. Owing to the serious havoc which con- tinues to be caused to the young crops by wood-pigeons. the Lincolnshire Farmers' Union has decided to organise a county pigeon shoot. Nineteen members of the Stoke d' Abcrnon (Surrey) Sparrow and Rat Club have been awarded prizes for killing during the past year 10,068 rats, 3,624 moles, 3,333 sparrows, and 475 stoats. Prince Hubertus, the four-year-old son of the German Crown Prince, is suffering from whooping-cough. The French military dirigible Adjutant Y Pi,CPllIot did a seventeen-hour flight on Friday night with a crew of eight. Among those Oil whom it is proposed to confer the decoration of Chevalier of the Legion of Honour is M. Pathe, of cinemato- graph fame. ffiglit thousand pounds has been voted by th;' municipality of Zwickau, in Saxony, for the purchase of the house in which Robert Schumann., the composer, was born. he Leipzic Supreme Court has sentenced a Russian merchant, named Gustav Ferdinand Kichter, to two years' imprisonment on the charge of espionage 011- behalf of Russia. Count von Sehwerin, German Minister to Luxemburg, has been appointed Prussian Minister in Dresden, in succession to Dr. von Biilow. who has retired for reasons of health. The margarine factory of Debruyn, Limited, at Tormonde, in Belgium, was com- pletely destroyed on Sunday by a fire which spread to neighbouring works and residential property. The damage is estimated at E28,000. Colonel J)u-hall Stephallovjtch, Servian Military Attache at Bucharest, has been ap- pointed Minister of Wa.r. The winter in France is the severest that has been experienced for fifteen years. In ;,t!so the weather is unusually cold, the thermometer in one place registering 30deg. d ro.t. licpf, the Frankfurt poisoner, has-been sen- tpneed to death for murdering his first wife tdid attempting to murder his second and third wives and his two children. Shot through the head and with a revolver lying beside him, Walter James Firminer, aged fifty-two. a well-known builder, of Portsmouth, was found dead at a lonely spot on the Downs at Roedean. near Brighton, on Su. day. Mr. William O'Brkn has applied for the Chutern Hundreds in order to stand again for Cork City a.s a test by-election on the policy of conciliation and consent. Schoiapshijw for navigation study are offered to hoys of the Surrey elementary M'hools. who can ultimately ehooee a career in the Navy or the mercantile marine. It. is officially announced in Tokio that the Coronation of the Emperor of Japan will take place on November 10th next. His Majesty will make the customary eacrifices to his uneMors (hr"e days later. The nominations for the North-West Dur- ham by-election take place on Friday, and the polling is fixed fcr January 30th. The candi- dates are Mr. Hardieker (U.), Mr. A. Williams (L.), and Mr. Stuart (Lab). There are over 20,000 voters. middle-aged man named Kershaw, who was staying with his parents at Eastbourne, has been found dead in his bed strangled by the cord of his pyjamas. Sir Samuel Evans. President of the Divorce Division, on Saturday made absolute the decree nisi granted to Millicent Florence Eleanor. Countess Cowley, against Henry- Arthur Morninston Welleslev. Earl Cowlev

Foola sometimes asK questions mar, wjse men I Cannot answer," remarked the professor in the course of his lecture. Then that explains why eo many of us get plucked in our exatniziatioiis," said the flippant student. Can any of you children tell me anything about Mosee?" inquired the Sunday-school teacher. Yes, ma'am," said a little girl, hopl"- fully; he was the only man that broke all the Commandments at once!" And what is the diplomatic corps?" "The diplomatic corps," replied the one who takes a pun seriously, is what the weaker nation is permitted to receive after the stronger one gets through eating the apple." You tell me," said the Judge, "that tins is the person who knocked you down with his aut i- mobile. Could you swear to the man?" 1 did." returned the complainant, eagerly, but he didn't stop to hear me!" Now, Archie," asked a schoolmistress, dilat- ing on the virtue of politeness, if you were seated in a tramcar, every seat of which was ce- eupied, and a lady entered, what would you do? •" Pretend J wna aeleoo was the uromut reolv.

F l i, ,'WI I PD'JLT NY 11 KETGAATES n !5 ON' P tM rCL rE?iCJM6

I REVIEW OF THE CORN TRADE. The wheat gradient this week is between three great cities, which are upholding value and country exchanges of the North and East which are depressed. London. Leeds, and Manchester all quote 32s. and upwards: Leeds, 32s. 9d.; MaJton, 30. 2d. range, 2s. 7d. It ought to pay to send wheat from Malton to Leeds, both being in Yorkshire. The barley gradient is: Dorchester, 28s., Leeds, 21s. Gd. range, 6s. 6d. Oats have the following range: Mark-lane, 20s. 10d., Dorchester, 17s. 6d. gradient 3s. 4d. The sales of British wheat at the 180 statute markets are now a little larger than usual in mid-January, but the rain has kept off, and the frosty air favoured the threshing of grain. Sales since harvest are thus re- turned: This seasan, 1, 170.000qr. at 31s. per qr. last season, 929,000qr. at 32s. per qr. The sales of British barley are also rather good, and since September 1st may be called liberal: This season, 2.426.000qr. at 28s. 2d. 16.000qr. at 28s. 2d. per qr. last season, 1,9-000qr. at 30s. per qr. The sales of British oats are meagre, and the short crop of 1913 is being used up almost entirely on the farm: This season. 342,000qr. at 18s. Id. per qr.; last season, 317,000qr. at 19s. 9d. per qr. -M ark Lane Express. CURRENT PRICES OF BRITISH GRAIN AND FLOUR IN MARK LANE. LONDON FLOUR. (Cash ex Town MilL) Top Price per 280 Ib. 311C Town Whites 29/8 Town Households n 26/6 25/0 Hungarian Process „ 34/0 Best American; London Ground „ 28/6 London Standard, 80 per cent. 27/0 CODKTST FLouit. Cash at London Terminus.) Best Price per 280 tb. 26/6 Good Patents 24/S Straights „ 23/6 Roller Whites „ 22/0 Stone-Made „ 23/3 BKITISH GRAIN (OFT STANDS). II. Wheat, White per 504 lb. 33 to 37 Red — „ 32 to 36 Rivetts per 480 lb. 31 to 33 Barley, Fine Seed Corn per 4491b 30 to 40 Malting per 4481b 32 to 36 Poultry „ 27 to 29 Feeding per 400Tb. 23 to 25 Malt, English, Beet per 336 lb. 41 to 43 u Fine „ 36 to 37 „ Ordinary „ 34 to 36 F i n e 39to41 Scotch, Fine 39 to 41 00 Ordinary „ 38 to 39 Brown 31 to 35 31 to 35 Crystallised „ 33 to 37 (fete, Fine Seed Corn „ 28 to 30 Fine Scotch 1912 „ 26 to 27 1913.- „ 24 to 25 Good Gartons, Old „ 23 to 24 „ New. „ 20 to 22 Tartary, Old to 21 to 22 „ New „ 20 to 21 Winter, Old Black 23 to 24 11 New » — » 20 to 22 O™ ld Grey „ 22 to 23 New,, 20 to 21 Common, New per 3121b. 19 to 20 Inferior, New per 3041b. 18 to 19 Beau, Pigeon, 1911. per 6321b. 52 to 54 „ 1912 „ 44 to 48 „ 1913 42 to 43 Winter, 1912. „ 35 to 37 11 1913. 33 to 34 Spring, 1912. 36 to 38 „ 1913 „ 35 to 37 lpea4 Marrowfats, Fine New per 5041b. 93 to 94 Sound New „ 88 to 90 Partridge,Fine „ 37 to 39 „ Common. II 35 to 37 Maple, 1912 „ 36 to 37 1913 35 to 38 Dun 1913 34 to 35 itye, Fine per 4801b. 25 to 27 Poor per 4641b. 22 to 24 TtrM, Spring, 1912 per 5321b. 46 to 50 Fine, 1913 „ 40 to 42 Common, 1913 „ 33 to 36 Winter, 1912. „ 45 to 46 Fine, 1913 40 to 44 Common, 1913 „ 32 to 38 Gores, 1911 „ 96 to 108 1912. If 80 to 88 » 1913 72 to 80 B- nek.wh. eat, Norfolk. per 4001b. 31 to 32 Linseed, Lincoinahire. per 4241b. 52 to 54 Bapeoeed, Beat New per 4161b. 70 to 74 Common „ 66 to 68 Mustardaoed, Brown per 4481b. 96 to 108 White 88 to 96 Common 72 to 74 o.uryeed,Eaøex per 4641b. 78 to 8j -Mark Lane Expreu.

An Irishman wno was nrougnt Detore tho magistrate for poaching pleaded thnt the only bird he shot was a rabbit, "and that I knocked down with a stick." Stout Man (with heavy kit-Ins): IToro, niy boy, what'll you take to carry tii16 to lh,, stdim} for me?" Boy (after a moment's consideration): I'd take a 'bus, sir "Home is what we make it," remarked the married man. "Yce, agreed the Iwholor, "hut the trouble is some of you married fellows never make it till about 3 a-tn." Someone has said tbit If some men cuild DOrue out of their coiffns and read the inscrip- tions on rheir tombstones they would think they had got into the wrong graves." ,-tagistrate: Your profession V Prisoner (in t hoarse voice): Inveiitor." Magistrate: "What have you invent-ed? Prisoner: "Nothing; but I'm trying to." Doctor: "Did your husband foHow my dirorv '.ions? Did he take the medicine I left for him .IigiousJ Pat'* ent's Wife: "I'm afraid not, Iiw- If. wnra «verv "time T save, hím » jWtna

LITTLE BOAT FOR BIG JOURNEY. I Mr. Guy Shurrock, a Calcutta broker, is Mlan- I nina to start from Calcutta to England R a 100-ton yacht, 82ft. in length, with a beam of 19ft. and a draught of 10ft.

Old Fraud: "And alter Moating about on the epar for three whole days, I was finally washed ashore, sir." Gent (unimpressed): "Ah, iiid it wouldn't hurt you to be washed ashore again either. "Supposing there were four fliee on the table, "nd I killed one, how many would there be -eft?" asked the teacher. One," answered Tommy, who had experienced the game—" ths find

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I MARKETS. LONDON CORN, MONDAY.—ENGLISH WHEAT. —The market was sluggish, with good suppli available. Prices were unchanged on the week: White milling lots were quoted up to 35s., and reds up to 34s. per qr. FOREIGN WHEATS.—There was only a limited trade, but prices were about maintained on the wek; No. 1 Northerns, 35s. 9d.; No. 2 ditto, 35s. 3d. ex ship; Plate (new), 35s. 6d. ex ship; Russian, 32s. 6d. upwards; Indian, 37s. 3d. up- wardg landed. MAIZE.—There was only a light inquiry, and prices ruled rather easier on the week: Plate, 23s. 3d. to 23s. 6d. landed. Odessa lots were in poor condition, and offered at 23s. landed. OATS.—Trade was quiet and hesitating, with good supplies, and an occasional tendency in ?oo d c I buyers' favour: New Plates, 15s. 9d. landed; Danubian, 14s. 6d.; Chilians, 18s. 9d.: Peters- burgs, 17s.: Canadians, 18s. 3d. upwards lauded BARLEY. Grinding and feeding lots met a limited demand, but South Russians were held for 20s. 9d. to 21s. landed, offerings being small. Malting and brewing barleys ruled sluggish at late rates: English, 30s. to 37s.; Hungarian and Bohemian, 34s. to 42s.: Indian, 26s. to 28s.; Ouchak and Anatolian, 28s. 6d. to 36s. per 448lb. BEANS AND PEAS.—There was a quiet trade at late rates. LONDON FLOUR, MONDAY. Conditions were quiet and rather dull, despite the cold weather, but prices held at recent levels as a rule: English Town-made Patents, 27s. 6d. to 29s. 6d. ditto Country-made, 25s. to 27s.; American Patents, 26s. to 28s.; ditto Bakers', 23s. 6d. to 25s 6d. per sack. LONDON CATTLE, MONDAY.—Beast entries on to-day's market numbered 960, an increase of 60 compared with last Monday. Trade, though sl ow, was dear for bullocks. A few Scotch were held for 5s. 2d. to 5s. 4d., with little demand; Devons, 5s. 2d. exceptionally, 5s. 4d.; Nor- folks, 5s. 2d.; Shorthorns, 4s. lOd. to 5s.; Irish, 4s. 6d. to 4s. lOd. Fat slaughtering oows and buPs fetched late rates, the former being quoted I at 3s. lOd. to 4s., and the latter at 3s. 6d. to 3s lOd. Twenty milch cows offered, and prices ranged from J217 to .£23 each. Four thousand four hundred sheep were penned in the market, an increase of 60. Trade was rather firmer as follows: Best Down tegs, 6s. 6d. to 6s. lOd.; best half-breds, 6s. to 6s. 4d.; best Down ewes, 4s. 6d. to 4s. lOd. per stone. Five calves offered, but trade was too small to quote. I Quotations per 81b. sinking the offal: Coarse arid inferior beef, 3s. to 3s. 6d.: ditto second quality, 2s. 6d. to 3s.: prime large oxen, 5s. to 5s. 2d.: ditto small, 5s. 2d. to 5s. 4d. Coarse and inferior sheep, 4s. to 4s. 6d.; ditto second quality, 3s. 8d to 4s.: best Down tegs, 6s. 6d. to 6s. 10d.; be«t half-breds, 6s. to 6s. 4d. LONDON MEAT, MONDAY.—Trade quiet; supplies good: Beef, English. 4s. to 4s. 2d.; American, 3s. 10d. to 4s. 2d.: Scotch, 4s. 2d. to 4s. 8d. Argentine hindquarters, 3s. 2d. to 3s. 6d. Mutton. English wethers, 4s. 8d. to 5s.; ewes. 3s. 6d. to 3s. ] Od.; Scotch ewes, 3s. 6d. to 3s. lOd.: tegs, 4s. lOd. to 5s. 4d.; New Zealand, 3s. to 3s. 4d. Lamb, English, 6s. 4d. to 7s.; Aus- tralian. 3s. 8d to 4s. Veal, 4s. to 5s. 4d. Pork, 3s. lOd. to 5s. per stone. LONDON PROVISIONS, MONDAY.—Butter slow: Danish, 124s. to 128s.. Normandy, 118s. to 120s.: Australian, 100s. to 116g. New Zea- land, 112s. to 1188.: Argentine, 108s. to 112s.; Russian, 90s. to 112s. per cwt. Choese: Cana- dian, 66s. to 70s.: Dutch, 60s. to 70s. per cwt. Bacon steady: Irish, 72s. to 80s.; Continental, 60s. to 74s. per cwt. Hams steady: American, 66s. to 72s. per r-wt. Eggs quiet. LONDON POTATO, MONDAY.—Trade was firm for liberal supplies as follows: Lineolns, 65s. to 75s.; King Edwards, 65s. to 80s.: Kents and Essex, 65s. to 70s.; Bedfords, 60s. to 70s.; Blacklands, 45s to 55s. per ton. BRADFORD WOOL, MONDAY.—The local market is steady and firm, but topmakers are not finding any response to London. In face of primary markets, however, full prices are in- sisted upon, sixty-fours being from 2s. Sjd. to 2s. 4d.. and fortys 13Jd. to 14d.. according to the character of the top. English wools are all well held. The yarn trade continues most dis- appointing.

I AGRICULTURAL NOTES. I BY A PRACTICAL FARMER. I THE HACKNEY SHOW. The list of prizes to be offered at the annual show of Hackneys, harness horses and ponies fixed for March 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th next at the Agricultural Hall shows that the substan- tial sum of £ 1,490 will be awarded in prizes, and tbene are champion cups to the amount of X461. The programme is agreeably diversi- fied with driving competitions, both single and in pairs, champion cups, &c. The show includes hackneys and ponies both in hand and in harness of every age and height, and iiii very many of the forty-two classes it is only necessary for the horse to be sired by a regis- tered hackney. It is pointed, that the hackney is one of the soundest of the breeds of English horses, last year only six out of 402 failing to pass the ex- tremely stringent veterinary examination, which is. in fact. more comprehensive than the existing official Government examination of the Board of Agriculture. There is every facility for careful examination of horses by purchasers. Entries close at ordinary fees 011 January 26th to Mr. Frank F. Euren, secre- tary, at the society's offices, 12, Hanover- square. London, W.. of whom all particulars of the show may be obtained. LINSEED CULTURE ADVISED. In an interesting leaflet, No. 278, just issued, the Board of Agriculture thus sum- marises the advantages derived from the growing of linseed: As a food for stock it can be grown more cheaply than it can be purchased at present prices on the open market. It allows of the profitable employ- ment of land which, owing to lateness of the season, cannot be sown with spring corn. In a dry early season it can be removed in time to allow of a catch crop being taken. It grows on a large range of soils of vary- ing fertility. Those best suited to its culture are deep, moist, medium loams which are well drained and in a good condition of fertility, overlying rather heavy, compacl sub-soils. It is sown from April to the mid- dle of May perhaps the beginning of May is the best time. Either broadcasting or drill- ing may be practised. The seed, being flat and smooth, rons readily from between the fingers, and care is required to give a uni- form distribution. When the seed is drilled an ordinary corn drill may be used, the coulters being set about eight inches apart. For seed production a satisfactory plant" will be obtained on tilthy land by broadcast- ing 70 to 801b. or drilling 40 to 601b. Imr acre. Thicker seeding is practised for fibre production, as much as three bushels (1501b.) per acre being sown in some districts. I i TWO SHETLAND BREEDS. It is a very satisfactory sign of the tunes that stock is being taken of our various local breeds with t-he objects primarily of per- petuating their distinctive characteristics and of improving them to meet modern requirements. From Shetland, whose wonderful little ponies have come in a few years to be world famous, there is news of increased interest in the local breeds of cattle and sheep. The sheep have lately shown signs of deterioration through overcrowding and unregularised in- breeding, and while the need of outcrosses is evident, the problem is how to bring about improvement without sacrificing any of the far famed fineness and general quality of the wool. As regards the cattle, it is announced that they are to receive recognition in the list of pure-bred cattle by the Highland and Agri- cultural Society at their Show at Hawick this year. Shetland cattle are a hardy breed. living under somewhat rigorous conditions. When full-grown the cows are, like the Shet- land ponies, of a sturdy, chubby form of build. In the yellowness of their skin they somewhat resemble the Channel Island cattle. Their milk is rich in butter-fat. The crofters or smallholders who breed the cows let them run 011 the hillsides, housing them at night in winter. The original Shet- lands have been crossed with Polled Angus, Shorthorn, and Ayrshire bulls, which crosses have increased the size of the animals and also the quantity of milk given 400 to 450 gallons per year would be a good average. At the present time an effort is being made to obtain authentic records as to milk yield and percentage of butter-fat, and the Council of the Shetland Cattle Herd Book Society are pressing for the institution of a Milk Records Committee. » » LAST YEAR'S IMPORTS. I In reviewing the imports of agricultural products during the year 1913, we find that eight items, viz., fresh beef, total dead meat, eggs, margarine, condensed milk, net wool. net hides, and tomatoes, exceeded in the total of their imports all previous records. Wheat and flour fell slightly below the re- cord of 1912, while other kinds of grain did not approach the quantities of more or less distant years. Imports of cattle and sheep have shrunk to quite insignificant propor- tions. For the former we have to go back twenty-three years to find the maximum, and for the latter thirty-one years. Pigs for many years have been represented by a blank in the list of imports, their maximum having been the receipts of forty-eight years ago. There was an increase of nearly 2,000,000cwt. of fresh (including refrigerated) beef over the quantity for 1912, while mutton has not quite, recovered from the decrease after 1910. Pigs' meat of all classes is among the imports which have fallen much below those of more or less distant years. The total of dead meat, however, mainly on account of the great in- crease in beef, stands for 1913 no less than l,707,400cwt. over the previous maximum of 1911. Eggs, after falling short for some years after 1904 of the maximum of that year up to 1912 inclusive, increased so greatly in 1913 that the present maximum is 1,637,356 great hundreds of 120 above the previous one. Mar- garine had fallen off considerably before 1912, when it advanced to the maximum up to that time, now beaten by the quantity for I 1913. Since the United States fell behind so remarkably in exports of cheese, there has not been any close approach to the receipts in 1900. Condensed milk has been going ahead for some years; but wool and hides reached their maxima last year; for, although the gross imports fell short of those of 1912, exports decreased more still. < LIVE STOCK EXPORTS. These, for the first time on record, ex- J ceeded 92,000,000 in declared value, and were some 32 per cent. more than in 1912. A detailed examination of these may there- ) fore be of some interest. Especially will the year be memorable in connection with the export demand for horses, both in re- spect to the number exported--68,636-and to the declared value— £ 1,783,215. In both of these particulars, and also in the average of declared values-L25 19s. 7d.-the year's totals are in excess of any of the previous eighteen years. The increased activity in the export de- mand for cattle brought about a yearly total E274,297 which compares favourably with any sineo the year 1907, and the good < prices are indicated by the fact thai the whole of the oat.t;w. Mnortod me • wraijje or tw;, tne nignest veariy on record for the ps-s-t ninete-en years, except that for the very restricted trade which took place in 1912. when the average worked out at L66 5s. lid. The number of sheep exported reached 6.5:38, and the average realised for the twelve months, £ 14 2. 9d.. is. with the ex- ception of those in 1906 and 1905, the highest on record for many years. The de- mand has come from many sources, though the Argentine took nearly half the total at an average of £ 19 2s. 8d. Uruguay. Austra- lia, and New Zealand were other consider- able buyers The number of pigs shipped during the year was within two of the very .satisfactory total for 1907. though nearly 900 feweT than in 1906, whilst the average declared value of this year's shipments— £ 13 6s. 6d.—is the highest on record for any year since the year 1895. The Argentine demand was ex- ceptionally good, and Canada was a largea buyer than in previous years.

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