The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard

Poultry. POULTRY CULTURE. To be successful in poultry keeping it is neoeJsary to make tho best of everything and not incur any wasto. In fecd.ng see tha.t all is eaten and should any focd be left reduce the amount which will soon bring the birds down to clearing lup all their i'Jcd. Appliances must be kept in order and te repair will be cheaper than bi<ying new, so see to them as soon as tlic-ro is any accident or breakage^ The birds must be treated on the SoiIDe 'ines by never keeping them longer than i;5 necessary, but always selling when likely to give the b.,t return. If you lind that the demand fcr eggs is great it may be advisable to keep all the pullots hatclied during thn year, tliough if the demand be doubtful and a chance oomes along, sell them for money in hand will help in raising more birds next season. Quite recently I wat asked the best method of dealing with a big flock of Cockerels which, were surplus stock and not wanted for s;do. They were grJod enough for killin.-r CT* y, and as some of my readers may have a 6'imUar lot, I will give the method ror dealing with them. Much will depend ori what sort of market you can find for them, as to treatment. Suppose Y'u can sell well to the proper men who will fatten ready for the poulterer, it would save trouble, and mean a clearance nnder one trouble. But the price made will depend on the- condition as to whether the bird" carry much flesh. Some places prefer birds which do not carry a lot of fat, but just the birds from off the grass runs, after having been well fed, which are cal'ed grass-fed birds. These flocks can be made up in lots of forty or fifty, and then fed liberally with soft food three times & day; not given a ;ot of water and confined to a rather limited' run. This is necessary to prevent them running off the fles-h which you are putting on and also turns the food into inusclo rather than meat. AVhen treated like this for threo weeks, or most a m' ntn they should be ready for killi"7. B'i^ will not be PO fat or heavy as if e n.rrir^ed. Chickens ftvf this way are lees trrvublo than in small fattening mops and So-'me people prefer them fed in the way suggested.. Another method is to put the birds in fattening coops, about two feet. wide four feet long, raised from the ground with 'narrow slates for the floor, so tliat the dropping Ca.n easily drop through, and much the same" stylo for the front in which they can put their heads through to feed. These coops will tak six or eight birds each. Thero mu be a trough put along- the front in which the tood can bo placed, t.re food having been made oppy so that the birds almost drink it and then they do not need water. Here the'birds cannot get exercise, so that two good fls each day will be enough; but any iiood left aftllr each meal must be taken awaj, and in c",ld weather can he u-ed for the next feed, but op no account use it. if sour. The birds must be kept quiet between time-, so thrtt bhey may rest. Hence it is bert when they pro Put in a roomy which can be op-ned for feeding and shut un a-rain when finished, a "tt of serni.darkrirj-s. time for benng in the coon must vary accord- inT to the conditions i„ which they start, f-r if half fv.4 they may be re?dv in ten dav,. but sWrT not be i" lon.T" thgr) we-k- after thi. t4Me thov .ne nl 1o-e f1't,. TXTU « • -'•t-i ciw nff wT'OIA nor?, f'klv never drv so well Ic-, c'nnltT"tM aft.- be-mqr sr. Inner One imonrtant nop,t i" file n"pytr -f whicv, "I'ri o "M" p^otind oat. mtrM wit-, Tn,"k and the 1f1.t ten rl-T-q pnr rsdd Rlir^ln, which can hp Prom thf-) lmtoVrs. wwhiiim of fln=h.

TREGARON. AMERICA.-Tho Hon. Daniel Webstei- Williams, who was American consul at Card;ff, has served in the Ohio Senate since his return to the States. Ho comes from Cardi- ganshire where many of his relatives reside. His grandfathers were Mr. George Williams, Lledrod, and Mr. Joshua Evans, L'anio !sal, two pioneers of Calvinistic Methodism.. Mr. Williams is one of the best-known journalists in the State of Ohio and one of the proprietors of the Standard Journal" at Jackson, Ohio. He takes keen interest in We!sh and eistedd- fodic affairs, and as the president of tho Sun. day School Union of Jackson County did useful work in religious circles. His son is Mr. Ben Ames Williams, the successful American novolist. u

ralgphone-No. 54. relegrams- Hartley, Merchant, Aberystwyth. Hartley's GRAIN STORES Queen Street, ABERYSTWYT H BUYER AND SELLER OF OATS, WHEAT. BARLEY, MAIZE, FEEDING MEALS, CAKES, Etc. 0.. SEED WHEAT! SEEJ WHEAT! STANDARD RED, BENEFACTOR, VICTOR SQUARE HEAD MASTER BROWICK. k Grand Stock of above Seeds, Wheat of aest tests in purity and germination, are ;old bv E. D. Li ON E. Sy ALEXANDRA ROAD & MILL STREET ABERYSTWYTH. a618 Holm NEW PRICES THE'RItHT I 'WAR I 7id., 1/3. 2/8, 6/ Post 3d. BARLEY, Chemist. PJSRTH Agents- -RODINE^ wpoisor B. P. Wynne, Chemist. Aberystwyth; J. W. Evans, Chem^t, Llandysaul; T. Jones, Chemist I Tregaron; R. Evans, Chemist, Lampeter; J. B* Jones, Chemist. Newcastle Emlyn; E. 14ma I Jones, Chemist, Aberayron; H. Daviea, Mach. rnlleth; W. J. Evans, New Quay; D. Jonee, ILianfyllin; J, Daviee. Llanybyther.

APPOTNTME C I of the iae Re-rmer s Column. appointed my of Mossra BJOT AND MOUTH DISEASE. PREACH.ve warning must be addressed to preaching s throughout. tJlO country. There are Ciiapel, ious par s 01 Fjii, lazid at least four out- Wed.nf-aks of icot and mOUth disease-. Certain farmors have not notified the first appearance of s-ckness. One and all must be careful to noto ihe elementary signs, t e s'obbetfug at the mouth, the lameness, or t'e appearance Oi both symptoms concurrently and a notificati n of suspec ed disease must bo handed at once to the police. By any delay, however, brief, a farmer not cnly endangers the whole of his own live stook, but those of a large sur- rounding district, he he!ps to dose -i.arkets, and to suspend the agricultural traffic of the country. NATIONAL RAT WEEK. While there is every reason to believe that the eampaign against rats has resulted in the destruction of large numbers, it is impossfblp to obtain estimates that are beyond the rpnch of criticism. Wherever rats have been' attacked vigorously a considerable survey to be t-,iken of the counties and boroughs that have done thoir dutr and those that hare neglected it. In many districts individual activity has un- doubtedly made up to some extent for official apathy. Local Authorities which did not help include Cardiganshire^ Merioneth- shire, and Montgomeryshire. MILK PRICES. U-Omiderable comment has been raided throughout the country by report^ that t! e supp.y of milk is in excess of the demand and 4hat poiplg have been unable to purchase ow- ing to the price, with the result that a certain quantity has been wa/r-ed.The facts are as follows. The present prices were fixed after clo-e enquiry into agricultural conditons, the shortage of roots and hay being taken in'o() account. They are maximum prices. Any farmer and wholesale or retail dea'er may sell below them. The shortage of homegrown fuodstuff is beyond dispute and serious. On thp. basis of prices fixed the wholesale denies made nheir contracts with farmers and, though t"e prxes are regrettably high, they ave founded on conditions t}at, are at present un- avoidable. Shortage of homegrown foodstuffs alone dices n0 justify pwent figures. Tho very advanced price of linseed and cotton cake and the new conditions of labour a-e contributory causes. The farmer hf1 M bear the brunt cf all the de-elopm nt, 'rho cause of a tempo rary i'nereafe in the supply is undoub'rdly to bP found in t.he weather condition* of October, which wpre not only pbnormnl but tomp-rarv. The growt'- cf erars has br-n cherk»xl both by the frt and drough Winter conditions are setting '11 and there must soon be a marked diminu- tion in suoplicfi. The new condit ons of labour Ik a of tho increased price of milk are hardly realised ontPde the limited area of the dairy farm. Before the war -.h„ milker's wage in ma.ny V of thp country was round abou 17,. a •■veek. or 2" 6d a dav. It ic now in the nei<rh- bourhood of 50s, and under the new hour '•nvt* 4r,,rel bv the Arrr:cu!tu'-a' Wa^ Board nr'lker rnirr4- receive over'^me everv dnv the wook. Thp statutory hou- of lab-ur do not enable th0 morningr nnd afternoon milking^ tc find space within their limit. THRESHING C- SATURDAY. Owing to the fine weather in October thresh- mg has made great progress and operations are well advanced. Unfortunately, farmers are averse to threshing on Saturday after- noons because it is necessary to pay the mrm for this work at overtime rates. No diffi- culy has been raised by -agricultural labourers, In fact, the Agricultural Labourers and Rural. Workers' Unions havo instructed their members to work ovo-timo on Saturday,, wnen the fanner rooli(is-s them to do so. The Threshing A dvisory Committee at its second meeting, held On Tug^day, October 22nd, passed a reso'ut.ion to t,he effect. <hat farmers should be 1 urged to thresh throughout Saturday when- t ever the wear .her is Fiiltihle. In the ordinilry < oourso of event*?, much tinv mint be knt en f the farm thrwi«rh bad weather and if ia eminently desrable in ",he intero-fe of agricul- ture that part of a fine day should not be sacrificed because its use involves a. little ex ra outlay. Farmers will gain far ^re they can !ace by turning fine Saturday afternoons to good account. 1 POTATO CLAMPS. The crop has been singularly free from ) disease; but with a view to preserviijg the t yield careful attention should be paid to chtmp'.ng or pit/ «ng. The following suggestions t will be found helpful;- I The o,;and!tion d ttha tubers at clamping time is important. They should be put away in a t dr,y state and ag free from soil ?F, possible. Injured tubers, since they cause extra hoating I and serves as centres for the commcnoemon, t of decay ehould not be included. J i, im- t ncTtant also to exclude all blighted tubers. T Tubers which have been frozen or flooded should ntot be clamped. Potatoes which have pro- fi lumd latp, growth or are etjll green (i.e. im- I f mature) are particular^ liable -;10 heat. With regard tc t.he structure of the clamp, the following points sherf d be borne in nrnd Large oamps are liable to develop more heat îhan small one- hence it ip false economy to bu< d the™ too big. Though wh«n othar oonJi tions are favourable:, potatoes may sometimes keep well in a 'arge e.lamD. As a general rule t is usafp, and inadvisable for the ba to ex- ceed -even feet. In ma^v pa^(, of the countrv a similar size is customary. The site should hn dry and well drained, and the base, if any thmnr, sh-Mly above th", "neral soil level. The soil covering should not be put on too soon. If the weather be fine and there is no appearance of frost, a fortnight should elapse between the "strawm?" and elos'ng in with the first covering of the soil. In wet weather the soil may be put on sooner, as it is inadvisable to close in when the straw is sMdfxn wi't* water. Tn put-tin? on both the early and the second or "winter coat" the north side shou'd receive fi-st attention. T,rT- WELSH ACT?T(,rT A statement of evidence bearing on agri- cultural conditions in North Wales, which, it is suggested, should be piven before th<^ Royal Commission, has been drawn up by members of the Norti> Wales branches of the National Furme^s' Union. Wales, the statement says is pre-eminently a land of small holdings. The sales of large estates has ?r-eatly ine-eased ttf- feljnl7 of insecurity. Farmers have bought their" old homes at prices which, in manv instances. Wil) crinple them for life. From £ 1.500 to £!,QCO had been paid for farms rcntinsr under ESO The scarcity of labourers' cottages an^ other matters are nlso reviewed in the statement /^■fr- Bryner Jones, who has been appointed W^lsh secretary to the Board of Agriculture, cir-ies wtli it a la-jre measure of Home Rule in Welsh agricultural matters, is a nativ of Do'<relley. He combines t^oreti^a' with practical farmino*, and from 1907 to 1912 was nrofessor of arrrieulturo and director of the TTnive-sity Colletro Farm at Abervstwyth. He became awriculturfl r^mnifisinn^ for wal,t pnd chairman of the Welsh Agricultural Coun- cil in 1912, and latter became assistant tary to the Board of Aen'en'ture. A food deal is etoected (states the "Mark Lare Exn-ess") by his return to Aberystwyth as the Govern- ment's representative ;n the Prin-;n;tlit.v. Sir Arthur Grifritl,-BosrFtwe-n, parliamentary sec-etary to the Board of Ap,,ririilture, nr- sided at Shrewsbury at ai meeting of the Welsh Agricultural Coun-il, and said the whole busi- ness of the Board, subject to certain limita- t'ens, was transacted for "Wales through a Welsh office at Aberystwyth, over which a distinguished Welshman (Mr. Bryner Jones') rtbly r>-esideid. He outlined the future of the W-ish Council of, Agriculture and said that for the first time an agricultural oommittee would be formed for each county. To those committees j would bo referred all local agricultural matters. He emnhasi,d the impo-tance of WRIP- going mo-e into the dairy industry, and beleved a good deal more coubi be done in the Prin- cipality in the way of market gardening.

ABERAYRON. WEDDING.—At the Register Office on Nov- ember 5th, before Mr. John M. Tiolpelf, Mr. Bertram Tinslay, haulaare contractor, 'and Miss Jessie Lloyd. L'vsaei-on. were married. The bride is a, daughter of the late Edmund L'oyd, once registrar of the County Court, who reside! at "Castle," Aberayron, and Neuadd, Llw arth. He was hrdther- to the ht." Vf". T. R Lloyd. M.P., Coedmore, who defeated Mr. E. M. Richards, M.P. for Cardi$ranHh:-e 1874-1880. 1 who was defeated by Vr. Lewis Pugh PnIYh in 1880. T,nCA L A UTHOPS. —Some of the carols, j words composed by Alderman J. \f. Howell ;iid m^sic by Mr. L. J. RoKetrts. are included in gymanfa ganu p-o^ramme of the National Eisteddfod at Barry, 1920. E^TERTATNMF^T —Llaet.hferoh gave n. entertainment at Peniel on Wednesday nielit, November 5th. Mr. Howell B,"n-n.. M.A.. pre- sided. Mr J. M. Howell and Mr T. Lloyd Evsns spoke -th expressions of thanks. The proceeds were for the Memorial Hall fund. Her recita- tions and voice impersonations were remarkable. x Tiiei--e was a large audience.

Welsh Farmers' Union. CARDIGANSHIRE BAKRISTEH AS SECRETARY. At a meeting 0: Ve provi3kxnal executive committee of tria new Welsh Farmers' Un on, f irmed by ti e amalgam ation of the National Farmers' Union of Waiers the FUtitsh ra [Tnkn, and the Welsh Land Union, Mr. G. H. Roberts, Tvcerr'g, Ta.l arrau (t: e presi- dent) in th", c',air, it wa reso'ved that tl-e nrme of the un;on rl,ould be tiho We<sh Vational Farme-s' Union." Mr D. M. Ja.mes. barristeir-at.law of tlle Snilh Wales C;rcu t, Llanrhystyd, Cardigans'-ire, was unan-'mor.sly ,F.ore(i the. secretaryship and Eccept^d it, t" ere lxsrng a large number of applicants. The other officials are :-Organiser, M. J. R. Chambers Ii'anrwst; counsel, the Secr etary; Parl a- menfary agent. Sir R. J. Thomas. M.P. and treasure", Mr plas Newydd, Mold. It was decided "That a.. the Government neglected t,) appoint a distinctly Welsh Com. m.ssion to inquire into agricultural conditions in Wales, we are of opinion that it is inadvis- able to offer evidence before the Comm ssion." On the proposition of Mr. J. N. Thomas, it w.-is decided to ask the CentraJ Wages Board to publish pamphlets giving the orders rule,, and regulations applying to Wa'es in the vernacular. The Secretary was instructed to draw tiho attention of county councils to the dangerous cctad&ion of the main roads through being tar macadamised and left in a slippery state, thus causing serious injury to animals traversing tl,e road. At at laA-geV-attended meeting of the executive committee -.of the Conwav Va.IPPy branch of the Welsh N.F.U, tihe Secretary read the following reply from the President of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries to the demand for an increase of Is 6d in the controlled price of bubter. or, in the ;item. ative, a free market :As long as the price -f milk and imported butter are under con- trol, the Beard cmnot support a second nr/re dis^rimi>ati^g in t'av ur of home-pro. butter, and P'ey adviso farmer* to abandon but'er.inak ng in favo„r 0f chces.- ,iaking under existing cond t;on." I t WI1 irgued that the da- y fa-mcr. and th0 cheese -anners were favoured by t'e G vernment wherea^ t e breeders who had to make butter ■vene screwed down to a price thlt Iqft no margin of profit. It was absurd to advise he "mall WoLh farmers to abandon butter- nak.ng in favour of cheese-making, as the pe P a desired home.mado butter and ^t margarine. More.over, dhee*e did not foim a prirt of their diet. Welsh require- ments and necefsitreu were ignored So that Englishmen might be supplied with cheese It was decided to ask the Union to send a deputation to meet the officials concerned to nll!.I"A fhA, 'A .f UY_I- I — — cearjy before tl'em Ihe present grading system, by which the. lcSer „ 7 K °Vel^uled h* tw<j butchers also wd13 /r • ^a' condemned, and th;8 tt°d:putS[omn.a SUbjOCt f°r di—^ SEPARATE WAGES BOARD FOR WALES Mr. Haydn Jonor (Merioneth) asked tthe ai la.me'ntary Secreitary to the Board of' *<rr,culture whether he had received resolu- tions from Welsh Farmers' Unio Wales, ajd whptlior, ir, rK, o( were to affriculture n Wal„ W„„M ,ak<> t|]B »» t," q(.t III-, a -zepara to Wagm R-vird for the Prmcipolity ir A. Boseawen Before' the A Lrictiltiral XB?rd for and Wales wi > tabhsbed a r^,„flon fayour pep2rato a- re7''vp^ f''°m a meeting of farmers no ev'dence ha/been 3h! t>1e.. »rranPement is 1 n.s unsati'fac'ory by Wdsh farmer* tracts of Wale,. h„t ti,er(k are j. H P-r'and whe-e ^n^tinns are similar- Tt OVt t,!at pecu'arit'Vs V bv the district w,ee, mmitfees, of whicH tVre arfi s:x in Wales. =

SESSiTONS.—On Friday, before G. W Parry Griffith Jones, E. M. eLir. B. Hughes-Davii' Jf'' Dr- E. Robert", the police oWeoS lrms° Sanfihr of,th^HceI,Ce of the farmers' «I I, Vanfihangal.y_0renddTn> to Mr John ranffer. to ^^nt tho IIARVEST.—The annual festival was held at he Parish Church on Thursday. At the En^- i» service m the afternoon, the preachers -re the Revs D. Jones, LlanbadarnTnd T J\ ?lVI0S' L!anyoha;»-Ti. The litany was "u T vX ReV- J- F" IJo^' vicar. Miss jloyd, Vicarage, presided at the orean Tn he evening Wel$h sermons were preached I" 1 rSV' A" ™e°r?e- L,Rdrod' D- Jones Irn /T1-' i° 8erViC° WSS bv t'- 10a. of L anychaiarn. Miss Headley presided Lp, or^aI1- ,Thp Church was decorated hv J Louisa Morgan. Hetty Morgan. S. ""V". '■raureuyn: Hilda Richards, Miss Head'ey. Fruit, vegetables, and com we" sent from Castle Hill. Llidia.^dau, Tynberllan Tl™' fSi! d TanrS"t: and Wvnyddmawr!' TO AH R ,^A^TRBLES were afterward sent Wed 7 «yth InfirmaJ7- At Rhostie on W-lHam?7 T uTrhPT tbp Harries Wlhams, L'anbadarn. Mr. Willi-m Evans deeortted8! l^f.harTrnonium- The Church was eeorated by Miss James. Persondv. and Mi*s £ anT; v lt- /n>nds were pntortained to FT4SrrT!^7'a?Wmoly'1, and 'Tynant. ERAL3. Tlio^e have been no fewer than five funeralg m the past three weeks in the Churchyard ffhe Vicar (the Roy..T. F. Llov^ officiating. The deceased were Margery Mills -J Mrs. MiHs, London; Miss EI17.3beth Jones and her.father-, Mr Davi^ 7°; Po"wfn' P'hostie: MisS .Tame, Pen'an V'^Vwper to Lady Waterlow. Mr. John James, Ix>ndon, formerly of BertMwyd.

NEW aifAY. Ton^ £ AN ^AST°RATE-Tb» Rev. David •Tones. D D pastorate of the Welsh Conpre-a- tional Church. Scranton. U.S.A., one of ^he best known Welsh divines in America, has tendered hls resignation whici will become effective the last day of Decemhl'r": This date win a'so terminate his twenty-ninth year as nastor of J.he Cliurch. Dr.. Jones came »to America from N(SW 0,my from the CT;nrch ,n wh,c1. he was ordained, after thy-ee years and a ha f of studies at Balai College.

How TO FEEL Fili AND TO KEEP FIT TAKE QWILTK E V A N;, QUI NINE B IT T E R S. It is .ientifieaIJy prepared b, Qualified "sS^r''Gr"'Ee,w and Natural For over 40 years it has acted like. charqi. un 7 feel run d°wn. Wben there is a lack of chcerfulflew. When them in a want of go. ie £ of,miser-v and helpless- nesn, a,, to be almost unbearable, There never was a time when it was more necessary to be well and keep well Do not resort to alcoholic simulant, and their depressing after-effects. The strength Gf all 1.' a?d the prU* far away Jl 7^j r "ach of most P^°ple. Take QWILYM E VANS' QlJININB gITTESS. It will take away the craving for alcohol. It will save you pounds in doctors' bills. Not.ce the effect upon your health. How much better you will feel in the morning and in the evening, when the day's work is done. You ^en enjoy your food and your labour will be a pleasure. Sleeplessness. It will purify the blood and stimulate the cir- culation. It will assist and promote digestion and im- prove the appetite. It braces the nerves and fortifies the muscles. It rouses the sluggish liver and thus enlivens the spirits. It removes all impurities and obstructions from the human body and gives tone to the whole system. There h no Better Tonic that you can take )r, spring and summer. Remember there is only one genuine QWILYM EVANS- QUININE JJITTKRK REMEMBER, Gwilym Evnn?' Quinine Bitter? I iE, the Original and only Genuine. Remember also there is no other preparation of Quinine I just as good. REFUSE ALL SUBSTITUTES and insist upon haying the Original and only Gennine It i, sold by all Chemists, and Stores, in bottles at 3s and 5s. (a great savins by taking tb» larger size), or will be sent carriage p»:d receipt of Postal Order by tlj It is Nature's Cure for Ange,-ni;, Neiiralo'a an THE GWTL YM EVANS' IJUTVTVF RfTTF'^ Proprietors:— LL'NELLY. SOUTH W At. F.

Mostyn Manuscript. LECTURE BY MR. CECIL W IIGHT. At the Midland Arts Club on October 28th, Mr. A. Cecif Wright gave a lecture on Welsh manuscripts and the Mostyn Library, illustrated with lantern slides. Mr. Cecil Wright pur- chased from Lord Mostyn the Mostyn collec- tion of manuscripts and presented it to tbs National Library of Wales at Aberystwyth. Mr. Wright stated that this lino building though by no merns complete, contains vast literary treasures, notably the collection of Hengwrt and Peniarth manuscripts, consisting numerous interesting items in Welsh, Cornish, Bnglish and Latin. These were co lected for for the most part by Robert Vaughan of Hen- gwrt between the years 1592-1666. lie was de- scribed as a man of scholarly taste, educated at Oxford, with a leaning to antiquarian and genealogical tastes. Robert Vaughan's tasteo naturally led him to collect the manuscripts of the early Welsh writers and others, which t srough the break-up of the monasteries and disruptions of the civil war, were in danger of perishing. These manuscripts wene presented by Sir John Williams to the National Library. One of the finest private collections of Welsh manuscripts after Peniairth was un- doubtedly in the possession of the Mostyns of 810diarth and Gorsygodol. After giving an interesting account of the Mostyn family," explaining how the name of Mostvn was acquired in conformity with the provisions of an Act in the time of Henry VITT, which required Welshmen to havo surnames Mr. Cecil Wright incidental y gave the reason why so many Welshmen bear the name of Wi liams and Roberts. Many found it difficult in selecting surnames apd adopted the name of their fathers, so that William the son of John wouhl become William John or Jones and John the son of Robert became John Roberts. The oldest examples of written Welsh according to Sir. John Morris-Jones, are found between the I;n-s and in the margins of Latin ma.nusermts. The earliest specimen of all is short on try on nap-e 141 of the Book of St. Ond. which contains t),(- Gosnels in Latin a.nd is new in the Cathedral af, Lichfield. T»>e oldest extant manuscrint written enti-ely in 'VAl, is "The Jrr>ck Bock of Cnrma-theu" which dates from about the ('n of the twelfth century The nexf is "The Rook of Anenrin" a manuscript of the thirteenth century in the Cardiff Lib'ary, and "The Red Book of Her- gest which contains a large quantity of ancient prose and ve-se and dates from the latter^ part of the fourteenth century and is kept in Jesus Colleee, Oxford. Many of the earlier poems of the Welsh bards from the sixth century must have existed through oral tradi- tion. Later on copies wc":o made. Bards con- tinued to read and study them, becoming owners of the old copies. These remained for centuries the treasures of the learned; but in course of time were dispersed and to a large extent became neglected and forgotten. In the seventeenth centu-y when bardism as a pro- fession was rapidly declining, Robert Vatican and other antiquaries commencer] the task of collecting the most valuable of the scattered manuscripts which found/ refuge in the lib- raries of Henpwrt and Mostvn. Tt was the custom of many gentry in the spacious days of old to retain among their followers and pen- sioners, domestic bards and minstrels who were expected to be well informed in the family history and to indite odes on the birth of an heir, the marriage of the eldest daughter and the death of the head of the family. The Mostyn collection contains important text.s of ancient prose as, for instance, severa' early copies, of the Welsh Chronicles, the Mabinogiori and other romantic tales. It also includes one of the two ancient copies of the TToly Grail. This Welsh version is two centuries older than the one in the sixteenth century French Manu- script. As no scholar has had access for rmr- poses of study to the .colIectioTl, it is possible that on careful investigation, interestinr discoveries may be made arid valuable material obtained. Mr. Cecil Wright dealt fully with the most important manuscript which is in the autogragh of the author, one Ellis Griffith, who describer] himself as "a soldic-i- of Calais." This gives an intimate story at first hand of many notable occurrences in the reitrn of Henry VTTI., of famous trials in the Star Chamber, and of episodes in the iife of Thomas Cromwell. He writes in his man us,rjnt, A t the close of the twentieth year of Henry VIII, to wit. on the 27th Janiiary I entered on my wagea as one of the retinue at Calais where I re- mained, and there I passed the greater part of my life from that time forth a witness of many things which deserve to be put down in writing." Among other things, the writer pives a sprightly description of Cardinal Wol- sey's embassy to F-ance in 1527, also an account, of Woisev's meeting with the French Kine. and of the mission of learned doctors he had sent, to Paris to discuss various Questions with a view to setting- aside Henry's Queen, Catherine of Aragon. Griffith appears to have been intimate with members of Catherine's house- hold. He gives an iJ'umir.atintr account of the proceedings which led to the divorce. This hns led to a suggested identification with Griffith. gentleman usher to Queen Cathe-ine, one of the characters in Shakespeare's "Henry VlI I," which is born out bv Queen Catherine's speech after hearing Griffith's account cf Cardinal Wolsey's death :— After my death T wish no other herald, No other speaker of my living actions, To keep mine honour f"om corruption. But such an honest chronicler as Griffith. Whether the identification be correct or not, it is a fact that Ellis Griffith shows a complete acquaintance with the circumstances leading to Catherine's trial. Griffith spent thirty years at Calais devoting his time to the compilation of this great chonic'e. written on nearly 1.400 pages, and to the translation of sundry French, Latin, and English books into Welsh. We are indebted for the preservation of the works of the ancient bards in a large degree to more or less modern copyists. One of the most famous of these was John Jones, Gelli Lyfdy. He was a friend and contemporary of Robert Vaughan and was a remarkable man in many wavs. Wal-s owes him a great debt for his skill in copying manuscripts, many of which only sur- vive in his transcripts. As many as fo-tv of his manuscripts were collected by Robert Vaughan. He excelled as a penman, writing his texts with a fine hand and embellishing them with capital and head and tai' pieces of an artistic character. His life story pre- sents points of interest amounting to romance. Tliough he possessed private means, he spent a large part, of his life in the Fleet Prison in London and many of his transcipts bear notes of having been written when he was a prisoner To dwell in detail op the contents of .the various manuscripts would be to recount the literary activities of Welsh poets and writers of many gene-ations. Mr. Cecil Wrieht gave an account of the writings of Geoffrey of Monmouth and the Welsh met, Dafydd an Gwilym, who was nearly contemporary with Chaucer and was on of the most original sirxr-rs who appeared in Europe before the re- vival of learning. Many other remarkable 'V"I.h poets* wene referred to and copies of tlhf,,r original writings shown on the screen. Mpny of these were not onlv I valuable as poetrv, but also full of interest'Tiir sidelights on social and even on religions history. In his cvp^luding remarks, M~. Cecil Wrighf S,-id It is not necessary to dwett on the desirabilitv of preserving the earliest snecimens of a literature that hn.; its roots deeo down in the d'stant nast. The educated classes in most civilised cpp-i.munities recognise the value (If accumulated l-newledge as an instrument of prngr-ess for the future. They understand that- the destruction of any ancient manuscript means the cutting off for ever of 11, possible source of information as to histc.-y of a people nt the particular period when the manuce-int was written. To Anglo-Sarons it is ne,t pcrVnps of imme^ifl.te moment how the earlv literature of Wcle* shfll ho rre^erved; but in these of the 1>1 end in T of the nations thnf form the Tmr>»ri*l race of this Grent.e** B-itain of ours, it behoves us. to study and, if we <-<t,n. to understand on- Celtic neighbours. The kev to a people's mind. 110: Matthew Arnold has told us. is what, it says in its language iii(i in it-s b'terature. What we want is to know the Celt renins, not to exalt, him. or to abase him but. to krow him. For this, as Arnold adds, n disinterested, positive, and con- structive c ificism is needed. No 8"r', criti- cism is possible without wic1.. know^dwe and profound study of the literature of Wales.

LLANON. MONTHLY MEETING.—The Calvinistic Jjethodists of South Cardiganshire held their Monthly T<lootings on November 5th and 6th. On Wednesday afternoon there was a meeting of min'stcrs and deacons to consider questions of organisation. In the evening the Rev Howard. Cclwyn Bay, and the Rev. John Mor- gan Jones, Cardiff, preached. On Thursday the following preached :—The Revs. — Howard, Co wvn Bay E. T. Davies, Canel Drindod Llewelyn Davies, Lampeter; J. -i. Green, Twr- gwyn; and M. F. McA-gan, Blaenanerch. A j hearty reception was given to ministers, dea- cr-n^ and oth«rs.

I You can make rich I I cakes like this with « I s2| BIRD'S I I vr *^28 Substitute J :i:J.t..c' I III; I 7 LLOYDS BANK, LIMITED, with which is amalgamated rHE CAPITAL & COUNTIES BANK, LTD. 1 1 HEAD OFFICE: 71, LOMBARD STREET, E.C. 3. SAVINGS BANK DEPARTMENT. The services of the Bank, with over 1,400 Offices in England and Wales, are at the disposal of the public for the deposit of savings, however small. Interest is allowed, and withdrawals not exceeding £ 5 in amount can be made without notice. Full particulars can be obtained on application at any of the Bank's Offices. Affiliated Banks: THE NATIONAL BANK OF SCOTLAND, LTD. THE LONDON AND RIVER PLATE BANK. LTD. Auxiliary LLOYDS AND NATIONAL PROVINCIAL FOREIGN BANK UMITED. JIM .1 ———Ji gaunt j miiirw nrwn J KARIA 'OF RAI &Yu«MEv a The Ladg',s 5pecial r4irnh I 1 Guaranteed FQ^EVER 1 » The atii'.le of the Ralei-rh steeriu« is so I Tht Ralfigh calculated that the bicycle is almost 1 j Gtrt 1 j self ste-rius. its !>alance is so 5>crfect ■ I that it can be ridden alontf the narrowest 1 j f patt^ iu comfort and safety. j .? 1 ALL-STEEL BICYCLE 4 1 V Beware of cheap, garret-made bicycles, see dmk t,1c Kal«««h trademark and deal only througn "I have been a •f/7 «'lr ;t]!orVcd a«ats Your life depends ;• J rider since bikes £ j\ P ulc>n ,'hL yo". I wsre first inads, y v** 1 the rigid, rapid, reliable Raleigh. a s- i but h 've never lL „ had one to ccxual T* w ^^l?ns, 15, Northgate Sticc^ the Ralei«h. I Aberdovey W. D. Evans have ridden 115 Aberg>nolwjn-J. Davies « miles In a day lauesin—J. R. Jones J witheaseand lam f Towyn—R. R. Davies, Jdris Works. Station in ttiy 73rd year." V Road 1 J. Painter, \-—— § Qfiecietb R Davies. Eifion Hardware Stores Barkiey Hotmt, C i re noes ter. II If J J( l\ Cycling for Health «Bd Points for CycltsU," /J LJ ^sir Frank Bowden, Bart. F.R.G.S,. &c. 1 1«> PP. 1/ cloth, oi Agents and Bookstalls. • »*L«I6M CYC LB C«Uf NOTTIMOHAH

Comrades Column. (By F. S. Tiufant, Hon. Sec., Aberarth Branch.) When a married man's pension is about to be assessed under the new scale, he is requested to forward his marriage certificate to the Pensions Issue Office for verification. Subse. quently, a new identity certificate is issued containing the proper raites for himself and children, but the wife's allowance is withheld. The reason for this is that the necessary in- quiries have not been made, and the man is accordingly informed on Form 27 L. that "it has not yet been found possible to award an allowance in respect of the wife, but the c.aim is still under consideration." Pensioners will greatly assist the work of the Pensions Issue Office if they will refrain from making further application for wife's allowances, as the claims wili be dealt with as soon as possible and the arrears paid as from September 3rd. Many j have asked how they stand under the new scale, more especially those who have beon granted a final or temporary allowance under Article 1 (3), or a non-attributable allowance u.jtfer Article 7 (1) of the Royal Warrant. The allow- ances granted under either of these articles are not increased under the now scale or Royal Warrant, 1919, and the rate of allow- ances the man was in receipt of prior to Sep- tember 3rd will remain in force until the ex- pimtion of the period for which such awards were made. Article 1 (3) of the Warrant reads: uIn any case where, tilC degree of disablement is assessed at less than twenty per cent., or Ss. 6d., or where it is considered more in the mterest of the soldier a gratuity or temporary allowance may be granted in place of any pension." Many men wid find they are actually in receipt of 58. 6d. (which represents tweutM per cent.) for a given period, after which it terminates. The reason for this is that having regard to the circumstances of the case and the extent of the disablement, the Ministry con- sider it more in the interests of the man to allow him the flat rate of twenty per cent. or 5s. 6d. The payment of the flat rate, however, would not niter the original assessment. I had the pleasure of opening a post at Borth and I feel sure it will make great strides. Mr. Wrench, the captain, and Mr. H L. Roberts, the secretary, are keen and hard woikers, and are fully imbibed with the spirit of comrade- ship. The Executive Committee of the King's fund bave recommended tli-i enlargement of the scope of the fund so thtt grants may be made to(l) officers, warrant officers, N.C.O's., and men of the navy, army, and air force, who were actually serving oei a reguiar engagement on the outbreak of war on August 4th 1914, and have been disabled through causes directly attributed to or aggravated by service in the late war; (2) disabled officers and men who have received gratuities and whose disabilities are attributable to or aggravated by war ser- vice, and who cannot be assisted by any State funds; (3) disabled nurses, pensioned under the, Royal Warrant for war services. Grants can- not be made for the following purposes:— Loans, payment of debts, marriage expenses, or I funeral expenses. N.C.O.'s., men, and widows should apply to the local War Pensions Com- mittee. I The French Government has passed a Bill pardoning all military and navai prisoners i guilty of offences solely due to war conditions. There has been an amnesty for Sinn Feiners. The Australian military authorities have re- vised all military sentences. All British con- scientious objectors have been released. Yet there has been no amnesty for the British army ? The British Government is far behind the French in clemency. Why? There is no answer that will satisfy logic, patriotism, common sense^ or justice. The Government has never attempted to give an answer. Has the War Office made any attempt to ascertain the truth of the allegation made by Mr. Jack Jones, M.P., in the House of Commons to the effect that men sentenced in 1918, who had the exe- cution of their sentences suspended because of the difficulty of getting men for the army, have since been taken into p:-ison to serve their sen- tences. though in the meantime they had per- formed gallant service? The War Office promised an inquiry into this grave charge; but not a word has so far been heard as to the resu.t. I am glad to say that the Com- rades of the Great War are fully alivn to the Government's hardness of heart, and art press- ing for the act of justice which is too long overdue. The Comrades will certainly never overlook ji any claim that can stand the test of logic and common sense and fairness. Such a claim is that for an increased war gratuity and the Comrades can pride themselves on having been first in the field in pointing out the omissions, ambiguities, and injustices of Army Order No. 17, and on having socuced the payment of the I fud monthly increments to all re-en!isted pen- sioners. What is the grant of ;CS--for the first year's service—worth to-day? hardly JS2. We I must not let this drop, but must push forward for a far larger gratuity. The War Office offers S50 for men to give four years' peace-time ser- vice. Yet, a British private with four years' service in the trenches in the Great War, re- ceived only C23 from the British War Office. Since the Aberarth branch has been formed I have had fifty-six pewsion casos, of which I have been successful in fifty-one; gratuity cases, fourteen out of seventeen successful; back pay, four out of eleven successful; training, six out of nipe cases successful—a total of seventy-five which does credit to the Aberarth branch. I have always received the greatest help from Mr. J. D. Evans, secretary to the War Pensions Committee. Aberystwyth, who is always, with his staff, anxious to assist ad ex-service men. I cannot speak too highly of his courtesy. The "1914 Star" is ready for issue. Officers or nurses and other ranks not now serving, who have not received their stars should apply in the former case to the Secretary, War Office, A.G. 10, 27, Pilgrim-street, B.C. 4, and in the latter case to the Officer in charge \Of Records concerned. Tn the case of deceased officers, nurses, and other ranks, applications from their legatees or next of kin should be similarly addressed. The Government having taken into considera- tion representations which have been recently made to them by and on behalf of the dIR- abled men receiving training at the various Government training centres, under the Min- istry of Labour, ha.ve arrived at the decision that a case hae been made out for an allowance being given to fringe men who are compelled, for the purposes of training, to live away from home. They ha»e accordingly given instruc- tions that :n such circumstaucea a supplomout- ]

TIME SAVING AT THE SHIR SIDE. TALK TO DEAL PORTERS AND DOCK LABOURERS. Standing waiting the stevedore's sum- I mons each morning, has it ever struck you that your individual work is an im- portant factor in reducing the cost of living, and consequently increasing the- value of your own wages? It is always difficult to realise that our own particular part of a large enterprise matters much. It seems go small; just a little drop in a large ocean of labour. But think a moment, and you will readily realise the importance of your individual effort. Here's a ship, laden with timber, which has just docked. The quicker it is off- loaded, the sooner the boat will be avail- able for a return cargo. That is addi- tional transport for exports as furnished. At the same time, the speed of unloading reacts on the availability of the timber so urgently needed at present for houses, fac- tories, and thousands of manufactured articles calling for the use of wood. Again, speed in handling reduces the price of goods. Thus the much-needed houses can be erected at less cost, bringing with them a reduction of rentable value. Or, in the- case of factories and manufacturers, tJhé capital charges will be reduced, with a cor- responding decrease in the price of tb. finished article. Look at another side. The clearance of the vessel will be accelerated, and conse- quently the more journeys possible with the ship. Htre again there is increase of transport j another vital necessity of tlio moment, when the war has so considerably reduced our tonnage. INCREASING PRODUCTION. At the present day commodities are dear to us because on the one hand they are scarce and on the other the value of our money has depreciated so much. These difficulties can only be overcome by tbe- obvious means of increased Dreduction. and, in fche case of articles we cannot manufacture, by increased imports. Money can be made of more value by ill- creasing our exports, and thus decreasing our indebtedness to other' nations. This will bring reduced interest costs, AND renewed credit in the world's markets. Hence, while it is necessary to call for increased production at home, it is also essential that those who handle the goode to and from this coufitry should do their utmost to speed up the work. .An&" we come back 1Q our starting point. The individual's work is an im- portant factor in decreasing the cost of iiving'ajjd increasing the value of wages. Your individual work tells on the great mass of goods passing through our porte. THE EFFECTS OF SLACKING. Look at this from the opposite point of view. Supposing each individual Deal porter were to slack for, say, half-an-hour to-morrow—what would be the result in the docks of the Port of London alone? If every man handled only threo cwte. lea» in one day, this would mean delayed unloading equal. to one whole ship load per day. Demurrage charges would follow, aad available transport would be de- creased. It may be urged that demurrage fees are a charge which the merchant will pay, and does not affect the worker. Is this true? Demurrage expenses become part of cost of the timber, and prioee rise accordingly. Consequently houses must be dearer. At present this means that houses cannot be built to let at rents equal to pre-war rates, and of course building is brought to a standstill. CarT this on: not only is the housing shortage made more difficult, BUT thousands of men in the building trades who, like yourselves, did their share in the- war, are prevented from finding employ- ment. Unemployment means heavy charges on the Government, which must be met by further borrowings and in- creased interest charges. I IN fact tho slackness* of evci. one man re-acts adversely on all classes and trades, and in tlie end comes back on the man him- self in the increased cost of living. These things need only to be realised tti-, be remedied. The restoration of credit which speeding up will help to bring wil! increase the value of our money, and the present war wage, which still seems all too, small, will be doubled in value, bringing, with it a prosperity in which all will share. a Hill—I t H'WWWiWOmmsfe T- r

(Continued from previous column.) ary (lodgings) allowance of 5s. per week shall be paid to the single man, in addition to the scale now in operation. This allowance came- into force from the first pay day after Octobei- 1st. Satisfactory progress continues to be made in the administration of the national scheme for the emp.oymenfc of disabled men. It is no use- ex-service men sitting still and bemoaning thr- apathy ana disregard of employers. They must be "up and doiqg"; they must break through that apathy and disregard wherever it exists- They can only do so by emphatically disca.rd- ing every sigB of apathy amdng themselves.

The Borth Motor and Engineering Works AdjolnlnJf the Hotel). I'nder the Jlanaaemcnt of !:ite V oikshops Officer R.A.SiC.—M.T.) Cars for Hire. Petrol, Oil. Tyres, Repairs, Accessories, &c Quotations for Car Lighting & Starting Sets -.ai*,o for- Electric Petrol or AcetWene (;is Lighting Plants 1 cm- Private Iloust-s. Estimates Fi