The North Wales Express

BANGOR SCHOOL BOARD ELEC- TION. A splendid opportunity is now afforded the Cathedral City of showing its attach- ment and fidelity to the principles of religious liberty and progress. There is throughout the country an ominous 6 y conjunction of the Papacy and the Church of England to secure for the so-called Voluntary Schools a larger share of the public fund swithout any increased share by the public in the control of the expendi- ture of such funds. There is also a deter- mined attempt by these combined parties to "capture the School Boards as advised by the Prime Minister, the object of such a step being, of course, to cripple the effic- iency of the Board Schools and to reduce them to the level of those "managed en. tirely by the priests of the k oman Catholic body and the clergy of the Es ablished Church. The great cry of these partisans is for a more definite religious teaching." They are dissatisfied, forsooth, with that given in the Board Schools, though in numberless cases, when the Church and Board Schools have come into competition, in Liverpool for example, the prizes for proficiency in religious knowledge have been gained readily by the scholars' taught in the latter. But what is meant by these clamourers by definite religious teach- ing" ? Does it mean that there shall be clearer statements that the Bible is the word of God, that repentance and faith and a godly life are necessary to salvation, that man has duties to perform towards God and his fellow-men, the strongest in- citements and sanctions to which are to be found in the precepts of the Bible ? Nothing of the kind. In the mouth of the Roman Catholic priest, it means teaching that salvation is to be found within the pale of his church alone, that the orders of the Church of England from those of the estimable bishop of the diocese down through the ranks of the canons, &c., to those of the vicars, are utter shams and vile delusions, and as destitute of all efficacy as if the services and sacraments were ad- ministered by the town clerk or town crier. In the mouth of a clergyman of the Church of England, it means the right to teacb in his school, attended mainly, in many instances, by th" children of Non- conformists, that Dissenting ministers, how- ever pure and holy their lives may be, are, to use the language of a clergyman known to many of our readers, "leading their flocks to hell" that they have no right to preach the gospel, that it is blasphemy on their part to administer the sacraments, &c. That our readers may see that we are not exaggerating, we will quote passages from the writings of another well-known clergyman, the Rev Sidney Boucher, the late able Principal of the North Wales T rainigg College for Schoolmasters, for- merly located in Carnarvon. He would probably have remained in this important post until now, had not Mr Gladstone, with commendable courage and justice, insisted upon his removal in consequence of his teaching his students doctrines like the above. The fact of :his removal, and the cause of it, are well known. It was not because the supporters of the college, the clerical section especially, disapproved of such instruction, but simply because of the threatened withdrawal of the Govern- ment grants from the institution. Mr Boucher subsequently became Rector of Gedding and in a paper on The im- portance of Definite Religious Teaching in > chools." read by him before the Church Teachers' Association for the Archdeaconry of Sudbury," on June 27, 1885, and pub- lished 'by '"request, and which, by the bye, was highly praised by our contemporary, the North Wales Chronicle," I and re- commended to the attention of clergymen generally, occur the following choice passages[;— Schoolmasters shall teach that Sacraments not Sermons are the 'Means of Grace' ap- pointed by Christ as necessary to Salvation (St John iii„51; vi., 53), and that genuine Sacraments cannot possibly be had outride the Church inasmuch as Priesthood' is essen- tially necessary for their life-giving ministra- tion whereas the various sects reject it utterly, and thus have lost touch' with the great High Priest above, by wilfully cutting them- selves off from fellowship with His own or- dained successors below. Hence, it follows, as a matter of course, that Sacraments as ministered'by Dissenters cannot be anything more than a sacrilegious outward show, and as much a. mockery and delusion, as grace without meat, a shell without a kernel, or a knife without a blade," Again, take this passage :— "Now, when people voluntarily band to- gether, select their own doctrines, make their own laws, invent their own mode of worship, and appoint their own teachers, &c., this is in reality choosing Christ instead of being chosen by Hirn. And accordingly, the societies so formed, having wilfully separated from the visible church which is the body of Christ, having deliberately cut themselves off from the Divine Presence promised by Christ to His apostles and their successors, and having therefore no divine gifts and graces to be- stow, these Societies, whether calling them- selves Presbyterian, Independent, Baptist, Methodist, or anything else, are not, and cannot be. "Churches" of God, but merely Sectarian Clubs." N6w, many similar and equally objection- able passages might be quoted from these writings so highly praiseel by the Chronicle," but this is enough to show to what lengths sincere clergymen can go. And such bigoted, narrow-minded stuff was not repudiated with disgust by this body of Church teachers, but was published at their request, and they presumably pro- ceeded to teach it to the young Noncon- formists under their charge, who had no other school to attend, and to which they were compelled to go. We should like distinctly to state that we do not find fault with Roman Catholics or Churchmen for believing and teaching the doctrines they do. But we, and thou- sands of sincere and zealous Churchmen, do object to such doctrines being taught, at the public expense, to children whose parents loathe and abominate teaching of this type. The great plea at Bangor is ostensibly we understand, the School Board rate; and a good deal is made of a speech made by Principal Price as far back as 1871. Mr Price is, no doubt, a very estimable man, but we presume he does not. lay claim to infallibility, and our advice to him is to acknowledge freely that he made a mistake. He sinned in excellent com- pany, the eminent statesman, the late Mr Forster, being one of them. It was, how- ever, very wise on his "part and that of the Board, not to sacrifice the efficiency of the sshoolsand the best interests of the children to the foolish desire of not appearing incon- sistent. That the members of the Board have a sufficient defence against the charge of extravagance, we are sure. From the joint address issued by the Nonconformist candidates we make the following extract: Those of us who have been members of the Board now coming to an end, confidently challenge your attention to the record of our administration in the past. We hive greatly improved the school buildings under our charge, and have endeavoured to supply them with more modern furniture and teaching ap- pliances. The proportion of children in aver- age attendance to the whole number of child- ren in the dist-ict has greatly increased. The teaching staff is more numerous and efficient than ever it had been before. An Evening Continuation School has been established by the Board, and has been conducted with marked success during the past three winters. To these improvements the reports of Her Majesty's Inspectors have borne repeated testimony. We are given to understand that amongst the heaviest items of expense are the amounts involved in repairs and altera- tions of the buildings, an expenditure that could not by any means be possibly avoided, and also the rise in salaries, which again is due to a corresponding rise all over the country, and is an increase not due to any extravagance on the part of the Board. Should;the economizers, as they style them- selves, succeed in "capturing the Board, they will find it impossible to make any very great reductions in this section of ex- penditure. The prospects of the Nonconformist can- didates, we are glad to learn, are very hopeful. The various denominations are zealous and united, and cordially working together, and there are many liberally- minded Chutchmen, who totally disapprove of the retrogressive policy of their more short-sighted brethren, and who will give their cordial support to the Progressive candidates. The importance of the ciisis is to a large extent realised, and unless we are very much mistaken,victcry will crown the efforts of the supporters of the School Board system. But this means loyalty to their principles, trust in each other, hard work and inceasmg perseverance. They certainly, cannot afford to despise their opponents, but with courage and dete/mi nation, they, as certainly, need not fear them, Nonconformists and enligbtened Churchmen of Bangor, act manfully and conscientiously on this critical occasion. Do not forget that the friends of religious liberty throughout the whole country are I carefully watching your course of action, and are anxiously expecting every man to do his duty."

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CARNARVON FAT STOCK SALE- TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17th, 1895, AT 2 p.m. MESSRS E. S. OWEN AND SON beg to announce that they have already- received numerous entries for the above Sale, which will be held (by the kino per- mission of John Pugh, Esq.) at Cae Bold, Carnarvon. Further entries invited, and should be sent in this week. is, Br idge street, Carnarvon. P p^RCELL~mCENTEN^Ey COM- MEMORATION. MESAl SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE AND LITERATURE. A LKClUllti Will be given at the PENRRYN HALL, P, AN GO on Tues- day, December 17, 1895, At 8 p.m., by MR T. WEST LAKE MORGAN [Organtet of Bangor Cathedral], on H E jN R Y PURCELL HIS LIFE AND WOTAKS. Illustrations will be given by the CATHEDRAL CHOIR bv kind p-rmiiision of *he very Hev the D^H and MlSs HE WITT'S STRING QUAR- TETTE p £ *RTY. Fxot.t Seat- f Reserved and Numbered], 3s; Second Seats, 2s; Thud Seats, 1-. For Members of tbe et Society, Front Seats, 28; Second Seats, Is. Ticket may be obtained ar;d u pluu of the house seen at Messrs Jarvis and Foster, ( o ne Honse, Bangor. SONSOF FIRE BY MISS BRADDON, WILL COMMENCE IN THE COLUMNS OF .1 THE "OBSERYER & EXPRESS" FOR JANUARY 3RD. TO CORH ESPONDENTS. BANGOR TOWN'S RATES."—A weighty letter by "A Ratepayer" on the above subject will appear in our next issue. L-

I NOTES AND COMMENTS. THERE seems an inexplicable delay in filling up postmasterships in Carnarvonshire. Bangor was for months without a head of the office, and Car- narvon remains in the same predicament. Such procedure cannot be conducive to the interests of the public, and if Parliament were sitting a ques- I tion would certainly be put as to the cause of the I delay. THE Bangor School Board election, which comes off on Saturday week, has for the time extinguished the public interest evinced in the proposed intro- duction of the electric light into the borough. That the contest will be sharp and bitter, no doubt can exist; in fact it will be the most interesting struggle which has taken place si .ce the School Board was originally formed. The Church party are sparing no effort to obtain the supremacy, and the result of, the election will be watched with considerable interest, not merely by those affected, but throughout Wales. THE Church party in Baagor ara relying for the success of their candidates upon the bugbear of an increased rate, always a safe one for electors ig- norant of the true and full facts of the case. That the rate has increased there can be no denial. But matters in the educational world have v stly pro- gressed within the last few yeats. The scholastic profession commands and demands a higher rate of remuneration than that hitherto received, salar- ies have had to be advanced, and as evidenced in the case of Carnarvon, the Education Department is manifesting a very strict supervision over the structural state of the school buildings, insisting upon expensive improvements and additions being made, or the provision of new accommodation for I scholars. BUT it is not on a pecuniary point that the Church party at Bangor are seeking to gain the supremacy. The real question at issue, so far as they are concernedjis whether or not State aid shall be granted to denominational schools; in short, whether the two National Schools in the borough, which are maintained and managed exclusively by members of the Establishment, are to be endowed with iaoney from the public funds. It is for this reason that the issue will be watched with con- siderable interest outside the borough. If the Church succeeds in its effort, and secures a majority on the Board, Bangor, where the Non- conformists are notoriously the vast bulk of the community, will be cited as demonstrating a feel- ing favourable to the endowment of denomina- tional schools, in the management of which the re- presentatives of the ratepayers have not the slightest control. I THE Nonconformists of Bangor, it is satisfac- tory to learn, are presenting a determined and united front. This if; indicated by the scarcity of those so-termed independent candidates, who so I frequently figure at these elections, and thus weaken I the strength of the party. Only one has entered the field, and it is probable that he will beat a retreat ere the day of battle dawns. The Non- conformists have also expressed their satisfaction with the policy of the retiring board and their con- fidence in their old representatives by nominating them for re-election, the only change being in the case of a member who was not desirous of retain- ing his seat. The same state of things is not presented to the other side. One of the old mem- bers, who has done useful service and is a manager I of the National Schools has been unceremoniously shelved by his party-a rebuff he is not prepared to accept, as he is seeking re-election as an inde- pendent candidate—and yet another has been no- minated to demonstrate the disintegration of the supporters of the Establishment and the absence of that unity which augurs the successful return of the Nonconformist candidates for seats on the new board. BETHESDA is at last actively agitating for what has long been a pressing need for that' populous district — the holding of loial petty sessions. The deputation that waited on the Bangor magistrates on Tuesday presented their case very forcibly and stated the facts very clearly. The arguments in favour of the proposal ran very much on the same lines as have frequently been set out in these columns, notoriously the expense and inconvenience of having to journey by rail or road to Bangor, and to have to spend many honrs in a badly ventilated court waiting a c tse to be reached. Whether the result of the appeal to the magistrates will be at- tended with success remains to be seen, as there are certain other formalities to be got through. Tt was certainly astounding to learn that the Education Act was practically a dead letter in the district, and that to save poor parents the cost of appearing before the magistrates to ex- plain tke absence of their children from school summonses were never issued against them. The like rule does not apply in other parts of the county. Such cases form large contributions to the weekly charge sheets of the Carnarvon County .9 Petty Sessions, particularlv from Penygroes, Llanrug, and Llanberis. If Bethesda proves suc- cessful, possibly similar appeals will be made from these districts, the circum- stances of which are almost identicil. And if these distinct petty sessional sub-divisions, as they may be termed, are created, perchance a change in the county court arrangements may follow. The bulk of the business in the Bangor court, especially in the form of judgment sum- monses and administration orders in bank- ruptcy, comes from the neighbourhood of Bethesda, and blocks the more important work of the sitting. The like remark is applicable to Carnarvon, where the time of the judge is greatly occupied w;th heating paltry squabbles emanating from litigious suitors living in places distant from the borough. And so it is at Conway, Llandudno, Llangefni, and else- where in Sir Horatio Lloyd's circuit in Anglesey and Carnarvonshire. Mr Bryn Roberts, in the questions put by him in the House of Commons, had evidently in view the partition of the Penygroes a'ld Llanllyfni district from the jurisdiction of tbe Carnarvon court. THE Carnarvjn Town Council mustered in full force at its monthly meeting on Tuesday evening, the only absrntee being Mr J. R. Hughes. If this regular attendance of the councillors continues, it is clear that accommodation must be found elsewhere, a'3 the council chamber, now that the strangers' gallery" threatens to become a per- manency, is perfectly inadequate for the purpose to which it is applied. Tnere was some talk months long past, about improving the present, or seeking other and better accommodation; but nothing has been done. The stifling state of the chamber on Tuesday was absolutely unbearable, and with a council boasting three medical men amongst its members it is surprising that some- thing is not done to bring about a change. The attention of the Sanitary Committee should be immediately directed to the matter. The new aldermen, about whose election such an outcry was raised by the Tones moved up," and maiden speeches were delivered by two of the number, one of them asking an important question dealing with the financies of the borough. Is this pre- monitory of a change being made on the treasurer- ship, as was done at Bangor immediately upon the incorporation of that borough ? THE subjects which cropped up for discussion were very varied, and ranged over a wide field interest centering chiefly on the reports of the committees dealing with the Ferry and the Museum. Alderman M. T. Morris demurred that the amount asked for the initiation of the pro- posed museum in what may prove but temporary premises is excessive, Lut the Council wisely decided to support the recommendation of the committee and voted tor money. A nucleus of a museum has already been formed, and in adding to it those entrusted with its control will, it is to be hoped, exercise greater discrimination and better judgment than has been shown in Bangor in accepting donations, for the public museum ard free library in that town is but litt 1 G removed from a depository of rubbish, the few real relics aud valu- able curiosities being crowded out by exhibits and I books which should never have been allowed to find a place within its walla. The intrinsic value I and artistic merits of certain of the pictures may be gauged by the fact that they are utilised to dis- play the placards dealing with the influenza epi- demic and kindred other interesting subjects. The paintings at the Guild Hall ought to find more suitable quarters at the Free Library. They are rarely seen, and are quite out of place where tbAY are now hung. COUNCILLOR CARTER, like Alderman M. T. Morris, is hopeful t -tat before long there will be a Government grant for the foundation of a National Museum for Wales, and that Carnarvon Castle will be its location, and chiefly for this reason they pleaded for further delaying a matter which hi:S been already too long deferred, and upon the de- tails of which a committee has bestowed a con- siderable amount of time and labour. It is to be fervently desired that their desire may be speedily gratified, but there appears no present prospect of such a proposal being carried out. And can Wales, and Carnarvonshire in particular, expect any favour at the hands of a Conservative Govern- ment? As for the interest the Constable of Car- narvon Castle is said to take in the establishment of even a public museum in the town, all the enthusiasm Sir John Puleston once displayed in local matters has evidently evaporated on the ex- I tinction of his political aspiration to become the representative' in Parliament of a Welsh con- stituency. THE Anglesey Ferry and its development was another important matter very properly engaging the serious consideration of the council. The pro- posal of Councillor Owen Jones that private per- sons should themselves subscribe the funds neces- sary for carrying out works essentially required on the Anglesey side was promptly and properly set aside. It would certainly be establishing an awk- ward precedent were the representatives of the ratepayers liable to be called upon to give not only their time to the interests of the town but also to put their hands in their pockets to provide funds for carrying out necessary public improve- ments. The Council, as advised by the Town Clerk, can do nothing in the way of providing the ways and means, as they have no borrowing powers applicable for the purpose, and thus there is a deadlock between that body and the Harbour Trust, which is ready to execute at a considerable cost works which will conduce to the public con- venience on the Carnarvon side of the Straits. An appeal is to be made to the Trustees to extricate the Council from the difficulty, but a doubt was expressed whether they could use their borrowing powers in such away. The only way of arriving at a satisfactory solution would be the adoption of a suggestion made by the chairman of the Finance Committee and other members that an Act of Parliament giving the couucil the necessary powers should be at once obtained. THE Conway Town Council have succeeded in reducing their adverse balance at the bank, although the amount still due to the treasurer is in excess of what it ought to be. This comes from casting the rate too low, and by the irony of fate, I Alderman Hugk Hughes,who has been a persistent advocate for reducing the rate below the figure decided upon by the Finance Committee is now made the chairman of the committee. Meanwhile, it may be noted that the thoroughfares for the repair of which the Council is responsible are in an exceedingly bad way. That traversing the Sus- pension Bridge rivals the condition of the High street at Bangor, which is certainly not a pattern of what the principal thoroughfare of an im- portant town should be. The Council ought to insist upon those who are responsible for the maintenance of the Bridge to keep it in a better condition. There may be an accident, and upon whom will the responsibility devolve ? In many parts of the Bridge there are pools of water ample for the holding of a miniature regatta. As for the High street at Bangor it has no chance of settling down. Day after day portions of this narrow thoroughfare are being opened, there being something wrong with the gas mains. THE meeting of the Bangor Town Council on Wednesday evening was, like that of Carnarvon, well attended, the absentees including Aldermen Camerou, Edward Jones, J. Evans, and Councillor Robert Roberts, the latter of whom was, possibly, engaged upon his canvas for membership upon the School Board. Another absentee was the newly-elected member for the Upper Bangor Ward, which is scant courtesy to his constituents. The Mayor may claim congratulation for the businesslike manner in which he got through a somewhat formidable agenda. Unlike certain of his predecessors he abstained from making any set I, speeches, and thus the reports of the various com- mittees and the official correspondence were run j through in good time. One of the matters dis- cussed, but very briefly, was how to improve the I local fairs. It is high time some step should be taken in this direction, as the Bangor fairs are be- coming smaller by degrees and beautifully less, z' and the occasion is too often marked by but two or three head of cattle obstructing the pavement near the railway station. Mr W. A. Dew, when mayor of the borough, advocated strongly the establishment of a Smithfield as one method for resuscitating the diminishing fairs, but he, un- fortunately, failed in his object, and no one appears likely to agiin take up the project. As to the much-needed improvement of the approach to the railway station that was mooted years ago during the mayoralty of Colonel Platt, and a plan was submitted showing an approach by an easy gradient starting from opposite the British Hotel, but nothing came of the scheme. The present approach from the east-end, which involves the clambering of many steps, is far from satisfactory or convenient, especially when one is pressed for time to catch a train. ABOUT the electric light little was said, Dr J Grey Edwards conteating himself with simply moving the adoption of the report of the com- mittee which dealt exclusively with its composi- tion. Thus, the resolutions passed at the recent meeting of ratepayers held at the Peurhyn Hall were completely ignored, the only remedy left to them being to press their protest when the inquiry is held by the Inspector of the Local Government Board. There was a bit of a breeze over the Pier question, Dr Rowland Jones censurirg the com- mittee for not taking the necessary steps to ascer- tain the opinion of the Board of Trade as to whether the department was opposed to the ex- tension of the structure to deep water, and so avoid the expense of what must be continu- ous dredging, the cost of which is du- bious. The committee, it is obvious, are pledged to dredging operations, and no one seems to know what the expense will be. Nothing was said as to the present expenditure upon the structure, and no certificate was presented from the engineer as to the amount the contractor could claim for work done. FOLLOWING the example of Carnarvon, both at Beaumaris and Bangor the town councils have ar- ranged their meetings, to be held in the evening instead of, as formerly, in the morning. Conway adheres to its old rule of meeting in the afternoon. The way in which the minutes of several councils are presented vary greatly. At Carnarvon they are extremely meagre, being limited to two printed pages; at Bangor the members have to wade through a formidable array of type-written matter, half of which might be advantageously omitted Conway councillors are presented with a printed agenda and a synopsis of the recommenda- tions made by the most important committees, together with a summary of any official correspon- dence claiming careful consideration. The pages, as is the case with the Llandudno Urban Council, are paged; and at the end of the year the annual work of the Council can be bound for reference—a plan which might be profitably followed at Bangor and Carnarvon.

BANGOR CITY COUNCIL. [ The monthly meeting of this Council was held I on Wednesday evening, under the presidency of ] the Mayor (Councillor J. E. Roberts). There were also present Aldermen T. Lewis, R. Langford Jones, and H. Savage; Councillors R. Hughes, R. I Owen, T. G. Williams, W. A. Foster, H. Grey s Edwards, P. S. Gregory, J. Williams, Edward ( Jones, Henry Lewis, Rewland Jones, Richard 1 Davies, Robert Hughes, W. P. Matthews, E. Clarke, Richard Williams, and H. Hughes; and ( Messrs J. A. Rod way (deputy town clerk), J. Gill I [borough surveyor), Smith Owen (borough ac- 1 iountant), and W. H. Wirrall (sanitary inspector), t PROPOSED STATION AT LLANGAFFO. 1 With a view to the provision of a station at this point of the London and North Western Railway Company's system, it was resolved to write to the company's superintendent referring to previous 8 correspondence and asking if the company was 5 aow prepared to consider the matter, and to com- aiunicate with the clerk to the Anglesey County Council and also with the councillor representing -» ;he Llangaffo district. On the motion of Dr Grey Edwards, seconded oy Mr Richard Davies, it was decided to ask the 8 railway company to improve the eastern entrance to the Bangor station, as the present steps were let adequate to meet the requirements. C BANGOR FAIRS. r It was resolved that the attention of the public a 3e called to the dates of the Bangor fairs for the fear 1896, which are fixed as follows April 5th, u rune 25th, September 16th, and October 28th. Mr Richard Williams observed that it was of t greater importance to ask the public to attend the lairs than to call their attention to the dates. The Bangor fairs were getting gradually smaller, t THE WATER SUPPLY OF UPPER BANGOR. r The Surveyor submitted the following report to J ;he Water and Gas Committee :-During the past e six weeks I have found the greatest possible lifficulty in maintaining the water supply to the J ligher portions of Upper Bangor, owing to the lumber of broken mains and pipes not only in this 3art of the district but at Llandegai, Part Pen- ( :hyn and Garth, many of the old water mains were c aid so shallow (in many places not more than r l2 inches deep) that the frost laid hold of them r md split them in all directions, thus causing a rery serious waste of water, and relucing the e aressure so low as to make it physically impossible :or the water to reach the highest points of supply. r rhe whole of these mains were laid by the old r company before the works were purchased t by the town, the inconvenience to a certain v extent being caused by want of storage cap- r t, iclty at the Twrgwyn reservoir to meet < such an emergency. To remedy such a state 1 of things I would strongly advise the con- fraction of an additional reservoir at Twr- t gwyn and a high pressure main thence to Plas ( Menai, Upper Bangor. I admit that it will be very ( expensive, but without, I fail to see how we are to continue to supply the upper portion of this dis- ] trict seeing that it is increasing so rapidly (last i year upwards of 80 houses were connected with < the main, and already drawings of GO more have been sanctioned). Further, by our present arrange- ment we are altogether unable to clean this reservoir, and should anything occur to the main it means putting fcthe whole of the district into great inconvenience. The cost of the scheme I estimate as follows: Construction of the new reservoir with capacity of 250,000 gallons, JE950 providing and laying 1200 lineal yards 4inch main with necessary valves, £300; total, £ 1250. After a long and careful consideration of the question at a meeting of the committee it was re- solved that the further consideration of the matter be deferred, until more experience has been had as to the working of the new main recently laid to Upper Bangor. THE GASWORKS. Mr R. Davies observed that there was no re- ference to the gasworks in the minutes of the Water and Gas Committee, and he wished to know whether the works had been relegated to oblivion (laughter). A great deal of work had been done recently in High street, and he would ask whether the committee had carried out the work of laying the mains. Mr T. Lewis (chairman of the Water and Gas Committee) said that he was under the impression that the work was to be done by tender. Mr T. G. Williams remarked that there were great complaints about the manner the work was carried out, and the recent accident in the street might be attributed to the laying down of the mains, a work which occupied much more time than it should have done. If such work was carried out without the knowlbdge of the Sur- veyor they might as well be without that official, who should be the proper person to superintend the operations. HIGHWAYS, LIGHTING, AND TOWN IMPROVEMENT. At a meeting of the Highways, Lighting, and Town Improvement Committee counsel's opinion on the subjeot-of the width ofMenai road was again considered, and a deputation was appointed to have an interview with Dr Lloyd and Captain Da- vies with a view of arriving at a settlement.— Drawings of six semi-detached villas proposed to be erected on the Garth road by Mr Owell Wil- liams were submitted. The Surveyor reported that the road in front of this laud was of various widths, but in no place sufficiently wide to comply with the bye-laws, and that there was a very awkward bead at this point of the road, and sug- gested that the road be wideued 8ft. Gins. in the centre and worked off to the existing properties. It was resolved that the Surveyor write to the builder asking whether he was prepared to I rebuild the fence wall on the line marked by the Surveyor on the plan on condition that the Council J bore the expense of making up the footpath. If not, the committee would have no alternative* but to enforce the bye-laws. It was resolved that the surveyor be directed and authorised to serve notices on the occupiers of premises having signs or other projections from their Dremises fixed so as to cause an obstruction. In answer to Dr R. Jones, Mr R. Hughes (chairman of the Highways, Lighting, and Town Improvement Committee) ex- plained that the counsel's opinion respecting the width of Menai Road was very favourable to the I Council. t On the advice of the Mayor the opinion of counsel was not read, it being stated that it could be seen at the Corporation office by any member. The recommendations of the committee were confirmed. THE INCANDESCENT LIGHT. Mr Thomas Lewis explained that the report of the experiment with th-i incandescent light in public lamps had not been made known. He understood that the experiment had proved that the light in question in one instance oaly would effect a saving of about X3 annudlly, If such was the case he could easily understand why the light had been introduced into several large towns in England. Mr R. Hughes explained that Ithe consideration of the report was deferred by the committee in view of the adoption of the electric light. The Surveyor read the report, which stated that the incandescent light effected a saving of 55s per annum, but the first cost connected with it was somewhat high. The Borough Accountant explained that Mr Smith (gas manager) did not give publicity to the report because he felt it would be used as an ad- vertisement, with the sanction of the Corporation, by a firm of dealers in incandescent light ap- pliances. Mr T. Lewis said that the incandescent light had been adopted in Cardiff, Winchester, and a portion of London. Dr Grey Edwards remarked that one street in Cardiff was lighted by this means. In fine weather it was all right, but in wet weather it WHS impos- sible to do anything wfth it, and it was decided to dispense with it. Mr H. Lewis proposed that the matter be re- ferred back to the Highways, Lighting, and Town Improvement Committee in order that the commit- tee might consider whether the light could not be adopted in High street, during the winter months. The motion, having been seconded, was adopted. GLAN'RAFON. In answer to Dr Grey Edwards, The Surveyor replied that the recent flooding of Glan'rafon was caused by the river overflowing the bank, and getting b*hi.nl the n«\v road now in course of formation Had the road been continued about 10 or 12 yards futaer there would have been no flooding of the kind. SANITARY. The Sanitary and Building Committee reported as follows The sub-committee appointed to con- sider the present management of the hospital re- commended that a matron, who shall bs a cer- tificated trained nurse, be appointed at a salary of £ 35 per annum with board and lodging and laun- dry work free, together with an additional sum not exceeding L5 per annum for the purchase of uniform that the caretaker be allowed an addi- tional sum of six shillings per week towards the wages and maintenance of a general servart and laundry maid. They further recommended that no change be made at present in the scale of charges for patients from outside the borough. It was re- solved that the recommendations of the mb- committee be adopted and carried out, also that Capt. Moger be informed that no alteration could be made in the terms on which the boys from the Clio" could be received and treated in the Hospital at present. Dr Langford Jones (chairman of the Sanitary and Building Committee) in moving the adoption of the report, said that the committee for some time had been considering the best means of curtailing the expenditure of the hospital, and with that object in view they recommende that a matron be appointed. Under the proposed new arrangement the committee hoped to be able te effect a saving of one half what the expenditure used to be. After some discussion the recommendations ef the committee were adopted. BIRTH AND DEATH RATES. The ex-Mayor reported that tha death rate for the past month was 16-4 per 1000, and the birth rate 24-60. The hospital had been occupied with- out intermission since it was opened, with the exception of fifteen days. In reply to Mr Thomas Lewis, Dr Langford Jones said there had been no epidemic. THE PIER AND 1ERRY. Mr R. Davies (chairman of the Pier and Ferry Committee) submitted the following report of the committeeThe sub-committee reported the result of theirvinterview with Mr E. A. Young respecting a place to deposit the materials arising from the proposed dredging Operations. The engineer also gmade reference to dredging in his report: after considering the above it was resolved that the matter be left to the sub-com- mittee appointed at the previous meeting to con- tinue their inquiries and to bring up a full report when they are in a position to (10 so. It was resolved that the name of Dr Edwards be substituted on the sub-committeefor that of Dr L. Jones, who had ceased to be a memberlof the committee.- The Engineer reported as follows The Pier now extends to a length of 1440 feet from the shore end, eleven piles having been screwed and the girders erected thereon during the past month. "As the days are now shorter and the weather more boisterous this is satisfactory progiess. Tue deck is laid within 24 feet of the fourth cluster, and the other timber work is well advanced. The bridge and pontoons are in course of construction and will be delivered by the time the pier head is ruady to receive them. I have not been able to make satis- factory arrangements with the owners of the "bucket ladder" dredging plant, wn account of the excessive charges for towing and insurance. As it is very probable that the dredged material will have to be lifted twice, once from the bed of the strait and afterwards either behind the lock wall or cn tho proposed road. I think it will be best to adopt the bucket or grab system, and then the same plant can be used for both the operations. In this case I should advise a purchase of either a new or second-hand machine to be fittLd on a barge which could be purchased kin the neigh- bourhood. Two hopper barges would also be required and the use of a tug to take the barges to the discharging ground, after the operations were completed the dredger could be sold, and as the lifting chain is ibe only part which wears the machine will be pra-ti -ujy as good as when first obtained. The only objection is that the dredging will extend over ;t lcn ger period, the dredger proposed to be used is cauable of dredging 500 tons in a day of 10 hourp, ;w, i as- suming the amount of dredging to be 50,005 tons that means 100 days clear dredging. I AM BO W in communication with the owners of the different machines and shall be in a position to report fully to you as to the costs of the proposed operations in the course of a few days, as the importacc items the towing and insurance of the dredgar--a,re now dispensed with, the cost of the work should come within what was originally anticipated. I Dr Rowland Jones asked whether it was not possible to extend the pier to the deep, and thus do away" ith dredging operations. Mr R. Davies It is unfortunate that Dr Jones should ask the same question continually. I have answered him before. Dr Jones and another member Never. Mr R. Daries We are not serious, I snouid I stated very clearly that we cannot extend the pier without a provisional order. Dr Jones: Why not get a provisional ordtr r Mr R. Davies I explained before that in all probability the Board of Trade would not agree to the exteasion of the pier to the deep because it wo ild be dangerous to navigation, and, farther, the contract would be interfered with. Dr Rowland Jones expressed surprise thai the Chairman of the Pier Co.u nr.tee hid only thess excuses to offer. He proposed that the whole matter be reconsidered, and that the committee should consider whether it was not advisable to I obtain a provisional order to enable them to con- struct the pier to the deep. Mr R. Davies observed that it would be ridiculous, after furming the head of the pier, to unscrew the piles and stop the contractor for ] S months, and go to Parliament for powers to extend the pier. No information had been kept from the Council, and it had been stated by the tcnacaitiee that they did not know how much the uredging would cost and that it was not included in th: contract. %Dr Gray Edwards asked whether it Wi. net. a fact that the engineer, Mr Webster, was strongly agaimst the extension ? Mr R. Davies retried that Mr Webster Lad made a report in which he opposed any extension, but some members did not remember anything about it (laughter). It seemed convenient for some mem- bers to forget. The committee were used to be knocked about. Mr H. Lewis protested against such an observa- tion, which seemed to imply that Dr Rowland Jones has made his proposal simply f jr diversion. The CQuncileught to have every confiderce in Dr Jones, to whom they ought to be obligod fcr eliciting information on the point. Dr Jones had made his proposal with the utmost sin eerily. "Mr R. Davies: We explain the matter every time. Mr H. Lewis: It ought to be done with the greatest courtesy and goud feeling. Dr Jones said that such statements hai no effect upon him. He maintained that they should not rest satisfied until they knew definit ely il-hat the Board of Trade would not sanction the exten- sioa of the pier. Mr Thomas Lewis said that the committee ha I been greatly exercised over the question of dredg- ing. and under the circuro st-u 1 ues the Council ought to help the Pier Committee (hear, hear). The proposal of Dr Jones was not seconded, and the minutes were adopted. BEAUMARIS PORT SANITARY AUTJLOXUR^. Mr Thomas Lewis was appointed representative of the Council on this authority. THE ELECTRIC LIGHT. A sub-committee composed of Dr Langford Jones, Dr Grey Edwards, Messrs R. Davies, and II. Lewis, was appointed to prepare evidence for sub- I mission to the inspector of the Loosi Government Board upon the inquiry as to the loan for electric light.