Weekly Mail

AGRICULTURAL NOTjS 1 (BY j'I LA Y DUN I ESQ.) AMERICAN COMPETITION I AND MEAT. No.n. The railway lake and canal ayatema of the U ::jtd 'States a.d Canadahs-n contributed to their cwn prcsperily, and to the bcJity and d,eap::¡:;8 wnh which thsir emrmoua aurplas snpp: .e? of feed are exported. So abandant ia her pledgee, that th& United Sta-tea now aEBnauy 6parE3 ore.third of her wheat crop, or about twenty million quartera; fnUy one.aixtn of her Indian ccTB, cr *hirty miUion quarters; 60 per cent. of her pork, and lard, making a total of about 8.;)0 muiion iba.; bat as yet onjy an infnitesimal prcportio'3 of ha- hgf and mutton. Much of thia agricultural p-cdaca, althong'h upwarda cf 1.0..0 mile" from :.he Atlantic aeaboatd, and over 3.COO milea of ocean, ia delivered to Surcpean coBaumers at very moderate prices. Thia cheap and ready delivery ia due to the railroads of the Uniiied St<t:ea. Thair eiviliaiBg and hnmaniein<f iBnaenoea aow expend over 1CO,CCO milea; 5,000 milea ofne'virca roada are ccmpated to be laid down anrmlly. One <!roat iBe girda the continent, paading 3,2)0 milea ifom the Atlantic to the Pac.co, and two other great throogh linea are in course of couatmction. 3 he New Ycrk Central, adopting the tyetem of cur great ccmpaniea, haa four parallel ",ad"ya runnirg great part of the way from New Ycrk to Bt.Ft.2o, and aSordlag separate tracka for pas¡;er ger and gûOGs. or {or faat and slow tra.S. Tte PenneyivaMa. and ita braoohea now embraoa 6.CCO milea of well. laid road, ever mach of wiich npreUltS travel aa pleasantly and rapidly aas- tht) boat Rrglieh railwaya. compe!¡icg c<-B"pa'ciea EpwccEBect New York withChi34go, wh.c;h ia SCO niles from the shcraa. j<t g'ieh capital haa helped to make .:¡,¡,d wjfk ùt-lie great artermi coEDectioBe, Elish ptcple are hercQ reapirf great banei-9 in t;he&t:er.:u other food. these facihtita fcr their p-odace, the Cueap I la:cd of remote loctliti-sa would te cf kmall aT&il either to gro,vel' or II It ia Bot !La:: V ye&ra 3nc3, from wam of trm. epcrt, b¿íun ccrn waa need for ftiel, and f*t baccn '!Vaa a cheap aLd handy meana cf rLsing atcam and patting on an extra apur:: in :Do bcaia :at pied on the Mississippi ajc.d ..lia- ecDri. Even Low, in localiliea not reached by rai.reada, plecty of wheat ia sold at '2a per ):Mi.el, aEd Iscian ccrn at 9d. In iB the Red River ccuntry, a>1d in viMnoaa parta of Dakota, I have aeen taacM bring down rain 50 and t milea to matket and rail. Bn[ ÙlZcngu the S-.ates. and even in Canada, wheTe railway enterpriae haa not been ao active, the iron road a are pnahing cat in ail directions. Uenally their conattucuon ia aided by granta from the State of each alternate aectioa of a mile eqmare for a diatance of ten milee on each aide of the promoted Une. In Minneaota, Iowa, ando:her 100ahead Statoa and territoriaa, the ateam hcrM haa been driven even in advance of coloni. action, which haa not, however, been alow to fcliow; for with dne appreciation of the advan. tagea of ready facilitiea for deporting produce the railway landa are rapidly picked np, uaually at 16a to 25a an acre. There are not, aa in thia conDtry, promoting and Parliameatary exponaea, pBMhMe of landa at hihprjcee, expenaiveawarda for dtUMgee and aeverance. Over t e level prairiea M ticng river valleya, with few cutlrg 01' embwments, with only OCCIUional CMap bridgew, often without expenae of ballaating or eBcloanre, the line ia cheaply constructed. ThouaandB of milea ont Weat are made and equipped at a coat cf .62,000 a mila. Unleaa where groaaly jobbed in conatmotion, or faith. leaely miamanaged, Bnch linea pay good dtvidenda, even at low tra6ic ehargea. The long dialanoe tatea of the United Statea are Bet ao high aa these of Pj-evioaa to tnd throcghont 1S7S, asd aD:iI MidaaaT:er hat, wheat waa cc.eyed by rail fuJy SOO mdea from Chic&go 10 New York at the MM of cental. the Bame ehargea of boxed meat cr provieione were forwarded. By ttean.-tugged bargee, through lake and canal, via tc New York, the ra.tea were hule over f.ce h&l* '.hose by raiiway. Thia water tranait, tx:en<hi.g cctuyovembcr, aa in other t:&r*a c! Aire'-ea, pruvea a formidable eompatitor The cost of euch water transit teàilj di:n:Liahed iMt 8ixten ve.tje :c :Íle ex:eD:oi 30 percent. Coper worHmg e'eam tu<ra, improved doofn, q Ilic& &Bdnn!cadingby elevatore durin the ye&ra, however, been adoptdd, atd thf redaQed hene have not similar adoption of raiiw&yM 3' alao able to ,,¡we il.. tbeir "atiff,. (,'ct-an M:ea dnring aeverai yaara umills." an'nmn beea equaUy :V Ycrk :o briish porta a barrel of njac wt)igrlli for an ava- raRe o: 3f, aBd, per sailin veafel, fcr h J, Wh<&t in tags ma as low aa 8c per cemai :he average h:tle exceed la. i'rom pDilacel.hia wceal haa (/e<n carried to l'rd Kii.gdcm poriB aa ;cw a- 5.! a qtarter. trcm Kontrcal a quarter -i-3;}lbs.) sf gr.tin w.*f k"arded fAot cla to .)g. Prsviaionaffom moat of !be At}.n;c tcrta were landed in Great Britain t.t :)Ub to <lll! ppr '.on whilat oil cake are quotad mhe ml.éer<ote ngarocf 2!)a to Baef, by ettamer, haa aver&geG a tierce, ba: leea M paid by a:hD g veee<tl9. d:,l'o\;gh ratea to Europe from poi,ta remote 'rcm ti:e seaboard are proportionally lower. ticm MiDneapclia, 1,2<J milea weat of the Atlantic, a barrel of nonr it conveyed to LiverpocI, CardiS, or Glaagow for 7,<. Frcm St. Loni<), by ditect water rcni?, Bcor hae been forwarded at 5a per ba:rel. The :cst of tracBit of horees. ca'itle, and eheep fcr long distancea ie proportiottatalY low. From Cheynne, weat of Neoraaka, between the forka of the Plate River, amidat the great oat--Ie ranchee of the eaatern alopea of the Rocky Mo .n- taina. three-year-old buns arw conveyed by '.he IJBion Paci&c Railway, via Council Blllff, to Chicago, a journey of l.COO milea, for 2Sa. FOal Eiamark, en the Northern Pacing the nae m Montana cattle are cairied, via St. &()0 milea to Chicago for 13. F-om Chic (O to New York the railway chargea are IJa. The ocean freighta from New Yjrk to Liverpool, Ca-rdiif, ScnthamptoB, or Glasgow vary from 508 to <X)a; whilat from 30a to 25a ia expended fjr feedmg and attendance dnricg the voyage. Th ae are certainly very moderate ratea fjr toe prompt, ai.d oenaLy very a&fe, conveyance of dead aad etock. OwiTtg to ucprcved trade in mUl parta of the Btatea.aBd the demand for the imme<ltate trat.a- miuioll of all aorta of goode. the low ratee wht;h obta;Eed Dp to September laat have been ad vanseJ, 1L acme instancea to the exteat o: -2J and 30 per c<Lt. But even at thia enhanced fiUN grata baccn, azd other proviaiona are forwarded from Chio tt the rate of a halfpenny per H). Wheat can atill be delivered from St. Paul or Kaoaaa City to Liverpool at 15a per quarter fot rail and cceam carriage. Oae halfpenny per Ib. paya the ct&rgea on beef and matton tiaaghtered in New York, preserved cool in the ice chambera on the voyage, and delivered in Locdon or Liverpool. For leaa than pec Ib. live cattle can be transported over 1800 milea cf nulroad and 3,000 ot ocean and landed at Liverpool, Southampton, Cardift, or Glasgow. In ccDiiDnafon of thia enbject I ahaD next weet eodetvoM farther to demonatrate that Bother railway chargee aor ocean freighta are likely to be m*teii&Uy or permanently wahanced, and that the American competition ia bread- ttTiffa aad meat will probably continue aa keen .ver.

TBE BLOCK IN THE AlERICAN GRAIN T&ADE. WriiD en thi? subbe Pci: a!; My =-" The blockade of grain ic Chicago ia tne Mbjeot o? mTch attention f'om vallaUI! potnta ot v_ew. Accc-ding ';0 the tel"graro oc MoBday. 'theeievatora, which have a capacity o. 1?C(K',(..()0 bu.hela, are nearly 6'?d, a?d about l.COO.OOO buahela are aRoat. I'M haa b<an brought abjcl by tte coBatant punhaeea of the ayndicate havtDg' fcrMd pucea to apcint at which it ia unpion?bh ToehtpcratB.' We are not c?mMUed 4 h?HaM that .pec?ora have done it all?crthe WeaSr? Carals teÜg blc.ck.-d by ice for an fàCU 'J, t,<n ID \:hl ago, ic addition to the retention of ??n by the ?eate at highM prioea?an fh-ppera ?Teto sive at prMent. By the ao-cal? b!cc?d?, D?t, the grain t?do'ta ?.S" tpccBd. the moLey market; third, the h:ilroa.d cf North The Wo>sl'n atatea have yC(,111ced in.ili{>nt breadstutId to auppiy me dtfciencycf bupe; ar.d it is bdieved t.!ia.t. a. gr8L(.J.t:J b'M bfen with .tf of bnyin? cp the .d..w.Jrican c'o-a aid t-o'dtrg tbo gTain in order to Furtpe to bey at n.¡;¡oh pricea. 'Iheatookain :r ,a f, GEl Md England are hardly la.ri{e ern:gt: toalabe ca to goon without anpphea ftv m Ac('cr)ca: ir! ca!- po'ta there ia nomcTe fcrfiao *b'-a: ud th\n Gout.j support Ü': y.l.ili.L c tee I'ur a. i,, weeka. Home farmers and miilera have, mora* cvai', lit'.e en hand. App"reLtJy, thon, u Asurl ("Mi anpp iea wero to fil, wa might have to gu jr. half r¡h.çLB nmil :ha end of :he aea_ùu." _a--

AGRICULTURAL PROSPECTS. The J!far& Lane. Eæ¡wess of Monday eaya :—" A ocmptMativeiy dry atmosphere having brought the land into good condition for ploughing and drilling, the farmers have been actively engaged in bringing up arrears of farm work, and making preparationa tor epring tillage, for which tae weather has afforded increased Litcle chai;?o can be noted <n the aitua'.ioa. Antumn sown wheat iB by no 'winter prouo'; indeed, aa might nave he'-a expected ajter such severe weampr, the young plant ia backward, but thia in itaelf ia a matter of little impcrtance provided the plant haa not aunered any actual injary from the frost. It ia, however, atih too eariy to form any dennite opinion on thia point. Increased activity in tieid work haa been attended by a corresponding do. crease in the th'eshins' operations, teati&ed oy the diminished deliveries of wheat at the principal marketa. The entering a in the majority o&CMea have been ao baa that millers would acarcety look at the eamplea. Salea made have consequently been few, and only dry lota maintained last week's prices. Owing to the unsatisfactory condition of home grown wheat numerous country millera have found ireir way to Mark lne in quest of a auit- able foreign aubatitute.

TEE RECTOR OF MERTHYR ON THE CRURCH AND IEE PEOPLE. No. 11. The following ia a second contribution to the series of articles on tha above aubject, which, it will be remembered, the Rector of Merthyr intro- I duced in an article which appeared in these coiuiBBa on January 6 :— I tMnk everyone here will admit that nothing ia Jown clearer in the Bible that Jeans Chiist had a wonderful for "the pcor," in other wcrda, the people that ia, thosa whose dany life ia a daily for dti!y bread." When Jehu the Ba.pt:at sent prison two of Ida dieciplea to ask Jeaua, "Art Tho;i Ho thJot should come, or do wo look for another r" J aent for an answer a? cf t.h'3 BignB" th3.t Ee did and the Mid greatest "aign" of aU waa that "the peer had the Gospel preached to them,' as though this were something vry acd E.oet unssT.:al in that ago. Than, His very public ace after He had been baptiaed by John was a declaration of thia groat fact. Tne Spirit of t:e L0r is ::pon Me," He said, "became He h&6 Md to preach the Guapel to :ha peer." I mllJht quote many other matanoea, cite mary other texts, in order to ahcw yon, if it were r.ec.:saary, that tha whole leaning of H ia character waa mercy to the poor, comfort to the miserable. I thick, therefore, I waa fully juatined in saying in n: ylaat sermon that if this part of Hia miaaicn ia not ful&lled, can we aay that any of it ia fulnlled f la other worda, what ahall it pront ua to call cui selves Christiana if we have left undcBe those things that we to have done in order to make our :poorer neighboura Chriatiana aa well aa onraelvea Let us teat the Church we belong to by thia sign." Haa ahe done her duty to the peer in thia respect? Are the poor at thia moment in that condition apiritually which they ought to be in aa membera of the rioheet Church in the whole world f That ia the queation. Let ua see how the Church will atand thia ordeal. In the nr&t place, ahe claima to be and undoubtedly ia the Church of the Nation—the National Church, and until ahe ia diaeatabliahed no man can law- fully diapute her claim. Now what ia meant by a National Church ? Surely not a Church of the Srat-olaea people only, or the aecond.claaa, or the third-class, but the Church of all claaaea o* the people. A very remarkable letter on thia point haa been publiahed within the last week or two. It waa written more than 30 years ago by that KoJd man, the late Plineo Conacrt, to Dr. Wilberforce, who waa juat then made bishop of Oxford. Ic cennea what a biahop of the Church of England ought to be and what he ought not to bo, and a.lao what the Church of England heraelf ought to be. I It ie one of the moat atraightforward letters I ever read. Some of it, I imagine, could not have been altogether very palatable to that moat atirring prelate. It used to be aaid of him, that he could forgive a mac almost anything, provided he waa a Churchman." Thia doea not square with the advice given him here. Juat religious an&ira the Bishop cannot but taiM an active part m them." The Pficoo aaya:—" Bat let that be the part of a Christian, nox of a Churchman." It must been a rebuke to the man who thought everything. I am afraid there are a gcod nmcy people, including biahopa aa wel!, m thoM who reverae what the Prince pi.i.ja a ChuTchman far above a mere And ta3 ccnaequence :s, the Church of t,u!lJord, the Chmch cf the people, and a great deal of lak y-'o.?a from the p'evaieace of thi3 fechi.? beid tae ot the Pfiuce CUJHat i& c. He tfnt a. bishop cf <i:e ChuTcn cf l<.g¡'Ul, bo alwaya Church c'.ou?s to faHl' th&t i d,M no'- "'r ItF: >. h f.) the people ."orihecuE '.y, :i' t. tohava EC itim 'ht.n to i.- Charch of tbepeopLe. i.e; there be, therefore, no calling for her rijhte, prirJege! gran t&i, &0. j b..t aha. the Z-3 and capacity of the Church to atretch her and capabilitief to the utmoat for the fal- tiJmellt of her aac'ed dutiea to the people in tciDiaterujg and teaching." Ascordijgto my idea it M impoeaible to denne what a Na.aonal Church ought to be bettor than thia, or in more foroi. ble language. It ia her privilege, her moat sacred daty, to miniator to aad teach the people. Well. then, doea ahe do it ? That ia the queation we have toanawer. If ahe doea do it, no man can nnd fault with her. If ahe dooa not, every aubject in theae realma haa a perfect right to aak and know the reason why. Her wealth boionga to the nation. The cation gave it; to ht? at the Refor. mationfortheexpreea purpcae uf apiritualiaing the people j ie" aa the Prince Conaort aaya, miniatetiBg to, and teaching the people." If ahe haa not succeeded ia doing thia, then the aame power that gave it to her haa a perfect right of taking it away from her. Now, let ua aee how our Church will aland thia teat. A few yeara ago, one of our Church pa.pere published wee&ly fcr acme time certain reeuita. which were obtained after much inquiry, aa to theapproximatanumbar of the wotkiBg people that wens to any ple of worahip at all on the Sabbath Dy. The roturna were something very atrikiBg, indeed quite appalling. At Brat sight they would aeem in- credible. Bat an inquiry into the state of our large towns, from London, Liverpool, Manchoater, Ac., down to towns of 5,00.) and t!, 000 inhabitaa:a, or even leaa—even small vùla.,¡es in many placea— that ia, an actual aurvey cf each town showed that the great bulk of the working people of preaant day really went nowhere. Thac they were. in fact, thoroughly godleaa aa a body. And o?e:i in Waiea they are. aa we know, oeaaing to be a chapel-going people. They never were a Cburch,gOÙlg people, nor are they now. The great Nonconformist body of Walea, the Methodieta, discussed thia queation. North and South, at their great anneal aaacciationa laat year. They paaaad reaoluticna deploring the fact, and calling upon all miniatera and deacons everywhere to exert their !Ei!neBce to prevent the people giving up tDeir epjritua! plivilegea. If it ia so in Walea— rpUgicaa WaJes—what muat it be among the people of England who never were religious ? It ia said aa a fact that in England aa many aa 95 per cent. of the working people never go to any place of worship at all! Now, if that be ao, and every man acquainted with great citiaa must know it to be so, what haa the Church at England—the Church oi the cation, the Church of the people- to say to this? What have the bishops, the arohbiahopa, the deans and chaptera, the deacon a and the archdeacons, the priests, the vioara, and rectors, to aay to all this ? Here ia a spiritual army, receiving spiritual pay, claiming to be the Church of the nation. the Chmch of the people, and yet it ia computed that 95 per cent. of the people never go to any place oi worahip at aIL Surely thia ia aome- thmg beyond being appalling. It ia more. It ia threatenmg. It is M though tite Church and Mate wera grounded on a volcano, which an erup. tton among Uie people might blow at any moment: to atoms. Ramember, the people have now the power. It is fairly aDd irrevocably laid in their handa. Suppose they were to wake up aome nae on)]J11 and Me thiaga exactly aa they are. That ia, that this great ulsUtution.onginaUv intended M much for their order aa for the two orders above them, brought them now no Rood whatever. What then? I'.ducattoa ia making ranid sMidea among them. They ozly who live in their midst, and are part Mid parcel of them, can alone tetl how rapid it M. And it ia of that sort, too which ia not godly. Well, and what then ? Waac might happen ? Can yon for a moment fail to gueea? Why. what else but that which a great man once said of the Irish Church when he l<jet hie seat in Parliament, su will they s&y 'De!e?Mta est Carthago," Down with her with her! eVfn to the ground in one year after taa triah Church ..tas disestablished. Let no one it 19 wrcBg—it is dangerous to tJk au. Ktthor it ict far more wrong, far mere dat!ff:r 'ud, n id pi),i. uveiy wicked, to pursue an bko po i-y, which will not took t&e evil !)')Jl:1 it; the fce and lIe1; a. remedy for tor 'jiet see; in tlle me, >vail., wi:at ie the. Church doin<!? Wnat i.) C<!nvocatÍon doiDg''—the representative of the j Church. Ccnvoca'ioc, indeed' Way. Cj'tvoca I tion has been sitting 'n deep cooncil tur Mree Years ever a moat momentous queotUoD, as-' b OBly juft settled it. aiüd uf clothes the clergy are to WE-fir f. that is tJ1 i.deil Convccaticn haa cf tbe <ofk of the Church. Convocation nvt,b!Z!g cf tha @rre'\t eeething masa cf ucgcdiineea t<) '>etor.uå evctywhere, teeterio; in car TO"n.t., Ita !gT!o'arce in thia matter i? it !or doicg liotbMg. ConMcting oBJy of a bt of courtly pKiatea and country clergy, what cao it ksow of the deep sea of crime and ein and devilry heavis<? aed surgiBg in great citiea ? Liviag in tine pa'acea, aiid in Arcadian wilde, they know of the roBgh aide of I:fe. Nn' ccme back to the PriBce Consort's dennition of -ha J:r.7b11J; "sd t8¿,t :h:t by .3'! thiq The Frirce Th'j. 8h is the of th"' ptOpIe. ehe -:c': 1101; oxis: lor b' for the ¡:,w: Ie aù(. for b.c ooun'.ry. Fimt B''e tü h&?e no cr no ma'her a:m tti..c ;he is .o "reto-i bar powers to the u'mcat for tha fufl:ment o! nor pecple That is what lha Páncô says. Albarc the (ked..E;.t he who tana may and aeo that the people everywhere arc taught Eor miniatered to t They are left to themselves .0 Etew m their own gravy. Waa,t, then. be cornea cf the question—la the Church of Ea?. laid doirg her duty to the people ? It is the most 6eriona question that she haa ever been Gcd grant that she may ba able to answer it,andtha.teha!:t:t about answering it eooa. It will avail Ler little to say any more aho cannot <?o Eo urieea the well-to-do laity hotp her. Th'j people will rot take that answer. It ia too 8tla. iht:y can now read, mark, luz:, &i.G inwardly cjacerna them, and they do it, effectually. Thia question ia becoming more aud iLpre a question and w:Il very scon be ripe for When a Church has an ancual iccump of over four miihona of money—the people are very hard-headed—they will want to know what ahf doea with thia money. How dees ehe epend it ? Where are the spiritual reeult6—tho harvest cf souls ? How ia it there are Dot more preachers, and better proaohora, mec brought up to the business—worknun.like men f And how it aqme paraona are ao rich, liviEpingrsnd "palaces," clothed in purple and Sue linen, and faring sumptuously every day, while others are so poor that they cannot actually keep body and aoul together without begging from every charity in the kingdom, aye, and begging even for old clothea and old linen to keep out the cold frcm wife and children ? And yet theae hard-headed people aay, "Your income ia over four miiliona of money!" Now, who geta it ? Ccme, ll ua, what ia done with it ? Wo aa a people have a right to know. For the Parliament cf EiBg Henry VIII. took it from the Pope, and gave it to yon on certain conditions, which you are not fulnlimg. Yon muat answer and you must turn over new ler, and keep to the conditions or, to be plain with you, we shall take all thia mocey away from you That will be the anawer to the plea of more help from the well-to-do tally." Beeidea, the laity, both well-to-do and not well-to-do, are opening their eyea more and more every day. They eee clearly now that there ia ecough money in the Churoh to do everything that in wai-tfd to bo done, if it were only properly I¡Ildl<;d. One little word only covera the whole question—Inform. Acd any one of the high and n;;ihiy pre'atea who occupy the four and twenty in the Rouse of Lords might, if ha had the courage, 'Lova fur it any day aye. and carry it. Pa.rhi1.a:ent and the whole country voald ?rp{.cit him. The Chunh then be aaved. Then the Prince Consort's dencition of a National Chaieh, b: of the people, woald be fcl. Sik-d—" that ahe ahould aim at nothing higher, as beirg her moat aacred duty, than to teach &ud to minister to the people." Indeed, looking at th& i€Bnlta practically, her highest aim now aeema to be to cover the land with grand cathedrals, grasd palacea for her biahopa, houses for her < e')i.a and chapters, churches and chapels which the people" will not enter—a vaat mafa of brick and dortar, very nne, very stately, very magni. ncent, no dcubt: as works of art they are imma- culate—but the people want bread, they want spiritual life—their never ceasing cry ia "Bread bread I"—and the Church of England, the Church cf the people, givea them a stone!

THE FORTHCOMING SOUTH WALES CHAia EISTEDDFOD AND THB BARDS. (B? MosixN.) The general Eecretary of the South Walea Chair Eisteddfod has a lengthy reply in the Tartar to the attack upon tne committee in a leading article in the GuLadgarwr for deciding upon hold. ing the next eiateddiod at Swansea instead of at Cardiff or Caerphilly. It ia no secret that the writer of the leader in the Gwladga.rwr ia the leading bard of South Walea, namely, Dewi Wyn o Easy lit, who, the moment he lifts up hia battle axe, attracts the attention of all the Weiah literary circlea, for it ia a ponderoua weapon, as many cac tell trom experience. He once attacked the cSlcial Glamorgan Chair, which ia alao the gcreead ef the Barda of the lale of Britain, which ia now located &6 Pontypridd. He, during that attack upon the gorsedd, so annoyed the philoaophera that he waa formally delivered to AEnwn from the Pontypridd common. The above ia mentioned for the purpose of showing that the Gwynof Egayllt ia not a man to be trinad with, and, aa might have been expected, hia onslaught on the Cardiff committee haa bad the eSeot of a cry, "To arms, ye bards?" iiiaahella into the Giove and Shears, where the committee hold their meetinga, caused Aaaph glan Cynon to turn pale and Dewi Harran to level hia long wand to tha charge Tomaa Teetotal" to pick up hia hat and cry, "Mr. Couzma;" and Brynfab to nil hia shepherd'a bag with amooth atones, and to acju6t hia eling. Ttie only one, however, who haa mustered courage enough to attack the at;í5a11ant ia our friend the aecrotary. "V'ait/'heaaja, "were you not in the corn. mittee when it was decided to hold the next fieteddfodat SWaDea. ? Yea, yoa were. Did you objec to it? No. Did anyone do ao? Yea. Dicyou6upt.orttheobjeot.ion? No. Waaevery- !.gret.d upon amicably ? Yea and every. bcdy w':nt out oi the cafufni.tee-room appaienbiy s:> th,6.ed, for it bad been carried by a largd nibjority to hold it at Rwemeca. W<]11, now, at to Swansea aa a place for holding i!. Dear pcupip, ha3 aunk Swame-t haa Ltuher no? lite.ti, and. therefore, doeH B<jt oontum any o! the olaaa hhely to euppcrt tij fia:edafod. if choira will ccc.<: to the bwauten tBtddil;d muat come ftcm 'he Bhundda Va.Ilt-y. Abordare, Ca.rdiff, Ebbw Vale, Poittypridd, Poctypool, and Newport. That :t) the oplnii.ln cf the wide man, full of cemmoc 6t:nge, pceaeaEing plenty of foreafght and ripe jccgment on every queanon.' BtH wai:, reacer where did tte ehoira which C¿¡..ràiff coma from ? From the aocvesan.ed placoa? N but from Qiatriota mar nlôea, viz., Llau.;amlet, 'Jaibaoh, At)er. aioB, Neath, V<tle, and Aberdaro. Every. one kn&wa that the msjority of the competitors m ch(<rhl competitions come froni those placea. Only ene of male voices eame to the CardiS Lib teddod from the placaa nrst mentioned. he aaya* because of ita cloanlineaa. inCuBtry, ita large population, and i!:a literary character, and ita many accommodations, ia the bt-tter place to hold it.' What insult to Swan- sea," continuea Rhya, "and the adjeni diatriota the above sentimenta contain." The writer then proceeds to state that the reception he recently received at Swansea in hia onicial capacity, fore- shadowed a splendid succeas to the eisteddfod of 1880. Itiato be hoped that Swansea will rally round the enterprising committee, and prove that Dewi Wyn o Eaayllt ia mistaken aa to the character of the inhabitants. The principal dimculty that the eisteddfod enconntera in amh a place aa Swansea is that it is but very little the Cambro. British people of innaenoe socially know about Cymru, Cymro, and Cymraeg. They are practically Fnghahmen of the stamp of a Cymro named Morris, who, after spending three montha in London, re. furred to hia mother's houae at Bridgend without the Welsh language which he possessed right enough when he tet<. home. Mother," said ha one day, "1 Atar the scell of appies in the house. (era. \.oddi yna, I:>chgen" ("Go from there, boy"), was the reply; then saying, Myna di gttwL Morria" (" Will you have broth, Mo*ria"!? He shook his head to give her to understand that ho did not know wnat she aaid. She repeated the question, ladle in hand, with emphasis. Herhopetui again shook hia head, and aaid, Dear me, how fanny the Welsh do talk The patriotic mother darted at him, with the ladle in a threatening poFitioa, and said, Wedi mynd yn saia ia fe I" Become an Engtiehmanisit!") Thia ia the Olä.ø8 known in Walea by the generic title of Dick ebon Dafydd." They are the worshippers of suooeaa, and bow to the rising sun wherever it rises. They are centred all in self, and care nothing for country, ancestors, or ancient reuown. Eu Dmc t/tc eu. M.' Deprive them of their appetites and they ate nothing.

GALLANTRY AT SEA. INTERESTING PRESENTATION AT CARDIFF. On Wednesday Alderman T. Evana, Deputy. Ms)or of CardiS, acting in the absence of the Mayor through illcesa, preaented, at the request of the RnMian Conani, a gold medal to Captain Longley, master ot the British aorew ateamehip Yorkshire, in recognition of hia bravery at aea. Among those present were Mr. Raggett, collector of Customa Mr. Godfrey, chief clerk, Cnatoma Mr. Turner, superintendent ot Mercantile Marine; Mr. Cnllam, chief of CoMtguarda Mr. Peter Wtyte; Mr. WhMttley, town clerk; Colonel Page, Russian Conani, Ac. It appeared that on the 20th of Augnat, 1878, the Yorkahire waa in a heavy gale in North Atlantic, when the Ruaaian barque Arvid (Bull River to talmonth with phcaphate) waa observed to be diamaated aad in a sicking state. Notwithstanding the exceedingly rough atate of the weather, the captain decided to put out to the leeone of the Russian crew. Six men and the mat< accordingly went out in a boat to the ainking Teasel, and auooeaded in taving 15 out of 16 tivee, the eixteenth man having been drowned through not dropping into the boat when told to do so. In effecting thia good work the boat had to pasa to and fro between the shipa in a raging storm three timea. The Depnty.Mayor and Mf. Turner each nmde allusion to the event which had called them together, a-nd the latter mentioned that the anm of £12 received from the Russian anthoritiea for distribution amccg the seamen would be property disposed of. 'D order to do this, it would be necessary to trace the records of the shipping omoe. A vote of thanka havifg bten accorded to the deputy.mayor for prencmg, ihe proceedinga terminated.

r.?'??5" *?*"? *t tb. CmtMt OnmiMt '.X?S.t ?"?" °?? "? ? "< «' iDfaLt iioid, but wag a-Lquitted on the ground of ilikanity. H18 detention was ordered. ..?'????? Tooi Vtcrhs of MeEKa_ThomM Ibbetaon ai?C. PS.IHLO.-it;:r row. They were temoved to tho hcdtttai. EAPPT DAT9 —niere M aometnme o: reitM and in the &r3t iypt&r&Eo.ot cr-Y ha.ira.' on !t:<' 0!!6<m t-I by 'h'MTpMfme.ta-e a.p' ear u)<M. Mt". e. A. À:LD5'S WORLD'S HAia RtaroMB ''eppuy t fe djod 11Íl'f' mopma for I"e8tOrin:M '±.e& to the fyraJiaess Md beanty o< yoKth. It x tLf c!d sta,,bu-d and telitbie M-tude knowa and;,pok, moat hierh'y of iE every civilian country. R r«qmr*<- only a few aapvpd L-elajetiOrntN as to bmreisttyo. re tagd reiy nd!iusoisr to ita yomthtnl or'tonr <md tastrcna be<t']ty, tnd mdaoe UX'Oricnt wro-t-h. and ita oocMioimJ Me is all that is needed to pfeeerve it in its hiffheat perteotion and beaaty. Dtmdrua is quickly nd permausrtiv removed Sd by M! Ch4llT'Jf,t'Ø a&d Perfnwen. j

OFR LONDON LETTER, 1 (BT OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) 1 tnnr'nnc'rent OB {If the of 1- mc'Vf'% and seconder of apTrcachinS! orening of PMl'ame&t ha ca-uaod r,(),i(,!Il t11r thm to t. c'fined "m()'It fXcludvely t t):p {.respects cf the 'cation. Fhere ia, bcvever,! o in ae diva-nity of the OJ,ini<n witltwbi('h the comug eSlO'1 apY'i! to be rpgatded. On the (\1:0 hand there are the b(.!i(V6"3in a Eppc''y di'a lu'ion. the", of ccpTpp, eay that but little -v.O'R: 13 contemplated, ard'nat even lees than little will ba accr;ropli8hed Hle. on the other, there a.M thnae who thiax that the ccmir.f Session wil) be an baey ere, ar.4 that LoTd BoaconfMd iq encoura.cing tba speedy cipaolution theory in order to qui.ckn the energies cf the dying Parliament and to induce it to eel through a reppect&blo amount of work wh'ch will have an oa the autumnal eleo. ticBB. I have heard 11 Jthing, however, in the cay or two ince these questions have bAen on everbody'f hpa to induce me to express any diSerant opinifB to that which I have already given. It. ia tine that Sir WilHam Hart Dyke has intimiJ.te1 to pcme Ccnservstive members that they had better not be absent from the country after Ea?ter, but this cnly seems to bear out the idea th 1,t the Government are determined to be prepared for any eventuality, while, ao far aa intentiona go, are resolved to go through the Session and to make aa much aa they can of it. The movements of the Irish members are beginning to be watched with some curiosity, and the meeting of the Home Rulers called for next week to consider the atato of Ireland, and to decide on the Parliamentary action, ia awaited with aome intereat, not ao much on account of what will then be decided ae on account of what will be then said. It ia not likely that any decision which may be come to will go for much, aince the advanced wing are likely to carry out their policy of obstruction, whatever the more moderate membera will do, and several of those, who are certainly not to be ranked with the Obstructives, will have their own way of showing a resentment to the Govern. ment for failing to aympathiao with their grand schemes for pauperiaicg Ireland. It may be very safely inferred that if the Qieen'a Speech doea not contain some prodigious promise an amendment to the Address will bo moged on the opening night, and that the course of Govern. meet busineaa will ba subsequently mot with a more persistent obstruction than any which wo have ;etseen. Will the Government make any promiaea to tha Iriah ? The impression in quarters where aome- thiBg ie likely to be known certainly ia some. thirg will be doce, though of course few are bold enough to hope th.it the M;nia'ry w! I aee ita way to proposing any measure which wilt ba porfaotly satiafactcry to the Irish contingent. Indeed such a measure would be almost certain to estrange from the Ministry the of ita own followers. It might, be possible to arrange some schema which woatd meet with the support of reasonable men. Still Mr. Mitchell Beery ia furious at the way in which, aa he puts it, both the Duke of Marlborough and the Prime Miniater have treated him, and he M9 written to aoma o< his frionda in London some dreadful promises of tha thunders and anathemas which he will bring to on the Government on the nrst opportunity. Mr. Shaw also feele him. self aggrieved at the absence of a personal corn muBication from the Prime Minister with him, and he ie scarcely lose indignant than Mr. Mitchell Henry himself. All this tends to show that the Irish members will be in no mood for compro. misea when the time cornea; though, in their anger at Lord Beaconaneld'a action, or, aa they put it, want ot action, they have overlooked the fact that it ia possible that he ia etill considering the matter. Itord Beaoonaneld loves to deal with the Irishmen in hia own way, and it may be that, after all, he< has some pleasant aur. priae in store for them a month hence. The membera of the London Sohool who are industriously feeling the pulaea of their brother membera on the anbjoct of a paid chair- man, have made theirenterprieoalittletoo public, aad if they do not make haste and aettle the question among themselves, they will find the out- door agitation ia too strong for them, and for Sir Charles Reed aa weU. Of course it is said that the chairman of the Metropolitan Board of Works ia paid, and eome bold apirita have even quoted the examples of the Lord Mayor and the Speaker of the House of Commons, and asked why ahoulj these funotionariea be paid and the chairmau of the school board be left oat, eapecially when Parliament haa made a apecial provision for the payment. Thia, however, ia a way of looking at the question which doea not nnd much favour either with the London ratepayera or of those who desire to see the high tradition*) of our public life maintained. It will certainly be an irritating sequel to the recent elections, fought on the ground of economy, if the majority of the board resolves to celebrate ita victory by adding to the already enormous establishment charges of the moat ooatly creation of recent developments of municipal government. oj PrcfofBor Henry MoTley's propoals in regard to the stage continue to be very much di¡¡cU:c!80d in theatrical circles. though amang some ia a very unaccountable diapoaition to sneer at this eminent authority on English Utcrature. Mr. Mor'ey ma.v, perhaps, have assumed an air in hia lecture at the London Institution of whatloobs like fatronstge, but those who know him boat wilt readily judga how far any such tn'e from hi? thoughts. If tho atage i3 to continue in the of progress whiah the p'1:.t few yes-ra have initiated, it ia absolutely epeer'tial that there should be some sort: of org.niss.ti:1Il of the p-o. fession, and that the dra.nia.tio art should not be behind the sister arts of music acd pa-intis:? in the facilities afforded for instruction ia ita elementa and principles. Under the present eyetem of obtamiBg' new bloJd it ia almost a marvel tha.t so much talent comoa to tha front, especially considering the immense amount of drudgery which &n actor ia compelled to undergo in the absence of any proper system of training. But the profession of the stage ia not excepted from the feeling which pervades some others—a feeling which ia sometimea called "tradew unioiuam," and with which ia inex. tricably interwoven a strong element of coneerva- tism. Any now proposal is naturs-lly looked upon with jealousy and something of distrust. It would, however, be a mistake to suppose tha.t sctcrsand aotreseoa are at all unanimous in their dislike to the profoasor'a propoaal, while aa to maDageM, they are even lesa innnonoed by feeling of dislike. I should not be surprised to nnd that some stepa are ahortly taken in the direction of giving practical effect to the profeaao: a pro. pTMls.

MYFYR MORGANWG, D.e.L. (Br MoRiEN) A few dtya ago Myfyr Morgaawg, D.C.L., rontypridd, Arohdruid of the Isle of Britain, reached the 80th miloatoco on the journey of life. This haa been a trying winter for the venerable patriarch, bat he has watched over his oonstitu. tion with the aasiduous care of one whose faculties are unimpaired, and whose capacity for enjoying the blessings of existence have not lost their keen- ness. There ia aomething unutterably touching in listening to the epeculationa of one who, judging by the ordinary duration of human life, cannot be diatant from the verge of terrestrial existence as to the life beyond. M. Thiera, in one of hia laat speechee, said, I am cloaa to the myateriaa." The archdruid will converse freely on the aubjeot of a future state, but he does ao very differently to the majority of other people. Nothing ia better caloutated to disturb hia equanimity while con. versing on the subject of a future etate than for one to refer to "Abraham'a bosom" A friend converaiDg with him lately ventured to mention the namee of the Hebrew patriarcha in connection with the abode of the bleaeed. He daH-ted a wttheriutr glacoe over hia spectacles aad aaid emphatically. I have no desire to go to dwell with the Jewa, but with lolo Morganwg. Talieain. Hywaroh Ben, &o. I would prefer sitting on a stone m their oompfmy in the circle of Gwynfyd than with any Abraham in any paradiae. Myfyr ia cow bneily engaged in drawing up a synopeia of the Druidio creed, which will be entitled "The Thpod of Apollo." It waa interesting, bnt at the earne time metanoholy, to witness how the venerable bard chafed at the interruption to hia labonra the late froet canaad, for the cold affected hio aged nngera, and he was in oonaeqnenoe unable to write. It waa the chafing of one who feela that he haa important work to 6niah within a limited time; of one who feela that the signal for dropping the pen for evermore may come at any moment. We rejoice, however, to be able to atata that there ia now every probability 1 he Tripod of Apollo will he given to the world in a complete form. It ia a great error to auppoae, ae many do enppoee even in hia own neighbourhood, that the arohdmid ia an izndei. The fact ia, that the only quarrel he haa with modern Chriatianity ia that it doea not, according to hia viewe, represent the glory and majeaty of the Creator adequately. It iabnt aimple jnatioe to an illuatrioua Welshman who haa jnat entered upon hia ninth decade that thia should be known before he diea. During the latte? years of the laat century the olaun of a certain aohool who caUed themeelvea the diaciptee of the chair of Morganwg, conaiating of lolo Morganwg, Dr. Owen Pugh. and other distinguished men, to be in poaeeeaion ot the teaeta of the ancient Druida ot Britain and Gaul waa the theme which excited much diaouaaion in the learned world. Among othcre who wrote on the aubjoot from an adverae point of view waa the learned author of The Celtic ResearoheB," and The Ritea and Mythology of theBritiah Druida;" Mr. D. W. Naah, author of tha intereetimg volume, The Barde of Britain and others, alt of whom challenged lolo and hia frienda to produce proof of the truth of what they aeaerted. lolo promised it to the world, but he waa unable to do aa he had intended poverty, old age, and, ultimately, death prevented him. Dr. OwenPugh, who had been initiated into the mysteries by honest lolo. eaya With reapect to the traditiona themselves, aa one of the order I feel a propensity (a pardonable one, I hope), in common with a few remaining membera, to pro- B rve among ou fild ves undisclosed, except at a ef reedd, those very ocrioua remaina as an incite- ment to preserve tha ayatem." Such are tha remarks of a fcholar and a gentlemau touching the Druidic mystoriea that dear old Icio was Bnab!e to give to the world. Now it will be ecen how important ia the work performed by Mytvr Morganwg, when we etate that he haa ac. c.-mpliahed what lolo Morganwg had promiaed. Unfortunately he haa written m the Welatt language and, with the exception of what haa appeared m the columns of the Western noBe of the mysteriea h.tve been given in Eagl?ah. I wish the patriarch of Pontypndd many more happy yeatB to serve hia country.

<??'? SvRUF o? HoBBHOUND gtvea imme. i ?.?''????' ?°??. C?d..Hoar3.n. ?n??r. ? ?'??-ShortMM <f Breath. Md ? ?d ? M ????? ???- ?oldmbotttM. ')' ? ?'? ? ??' ? 'eBpeot?ble m?d'oine v"u(lors tLzOughont the kingdom. Edward "Lou. doe. mk

SOME REMARKS ON TEE OCEAN SLIDING SCALE, BY MH. EVAN EVANS. LETTER ir SiE,—After a period of almost llDOUr:nphjd 3o- preet.ion in the coal trade, miaters and men alike have begun the year 18SO with the cheering hcpe of a spaedy improvement. Already the demand fer coal is better than it has boon and the natural recult of an advanced price will ir.evitably follow. Masters and men are agreed th&t the moment the price of col adv&noea the starvation wages of the latter muet be increaaed. It haa only been the absolute necessity of the case that has ju&tiEed the grinding reductions to which the men have been subjected. Bat there is a cicud on the horizon. The expo. rience of the paat ahows the fatal facility with which labour disputes degenerate into strikes. And labour disputes there muat be when tha adj'datmont of wages is left to be settled at the last moment, by men whose minds are excited by rumours of advancing prices, and whoae instincts of aelf- intereat are meet powerfully appealed to. By the arbitration award of 1875 both employers and employed accepted the principle that thesa strikes could beat be avoided by the adherence of both parties to a well-considered sliding scale. It is true that the eliding scale then established contained within itself the elements of impracticability. But this c.%n be said in its behalf, th&t during a moat critical period in the history of the coal trade— from 1875 to the time of diasoutu.uiag the k3c3,la in 1879-it effeotêd its purpose in preventing the disastrous conflicts between capital and labmr which ha,d Eo cfen impoverished the district. Can there be a better time than the j,lrot!eat to eliding schlep Weh-.ve plenty &fo)ateri&l to guide usic framing one. Taero ia the old eliding ecalo of 1875, which, withia certain limits, proved entirely satisfactory. And now there is before the pubiic for consideration and adoption-if to3,.3 intcreeted in the matter choose to acospt either o< them-two other scales very recently puh into fcrce by the mutual consent of the masters and men connected with two of the moat emimnt colliery companies in South Wales. Need I a%y that I refer to the agreements made between Meeers. David Davis and Sons. of the Forndalo Co). liery, and Mefjsra. David Davios, and Co., of the Ocean Collieries, and their respective workmen. As I wish this letter to be a thoroughly exhaustive exposition of the subject with which I am dealing, I shall make no excuse for reproducing these agreements in this place, nor for supplementing them with a copy of the old eliding scale of 1875. Here, then, they are:— THE FERNDALE AGREEMENT Ferndale Colliaries, November 3, 1879 -It is hHey 4rttd that the foù"wÜg hliding scale to r'g Ua.'o weges be adopted from the 3t.8C of Decembtr nex' 1879:— lat. That the present rate of wages paid aha.H be due to the workmen when the selling price of large stea.m ocaJ, free on board at UMdin, is aiicertaiMd tj be 6,. 6u. Let per ton. 2md. Th&t for every la. per ton a.dvanco in the 8el!i!i? price, tree on board at Cardia, tte workmen are to receive 7< per cent. advance in wages. bMtd on the pre- sent ra.te of wages paid, and for every equil deciiue in the BeHingpnce aredootion of wages tochesamaMtent is to be submitted to by the workmen. 3td. That when an advance or decline of 6d. per ton on the present "Ring price of 8. 6d. per ton net, free en beard at Card iS, be ascertained by the accountant to have taken place, then Sf per cenc. (or 9d in the P, on the preaent rate of wages paid) shall be advanoad or reduced, as the oaae may demand. 4th. That accountant be appointed to ascertain the selling pnces at Cardiff at the end of every tnree mcnths, from the 31st December, 1879, and the Wtgea due according to his finding are to rule tor the following three mcntha, and ao on fcr every three months during this agreement. 5th. That tMa agreement shaH be in forca for two years from 31st December, 1879, and that at th'j expin- tion of that period it shall be subject to be terniiu:tted byasixmontha notice on either aide; (addendum, the right of every workmaa to leave his emplo;uM:jt ou giving the usual month'a notice, and the right of h I owners to d18S8 any workman on giving II. mouth d notice, ia not disturbed by this agreement. THE OCEAN AGREEMENT Memorandum of agreement made thia 19:h diy of December, 1879, between Messrs. David Davits 'H?i <.o.. prcpnetors of toe Ocettn CoHieriea. here'nittter caUed the owners, of the one plitt. aBd the uDderai,?aed workmen of iiLI1 c.a,ases, he:ein!tfter OfUled the workmos, of the other part. The w ges of all the workmen (except nremena.nA wh;dilg eDJ(lnemen) shaJlia future be iiegutatedby.i rlidu g scale bailed Upon the avelage net for large steam coaJ, colUery screened, ftee on iuari atCard:S. Ah advances and reductions made under this atrrae- ment bilsed a fixed of wages, VIZ" the fchedule of prices at in at tae OCt an CoUierit:8. in other words, OD lS per oent. abnve the ptesent rate of wages. ton, the present rate of wsges to he paid aud to form a Vthen the pri,m rcalied eha.ttte anduiidtr wages sbaH be 8tj 6d vs M iO p. c. below the 6:,n.di.fJ fs 3d ICs Cd 5 1. ICa M 10d 9d The sta.ada.t-d K'a9d 1], 64 P. 0 abov,- tlie 8tau-itixd HcCd J:I 3d 5 ]23 Hd 13-. od n :3a M 138 6d 10 138 6d ]4< od 13 1M <d 14-t 6d 16 146 <id 15t! Od 19 And BimDarly an tuition of 3 par cent. upon the 8tø.1.dard for e-tery additioUlil 6d per ton lU the l,ce tealised. 1h:) dBorence in rate of advance in wages aftc.- lOa per ton in pricerft,,isod has been reached. is "gi'ecd ..0 by the owners 8nd "°1 kmen in considerution,)f the Btaodr.1 selling price haTing been reduced frsm 12a per ton ubder previous scale to K's under this. The averse plice re&lised ahall be aacertaiaed by }f e&brs.. aCCOUDt.aJlti. w tio. after tx&m?nint! <he acoanta, ahuh ceitity to ,,he o?neraMidtothe eecratary of the workmen's c m- mittee the rate ct wsg?e <Iue to the workmen accor tog to the above eoalo, buc shaUnot disciose the averu?o mittee the rate ct wSg8 <Iue to the workmen accor tog to the above eoalo, but shaUnot disclose the average nit-e realised, a. any other particu!a.fs oonne.'ted with the exaLilati,,n. The accountants ahali be )pait by 'he owners tr.( workmen in equal prot-,rtioaa. ?ho accountanta' ex-kmir-ation sholl oe iBtde quarterly, viz.-after the end of March, Jung, have bfen tealiaed durmg the q'Mfter ah&H govern the rate ot wages for the ensuing ..hree months, auy a'tdi- tionorrtduction in the rate of wages to take effect frrmthe oommeDceTeent of the Sratcjiliorym'cth after each quartef the nrst examination to tAkeputoe at the et.d of March Next. this agreement is subject to six months notice in writing on either aide, but it is agresd that euoh Dot;ce is not to be Riven before the end of March, 1882; and it ia alo agreed that, during the coutiunituce of this agreement, the naual month's notice on eitaer side to terminate contracts shati be limited to 5 percint. of each claaa of workmen employbd at each plt.. and it i? further agreed that, in the event of a grater numoer of notices th-.n such 5 per cent bein<; teu'kf«d oy '.hd wortmen, then the mst 5 per cent. ofe.ch<:I'M<of workmen aa shall nrat deliver the notices ahaU a"'m be entitled to leave their employment under siioh u. tice. In the event of this or any &imilar sliding 8CR13 btl.ed on the aveKtre acHing price ot coal eÜ,g adopte i at other stMm coal colUeries, then the prices obtained by the owners of such calfieriea tor their coal may ha it*- eluded in the accountante' examination, 90 as to form part of the general average price realised by which the wage rate ia to be regulated. All dispute* arising on thia agreement shall be re- ferred by both parties hereto to the arbitration of L.rd AbaMMe.of,failiBghun.then to Mr. Dillwyn, M.P.. either of whose deoistons ahall be nnal Mtd bincing ou all parties to this agreement. THE SLIDING SCALE OF 1875. WhereM, by an agreement entered into the 28th day ot 1875, the council of the MonmoatIL. hire and South Wales Collieries .&ø8oclation and A deputation of the workmen at the collieries in tuoh asbociation, aDd modiäed by &DOther ent daed the 28th day of October, 1875, it was agreed &httt any change in the wage rates at the said coluertee, tfterthe expiration of three months from the 31st day of May th<:n next, thomd depend on a sliding aca.te ft wages. to be regulated by the felling price of coal. the ache Jie for such Stale to be agreed upon by a joint committee of tn I ettione, fivet, be nominate by the employers and by the rkmen. such to sit before any notice of advurce or reduation Of wages was given; and should the ic)iut committee be unable to upon the baøi..Vof t tcheme for such aUding scale of wages, or any letil thereof, the solution of suoh qutsuons waa to be referred to an umpire, whose decision ehoutd be ncal, and it was to be a condition in any anfh scheme that either pM'ty terminate the agreetoent ander it on giving six months' notice. And heJeas we, the undersigned, David Davie, VfiJIi m MeneiauB, William Shewajrd Cajtwright, William Thomas Lewis, Thomas duJonar Hmith, W)IIi)m Abrith-un, HemTy Mitchard. John Prosaer, Daviu Morgan, and Thomas Halddr.y were duly appointed to be the ten member* of the eaid joiit cvmmi tee. And where&t we. the said joint committee, having fully inquired into, mvettimtett. and considered aU the fMte aod circumetttmoea relating to the m&ttera so conndtd or refMred to us. or upon which we were to decide, have, in pursuance of enoh agreements aad the anthttity vested in us. unanimously agreed upon the bMis, scheme, or scale, and the details thea-eotnereiu- atter expressed, and du hereby matM ?nd pnbtiah this onr a.WMd, deo:8ion, tuid nnal determtnatton m the nretniMB. after expressed, and du hereby matM and pnbtiah this onr a.WMd, deo:8ion, and nnal determtnatton in the nretniMB. 1. That the m'.c'TMm -ages to be paid at the several collieries shall b nxed at 5 per c<nt. above tne pricea paid at the same oclliene:! i-a the year 196! adjusted to the imJ.rial too. and determined as follows :—for the ateam coatcoUierita, The oatttBg price of the Upper Four Feet Seam. in the Aberdare V alley, shall be the standard; tor the bittuninoua collieries of Monmonth- thiro a?d the Caerphdiy district, the c'Attin? prioe of the Nyliyddyalwyn Seam and the TiHery Beim shall be the standard; for the bitaminoua co!Hehe< of Glamor. Sraaahire. which mclndea all the coUiertea in the .Heath and hmaufts dietriot. with the Mceptionof thoCrcMM HMda. Calif ornM. Ctwdor. and Henciraforgan Colt enee. the c>uttir:g piice of No. 3 BhotMidt SeMn 6haU be the gtaudftra. 2. The minlmnw. atMdard of wagea payable in the several slams-bv.L is, Lli,, Upper I'oiir Feet Seam in the.abcrdate Vall-b, the Myuyodyalwyn, tnd filtery a<an)a. aBdtteNo a Rborduioeam.aanxfd.by adding 5 por cett. to t he, bevoral cutting prices paid for them S?i??' ?* ? ? ?c "qa?lentwa?a for the ???.?T'"?? ??? ?ea for the sevarat ?on ?y?'?"????'? coat, deUvcr.d ??t???.?? ?'? of Cardia, Newport, and ???t? ? ?y:-Mteam coa!. :26 per toa: ]\o¡)liyàdJlih,D Bnd l.iuery cl, lIs per ton; No.3 1111 ?'ti??? ?nim? MH.n? pTioea and minimum ?. M?en??'?? "'?d. aU c?.m. of houMr.nt.&e.Mw?.a????? of liv.cg. ottLe?trloo? ot ?t??''? "?J'?? Eegttlatic-n Act. ? ??? ?? ??a Miuee Ja?.?V???? the lat day ot for, .ban be ?????'?''???r pro?.d that ia to aay :-?9 ?on M the????'? ??. taintd for l-.rge cothti?-bc?e. nedc? ? ? ??? ? the porta cf C?fd?. S??e???.?? ?'?<- .hm?pcr?b?ve the ?p.cti????-? )n ola.]-<? No. ?, t.he wagea pMab-a t" '.?? workmen for the 6u eeedtn.! stx moatha ? ? be advanceo 7? t er '?ent. npou rhe minimum <vMat .1 f,o m. 7. per cent. for every ahi'lin? advance orn ?h efHu tr pnoeB up to a. maximnm of twenty-one shiUnuts tet fre<t en tcard for coUiCTY-acreene-t l{u'fe hte?:n cca\ and twenty shillings net/frfe ou buMd fo large bituminou'.t coal fit the port, o Csreiff, Newport. aadSwanata.; it }-m; Ttm 'he w, go@ rhqll als-3 be rediiul ,1.c:C()]:Llng to tu. w.1m" scale dowa to tht: ehüllJJgs net for coil iery- sc!-eeiaed large steam coal, bil:,n' ,l.t f('.y .'itt, lØ!'1l8 blh¡11ÍJL;US {).}I\I, {-rm tb sfvert.! i-'tn-s m'),ti()r.e. i'Q Chase 2. 5. Tc'. o.V"Higl s't-liit g pr oe of the several Jeso'I'?- ol i.ge co,.t;, fr,e in iD -Ntwpo,-t, ai:ti during thp mouttis of aLd ;)"cfi.ber, 1,75 ;hd! the e p, yalic, Of l'IlJ, t, t3.I' f T s':a e tha If.O) t C,l'I!J I1jf'l.cir g 1. 1816, and fucce. d'rtr t'Mit pa.. )y perifd of six months, ending th<: 31H day of D( fIDb, d the dRy ot the of the OW11. r., t-bull be ex.1! ined l' t 1 i-e YliLrS ¡j,nd eikinin. 1 he a ver,tge net trk (i oLi bt)pti d, for co'ilie. y spraer ed V;, c, s r, a, o et, I t tlio descril,tions (steg-in co%l, y y d slwYI1, 1'nr! '1' Hery ('oRl, and ,0 a RhonÖdq coa]) a tl e on It, f 'Iwditl, Newport, and f,,1 ibc- pc, Ctiili¡.( SIX mo. ths the wagc-a for the e. "uil g 6 x m, ",th! it UUUfJtstiJod foi- EU b 11"') W 1 k, d of tl e Iescriptioiis, and 8 'd in \<og.OL8 uthe co\'¡el1eil, toe at I h- Jlort f shall be taken juto account to make UJ the averages 6, H iR uJ.¡<J,rsLOod that ,hatever or cee ill wbgee are ebtu bIbhed at the cvl,¡crit1.3, workiùlt the belm" 1.11 the ¡,(;rl "t811dard illdi,aled thllt is to SHY, the UpP0r Feet e! m, tl e Myn odys wyn Mid 'Mtery S <j.m", a.nd 'he No. a Bhutdda. ara.m. the Stime car ceat).f) ct r, dUûticn or "dV110,. in "Ago" will be app. (A t.) all ther ill the ucwti'on, t,) th g ()ups o Ali ch t.lH,y <evtr.il.y btt.OLg, so Un.ii the of ail ill tw several H'9ILB ,hall le n;,dnT,,1Ïued, nd e htfte h.reust.o SHtoaf bands this llth d.'y of L I Bffd Ecatcely say that the Ferndale aud 0:eas aleem2L.ta hnb b.:on subjeted to aevere cntioiem on the part of both maatera and men, other than those directly affected by thpm. The fact that they have bain amicabJy arr&aged without the intervention of the eo called labour representatives hM Monaed a apitit of antsgoniam on the part of acme deleq.tes who, libo Otbello, have fonad their oooupa.tion gone. Of the Ocean scale h is not too much to say that it ie eaaentiaUy the workmen's aoa.if, prepared in all ita etiBential pointa by the imn theMSCITC8, ai-d e-ccepted by the maatefs -.v;.t!¡ modincatioca so alight as not to aneut either the principle or practical working of the ment. Herewith I append a COMPARATIVE TABLE OF SLIDING SCALES. WDfn the pile" of coal fre" op boMi;.t ia us "hown !rt the Bret cdur(,n of th:s tsbi-, tb') WÐg ra'e ;.&y-t.He undc.r tbH t'rre Ziffereut eca,lt?d weNid be as h(. n ta the othfr colnmna. ale Se, le. Ucülllîca;e, Scdfr'f!B7: OF cot]. W ae rll.tl). V" '-1\ e L te, W..e r'Aj. a.d. 76 7"6 95' 100- 79 786 85' 1.0' so M'a to..s' iuu- 83 bid &5* luj' 8 fj 85' '.j- iu0' 9U 882 <0' 100' 93 8 <5' i(Y), 96 9i4 <-5' I<)<)' 1?0 h?6 10- 1'U' 106 b:'7 10U' ..tM' 1C& t'7 10;5 ..OJ' 110 1C09 H 25 1CC- 116 ]0.1 105- Ji.O- ]20 107'3 1('5' 10i' 12 3 107-3 1075 lOU' m6 li05 H'75 10i)- j 3 U 1137 1.LU' hli 136 1169 .ii3' K75 14 0 1M- 116 US- US 1232 11')- 115' ) 5 0 I2'i-4 IM- 123-5 la 6 119?6 hS' 1225 160 132-8 j2j' 130- 16 C 136 HI' 130' 170 H93 ISt- K75 176 H.'4 H7' H7'5 180 1456 14T M 186 l.t8'8 143' U5' 190 1619 i4'j 15 5 196 1M1 149' 1526 200 1583 ibz* 16C- A careful atody of this table will do more to satisfy the intelligent workmen of the equitable character o! the Ocean Scale than any amount of argnment. Until coal reaohea the price of 12a per ton in no single inataBce ia the Ferndale Scale so favourable to the interests of the men.. And from 10s 9d per ton up to 14s 6d the Ocean Ssa:o is more favourable to the men than the sliding scale of 1875. Indeed, to go farther still, from 14s 6d up to 17a there is no prac:io*l difference between the two. It is true that the Ferndale Scale profeMea to give an advance of 3i per cent. on each advice of 6d in the p-ica of ccal. But that 31 per cent. is calculated on the current rate of w,tg<?s, whMh are 15 p." cent. below the standard eatp.b'iahed by the old eliding scale wMoh haa been adopted by the CcQpaBy. The diSerenoa bot-wsen thesa t. ataBdarda is repJee6nted by the figuroo lOt'fo the Occam and 85 for the Ft:rnda!e. It is, thsr fore, obvicua that an advacse o? 3 per cent. on iha higher or Ocean eta.od,¡,rd is practically equal to 3i per cent. on the lower or Ferodale standard. Another aeemiBg atha.:dage poegeeled by tbe Fern- dale Scale is the fae!: that by i<a pfovisiona the wape Tate is aomewhat higher when coal i"' over 12s per tec. Hovr illu-3ory th<a ¡;eem!n;.r ad Yr.nt-, ge ia will rpasily be dotecteJ whsu we t-ttttti that aince the year 1S40 there ha.ve cuty been fonf yeara during any portion of which ths pTico of coal f.o.b. at CaidH! ha& pxcocded Ha pei* +'JU. I need acarccly say that those tour yei*ra weft) the fonriEilatijni&tvcarcof 187275. I rliall cor.. o!ude My remarhs by quoting fr,)in s u?eful Etl¡) circular, publiahed by T&UefaeE, TViUs, acJ Ja., the folJowiLg stbtil;\tics I':àuwi.¡g the ?noe<t t'-k,-t EMckcIesa Btf&m coal averaged f.o.b. in Car'?iS', rcHIery ticrpesed.. from 140 down to the e:. J o? the 6ret quarter iB 187.): AVERAGE PRICES OF COALS Yenr. 'Price. YeM, Prict. lyear. [r:,¡;. ?40 .MO* H!S3.Mc? '*?63.8<? I811.100 )?t.U'?.t)lM7.8(,? j842.?0 )1855..?6j JS6i-8(,? 1S)3.90 ??5u.9t!t I86?.8CA 18.14.<C !57.. "3"? 870.93t ;84.i.Ht) 1871.. 10 r, j 184.(; to I) vrg. 33 1872 15 0 k I 847. 9 6 1. Cll $i 3 1 23 0< j8<8.93 j'?t.86')?t8<4?M6M. 1?9 .&<) )'?2.o??"!87a.l6UM JS.0.86 !l!t?3.?9< t&76.10St< ?.?,83 :M.8&/ t§r7.95 i§o3.80 'tS65.S9 '878.91 1879 85p There we'e commercial pfunc< in thea yaars. a. ''nofs &dTMiced on account, of tho Ci't?ea.a Wdr (in remmed high its 'uern'.l.u¡J,o:.1. &. The ""ur bùiDg over, pJ"ieeil fdl- notic w' gi,an to the for II reductic-n of warc-s; a ¡;fTilœ and 4,000 tc [,000 men vee or't tor tix weeks. c, 8crNI1:h)g at put of shiJ}moot opereticn, 6<t. to 9d. per t m wiU ha,?e to be addej t'j ihetto flgures. to obtain the prices (¡f dou16'ldCl'e6a;;¡(i coal, d. From 1S59 to the end of :'8C2 trade oantiaued 11 t. depiorab!e state. eCommecc<tda.8s., JatyadvancedtoSaSdMm <'ndedatPs.6(L America WMinJ8f;3tmd"e6t. n. Gre&t demand at the latter p:.rt cf the yes.r for ',he r' quiremienteottheAbtaeitianExpeditioa; c mmpu'e t he year at 68. 6d in LePtcTnberad7ancod M Ma 9d II. Commenced at Sf. 3d., ended at 8<. 9d. Con'menced at 98 M., ended at 9d. 9d. Ct mmeDced at 8s 9d., went to -,4,. P.i.' In ITAT t-he mM e c m-Lud ed {.n a, vt6nee of '?ages, which WLI,,I rafc1 =od hem a strike eirnedon the lat of Jnaa, a cl COo.t.Í\e¡j ;0 tte?4Ut of Augmt. Prices a4v-ree-I clllrillg tae tTÜe, and at the end of the '1\r stood 9.t 12s. .< The year opened at but prices advarcad steadily to Sea. iu Decembtr. t. Commuucod at 23a., toe<' to 32.1.. aud 6ude' at 23a.6d. m. Commenced at 22s. 6d. :r January, and MI to 14a. in December. A great etril-e took place on the løt r-f Tauna- 71 ]r.stillK n.htil the lat of JULe. Trices rose to 6 in January, then foil ste&di.ty to 16e. m June, ilud thence to 14s. in December. o. Commenced at ICs. 9d.. fell to 10s and ended at IPs.M. p. For first quarter of the year only, but co rjcovrT took place snbseqnently. -I am, &o., EVAN EVANS. The Locks, J&n. 9, 18SC. LETTER II. SiR,—As acme misapprehecMom haa arisen in regard to the comparative table o! slidmg &calea givc-n in my former letter to yon, I trust yon will allow me space for an explaca. tien. When I showed by the old scale wagea continuir 7 at the figure of 100 after coal had fallan from 12a to 7a 6d, my intention was to show that this would have been the working of the scale had it not been first altered by oonaent in January, 1878, when a reduction of 5 por cent. took place, and subsequently altogether aot aaide by the eix months' cotice terminating in June last. Tee reputed reductions in the prise cf coal rendered an (.Iteration in the scale abaolntely Baoessary. It was impossible to continue paying the 100 minimum. But although the 100 is a higher rate of wage than the trade weald bear, is not, I ask, 85 aa low as will give the men a bare subsistence P Ihere is another matter on which 1 wish to make some obaervationa. A correspondent ia a local paper, who signs himself Collier," hae been at pains to make a comparison between the 1'emdale and the Ocean scales. That cooi. parison is altogether incoireot. It commences by ehowing that when the selling price i8 8a both the ForBdalo and the Ocean pay the present rate of wages. Nothing can be more misleading. The Femdalo Scale distinctly states that, for every rise or fall of 6d per ton in the selling price of ooal f.o.b. &t Cardiff, above or below 8a 6d per toa, there shall be an advice or reduction of 3l per cent. in the rate of wages. Doea thia Dot mean that at 8a selling p-Ïce Fetndale men would hve to submit to a redaction of 3 below the present rate of wages? Attain, it ia assumed that an advance on tha PrOsOtt wpAgGs (85) is the Mo.a aa an advance t'n thp Of aan atacdatJ (1CO), while in fact C po'- con b. on the latter ia abo.tt eqna) to 7? at Feradab. Are the?a BKre errors on th? part of a mau '?hoprofe8H')g to j know EC much, cr ave t-tik,y m!9r"p7a&&nt,ations intended to miclca<i the wcrhm'm and the ,)abHo? Again, the pame writf-r rem'u'ka. In *.he P'er- dale Agreement the right of every wurkma-t to ) leave hm etEp!ymeiit by g?ug tb" uaua! moith't notice, and the rght or the t"Vt};,)l'S to diismiaa ¡ BBy workman by giviuq a oonth's notio -is not diBtotbed, while tho othor is erataigled with t.- ohDoxicua clauao that no more th<m 5 ?«r oant. cf j each class of V.OdIIWD loava each pit in the BRmo month." N.)w, I asx. wLa.t 'ÜŒj;¡l -:11\ there be in &ay ..U2ing iî: il be at tao optioa of eitEl' i!j¿, w ddumiv.s;> jlJ &L a notice? It waa to prevent thia that the stipulation tfaa mace thttt cot nio!-e tuan 5 per cent. of eaah ciMs of worsen should giva notios ia 'a.uy ona Cicuth. Past cXper!f.LCe shown tha.6 soaij masters who were prlea to the old sliding :108010 have Kiven a month'a notice to their <vorkmea, aBd c.t the end of it threatened to atop the ph altcgefher u.clEsa the men a&aiatod them through these dcproEsed times by making a certain coccpeeioa in wagoa. In thia way more than one reduction has been brought am' it appears an evidence of good fdoilh on bath eides that this power should be abandoned on both fidrs, and the pcale honestly wo:ked out to ita Ifg.tiB-ate issne. A "Collier," towards thecloae of hia letter, rpmsrks with reference to thp conduct of theFarrdaIeand the Oceaa ColEery Comp!\niea, That these nrma have a perfect right to doaert their colleagues and become l'iw to themselves no one will care to deny, but ths' it haa been done with any view of benefiting the district at large ia questionable. From the varioua prinoiplea and details of the onaotmenta one thing ia clear, that there ia a strong disposition ahown on the of one of them as to who ehall gain the ascendency in being the recogniaed dictators of the wage rate paid in the district." Now, that ia a very un- charitable, as well aa incorrect, vetSK'n of the poai. tion. So long aa the Associated Masters on the oae haad, and the repreaentativea of the men on the other embraced, as they originally did, the vast majority of the collieries of Monmouthshire and South Wales, this waa the readiest meana of discussing differences and arranging disputes. But so many mastera have aeoeded on the one hand, whilt.: en the other represenh,tives of the wen, it M only too well known, no longer enj.y t1;.o of their cosstituents,that any between them arc rendered ex- tl:L(Jl¡ u;L(;uh, if not impossiole. Indeed I aaa ir.fore1 by many colliers, and thoae of the steadiest and beat, that they will naver accept any arrangement made on their tehalf by their oli representatives. Thia ia to be wo:.d(.red &t attur the course which boea and the BiM-at.atemsDt.a which have 000;1 wtiMca by 8ûn..tJ of tite wofkmen'H d¡Jlegatca, wb. h&Te chcTvn a muh moro e:1S{er desire to retain their present po::itloa and pay th&n promote tha welfmo of the N.ea thsy profosa to represent. Under the circumstances, therefore, I hold that inaividual 6rmB and their employes are fut)y justified in coming to the best arrangements they can for carrying on the work, and preventing the reciirrf.nco ct those strikes and misunderstandings w bich ha.ve dope the trade ao much miauhief. TbaBkh..gyoubyfmticipatIou for the iceertiou cf thia kttM, I am, &n., EVAN i.Vd.NS. The Decks, J&n. 10. LETTERS FROM THE OCEiN COLLIERY WORKMEN. SiR,—At a committee meeting held thia evening, rppreemtiEg all the workmen of the Ooeitn Collieries, the subject of our sliding ac%le, or, more particularly comments thereon, haa had our attention. We thank you for printing Mr. Evan EvMtB'a letter in your paper of to.day. That letter :epret.enta to a very great extent our viewa, ard we endorse it throughout, with the exception of a part of a table giving a comparison ot our scale with that of Ferndale Sliding Scale, and that of the old AsMOiation oalo. We take exception to the table with reference to the old scale, from the price of coal at 12a and downwards, aa repreaented by 100, on the ground that it would be absurd for uatoexpoot our wagea to be reduced below what we consider our rate of wages was equivalent to at that price, namely 12a, when, at the same time, we know that the actual p?ice of coal waa something like 4s per ton under that price. In other respects the comparison of the different ecalea ia correct and the result of the comparison we understand to be the following :—We do not go below 8s 6d per ton at &U by our 8c3Je. The remdalo Scale does eo. At 8s 6d we are 5 per cent. better off than Fem. oalt', and continue to be better off by tuat amount. and more, Dp to 10s per ton. Forou IUs to 3i we are better oS throughout b? Bjma en'aUer per At 12? 3d the two BC&Iea are equal bu" frora < hat point upwards the advantagtj is 2lightlv io favour of the Ferndale Scale. Again, companrgour soalo with the old scale of thpa=acci&tion,our soaloia batter thttu it by per cent. at 12& 6d, which percentage gradually until nt 169 6d the two eoatea are prao 'cailYfqi:al. From that point upwards too old RMt'tf hM the adymtage by Ii per cent. for every t'h)h'g, Ilgpjoet which, however, we claim for our "c'.ic n tu!l pquivalent in the advances and "f'd\J(.:1i,)> t.9-kir,g place upon the 6d and not upon the )K. MiO ryt;iking tba price of coal, by which 'çH every three months hyonr HP i-p:ea;\ ot every six months by the old ca.lti. taet 4" yeara the price of ootd, free un ranged &a follawa:—For 31 tb&t period it haa been 10s a,nd under, for t'TM ;{)W! ø thbt time i.t haa been above lOä, unc'? YSa 3d, for three ycara of that period '1P tn lÍ; td, :at,d 61. e JOUl' ii; went th!1 rü the <f'e ot th&t ccr'iTR-B*H f'co'' ua &re ume(Je!!Bary. There ia cco poiHt that baa come nndo? our notice ",15;,1). t,blJ\1gh !t raltHy only ante's our N!1ployel'ii, E,H6 ia L'Ot. < f much importa,Q(;e, wa cuty in justice to Wf t-t,y. i< i* Mitt true, "8 haa B('n t.t< bmbf ca: that tr.c Mte of wages a,t thr O; h'M' b*'fn r'*ouccd either 1U I)eT fjnt, 0)" al; oher parofii' in addition t<. the t5 per celt, bfiow !be 8tndrd of lH f c* nf" t.c3ounts are ont tm(!" tba.t .11 .t.1 at on r.f tb<' o* t.io work. mf H <'t thf Oce&T' w. *<. 'i LL:AMS, Secretary, 1"r(;ûr\y, 1<\ '88' J.[.. Á'Y of K&turday was wtitton .-sy meanu g in the second paragraph hci 1:1.0; \'t,lY clear. It is rendered atiil mure by the word "nut" being leM out i>ü'III¡;a th0 "ns" and "to expect." I m-Ldcd to convey was thia—that the jid made no provision for any reduction ia wh&n coul l<ad tttUen in price below 13a, < ¡¡d, iD cl10tinuing the etandard of 100 hem 1¡¡ down to 7d 6d. aa waa done in Mr. LvaRB'B letter, it njtght be supposed that the rate of wa.a paid all through. No fo? scuc timt. <t!ttr the price of coal had lie h<}low ISe tha old etandard waa paid. The \Aatn6 did thia, they faid, in hope of better :j;.i: instead cf an ituprovement, a further in ¡;Úœ took place. The consequence &. tJ.t Mia 5 per CMit. had been l!,)wed c& tbe standMd, and aa no could be come to by which the acalo I.oui.d bo made applicable to existing ciroueu. s'apceB, it w&B terminated by the six months' otice. The men did not expect to receive the '-sme wages when coal was actually selling at 8a aa they did when it fetched 12", and when we ->.grecl1 for the muumum wages to be paid upon tLe price o' S& Gd inHtcad of anything uudor 13a. .tud also that the miaimum rate under the old ?calo eheuld be paid at 10s instead of at 12s to 138, we think we made an arrangement which ought to be as satisfactory to our fellow workmen tt-sitiato ourselves.—Youra truly, W, F. WiLLiAMS, Secretary. Treorky. Jan. 12. 1880. LETTER FROM: A COALOWNEK. Sin,—The gravity of thia subject, and my desire fos the prosperity of the trade of CardiS, must bo my apology for uttering another wotd thereon. Your leader thia morning, giving renewed exprea. ¡;iollli1 to your viewa upon the subject, will, I hope, render good service to the cause. From my knowledge of the purohaaera ot coal in other c!iBtrict6,.Ican thoroughly en dorse what you aay regarding the loea which UardiS haa hitherto auat&inod, ia cow sustaining, and will continue to enattun as loBg aa the wagea queation ia unsettled. Why ia it that many other districts have adjusted a sliding scale ? We continually hear of meetinga between employers and employed, with subsequent meetiuge of delegates, a,cd although we do not hear of them, probably meetinga of employers also take place upon the subject. It would thus appear that the dolegatea on each side &fter every meeting have to appeal to their con. stitueatB for funher inatructiona. Now, it appears to me that no aettlement will ever be made until employers and employed em. power their representatives to Sx upon a. scale, and I would augtfeet that the employera set the example by appointing a) committee for thit purpose. NotwithstandiDC my approval gener..uy ot what you fay this morning, 1 cannot tgree with your viewa regarding the policy of individual ooai. ownera making arrangementa with their men. The arguments opon thia head have, I tMok, oeen pretty well expressed bv other parties, and I need only obaeive that Do each thmg naa been attempted in other dii'triota. O.ce tlnc<r I would venture to counsel-that both employera and employed exert thciaaelvM to the utmost in pro. ductM Moh aecale aa wiii be fun: and jnat to both pidea acd. in furtherance of thM view. I think the total ealea should bo taken ad tae baaia for ascertaining prioaa, not tae quantity ahipp&d at any particular port. It ia alleged, I uuderstaaa. that at aome of the collieries bettor pricea ate ()btned for ooal eent tt? other than ths South Walfa porte; and, if thia be so, the price realifted at the colliery ehould be thnB uf all /SQob <J!cgRtiona.—I am, &c., A COALuWNER, J¡,.n. 1.

MEETING OF M,STFRS AND MEN AT CARDIFF. A meeting of the joint eliding scab committee for Monmouthshire and South Waled was held on Tuesday afternoon at the Royal Hotel, Ctn-d tf, under the presidency of Mr. W. T. La-wig. the employers' representatives present, in addition to the chairman, were Messrs. C&rtwright, Mono. !a.us, Nixon, Rowbotham, and Yeo. The repra- eentatives of the steam coal ooiliora were Meaara. Abraham, S. Daviee, Phil.p Jonea, and David Morgan, houae coal repreeentativea: Meaara. John Jenkina, J. Blacker, Isa-M Evana, and Thomas Phillipa. The men h&ving intimate! that they were fully empowered to negotiate for the formation of a aliding scale, a few preliminariea were agreed upon. Mr. W. T. Lewid waa elactad chairman, and Mr. Abraham vice-chairman of the board. Mr. John Thomas waa appointed secretary on behalf of the men, and Mr. A. Dalziel secretary on behalf of the employera. Some matters of detail having bean alacuaaed, the meeting was adjourned tid to-day (Wednesday). The commercial community will await with Natural anxiety the new scale which it is clear the joint committee of representative coalownera and workmen have under consideration, If must be obvioua to anyone who hlWS thought over the subject that the scale in queation, in order to be of any value muaC be at loaat 89 fquit&b!e: liberal, and p?aoticaole ad t.:1t to which the propriotora and employea of tna 0' ?aB CoUieriea have agreed. The sliding scile eomcoittee regard both the Ocean Soaia and that previously adopted at the Fern. dale Colliery as obgt4okea to the acceptance of a general pcale for the regulation of minerf' waeeB throughout the Monmouthshire and Scuth Wttlea coalneld. In commenting on the letter scale in these columua on the 8th of November last we took occasion to remark tha,t their (the Messrs. Davis and Sons') conduce may prove such a thorn of disunion and disaeo- sic n amoE gstemployers as may retard the seemingly fair proBnee of tha'. prosperity for which oaalownera in tbia district have so long been waiting. So EocE as the demand for )abour becsmea aavere, nthtr ccaiownera may think it worth their white tofntraotworkmen by giving a larger proportionate advance than Messrs., Davis and Sona propose." Our anticipations have already been borne out to no inconsiderable extent. Nor has the recent agree- ment adopted at the Ocean Collieriea tended to simplify matters, further than this, perhaps, to enable the Joint Sliding Scale Committee to have at hand some neeful data in drawing up the scale by which they propose to regulate the wages in the coal trade of the diatriot. It mnat not be forgotten that this question of aoalea is one of wagea simply. To cave a number of separate soalea is juat the same aa to fix a number of ct&erent wage-ratea for the payment of one and the eame olaaa of work. And, we have over and over again exposed not only the injustice, but the absuroity involved in the idea that the colhera of the district will be content to out coal in one particular seam or coilier? at a price below that obtained by their brother minera in other pita hard by. To craw up a aoale theM. fore, which shall govern wagea throughout the entire South Waloa and Monmouthshire ooatSeld will compel the joint committee to deviio an arrangement at least aa liberal aa that with whicn the Ocean CoHioriea are identified. Thete can be no question that the present tadk of that select body ia an exceedingly cseroua one, to the completion of which the public V\'ili look with aa much curiosity as anxiety. Aft<r a aitting of almoat unprecedented lecgth in the history of recent delihetative meeting oe. tween the coalowners and minera of Suuth Wates.it was decided onWednesday by the Joint Stidiug8oile Coma-itteo tu accept a Eliding scale for the rogu. iation of wages in the collieries included in the Monmouthshire and South Walea Collieries' Association. At present a full official account of the d%ta)la has not been handed to us, but we hear that the sc?Ie, aa it atanda, ia to be in force for at lea&t two yeara. It is to be assumed that after the deliberations that extended from half.paat nine in the morning to U o'c.'cok at right, the respective pf.riqs would not have signed their names to the agreement, as they have cone, unleea both Bides had gives and taken to each other's mutual aatiafactioo. While, therefore, there ialittia doubt that in the details the men have protected their interests sumoiently well, it will be gratifying nowa for the coalownera, and the dia- trict gMera.liy, that the scale is established. Trace will be conducted on a firmer baais, and the fsale itself may tead to a rikeinwagap-. We hear IJbat the protracted nature of the diccuatuona was l,rincipally owirg to several ppintat&ken by the hocee coal men. There waa a fear at tne street the procoedijoga that there would be no tangible reeult to the deetlug, but nioieooBoiliatoryoounaela prevailed, aBd hence the decision arMved at. A apecial ttaic, to convey the men's rpresentatives home. wards on the Tan Vale Railway, was arranged to start at 30 o'clock, but they did not, in moat cases, leave the place of meeting—the Royal Hotel—until 11 o'clock. The omoial account of the meeting is as follows :— A rneeUng of the Joint Sliding Eca.:o Comm'ttea wia heIdpn_Wedt)es<?ay.attho RoyatHote!, Ca.fdiS Mr. W. T. Lewjsm the cbMr. There wera aj.oureadut ??'????'?'??-?? ?-S- C?rtwright on (.h?t cf the emplcytr? and ?hare T?t)re pre?ut. on be?aJf of the sttam coal meB, Meeara. W. Abraha.m l'a\'id Merg&n. rhiJip JoMea, and S Daviea; house ,v coal repreaeciativea Messrs. J. Jeakina, ThomM rhi'Hps, J, Blacker, ai.d Ie.).ac ETa.na Mr. J. Jeakma and Mr. A. Datziol, secretaries for the workmoa tmd emp'overs respectively. After a protracted dtsoaasicn of j Si¡ hours, a alidii2g beali) was agreed apon to tegula.tie wages in all the asaociated coitieriea. A copy of the agreement will be furniahed for publication in Monday's iaaue of the Western Mail. The joint committee will meet again on Saturday next, probably to discuss omoially for the nrat time the state of wages in the diatriot. (FROM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT). Another step haa been taken towards the eata. Miehment of a general sliding scale to regulate the wages payable in the coal trade of South Wales. Yesterday a committee of the aaaociatod masters agreed with a committee of their work. men upon the basis of a scale which, it is anticipated, will be acceptable to both partiee. Unfortunately the lateness of the hour at which the proceedings terminated—the meeting aat from half past cine in the morning till within a few mmutea of eleven o'clock last night-precluded the seoretaly from furnishing an onioial copy of the resulta arrived at. We are, therefore, unable to offer any opinion Ullcn the value and probable acceptability of thia new Ecale aa compared wnh othera which are before the public, It is right, however, that tbe public should know how many coalownera are affected by yesterday's agreement. Wo are not able to give the, preoiae number of the Monmonth. shite coalowners or of the house coal collieries "ffected by it, The following table will, however. hhow the proportion of associated to mon.asao. dated ateam'coa.lownera in the county of Glamor- gan who are bound by yesterday'a prooeoduig&:— ASSOCIATED. NOS-A660CIAIEO. CratrshavBr?s. N'esera.BfOgdem lowiajelromCo Powolt Duttrya St?jm I'ixc.n.Tayior&Cory. Coa?Co. lowiajelromCo Powolt Duttrya Stelln I'ixc.n.Tayior&Cory. cost Co. CM-dtH t Swanaea Co. I Gadlya Colliery Co. HI morgtm Co. D. Davis << Soja. ute Met thy r CoIHery Co. CwinpwiLnColLi,ry Co J wIJfa CoHiery Co LIetty BhoYAin '"otiiary Co Hhondda Mtrthyr Coll'ery riymonth t Ab?r??re Co Company. Penrhiewoyber ColUery AbcrciM-.CoMCo Comply winery Heath. EvMs& Co. ?????oa Col. MoKtec&i Jo.< es "°? ?. Abe! dare Rho).<M&C?UieTy ?ermhtU CoIHery Co. Ccm?My. °Iaenrhondd& CoUiery Co S. Thorns.„. „ -DIllraven eciiiary Co. GKM Wt stern CnUiery Co. I Borcyeat, Brown & Co ?aa St?m Co? Co series Co. TyIorjtCo. I Standard Coal Co. Radforda I Cymmer Coal Co. Fowler I Cambnaji al Co. Lockett's Merthyr I PemygMUff Co. I Edmund ThomM. Con!n t Co. W. Perch* Co. Of tee MB-Mfooiated coalownera, Darid Davia and Sona aad the Ocean Colliery Company have already eatabUahed eliding ecatea, ao ? ? .? o? workmen a? concerned. But rt wiU be seen that acme very I&rge oonoerna are atUI nnatected by any of the ahdmg aoalea alteady framed. By which arrangement M. compfmiea will ultimately he governed dependa entirely npon the relative advantaRea held oat to workmen by the several "'atrcmenta. Whatever dincreccea there may oo at the preaent time. it ia perfectly Bafe to predict that in the long run there KMMt ho oDe uniform rate of wagea for the men employed in each annilar otaaa of colliery wotk, and that the rate of wagea will bo the one payable ???,?. liberal of the three eoalea cow eatabhahed. It ia qaite clear that aome httle peraonal feeling has allowed itaelf to be obtraded into thiavery iyrPOrtmat matter. The eooner that can be got"d ot aD<! a naivereal aoale be accepted by a? ???? ? cotter it wiU be for the peace of the di<itrot, and the ptOBMtity and comfort of maatera and men alike.

MORE "TARIAN" CBITICISM ON THE OCEAN SCALE. The foIIowiNg a¡;p(ll"i! in this week'a Tarian II 'J ho 6tb faction of the Ocean S'idin? Soaie ia a pcod OEe. h pwviáes that thelDveetlKatlon as to the price cf coal is to be made every three montha, instead of every six months, aa under the old eHoing ecaip. Tbia ia an improvement upon the old acele fvy"en prices are looking up, but it should be retMrnbtred that it haa a corresponding dia. advaDtage when pri-es are loweriniz everthele8. wt feel-Tka Br:Qtnat a Ivantagoa sriaing from the tbree-molath]Y mvesdgation givea better fa'fp{ay than the cm-tBootbiy one. Inaamnoh aa the pror.ci-f.I.ioiDatenees of the puce of coat is to regulate the wages cati.1, the principle will be carried out with creator pnrtty th., were the investipati(in to be JJ1t'1,QA oftanor. But the pOl!tpt)11rmem. nr thf) inr until the end of Maich ia ex.rfine'y ncfAir to the work. 1 men, to aU the preceding expoijitiOØrl "If it be a te;1deny in iiho Ecarket for prices to advance t.he 1,9t threa montha of the "car, a.nd.h:àt tha nh-iof vç by wc.rk at .) hu-a beonao ¡ slow '-i.e h.2t :o\v mouths ia becauaot tie Ocec Comply ha,vo declined to seU coal at ita H:"lC pace B. oti:e: c, ,ap,1'1iès. wht ill} tbe men to :),i!) by ijbit. (djJ.d "Itia bomitt'd gtDPhi¡Y th<tt thia company l?ave coat as good in qminy aa any teat to tha market; aud, as the øVda!! price of ooai in AprH } laet waSfLort by la of fit- Sa 6dpar ton, tie deoDction tr-nu tLo above facts iathat it ie Bow 8s 6d per ton. If i', ia nr, the othar faiB c&ductieB i;t that th< se o'her p?ic«d during threa Ctcntha go to pny thtl c"m,.a.ny beforehand (blaendalu) for giving au adv-.noe of la in tha .El, wht:n th, price of the ton of coal reJ.choa 8a 6d per ton ia the market "There are othet c HleiJentic::J.s that could ba adduced why, aoooraiug to a pMi. reaolution, the pticea, where great coa tracts are m¡),de, are Bow the fame ae they witi be in MtIorch next. Therefore, ia evident that this aeotioti ia only advaitageoud to one side, and that the men have slgntd their names to an asreemont which cattBot bo of acy advantage to them daring the first three montha of ita existence. By the 6th Section in the Ffrndale Agreement we understand that the same condition aa that cf the 6th .section in the Ocean Agreement waa in the original draft; but, according to lettera from the friends there, we are gIven to understand that the fairneaa of the claim to have the first investi- gation into the price of the coat at the end of the year has been recognised and granted. Thia being well known, we feel aatonished at the snpinoneaa (tacder) of the Ocean workmen in tolerating different treatment, and we are even mora aetoniahed at the unfairneaa of the Ocean Company in seeking it. The 7th Section provides that the agreement. is terminable by six montha* notice, but that neither party ia at liberty to do so until March, 1882, thereby securing the exiatenoo of the agree- ment for at least two years and nine months. Tho last portion of the aoction introducea a new thing into the relation o! masters and men in out district, a.Ld, indeed, into the whole of om cnntr¡. Wo remember hearing of the yearly agree" ments, seme 20 years ago. ia tha North of Ergland (Gogledd Llcegr), bat the true effect of thia is worse slavery man :hi<t. Itiatraethat it ie possible to attempt to argaa that the agcee. ia the Bame to bt,th ttdea. but wo ahall fitlO\t pretcntiy that it ia nothing o! the kind. "It ia always to the advantage of the masters to Ijave an oversow of men. They thereby aca able to kefp down the prices, and aa thia corn* pany have eo many thitga for which they were ia the habit of paying years ago, and fo& which thlY do not pay now, thia part of th agieement will taecnre the continuance of things aa they are, inaeaach aa tha Ocean men can no lunger separately, nor unitedly, atop one of the coilieried for one day without breaking (tori) the areement for it iff not nve out cf every 100 of the workmen aa t body ie understood, but nve out of every 103 ot e&ch class of workmen in the collieriea. For isatancp, think of & colliery containing 400 col- liera, 40 iabonrera, 30 repairera, uppers, &o., and 35 hauliers. Twenty of the colliers could leave is. a month, but their departure would be of no value in attempting to improve thit agreement. Out of the 40 labourers four ot them could leave in a month, but out of the 30 labourers, &o only cue of them could leave in the name month, and the same with the 3t) bauliere. Iherotore, aa to ability to improve their condition under thia agreement, here are all, like the slaves of Attica, bound hand and foot (/e! Cotton yn rhwym ctraed a dwylaw). lo take up the remat&a ot another writer on thia subject, it will be found that the nrst eeotiona have put the horse in the stable, and thia ia the click (latch) that ia to keep him there. An idea more tyrannical in relation of maatera and men we uld be dimcult to conceive, and the man who cid conceive it would be entitled to promotion. The 8th Section ia another of thoae one-sided Beetle na for which thia agreement is remMkable. As far as we know, it is possible that thia ia one cf the atrongeet reaaona why the investig. ticc into the average price of coal was postponed until the end of March, ihia section foreshadows th&t some other collieries a:e going to adopt this agreement, and, there! ore, that tno price of coal worked in thoao collieries ia to be taken into account to make up the true prioo that ie to regulate wagea at tha Ocean collieriea. What could be more unfair to the workmen than this? As already mentioned, the coal produced attl-e Ocean CcUMtiea ia of the beat quality, and no ccai in Sontb Wales ia aold at a higher price, Thcreioro,weroit to happen that the majority of the South Wales collieries adopted thia agreement, and their prices included, m arriving at the average price paid in the maiket, they would have a direct tScot in lowering the average price paid in the market to this company. We would not be saying too much by atatin<f that it is quite possible that the apeoial price paid for the Oce&n coal ia 8a 6d per too at present, and that by the end ot March the prices paid for coal from othef collieries will be leea than that. If so, would not that be a very goçd rea.aon for poatvoRÏng th6 nrst investigation until the end of jlaroh ? But,' might be faid, if no one else will adopt the ftgree* ment tbere is an (nd of the matter.' No; tharC is a more opeD. headed (penagored) way than that, which prepares, not the adoption of thia sliding ecale, but the adoption of 'some other sliding ecale established on the averaga price 0? steam coal.' 'therefore it ia only necessary to wait until the general ehdiog scale i' estrAbli¡¡bed, anl that ia 8C:e to be the average pnuee c'f the oclUories connected *vith it, and or.M th&t if) coDe, according to tha company will be able to take it in in average that will regulate the waes of the OceaIl WMhmen. Whether this ia done or not time oaly can ahow. That the company have a right to this ia evident If it ia done, theaa friends can yet feel that their supposed advantage (manta is) not someritorioua (rhinweddol) aa it waa snpposed tobe. f "Had the nrst la been granted on the 8a 611 per ton without conn ction with the 6th and 81ib Mecticna the acquisition would have been great, but RB to what M granted after that it ia la 6d it the .8 lees every step of the way. The second and third advances are bntS ad* ( vances of la in the .6, and 9d instead of 8d the 4tb, 5th, and 6dti advances are advances of 6d io I the .6, and the 9d instead of la in the .6, and the 8d. The advances from the 13 are abont 14d is the .8 on each shilling in the price of coal, inatead of la 6d in the .8 on every shilling. It will ba, therefore, seen that our proposition in reference to the Jewish interest has been proved completely.'

TEE QUEENAND TUS! OPENING OF PARLIAMENT. Mr. Labonohere ia responsible for the which appeared in Truth of Wednesday, and ? which is not generally accepted aa an altogether ¡ conclusive or omoial statement:—" Again all alteration haa taken place in the arrange' menta respecting the opening ot Parliament, and her Majesty hM now announced tha< she will open it in person." It has for some been nnoeratood that the last seaaion of the present Parliament would be opened by oommia* < sion. It is almost unneceasary to add that has been some disappointment exproaaed at the ciroumatanoe, and there are a great maoV people who would be very glad, for motØ reMona than one, if thia statement.should tnrn oe* to be correct. There are two circumstances whiob appear to favour Us authenticity—otic that Lofd BeMona6eld M well known to be all iu f&vour ot the display of the Royal pageantry, and that hEJ has a good deal of innuence in such matters witlJ ?Q?een. It is however possible that tni? altered deciaion is a result of the recent viait o* the Plinoe of Wales to Hughenden. that the Punco of Wales and the Prime Miniatet j Mve been able between them to do wn*t the Prime Minister oould not do—viz., persuade her Majesty to come to London in February. HeC Majeaty hM not peraonally opened Parliameat siEco 1876. Some recent atatementa ooncerning her Majesty's health are, according to Labouchete, entirely unfounded and so far ffp'o her being unable to undergo the fatigue o- State dutiea, ehe h<m seldom been batr able to perform them—in faot.tahe intends holdiat two drawiEg.rooma and a levee early in the seaeoc. Western Mail London Correspondent.

LOBD GEORGE HAMILTON AT EDINBURGH. Lord George Hamilton, M.P Vice President o! the Council, delivered the inaugural address of the Edinburgh University Conservative Associa- tion on Wednesday night in the Music-hall there. Sir George Warrecder, Bart.. occupied chair, and there waa a largo attendanoe. including most of the Scotch Conservative membeM of ?M?ent. The right honourable gentleman said that amce receiving hia invitation to ttddreBa this meeting a, great electioneering phenomenon hM occurred by the visit of Mr. Gladatone to doot. wd, when, excluding minor addreaaea, he Bpoke 37 oolnmno of the :fMMe<, or 85.840 worde, the <ubtta,noe of which could be summarised in <t eea- tence: "The infamy of Lord Beaoonsnold'a policy ie only eqatdled by the villany with whieh he had OMried it oat." If the GoverncMBt had oom. mitted the sehea of atrooitlea with which they were charged would it, he Mked, be necessary to expend so many werda in bringing home to <-he pubho these aelf- evident crimes. He maintained that the policy of the Government on the Intern Creation waa exactly that adopted formerly by the country, j only Mr. CHedatonewae then in power, and no<f he WM in opposition. Lord D.lkeith made some remMtM M the doee.

MB. GLADSTONE:, ON HM I DEFENCE. .?''?stonehM just published a reprint'of the speech he delivered inEoinburgh on Liber? 5 ? ??ervative 6nMico. In that speech be aeouc?d from the Liberal expenditure the extra' ordinary cost of the AshMiteo War Md the Ala- cama Award, becaaee he oonaideMd the objeota aimed at justinablo. At the same time he refMed "o deduct the war expenditure of the pMeent Government M extraordinary ex.. peadituro, as he considered the objeoM bad. 8ir Stafford Northcoto, in hia reply to Mr. Gladatot.0, had pointed out that this mode of ccmpariaon waa unfair. Mr. Gladatone, in a preface to his printed speech, now admita that the argument of the Chancellor of the Exchequer ia sound from the point of view oi the Parltameo' tary majority w ,i,h has supported t:ao,t Govern- ment- tie aeserta, however, tnat hia were &ddrea6ed to t-he oonBtitue?.cies agaicaii that majority aa much agaiB6t the Govornme.ut.

SecxtW"" thia L<tM.?ry F.ht! iiy ,Lt, P. OtB.r.lou o< ? MM'? ''y ? p'?btit). hMt beoa MM?afd bytheaBTMi? reeu!t,?M?, t ?3,? o{ hm!?tM:M} ?<' .nerit of tlas lattor maiiily coaaiatc in tile tmtt;1 ported, m.t )n iBiItMms the "i'¡IUÙ ak&po, bat :J)p..}ri..{ o< tnc J.ppeJ." r"* temb*' t.t! ¡pU,.lJ,U" tiftttjt. The tM.uMMta.Ka-'s 'OOj, -.L .tmyttitt br iNfI ¡>U'tj;¡ 11 <t<)h Mot-.t)t.