The Weekly News and Visitors' Chronicle for Colwyn Bay Colwyn Llandrillo Conway Deganwy and Neighbourhood

E. H. DAVIES UXBRIDGE HOUSE, COLWYN BAY. Agent for Messrs W. & A. GILBEY'S WINES & SPIRITS, MARTELL & HENNESSY'S I and 3 STAR BRANDY, JOHN JAMESON'S IRISH WHISKEY, WORTHINGTON & CO'S ALES, in 9 and 18 gallon Casks, at 9/ 10/6, 12/ and 13/6 per Cask. Bottler of Messrs. BASS & CO'S ALES, and GUINNESS & SON'S EXTRA STOUT, (under their Guaranteed Trade Mark). W. WILLIAMS & CO., HIGH CLASS GROCERS, Italian Warehousemen, Wine and Spirit Merchants, STATION ROAD, COLWYN BAY. MAKERS OF PLAIN AND FILISTCY BREAD. In consequence of the substantial reduction in the price of Flour, Bread is now retailed at a very low price. W. W. & Co. are now receiving daily consignments of some very Choice DEVONSHIRE BUTTER. 157- Manager, E. J. DAVIES. LIDBETTER & LONGMAID, Family Grocers, Bakers, and Provision Merchants, Abergele & Belgrave Roads, COHiWYN BAY, Sole Manufacturers of Montgomerie's Patent :Malt Bread. Finest Danish, Irish, and Welsh Butters. Special Agents for Colombo Ceylon Tea, 2/- lb. Families waited upon for Orders daily. 157- CAFE, COLWYN BAY. A RARE OPPORTUNITY FOR CAPITALISTS AND OTHERS. ON account of having- to build an enlarged Factory, to cope with the increasing Mineral Waters trade, for the coming Summer, the above first-class and commodious Freehold Business Premises, situated in the most eligible part of the town (namely, in Conway-road, and facing the future Station-road), will be offered for Sale before March, unless sold previously by private treaty. The Shop is adaptable for any business, and possession could be given at any time. I APPLY, THOS. ROBERTS, CAFE, COLWYN BAY. WE HOLD A LARGE STOCK OF Corsets of the Newest Makes. MISSES THOMAS, COSTUMIERS, 7, HIGH ST., CONWAY. G- ZBZETST-^IVR & CO., General and Furnishing Ironmongers, Gas Fitters, BELL HANGERS & PLUMBERS, CONWAY ROAD, COLWYN BAY. BATH CHAIRS, PERAMBULATORS, COTS, BATHS, AND SEWING MACHINES FOR SALE OR HIRE. A large stock of Paper Hangings, Paints, Oils, Varnishes, &c., always on hand. 209- JOSEPH DICKEN. Cabinet Maker and Upholsterer, Etc. Dining and Drawing Room Suites from 5 to 29 Guineas, full Suite complete. Bedroom Suites from 4 to 35 Guineas, full Suite complete. Oak, Walnut, and Mahogany Sideboards, from 3 to 21 Guineas. Inlaid Rosewood and Walnut, Overmantels, from 16/6 to 9 Guineas. Bedsteads, Bedding, Carpets, Linoleums, &c. Drawing and Diningroom Suites reupholstered and made equal to new. One of the largest and most complete stocks in Wales. Estimates Free. Station Road, Colwyn Bay. 287—52 ^JURE ASTHMA, BRONCHITIS, COUGHS, COLDS, AND CHEST COMPLAINTS, By using the Herbal f4 g| GA gET AND SMOKING MIXTURE. Warranted to contain NO NICOTINE. Jp CURE and enjoy yourself at the same time. "v Wmi w Pleasant to use, unfailing in their action, they may be safely smoked by Ladies and Children. Worth their Weight in Gold. Sealed Boxes only are Genuine. Refuse Spurious Imitations, |||aM I/- |/6, and 2/6 of Chemists and Stores, BEFORE. or'of the SPANISH CIGARETTE CO., 275, Strand, London, W.C. AFTER. GREAT SAVING BY PURCHASING THE LARGER SIZES. Sold by Mr. E. LLOYD, Chemist, Colwyn Bay. 289-26

THE COLWYN BAY AND COLWYN URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL. IN our is-sue of January ioth will be found a report of the proceedings at the first meeting of the newly-constituted Urban District Council of Colwyn Bay and Colwyn, interesting reading on many accounts. We do not propose to express any opinion on Mr John Roberts's views as to the ridiculous title of Councillor," or on his remarks concerning the Rev J. G. Haworth's election address, although his utterances on those subjects would serve as a text for a sermon of more or less relevancy. We prefer to deal with the manner in which the new Council proceeded to do its work. We have previously, on one or two occasions, offered some observations on this head, but they do not, however, appear to have been seriously taken to heart either by the old or new members of the Board or Council. As, however, the matter is one of considerable (and even vital) importance, we hope that our readers will bear with a third dose of homiletics on this subject. In previous articles, we have animadverted on the extremely loose <not to say slovenly) manner in which the business ot the Board has been con- ducted in the past, and we may as well say here that, if the first meeting is to be taken as a fair sample, the new Council is in danger of following in the footsteps of the old Board, to an extent that will render attendance at it-to busy men-a weariness to the flesh, as well as a vexation to the spirit. The fault of the old Board to which we refer, was the really unpardonable one of disorderly conduct of pubiic business, and, in order to make fuily clear what we mean, we propose to enter at length into the details of the subject. it may or may not be generally known that the old Board (and we presume that the same plan will be pursued by the new Council) had the minutes of its proceedings (as well as the minutes of each ot its Committees) primed, and a copy of them sent to each member seven days before the next meeting of the Board. The object of this was, of course, to enable the members of the Board to learn what had been done by each Com- mittee, and to consider at their leisure whether what the Committees recommended the Board to confirm was worthy of such confirmation. Having seven days to consider these matters, each member was, or ought to be, in a position to ask his questions or state his objections tersely and to the point. Before the minutes were thus printed, the Clerk to the Board used to read them out at each Board meeting (necessarily in a hurried manner), and the members had to listen and make as much out of them as they could during that rapid exposition, with the result that any questions they might feel inclined to ask were of the mistiest character, due to the vague glimpse of what had been done that had been given to them by the Clerk's reading of the minutes. In addition to this, much time was lost both by the reading of the minutes and by the aimless and disconnected discussion of them which followed. In short, it would not be too much to say that the greater part of the business of the Board was carried on in a kind of fog, one of the results ot which was that many things were done twice over some things ordered to be done were not done at all resolutions were proposed on the spur of the moment, and carried (equally on the spur of the moment), that were found to be quite impracticable afterwards and confusion reigned supreme. The printing of the minutes was intended to obviate all this, and, properly utilised, would easily have done so, but, as a matter of fact, there was little, it any, improvement in this respect. And this simply tor want of attention to the most elementary rules of procedure in the conduct of public business. Among other things, the printing of the minutes and the distribution of them among the members of the Board was intended to save loss of time involved in the reading of the minutes by the Clerk. But the old Board having a dim preception of this, excused the Clerk from reading the minutes, but, mirabile dictu, themselves read them over, at the Board meeting, the Chairman going through each Com- mittee's minutes, item by item During this process, the members ran riot in questionings, disputes, and even in speculations. And this system was not confined to the Committee minutes. The minutes of the preceding Board were treated in the same way, and frequently resolutions passed by the Board at one meeting, were re-discussed at the next, and were rescinded without notice ot motion, and even without any discussion worth the name. And more than that. Subjects totally irrelevant, and not on the agenda, were casually mentioned, fiercely discussed, and decided. Sometimes, no decision was arrived at, either to do anything or to let the matter drop, but the debate died out of very weariness. Readers accustomed to the orderly sequence and conduct of public business in English towns (say Liverpool or Manchester) will regard our state- ments on these points as incredible, but we can assure them that we have not exposed one quarter of the misrule that characterised the pro- ceedings at the old Board. We may just mention the fact that at one Board meeting, three separate resolutions on different subjects were passed, and rescinded 0 Well now, what is the explanation of this really ridiculous conduct of shrewd men of business who have been entrusted with the conduct of the affairs of the town ? The explanation is simple, and is based on the natural tendency of men in discus- sion to wander away from the point at issue, and follow any red-herring that may be, purposely or otherwise, dragged across the trail of discussion. This is so well known that a remedy has been provided beforehand for it, and this remedy is in force at all public meetings of this kind, and, if properly used, is infallible in the prevention of such disorder as we are now discussing. That remedy is known by the name of STANDING ORDERS. Now, the curious thing is that the Colwyn Bay Local Board had this remedy at hand, in the form of a set of Standing Orders and a very good set of Standing Orders they were too. The mischief was that they were perfectly ignored by every member of the Board. In order that our readers may judge for them- selves what an effective remedy for the faults we have named Standing Orders can be, if observed or enforced, we reproduce those framed for the conduct of business at the Colwyn Bay Local Board, verbatim et literatim. They are as follow 1. Every notice of motion shall be given to the Clerk seven days previous to the day of meeting, so as to be placed on the agenda paper. 2. Every motion or amendment shall be moved and seconded, and shall be reduced to writing, and handed to the Chairman or Clerk of the Board, and shall be read by the Chairman or the Clerk before it is discussed or put to the meeting. 3. A member of the Board shall stand when speaking, and shall address the Chair. 4. A member who speaks shall direct his remarks strictly to the motion under discussion, or to a motion or amendment to be proposed by himself, or to a question of order. 5. A member shall not address the meeting more than once on any motion or amendment, but the mover of an original resolution may reply, and in his reply shall strictly confine himself to answer- ing previous speakers, and shall not introduce any new matter into the debate. 6. A motion or amendment once made and seconded shall not be withdrawn without the consent of the Board. 7. Whenever an amendment upon an original motion has been moved and seconded, no second or subsequent amendment shall be moved until the first amendment shall have been disposed of, but notice of any number of amendments may be given. 8. If an amendment be rejected, other amend- ments may be moved on the original motion. 9. Every member shall be seated, except the one who may be addressing the chair. 10. When the Chairman rises, no member shall continue standing, nor shall any member rise until the chair be resumed. 11. Every question shall be determined by a show of hands. Now, what can be clearer than the meaning of these Standing Orders, or what could be easier than obedience to them ? As far as they go, they .are perfectly satisfactory. But they were never observed by the old Board. Rule I. was con- tinually broken by motions on subjects not on the agenda being proposed, seconded, and carried at a moment's notice. Rule II. was never observed except at rare intervals, and by chance. Rule III. was consistently ignored, members speaking leaning their heads on their hands, while their elbows lay on the table, and addressing their remarks to anyone but the chair. Rule IV. was a complete farce as far as observance of it was concerned, for, when once a member got on his legs, it was odds on his dragging all matters under the sun into his discursive remarks. Rule V. was the langhing-stock of the Board. Not speak more than once Is this a free country ? Speak more than once, indeed If any member wished, he would and did speak half-a-dozen times on the same subject, with consequent enormous waste of time and contusion of ideas, and as to the mover-of-an-original-resolution con- fining himself to answering previous speakers, and not introducing any new matter into the debate, that was seldom, if ever, observed. And so on through the set. Is this chaos to be perpetuated in the new Council ? Heaven forbid We are sure that it is not a mere desire to talk that has led in the past to this sort of thing. It is no doubt a sincere desire to do the business of the Board well. For instance, a member, say, has spoken on the question of the advisability of purchasing the Pwllycrochan Woods, and sits down. Other members follow. As he listens, new ideas occur to him he sees that he could put his view of things in a clearer light, and, when he gets a chance, bang he goes off again That is very natural, but there would be no end to it if everyone did the same. Of course it is a pitv that the Standing Orders prohibit two speeches on the same subject at the same meeting, but a line must be drawn somewhere if we are to get along with the work. But obedience to the Standing Orders in this resoect (and in all other respects to some extent) is really, and apart from the question of saving time, a very good thing, for this reason. When a member clearly realises that he will not be allowed to speak twice on the same subject, he will, if he is worth his salt, thoroughly consider what he is going to talk about, and what he is going to say. This will have a double good effect. It will secure for the public a proper con- sideration of their business, and it will train the member in the invaluable art of clearly realising his business, logically and comprehensively arranging his ideas, and the concise and lucid expression of his thoughts. Thus everyone will be benefitted, time will be saved, and business well done. Now, whose fault is it that all this has not been done in the past that the Standing Orders have not been enforced ? Of course it is the Chair- man's duty to enforce them, but we should hesi- tate long before we blamed, for laxity in this matter, any one of the three gentlemen who have presided over the Colwyn Bay Local Board. There has been laxity the reins have been held with too loose a hand, as no one knows better than Messrs Thomas Parry, John Porter, and the Rev W. Venables-Williams. But, while making this statement, we who make it are fully aware of the difficulties of the position. With the materials under their charge, and in the circumstances in which they have found themselves, these three gentlemen have done passing-well as chairmen. But a new era has dawned, and it is time that manners changed too, and we now call upon Mr Thomas Parry, in the public interest, to tighten his grip on the ribbons, and to hold his team with a firm hand. Of course, he will have trouble. That is as certain as that the sparks fly upwards. But the task is not an impossible one. By firm- ness on the part of the Chairman, by reasonable obedience on the part of the members, by tact, mutual give-and-take, and a general pulling together, the new Council may escape this First Standard stage of existence that we have dealt with, and rise to a higher level of orderly, smoothly-working, and effective co-operation in the transaction of public business. We venture to hope that our new C mncil will take it in good part (especially the Chairman) if we venture to offer some suggestions, based upon a pretty wide experience, as to the future conduct of the business of the Council. Presuming on this, we would in the first place suggest that no minutes (either of Board or Committee) be read at the Board meetings. As each member will have a printed copy of them seven days beforehand, this si unnecessary. When the Council is assembled, the Chairman should ask, Will any member move the confirmation of the minutes of the last Board?" Someone will do so, and at once (judging from past experience) someone else is certain to wish to say something. That should not be allowed till the motion for confirming the minutes of the last meeting is seconded. Then members may be allowed to address the Council, on that subject only. Only one member should be allowed to speak at the same time, and should stand while speaking, and he should not be allowed to speak again on that subject, on any account whatever, unless, as mover of the original motion, in reply to other speakers. After all who wish have spoken, the motion should be, formally and distinctly, put to the meeting, and voted upon by a show of hands. Next, the Chairman of the Council should call upon the Chairman of, say, the Finance Committee, to move the confirmation of the minutes of his Committee. Not a word should be said till that is done and seconded, when the Chairman of that Committee may give his explanation of any point in the minutes which he may consider requires explanation or justi- fication. Then, it will be open for any other members (one at a time, and only once) to address the Council on that particular subject and nothing else. When all has been said, the Chair- man of the Council ought to ask if there is any amendment to the motion for the confirmation of these minutes. If there is an amendment, it should be moved and seconded, in the usual and proper way, before any discussion of it is per- mitted. When that is done, the amendment should be put to the meeting. If it is carried, and relates only to a particular section of the minutes, then the motion for the confirmation of the Com- mittee's minutes should be put something in this form :—Those in favour of the adoption of these minutes (with the exception of the part dealt with by the amendment), please signify in the usual way." In this way, the proceedings of each Committee should be dealt-with in orcierly succession, till they are all exhausted. Following these, should come, on the agenda, Notices of motion, Correspondence, etc., and each of these should be dealt-with strictly in their turn, and in the way we have slightly sketched- out above. Of course, a system of this kind presupposes that the minutes (both of Board meetings, and of Committee meetings) are carefully and fully drawn out. All correspondence that comes before any particular Committee, should be embodied in the minutes of that Committee, and dealt-with when they are being discussed, and at no other time or place. This may appear to be a slow process. It is, in reality, a very expeditious one and has the additional merits of securing the dignity of the Council and the effective performance of its work, and at the same time will prove a splendid train- ing in the transaction of public business, for each member of the Conncil, old and new alike. The taunt may be thrown at us that we are teaching very elementary matters indeed, and we may be warned not to teach our grandmother to suck eggs. But we ask our readers whether these elementary teachings are not necessary, judging from the experience of the past ? At any rate, we think that they are required, and we give them without the slightest assumption of superior- ity, and with the only and sincerest desire to help the Council in the proper discharge of its arduous and important duties. We can promise the Chairman that, should he act on these times, he will serve the public well, and we will further assure him that in the discharge of this duty he will find us consistently and strenuously on his side. Just a few words in conclusion. Colwyn Bay and Conway are joined together by many ties, and it will not be out of place if we say a few words about the last-named town's Corporation. All that we have said of the chaotic style of con- ducting public business at the old Co!wyn Bay Local Board applies (in some degree) to the Conway Town Council. A more inefficient and confused public body, we have no experience of: and the advice we respectfully venture to offer to the Colwyn Bay and Colwyn Urban District Council, we, with equal deference and good will, offer to the Mayor, Aldermen, and Councillors of the good old town of Conway. THE CONWAY BOARD OF GUARDIANS. SOME MISAPPREHENSIONS DISCUSSED. CHATTING with a Weekly News representative one day last week, County-Alderman Elias Jones, J.P., said that, judging from the reports of the last two or three meetings of the Conway Board of Guardians, there seemed some misapprehension as to the extent and cause of the infrequency of his appearances at the Board. When an elected Guardian, he attended with regularity, but after- wards on becoming an ex-officio lie noticed that there seemed to be at the Board an undercurrent of feeling that an ordinary ex-ojjicio member had merely a legal (and not a moral) right to attend at the Board. Pending the then approaching reconstitution of Local Government (which was, however, delayed beyond his anticipations), he gradually increased the infrequency of his attend- ances. It was not, however, a fact that he had not attended the Board for some years, nor that he had not attended since the General Election of Guardians in April 1893,-indeed, he vividly recalled being present at an Assessment Com- mittee held (since that date) at the Conway Guild Hall, when the Chairman did not turn up, and some of the business (of importance, too) had to be adjourned because the Vice-Chairman did not like to tackle it. At the close of the conversation, Alderman Elias Jones authorised the publication of the pith of it.

What! these spoiled hands are causel by Washing Day. I am surprised, get MATCHLESS CLEANSER SOAP at once, I pray. 302—13

Conway River Fishery Board. THE MUSSEL FISHERY. The annual meeting of the Conway River Fishery Board was held on Thursday, January 9th, at Llanrwst, Mr J. Blackwall in the chair. The two newly-elected fishermen representatives were present. Mr P. M'Intyre proposed that Mr J. Blackwall should be re-elected Chairman. Mr Elias Jones, Llandudno, seconded, and the motion was carried unanimously.. Mr O. Isgoed Jones was unanimously re-elected Vice-Chairman. The Water-Bailiffs' annual re- port was presented. It showed that all the rivers were in good condition for trout-anglers from February 1st to May 1st. The present season had been very unfavourable for salmon-rod fisher- men as there was no water for the long period of nine weeks from August 20th to October 24th. From that date to November 14th, the rivers were flooded and difficult to work. Yet in the course of those three weeks the largest number of fish had been caught. The two biggest salmon caught with rod in the Conway weighed 32HJS each. The river had been favourable to net tish- ermen nearly through the season, and they had done very well, though they complained that the fish were smaller than during the previous season. The biggest salmon caught in a net weighed 34t lbs. The total number of salmon caught in the Conway and Lledr with rod was 92, weighing 8161bs; sewin (migratory trout), 136, weighing 296I bs. The Chairman said that that showed a great falling off as compared with the previous year. The salmon disease had appeared during the year, but it was much lighter than during 1893* The bailiffs further reported that the spawning season had commenced very favourably both as regards water and weather. A large number ot fish had been seen in the tributary rivers early in December. A statement of the accounts was read which showed a balance in hand Of-t-34 is 3"* Mr P. M'Intyre was reappointed. Mr Elias Jones said that the Board's application to the Carnarvonshire County Council for a grant to put into force the bye-laws had been refused, through the action of a gentleman from Conway who opposed the motion, and who had added that there was not _4 20 worth of mussels on the land- ward side of the Suspension Bridge over the Conway. Mr R. Jones (Conway) showed a number of mussels as specimens of those which were taken up by the fishermen of Conway. There was attached to one or two full-sized mussels a large number of young ones, which, he said, were thrown on shore and left there to die. Dr Jones It is a sin. They are ruining their own trade. Mr E. Jones moved the adoption of the follow- ing bye-laws to meet the case That no person shall fish for mussels except by hand, with a rake not exceeding 3ft in width, and used only from a boat and when the mussel bed is covered with 4.ft of water no person shall take mussels during the months of May, June, July, and August in any year no person shall remove from the fishery or have in his possession any mussel less than 2in 111 length. Any person committing a breach of the bye-laws shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding -_1-20, in the case of a continuing offence ^10 for every day during which the offence continues." Mr R. Jones seconded, and the motion was passed. Inasmuch as the County Council had refused to grant any money for putting the bye-laws into force, it was moved by Mr R. Jones (Conway) that an application should be made to the Conway Town Council for ^10 for the purpose. Mr Isgoed Jones seconded, and the motion was carried unanimously.

The Llangwstenin Parish Council. The Llangwstenin Parish Council have appoin- ted officers as follow:—Chairman, County- Councillor Hugh Owen, Snottyn Vice-Chairinan, Mr Hugh Davies, Glan Aber; Treasurer, Mr David Jones, Metropolitan Bank, Conway Clerk pro. tern, (i.e., for the first two meetings), Mr T* E. Parry. It was arranged that the Council should next meet at seven o'clock on Friday evening, March 8th, at the Board School, Glan- wydden, and should hold quarterly meetings i;,L April, July, October, and January. It is under- stood that the discussions will be in Welsh.

Conway and Llandudno County Court. CONWAY, THURSDAY, JANUARY IOTH.—Before His Honour fudge Sir Horatio Lloyd. A BOARD-AND-LODGING CLAIM. Peter Evans, Glandwr Inn, Llanfwrog, was sued by Samuel Jones, Colwyn Bay, for the recovery of 6i0 for the board and lodging of his son during his apprenticeship. The son, who was stated to be in Liverpool, was also a co-defen- dant.-Mr James Porter was for the plaintiff, and Mr John R. Lloyd for the defendants. The defence was that at the son's request money for the payment of his bill was sent to him vveeklyt and that for sixteen months the plaintiff had permitted default of payment without communica- ting with the father.-His Honour held that the plaintiff could not recover from the father. Judgment would be entered against the son with costs. A PHOTOGRAPHIC CASE. Judgment was given in the case of Bloome v. Chapman, heard at the previouse Court, and affecting the purchase of a hand-camera. The matter had been referred to an expert, and, acting upon his finding. His Honour entered judgment for the plaintiff for five guineas.—Mr E. Bone was for the plaintiff, and Mr Bellis for the defendant. A HOUSE-LETTING COMMISSION CASE. Jane Davies was sued by John Hughes and Co., house-agents, Llandudno, forces., being commis- sion for the letting of a furnished house.- The defence set up was that the plaintiffs had no authority to place the house on their register. Judgment was given for the plaintiffs.

The Chairman I think it is high time we should join with other bodies in uttering our pro- test against this most unjust measure. [Hear. hear]. It had been asserted that these men wer^ not dismissed because they could not spea English. He would read circulars issued by an official of the Company calling upon the inspec- tors to supply him with a list of the men unable to speak English. Proceeding, the Chairman re- peated that it was a most iniquitous proceeding. [Hear, hear.], and they ought to rise up in arms from one end of the country to the other against it. [Hear, hear]. Boards of Guardians were more entitled than other public bodies to protest against this thing, because it had a tendency to throw people on the rates. [Hear, hear]. It was useless, apparently, to ask the Railway Directors to make an inquiry into the matter. There was nothing like a deputation, and he would suggest that Boards of Guardians and other public bodies should join in sending a deputation to insist upon seeing the Directors upon it. [Hear, hear]. As to writing letters, that was perfectly useless, but let them go and "bullyrag" the Directors in their Board-room at Euston, anil "beard the lion in his den." [Applause]. Poverty was a misfor- tune, but now it appeared to be a crime for a Welshman not to know English. He suggested that Mr Beriah Gvvynfe Evans (Carnarvon) be communicated with to organise united action on the part of Boards of Guardians in appointing a deputation to Euston. Let them protest in the strongest manner against this unjust treatment of their countrymen. [Applause]. Mr John Roberts proposed that such a deputa- tion as that suggested by the Chairman be got up, and Mr Beriah Gwynfe Evans, Secretary of the Cymru Fydd League, be communicated vvitn- Mr Caraher seconded the motion, which was carried with acclamation. CHRISTMASTIDE GIFTS. On the motion of the Rev David Davies, secon- ded by Mr J. E. Fincham, the Board unanimously thanked a number of donors tor Christmas gifts to the Workhouse inmates. The donors were the Mayor of Conway, Mr Earp (Colwyn Bay), Mrs David Owen (Conway), Mrs Lloyd Jones (Con- way), and Mr W. Bevan (Llandudno).