The North Wales Weekly News

TIDE TABLE FOR THE NORTH WALES I COAST.* NOVEMBER. Date. Morn. Even. height. 12 10 22 10 38 16 10 13 10 52 11 8 17 2 14 11 24 11 41 17 5 15 11 57 17 5 16 o 15 o 30 17 6 17 o 47 15 16 11 18 i 23 1 43 x5 10 19 3 5 2 3° 14 9 Conwav 10 minutes later.

RURAL EDUCATION. EARL CARRiNGTON, as we have previously re- marked, is proving am ideal President of the Board of Agriculture. Under his wise and sym- pathetic guidance the Department has done ex- cellent work in the field of social service, and is carrying on its administrative duties with a de- gree of energy and public spirit deserving of the highest praise. We are pleased to learn that Lord Carringitonl is joining forces with Mr. Walter Runciman, M.P., the President of the Board of Education, with a view to promoting agricultural education, because we are con- vinced that the much-needed revival of educa- tion in this country is impossible without the co-operation of these two important Depart- ments. Efforts are now being made by the De- partments jointly to provide suitable means for focussing the special needs of agriculture in, re- flation to education and to secure the practical OOIlliSideraÜon of the particular problems oi. this branch of education, and effective co-operation in relation to all educational work carried on for rural areas. A memorandum of arrangements between the two Boards has been presented to both Houses of Parlia- ment, and we find that these arrange- ments aim in particular at the improve- ment and extension of (Specialised instructions of all grades bearing on agriculture and the main- tenance of a close relationship between such in- struction and the practice and progress., of the "various branches of the industry." It is pro- posed to constitute a Rural Education Confer- ence for the discussion of all questions connected with education in rural districts and for the periodical exchange of views between repre- sentative agriculturists and the two Departments. This conference will consist of members nomin- ated by the County Councils Association, the Agricultural Education Association, the Royal Agricultural Society of England, and other lead- ing agricultural organisations, together with six additional members to be nominated by the Pre- sidents of the two Boards so as to provide for the inclusion (a) of persons specially competent to deal with educational questions as far as the rural districts are concerned, and (b) of repre- sentatives of districts not adequately covered by existing agricultural organisations. The confer- ence will be attended also, by such officers ol the two Boardsi as may be nominated by their respective Presidents to take part in its delibera- tions and to supply information, or to give ex- planations with regard to any questions that may be raised. Steps are being taken to pre- vent overlapping and to enable the two Depart- ments to work together more effectively, and so to bring the facilities for agricultural educa- tion at the disposal of the British agriculturists to the level of those enjoyed by many of their competitors elsewhere." It will be seen that the two Departments are proceeding on the right lines, and nothing but good can come of the steps which they propose to adopt. In particu- lar we are in cordial agreement with the means adopted for giving a scientific training to those rural boys and girls who are unable to acquire any better educational equipment than is avail- able to them in the elementary schools. These ,measures must in the end do much to restore our prestige as an agricultural community, and they will do much to enable us to keep abreast of the times and compete on equal terms with countries such as Germany, France, and the United States, in all of which facilities exist for giving the best agricultural training to intend- ing students.

CURRENT TOPICS. Progress. DISSATISFACTION was expressed at Friday's meeting of the Denbighshire County Council with the apparently slow progress of the small j holding movement in the county. For our own part we consider that much good work has been done and that the prospects for the immediate future are decidedly promising. We regard the situation as all the more encouraging when we review the history of the first and most diffi- cult year's administration of uord Carringtons Act. Everyone agrees that it is quite time that agrciulture-estpecially that form of it which re- lates to small holdings—is in urgent need of encouragement. At the same time, it is not al- together a disadvantage at the commencement of the movement that progress should be de- liberate. It is important that mistakes should not be made at its inception, that the system should be established on a strictly economic basis, and that the work should be accomplished with the goodwill and co-operation of all classes connected with the land. Too great haste will inevlitably bring disaster. It is not enougii to merely place men on the land. The whole machinery of co-operative organisation, coupled with increased facilities for agricultural educa- tion, musft be built up in order that the small holders may be able to make the best of their land and tOo dispose of their produce at remuner- ative prices. Too Conscientious. THE GENERAL COMPLAINT against public offi- ,ci,als-wh,ether or not the complaint is justified depends upon the facts of each case-is that they do not perform sufficient work for the salaries they receive. There are, however, ex- ceptions even to this rule, it is both surprising and pleasing to find. For instance, there is the Sanitary Inspector to the Conway Rural District Council. It is recognised by all the members of the Council that this official is burdened with more work than, one man can possibly be ex- pected to carry out, and some of them consider that the time has arrived for providing him with an assistant. But one member does not agree with this suggested remedy. The Inspector, he admits, is overworked, but he is overworked be- cause he endeavours to do to-o much. And so the inference to be drawn is that if the official were less conscientious and slacked down a bit, that particular member would be better pleased. Moral: The highest wisdom on the part of a Sanitary Inspector is to take things easy," and the wisest economy on the part of a sanitary authority is to neglect the health of the public And yet we really are living in the en- lightened twentieth century! ° Artizans' Dwellings. COUNCILLOR W. GREENFIELD, presiding at a public meeting held on Friday evening, sub- mitted soma very striking evidence of the need of artizans' dwellings at Oolwyn Bay. The lack of suitable accommodation for work people is one of the blackest blots on, the record of the town, and "is producing serious and deplorable results. But while the facts are generally known and admitted, no one seems to stir a finger to remedy the situation, a situation which must continue to prevail until the conscience of the community is touched and the public aroused to action. And in truth it is difficult to find a solution of the problem under the existing state of the law. Parliament has been legislating on the sulbject for nearly sixty years, the first Act having been passed in 11851 but with all the subsequent enactments and amendments, the District Councils of places like Colwyn Bay are unable to deal effectively with the matter, and it is full time to so alter the law as to arm such authorities with Larger powers. We agree that lit is not altogether a matter of law; that the moral conscience of landowners and builders in particular, and of the community in general, is involved in the question; but after all is said and done there is little hope of real and perma- nen.t reform without a strengthening of the law.

SA YINGS OF THE WEEK. DR. WELLDON. I suppose if it were not for Manchester half the world would go naked.—At Manchester. MISS MAY SUTTON. Athletics are the Best antidote for a person of premature love affairs.—In an interview. BISHOP OF LONDON. A merry heart is always a sign of a good conscience.—At Ealing. MTISIS C. A. LITTLE. Throw physic to the dogs, is an old adage with much wisdom in it.—At Hull. REV. J. G. SIMPSON. The pulpit is one of the forces which con- tribute to the buillding of nations and to the culture of the human race.—At Leeds. MR. JAMEIS WELCH. Weeping is inborn in. one, as, part of original sin laughter is a sign of dawning intelligence. -At Manchester. MISS MAUD ILILINGTWORTH. Women may be divided into two classes— those who are spending their own. incomes and those who are laying out money for someone else.—At Bradford. SURG.-GEN. G. J. H. EV-ATT. Through all the centuries the strong man has been recognised as the greatest need of the com- munity.—At Whitefield's.

VEEK BY WEEK. A Royal Commission appointed, to inquire in- to the state and condition of the cathedral and collegiate churches, in their report, issued in 1854, stated: The four bishoprics of Wales claim the highest antiquity, having been founded chiefly in the earlier part of the sixth century and belonging to the ancient British Church. The churches in England coeval with those were ruined by foreign invasions, ana some of them refoundied by the Roman mission- aries in the time of tiEe Saxon Heptarchy." A little girl was greatly interested in, watch- ing the men in her grandfather's orchard putt- ing bands of tar around the fiuit trees, and asked a great many questions. Some weeks later, when in the city with her mother, she noticed a gentleman with, a mourning band around his left sleeve. Mamma," she asked, what's to keep them from crawling up his other arm? Don't get down m the mouth," said the optimist; "look on the bright side of things." That's all very well," replied the sufferer, but what is the bright side of a gumboil? ¡Sir Wilfrid Lawson had a good story about Sir Andrew Clark, Mr. Gladstone's physician. It is said that when he recommended a patient to drink wine the latter expressed some surprise, saying he thought Sir Andrew Clark was a tem- perance doctor, to which Sir Andrew Clark re- plied Oh, wine does sometimes help you, to get through work; for instance, I have often twenty letters to, answer after dinner, and a pint of champagne is a great help." Indeed," said the patient, does a pint of champagne really help you to answer the twenty letters? No no said Sir Andrew, but when I've had a pint of champagne I don't care a rap whether I answer them or not! Other well-known men besides Mr. Lloyd George are being mentioned as likely candidates for the representation of Cardiff at the General Election. Among the possibles is Sir W. P. Hartley, the millionaire jam manufacturer, who was knighted last year. He lives at Aintree, Liverpool, and has been a great benefactor of the Liverpool University. He is a prominent Nonconformist, and this year the Primitive Methodists have honoured him by departing from their rule and electing him (although a lay- man) as President of 1he 'Conference. Sir Wil. liam has been a munificent contributor to their Connexion,, and indeed is always helping large- ly a number of philanthropic causes. He has written a little work on "The Use of Wealth," which has been published by the National Coun- oil of the Evangelical Free Churches. He was born in 1846, has one son and seven daughters, and when asked if he h-.id any recreations he icplied. None, except driving. » The Earl of Carysfort, by disposing of nearly half a million of money in a will containing 150 words, has touched almost the other ex- treme from that reached by the late Duke of Devonshire, whose will contained some 18,000 wor,ds-abo-,it nine newspaper columns. One of the shortest wills ever made was that of a Streatham resident, proved a few years ago, which simply consisted of the words, "All for mother," followed by the testator's nitials. A similar will made by a wealthy Chicago news- paper man, Mr F. B. White, are, I give every- thing to my wife." The late Mr. Harriman's will is said to have been exceptionally brief. Sometimes a will must be brief, like that of Mr. Brockhardt, of St. Albans, by the side of whose body when found on the Matterhorn was a card addressed -to, his sister, on, the back of which he had written the following words: — I am dying on Matterhorn. I leave all I possess to you,, my dear sister. God bliess you." Psychic phenomena (the Western Mail ob. serves) are evidently on the increase. In an as- sault case at Llanrwst the defendant said he had been to a preaching meeting, and afterwards had five half-pints of beer, with an old friend, whom he left at 11.30 p.m. While standing at the bottom, of Scotland-street he heard a strange sounds, as if a woman was moaning. He walked, up the street, the sound in the mean- time, like a Will o' the Wisp,' getting farther away from him all the time, until it appeared hovering in the air up country in the direction of Llangernyw. When he reached the com- plainant's house the sounds appeared to emanate from every direction, so he leant on the com- plainant's railing to study the phenomena, when, the complainant rushed out of his house and landed witness a 'kick. Complainant came so suddenly and so quietly that witness at first connected the pain he felt in his leg with the mysterious sounds, until he found the complain- ant standing before him. He then found his error, and landed him one in the eye." The Psychical Research Society might have believed this narrative but, alas, the bench didn't!

CAKES AND PUDDINGS.—No. i. Every week some gooidl and inexpensive Cake and Piuddxng recipes will be published in this column. Each recipe has been, selected because of the excellence Off the Cake or Pudding that it makes, and also because of the inexpensiveness of the ingredients, and the convenience with which they can be obtained. The recipes are published by the Proprietors of Cakeoma, who respectfully wish to bring the economy, convenience, and fine quality of their Cake Flour before the notice of those ladies who may not yet have used it. CURRANT CAKE. I packet of Cakeoma. 4 lOz. Butter or Butter and Lard mixed. 2 Eggs. 76 lb. Currants. 2 oz. Candied Peel. A third to half a glass of Milk. This is sufficient for a 2lb. Cake. METHOD. Empty the contents of the packet into a large basin or mixing bowl, rub the shortening (soft- ened by warmth if necessary, but not melted) into theCiaJkeoma until it is as .fine as bread crumbs. Beat the eggs and, with the milk, add them to the previous ingredients. Mix well for five minutes, then add the fruit, &c., and again mix lightly until they are well amalgamated, and bake in a moderately hot oven. A Currant Pudding recipe next week. Cakoma is ,sold only in 3%& packets by all Grocers and Stores.

The Real Budget. — Local Aspects of the Finance Bill. Mr. Evan R. Davies at Colwyn Bay. The Manless Land and the Landless Man. Mr Evan R. Davies, solicitor, Pwllheli, whose name has been brought forward so prominently in connection with the representation of Carnar- von Boroughs, gave a most lucid and interest- ing exposition, of the Budget at Colwyn Bay on Friday evening. The meeting, which was under the auspices of the Colwyn Bay and District Liberal Associa- tion, was held in the Lecture Hall, and Coun- cillor William Greenlfield presided over a fairly numerous gathering, which included some of the best known residents of the town. WORKMEN'S DWELLINGS. Councillor Greenfield, who was well received, thought they could congratulate themselves and the Government tlhiat might upon the third read- ing of the Budget by the magnificent majority of 230. (Hear, hear.) Of course, he added, we don't know how much further it will go. (Laughter.) For some reasons, we trust that tloo House IOf Lords will pass it. For other rea- sons, I think it will be best for us and the coun- try if they throw it out; because then the crisis would come to a climax, and i believe an ap- peal would be made to. the country, and we don't feel very much perturbed, as to the conse- quence of such a procedure. (Applause.) We feel it a great honour to have Mr Davies with us to-n"ght,-though we are sorry there is not a larger audience-becaus-e it is believed that if Mr Lloyd George accepts the Cardiff invitation, Mr Davies will .fill his place as the Member for Carnarvon Boroughs-—{hear, h,ear),-and if Mr Lloyd George does not go to Cardiff, perhaps they will ask Mr Davies to go there himself- (hear, hear),-and I consider that he would prove a very worthy Member for that district, as he is a neighbour and also- an ardent follower of Mr Lloyd George. (Applause.) The Chairman proceeded to say that it wa2; worth while to consider how the land clauses of the Budget affected their own town. The li- censing duties, the death duties, the income tax and other details were old urinciples which had been re-enforced or strengthened in one way or another, but the land taxes were quite a new principle. At any rate they were new in some respects, though there was once a time when all the taxes in this country came out of the land. Considerimg this matter in its local aspect, they had to remember that the greatest need of Col- wyn Bay was the proper; housing of the work- ing classes. (Hear, hear.) He did not thinK there was any more pressing need at the present time. It was impossible for a working man to get a house for less than 8s. 6d. a week. (" Shame.") There were, it was true, houses which could be got for 5s. 6d. but if any one of the audience had been in, the latter houses he did not thinik they could breathe in some of the rooms. He could instance one where the land- lady had increased the rent from 5-s. to 5s. 6d., because of the rates," as she said. Ten years ago-, the rent of the houses was 4s. to-dlay it was 5s. 6d. The actual increase in the rates war- three half pence a week, and yet she had put up the Tenlt sixpence a week because of the rates." (" Shame.") It was a shame for any- one who had the welfare of the people at heart -to do such a thing. Proceeding to describe one of these houses, the Chairman said that, as re- gards the kitchen, during half the year it was impossible for a direct ray of sunshine to get into it, owing to a high wall and trees within a few feet of the front door. There was- a miser- able fire-girate; no convenience for boiling water no sink in the place; no slop stone, but everything had to. be thrown out. It seemed incredible that such things could be; in such a place as iGolwyn Bay; and it was a shame that where there was so. much land, land which had bee,n. held up for years in order that its value might be enhanced by the enterprise, not of the owner, but of the community. (Hear, hear.) The consequence of all this was that a workman earning a guinea a week had to' pay 8s. 6d. for rent and had only 12S. 6d. left to keep himself and his wife and family1. The natural sequence was that there were as many as three families in one house; evil associations; bad habiis and undesirable conditions and men. having re- course to the public house in search of that warmth and comfort which they sought at home in vain. (Hear, hear.) A workman's house should no^ cost more than half a crown a week; but the high price of land made it impossible to build cottages which would be remunerative at that rental. He knew of two six-acre plots on the outskirts of the town. One plot was culti- vated, and paid rates, and gave employment to five or six men. The other plot was. not culti- vated now, having beam cut up for building sites; the market gardener vibo, haci formerly cul,tiv,ated it had been thrown out of work and that land not only gave no employment, but it actually paid no rates, whereas formerly, when., cultivated as a market garden, it paid £ 3 5s. per annum in rates. The other ratepayers had to bear an extra burden because of that man keeping his land idle. That land was growing rapidly in value, and the owner paid no rates but if the Budget were in force he would have to pay something back to the community out of tihe increased value which the community were creating for him. _(Hear, hear.) To mention the Cayley Estate. When it was valued for nro- bate and successive duties, it was valued at £ 24,000. It wag now valued at £ 250,000. It had gone up ten times in a few years, and if so the owners should pay duty in proportion. After alluding to the leasehold system at L-lan- dudno, the speaker referred to the Penrhyn Quarries at Bethesda. During the strike of some years ago, Lord Penrhyn wasl able to get the assessment of the works reduced from £ 2.5,000 to £ 10,000. It would be imterestingi to know whether the tradesmen, of Bethesdla and Carnarvon and district got their assessments re- duced im equal proportion. (Hear, hear.) We are very glad, the Chairman concluded, that this matter has been brought forward throughout the country, and that this land question is being opened up. -(-Hear, hear.) We trust that, as Mr Lloyd George said in Liverpool last December, although the resources of the land are now frozen up under the old feudal system, we can look' forward to the spring time when the thaw will set in, and the people and the children of the people siha-u enter into the inheritance that has been left them from on high." (Applause.) UNJUST LOCAL RATES. Mr Evan R. Davies, who was cordially wel- comed, commenced by saying that there was no necessity to apologise to him for the paucity of -attendance, as he was sure that all those pre- sent were genuinely interested in the subject they had met to consider. Still, he would, be allowed to point out that irt: did' not speak well for Colwyn Bay Liberalism that there was not a larger attendance to consider the subject of the new land taxes at a time when the resources of the Liberal party were being taxed to the utter- most, and when it was imperative that every professing Liberal should possess a clear conr ceptiom of what those taxesi meant. (Applause.) Reference had been made by the Chairman to his (the speaker's) associatioei with a certain office, but perhaps he might be allowed to. make it clear that he was present, not in connection with that office, but purely and simply as a member of the public who was interested in some of the questions of the dlay. (Hearv hear.) He did not propose to limit himself to a con- siderationi of the provisions of the Finance Bill, I but would prefer to invite their consideration, at the outset, of the present system of rating and assessment in connection with land, for the purpose, if possible, of leading their minds to a realisation of the Inecessity for the land clauses, and of furthering their development. (Hear, hear.) They .all paid rates—(laughter), —and they all complained very bitterly, of the amount of money Jhey had to disgorge in the payment of such demands. (Laughter, and hear, .hear.) -It was very easy to cheer a remark like that—(laughter),—but how many of them had ever sought to consider how far the present sys- tem of rating might be changed and reformed? It was about the most unfortunate and most pitiable thing in the consideration of public affairs in this country, that, while every one was complaining bitterly, year in and- year out, in regard to this maitter, no one would lift a little finger to secure a change. "You are all chronic grumblers, but you are very far indeed from beinjg anything like ele- mentary reformers." ANOMALIES. Let them take that district of Colwyn Bay, which had developed rapidly during the past 20 years. Had it ever .struck them. what an unjust condition of things obtained in watering places of that description? Take, for instance, the shopkeeper, whose shop stood in one of tile principal streets of the town; the rent of that shop was, presumably, £ ~ioo, and the rateable value aooroximated to £ 100, and he paid rates upon that sum. Those rates- were paid by the ratepayers for the purpose of providing a fund to, run the public machine, for the administra- tion of the affairs of the community. That tradesman, from the very condition of things, profited by every development and advancement in the community ev-ery day in the year, be- cause he was transacting business on thos-- pre- mises every day of the week. Now, there was somewhere overlooking the bay a large boarding or apartment house, kept, it might be, by a .spinster lady or a widow, and the; rent of that house was £ 100. The person keeping the house was only able to utilise those premises for "le purpose of her business for the matter of eight or ten weeks, and for the remainder of the year, so far as that person was concerned, she might as well live in a two^roomed house as in. a twenty-roomed house. And yet she was paying the same amount of rates, for the purpose of runningl the business of the community, as the tradesman who was undoubtedly reaping much greater benefits and more direct benefits in re- spect of his shop premises. (Hear, hear.) That s-eemed to him to be utterly unfair and unjust. (Hear, hear.) And they must) realise this, that there was much more misery existing among apparently respeotable people, owing to the ex- istence of conditions like that than anyone ever imagined. You may have your candidates for District Council honours who are ready enough to speak eloquently about keeping down the rates- (laughter),—but do they, ever pro-pose for your consideration any scheme for the alteration or reform of these conditions? (Hear, hear.) Not a bit of it, because it takes too. much more trouble to apply one's mind to the consideration of that matter than it does to fly a kite for the purpose of catching a few stray votes. (Laugh- ter.) Carry the thing a step further, and what do you find ? You 'find that you may have cer- tain anomalies in regard to the assessments in this Union of Conway. You may, in Colwyn Bay, have properties assessed y overseers who are enlightened, businesslike, capable, who understand their business, men who- are public- spirited and take care that the interests of the public are considered in every way, men who carry out their work conscientiously and with- out regard to any wirenpullinjg at all. (Laughr ter, and hear, hear.) But then you may have in the parish of Llandudno, in the same Union, overseers who- are not as genuinely concerned for the interests of the ratepayers, with,, the re- sUilt that in, the two- neighbouring parishes in the one Union you may have two different bases of assessment and therefore an inequality in the contributions of the ratepayers of the two par- ishes towards the funds of the Conway Union. Another anomaly is this, the very worst anomaly, the system under which, as your Chairman has mentioned, it was possible for Lord Penrhyn to obtain a reduction in the as- sessment of his quarries, and I consider that that system should be abolished. (Hear, hear.) The reason why Lord Penrhyn got his assessment reduced was this. The assessment of quarries is based upon the profits of those quarries. They take the profit per ton. The process by which they arrive at the valuation is a lot of rigmarole, all duly set forth in legal pharseology, the mean- ing of which is that the County Council valuer arrives at the assessment from the profits made. But it so happens that this valuation is only made once in five years, and as) the reduction was made at the beginning of that quinquennial period, the assessment remains the same, no matter how much the- profits may have increased in the meantime. That shows the futility of the whole system, when considered from the point of view of the public interest. (Hear, hear.) Another sort of thing associated' with the pre- sent system is the allowance made in respect of agricultural land to occupiers or owners. I don't know how many of you remember how the 1896 Act was passed. You are reminded that the sum of two milliong sterling was ear-marked by the Tory Government and placed to the bene- fit, as they said, of the overladen, over-burdened farmer. (" Shame.") Up until 1896 the land- lords were in the habit of making certain an- nual abatements of rent to their tenant farmers, but since 1896 that abatement has ceased, be- cause the Tory Government, in the generosity of its heart, made it at the expense) of the rate- payers. (" Shame.") As Mr Lloyd George pointed out in one of his speeches recently, the two millions sterling provided for that purpose was part of the income derived from: the death duties imposed by Sir William Harcourt. And that fact is an augury of the likely action of the Tory party at any future time in regard to any money that may be derived from any progres- sive taxes levied by the Liberal Government in our time. (Cheers, and cries of Shame.") "Dealing with that point, in regard, to the pre. sent incidence of rating in the country, I would like, for a moment, to call attention to one of the strongest arguments adduced by the Tory party in opposition to the present Budget, that it is unfair and unjust in principle to tax people ,on. the basis of ability to pay. I have heard that suggestion: made by people who live in big mansions. I know people- living in the county of Carnarvon, who-, if they paid local rates ac- cording to their ability to pay, would be paying a thousand times as much as they are paying. THE SEASIDE LANDLADY. But let us go back tOo the women and other people keeping seaside apartment houses. How many such people are there who are paying heavy rates, not from any profit they make, but actually from the hard-earned receipts from visitors, during the summer months, without even a prospect for getting enough food to keep body and soul together over the winter months. (" Shame.") The influence or effect of this system of rating obtaining at the present time in this country upon the public life and development of the interests of the community has been this. You have had during the last two or three decadies a (remarkable migration of people from the land tOo the Colonies and foreign parts and to the industrial centres. I don't say it is due entirely to the influence of the rating system, but coupling the rating system with the fact that you have conditions and influences ob- taining in the country such as your Chairman referred to as being in existence amongst your- selves. IHe ,told you of the man who, instead of continuing to allow his land to employ three or four men, simply squats upon the soil and prevents anyone turning it to any advan- tage at all. These conditions are not typical of a few stray instances in a few places up and down the country, but they are characteristic of the whole country. In the county of Suffolk, during the ten years between 1891 and 1901, forty thousand people, who up to that time were living on the land and making a living out of the land-farty thousand people migrated out ot that county of Suffolk because the large land- owners, South African millionaires who had more money than they knew what to do with- (laughter),—converted 200,000 acres, formerly under cultivation, into- huge sporting estates, dispossessing 40,000 people who up to that time had got their living out of the soil. (" Shame.") The number of people engaged in agriculture in Engl.andand Wales has been reduced since 1S71 -by 450,000 people. Now the number of ag- ricultural labourers in this country has been re- duced since 1871 by 300,000; and the number of agricultural labourers in Great Britain was re- duced1 in the twenty years between 1881 and 1901 by 294,000. We are told that these people were attracted from their rural hOi!J)e bv the glamour of the towns. Do. you think "these people deserted their native villages because there are no roundabouts, no animated pictures, no skating rinks. (Laughter.) No; there is a stronger reason to account for this serious de- population of the countryside. The fault does ,not lay at the door of these men. They have left the country for the towns because there was nothing for them to do. Since the year 1871 the number of acres under crops in this country has been reduced by three millions. There are at the present time a smaller number of acres under crops in this country by 3,000,000 than there was in 1871. Some say this is accounted for by the vast industrial developments, the coal mines, stone quarries, and the great increase in building operations. But this will not account for three million acres. (Hear, hear.) The most remark- able thing about the history of our country is this. In Germany the industrial development has been quite as wonderful during the last thirty or iort3, year as in this country. But in Germany, agricultural development has kept pace with the industrial development. (Hear, hear.) In this country you have three million acres kept out of cultivation since 1871. Fur- ther, during the same period, the number of acres under grass in this country was increased by four million acres. There has been too much of a disposition in this country—you have observed it in this district, and in Carnarvon- shire anyone can see a very great tendency-to take land as accommodation for the purposes of rearing stock, for fattening cattle, for farming sheep. I don't wat to depreciate in any way the efforts of people who are ambitious but it doesn't speak well for the interests of any com- munity when you have the small people of the community developing into capitalists. After all is said and done, a man who farms 20 or 30 or 4° acres of land by sheep feeding is simply a capitalist. He doesn't do any v.'ork; he in- vests a certain amount of money in sheep and turns those sheep on the land. He may shear them once a year—(laughter),—and the next thing he does is to offer them to the butcher, exercising a great deal of imagination in ap- praising their value. (Laughter.) There has been too much of that sort of thing throughout the country altogether, with the result that you find this enormous exodus of people resident on the soil and dependent on the soil for their lrv- ing. (Hear, hear.) SMALL HOLDINGS. You have noticed the latest development in Tor}'' tactics in regard to lan<^ and electio neer ing. You probably saw, within the last two or three weeks, a good deal of capital made by some of the Tory leaders in regard to the deve- lopement of small holdings in this country. Mr Balfour, at Birmingham, said he was prouder of his association with the land system of Ire. land than anything else he had ever done, and that he thought the finest thing which could be done in this country would be a system of peas- ant proprietorship on the lines adopted in Ire- land. Sir Gilbert Parker—(laughter)—has writ- ten a pamphlet on the advantages of a system of peasant proprietorship. They say the onily way is to make the tenants the owners of their hold- ings, and that there is no reason at all why the State should not contribute the funds required for the purpose of enabling the tenant farmers to establish themselves as owners of the soil. I may say this with regard to the small holdings policy of the present Government. You have seen in the papers from, time to time some sug. gestion made that the movement has not been the success people expected it to be. Some Lib- eral members of Parliament blame the Board of Agriculture a great deal because of the appar- ent non-success of the movement others blame the indifference of the Tory members of the County Councils. I say at once that I never expected the Act to be any great success at all, and I will tell you why. A small holding, with- in the meaning of the Act, under the present Government, means anything up to fifty acres. Now, if you want to farm, fifty acres and to do it thoroughly and well, you want a large capi. tal and it is an insult to the intelligence of the man who desires to go back to the land if he is put on the land without the means to de- velope it. Now turn to countries like Germany and Denmark, where, as I have said, you have great agricultural development side by side with the industrial development. A small holding in Germany means—what do you think? An al. lotment in this country has to be something from an acre to five acres: a small holding would be something between five acres and fifty acres. There are in Denmark 120,000 people dé. pendent entirely for their living on holdings of seven acres. (Hear, hear.) In. Germany, which is generally regarded by us in this coun- try as being under the iron heel of an autocracy, 76 per cent. of the agricultural holdings are about 12y, acres each. That is. three out of every four of the agricultural holdings are under 9 twelve acres, two out of every four are under five acres. Proceeding, Mr Davies showed what extraor- dinary success had attended the experiment con- ducted by Mr Fels (of Fels Na ptha Soap) in French gardening, by which upwards of ,CSoo had been made in one year out of an acre of land on an Essex farm. He did not say that everyone could accomplish such results, but it showed what could be done by co-operation and organisation and it revealed the possibility of making the land of this country supply all the requirements of the population. (Hear, hear.) From this point Mr Davies dealt entirely wdth the Budget, and in view of the exceptional im. portance of his remarks we shall give them fully together with the ensuing discussion, in our next issue, rather than giving them in abridged form at present.

Unemployment in North Wales. FAVOURABLE REPORTS IN DENBIGHSHIRE. At Friday's meeting of the Denbighshire County Council the minutes of the Unemployed Workmen Act Committee contained returns re- ceived from fifty-two parish councils in that county, giving the approximate number of un- employed workmen in each parish. In "forty of these parishes it was reported that there were no unemployed workmen, and only in three of the others did the number exceed a dozén- namely, Rhosllanerchrugog, 61 (mostly colliers), with 55 boys between fourteen and sixteen years of age in addition Penycae, 36 (mostly col- liers), with nine boys and Bersham, 32 (mostly labourers). The Committee decided to obtain similar data from the urban authorities. Among the parishes reporting no unemployed workmen were Abergele Rural, Eglwysbach, Henllan, Llandegla, Llanddulas, Llanelian Llangernyw, Pentrefo-elas, Ruthin (Llanbedr).

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