Evening Express

m » ■ 1 ■■ # Alarming Railway Accident near Festiniog. An accident which, miraculously, was not attended with fatal results occurred on the Festiniog Narrow-gauge Railway on Friday night not far from Tanybwlch. the Welsh residence of Mr. Oakeley, the Quiirry King. Shortly after leaving tha Duallt Tunnel the 6.15 train from Festiniog, containing eome twenty passengers, was aerailed' in rounding i a curve. The whole train slid off on the pre- cipice side of the line, iiuxd came within two inehea of falling over the cliff, a distance of over 50ft. The, derailment. is ascribed to a! gradual widening of the gauge, which nor- J mally 1* 1ft, UJln. ]

Telephone: National, 50S. Post»oflic«, 95. Telegrams; Express," Cardiff.

Csmments and Criticisms. BY "CUCHFARF." Being ever on the look-out for informa- tion and subjects for notes, I asked a friend who is a member of the London County Council and of its asylums committee to favour me with a copy of the asylums com- mittee's annual report, but I had not anticipated receiving a huge book of 188 pages, which weighs a pound upon the scales. Nevertheless, it is a very interest- ing document, presenting a record cf insanity sad to contemplate. In the resume of the general report, signed by Alderman Hubbard, the chairman of the committee, who, by the bye, is the gentle- man who favoured me with it, there is set forth a mass of interesting particulars. The total number of lunatic paupers in tho County of London on the 1st of January last was 21,369. This is more than 22 per cent, of the whole pauper lunatics of England and Wales, and it was with a sense of relief I read that there are existing in London imbecile asylums, the only county institu- tions of the kind in the kingdom, according to this report. It is satisfactory to know that there is a growing feeling among all persons who have any experience of asylums management that imbeciles should be dissociated from the general wards and be separately confined, as their treatment and oversight differ very mate- rially and, as I have before stated, imbe- ciles are very imitative, and through being placed apart from the more vigorous- minded patients it is possible to teach them many useful occupations. Ten years ago the ratio of lunatics per thousand of the population of the area governed by the asylums committee was 3.940, whereas for last year it had increased to 4.739, showing that in London, as in every part of the country, lunacy is gradually increas- ing. There is one paragraph in the report that will interest the Angelton Asylum Committee. Five years ago tempo- rary buildings were erected at Col- ney Hatoh for 600 patients, and now the time for the temporary buildings to be taken down has arrived, and before the new permanent buildings are ready; but, fortunately, the temporary buildings are in such good condition that the Home Secretary has consented to their being used for another five years. At Bridgend there are a large number of temporary buildings that will not be out of use by the end of the five years' limit, and it will, I hope, be found that they will be eqwally well-pre- served as those of Colney Hatch, and that the Horns Secretary will be enabled to extend the period for their use. t The public are pretty well versed in the danger of throwing orange peel upon the pavements, and it is a common sight to see the "careful man" stopping in the street to throw aside the offending cast off, but since the consumption of bananas has become so general their skins are as treacherous as the orange peel when thrown upon the ground. It should be borne in mind that skins and peels are as dangerous upon wood-paved streets as upon stone pavements, and there should be a public receptacle where all such things could be thrust. Indeed, the perambulating basket man of the Continent would ba well occu- pied in such towns a.s Cardiff, and all kinds of litter would be collected by him, rather than let them lay on the ground until the arrival of the night-sweepers. The question is often asked, Why does not Cardiff get as large a share of holiday people as was the case up to ten years ago ? And the answer is, no doubt, that other outlets have been made whereby the thou- sands of inhabitants of the contingent Valleys can reacli Svajipea, Barry, and other places, where there are attractive sands and good bathing Facilities, whereas at Cardiff we have nothing but shop win- dows and an abijndancs of arcades to attract visitors, but. now that the winter season is gradually closing arpund us the seaside attracts no more. An occasional football match brings a crowd to Cardiff, and nothing more is done to make the town attractive. Then what does make a town attrac- tive P Upon this there are as many opinions as there are individuals, no doubt, and this is true regarding every: place where visitors go. It is said of lan Maclaren that when he was in Palestine he met an American who was making'all haste to get away. After a few greetings the American- asked Dr. Watson where he was going, "To Jerusalem," was the reply ''Jerusalem!" exclaimed the American. >u don't wa-jit to go th^re. ,jt have jijsb 09me a^vay.. It'js ..a slow., town.. Why, f.A^Papep. 'the. place!" This cannot be said of Cardiff; |jjit there J6 A sad wan,tof. enterprise concerning the getting of something to see. and to hear in Cardiff, and the tradesmen have no one to blame for it but themselves. Again, I suggest a chamber of trade to consider these and kindred matters. The Welsh Industries Association has shown them the way. A monthly meeting of Cardiff tradesmen such as was organised for drapers to consider the sale of Welsh woollens could not have but a very bene- ficial effect upon trade. One generation .is much occupied in devising Utopias for subsequent genera- tions, which are deferred by these genera- tions when they arrive. A Modern Alfred" writes: — Ever since the time of the first Alfred, at. least., Britishers are troubled with §ome domestic shortcoming or other of their race. The only event which every- body can repeat in his history is that. of the burnt cakes, and even to-day, figura- tively speaking, the chiaf domestic trouble is that of baking cakes. After reading your notes on the Cardiff School of Housewifely, I was reminded of Mr. H. G. Wells, the novelist's description of the household of the future. There are to be no servants, because there will be nothing for them to do, all the drudgery being performed Ijp contrivances that will work with automatic intelligence. There will be no coal cellars, since there will be no fires to make, the house being warmed from a power generating station. Dust, that bane of careful housewives, will h» abolished, since air will enter the hou^c through tubes in the walls, which will warm it and capture its dust. 1\ There will be no more bother with gas- meters or lamps and oil, for electric light- ing will be universal. Boot-cleaning will ¡. eease, for shoes than can be cleaned by a I moment's wiping will be worn, Washing- up will be made, easy .by the simple iminer- sion of the crockery into a suitable solvent. A similar solvent will clean the windo.vs, the .turning of a. tap sending a spray of the fluid over the panes. Cooking will bj accomplished, by neat little electric ranges. In shdet, the whole machinery of a house- hold will be marked by ease and sim- plicity." t cannot help thinking that a far more attractive word-picture of future domestic plans than that of Mr. Wells can be put on paper, for already we are progressing on far different lines to those foretold by Mr. Wells. With sandal-wearing there need not be any cleaning by a "moment's wiping" even, and in a short time we will take our food in tabloid, and there need be no washing up in a suitable solvent," neither will there be need for neat little electric ranges." As to window-cleaning, when electric lighting is universal why trouble about window-cleaning at all, for very soon some crank will plead that electric light will be preferable to sun- light, and, with air coming through tubes in the walls," we can abolish win- dows altogether. Everything will be sim- plicity itself, and there can be only one simplicity that will exceed it-viz., that of the people who are so certain about things uncertain. Cardiff is not holding its own in the encouragement of motor-cars. In other towns of the size of Cardiff its peculiar whirring sound is ever present to the ear, and it is rapidly displacing other means of locomotion. For instance, Cardiff has only reached the stage of providing a cob or trap for its heads, of departments who have, in order to fulfil their duties more efficiently, to move rapidly from one part of the town to the other; but the Essex County Council regard these conveyances as far too slow, and has authorised the purchase of a motor-car for its surveyor for use in highway work, and the cost of the motor will be £30? We may live to see Mr. Harpur, Mr. Pettigrew, and Mr. Woosey engaged in a motor-car race from Cathays to the Pier-head, pursued by the head-constable on an electric bicycle, and the whole may end in a smashing of Pier- head railings that would totally eclipse Alderman David Jones's historic attack upon the same structure.

Tobacco Traffic Trouble I THE INVASION OF THE AMERICAN TRUST. When Sir Walter Raleigh, according to the familiar, but now somewhat discounted, legend, introduced tobacco from America into England he could not, however keen his prescience, have foreseen the introduction also of American methods of treating the soothing leaf. That hae now become a serious reality since the American Tobacco Company hare virtually commencedjhe manufacture of cigarettes, &c., on this side of the Atlantic. It is an active corporation, typically Ameri- can, and controls, with its allied concerns, a canttal of over 200,000,C00dol. One of the leading tobacconists in Cardiff, in a chat with one of our reporters on the matter, said that the American Tobaooo Com- pony some ten or twelve years ago opened a depot in London for the salt and distribution of American-made goods. For a timff they prospered, but, naturally. with intensified com- petition their profits diminished, and, trade declining seriously, the company determined to buy up one of the existing Englieh factories or to open a manufactory of their own in this country. It .is no secret that the trust— for such it is—desires to obtain a large share of the tobacco trade of England and the Con- tinent. To this end they recently bought out the well-known Ogdens (Limited). Their pro- greesivsness is ruch that they are prepared to spend as much as £ 6,000,000 for the capture of trade. "In Am erica," continued our informant, "the company has 30 per cent. of the trade, and with their capital of £ 50,000,000 are able to dictate to the retailers and smash smaller concerns. The British retailer is, of course, opposed to this method, and, moreover, would n1:ch profer to support British manufactures which are not made on American capital." "Is there any difference between American- made cigarettes, for instance, and British?" 4 queried th.?.pressman. > "Not, perhaps, now, but if the company succeed it is reasonable to suppose that prices will go up or the quality will go off." "What is the American system of business with retailers?" "The E4cods are forwarded at selling prices. and if the trust find that other brands, but theirs are stocked by the retailer they refuse to malte an allowance." "Then it is a 'tied-house' system?". "Exactly, and. the, public interest is as much to be considered as the retailer's." "British manufacturers," said one of the authorities of the tobacco line, "had no fear of the American Trust competition so long as they manufactured their goods on the other side and the Britisher was protected by a preferential duty. The case, however, was completely .altered, when the American Tobacco Company came to this country with the determined intention of either purchasing a soing concern or of building factories of their own on a large scale." It is to combat this gigantic trnat that the British Tobacco Federation has been formed, which v,lill- be worked on the lines of a joint rtock company, each firm retaining its indivi- duality and the whole allowing greater free- dom of treatment. 1 "The trade is," according to the leading iournal of tobacconists, "in a position of reeling that it is about to be attacked, and by a forca which in the United States has proved ] ruthless in its methods. Large advertising of line of goods, sold for a time under cost will be the bai,t for the, British public. Thpre in a state of "pull cobbler, pull devil," the matter rests. A press representative on Saturday received confirmation of the reported English toba-cco combine at the chief offices of Mj&aars. Lambert and Butler. Jt. was implied, however, that. ali-hough the proposal theuiaTge English tobacco manufacturing firms into one central organisation: had aoannied. definite arrived at., anù-¡tha.io nothing beyond'the<?bare, ncheme had yet ..fprmw'ated, •• A,ranting of the comrBif»tee..whiicfr is> arranging the com- bine will take place shortly. rrnmmmammimmwwp^i—w*mmm

Barry Captain s Find. Captain T. Evans, of the ship Lady Cairns, has sent us a cutting from an Algoa Bay newspaper, from which we extract the fol- lowing:—"In latitude 43.44 N., 11.32 W. -{off the coast of Portugal), the ehip Lady Cairns, from Barry to Algoa Bay, picked up thirteen pigeons all marked from Bournemouth, Leeds, Hull, Y/fikefield, Silsden, and Bradford. They were apparently very tired. They were detained on board one week, being fed on maize. Then they were released to proceed on their journey. but four only availed them- selves of the privilege.. the remaining nine refusing to leave, preferring to remain on board. the Lady Cairns. There are, on board the Lady Cairns two pigeon fanciers, who vouch that they are prize birds and very valu- able. The accompanying is the descflfption and the name of the owner of the nine birds: —Silver, number on ring, N.U. 9.9, A. 73. C. Dean, Faith-street, South Kirby, Wakefield; 3ilver, no number, no name; silver, number on ring, N.U. 9i9, D: 56, no name; blue, marked Jersey and Bournemouth on wing, C. Berryman, 28, Derringham-streety Hull; blue, number on wing, 119-.4153.7739. Ai Thorton, Son and Co., Brighthouse Railway Wire- works Company; blue, no number, no name; blue; no number, name not distinct; blue, number on ring N.U.. P.P., A.F.. 261, no name; blue, number on Ting, N.U., P.P;, A.B., 302, red 5 on wing, A. Woodhead. Charlotte-street, Wakefield."

Marquess of Hamilton and the IrisHLeague. The Marquess of Hamilton, addressing his constituents in Londonderry on Saturday night, said a State-aided Irish Catholic Uni- versity would be captured by priesthood and become a mere college for dogmatic theology, bigotry, and disloyalty. Irish loyalists had strong grounds for dissatisfaction with the Government for their surrenders to the Nationalist party, and as for the United Irish League it was. an ineolent aud tyrrauous con- spiracy, which the. Government should lose no time in euppreaaing. -=

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Trade Unions anjj tHe L-iw. HOW THE FUNds ARE TO B £ INVESTED. No Intention of Evading Li|al Liability. Our Labour correspondent has the highest authority for saying that the published state- ments to the effect that the leading TradeB Unions have been considering whdher they should invest their funds abroad with a view of. evading the recent. decision of the law lords are inaccurate. The Trades Unions are naturally desirous, as far as possible, of avoid- ing litigation on the lines of the Taff Vale action against the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, involving as such actions will the risk of heavy damages, in addition to heavy legal expenses, but they have no inten- tion. of attempting to evade their legal liability by the removal of the funds abroad. A leading authority in the Trades Union world, when asked as to the truth of these statements, put the matter very clearly when he said that the removal of their funds from this country and their investment might not only put the money out of the possible reach of employers, but of the Trades Unions. The policy which is likely to be adopted, is two- fold. First, most of the Unions will revis? their rules in such. a way as to limit the powers of officials of local branches so that they will not be able to commit the Union in any unlawful act. The purely benevolent funds of the Union will also be separately invested and ear-marked for the particular objects for which they have been subscribed. In the second place, an endeavour will be made to obtain legislation to cleatfly define the responsibilities and privileges of Trades Unions. The Trades Unions will abstain from taking any definite steps until the action by the Taff Vale Company against the Amalga- mated Society of Railway Servants has been completed and the full legal liability has been definitely ascertained. It is believed by lead- ing Trades Union officials that, though the law lords have held the Unions to be liable for unlawful acts. committed by their officials, when the further step is taken of suing for the, recovery of damages considerable difficulty will be experienced in proving that specific damage has resulted from the act of a particular official. TAFF VALE RAILWAY CASE. A Note by Mp. D. Brynmor Jones, M.P. The "Women's Trades Union Journal" con- tains an article by Mr. D. Brynmor Jones, M.P., on the Taff Vale Railway case. In the course of his comments he says:—"I have been asked by the editor to write a, few words on the decision of the House of Lords in the case of the Taff Vale Railway against the Amal- gamated Society of Railway Servants, and T very readily comply "jth the request. The result of the appeal has come to nearly all as a surprise and disappointment. The promoters of the Act of 1871 clearly intended that a Trades Union should not be entitled to sue. or be liable to he sued in any collective capacity, apd until the Taff Vale Railway Company raised the point in the case in, question it had been assumed in all quarters that that inten- tion had been carried out. The highest court in the land has decided otherwise, and the practical effect of the judgment is that Traces Unions, like corporations, may be sued for wrongs done by their agents, and that damages, and costs may be satisfied by execu- tion against their collective property. "Though it must be recognised that the judg- ment is one of a far-reaching, kind, one. that makes it necessary to raise again questions of first principle on which the leaders of a generation ago had formed strong ,opinions, which have been adopted by their successors, there is no reason for panic. Seeing, however, that the new position in which the Unions find themselves, placed may result either in the depletion of their funds or else in weaken- ing their powers for attaining the-ends for which they are formed, and which the Legislature has sanctioned,, the, matter requires attention. The case does not alter the law as to. picketing or agency,; it does not touch the functions or authority of Trades Union officers; it does not .put any nerw. construction cn the rules of any Union. What it does decide is that a registered Trades Union mav he sued in its registered name. The Taff Vale decision, though in itself clear enough, leayes Unions in a yague and ambiguous position. The rules of law as to the way in which corporations (such hS railway oomDani:1s, joint stock companies, boroughs, and so forth) become liable for the act*. of agents are piade tolerably clear by statute or common, law. So, also, are the rates as to the collective liability of partnera. A Trades Union, however, is neither a corpora- tion nor a partnership. • "The insecurity of the Trades Union position and the menv Ipgal points doubtful at present were matters that evidently pressed on the minds of the delegate? at the$wanse% Con- gress, guggest-iani,wgre,-made fpr: obtaining decisions by meana of test cases ofAome of the more important questions. rfhat seems to me a slow and imperfect method of clearing the obscurity of the situation. It is contrary to the practice of opr courts to decide on merely hypothetical cases, and to wait till the test cases arrive m ay involve delay; and when any- particular matter is threshed out in. t,h§ courts it may be found that the. decision is given; not on tho question intended to be raised, hut on some, other, issue of. fact. or, jpgt law arising from an unexpected turn in>vtjje evidence or proceedings, I should think that;, LMtead of pursuing, this expensive ,lin^ l>f aetiqn.it woqld. be better^if,Imax use 11,1.19111 phrase, to 'let the law take its course,' tread- ing warjly, and avoiding,, so far rs-possible, litigation and the chances of further adverse ieaioions. nntil by legislation the status of a Trades Union is ma,de.80 reasonably clear that i: may discharge its proper functions without continual hesitancy and without being ham- pered bv unnecessary restrictions- At present Trades Unions have all, or nearly all, the dis- advantages of corporate existence, with only some of the corresponding advantages^. The Only pra-ctical remedy for the evils of thie con- dition of thinvs is, in my opinion, an Act of Parliament. If legislation be, demanded, the supporters of Trades Unionism- may (either ask for a Bill reversing the decision of the House of Lords and negativing the collective liability of Trades Unions or ask for legislation frankly incorporating the Unions. I confess I am not at this moment ready to give a final; omaioft as -to which of these courses should be followed, but I. may -point-out. tntt eithetf of^ths.twe suggested measures would..plae& the*JJni«nac.in a^ hettetr position thim they are-at pretestfe, ajid-I incline to the view that the b< £ it notation of •t1te?d;.1ifon3*5*»!"is incortntiktio** St that Wi., in that way -}f the statute is fairly drafted, tihe funds>of a..Trades Unionmay be best protected, the line between legal and illegal action best deftnedL andrthe .general objects, of these, admittedly useful organisa- tions he best attained." M'r, Burt and Arbitration.. Mr. Thomas Burt, M.P., in his monthly circular to the Northumberland Miners' Asso- ciation, suggests that they act unwisely in disassociating themselves from. the Trades Union Congress. They have many interests in common, and congresses are of great edu- cational value. The Taff Vale decision has- has overturned what had. been understood and accepted as law for generations past. Mr. Burt does not think, a, permanent rare for indrtBtrial conuict*. lies in the direction of compulsory arbitration-

POST-OFFiCE TELEPHONES. A working arrangement between the General Post Qffioe and the National Telephone Com- pany in connection with the new Post Office telephones is now practically completed. On Saturday several Post Office officials inspected some off the National Company's, exchanges in the. western distrjcU and„it is expected that cables will be laid between one of these exchanges and the Post Office Exchange in Cromwell-road. The Kensington Exchange of the National Telephone Company is a new building, and is well adapted for its require- ments. A considerable number of theentployee of the National Telephone Company in the western district are under a week's notioe,, and it is freely talked about among them that the Post Office authorities are going to take over the whole- concern, »

The King's Indisposition. His Majesty the King is reported to have of rheumatism, almost completely-recorered from his attack

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AmalgaiflSfioh fllihours ) 'r. FOR k SfEEL TRADE combine To Fight the Americans and Germany Apropos of the rumoured amalgamation of Spanish and British iron ore interests, our Sheffield correspondent says that. although Messrs. Vickers, Sens, and Maxim and Messrs. Cammell and Co. deny the reported amalga- mation, it is true that there have been pro- posals submitted to the Sheffield and other steel and iron firms and companies for a combination of the businesses of the iron and steel manufacturers in the United Kingdom. In the circular and memorandum explaining the proposals, the reasons for consolidating the. industry in one corporation are fully set forth, and the method by which the proper- ties are to be valued and purchased dealt with in detail. Great stress is laid on the iron and steel industry not having kept pace with the same industry in the United States or Ger- many. For this the British manufacturers are declared to be themselves to blame, berause they have allowed the Americans and Germans during the last few years to surpass them in technical skill and in industrial organisation. The consolidation of the-indus- try in the United Kingdom into one corpo.ra- tion is declared to be the only way in which this ooTOtry can hold its own with foreign competitors .and protect the industry in Great Britain from ruin and collapse. The author of the scheme states that he is informed that the leading iron and steel manufacturers in Germany have practically completed an arrangement for. amalgamating themselves into one great organisation in order to get into a. position which will enable them to compete successfully with the Americans, and he is also told that a similar step is about to be taken in Belgium. This, he thinks, makes it doubly necessary for the British iron a.nd Steel manufacturers to .delay no longer in amalgamating their businesses in self-pro- tection against the overwhelming competition with which they are sure to be confronted in both home and foreign markets. The pur- chase price payable to the several vendors would be (1) the ascertained value of the free- hold and leasehold property, buildings, fixed plant, machinery, stock on hand, book debts; bills receivable, and cash in hand and at bank; and (2) five times the average profits^or the last five years, after deducting therefrom 4 per cent, on the amount of the aforesaid valuation. These two amounts added together woul4 be the amount of the purchase price, provided the net annual profits amounted to a sum sufficient to pay 3 per cent, on the whole of the price. The Biibao Combine. Commenting upon the amalgamation recently effected by some of the leading Spanish metallurgical companies, referred to by; Senor Aznar, in the interview with one of our representatives a few days ago, the "Engineer" says that it is a sign of modern developments that the iron manu- facturing establishments at Bilbao should have decided to form. a combine. They are three in number—the Blast Furnace Com- pany, with three furnaces, each producing 690 tons a week the Biscay Company, also with three furnaces, but each capable of 700 tona weekly; and the San Francisco Company, with four furnaces, of a capacity of 300 tons each. A combination of the three leaders, declares, the journal, is not a matter of very much importance. We should say that it will not improve the position of Spanish products in Spanish home markets to any appreciable extent,, if at all, and outside the country these products cannot compete with similar goods made ,in .England, Germany, Belgium, and France, although these countries have to go to Bilbao for much- of their raw material. But although the beneficial results of this amal- gamation "on the- lines of the American Steel Trust" are doubtful, it has yet to be allowed that in recent years considerable progress has been ..made by the iron industry in Spain, whereby the import trade has suffered. With good ore in the neighbourhood, with coal and coke readily, available, and with heavy import duties, it would have been strange if even the Spaniards had not made some advance. In this connection it may be -observed that more attention is being paid to the coalfields pf the country. The provinces pf Astnri.as, Cordova, Ciadad Real,.Leon, Palencia. Seville, Gerona, and Burgos have j»11 been proved to possess large.ateas of.bituminous and anthracite coal. Perhaps the first-named is best off, and it is estimated to-have 2,822,000^00 tons of the latter sort and 11.770,000,000 tons of the first waiting to be extracted. WELSH STEEL TRADE. b Steelworks and the Wage Reduction. A. w^ll-atteaded meeting, of the district lodge of iron and steel workers and mechanics employed at the Dowlais Works, of Messrs. Guest, Keep, "Q..Q.d., Co. (Limited) was held at the Royal Exchange .Hotel,- Dowlais, on Satur- day evening to receive: the report ot the Mcent audit. in connection with the Soath Wales and Monmouthshire sliding-scale/ tfr. W..Hiscox pledge chairman) presided.—-In reporting upon the reduction of 7 per cent, ftom and after October 1, Mr. Evan Lougher! the representative on the wage board, declared that the trade Outlook for-the immediate future w £ s,,in the-face., of circumstances! most discouraging, indeed gloomy, and ne, feared that, for a time at any rate, thare was but little-hope or prospect of a revival. The cry of foreign competition was no bogey; it was no cry of "Wolf." Germany, was a power to be .reckoned with, and German competition, they were -assured by the masters' representa- tives on. the committee, was especially keen, and to this fact, (i-Dmbined with the fall in the selling price of rails and tin bar, must be attsibuted the exisJJng% depression in thp iron and steel trade and the consequent drop iff wagi$»;. ■„; iThe delegate's-report./was received with marked disappointment by those present, and seivferal sO# the, members voiced their opinions wjtfe* considerable -force and vehemence on- the QHestipH Qf a *fqrtjiqe -redjjcti6n. and the rapid fe.1Lw the -page «eaK Mr. &ougher was sUb* foVtat-tto* q^e^ioning! attrto the operation' and working ofthe sliding-scale, ^hioli'hfii-ejtftlain^d tvt-"so«ie length*- and pointed entethat the worknwai's auditor had faUioccess to all-thi#: companies' books. -v Although no; resolution on the matter was moved, more than one speaker urged that notice f to terminate the sliding-scale agree- ment be tendered, but the proposal did not meet with the favour of the majority, as it was considered inadvisable- at present, and. moreover, that they were not in a state of preparedness to take such an important and momentous-step. • • « Subsequently Mr. W. DfflHes and Mr. E. Lougher- addressed the meeting on the value of better organisation. Blast Furnace Returns. The; blast furnace returns up to the 30th of September. 1901, issued by the "Iron Trade Circular" (Ryland's) show that the total num- ber of furnaces built on that date was 594, a decrease of three since June last. In furnaces in blast, however, there watr an increase of thirteen in t-henameperiod, the number at the end of September being 346. Of the furnaces built only five are in North Wales, and 68 in South Wales, the latter number being a decrease of one since June. Amongst the fur- naces dismantled in-the last, three months was one belonging to the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company (Limited), in Monmouthshire. The furnaces in blast rose from two to three in North Wales, arid dropped from twenty to eighteen in South Wales, the solitary increase being: that of the Brymbo Steel Company (Limited), in Denbighshire, and the de- crease in South Wales being- repre- sented by one furnace belonging to Crawshay Bros., Cyfarthfa, and the Blaen- avon Company "(Limited), both of which were blown out.In Flintshire there is one furnace being re-built. In Gkvmorgantrhire there are four, namely, • Crawshay- firos., Cyfarthfa; Guest, Keén, and Co., Cardiff; Guest, Keen, and Co., Dowlais; and Wright, Butter, and Co., Landorer In Monmouthshire there are two. Belonging to the Ebbw Vale Steel; Iron, and Coal Company (Limited). There are 110 new iurnacee being built in Wales at present. In-fact, there is only one (in Lancashire) in the whole of the country. There are, however, 36. being re-built and seven being re-lined. In the three months 25 furnaces were blown in. whilst twelve were blown out, and only three dismantled.

=,1 \) ¿. Yott" should not be without Gwilyfti Evans' Quinine Bitter»s The Beet Remedy for Intiiges- !ienWFWtul<Sne»5 and-Losa of Apj>«titd7 Bottles 2a. 9d. and 4«. 6d. eneh.

Yesterday's War News. ¡ KRUITZINGER REPULSED. HERSCHEL (Cape Colony), Thursday. Three desperate attempts by Kruitzinger, with 200 men, to cross the Orange River into Cape Colony have bean repulsed. It is almost impossible :c-r the enemy to cross the river now that the blockhouse system is complete. OIl each oceasion 11;e Boers were repulsed before getting anywhere near the river. Kruitzinger is being- kept on the march by our mobile columns.—Press Association War Special. Col. Rekewich Recovering. • PRETORIA, Saturday. Colonel Kekewich is rapidly recovering from his wounds.—Press association War Special. Yeomanry in Novel Fighting Attire. KLERKSDORP, September 26. Colonel Byng's column arrived at Witkops Drift from the Orange River Colony on Tues- day, bringing in 35 prisoners and 325 refugees. A party of Boers was discovered on some islands in the Vaal River near Parys, and a detachment of Yeomanry was sent across t11e river to prevent their retreat, wearing nothing but their bandoliers.. The Yeonien stormed the islands, and eventualiy captured 25 of the eneipy. The prisoners are fine, stalwart men. —Pre3s Association War Speciaj. -———. Complete Casualty Return. On Saturday night the War Office issued a statement of casualties to the British Douth African Field Force for the month of Septem- ber- and f>.Ínce the commencement of the war, as follows: — During September Killed, seventeen officers and,170 men; died of wounds, three officers and 51 men; wouuded. 39 officers and 3QO men; missing and prisoners, fourteeppflicel's and 401 men; died of disease in South Africa, three officers and 139 men; accidental deaths 1n South Africa. me officer and 23 men;, invalids sent home, 60 officers and 1,926 men—total, 137 officers and 3,100 men, Since the commencement of the war: Killed in action, 416 officers and 4,341 men; died of wounds, 132 officers and 1,491 men; prisoners who have died in captivity, iourollicers and 93 men; died of disease, 257 officers and 10,293 men; accidental. deaths, fifteen officers apd 430 men—total deaths in South Africa, 824 officers, and 16,648 men; missing and prisoners (excluding those who have been recovered or have died in captivity), seven officers and 613 men; sent home as invalids, 2,439 officers and 55,031 men—total 75,562 officers and men. Of the invalids sent home 417 have died, 3.774 have been discharged from the service as unfit, and 803 are in hospital. Appeal for Christmas Gifts. Mrs. Hopkins earnestly appeals for shirts, socks, plum puddings, pipes, tobacco, choco- late, or any small Christmas gifts for the soldiers of the Royal Garrison Artillery now in the Field Force South Africa. Contributions will tye gratefully received before the 30th of October, and acknowledged by Lieutenant- colqnel Hopkins, Royal Garrison Artillery, 109, Cathedral-road, Cardiff.

War on Consumption. PRESIDENT OF THE t SOUTH WALES BRANCH. An Interview with Lord Windsor. When a "Western Mail" representative railed on Lord Windsor at hit London resi- dence on Saturday, and informed him that he had been elected president of the Welsh branch of the Society for the Prevention of Consumption, his lordship said the announce- ment was in the nature of information to him. "I certainly did receive a letter from the mayor," continued Lord Windsor, "re- questing me to accept the position, bot 1 received it too late to send a, reply for Thurs- day's meeting.. I. understand there ie to be another meeting next Thursday, and in the meantime I intend to ask. the mayor for a little more information on the subject" Hie lordship naturally preferred to await the mayor's communication before .he would say definitely whether or, not jle, would become the president, but the "Western Mail" understands that his lordship is inclined to accept the position. As to the objects of the society,. Lord Windsor said:—"Frankly, I must say that I have never gene very deeply into the subject of consumption. I, nevertheless, appreciate its importance, and I am in favour of doing everything humanly possible to assist in the prevention of the disease and to save the lives of those affiict.ed. ,1. am a, firm believer in the most llloderllmethods being applied, and in -this connection I think the outdoor treatment has proved itself most valuable." Lord Windsor has no special scheme to put forward, and he prefers to leave to the future any question as to what he will do should he accept the position of president of the South Wales and Monmouthshire branch. Formation of a Branch at Swansea. „ A meeting convened by the Mayor of Swan- sea was held at the Albert Minor-hall on Friday evening, principally to hear an address from Dr. IsambardOwem and to form a. local branch of the Sopiety for the Prevention of Tuberculosis. The attendance, owing to the short notice given. was not large. Dr. Isam- bard Owen made, as at Cardiff, an effective speech, in the course of which he- gave some valuable information as to the fell, scourge of this country, and the means which might he taken to battle with it.—Mr. J. Aeron Thomas, M.P., then moved that a branch be formed at Swansea, and Dr. Rawlingg, in seconding, said they were .acting in unison,. and not in rivalry, *with ;Cardiff. The Swansea Corpora- tion had already taken steps in the matter. had appointed a meat inspector, and had gone in for inspection of dwellings and the notification of the-disease. They had also passed a resolution in favour of establishing h sanatorium in the district. The-resolution was carried-.—On the motion of Miss Dillwyn an executive committee was .appointed as follows:—The Mayor of Swansea, the town- clerk, chairman of the works and sanitary committee, chairman of the school board, chairman of the hoard of guardians, chairman of the hospital management committee. chairman of, the Llangy- felach Rural District Council, chairman of t.he OystermoUth Urban District Council,, chairman of the "Cockett School Board, president Swansea Trades' Council, ohaiirman Swansea Medical Society, hon; otedicabstaS .Swansea. .Hospital, honj medical office*: <of' 3iea.ithj medical .^officer (health Swansea 1Cnioit. the local'• M.fi'»- -Sir-Qeol<ae Newaes, <Mi>. AeronshThoiuas, .And; Mr. D- BrySnior' -Jo«e8; the Vicar ofs iSwaa- ftea, the JBeV.-JBswnea Glwen. Sia_n L 1 ewely». Sir. John Jonea Jenkins, -Achnirail .-Lyons. Messrs. Grsthaai "Vitlanj Roger Beck, W. Walters, and Dr. Griffiths.

A COBRA VICTIM. One of the crew of .the ill-fated torpedo-boat destroyer Cobra was Mr. James Creighton, brother-in-law of Mr. T. E. Davies, 17, West Bute-street, Cardiff. He was a marine engi- neer, and was well known amongst engineers in Cardiff. He had been for the paat four years in tho employ of Messrs. Hawthorn, Leslie; and Co., Newcastle. He was one of the crew who ran the guarantee trials on all the cruisers and torpedo boats built by this firm, in conjunction with Armstrong's firm. He went round with the Viper to Plymouth when she was handed over to the Government. Mr. Parsons, the inventor of the turbine-engines, offered him an appointment because he under- Stood the turbine engines, and when at Plymouth last he was offered employment at the dockyard, with the promise of a pension, all of which offers he declined, preferring to remain with his old firm. He.knew the danger. and remarked to some friends, before sailing. that he thought the Cobra would never reach her destination; but he would do his duty, and he would die as much for his country, if she went down, as if he had lost his life on the battlefield. One of the survivors saw him on deck; so he was spared a horrible death in the engine-room. He was 35 years of age and was married

Sympathy with Assassination. The current issue of the Italian Anarchist journal "Ag-itaziorie" was Seized On Saturday owing to the publication of an article signed by the Anarchist Mttlateeta- defending the assassination of Presicjent M'Kinley.—Renter. r

OADBURrs cocoA is a. pure, refined beverage, nutritions, stimulating, and diges- tible. The "Lancet" says it "represents 'the standard of" highest purity." Entirely free from admixtures, such as kola, malt, DOPS, alkali, &c. Insist upon having CADBUEY'S, aa other Cocoas are sometimes substituted for extra profit. In Packets and Tins only. e3455-(4) The Best Remedy for Weakness, Nervous- ness. Low Spirits; Sleeplessness, and Chest. Affections is Gwilym Quinine: Bitters, ftotties 2e. 9d. and 4s. 6d. each. No other Brej&ration is Juit aa good," or "The same .thing." t416I7. „

By the Way. 1. Lady Penrliyii Has left Mortimer House fâ,. Aberdeenshire. The daily passenger service ót, Iteameri between Cardiff and ( Weston closes for tHw season on Friday iiext.^ Many TVelshpien will be .|lad to know thai the Rfev. Ossian Davies has fiiiiy recovered from his recent indisposition. The Rev. Thomas Richards, Calvinist^p Methodist minister, of Pontardulais, if seriously ill at his residence. Lord Cadogan is organising an Irish eleven to come over next cricketing season, to fclay iq England. The members will all be Lorl Cadogan's guests during the tour. The ma-rriagrf of the Right Hon. Herbert Gladstone, M.P.. with Miss Dorothy Paget which has been fixed for November will take p'ace at St. Andrew's, ,Well-street, London. Philamena Ferino, aged, four years, sonj o) an organ-grinder, was admitted to. Carclifl Infirmary on Sunday evening; The child had been playing with matches, and its cIotlier becoming ignited, its feet were injured. Lord and Lady Herries, who are staying at Kinharvie, near Dumfries, haye had, a succes- sion of visitors, including the Duke of Norfolli, Lady Bute. Lady Iddesleigii, jLady Elizabeth Northcote. Miss Muriel Howard; and Sir Da.v4d Hunter-Blair. Mr. John Morley has accepted tfie invitation of the Manchester Corporation to unveil a. statue of Mr. Gladstone, and the cere- mony. will take place during the present month. ftr. Morley s address will, of course, ba of a non-partisan character. A meeting of the judges of the King's Bench Division will be held in the_ room .of the Lord Chief Justice on the re-opening of the courts for the purpose of choosing circuits, selecting election petition Judges for the ensuing year, and transacting other business. The Swansea Trades Council find a surplus in connection with the local Trades Congress funds. It is proposed to award the secretary, (Mr. W. C. Jenkins) £50 for his services, and lesser sums to others who assisted. The balance of about J373 will, probably, be giveii to charities. A correspondent writes asiing if the time has not arrived for the parks committee of the Cardiff Corporation to erect shelters in the Llandaff Fields similar to those placed in the Roath and Victoria Parks. "Pernaps" (lip adds) the- outgoing Canton representative (Councillor J. M. Gerhoid) will move in the matter." The friends of Professor Sayce may be stu*. prised to hear that he has betakeQ..himeelf and his household gods to a beautiful house in the southern suburbs of Edinburgh. Of course, he will go put of the country .for the winter and early spring, as usual, but he ie (says the "Athenaeum") re-arranging hie plant of work and life. Two foot races for stakes of jE20 were run at the Taff Vale Park, Pontypridd, <mi Saturday, between T. Davies. the 120 yards champion oj Wales, and E. J. Dean, Hereford, the 449 yards champion of Wales., In a 220, yards race Davies conceded five yards and won by one yard. In the second he was allowed five yards and won by several yards. It is .feared, that fnrthe,r. mischief if taking; place at the premises at the corner of Griffin- street and High-street, Newport, a great por- tion of, which collapsed (last Tuesday ^orjain^. One of tie piers supporting the .remaining part of the building has given signs of insta- bility, and a further fall may take "place unless further shoring work is done. Nowhere was the announcement that Colonefc fcekewjeh had been wounded revived with more genuine concern than in Devonshire, with which county the gallant officer is closelj connected. „ His father, whose, advancing years do not faU. very lighly on fei'm, is oqe of the county magistrates, while his brother. Mr. T. K. Kekewicb». is Recorder of Tiverton. Mr. Joseph, JET. Smith, second officer ofi the British steamer Marie pisie,. wat on. Saturday presented by Mr-. Massie, the ^collector of Cue- toms at Newport, with the bronze medal o| the Royal Humane Society for jumping, iJJtqv the River Seine at Rouen and saving the life of a carman, who, was delivering .Ttpo^v The horse, cart, and carman fell into the water. 1. 1/ IJ'¡, Miss Maria Dawson has. been elected .Pro- fessor of Agricultural Botany at Abarystwitjx College. Miss Dawson, who has bee^v lately engaged in lecturing at Woolwich. Technical College, has done a good -deal of original research at the Cambridge, labpr.atqries, and has contributed papers to the Royal Society, She ista Doptor,offScience of both London and Cardiff Universities. • — ,J In well-informed Irish Nationalist circtea- it is believed that Mr.Themae Sexto^je^-M-?, and now managing director of the "Freeman'f Journal," will consent,to copie ,ha,ek to aefiye political life in response to the urgent request of his eld constituents. in Belfast. Anpther Irish, electoral, speculation. is that ..Mr, Joseph. Devlin^ of Belfast, will be the United Irish League candidate for Galway. An interesting, coming-of-agft. especially, J.n Parliamentary circles, will take,place<on .the 27th of October, when Mr. Yere PoajBonby, gon of Lord Dnncaiinon, who was private secre- tary to Lord Peel when Speaker of the House of .Commons, attains his, ja^jorijy. MrY^on^ sonby is in .the direot succession,tojfcJ^e^rldQsi of Blessborough., wh^-h_his, .grandfather has held eince the death-oi, his brother in 1895. J"f. "}) an-Txae. «*n<L .is* often ^ec^^e, mpderjQL ^ljL0t0frai»h^"v(. has- ftaen. fMeented with. the honorary degree of Doctor of Science' at the University of-Durham. His incandes- cent electric lamp 13 -well.known, to alL put. he also invented, the photography dry plate and the carbon process. He is .president of the Senate of University College, Jjondon, and of the Society of Chemical Industry. .I,' The members of the Ferryside lifeboat cxew, who took parkin,the rescue of^ .fifteen, lives a^ the wreck of the Australia in March last, were entertained on Saturday evening by, Mr. B. E. Jennings at his residence, interesting feature, of. the occasion watS the presentation, of the silver. piedal, and diploma which had been sent by the King of Norway and Sweden to. Mr.v David Jones, the coxswain The oeremony was performed by Miss Jennings. It is difficult to realise that that mest active and alert of journalistic Parliamentarians, Mr. T. P. O'Connor, commenced his Afty>f,ourth year on Saturday.. Te superficial observer would be inclined, ta knock at;!e^swt a^d^cade off. "T. P." was born in the now disfran- chised Irish borough of Athlone, which repeatedly .returned the, afterwards notorjouf Judge Keogh in tl>e yejirs when he was a violent demagogue and an effusive champion of Catholio interest*. -> '\1 r' Among the passengers who reached England by the Norman wa £ the Rev. frank 0., Roma. of the Colonial Missionary Society, the only Congregational minister who was allowid by the Boer Government to remain in the^IVans- vaal during the eaaelier ataees of the iw*r» He was in Johannesburg tra £ il s^ne -monMs after £ he entry Qf Lord Roberts. At the neriuon i.ol permita Dr. Krauee, then Governor of the town, and now in charge at BOw-streefc, allowed him to remain. Mr. Rollitt.who /fcra* at. the laet sitting of the Volksraad at Prty toria, ajad heard the hifltpric detw(itf with whi$b the proceedings of .that body cloetd, is to take part in the Colonial meeting tlie month jn Mapoheeter in, oonneotyion witl the Oon«u*> CMiooal g»lon .4#»wrotijy.