The Western Mail

= — —  ————— MN(;U&A.R DFARH AT TRELECH. On We<tnMt?' .?n  < ?* Thomas WaJtem -.ic 9 on the bdy (,( %Ioz- V,   Eva" n }., (vzpeater. )8'48"d'o* f uelod b-ead le?sidtha abotit Wx weeks ?i ber ht f,.t whil"t ?J" -?*?? J? ? '?"? ?'?"' "? awmaed fromD?d 4Lew: s t .sFai.d ? (14mtk had 60 An.-Dr. i,,u .r.id dea.tå had  v-w .M I •stiaued aomedigly.

?M''?tnt?v'n t.?T'  y Pm ??*' Ithout fUDOURY's is a P? f<0<?I? "P?'e" MOOM. It Su> J?U?t* '?'?" '?M-. ??n?hea- S-)S? ?.?* "'t'?" C Ie nutht'M food. Qwoa S—W? ?MM? Md Vfctemtsd to ensure the tll"t ^V^lTKT-3 U '?'?'y P?. e The I?Met <t?: "OAD- Jhtroteji tbs best 1IifIIe"1 -PMb of Wgbo4 l Z bk A f

SLEUTH WALES COAL AMU ) IRON TRADES. I REVIEW OF THE PAST YEAR. I II CARDIFF. L' Tbs past rear %A M* HMth W&M OM wane Km j?cn M. to eamidw" wxior both 10 ani?oyan Mtpioy«'. At the o<tt? & dio?& tMM exphxi'?n *t 'fyloMfxa CDIUWY, mmt- i m a low of 66 myes. 0" gloom over I th< mtmu?t ditrkts. IINU mme the quM tion of the dix4wv nc?. wi?ch not mly arouied the IndignatIon of the workmen &a<xte<t by it, but at me time ?rtttened to eveittiute in the stoppogo of all the Msowsted wvlliories. Happily, the wiser counsels of Bit William 'lhomas Lewis prevailed, and through hit instrumentality the employers were induced to suspend the operation of the ttoto. if not to abandon it altogether. That there wm some cause for the introduction of such a protective emur* is beymd dWp¡ For many vean the pndke provwied aaxu4pt young co'll=len to "flit" f?om one pk to &.0d er ou the an th? objeot of the di* 00vge note W" imply to 0 to th' unseemly couduot. The quelüoo of underselling ccal hu remutly 1,0" to the front by the ?"p,,mds ? Mr. D. A. ThmnM, M.P., and Sir William TbomM Lewis bo limit the ootp?t. and, as the ooaJowners have now the matter under consideration, some scheme will probably be adopted which will have for its i the prevention of what may be coiled reokless trading. The vexed question of underselling M, however, surrounded with difficulties, ajid co- operation oci all sides is seldom obtained where c impetitiou is so keem as it is in the South ?t?M ccal thfurket. To the coUitry proprietor and the middleman the year's b LiLpriet prove much more dipotrtxm-to many of them at all events—than to the men. At the closo of 1885 a oteadily-falHng market was expe- rienced, and this cirmAnAmxx, mupaej with tiftwiedw freight** then ruling flw .11 ,\M prin. t pal ports, induced to accept ooxitracts over 1896 at much lower rates than ttoy would have done had the outlook been more propitious, lite rapid aud unexpected rise in outward freiirhto, however, completely upeot contractors' oaloukMiooa, and the remit of the year's opera. tions will shew that Dcrc some months past shippers who had accepted aif. ooutnots —particularly for Italian and Egyptian poru hive been dromiing on this class of business from two to ttr? ahiuiu& a u? Owing to the price of cool having only fallen el?ghtly, the colliers have ..t s-7erz t. anything Ike th" Xte.t their mpl-y?rs ha- At the om- mencement of the year the w-ge-mte under the sliding scale agreement stood at 11, per cent. above the standard of 1879. The auoÍH for several months showed no oluwp, and at ttw clooe of the year the oolliem' wage stood j <*t 10 per oent. above the etxn .t 10 ):I, of tly U per CML In twelve month* Henoe the 1all in the *eUit? prioe of coal has been low than 6dL a ton. As retr!?? the coal swpments for tae year, Ih.Zh t? to?l 6 as *m not ye< to hAnd, the export for 1896 will, in all prchtbSity, how an increase of about half a n 'llion tow nun pared with these of 1895. Up to Novem- ber 30 cow shipment* at ('adiff mv4mted to 12,3M,978 tons, to which must be &JdN. over I.OCO.OM Vnd for Dæember and ?bo'tt 2,000,MO tons for the bunker coal ahipned O. year, which are not included ii the above ret'ina, hence the total shipment of coal alone will ex- ceed 15,000,000 tons, Aud when to this is added the other co producte—patent fuel and coke -t)ae cittire i;hipments will not be far off 16,000,000 tons. Ihroughout the year the market quotations for swam coal have only varied abourt lxi, a tou. in January best coal was quoted at 10s. 3d. to l(k. 6d., and this figure tvae main- Uined, with sligh+fiuctuaitions, until July, when the highest price demanded was 10s. 9d. From August to December prices graduallv fell, and at $I,looe of the year the quotations stood at fAA. 9d. to 10s 3d. per ton f.o. b. S^'oud-clMu steam ooai has during the twelve months fallen from 9s. 9d. to 10s. to 9a. to 8s. bd. In the same period beet dry ooal has iluatuated between 9s. and 91;. 6d. and seconds between 81. 7 d. end 96. 3d. per ton. The (?ouimd for best house co9aal 3,,d been fM-ty MttM(Mtory. In the summer months a drop of Ù. a too occurred, but with the advent of colder weather an im. provement set in, and during December lis. was firmly demanded, as against 10s. 9d. to 1;.8., tbe q,uoted price lui, January. Thro??hout bheiMt quarter of the veer thera haø- also a b.4 demand KM' No. 3 Rhondda coal, large realising fully 10.. 911., while small, used principally in the manufac- ture of ooice, for months past has stood at 8s. to 8?& k?. per ton. I'atmt fuel 8hipmen" Com- pared favourably with preceding years, but, as regards price, this j=&t n "kew-hat unsettlMd. Owit)? to the <Ctiv!ty in the jrn tmde, the market for coke has been throu?Kout the year in a flourishing condition. In Janusry fc?undiv ooke, according to quality, nme<«} from 15j. 6d. to 196. 6d., and in =my' tier from 17s. bd. to 22s. 6d. per ton. There hub been also a ixnsspoodiiig advance in the value of foundry ooke. No doubt, the expe- rience of the past year has had its irfluenoe on colliery proprietors .md ooal exporters, and tho contracts aoceptsd by thsan for (Ictirery over 1897 hav* all been tnken A a higher figure than those for 1896, and there is, therefore, every teason to hope that collieis' w- have touched the kiwest point, and will be foumd on the upward gradiea,t early in the New Year. The ircu trade at the oonimsni^eraent of 1836 was m a very depressed state, owing to the falling- off iu the demand for nearly all kinds of manufactured iron aitd steel and the attitude of the tin-plate worken, ooin- bir-ed with the steady rivalry of the t.inplMe mukerw in Amerivi? PSen the hot, dry summer cawed tome of the largest works to stop, owing to a failure of the water upply. In vhe autumn, however, prosjieote brigtiteiied apptvciably, a lurge demand for thtel rails set in, and tnoee who had caitined themselves to the making of steel ba»- now turned their attention to rail pro- duction, and at the time of writing, generally, the outlook in the metal trades is re assuring. To meet the growing demand a new steelworks is about to be erected at LiMietty, new fur- iMcew have been built at Briton Ferry, and a hu. fUrD/lœ is ir course of construction at Dowlais. Ebbw V?Je m f)ur!v we!) oir for !:d:: to we yfif.. 4&von, whi? *rden; oo me Cy-fwlh i* a?A ??cownsetli-l Letion and a portkm of the Tr<d6)?r W oru is about to be re-tbwied, after a atoppwo of several yom. In :,th7ee\ in the Sonth WaJee district are busy, and those at Cardiff arc in full owing, laving iai hand a large Government ot?ntm?t for r*IW steel oWp-piat?. The pro*- =-foíaWf'e=rt:;ri;f:; tiwm they were v4 tb* opmiisw of 1896. SWANSEA. I l'he >e«T 1896, juit; put. has, on the whole, lieen one of poerty to the port of Swansea. The ctlief item calling for congratulation is the fact that it 1<1 expeoldi, when trade is balanced tip, that the port will show 6n i'screivso of no less tlui 100,000 tons in imports. A port which can show piogTess like this in these days v ill, undouMedly, stand well by the side of its neighbour. The exparto will alfO show an irLM?MBS, but only to the extent of, say, 30,000 toM. '&e trade hM not an!y th? "tia. factorily increased, but has been, on the whole. a profitable one, and the harbour trustees havo been showing for some months part a surplus of revenue 0\W expenditure. The AAe in imptirta has been oroupht about chieiSy by the cultivation of an entirely new trade-that of 8ulphide ores from Australia, whioh are now being treated locally. Thi» alone amounted to 22,000 tons, whiht another big item, com- paratively new, is the import of grain, which increased by about 10,000 tons. Another trade whioh I;as been embarked on during the year at Snanse* is the Eastern trade, The vessels for China now leave Swansea with tin-platee, ie., and they import manganese ore from Madras. A trade like this is well worth encouraging, and it is hoped that in time a direct shipment to Bombay—which titled to be one of the prinoipal strings to Messrs, Vivian's bow—may be soon brought about- There was an increase of about 30.000 tons in imports of ores, 20,000 tons in iron, steel, &0., and 8,000 toot in tiinbwr. The exports do not show the same progress, bit the most remarkable fact about them is that the Ion of the tin-plate trade to America is being rapidly recouped to the port by exports to other oou-wies. IAA year the 1hi6ftr incurred in the beginning of the year—is about 47,000 tons, but so rapid is the increase to new markets that it is quite OIl the cards *bat this year will &)w a return 'o ':m shipments, Yë:ilj)':Ð: =:n of tho chief old market, thL4 is a tngy reynm-k- able ute of things. We do not here intend anticipating our usual annual report by enter- ing into details or figures, but the fact that Swansea as a port has had a paying year has, ] we hope, been sufficiently proved. NEWPORT. The trade of Newport in 1896, so far as can be Id from Iffii.1 returns, shows a substantial irKToan u t?impuvd with 1895, if hl1ine may be gaug*d by the ohipmenu. The ,hipping 4ride, it is true, may cot be at all times true r#fl"ion of the geueral trade of .tw and d4tit, but there am as Togavi. that branch of trade trustworthy data such as do nc* appertain to other industries, and it may fairly be assumed that the export trade shows, at .u <?ent<t in ?MM?I way, th. of a mftc*atdo oonnno'?. The full ,:ti.Kial for the w!?e of the twaire mon*w to the end of Deombw am not yet um& up, bnt the eleven months to the md of 0. dnow a chw net increase of 115,, tons exported from 1 Newport, as compared with the corresponding eleven months of 1896. The figures are as foll.w:-Oml shipped foreign in 1886 made Z.ZM.IU tmo; in 1896, Z,!M.MS 1-. an ir. 2',?Zga 11 3 126,741 tone. Co&Awin ooal 4Awed a decrease, the elensn months of 11195 giving 1,003,511 tons, and in 1896 only 968,182 tons, a dN.-eue of B&.MB tMM. The Mpott of imu and steel, bownr, made n big bound upward*. In 1895 the t<fen a %?ound ahowed 9,620 tons, but m 1896 44,894 two shipped, an increase of 35,274 tons. Coke miowed a Nmall kwre&io, the figures for 1895 being 4,162 t?n? and for 1&> S.? ?OM' an iI'OTeN8 of 1,476 t,V In patent fu.l there wM a (?(t«Mt of 12,212 tons, tho 6guf« of MM being 50,639 T?ORM wbilat O'.Me for 1696 were only 38,627 tail O?duetinx t!w d?ToMO #from the iwroam ?ow* Mt inerelao 01 116,947 tons. A?CM who bowl. anything of o( Nti" 8U also he aware that large amount of activity has also been sholm in tiem. The btiflding trade, for instance, has tui an almost unexampled time of pro»jsri(.y, due in fftMt measure to the lm-ge devfloptnent on the eastern side of the river. Nor is this activity likely to waae during the coming year. The building of Mtssn, Lyiaghl'g new works, w th the large number of housee necessary to accommodate their workmet-who will numlier about a thousbud-is a certainty to be counted upon, beside* whi<Q thee we at leNt two oth firms about to take landim the mme neighbour- hood for works. These, in addition to the natural growth which nixnssitates building houses and the rs-arectkni of premises the leases of whkh are falling in, make up a pro- miiiiuif prospect for 1897.

AN IMPOSTOR AT LARGE. I The Bishop of Hall writes from the Vicarage, Scarborough, under date Dewinber 29: "May I be allowed through your columns to wam the pubiio t?tMt an impostor who has visited Harrogate, Sydenbam, and Kew, representing rl, my dauirhter, aiA has, I know, succeeded in obtaining '"t,s' w the amount of 257? I need not trouble you with the details of her rather cleverlr concocted story. In the caso reported to me the stated that she wished to find a school, in ore instance a room in a private hospital, for hqe nieces. Having secured the interest of thoe W?e vi.ited he as?:1 for a loan on the ground tha i when she left me I gave her by mistake an empty purse instead of a full one. Her victims were induced to believe her identity because she had the audacity to present a printed visiting card, 'Miss G. E. Blunt, The Vicarage, Scar- borough.' The initials are not thoee of any relative of mine. From the description I have received, 1 have little doubt that she is the woiuaa who rel)mei?ted her,?etf M the daughter of the late Archbishop Thonpson, mentioned in the letter of 'A 7 i".Ii., rd,? ed to s.me of the London papers of the 24th inst. The case is in the hands of the authorities of Scot- laud Yard."

LIFEBOAT SERVICES IN 1896. A-g the oervio% raridmd I u by lifo- b.. during the year 1896 were ZfLiowinf?: ?chooner Janet, of cllmvvuc, rendered sm:?m- tance; pilot cutter Polly, rf Barry, saved vessel and two; omaok Christiana, of Cardigan, saved two; Anne and BetM", of Aberporth, landed two: Albatross, of Aberporth, landed two; ketch CUra, of MilforJ, assisted to save vessel and three; kotch Sage, of Carnarvon, landed three; tmwler Hadaissh, of Afceryat- with, saved ve«eei; schooner :MoulIO, of Car- digan, landed three; smack Topas, of Mikford, landed three; ketch W. S. Scott, of Newport, landed four; sohconer Ocean Belle, of Beau- Durie, three; skiff Jane, of Swuiaew, one; ketch Progress, of Aberystwith, landed three; ketih Blizabe* of Newport, t?o. Altogether th? boats were launoed for genoral servkw 341 times dur'ng th r, *ad the oiwb of life- also in::b{:rn 49 :"='I!inofi. ness to po off in the boats should their urvkies be required.

NEW YBAR'S PJMaNNTS. I The most welcome present to a sliSerar from rheumatism, iheuinattc gout, or sciirfjea ill a pair of Phil. PfciHipse patent irbotimiaio sock*, belts, or wristlets. Belts, 10s. 6i socks, 10s. 6d wristlets, 5s. flead measurements. H<mdM<i< o< tett]moni*h. F«mpMet< sent fie& -?, Sk MMy?M?t, UMdiN. 4m)

TRC QUAT mTRR roR COBN8.-Kuodt.ýll Vlrttllne —SttU further testiniony. A Oliemist wrltss: "WUI yeti stad 1M a bcttle of yoar Vlxiillae? It -IMUI yo;i send we a b(, Ie for my own um. I W pi"" of com cum of fae w! l? 004our, but 01 tMtn WAMM to «qual yotiif No one amytot t. oomld*" hi. isortts lDtur. able until he has tued "Vtridtee." Th01. II. ¡ liten enreif, of wtum had sullsred for over M vesrn. Bewve 01 tmtMiMX. Sold in Mtlso, iis., by poI Ie, 2d., lit the Pimrislar, I Mw&tf, ClwRikt, 1, Hi<bstreet, OrdiC aal ali Otmlsta

We cansot subUsh aay letter unletc the YrtW We Wzot ?Ubusb 41]Ott u,'Ieu the wakr wl.u h,a Ram w "N"4a"mw eWu "?e??mr o, ter BuMXittiM. ?"? *-??"?* '-? M? ?ttt v 0  B B H't* '? OM lMe e( *6 e»\ M* 'NNf?? mjftwd. ilMt: are ".W tMto:'Ori#.a.i documeuts wi ih dwjuw te be W 61.004W. ft tbess iu' Up nay.. i 1I¡bI:df:r U: ult:L 'to ivoin roja? cesunusicatUuia Ude, v oicdil.tatteeN. I' N.H.-W. d. not answer oorrsiuoicdeats tkraugh the pest. I

TIIE I.S.M. SOCIETY AT CARDIFF. J I To the Editor of the "Wostern Mail. g 8iv,—it is sincerely to be hoped that Mip. Cuniminfte's paper on "Muiwal Wthios" wiu widely dutributed and w;udied by those interested in musio in the tortn. Its tone is uuniistakable, and the Ihssou conveyed is far- reaching, both to the profMaioruil and the amateur. Mr. John Thomas's scholarly addrewi, also, was much approoiated, but one point is noteworthy-there is an undoubted movement amongot the Incorporated Society of ?'d utik?iaas tc minimiiie the great :d )-;rk todon:ini:le being by thrme who are rMdere of the nctttico known as the tonio sol-fa. Old nototionirts of various gndes Me owmiijxly ocinbiiing to Bp? ill pf it in and out of .on, a4 11 Mr. Thomas was especially severe in his condemnation. Now, iir, ae one who has for nwly forty years watched the progress of Ml- fit, an": noted its extraordinary progress iimoLVit the mimm- witn the growth of chorai societies, oon- gmg&tional gingmn and (.hool statistk*-l I I.&turally uk myself, wby t)?i; continued ..nd unreasonable oj^mtinn to l? reall) sound nveuns to an end t Surely, h?, if any, <4 the experts wm attek thM the old nota- tion is an euy, or, ind4?bj, au accurate, method of e-ramion of musical loundj? Will the genial Dr, Jhout be pre, pared to endorse Mr. Thomas's assertion with reference to the uiieuitnbleneaj of sol-fa for instruments? By the Way, I read only a day or two ago an 8Xê8edmgly interesting abridgement Of ri ohler's "I)et- Clavierfinger- latlt." by Rbeceser Prout, inn. dated 1863, and which srritteo for John Curmn'a organ bcok all in sol-fa. Again, is IMr. Th<mm pre- pared to snbstantiate his strong remarks by the tert of practical experien^iT IIss he really tried the notation fairlyt Do our friends of the Incorporated Society of joicians, or any other society, really think thut musio amongst the people would Lwo reached its present beigbt had the old notation been eI:('CelY pMl( tised' To say that sol-fa is but a KteppinR- Ilton6 to the old notation ,o giving the latter awy, for a sound BYAM needs n') lOch help, and it is highly suggestive that during the past 40 years not a single 1Iful movement of any kind connected with the popular teaching of old notation has made headway, whilst sol-fa has increased its number of students by thousaad* Surely, it cannot all be urgaiwation? The secret of the whole matter lisii, I fear, much nearer person*! ends. Our old notation friends have nevwr really studied the system on its merit3-fl,ey have refused to recognise its undoubted scientiflo accuracy, mainly because "it doesn't look so well" as the older metlhd I At least, that was the opinion of a friend of mine well known amongst tlio profession in Kngland. I am sure tho Incorporated Society of Musicisns will not be goinit out of its way if at some future time iiiic question of nota- tion is seriously di«ous«ed. It is all very well to say Wales suffers from too clone a study of sol-fa. For myself, I reioioe to hear it, because tihe mischief liae at the doors of the old notationieta, if there be any soundness in the old notation system, for, whilst noble John Ciuwen and hill countless workers strove, and fire still str'ving, to nduoate thu people in tho divine art. the former have either stood by scoffing or passed by on the ottier side. What we want in proof tlat we arfi on the wrong tack, and if we are, then it is the duty of thoso who say we are to show its clearly why, and how we may imoprove, Had musicians gene- rally joined hand" in the first place, we should not have had choruq?, tre., sung so often without orchestra, as Mr. Tbemim reminded us the both are indispensable. Other points occur to me, but I may not further trespass on your spsce. In conclusion, I trust a wider sym- pathy and a more practical knowlechje will be displayed by the profession of sol-fa. Per- sonally. I know both notations well, and I rapeat that, after 40 yesrs' experience of them, I feel sure that the new is equally adapted either to vocal or instru- mental recordinir. In spite of a fairly wide acquaintance with current literature on thi subject, I have not, yet, read anything that h*R offered solid objections—it remains yet to be proved that there are any.—I am. ke.. GUIDO.

CARDIFF COAL AND BIMETALLISM. R. lo tno ttcmoT of the "Wtttem Mail." W,-May I crave the courtesy of a little oi your spaoe for a final reply to Mr. 8. F. Walkerf I have purposely quoted Indian Finance Ministers, British merchants and Con- sub in the East, and the JajianAte "F"no- mist," because I thought bheir authority would be more convincing than my own uncorroborated statements, however well founded; bUt let me assure Mr." Walker that I speak in this matter of my own personal knowledge, and with many YOLM, experience in trading with India and' the En-A ld a? mto oo iu trading with India and the East and rite Souiih and Central American States, and I ugein insert, without fear of refutation, that wore silver remonetiaed in the Wert, the competition of t:ie silver using countries would cease to be forniidabie, because they would lose the factitious idvantage they now enjoy of buying silver dollars at half price, the said dollars still retaining their full power in the purchase of labour, somoes, and oom- mod.ties, and. therefore, reducing their cost of production by one-half. Mr. Walker him- self now admits that if the dollir roM 10 SOd. of our currency the English cciilownsr would be better able b compete, and the Japanew coslowner, to use his own wnHn, "olt)aod out of the nmrkcts he is now getting hold trl," but says this would net last, Bit", he OVerlnOk3 the fact that silver, through all '(« vicissitudM during tho]Mt twenty yeais in th? Wt, thanks .lone to hostile legielation, !?,aa remained 6tcady and conMant in the Emt, and &]go the scientific trutii that, with open mints for its frf-e coinage in the West, it could not vary from the mint rate. Therefore, the conditions bf competition would be only thIJ natural advantages or disadvantages which one or mora countries possessed over ottierf, and in that case no compPtent jud?e t?n doubt that Cardiff tdeam coal muld easily hold it! own against J.pone., or any other oml produced in the East It is simply a question of the e. changes—put the exchanges as they were down to 1873, when silver w»« demonetised, and this ruinous competition will cease. This can alone be accomplished by international, bimetallism, which, happily. Mr. M'Kirley is again declar- ing for, and whioh, let us hope, Great Britain will co-operate in bringing about. Then we ihall have good times all round, and not before. I -L k-, &tl. —I am, «c., J. H. HOWELL. Briet?l, Dec. 29.

TURBULENT CHRISTMASTIDE SCENES AT CARDIFF. Christmas Eve at the boarding-house, 21. Birte-termoe, was oeilsbrated by a general row RIMn/r the lodpn. two of whom were ..rried off t? AeH inm4mitM&d through injuries in- fiicted with ft frying-pan and a poker, Polioe- court proceedings followed on Thursday. Before AMerman Trounce and Dr. James Mullin, in Westwood (31) was charged with ojaouhnng and wounding Alioe Hudson and Richard Hudson, a married oouple, on the head and face with a frying-pan. Mr. and Mr<. Hudson appeared with their h<?<ib swollen Mm. Hudson a PVSO woman said prwner asked and bav d age d br hU8bmd for eome bow. He refund. and then prisoner tarted operations. H II struck Mrs. Hudson on the bead with a frying-pan and kicked her in the mouth. He split tho man's head open with a basin, pushed the poker netjØy through his cheek, and kicked him in the Jaw. All tlhree ware under the intasoM'' drink. Prisoner was sentenced to m th8, with Urd labour.

I A CELEBRATED GUIDE. I Ahmr, the Swim Mountain gntds. lias just eeie- htuM hh annt(MI! MrtM?y a?ttdthnHd. He )< the hem ? over 3M Moent*, lnaioftg the (th:it Ia:f Mo«Mh on the Wtt?ttgA)? He ? =æ that ever "nm dmd *<)?t fMm iwl peM. He W &a wu% all "'11. tcMe*. w)m tut bm m?loym 'a climbs In the Ormmu sod ibe Rhm. layas. His narear eodisd tea years 1111\1, when he loot all his toes during a "ranwy ascent of the Jnngtrau.

The first-olaM armoured cruiser Wtrsprite watjpsid off at Cnatlum on Ihursday. Slie WillllNKMMeded as the flagship of Rear-Admiral BnaUk sod port ipiardsibip at Qmsnslowa MrUie first-o&w bsU]«iiip Howe, whieb re- cently retained from the Meditenrioeut Sta- "They H<m OeM te ? IIW 8øe4 Kjr tits.—'Tht only iinoeesetal R-N* ow otftt*I My W wofM t? &<?f.Mc<, M!S.e??t. (n Back Fidul"mo? ma of W HMf tivt Kfctoeya, Billowson, falpltattoa. Blood tm- wtaiSTBarnW*! 8««ninn, tc "OnOKflR-g M)? PlUf JM#ssd hf nedlOkl mtm. itfssd ..w of we cMhssd w?nw, OW" ti- 0-a <?'Mtt)? W?tM kp"imt, Anfi, ?'"?' -??St? *"?'' Mood t?fy<"<. aM hlpcws, a>»yjgM^af. Sold *?y'? la bmre* 1 ytevs *ii.. II Na1 ø.= I JNb't. -.c: ? t' »:, ?? t"" -ccr $U0tntM flUUrtWWs THE SOUTH WALES MOTO]:l CAR AND CYCLE COMPANY, LIMITED, I., ){.U, I'I. Ui MIWI. SOLE AG., f FOR SOUTH WALES AND MONMOUTHSHIRE FOB THE THOENYCftOFT tlTEAM VAN AND i THE STEAM WAGON AND CARRIAGE COILPANY. Omh?mv is mw prepared to deal -ith Motor-caM. A,,toowv, and VfMctet of Every Deeonptioh I?w W by Any Mott?t TM* ??. and will be glad ? to deat <n.Uth ??? gh-e every attention to int?d,.? purch.?n. or mtereeted part es. i ( All Communications to- W. DUNCAN, SECRETARY, 119, BUTE IiOCK8, 119, BUTE LOCKS, CARDIFF. will prob8.bly toIII the CormesPt &oEf YZ utnh OV ?lmes "ry shortl;??the Cardiff ?" '?" THE COMPANY HAS PURCHASED THE BUSINESS OF MR. JOSH. WILLIAMS, THE MAKER OF THE WELL-KNOWN "^NATb OYCLE," ANDHASSECURED SOLE AGENCIES FOR SOUTH WALES AND MONMOUTHSHIRE FROM THE FOLLOWING WIDELY-KNOWN MANUFACTURERS: — THE NEW BEESTON COMPANY. THE NEW ORMONDE COMPANY. I THE GLADIATOR COMPANY. J T? AMERICAN CYC? COMPANY. ? F^SdW the abora-named, nrsrfiosiUy any Machine in Market on the 'Vfoft Adnnt Tenna. « _i_ FiU*d. F*)Gbu ape-wity. EleAvo-platig *,A Enamelling. All IKinds of Special I?p., Bt^ S^«ajS.wrOilcans, and Any Other ?rAcc????. ?M.?y New Noveitie. of the lf»r 8tM«i wiU be » shortly. HEAD OFFICE AND 8HOWROOM8- 119, BUTE DOCKS. CARDIFF. MANAGER ANT1 SECRETARY, MR. W. DUNCAN. CARDIFF TOWN BRANCH. 7 HIGH-STREET WORKSHOPS AND SHOWROOMS J jo8h WILLIAMS. WELSH, ENGLISH, FRENCH, AND AMERICAN CYCLES IN STOCK. 49485

CREDITORS MEETINGS AT I CARDIFF. AFFAIRS OF A CARDIFF BOOT I MAKER. Mr. J. A. Orr, the deputy (M5ftt Receiver, Cardiff, presided on Thut?hy ? t meeting of the creditors of Mr. Mxm Fewoo, boot ?nd Atoe maker, 58, Quaen-street, Cardiff. The debtor is a member of the firm (II 0. and L. pearm, his brother, Mr. Oharles Ileares, it will be remembered, hairing bean killed on the TaIf Vale Railway at Cardiff a short time ago. The statement of affairs showed that the liabi- lities amount to £ 1,601 5s. 3d. (exclusive of a claim of £ 25 jrait in by Mr. Akers), of which :B666 5s. 10d. is expeoted to rank for dividend. The assets are put down at E733 lis. 9d., and there are secured creditors to ths amount of P,123 3s. 9d. Accordingly, there is a defi- cienqy of t605 178. 9d. A committee of in- spection, consisting of Messrs. Walter Stuart Pope. Bristol; Alfred Haldensteim, Norwich; and Henry James Birth, Bristol, was appointed. A CAERPHILLY PUBLICAN IN I DIFFICULTIES. The first meeting of the creditors of Mr. Edwin David Parry, 4, Ghuroh-road, Oantcn, late of the Queen's Hotel, Caerphilly, and now a traveller in joinery, was held afc the Official Receiver's at Cardiff on Thursday The liabi- lities were stated to be jBMl 28., and there are no assets. No resolution was passed, and the matter was left in the hands of the Official Receiver.

I AN INSANE FARMER. I A startling scene with a madman is repomd I to have taken place at Long Sutton Post-office. A cattle dealer, named G. B. Flirt, put in an ap)>earanoe at the establishment Mentioned at an early hour on Monday morning, brandishing a hrtobet and raving in an extraordinary manner. He deolared to the men on duty thai hothed already killed one man. and threatened to treat the sorters similarly if they dared to .peak 1. him. The men were much alanned. II¡:i¡n¡rreft the pott-onif id went, "to in band, to bi. farm, di,' i?oe away. The postmaster reported the nuiticr to the police, aind Sergeant Moore and the local rt- lieving officer went in search of tlie threetener. He was discovered and taken to a medical man, who certified him to be insane, and arrange- ments'were made to remove him to an asylum.

SEIZURE OF A CAHGU OF UNFIT I FRUIT. A correspondent writes'The whole of the oargo of, A steamer from Jamaica., consisting of about 9,000 cases of oranges und bananas, was seized in the South W t Inelia Dock by the medidhl officer of the port off London ns being unm for food. The vessel is about to proceed to Newcastle, and by arrangement with the London port authorities she will throw her tainted cargo overboard at 8ea on her way to the xynfe. The oranges and bananas were an experimental cargo, and the failure of the venture will'Cause much dinapt tment in Hie island, as it WM hoped that & fruit trade 8uBi. ciently lucrative to compensate for the compara- tive unprofitableness of the sitter crop micht be established. The failure is ascribed to the fact that, instead of picking the fruit in a greco state, it was allowed to attain a certain 1I!at;¡e I of ripeness before being packed.

I A BRUTE OF A WOMAN. Catherine GiB, a powerful woman, wits charged sit Westminster OIl Thursday with brutally sasamlting Elisabeth Kinner. The prisoner had forqtd her way into the prosecu- trix's bedroom, futd, although the latter had only been confined four days before, she beat her violently until the poor woman ran into the street in her nightdress and sought poUoe protection. The Magistrates characterised the outrage as abominable and inhuman, and sentenced the prisoner to six months' hard labour.

COMMERCE WITH CHINA. I At a meeting of Ihe Blaokbura Chamber of Octomeroe on WY. the President said a oomsntraioatioa had* been received from the mhsion which had been sent to China, together with samplst of cotton goods, whioh would be of the greatest benefit <o monuhc- tnreM e?M? in tM tortile trade of I?ac?- <hiM. Tnwy w- making a ylu?"o s6udy of tM nkaift =ea fb but it was exceedingly dt*W I= the sane MOMoy Mtmld be chter?td their ?hA had b-. ho. by Oe of?'uMM of the Lyon MiMMn. A b,v. "I" ineatiiif MI omvemd to eoMMor the Pt ud W. the ra.

A THAMBB,ijiTSTIORT. I H*t _lMioul storyr told by WiUitm Flittan, who confessed to hMtnt b.Mwn 4o =. mm iato t? Whum on Doomter 17, is declared by the pwios to be absolutely without foundation. Inquiries have been made br the polioe, both of London aud Leighton Bwmard, whwe Flittoa is now m owtadgr, and it has been. o*o«e«li je<l beyond all doubt that tits man WIll ill. London at the time he d. tke;*Hsmb w" com- mttM.

A tmoqy 7= m- :;a =a vvjo xnxMherod the << badtt at «*!)' w1M haII,- "tU j?hth ? aD., '? wba wild r it iKUs w?teet sewiriny tb< Demo mod a? af the 01 do smirnom .i the B< ww a ixofmiod ow eeM zet M?y h)M. tMt<y ? «*<<< attXttton bwe? .11. iK? te trasM tttW'??)t5)t&M. Jttto?M?etet clul 4" i.. of *A W&D was nMMs '1 fiw yff TTi*" T -tn °^#*Alr

BARRY ACCIDENT HOSPITALf APPEAL TO THE BARRY I DISTRICT COUNCIL. A meeting of the executive of the Barry I District Nursing Association was seld on Tuetd?y afternoon at the Nunm? Home, Barry Docks, wMn Dr. NoWs, J P., pmskkd. MajQr-gen_1 L«, J.P., the hon. tr%mtm, prMtatad a !?poft showing th" praotiotHy I rb:i;ion wouM ØW¡¡de-;to Motly of about :CMO at th? close of the year, and, after considerable ditou?too the !!Lyt7.1 c-amd, to tho conclusion that, inasmuch as the con- tinuance of the "dent hospital would entail a ION of between 9300 swT jE4M ? y<M. a meeting of the subscribers be called for the 21st of January, 1897. at Barry, whea a resolution will be submitted to the effect that, inaosnuch as the nursing asnoeiatiou Has found that the maintenance of the acoident hospital .1\8 been too great n tax upon their reswnvw, it !t t thM the Barry Urban Di?nct Council be asked to undertake the maintenance and control of the same.

A REMARKABLE WEDDING- I A Daltiel's telegram from Providence (Rhode Inland) on Wednesday oays:— A wedding of a most remarkable cha- racter was celebrated here to-day. Tbe bride was Mrs. Eleanor Linter, wi of the wealthiest women in the State, and is moreover known to be decidedly eccentric, and the tsridegrcom was the sixth to fill that posi- tion. Four of the previous husbwids were present in the capacity of ushers or supporters of the groom, ana the fifth would have attended thecflremooy had he not been unavoidably pre- vented by a severe illness. To show that he had not forgotten the event, and that lie bore the kindliest feeling toward the principals, he sent them a valuable wedding gHt, The lady entered upon her initial essay m matrimony about ten years ago, and divorce proceedings shortly sfterwards liberated her from her first husband. Four succeeding ventures were made, divorce being resorted to on oa«& occa- sion. A curious feature of the whole affair is that all the "husbands" have remained on good terms with the lady, and are very friendly to each other. None of the first five have re-married.

HAWK FOLLOWS A BIRI) INTO I A M- ING TRAIN. Passengers in one of the carriages of the 1.45 train from Euston to Bletchley on Wed. nsuday afternoon witnessed an extraordinary incident- While the train was passing between Bushey and Watford » small bird flew into the open window, and was almost instantly followed by s large sparrow hawk in cl ose puisuit. The first daflied violently against the opposite window-pane and fell desd or- the floor, whilst the hawk became entangled in the netted cord of one of the racks. After being suspended hare a few seconds it flew violently up and down the IWriage and finally di,?ap- p«red under the seats from wkich hiding-place it wu aft?erw" hunted out and k?n:f, pla hawk was a remarkably fine .ram I of ii, <ppciM, b«mttfu!!y u?kked, ana with a wide wing measurement.

GENEROUS GLOUCESTERSHIRE I SQUIRE. The inhabitants of the parish of Blaisdon, near Newnham-on-Severn. are thankful tW they are bleased with a parish uquire. Some time sinoe the Education Department insisted on such alterations in the antiquated National Schoolroom that it was felt that the cheaper scheme would be to provide an entirely new building, and on a different site. But whea the ratepayers were at a loss to know where the money was to come from the popular squire-- Mr. P. Stubs, J.P., of Blaisdon Hall-oame forward apu undertook to meet the necessities of the case out of hie own pooket.

SETTING FIRE TO A DONKEY. An extraordinary occwreooe is reported at Heywood. A greengrooer bad a donkey, which he thought had beoome infested with vermin, and in order to destroy theM pests he rubbed the animal with petroleum. When he b PA nearly finished, and the MS" hide had become thoroughly saturated, a light somehow got near to the quadruped, with the result that it was immediately one mess of flame. The donkey galloped out of the stable, and pranced about an adjoining yard. Eventually the flames were put out by means of bags, but the donkey was so faekingiy burnt that it had to be slswga- terad.

BARRY SHIPMENTS FOR left The oScM retem have Dot Y. com- p1eMd, bA it has <?<?y been, :i:dt=:aed <he exports and importl at Berry Dock during 1"b 8;=e d 5,250,000 ton?

A FIRE AVERTED AT NEWPORT I A packing omo was found burning early on Thursday morning in the .000 -by Brichtmu, Casnmeroial-raad, Newport, by Inspector Williams and Sergeant Smith, of the; Newport borough police. The burning ease j wan dragged into ? Amk Md a ooujUgra- j ttN? vm ?<ft<d.

1BKOAT AKKKCrriONS AIW IIOAItSKNBSS- Broffu'c btawi,fl Troches an awvst b»ns«nlaK tor ? MM ar allevia" of coucu. 0". Bronobltts, aot' be emi?,4 on psrua. Oeatain M e?t* B?tM. (*,& ). 0. f.0 o< )MM?: ferltotij saw Of aU t- IL  «inn stotypri uvewKra

REVIEWS, MAGAZINES. With the Xew fear the "Phonetic Juurna. oorwnenceIJ its fiity-nixth yearly volumi aorl it appears, torn the customary annut address to shorthand writers, that the sixtiet anniversary of Sir Isaac Pitman's invention will be celebrated in 1897. A series of srtiela deiling with legal decisions affecting xhort hand writing is commenced, and tlie influence of the typewriter on jvealth is consideied. Extremely variod and rich is the wintei number of the "fcudio"' ^HeBrietw«treet: Co vent-garden). Tte place of honour i; deioted to Robeit Liouis Stevenson, m tb., somewhat novel aksrscter of artist, numeroit spciiliheiw'oT Ty« » oiL (eome iniuumtK^ltelffJ given. In "Buslwy Models'* W,4 have a meri;e.e of heads, admirably irawn by Morton Nance. Tlicre can be noth itg but praite for the wt Ati-o re-product host of manuscripts and samplers.

BLUNA HE A.LTH STATISTICS. At the ordinary monthly meetinlf- of the Nantyglo and Btaiaa Urttso District Counoil, ield at the oflloes on Thursday evening, Mr. W. Gre?too presiding, the n?edi"l oacef (Dr H. C. Bevan) sported that during the i:: month 8h":i47iuhrt He was pleased u "u.t4! that the threatened epiclemio of typho d vas greatly on the de- crease, and etateid it hdd not reached the «ciiool- shildren.—The Chrk (Mr. J. A. Shel-mrd) rtated thsrt be iia<l r»ceived a letter from tho 3rest Western Railway Company intimating Iheir intention to extend their railway in the district, and askinf; v. 'iether the council oon. onteid or dissented :o the course.—A committee waa appointed to nice- Mr. Roberts, the engi- neer of the Great Western Company, in ref e renoe to the mattei.

INFANTS FOUND DEAD IN Blm During an inqnesu at the Islington Coroner's oouit, relative =16 <leatk of G Stewar Rod way, *gW -o loonth, whose parent reside at 41, Arlington-street, and who W8 foiud dead in be<l oci its mothers arm oa Christmas morninr, Df. G?ortfe Dsnford ,r%omm remarked t ?., he held everv vw ovw 200 inque?U on W&ut,; tW were to?nd dead in bed with their ]«r»r ts. In London then were over eaoh oasis, whilst in the whole country the number exceeded 1.5ù, In this oountry it seemed to bo the fash:on for parents to have their inftttt in bed with them, and them was no 1Mr forbidding suoh a practice, and to long as parwto would do s«oh a thing so long would the«f' caws occur. He was day after day warning mothers against the practioe.

CLOSE THE GATES. The sufferers fnm chronic ooughs. colds, aud bronchitis frequently find by experience that they do not know what permanent relief is until they take Scot ts Emulsion. In the affection of the Lveathi?ig and speaking organs, 10 ccmmou in oui oIi.mat., cod-liver it long been a standarxi remedy. Indeed, ft), nearly a century, tiiis al has been prf itribec by tin medical prof issior for these oompl.ints; but it was not until it out twenty-five yrars tgj tliat its admii.ii trat cn was ølad easy, and it* icope greatly widened by Scott's Emulsion. ThLi prepamuen ia go idni-in?Ny adapted to tt?k digestions that it is rapidly oupmeding tbe plain oil in medical practice. Knnlei ing 88100 *Im? digestive orgaM, &ott'a ":n s owectl?( ixJc-talilc, w,d contains the valuable hypopllclpl!tea of lime and 1Oda, wh1.m &mist greatl] in making the preparation of adii.Qtwe to ph:mimcx. In writing of Mme (o the i& oommon to every household, a gentleman says: — "Acting under the txlvice of my medical practitioner, I have, ss occasion required, given Bcott'n Emulsion to k-ny children when suffer- ing from ooughs ot oold*. It would be impos- sible for me 60 8¡Xa.k tcc highly of the bene- ficial i-mults derivel from its use. Most per. ticularly are they marked in the oue of my eJd!It boy, who um lwactimaly low a b8d ooufh tfter ttkit? Soott'" Emul.wn for thm oouj?h rh? wha t f my f il w, kaed gome hn days IÎnOt with wmro ouugtM {oliow ing on measles; but, I wa glad to say to-cky. these coughs have entirely oisappeared, owing to the use of Scott's Emulsion, which they tske rigularly. ani with much relish, three timet tach day. I feel it is a pleasurable duty to thmk you fOJ pm.l,iein your nluable prep.' ion. It iI one t>at the general publio wculd much appj-eciaUt. Yours faitt"ly, (i[i?ec)?MiN*?'' KNCTT, ?trney. L.- nMd.road, Btckemt?m. ?t<hl 21at, 1896. Besides being a speciali for ooughs, oolds, bronchitis, and oormumption, Soott's Emulsion bruits to the system the resistive force needed to overcome the tendency to these complaints. It is this nourishing of the system that is so important, for even if you cure a local affec- tion, ihe body is sMl Ul dangvr until it is strengthened and fortified Against the influences which threaten health on every side. It is wise to consider susceptibility to colds as a sign cf weakness. There are undoubtedly too ma.Jn people in tl: Iworld who care'sssly leave the ifales open to iunsuniption. L13630-C

I A Dilxielli telwasi fro n Toulon on Thurs. day saysnew IVswh haUleahip, the Tarni* which liroh down on s. fitft at tempi, a wjel ago, suwsasfullv ocsntlaled it. fn sk.mi trials yeatacay. A speed of 18 5 knr was obtained, a result which is considered c j&tM?M'«ry. IfyT Or "TilK SKCHET OF Wl{(:EV'IT1."¡r Klchari1<on ball. lhat lutft out of ten 'à\ to 1>n a hnu&A yeots by \ù:i¡¡r yo Rtf?M? .r the II<¡ wu 18 the mott [<? In *e pMttmtKM of t:Wtl, purpose there ik be or me" ei", ?S?) H ?St. ?' BttttnH uerins*  t.

CARDIFF CORPORATION j BATHtit. APPOINTMENT OF GYMNASTIC I AND SWIMMING- MASTER. A mMiiDf of the OtrdiS Property ami Mar- keA ts mC::?,??f WM held .t the B?Hx, Guild- ford-crescent, on rhl;"il-, for the purpose of appointing a gymnaotio or and swimming maalter. Two tjipiioants for the position had been requesrt ad to attond, but only one.-Mr. K. F. Kennard, of 68, Cartle- road, Cardiff—put in an ni>p«anuK», and he was appointed. Mr. Ksntiird, elthough S6 votu? oroge '? expert need ftymcMt, mA ?m conduct? 88Wral (\luM, in Cardiff. During the wintM' months he will have charge of the gymnasium at tihe baths, iuid in the summer will attend to the swimming batlw, he batng also an iii aquttti?.—The Chairman iAlde 9.7 Ir FAi, Jonx) remarked that itwouM be ny that Mr, Kennard Aould devote his whole time to the dutiee. Mr. Munn said he understood that he would do so. lie had been in the pianoforte,bimnesi, but that had been rendered valuekw by the ladies taking up bioyaling. (Laujhter.)—Mr. Hallett suggested that the committee should take their tint tafeson tW morning, bat this did not meet with approviJ. The eommittee, however, inspected the urstnasiuni, whioh is fonned by boarding over the large bath. A splendid room for the purpose has thas been provided, and when the lathing ««»«on com- msnoes the boards, whiob are fixed without nails, <«n be, taken up, and stored for next vriutat. Some of the appliances have airived, and Mr. Kennard, who wrier* upon his dutiee at onre, W&B reque«ted to leport to a sub cnm- mittee upon the additional articles required to fully eqvip the gymnasium.

NON-EFFICIENT VOLUN- TEERS. AN IMPORTANT DEOISION. An important decision vas given t? S-Yuth WMH by Mf. 8M? H<)My W. C-m", & wQaZ m Uiv b T ? ,t;? ? l)ri?.?teer Battalion Q_'a Roy?t Weet Surrey Rttftm?t, WM .\¡iU d at the inAWACe o[ Golol Paving- toil for the reoovtry l'IÍ £1 19.. Mr. W. F. Symonds prtwecuted, stud stated that the amount sised for inw the Government cA ?it? g=t, which the dElondaut had faued to -r. ti?i,??h n>n-etticienoy. The summons wA? isou?l under ?lec?. 27 of the Volun- teer Act, 1863, which provided that any suau undertaken L?e paid to t?w lunds of & regiment I: re:v=.I aj:¡e:f TJ£lŠ 25 the r4bLt to sue was vested in tlhe oolonei of the regiinent. He (Mr. Syroonds) oughi to draw his worship's attention, as that was thu first summons of its kind, to a recent decision of the Lord Chief | Justice wA another H4h C Durt Judge. Here- tofore the 8ummœ weN i.mOO under the rules of the -rps, bwt in t?e Divi-ionel-oourt, wkere the point as to t ie sums being X'8- ooverable under ciyil prooiMS, or upon an in- formation laid before a <)ourt of Summary Jurisdiotiou was rsised, it was decided that the rules were ultira vires. Iu view of that I the present summons was issued; not tinder the rulew, and not under the contract, but under 880. 27 of the Volunteer Aot. The defendant pleadfd gulty to the facts. Mr. Slacte, afteo7 looklg at the contract signed by the defendant on joining the corps M)d: It is a pity that t)ere WM no one to argm the cam for the dtfance. From the statement you have made, and defendant's confession of having emtered into this contract, I have nothing else to do but to make an order for the payment of £ 1 19«., and 3s. costs. The defendant must make 1101110 arrangement with the regiment for psyment. Mr. Symonds Will granted several summonses against other membiers of the regiment.

DARING ROBBERY AT I LAMPETER. THIEVES ENTMR THE POST- I OFFICE. A daring and, unfortunately, successful attemtw at robbery was committed at the Iota; po.st-oflice, IAmpoter, at an early hour ou Thursday morning. The tliief or thieves, it more one are believed to have been con- cerned, effected an entrsnoe by breaking a t'\&IU! of glass of the office window, and after entering the oiffce, ransacked tlie vicious drawers tor valuables and sucoeeded in laying their han ls upon cash, postal orders, ard stamps, amount- ing in all to a very considerable sum. They also entered another room on the nme Boor. and after ransacking this ÍI, a similar manntsr found a quantity of oash, tie amount of whioh is not exactly known, and ;ook it with taeui. Immediately the robbery was diicovered, m- formation was given to Police-sergeant Davies, Lampeter, and the police »ie investigating the matter.

CARDIFF GROCERS' EXCHANGE. I The Cardiff GrooeW Exchange was held, M u*u»l, Oil Thursday. The business, however, was not particularly brisk, as might have been expected on the last day of the year, when grocers are stocktaking and balancing their accounts for the year. In mite of the temporary hill, which is natural, for the reason explained, there it every reason to believe that the exchange will be note popular in the futrie than in the past. The rufing prices on Thursday were the follow- ing:Sugw: Tate's No. 1, 16<1. 3d.: No. 2, 14s. Sd. No, 1 crystals, 141.; brown, 7s. Pd. market firmer. Obom CMaditn- Julyw 47s. to 48a., Avgllltt SOc., Septorn. bWe 52s. to &3#. Cheddars, 59s. to T6s, Butter: Canadian creameries, IOOii. Best WiHArre bacon, 49s. to 5Gh. pM fed, 4(k. to 42a. Lard: In backets 22*. to 23s.; in bladders, 28s. to 31s.

EARTHQUAKES TO COME I To the Editor of the "Western Mail." Silt—According to my theory, .œø1ic tremors i and earthquake* are QJUøed ch.iedy, if not entirely, by the combined attrlobivø 9,CtiGU? ?f the moon and emi upon the eMth'H crust. The recent earthquake supports thill theory, as the co-ordinates of the maximum resultant attrac- tions of the moon and sun cut each other cxactly in Hereford at the exact moment wheii the iioisniio tremors occurred. And, having examined the recorded earthquakes that hlLve occurred in every part of tlx. ,vorld during recent years^il find that they all can be explained by my theoiy. Airatin, I have observed that two or more miiy oootir lit the same tivis at varicus places sej>aiat«d by hun- dreds and thousands of miles, lwlOlly produced by hmar and solar motion. Ear instance, on the 14th of May, 1894, earthquakes happened at the same time in gmkh.wei;t Scotland and at Malta, at both of which niacin ilio lunar and solar pull the i approacsea a -maximum In fact, it we tab the whoilie of tho earth's rur- 1 faoe, there may be as Aiany IIIi 64 points 0( maximum luntir and soJa^ pulli and nam leas m-x, 3u.2 m t lunttu,.r 1 d oEW:aq.: tmno, and ewth- than 32 at tlie um nj omeoi,, no that it ts possible for any number pf treinoTii and earth- quaked to -mir in Tam a put. of the world bt?eea thee !im!t& h6 f" Mphnat the fx,r.tir?uA tremors tJt:i'e exlm!leoed in the wrth's (tu4 ic, every p<uf, ,g rld. "a# u not A square inch of aurfacci tiiat is for on. is not A oqtmro i.? :s'zA 4.1$ of lewei- or ma4ar moment free from tramfv of ]«a»n' or greater amplitude at ?my spot, ,31 ceabed 'by the con- tiTt?OUS i;lLfinitNIM r r nqWgMtA pullx of the moon and sun on tvwy, partkr. of mnuor of whM) the eMth is oemp?3wd. The torrid zone— at leui. that gmt belt round the eMth d 20deg. on side of the equator—is nracAi- cally fine froti eerthqua^kes in thi-ir maximum form, and during the last {four "Irs only four have been reoernfcd withiiaf thwa resion. Earth- quake* in their maximum form, however, oocnr in all those great belts between 20deg. and 70deg. in the northern and southern hem!- spheres, but only in a mis;or dcifi«e in both hemispheres between 70d<fj.- and thot Poles. According tt my theory, stismic disturbances should be greatest sbouit thi, simt of perigee, when the mom is new ef Mt. (cJy at those plooes where t lie sun is to sitM|sd im to inoreass the ImIv tidnj ingoom to muiimtim. In January the nevr moon ro # fe,w days and the haa mooe about • week liter perigee, so that the seistnal tremors will apt be so great as they other rite wight be. In lIOCordUl wühml thomy,Iwowith f<?- ward*d, teiswe fromom (,f Inorj ttJM Me wu.1 mtetmty o'))rht ,? take p!)M id.; t?, ti. of new moon—on tbe 2nd in M?M) !jK!?*pM); on the 3rd tbw??? will be lid, mov an m CttiforMt <?dA)a!eM; Ih, Na?, dtna'cy! (Mi IMy 'nd Moli: -r T)rgn *a in OhNi. Ber- ?td after tpoo?. on A, 11 thm will be m., e moderate l18iønio ''ra' M the 7th #A Oyfru? 8th, it,t ?ro?p the .Mli; 9th, Bu?..?? ort On h, Buenos Ayces; b?wMn <ht 10th t? Uth1? the conenM of Montana Idaho Md W'1G U?t? 81.? Mth. AMJ?? :?'gaC fami. Dear Kwht", Pwd% .M? $odt' Spate. t Bsfons its full moon, et thilMift *I vMp?M *Ji?S «ehrid««f AxgaWna- 1? A4VM;? ?V.Amw Arm; lstx <?'??! on' l?# *low fIJU gkooti, in Japan and »Mh, Wtmum fjrai, (Ad on the 21st near Montana. f; ?tfoM tÄ. Mm* o! -4g- there' will be io tM<MM on ?h0e 1 22nd in eo J; tbe 23rd in CtMomi*, P<)t?, N?A Wolsk j? of MM, aDd Souldi-w-, fAAtimt the time of per4ro% 7" ?? in W1.¡ 25th MM New York, MU, Moi- ??(tBt. ta?; ""01; N.r¡, South ifBpain, and Arga?tina. ? AX?r perigee &00 befot? the a." moon there iU be seismio ditturbums ni?r 8unoa on the 27th; near Valparaiso on the 28th, Argen- 4us 00 the 29ib, Cyprus on the 30th, and near i?e New ReW*s. South Pacific, on the I"t ?sy of the monh. -1 am, Ac., 'I, HUtHiiUL.JNMM?iH. I ? dm, Barry-road, 8.E., Dw. ?A. t

*■ NEWPOKT EXHIBITION. I [The Newport Induetriol and Trades Bibibi- tillD, whioh opens at the Drill-hall on January 21 next, tikis fair to be a very representative one of the various trsdes and manufactures of the district. The promoters do not intend to entertain any outside applications for sipace in the trade section until the 10th of January, thu* giving local exhibitors good time to -?r? their #.xhiiAte. The uvnw rtion is wen in hand, and we leam that the Qiw Imperial Orchestra, from the School of Music, Tjon<fcn, will occupy the stage during the first week of the exhibition. We understand that the "Plying Lady," who delighted acd mysti- tied tht visitors to the late Cardiff Exhibition, will alto be engaged. Special arrangements are beifeg itaade with the Great Western Railway Company for the issue of cheap tickets, in the same way sis the case of Khe Torqmy Exhibi- 0f?.t .prmg, when there wu a very I au..lG time, the ?-xhlition being kept open l,wk ?onpr than the a(h-eitised time by Itt\f or:Xo:e =ou8t:ds -;f t trade tidkWs have sltmdy beer- sold to exM- Mto? to n 4heir pstmns to the eMhiMtion. mitas tbo l?lb*Z im very centrally situated at N?WCOft, <Bd tØ town will not d,?t4ng the ttew he overdone wm ent"wnate*s, every- tti& points to • gt*A wacetm. BMM of the .MM?yr ?BtMy??). h?T* 'tM?y been jmgag if T ?e immian will remain qpm for Pi, Or f mai. for a fttrtbw^^oifht. All «diA>ts in? ;n4u?W)J wm be admitted hwt. This rw. wN t!)? to Cudl equally with Now- port.

THE LIBERATOR CONVICTS ANOTHER RKliBASE. G. E. Brook, atother of the mea sentenced in oonneotion with the trials arising out of the Liberator collapse, has just been released from priwh. Strenuous efforbe are being made by the friends of the oouviot Hobbs to Mourt a sub- stantial remission of his sentence of twelve yaart* penal servitude. An pclition was some time ago forwarded to the Home Office, aooomied by a pMnphlei deal. itig exhaustively with the wnole oircomstances of th* cam. The matter has been under the consideration of Sir Matthew White Ridley, and consultations have taken JJt- between the t hon. gentlemtM *A Mr; Justice H?wkim. who sentenced Hobbs ?nd the other pr6onm at the Old Bailey. In the county bfrough of Croydon, where Hobbs for two successive yearn filled the office of mayor, jt. is thought that the sentence will be reduced to seven years at the outside. The efforts of Hobbs's friends, however, are directed towards securing the re- duction of his sentence to five years, ana in the event of their sueoess, presuming the con. vict to have been of ljOod behaviour during his incarceration, he wouJd, be entitled to imme- diate releaee. So confident are Hobbs's'Telatives of securing his early liberation, that extensive preparations m the way of redeooratiuo, Ao., have fceea going on ? Norbury H<tN. M?o plnantly- sitimtsd country mansion at the Btbem end of the boroujrh of Croydon, where Mrs. Hobbs and her family have mided #inc« Hobbe's con- ic4ion. At pfMent. however, it is attted that Mr. Jwtice Hawkins cannot be induoed to give -way. in which case Hobbs will not be released until the middle of 1898. 1

THE YEARS SHIPPING, I The ostput of tonnage in the United King- dom last year (says the "Newcastle Daily Leader") was large. In all, there were put into the wo6w 953 vessels c. f 1,316.906 tons, as compared with 866 WIllie. of 1,144,442 tons in 1895. As a matter of fact, this production has only .twice been exceeded in the history of British shipbuilding, viz., in 1889 and 1800. In this incrfiaed value of work all the leading centres have duly par- ticipeaed, neverthelem. it is not to be denied ihst shipbuilding oomtinues to centre round certain districts, of which the Clyde, the North- East coast, Mid Belfast are the hief. The Clyde has done well, having launched 377 vewek cf 420,841 tons, as against 315Q452 tons in-lwt. but the North-East ooegc hM done even better, taring put into the water 667,927 tons, as against 5?4,046 ton. last Y(IRr.'New, tons, as against 524.046 tone in 1895,

I INDUSTRIAL ACCID;TSi OFj LAST YEAR. It appean from the Labour Department of I the Board of Trade that fo- the eleven motvtha ending November last there were 3,768 fatal I and 51,987 non-fatal accidents, divided as fol- lows:— _0 Killed, injured. Railway Servants 426 12,540 Miners .I. Quarrymen y?SS'TndWott''bo??.??? M9 ? Seamen .?1.7«.. !.SM\ Ot.h<rt(on)y!MfMM't)<'rM) — 51 .023 T.W U6B b1.987 I, Mnny dangerous occupations have been left I out of account.

GENKROSITY OF A LECKWITH I FAMILY. Mr. and MN. W R. Shirley, of The Wood. hnd«. IA&with, bav. re?ntty been dispensing generosity with Pn open hand. In addition to a donation of jBM ?i<<i Mr. Shirley zemtlv contributed towards the banner fund of the W. R. Shirley Lodge of Oddfellows, G.U., Cardiff, he has juirt subscribed two guineas towards its general funds. Mr. and Mrs. Shirley also during Christmas week presented every cottager in Lwkwith parish with half a ton of ooa, in addition to other gifts to the poor during the festive season. On Tuesday afternoon Mr. and Mrs. Shirley further gene- rously entertained tho Church Sunday Schol to tea, each child receiving, in addition, a iliandaome Christmas present, whkh took the form of useful books and otlier srtioies.

SUSPICIOUS CHARACTERS AT ABERDARE. At MW!thyr Police-co? on ThnMd?y two Nt?th ,c -a, I named John Hughes and LcwC) i_= w"'o charged with tm?nf been found OIl the encloaed premises of the Great WNtem R<Mlwty St?Mn "t Abefd<M, ouPPowa Wwtaon m tiRrl*a t of ptl;;9e: at three O!c460k on Wednesday morning. The prisonero wwe dis- (xw>r«d by the police between the booking and parcels offices, the qyzpkuatton which they gave to the stipendiary for their presence there being that they had failed to get lodgings, and had IfOM for iiheiter.-They were each committed for fourteen days with hsad labour.