The Pembroke County Guardian and Cardigan Reporter

♦ Oir representative for Pembroke Dock and district is 31r. P. F. Smith, 4, Victoria Road, Pembroke Dock, to whom notices of cor. in o events, items of news, or advertisrnents should be sent. The) "\Guxrdian Imay be obtained of Messrs Wright & Son, Dimond Street, Pembroke Dock, Mr. IV Smith, Bush Street, Pembroke Dock^.UessrsllI'. gp. Sn:ith\ o~" Son, '[Dimond Street, Pe?u- b-oke] \Di->ck, Hughes, 2 Queen j Street. East, Pembroke Dock Mr. Thorn-is, Newsagent, Neviand, and Jfr. R. Tre weeks, Main Street, Pembroke.

PEMBROKE NOTES. I have seen a copy of a local literary effort, "The Torch. which contains some interest- ing reading. aud also indications that spring- tide ha.; had the usual effect upon the locai ■ •rhyme-jt?r3. Some of the poems are certainly of a somewhat mournful nature, but though the i, rather crude, there is evidence of considerable ability on the parT of the authors, which I hope to see further developed as time goes on. I must admit, however, that in one or two of the poems, the" poet's lken-o" ha.5 been stretched pretty well. I consider the suggestion made by Mr. John JenkiIl. M.P. for Chatham, in Parliament, the other clay, to the effect that obsolete ships instead or being sold to be broken up, should be broken up in the Government yaivls, and so provide work for the men affected by the discharges, is a very sensible one. Mr. dobertson termed the idea im- practicable, because, as he said, there was not the necessary machinery in the dockyards, i nor yet the men trained in such work. I really see why the necessary plant could not be acquired, and the men would soon adapt themselves to the work. which after all, would not require such a great amount of skill. »»*»* Las' week I was bewailing the Dockyard discharges, but since then still another blow has laden. It had been hoped that éh, building operations at the barracks would Boon be proceeded with, but now news has been received that the contract for £78,000 for the new wing has been been postponed for two and a half years. Surely now the Govern- ment have done their worst to cripple the town, will rest content with the result of their efforts. It is an old saying that mis- fortune never comes alone, but we must con- sole ourselves by remembering that even on the occasion of the Flood, the rain eventually ceased Of course, I hope that the torrent of misfortune descending upon the Dockyard towns of the country will cease before they are quite overwhelmed. Perhaps now the silver Lining to the cloud will begin to show ibe,f. It's about time it did. »■*»* The action of the Government with regard to the Dockyards always strikes me as some- what of that of the fabled dog in the manger. Whilst private firms have the opportunity of building warships for foreign nations as well as our own, the Royal Dockyards depend sole y upon the requirements of our own Navy. Of course, it couild not be otherwise, but if. does seem curious policy to neglect these Royal yards for the benefit of the pri- vate firms, who could aways get other work. I suppose it would be libellous to suggest that^ there must be reasons, but nobody car. bridle their thoughts. Possibly a good many people- think many things that they would hardly like to see in print, and yet possib.y they may be correct in their inferences. I have evtr thought at times that it would be better if the Government gave up the yard a_togeihor, than go on reducing it, bit by bit, and ever as the works grows beautifully less, assuring everybody that nothing more in the way of discharges will occur. If the Gov- ernment gave up the yard altogether it might be acquired by a private firm, and in that case under the present state of things there would soon be a few ships to be built here. Oi course, that's only my private opinion, and I may mention that the Editor of this paper probably would—and not without good cause either-refuse to identify himself with a great many of the opinions expressed in this Cu :1dlll. It is a curious thing what a lot of talk there has beeu recently with regard to the financial position of some of the tradesmen of the place. Names of men have been mentioned as being on the verge of bankruptcy, etc., with- out the smallest foundation, and there have also been flying about rumours that others have been excused their rates. This sort of thing is grossly unfair to the people whose names are mentioned, and it would be well if some of the people who talk so freely wou d recollect that this sort of thing is ac- tionable. Even supposing a man was in unfortunate circumstances, it is not English to hit a map when he's down. With regard to I he wild statements about the rates, these WSc £ a"° ■veie pretty effectively settled, when the ^ratc-colieetov publicly stared that some of ttic people who had been slandered gave h:iii ;:s l.;ue trouble as any in the town. On .^at'.Tdoy evening I spent a pl;asant ( t :Vv"J Temperance Hal. Peai- broK. Docj;. am i was most agreeably sar- Pr:^r; the '.cut displayed by some of the youngsters in ihc '.ringing and reciting compcti- J1011?, *buig which struck me rather loicii. ah tin; number of girls competing in comparison with the number of boys, 's are nearly always much superior vocal- ists to girls at an early axe. bat neither in singing or reciting was the superiority so ma need as it frequently is at such co'iupe- the way. I was hardly jjx.y, c&sed witn the three test pieces -elec'cl atopsis (VIEW of Death), "Excelsior." or \Ye a!e Sevep," ever, commended itself to me, .T lon t get excited anybody. I know it's mv vl .au.t or rmsfortune. as the case may be. 1 111 ao. educated up to it Thamrn-nsis witn its sonorous sentences, has undoubtedly nisir Lterarv merits lint t oui i prete1' somethncr more cneermg than tha? Tt •* „ = .Kit i ,ina- 11 doesn't comfort ? d blt; to Vnw that when I di» it won't be a unique incident fm- sei.- 1 lu-'rai 101 anyone except my- As to the other two composition* bo^ -p ° m my you'n veritable bug-bears? I*?ievn- could, never have, and probably ne-t- A understand why the youth was <o' an™ to prowl to the top of the mountain a? h a ridiculous nour to commence a journey, "a .I further, what good purpose waco: '0 he ->cbip -p.) it he succeeded in getting there. man m my humble opinion was a "fit and proper candidate tor tne neare r luna-V- » luiu. Tiien, again, '■ We are Seven"l i ways lose my patience with the* "reit-ra^cr f tha: little cottage girl" and her ?bs"i-ma'-v in s'icking to the idea despite the ove-whel?* ing evidence ro the contrary. As I said befor" I'm a praetica. person, and not even 1 charms of April have so far made me --ev-r to write poetry, or read the efforts of "so-i* of the more involved of the poets, though there are some whose work always apneals "o IDe. Now that the roads are dry. cyclists beginning to get about, and the number of complaints I hear about the state of of the roads would make the official resWi- sible for their maintenance wince if he could hear them. Not only are the country toads rough and "bumpy," but they appear to be liberally strewn with two-inch nails, hair-pins, tm-tacks, thorns, etc., ready for the unwarv cyclist. The other day I happened to ven- ture out, and in less than half an hour I had picked up a nail which had gone dlean through one side of my tyre and out of the other. Then, again, at midnight last Satur- day a cyclist might have been seen mending nis^ ,yre under the lamp at the top of Pem- atreet .ard Victoria Road. He had his machiae upside down, and was working awav nost energetically. What his thoughts must W rre!enT Te could hardly telL You ask, of tv? iL- +¥PP/-n see him at that time ilt n1lgnt- Gentle reader, I'm interested was ~ari other things. At anyrate I ^Tupatheticf tfle 8ight made me be ^ite J.. I think Judge Owen was rather severe not Ppmhy-rV^ Ar" iln some of his criticism of the r i magistrates in his charge to Pi?- aTThe County Quarter Sessions. rvj,: iQi.y iic.fl his Honour gone more thoroughly lino he facts he would have found facts which he was apparently overlooked. For instance we considered the magistrates ought not to have committed for trial a man who had stolen a coat and hat. The offence undoubtedly was not a serious one and was one which might very well be dealt in summarily. But in this p&Tticular case the priconer declined to be dealt with summarily; indeed he re- fused to say anything at all, so it is diffi cult to see what option the magistrates had except to commit him. With regard to the other case it is still sub judice so I will make no comments on it. But our readers will notice that the Grand Jury did not altogether agree with his Honour, for they'brought in a true bill. Overheard in the Dockyard one day last week: j First workman: "Hello Bill, what do you mink of your member now? He's the sort. Why it- sent a telegram to the Conservative Club last night about his doings in the House." Second workman: Well, so he ought. First workman: Why ?. Second workman: Well, they're the people that put him in. Curtain falls. » WANTED TO KNOW: Whether week end trips to London are not getting quite popular? Whether people who circulate rumours that others don't pay their rates always pay their own? Whether the persons who steal newspapers and periodicals from olub reading rooms can't afford to buy them? Whether it is kleptomania, or whether a shorter word would suffice to describe it? Why they don't take the Encyclopedia Brit- annica as well ? hy the animosity against the Torch still continues I Whether the fact that it is not printed in Pembroke Dock has anything to do with it? Whether the new halfpenny paper will be simdariv criticised? Whether readers of the "Daily Mail" were not quite nervous the other Monday night? Whether the Germans would fare better than the invading party uid then? Did the Alderman h3.e a good day at the rare. ? Or did the bookies? Are those microbes still on the warpath at Neyland? THE PILOT.

THE DOCKYARD. The dark clouds that hovered over our horizon when we went to press last week, instead of showing signs of lifting, if anythng appear more ominous. The Secretary to the Admiralty's reply to our borough member that other than by natural wastage," it was not contemplated reducing the Dockyard by more than 200 hands, is far from reassuring. Natural wastage" sounds an innocent phrase enough, but how many people realise that the "natural wastage" of Pembroke yard, prior to the discharges of last year, was from sixty to sixty-five annually. What this would mean, if continued without some antidote, for the natural life of a Parliament, is a sum in arithmetic easily arrived at. And that this "natural wastage" is intended hy the powers that be, to have full play seems evident by an Admiralty order received at the Dockyard on Sunday last, directing that, until further notice.the establishment uf work- men of all classes should cease. Add to this the rumour, apparently well founded, which is current in the yard this week, to the effect that shortly after the dismissal of the 200 work- men whose discharges have been decided on, 50 more will follow to make vacancies for the large number of apprentices who will com- plete their term of apprenticeship :n June or July, and our readers will not accuse us of exaggerating when we say that the outlook is, if anything, darker than it appeared a week We suppose the few hundred thousand pounds saved by this ruinous policy will be claimed by the Government of the day as a proof of the nation's prosperity? Prosperity indeed. Gained at the expense of respect- able, stalwart men thrown out of employment after years of faithful service, growing haggard and Thin in their efforts to get new work, and in many cases failing to find it. Pros- perity, forsooth, at the expense of loving homes, and the bitter experience of loving fathers when witnessing the daily deterioration of faithful wives and loving children, both in physique and morals, as must inevitably follow when the bread-winner is unsuccessful in getting the work he is so anxious to obtain. While these pitiful reductions in the artisan and labouring c/asses of our Dockyards go on. they do not seem to effect The large staff of highly-paid officials, clerks, store-keeper's staff, etc. Their numbers are undiminished, their salaries remain untouched. In the House of Commons, the farce goes on of replying to members' questions with care- fully cooked answers. Only the other day, Mr. John Jenkins, the member for Chatham, wrung from the Government a promise that the question of Dockyard employees receiving tranes union rates of wages should receive careful attention. The only result of this careful attention so far visible at Pembroke Yard is ihar some poor fellow of the labouring class in the Works Department, who, by merit and servitude, had advanced from the minimum wage of 2s weekly, to higher rate, have re- cently been given the generous option of dis- charge or reversion to their former minimum rate of pay. From "careful attention" of Mils sort "Good Lord deliver us." Although Mr. Owen Phillips, our member, was unable to send us better news, the gentle- manly spirit and kindly courtesy which prompted him, on receiving the Secretary to the Admiralty's reply to his question con- cerning the discharges, to send to both Conservative as well as Liberal Clubs in Pembroke Dock, is worthy of commendation. and has been well received by his constituents. But after his gallant efforts to soften the hard hearts of Admiralty officials in our favour, nobly backet; upj as he und' notedly has been, by his brother, the County member, very little hope was entertained that the visit to the Corporation deputation, what they meant to do, and who they intended to see, at the time of our penning these lines seems wrapped in mystery. And this mystery has, since the Deputation's return only thickened. We sincerely trust that the result this will not turn out to be merely the adding of a few more straws to the backs of the already over-burdened ratepayers. The power of the" tai:" to "wag the dig" has never been better exemplified thau in the concessions wrung from the Government since their accession to office, by the combined action of the Labour members. And we are forced to the conclusion that, had the unbrokerv phalanx of the Welsh Liberal Party demanded fair and just treatment for the only Welsh Dockyard under the Crown, we should not have been placed in our present parlous state. But the anxiety expressed by* these gentlemen for our welfare prior to the general election is in marked contrast to their un- approachable and unsympathetic behaviour smce that happy event. We certainly ex- cept our own borough and county members, who, it is well known, are feeling most keenly the ungrateful treatment meted out to them and their constituents by the Government they so loyally supported and helped to place in power. A truly brilliant piece of detective work was brought off m the yard one day last week by the astute officer employed on detective duty there. Visiting one of the conveniences he discovered a workman reading a piece of paper. For this heinous crime the culprit was duly reported to the Captain Superintendent, who punished him with a day's suspension from duty. Mr. A. M. Worthington, assistant constructor has been appointed lecturer on naval archi- tecture at the Dockyard School, and com- menced his duties on April 1st. The genial head of the establishment cer- tain-,y did not err on the side of severity, but we do think that the reasons for which workmen are followed into what should be be the privacy of these places do not justify the degradation to which the men are sub- jected. Could not the same object be at- tained. and the would-be skulker brought to justice, if, now and again, the length of his visits to these places was timed, and if found unduly prolonged, reported to the authorities? We do not, by these remarks, intend any reflection on our detective friend, who, doubtless, is careful not to exceed his duty. But we cannot believe, as some would have us, that he finds this work congenial and to his taste.

PEMBROKE DOCK COM- MITTEES. MORE ESTIMATES, A meeting of the Council Commissioners for the Pembroke Dock Ward was held on Mon- day at the Council Chamber, when there were present Aids. J. Allen, A. McColl, and J. Ilutchings; Couns. B. Hancock, W. Jones, W. Davies, T. Davies. W. Smith, J. Grieve, J. Morgan, and C. Young, with the Town Clerk (Mr. R. D. Lowless), and other officials. LIGHTING COMMITTEE. Coun. B. Hancock in the chair. It was resolved that a rate of 8d. in the £ be made to meet. the expenses in connection with the lighting of the public lamps, build- ings, etc. ,for the year ending March 31st, 1907. WATER COMMITTEE. Aid. McColl chairman. The estimates in conection with this de- partment were considered and passed. A bill from Mr. Sloggett for petroleum supplied to the Milton Waterworks, amounting to £32 9s. Id. was passed for payment. ESTATE COMMITTEE. Coun. W. Jones in the chair. ) The estmates for the ensuing year were considered. Coun. Smith observed that no receipts were shown in the estimates, and suggested that, the rents received for the stores in .ront Street, Weighbridge, Front Street Chapel, should be shúwn as credit and this w is agreed to. MARKET COMMITTEE. Coun. J. Morgan in the chair. The Chairman reported tha the Armoury and Rifle Range at the Market were now com pleted. Coun. W. Smith proposed and Ald. S. J. Allen seconded that the Chairman and Town Cleric prepare and present to the next committee a statement of the work carried out in the year 1905-1906, not provided for in the estimate, and upon which a sum considerably over a £100 was spent. It was resolved that a sum of C225 be pro- vided for in the estimates to meet the ex- penses connected with the Market for the coming year. SANITARY. Coun. Young in the chair. A letter was read from Messrs. Robinson, David and Co. stating that they were not 111 :t position to consider the question of the re- pair of the Meyrick Street sewer with the Council. After some idscussion it 'was resolved that the Town Clerk be instructed to take the opinion of counsel on the matter. The Chairman suggested that cement blocks prepared by their own mason should be used for the alteraton to the inbert of the tunnel, which would mean a saving of from E400 to £ 500 over the cost entailed by the use of patent Victoria stone. It was resolved that the question of the material to be used in the repair of the tun- nel be left to the Chairman and Surveyor to settle. It was propsed by Coun. Young and onded_ by Aid. S. J. Allen, "That the s-im of £ 25 be paid to he Surveyor on a»'co.:iit of the extra work done by him in connection with the preparation of plans, ope?ij ;i-.ns and estimates in the matter of the sew.c scheme.

THE PEMBROKE COM- MITTEES. Alderman Reed on Local Assess- ment. THE HIGHWAYS ESTIMATES. A meeting of the Council Committees for the Pembroke Ward was held at he Council Cham- ber on Tuesday evening, when there were present the Mayor (Coun. A. F. Beddoe), Messrs. F. S. Reed, A. Ward Davies, J. Lewis, J. Jones, W. Griffiths, F. B. Tombs, with the Town Clerk (Mr. R. D. Lowless) and other officials. WATER COMMITTEE. Aid. Reed presided over this committee, and mentioned that he was pleased to an- nounce that the Collector had paid into the bank iZI39 14s. 6d. on the half-year's water rate. Coun. Tombs: How much is that compared with last year? Ald. Reed said that last year the amount paid in was £ 184 4s. 9d. In reply to Coun. Ward Davies, he added that the expenses would be about £ 60, or with the colector's commission Z70. Coun. Ward Davies considered this very satisfactory. At the meeting at Pembroke Dock the previous day, his eyes were opened for the first time about the Pater Water- works. He had always been led to believe that the Pater Waterworks were a paying concern, but the previous day he had found that the amount of the !loan was not taken into consideration. This came to £ 1,625 per year, and in consequence of taking the loan 1 into consideration, there was an annual debit of about Aid. Reed: Ours is self-supporting. The Town Clerk: There is no water-rate at Pembroke Dock. Aid. Reed said he did not see why they should not considerably increase their in- come. They saw the ridiculous sums at which some properties in Pembroke were assessed. He considered it was time that they were properly assessed, and there was a very easy way of doing it. He proposed that they should see the overseers of the re- spective parishes did their duty. It appeared that the overseers of the parishes had not any conscience, and thought they had no responsibility, and things went on "from year to year in the old sweet way. He did not see much hope of getting these assessments adjusted through the overseers, and thus the duty devolved upon them. What they should do was this: Any private individual could go before the Assessments Committee, and ask to have the assessments decreased or increased. The committee ought to instruct some one to go before the Assessments Committee— the collector or the Town Clerk perhaps. The necessary notice would be served, and he thought that if they adopted this course they would get the properties properly assessed. It might be invidious for any of them to go and pick out one or two cases. They should go through the list and show neither fear or favour, and give the necessary instruction to someone to go before the Assessment. Com- mittee. He thought they would be thanked by more than nine-tenths of the ratepayers, because nine-tenths had been rated above what they should be, and one-tenth about half what they should be. It was that one- tenth that he wanted to see rated fairly. Coun. Tombs said that he should like to make some remarks with regard to the over- seers, for possibly some might consider that the remarks that had been made were un- timely and unkind. When he was an over- seer he did not think it his duty to go care- fully through the list of assessments. At the same time he was prepared to support this suggestion. Aid. Reed mentioned that in Glasgow and many of the large towns in Scotland they assessed on the actual rental of the pro- perty. There was an extraordinary idea about that Pembroke and Pembroke Dock were heavily rated. He gave that an em- phatic denial, because the place was not heavily rated. He had his attention drawn the other day to some property, of which the rental was £17 per annum, but which was rated at £8. If the property were properly rated, the assessments would be higher, and the rates would naturally be less. The rates never ought to be more than 5s. or 6s. in the Z, but now it went to the outside world that they were 10s. in the £ At present the assessments were extremely low, and the rates were of necessity extremely high.. After some further discussion, it was de- cided to carry out Aid. Reed's suggestion. The next business was the making of the water rate for the next half-year, and the Mayor proposed that a rate of 6d. be made. It was stated that last year's rate was 7 £ d., but the Town Clerk remarked that they had an overdraft of £ 500. Ald. Reed said that although they had spent between ZI,000 and £ 1,500 in making ad- ditional reservoirs, they had not borrowed any loans, but had done the whole out of the rates, and now the vonly had an oberdraft of between Z400 and £500. Coun. Ward Davies thought that they had been acting illegally. People living in Monk- i ton and deserving no benefit from the water- works had had to pay towards reducing this overdraft. The Clerk said that that had not occurred during the last five years. Coun. Tombs did not consider they ought to reduce the rate until this overdraft was cleared off, and also when there was the prospect that they might have to spend money to 'get more water. After some further discussion, the Mayor withdrew his proposition, and it was dSciuei. to make a rate for 7id. in the t. HIGHWAYS COMMITTEE. The _Mayor took the chair. The Surveyor (Mr. McAlpine) reported that he had seiit notices to all owners and occu- piers who had not trimmed their hedges. Most of them had complied with the request, but those who had not had been sent another notice. Ald. Reed remarked that he was surprised to hear that an idea prevailed that owners and occupiers of land could not be made to keep their hedges trimmed, and that the Authority could not enforce their demands. He believed that in the neighbouring parishes many of the occupiers were under this im- pression, and one large occupier had openly said that he was not liable to trim the hedges and was not going to do it. A Reed proceeded to point out that if they went from Neyland to Milford they woulu find danger signals at awkward places, sharp corners taken away, and the hedges properly trimmed. Here they let the hedges go any- how, and having regard to the number of motors and motor cycles about this was cer- tainly a source of clanger. Coun. Ward Davies said that at the last meeting of the Council it was proposed, sec- onded and carried that the defaulters should be prosecuted forthwith. This was a definite resolution, and yet here they had the Surveyor serving second notices. That was not carry- ing out the resolution, but was shelving the matter again. The Mayor remarked that there had been a great improvement, and the Surveyor said that the people had responded well. It was decided to prosecute in all cases where the notices had not been complied with. THE ESTIMATES. The Mayor then presented the estimates for the coming half-year. The committee had estimated that the total expenditure would be zP,550, and they would receive zE250 from the County Council. This left a balance of E300, but they considered it abvisable to ask for £ 350 to cover all contingencies. The amount asked for for the corresponding half- year last year was £ 640. They considered that they would require very much less ex- penditure on stone than in some former years, but with regard to the men they always found work to keep them fully employed if they wished to keep the town in anything like a decent state. In reply to Coun. Ward Davies, the Mayor said that seven men were at present em- ployed. Coun. Ward Davies proposed that this num- ber be reduced to five, and Ald. Reed con- sidered half a dozen would be sufficient. A long discussion ensued, in which some members urged that the work could be done by less men, whilst the Surveyor pointed out that only £ 232 was spent on labour, whilst they received E250 from the County Council, and the latter expected the roads to be kept in a good state. The argument waxed warm, and the Surveyor remarked that the suggestion of one of the councillors that some men should be given notice because they were geting old was enor- mous cruelty." It made him think of some heathen countries were at a certain age people were pole-axed. "It was most un-Christian," he concluded. Coun. Lewis, at considerable length, con- tended that the wages of the men might be reduced from 18s. to 16s. a week. He drew quite a pathetic picture of the way in which the working man had to work to contribute to the rates, and said he knew of one case of a roadman who after wheeling a barrow some distance, stopped and went asleep in it. (Laughter.) Some of the men they were now employing had not even got a wife depending upon them. The Mayor: Tax them. (More laughter.) An amendment to the effect that only six men be employed, and Z40 less be asked for was lost, and the original estimates were adopted. A letter was read from the Pembroke Rural District Council with regard to Thrustle Bridge. Some time ago it was agreed by the two Councils that they should share the cost of repairing the bridge, and the Rural Council now wished to know if the Town Council were prepared to pay their half. It was decided that the Rural Council be asked to forward an estimate of the cost. SANITARY COMMITTEE. Coun. Lewis in the chair. The Sanitary Comfttee, it was stated, would require Z200 for the half-year. They esti- urc mated their expenditure at £ 160, and asked for the extra £40 to meet contingencies. The estimate was adopted. The Mayor and other members drew atten- tion to the nuisance caused by the tipping of rubbish on the Common, and Coun. Lewis suggested that some of the offenders should be summoned when detected. This was de- cided upon. MARKET COMMITTEE. Coun. Ward Davies presiding. The tender of Mr. W\ T. Morgan for the re- pair of the old Gas-house and Gwyther Cot- tages for iE38 12s. 6d. was accepted.

GUARDIANS AND ARCHITECT. Wrangle: over Fees at Pembroke. "PREPOSTEROUS" CHARGE. The fortnightly meeting of the Board of Guardians was held on Thursday. Present: Mr. N. A. Roch (chairman), Mr. Egerton Allen (vice-chairman), Mrs. Lowless, Mrs. Williams, the Rev. C. Morgan, Messrs. W. M. Griffiths, J. Jones, G. Thomas, W. C. Jones, F. Gregory, W. Gibbs, S. Barrah, W. R. Morgan, J. Hitch- ings, with the Clerk (Mr. C. Flutter). ARCHITECT'S PREPOSTEROUS CLAIM. The following letter was received from Messrs. Dixon and Hunt, solicitors:—"Dear sir,—Mr. E. H. Lingen Barker, of 11, Blooms- bury Mansions, London, has brought us your letter to him on the 17tli ult., referring to his account. He cannot understand on what ground the Guardians consider that they are not liable for the sum of k85 therein men- tioned, and should be much obliged if you would kindly let us hear from you as to this. Lingen Barker informs us that the proper charge should have been £100, but that he reduced the amount to £ 85 in anticipation of a very speedy and pleasant settlement. If however, there is to be any dispute about die matter, he reserves his right to claim the full amount to which he is entitled." The Chairman said that this communication came in answer to a letter, in which the Board offered a considerable sum. The Clerk: Z244 has been paid. The Chairman said that his view was that the claim was most preposterous. They had already paid him between £ 200 and P-300 for his services as architect of the new infirm- ary, and he himself should take no notice of this letter. Mr. G. Thomas: The point is, do you intend to fight the case ? The Chairman said that if they paid this they were practically saying they would pay whatever anybody liked to charge. Mr. Thomas thought they had better pay the bill at once to save trouble and expense. Mr. Barker informed them that the proper charge was oilO'J,, but he would accept £85. 3Ir. Allen said that he did not see any diffi- culty whatever in the matter. Mr. Barker had received 50 per cent. on the whole of the money paid the contractor. This amounted to cE191 16s. 6d. That commission was by the ordinary rules intended to cover the work which Mr. Lingen Barker had done in making plans. Mr. Lingen Barker said that they were such a long time making up their minds and hestitating between which idea they should carry out with regard to the build- ing that he was entitled to charge extra for the additional plans he had made. The Guardians on the other hand had always denied this, and held that the 50 per cent. commission covered all preliminary plans. The whole question was whether these plans should be paid for in addition to the 50 per cent. commission. He thought the Board would be perfectly justified in contending that the 50 per cent. covered the plans. Be- sides this 50 per cent., however, Mr. Lingen Barker had had a considerable sum of money for out of pocket expenses. Each visit he had made had been paid for at the rate of three guineas. There were eighteen of these and in addition he had received ten guineas for two visits to London and ten guineas for going to Swansea. He suggested that they forward a cheque for Z63 12s. 5d. in full satis- faction of his claim. The Chairman said he was astounded when he saw the bill. Mr. G. Thomas thought they were lucky there was not a larger bill. It just showed the ignorance of the Board. If they saddled the ratepayers with a law-suit, he considered it should be laid to their credit. Mr. Gregory asked if any special agreement was entered into between the Board and the architect, and on being told that there was none, expressed the opinion that they coun not get out of paying it. The Chairman: It doesn't follow that if you employ a person you must pay him whatever he charges. Mr. Thomas thought they had better pay the £85, and be more careful in the future. In the course of further discussion, Mr. J. Jones said that the charges were terrible. The Chairman: Of course, like other people, he is trying to make us pay all he possibly can. Mr .Thomas eventually moved that the money be paid, and Mr. J. Jones seconded. The Chairman: How much have we already paid? Mr. Allen said that they had paid k246 16s. 6d., and this amount now claimed was Jillt- 12s. 5d. He proposed as an amendment that they pay zE33, and write that they con- sider the 50 per cent. commission covered the cost of the plans. This was seconded by Mr. Hitchings. The amendment was eventually carried by I 12 rotes to 2..

J UVEMLE EISTEDDFOD. Temporance Competitive Meeting. The Pembroke Dock Total Abstinence Society is an organisation which believes not only in advocating temperance principles, but a-so in providing recreation for its members, oj, and young, and during the past winter the entertainments which have been given on Saturday evenings have proved very popular. Last Saturday, however, the event was one which excited universal interest, for it was the annual competitive meeting, in fact a sort of juvenile eisteddfod. The hall was filled with young competitors, nervous and hopeful, and proud parents who tried hard to look lanconcerned and impartial during the efforts of their offspring, but were not very successful in so doing. The secretaries (Messrs. T. J. Phillips and W. Edwards) had received 74 entries for the fifteen competitions in which prizes were offered. This was a slight im- provement on the previous year, but the classes for seniors were very badly filled, there being no contest for either the soprano, tenor, or bass solos. The classes in which the keenest competition took place were the three for adults, boys and girls, recitations, and it would seem that there is quite a large supply of budding elocutionists in Pembroke Dock. Despite the fact that in some of the classes preliminary trials during the afternoon had reduced the number of competitors, the meet- ing lasted from 6.30 p.m. until welil past ten, and at times the repetition of certain tunes, etc., grew wearisome, whilst the announce- ments of the names of the winners was so indistinct that probably three-quarters of the audience failed to hear them. The meeting opened with the usual devo- tion, following wiiich the chair was taken by Mr. Benjamin Powell, of Pembroke, the Mayor (Coun. A. F. Beddoe) writing regretting his inability to be present. In the course of a few remarks Mr. Powell said that he was a teetotaller when he was as young as any of them in the had', and he had been a teetotaller all his life. The adjudicators were Mr. J. H. Hancock (music) and the Rev.. H. Owen, of Pembroke (recitations and reading), and each of these gentlemen carried out his duties in an able manner, and gave general satisfaction. Miss A. Evans acted as accompanist. The most important event of the evening was the competition for juvenile choirs, not to exceed 25 juveniles under 16 years of age, and four adults. For this a prize of 30s. was offered, with a silver mounted baton for the successful conductor. Only two choirs entered, viz., Bethany, con- ductor, Mr. J. B. Thomas, and Meyrick Street Congregational, conductor, Mr. Dan. Davies. The test pieces consisted of verses five and six of the hymn Still with Thee," and verses four and five of the hymn Safe Home." Mr. Davies aid not take advantage of the option of including four adults, the music for these being somewhat difficult. In the opinion of tne adjudicator, Meyrick Street gave the sweetest rendering of the first piece, and Beth- any a more effective rendering of the second, and on points he awarded premier honours to Bethany. According to the regulations no seconct prize was to be awarded unless there were four competing choirs, but so excellent was tne performance of the Meyrick Street choir that this ru-e was waived, and they were awarded second prize. The results of the other competitions were as follows:— Juvenile solo (girls), "There is a green hill" (Sankey, second tune).—1, E. Roch; 2, A. Sharp; 3, E. Pant on. Singing in this class excellent. Juvenile solo (boys), 'Farmer's Boy."—1, W. Jenkins; 2, T. Jonns. The adjudicator ex- pressed surprise that there were only two entries in this class. It was a magnificent tune, and just the sort of thing that would have suited most boys. He characterised the winner as an artist, but said that the effort of the other iad was also good. Pianotorte solo (over fifteen years of age), "Melody in F (Rubinstein).-l, Miss F. R. Cornish. Miss Cornish was the only com- petitor, but she gave an expressive rendering of a somewhat difficult composition. Juvenile pianoforte solo, "The Merry Peas- ants" (Schumann).—1, Ada Williams; 2, Maud Lloyd; 3, Elizabeth Lewis. The adjudicator said that the competition in this class was so close that it did not follow that if the girls played over the composition again the order might not be changed. Aau:t recitation, "Thanatopsis: A view of Death" (W. C. Bryant).-I, L. Skilton; 2, Miss L. Rees; 3, Miss C. Masters. Juvenile recitations (girls), "We are seven" (Words worth). -1, Gladys Randall; 2, Winnie Cousins; 3, M. Masters. Juvenile recitations (boys), "Excelsior" (Longfellow). -1, S. Thomas; 2, B. Gibby; 3, A. Haines. The whole of the lads competing recited well, and most of them entered into the spirit of the poem, whilst the enunciation and gestures were good, though the latter were in one or two cases rather over-done. Impromptu reading.-1, S. M. Edwards. The adjudicator choose Browning's The Lost Leader as the test piece in this cl'ass. Unpunctuated reading.-l, Gwen Mathias. This contest proved most amusing, and sev- eral times the audience were convulsed with laughter at the ludicrous results which occurred.

MORE GARDENING HINTS "Adviser" Talks About Car nations. This week we have received another inter- esting lener from "Adviser." He writes:— In last week's edition I had a short note in reference to the tuberous begonia, but I don t desire to boom one class at the expense of another. In the "Gardener" for March 24cli there is an illustrated article, How to start begonias." Any reader intending to grow them for the first time will do well to purchase this edition, as it may greatly assist them to become the winner of a prize. I only wish I had a greenhouse at my dis- posal; my only ambition would be to place some of the old veterans on a back shelf. But as things remain at present I must con- tent myself with being a visitor instead of a competitor on the day of the show. The fairest flowers of the garden are our car- nations, which ranked amongst some of the most popular flowers, and serve to decorate the shoulder sprays of ye faire ladyes in the ancestral halls 300 years ago. Yet those who visited the flower show in 1905, could not but help thinking that the carnation had become a thing of the past. In conse- quence of its high perfume it ranked amongst some of the first flowers which attracted our attention in childhood, and left a lasting impression of their high position in the floral world. Like roses, they are easily grown from cuttings; the bloom also requires very IlittIe art to be grown to perfection, and to- day strong rooted plants can be bought for the low sum of 2s. 6d. per dozen. With these a gaily arranged flower border may be kept good for years with the aid of a lib- eral supply of cuttings, besides allowing the owner to become a keen competitor, which increases the love for the hobby of floricul- ture. For buttonhole work the carnation heads the list, and with the addition of a spray of maidenhair fern can aways command a ready sale on all tlower stalfls, and what looks more attractive on the show bench tnan a set of carnation bloom nicely staged? This year we take a little more interest in this class, as the committee has thought fit to alter it for the benefit of the exhibitor, and trust it will be greatly taken advantage of now it allows him the option of exhibiting six bloom of one variety. We trust carna- tion lovers will be well represented at the next show, and that those who had fostered the idea that the funeral sermon over the carnation had been preached may be agree- ably surprised. Gladioli is also another class altered for the benefit of the public, and which I notice was poorly favoured with entries at the last show. Considering the length of time the spikes retain their bloom after being cut I have often wondered why they are not more extensively grown for border decoration. Con- sidering the large number of juniors busy with their wheelbarrows parading the streets, the gladioli ought to be more popular in Pembroke Dock than what it is. Some folks have the idea in order for an exhibitor to win a prize it must cost him many a shilling, which to a certain extent,. takes the gilt off the pleasure of exhibiting. I know one who forwarded a postal order for 2s. 6d. to a noted Scotch seed firm, with instructions to forward six bulbs and state time of planting for exhibiting the second week in August. He followed up the advice given, and was most successful in scoring on that occasion a first prize. Another class which I should like to com- mend to the public for their consideration is double petunias, and one which is very thinly patronised by exhibitors. I felt some- what grieved whilst promenading around the stalls last year to find that those magnificent blooms which hold such a high position in the conservatory and greenhouse alike should have been accorded only two entries, when plants of the grandiflora type fit for keen competition can be purchased for 2s. 6d. per dozen. It seems a great pity that a plant unsurpassed for its quality and nicely per- fumed bloom, and so much admired in the drawing-room, is not more largely grown by exhibitors in Pembroke Dock than what it is. There are other classes which we should like to bring to the notice of the exhibitor, such as stocks, specimen plant begonias, coleus, fuschias, lobelia, musk, etc., where many a prize could be won. We trust Pembroke Dock Show will receive 1,000 Tnore entries this year than last, that all classes will be keenly contested for, and that the finances may surpass all others on record. Sow on the 1st of April zinnias, French mari- gold, mignonette, and lobelia for pot class; also pansy seed aud gladioli bulbs.

FOOTBALL. R.G.A. v. LLANHEATH. This match on Saturday resulted in a win for the R.G.A. by 2—1, after a very even game, though, perhaps, the football shown was not of a very high-class. The teams were:— R.G.A.—Walker, goal; Smith and Gardner, backs; Jones, Nott, and Moss, halves; Chappel, James, Parker, Grand, and Payne, forwards. Llai-ireat h. -Phillips, goal; Davies and Aves- ton, backs; Griffiths, C. Maples, and Silcox, halves; Roch, Paullett, Owens, Eussan, and W. Maples, forwards. Referee, Pte. Cooper (Wilts Regt.). Despite the fact that the Artillery were without two of their best players in Bryne and Brannigan, they had decidedly the best of the exchanges in the first liaof hour. After five minutes' play, a free kick was given against Llanreath close in, and from this James opened the scoring. The R.G.A. again attacked, and though the Llanreath backs defended well, Phillips was frequently call, upon. Eventually a corner was forced on the left, and Grand, taking the flag-kick, dropped the leather right in the goalmouth, where Parker breasted it through. These two reverses roused the Llanreath men, and from this point to the end of the game they quite he>d their own. Their forwards, though very light, were fast and nippy, and Walker had plenty of opportunities to show his skill. Several corners were forced, but were not well placed, and the Gunners' defence was also very solid. Owens, however, got in one fine shot, and a little later a hard drive from PaulEjett very nearly did Ithe trick. He failed to hold it, but the leather struck the cross-bar, and bounced out. At half-time the R.G.A. led by 2—0. After the interval Llanreath certainly did most of the attacking, and showed considerable improvement all round. Aveston and his partner defended very finely, and the Artillery forwards seldom broke away, whilst at the other end Smith and Gardner found plenty of work to do. The civilian forwards were al- together too good for the military halves, whose play was certainly weak, the game for a long while resolved itself into a duel between forwards and backs. Eventually the former prevailed, and after some clever passing by the whole line, Russan secured, and though in a rather difficult position, put in a fine oblique shot, which Walker failed to divert, though he managed to touch it. Llan- reath for awhile again attacked in sprited style, and it looked quite possible that they would equalise. The Gunners' defence was not, however, to be caught napping a second time, and towards the close their forwards woke up a bit. Several rushes were made for the Llanreath goal, but they never looked like scoring again, and the game terminated in a victory for the R.G.A. by two goals to one. MILFORD HAVEN v. NEYLAND. Neyland, though quite a junior team, have done excellently this season, and probably next season will be seen holding their own amongst the best teams in the County. On Saturday they journeyed to Milford Haven and put up an excellent fight against the home team, being only beaten by 3-2. The Neyland team was as follows:—E. John, goaJ1; G. Thomas and D. Betty, backs; E. Williams, W. Mars, and J. Lilycrop, halves; Hilsdon W. Bound, C. Russan, C. Moses, and J. Mackeen, forwards. HAVERFORDWEST v. WALLSEND SLIP- WAY CO. This match at the County town resulted in a win for the home team by two goals to nil.

HOCKEY. MILFORD HAVEN v. NEYLAND. This return match was played at Milford on Saturday, and although there were several changes in the Neyland team, they again had to admit defeat, this time by 3—0. The Neyland team was as follows:—Miss Mills, goal; Mr. Barber and Mr. Mills, backs; Mr. Bateman, Miss Herbert, and Miss Button, halves; Mr. G. Harris, Mr. Mills, Mr. Button, Miss C. John, and Miss E. John, forwards.

» TENBY. Tenby Church has recently been supplied with a number of hymn books for the use of the many strangers" who visit this beautiful town during the 'summer months. This handsome gift is due to the generosity of the following ladies and gentlemen:—Lady Stuart, Mrs. and Miss Denne. Mrs. Egerton Allen, Mrs. de Burgh, Mrs. Massie, Miss Evans, Miss Har- vey, Mrs. Boileau Jones, Mrs. Morris, Mr. and Mrs. Arnett, Captain Maxwell, Captain Gerard Bowen, and Mr. J. NV. Gardiner. On Friday morning last, at 11 o'clock, a special Lenten service was conducted in St. Mary's Church, by Rev. E. Kinloch Jones, M.A., vicar of Manorbier, who preached from the text, James, iii,, 2, the subject being "The Discipline of Self." About fifty were pre- sent. As announced by posters throughout the town, the children's choir of Deer Park Eng- lish Baptist,, Church will perform "The Com- ing of the Flowers," on Good Friday, April 13th. Mrs. Thompson, of 2, Siriole, Goodwick, took 31, Victoria Street, from last Lady Day, and will remove there as soon as various im- provements have been completed to the sat- isfaction of the owner, Mrs. Lewis, 31, Victoria Street. Mrs. Thomson has acted as organist for St. Peter's Church, Goodwick, for the last three years, and her services will be much missed. Rev. S. B. Williams, M.A., stayed at 2, Siriole, during the 18 months he was curate-in-charge of Llanwnda and Manorowen parishes, and will do so again. At present he is at the house of Mrs. Jones, Harding Street, where his popular predecessor stayed.

SAUNDERSFOOT. At the Petty Sessions held here on March 28th, before Messrs. Herbert Lewis, T. John, and C. H. R. Vickerman, Charles Davies, land- lord of Roval Oak, Saundersfoot. was charged by Sergeant Evans with opening his premises for sale of drink on Sunday, 4th ult. The Sergeant stated he had last month drawn the attention of the landlord to the fact that a number of young men came purposely to Saundersfoot "from Tenby for the purpose of getting drink. Mr. Bentley Mathias, solicitor, Narberth, appeared for the defence, and said that his client had a seven-day license, and therefore was bound to serve a bona-fide traveller. They were agreed that these were bona-fide travellers. To this statement the Sergeant demurred, and a heated pa,sage of arms took place between him and Mr. Mathias. The Bench decided that the landlord had not taken sufficient measures to prove the bona- fides of these gentlemen, and fined him 5s. and costs. We trust that this decision will have a marked effect on the license holders in the district, many of whom are under the impres- sion that they can serve anyone who states that he has come over the three-mile limit. Sergeant Evans is to be complimented on his efforts to stop these very unsatisfactory doings. A number of school attendance cases were brought forward by Mr. James Lawrence, school attendance officer under the County Council, and heavy fines were imposed by the Bench in nearly all the cases. School at- tendance in this district is at a very low ebb. and the decision of the magistrates should have an excellent effect. The much discussed drainage scheme for the village has at last come to a head, a start having been made by the contractor last week. We understand the scheme is to be finished by the 17th of June, in time for the visitors' season. The village is also to be lighted very shortly, a much needed improvement.

.1 NEYLAND. District Nursing Association.—On Wednes- last Mrs. James Harris, of Honeyborough House, entertained the committee of this asso- ciation and friends to tea. About forty guests were present, and a nominal charge made for the tea resulted in 26s. being raised for the funds of the association. Concert.—Oh Wednesday evening a variety concert was given in aid of the funds of Zion Presbyterian Church, when Mr. Vaughan Aves- ton presided over a large attendance.. The programme was an excellent one, -and in- c'udea a couple of glees, "He that hath a pleasant face and The cuckoo sings in the poplar tree," which were finely rendered by the choir under the conductorship of Mr. D. O. Jones. A quartette party, consisting of Miss J. Harries, Miss Flora Evans, Mr. H. Phillips, and Mr. J. George rendered two items, and Mr. D. O. Jones and Miss Janet Harries contributed a duet. Solos were sung by Miss Janet Harries, Miss Jennie Gilbert, Miss Laura Jones, and Mr. S. Williams and Miss E. Jones, M *s C .Jones, Miss L. Davies. Mr. T. Evans and Mr. C. E. Davies recited. Instrumental items were rendered by Mr. S. Voyle (violin), Mr. Stanley Williams (banjo and mandoline), Miss Harries (mandoline), and Miss Sinnett (piano), the latter and Mr. Wil- liams acting as accompanists. A dialogue, Heads examined, or the art of phrenology," evoked much laughter. Those taking part in- cluded Mr. J. George, Mr. H. Griffin, Mr. W. Evans, and the Misses S. A. Phillips, Mabel Evans and Polly Jones. About £4 was realised.

To ensure a Prompt and Regular Supply ofPapes and Magazines, order with WRIGHT & Co., Dimond-streett Pembroke Dock, the i Oldest Established Neivsagency and ta y n Tow 11

NEYLAND DISTRICT COUNCIL ELECTION. THREE OLD MEMBERS RETURNED. The election of five councillors to fill the seats on Neyland Urban District Council by Messrs. G. Davies (chairman), O. Garrett, W. Evans, W. Francis, and E. Davies, did not arouse a great deal of interest on Monday, in spite of the fact that there were no less than 11 candidates for five seats. Messrs W. Francis and E. Davies did not seek re-election, but eight other gentlemen aspired for the position. Neither of these gentlemen placed their views before the public in any form, and the elec- tion was not contested on any definite issue. The only polling station was the National Schools, and the presiding officer was Mr. J. Griffiths, and the poll clerk Mr T. W. Evans. The poll station opened at noon and closed at 8 o'clock in the evening. The poll was declared at about 9.30 p.m. before a small crowd, and the result was somewhat in the nature of a surprise in some respects, it being expected that the chairman (Mr. George Davies) would have obtained more votes. There are just over 600 voters on the register, and of these 431 recorded their votes. The result of the poll was as follows :— 11 ELECTJUU. J G. Glass 252 W. Williams 225 O.Garrett. 187 W. Evans 172 G. Davies 156 NOT ELECTED. G. Lewis 133 T. John 103 G. Jones 99 G. S. Simmons. 69 W. Owen 54 J. Wilcox 35 'Y.

L.EG^<J!x b'v»it Estate worth which about £ 105,961 is in tiii, United Kingdom, was left by Senator George Taylor Fulford (who came of an old Devonshire family), of Canada, patent medicine manufacturer. He left P-83,500 for the purpose of establish- ing a Home for Indigent Protestant Old Women who are bona-fide residents of Canada, and a contingent bequest of the residue of his estate '}or similar purpose3.

University College of Wales, Abai; s- twyth. t DEPARTMENT OF LAW. Priiicipal-T. F. ROBERTS, M.A., LLD., Professor of Constitutional and Comparative Law. W. JETHRO BROWN, LLD., Professor of Constitutional and Comparative Law. T. ARTHUR LEVI, M.A., B.C.L., Professor of English Law. Short. Courses in English Law specially in- tended for Articled Clerks will be held at the College for six weeks from April 23, 1906, to June 2, 1906. The subjects will include Courses of Lectures on:— 1—Common Law. 2-Evidence, and Civil and Criminal Pro- cedure. 3-Equity with special reference to Trusted Mortgages and Administration. The names of all Articled Clerks who in- tend to avail themselves of these Lectures should be sent in to the Registrar of the College by April 17 next. These Lectures are carried on by the aid of a grant from the Incorporated Law Society, and they will be free to all Articled Clerks. For further particulars apply to the Registrar. J. H. DAVIES, M.A.

J. ALLEN THOMAS Is now showing an IMMENSE VARIETY OF THE NEWEST GOODS IN EVERT DEPARTMENT. -J:r:{ 1 SPECIALITIES in DRESSES, TAILOR-MADE COSTUMES MILLINERY. c- Floor Cloths, Lace Curtains, AND Bed and Table ■ -ccaSJ Linen. I I ♦ I ■» ¡j J. Allen Thomas S:t.#.t;ji}: DRAPER, -"ý- ?1'I:¡"i':¡.íf¡. Haverfordwest. m t ■ i ■ THOMAS, CARRIAGE BUILDER, BRIDGE END SQUARE, HAVERFORDWEST. — o: :o— Repairs promptly attended to. New and second-hand Carriages always in stock, Printed and Published by the Proprietors, "The Pembroke County Guardian," Liu., at •< CJ ce, fa .v qs oi Pembroke. j ui Pembroke.