The Tenby Observer Weekly List of Visitors and Directory

TENBY COTTAGE HOSPITAL. The following subscriptions and donations are acknowledged with thanks: — Mrs Callender £ 1 1 0 Proceeds of Special Fishing Compe- tition, 29th Sept., per Mr Thomas Jones. 2 4 10 Bethesda Presbyterian Church, Harvest Thanksgiving and Sale of Fruit, per Mr Lewis Thomas 2 0 0 Sardis Congregational Church, Saun- dersfoot, per Mr J. W. Davies 1 3 0 Ebenezer Congregational Church, Am- roth, per Mr Geo. Lawrence. 0 10 0 Mr Clement J. Williams (donation). 10 10 0 G. E. MAINLAND, Hon, Sec. and Treasurer.

Three Important Points to be considered when buying tea :-Welght, Value and Price, Hornimans offer you Full Weight, Full Value and Fair Price. Don't be put off with cheapness only, but insist on having Full weight without the wrapper," and full value with best quality. In fact, insist upon having HORNIMAN'S. Try a packet and you will USE NO OTlnm. Sold by all leading Grocers, Provision Dealers and Co-opera- tive Societies throughout the United Kingdom. Sold in TENBY—Davies, Baker and Grocer, Frog Street. MILFORP HAVEN—Meyler, Chemist SA UNDERSFooT--Grifiiths, Chemist. NARDERTH-Morgan, Chemist. WHlTLAND-Caleb Rees, Grocer, Whitland House (Wholesale Agent). WHITLAND—Roblin, Grocer.

MASON'S SIXPENNY GUIDE TO TENBY, revised and enlarged edition, is now ready. Contains a street map of the town, together with a new series of attractive illustrations. To be obtained at the Observer Office, the "local newsagents, of Wyman and Sou's book&tall.

SUICIDE OF MR. STUART JAMES. v WELL-KNOWN TENBY ENTERTAINER. The many Tenby friends of Mr Sydney James, of the Royal Strolling Players, will regret to hear of the death of his brother, Mr Stuart James, which took place in London last week under tragic circumstances. The de- ceased, who was thirty years of age, and whose real name was Edward Stuart Parker, was very well known at Tenby, having appeared for several seasons in succession at the Coronation Garden in his brother's troupe. At Tenby he was a great favourite, and his untimely end will be regretted by many local friends.

BONCATH BRIDGE TRAFFIC. TRADER SUED AT CARDIGAN. An important case, involving the right of the public to use railway bridges for all traffic, was brought before Judge Bishop, at Cardigan County Court on Friday last, when the Great Western Railway Company claimed JE10 from Daniel Davies, owner of a traction engine, for damage to the bridge over the railway at Boncatb, it being alleged that defendant's traction engine was on the 16th April and 11th June, 1909, as well as other occasions, driven over the bridge, notwith- standing notices exhibited thereon under Section 8 of the Locomotive Act, 1861, and his under- taking not to do so. The company also asked for an injunction both as to this bridge or any other of the company's bridges upon which statutory (instructed by Mr R. K. Nelson, solicitor to the Great Western Railway) appeared for the plain- tiffs. Counsel submitted that the fact of a heavier weight than what the bridge was intended to carry being taken over a bridge did considerable damage to it, and made it unreliable. Mr F. Gleaaow, G.W.R., said Boncath bridge was con- structed for ordinary traffic only. Mr Eynon, as- sistant engineer, said defendant signed an under- taking on August 4th, 1909, not to use the bridge. Defendant said he used the bridge after agreeing not to do so because he saw other people doing so. Counsel for the plaintiffs said all other persons asked permission. The Judge gave judgment for plaintiffs, 20s. damages, aud costs under scale C, rule 11, order 53. He also granted an injunction.

NO. 1, ST. JULIAN TERRACE TENANCY. —AN EXPLANATION. To the Editor of the Tenby Observer Sir.,—Will you kindly allow me a space in vour paper to contradict the rumour made about me regarding 1, St. Julian Terrace. In the first place, I did not owe any rent to the landlords. The reason is this, the landlords wanted me to sign a tenancy agreement before they put the house in tenantable order. I would not sign the agreement till they had done the repairs, which they would not do. To take immediate posses- sion was then the orders. As I owed no rent I went out of it. They kept the receipt of my half- year's rent for six months, because I would not sign the agreement, and the house was not tenantable, so perhaps this will satisfy the public why I left 1, St. Julian Terrace. Thanking you for inserting this,—Yours respectfully, M. WOOD. Etnam House, Bellevue. Tenby, October 6th, 1909.

THE RECENT INFECTIOUS CASE PRO- SECUTION AT TENBY. To the Editor of the Tenby Observer. SIB,—Those of your readers who like fairplay will be interested in the attached cutting from Saturday's Daily Mail. Even a country magis- trate may learn if he will; meanwhile, we can so well rely on our doctors to protect us. They always do.—Your obedient servant, A LOVEE OF JUSTICE. Tenby, October 11th, 1909.

SPREADING SCARLET FEVER. PUPIL OF THE SOCIALIST SUNDAY-SCHOOL. At Willesden, Rose Hibbard, of Cholmondeley Avenue, Harlesden, was prosecuted bv the medical officer of health for wilfully exposing her son while he was suffering from scarlet fever.—The evidence showed that, notwithstanding cautions, the child. was allowed to attend the Socialist Sun- day-school, and two children contracted the fever. Their treatment cost the ratepayers £ 40.—The father, who gave evidence, described himself as Secretary of the Willesden Socialist Snndav- school, evicted from the public schools by the Willesden District Council." — The magistrate, Mr W. B. Lnke, imposed a fine of 20s. and costs.

NEGLECTED CHILDREN AT TENBY. m m FATHER PROSECUTED BY THE R.S.P.C.C. At the Tenby Police Court on Monday after- noon before the Mayor (Councillor C. Farley) and other magistrates, Albert Charles' Mathias, whose address was given at No. 67, New Gladstone Street, Abertillery, and who formerly lived at Sion Cottage, The Norton, Tenby, was charged on a summons issued at the instance of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, with neglecting his ten children (six boys and four girls) in such a manner as to be likely to cause them unnecessary suffering. Mr J. John, solicitor, Carmarthen, prosecuted on be- half of the Society. Mr John, in opening the case, said that the proceedings were taken under section 12 of the Children's Act of 1908. The facts of the case were that the defendant, who until two years ago was in the employ of Mr Robert Lock, soli- citor, Tenbv. when he left and was at home for a couple of years with his wife and children. Some twelve months ago he left Tenby and went up in- to Monmouthshire, to Abertillery, where he had been working as a collier's labourer. The in- spector of the Society would tell the Bench in his evidence that in consequence of information re- ceived on September 30th last he went to the defendant's home at Tenby where his wife and ten children lived. He would tell them that he found the wife and seven of the children in the house, and would describe the state in which he found these children so far as clothing was con- cerned what furniture was in the living room also that there was no furniture at all in the three rooms upstairs. The inspector would also tell them that there was no food in the house. To prove the case he was going to put Mrs Mathias into the witness box, and she would tell their Worships that since defendant had been away the average sums which she had received from him had been 8s. or 9s. a week; sometimes 10s. and sometimes they went as low as 7s. With the ex- ception of these sums she had received nothing from the defendant. Mr John then went into figures showing how much it would mean for each of the eleven people per day to live upon. Taken at 10s. a week it would work out at a little over lid. per day per person. The Society had obtained from the works at which defendant was employed a certificate as to his earnings over a period of three months, and the average was £1 4s. 2d. per week, so that if he sent her 9s. a week for the maintenance of herself and ten children he retained the sum of 15s. 2d. for the maintenance of himself alone. Continuing, Mr John said that he wished on behalf of the Society to express tneir deep appreciation of Mr Robert Lock, who on September 30th gave a fairly decent sum of money to enable the inspector to purchase boots, shirts, etc., for the needs of the children. In addition the speaker wished to publicly thank Mr and Mrs Lord for a substantial bundle of clothes which they gave for the use of the children. Mrs Theo Mathias was then sworn, and said that the defendant was the father of the ten children, the whole of whom were under the age of fourteen years. She remembered the inspector coming to Sion Cottage on September 30th, there being at the time seven children in the house, but shortly afterwards three others came in, they having been down on the sands, playing; and brought home some sticks. She had a little coke in the house, and had a fire. Some of the boys had shirts on, some had not. The reason why they hadn't was because she had none to put on them. So far as boots were concerned, one or two had them, but not the others. Some pairs had been given them and were fairly good. The furniture in her living room on September 30th consisted of a dresser, two tables and four chairs. In the right hand room was a bed, nothing more. There were three upstairs rooms, but no furniture in either of them. The furniture on the landing was what she had been painting and cleaning up. Another bed was packed up. There was no food in the house at the time the inspector called. Her husband was originally a clerk in Mr Robert Lock's employ, and had been there for 23 or 24 years. He left there some two years ago, and for twelve months was home in Tenby doing nothing but odd jobs. He then went to Abertillery, and had been away twelve months. On an average she had a weekly sum of 10s. 9s. or 8s. from him, generally 10s. She never had more than 10s. Once she had 7s. The amount she received was not sufficient to pay for food for herself and the children. The rent of Sion Cottage had been paid for many years by Mr Robert Lock. During the past twelve months she had had help from a great many friends to keep herself and the children, but she had had no help from the Guar- dians. She had received help in money, food and olothes. Without the help of these friends she would not have been able to have gone on at all with the children. Previous to going away her husband had supplied her with money and reasonably maintained the house. By the defendant—Before he left his employ- ment there was always plenty of beef and vege- tables in the house. On very rare occasions he sent her small sums in the week in addition to the larger amount. He went away with her consent, and wrote regularly. The Justices' Clerk (Mr G. Lort Stokes)-Did you ever write and ask him to send you more money ? Witness-No, because I thought he could not do it. By the Mayor—Her husband was aware of the fact that iriends gave her food and clothes. Thomas Idris Jones, the local inspector of the R.S.P.C.C., residing at Carmarthen, said that in consequence of information received, he visited Sion Cottage, Tenby, on September 30th last, at twelve o'clock noon, being accompanied by Police Sergeant Thomas. When they got there they were invited in by Mrs Mathias, and went into the living room on the ground floor on the left hand side. He found seven children in the house at the time. The state of these children as regards clothing was such that nearly all of them was practically naked; only two were anything like clad. While he was looking at them the three other children came in, and they bad pieces of stick with them looking as if they bad just picked them up from the beach. With regard to the state of the children the majority were insuffi- ciently clad, seven of. them being without boots. The pbysique of the children was sickly they looked delicate, underfed, and miserable. The boots some of the cnildren had on looked as if they had been picked up; they were covered with mildew and looked as if they had been lying aside. The children were not verminous in any way, their bodies and heads being clean. By Mr Railton-The conclition of the home was rather dirty, the living room being squalid. The Inspector then described the state of the rooms upstairs, and went on to say that Mrs Mathias told him they had had a little breakfast that morning. She seemed stupified, and did not look to the witness as if she were responsible for her actions. It was to him a very pathetic and heart-rending sight to see so many children starved and naked; he had never seen anything like it in his experience. Sergeant Thomas and himself then went about the town and succeeded in getting some money from Mr Lock with which they brought clothing and other necessaries. They also succeeded in getting a very substantial bundle of clothing from Mr and Mrs Lord and under a Justices' order removed six of the child- ren to the house of the defendant's mother two to Penally, and one to defendant's brother, Mr William Mathias. He had had some four or five years' experience, and in his opinion the amount of money which Mr Mathias stated she received weekly from her husband would not be sufficient to provide proper food for so many persons. In his opinion the children had been caused acute suffering without a doubt from hunger. Sergeant Thomas, to whose kindliness in pro- viding food for the distressed children Mr John paid a warm tribute, having given evidence, the defendant went into the box, and in the course of a sworn statement, said he had done the best he could for his wife and family under the circum- stances, and the Bench taking this into considera- tion bound him over in his own recognizances of JESS to come up for judgment within six months if called upon.

COMMITTEE MEETING. THE SOUTH PARADE IMPROVEMENT. £250 DEMANDED FOR THE COALYARD. Last Monday afternoon when members of the Tenby Corporation arrived at the Council Chamber for the purpose of attending the usual weekly meeting of committees, four were still engaged in the Police Court, which had been sitting for several hours, with the result that some delay took place before a quorum could be secured and so enable business to proceed. The Deputy Mayor was voted to the chair, whilst Mr James Hughes represented the Town Clerk, who was engaged at the Police Court. A letter was received from Miss Griffiths, of Pembroke, thanking the Council for having withdrawn the notice to quit fields held by her at Pembroke and another from Mr Robert Lock. invitine the Council to ioin the Charity Trustees in demauding a nominal rental for a gateway leading into Calves' Park from Sunnymead. It was agreed to fall in with Mr Lock's suggestion.—Councillor Mason said that he had had an interview with Mr Thomas Williams, who was supposed to be the tenant of a piece of ground at the end of the Saltern houses, from which the Council had had to remove several loads of house refuse last week. Mr Williams declared that he was not the tenant of the ground, and had been unable to prevent the occupiers of the houses from placing rubbish there. It was resolved that the Borough Surveyor should communicate this statement to Mr Edward Laws, the land- lord, in the hope that he would let the piece of ground to some responsible person.—A letter was read from Mr Robert Lock, asking if the courtyard in front of the Fire Station had been barred from the public use at least one day in the year, as agreed to by the terms of the lease. A letter from the Borough Surveyor that the same had been done was ordered to be sent to Mr Lock.—Councillor W. H. Thomas called attention to the fact that the Surveyor's office in the Drill Hall was not used because it was unsuitable for his purpose, and asked permis- sion for the Fire Brigade to use it as a com- mittee room. The Surveyor stated that the office was cold and draughty, and he preferred to use a room in his own house as an office. He was quite agreeable that the Fire Brigade should have the use of it for the next six months, and this suggestion was agreed to.- THe surveyor reported that one of the cottages in South Parade was in such a dangerous condi tion that he had been obliged to erect a barricade and to give notice to the tenant to quit imme- diately. The Surveyor's action in this matter was approved and coufinned.-A letter was read from Messrs. Tilton, of Bristol, dated October 4th, asking when the shed on the Old Pier would be ready for use. It was agreed to take no notice of the letter, as Messrs. Tilton had been so very dilatory in accepting the Council's offer to build the shed, and it was their own fault that it was not ready for them. A discussion followed upon the advisability of freeing the Royal Victoria Pier during the winter months for the enjoyment of residents and visitors, but it was agreed to postpone the matter until the Fishing Competition Com- mittee had made a report.—With regard to the Old Baths property, which for about four years had been awaiting a decision from the Charity Commissioners' arbiter, Mr Morris, the Town Clerk reported that he wrote on September 24th last begging for replies to various letters which had been sent Mr Morris, and intimating that unless a reply was received the Town Council were inclined to take steps to enforce a settlement. A reply was received from Mr Morris on September 28th, stating that he was then on the Continent, but promising a definite answer by the end of the present month. The Council considered that they had been treated very badly over this simple matter, which had been allowed to drag on for four years.—A re- port by the Medical Officer of Health with regard to the recent prosecution of Mrs Price Lewes for exposing her infected child, was taken as read. The Medical Officer also sent in a separate report, in which he recommended that application be made to Rural District Councils to insist upon more care being taken in isolating cases of infectious illness in their different areas which were in the immediate neighbourhood of Tenby. The one or two cases which had occurred in Tenby had resulted in a serious expenditure of the ratepayers' money, and the matter was one which de- manded urgent attention. It was resolved that the report be sent to the chairmen of the different Rural District Councils.-A letter from Mr George Williams, 12, Trafalgar Road, complained of the dense foliage of trees oppo- site, and was referred to the Tree Committee.- At this point the Mayor, Town Clerk, and others entered the Council Chamber from the Town Hall, when a letter from Civitas was read in reply to a communication from the Cor- poration enquiring whether he could guarantee that his scheme B" for the extension of the Culvert could be carried out for the sum of £ 3250, which was his estimated expenditure, or at all events within JS200 of* that sum. "Civitas" stated that he was prepared to carry out the work, and enclosed three tenders from different contractors, all of whom were responsible firms. The Surveyor then read his report upon scheme "B," which it was de- cided should be treated as confidential and in the end it was resolved that the Surveyor report upon the schemes propounded by "Ritec" and "Simplex."—The Town Clerk read a letter from Alderman James Griffiths stating that he wanted J3250 for the freehold of the coalyard at the rear of the South Parade cottages, formerly let at jSlO per annum. Counillor Mason declared that the rent paid was only S5 per annum, which information he had from the tenant himself, Mr William Thomas. He (the speaker) had walked over the yard and valued it at S120. The Town Clerk stated that the rent was £ 10 per annum. — Councillor Tucker said that Alderman Griffiths had only asked 25 years' purchase for the yard which was required for a public improvement. They were the purchasers and must pay the price. Alderman Leach proposed that Alder- man Griffiths' offer be accepted. Councillor Mason said that if £10 per annum rent had been paid, he would move as an amendment that the Town Clerk write Alderman Griffiths to the effect that the Council hoped he would accept JB200 for the yard, particularly as he had been a member of the Council for so many years, and they thought he would like to help forward a public improvement. The amend- ment was lost, Councillors W. H. Thomas and Lord being, in addition to the proposer, the only members supporting it.—The Town Clerk reported that Miss Lawrence was prepared to accept £125 for the lease of Ralph Cottage, for which the Corporation had offered her £100. It was resolved to offer Miss Lawrence j3115 for her interest in the property, which the Council considered its full value.

NEW SCHOOL AT FISH- GUARD. Several hundred persons took part in the opening last week of the new Council School at Fishguard. Lady St. Davids formally opened the school and wished it a successful future. In the evening a largely-attended meeting in the Temperance Hall was presided over by Mr W. L. Williams, C.C. (cousin of Mr D. Lloyd George), the chairman of managers, who has since the split in the local National School evinced con- siderable practical interest in the work of establishing the new school. With him on the platform were several of the managers, including Dr. Williams, C.C., Drim, Messrs. B. G. Llewhelin, H. E. H. James, B.A., director of education for the county. Lady St. Davids delivered an able address- on modern methods of teaching. During the evening the children, in native costume, sang Welsh songs.

"RECOLLECTIONS OF OLD TENBY is an in- teresting collection of views of Tenby as it appeared in the latter part of the 18th century, with descriptive letterpress. Every visitor ought to obtain a copy. Price one shilling, from the local newsagents or the Observer Office.

Last week I referred briefly to cer- tain mis-statements made in the course of speeches delivered at the public luncheon given by the directors of the Tenby Gas Consumers' Company, Ltd., to the members of the Wales and Mon- mouthshire District Institute of Gas Engineers and Managers, together with a few local friends. I have no wish to attach any undue weight to post pran- dial orations, but the efforts of the directors of the Tenby Gas Company to forget, or rather to misrepresent, the reasons why the Tenby Town Council in the year 1896 invited me to form a new company for the purpose of taking over the lease of the Gas-works, makes it necessary in the interests of pos- terity that I should once more place the facts before the ratepayers. 1f In the year 1896, fortunately, the Tenby Gas Company directors had been driven from power in the Tenby Town Council, with the result that the lease of the Gas-works being within a few months of expiration, the com- pany were invited to discuss terms upon which a new one would be granted them. But these gentlemen were so obsessed with a sense of their own importance that they declined to meet the Council, as a consequence of which I was invited to form a new com- pany for the purpose of relieving them of their undertaking. Having secured the promise of Mr Robert Lock to act as secretary and legal adviser, I issued an advertisement in this paper inviting the public to apply for shares upon the simple promise of the Town Council that the conditions settled for the lease to the new company would enable six per cent. to be paid to the shareholders, but no more. The result of the adver- tisement came as a great surprise to all of us. Applications for no less than c815,000 worth of shares were received within a fortnight. Counsel were en- gaged, and a Provisional Order and terms of lease prepared; and giving notice to the directors of what I was about to do, I approached the present manager (Mr Brookman) with a view of settling terms with him, having as a result that he would remain as manager under the new company. # Those letters to this day remain un- answered, but evidently caused no end of a flutter amongst the gas magnates, for they promptly approached the Cor- poration, offering such fair and liberal terms for a new lease that the gentle- men who had invited me to form the new company to take over the works privately asked me to make it possible for them to accept the terms which they considered favourable, and which had been extracted from the directors owing to their alarm at the public sup- 17 port being given me; Under the cir- cumstances I felt that I ought not to block the way, consequently offered to withdraw the formation of the com- pany, provided I was paid a fee of one hundred guineas for the trouble and ex- pense I had been put to. After much wriggling and twisting this fee was paid. The directors got their new lease, and have been busy filling their pockets ever since. The foregoing are the bare and simple facts, and I will now give the quotations from the speeches, which I think my readers will agree with me in thinking unfair. The Mayor (Mr Councillor C. Farley), in responding to the toast of The Mayor and Corporation of Tenby," said That he had been a member of the Corpora- tion for twenty years, and during that period the relations between the Tenby Gas Consu- mers' Company and the Corporation had always been very pleasant. Some nine or ten years ago there was rather a strain, but that was when the lease expired. A new company was going to be formed, and they were going to pay big dividends and supply gas very cheaply, but they did not go forward. One of the obstacles in the way of this was, he thought, that they found that when they took over the stock-in- trade the manager did not go with it. # # The Chairman of the luncheon (Alder- man Leach), in the course of a response which he made in reply to the toast of his health, said the story of the renewal of the lease could be told, but it was not worth the telling. It all ended very happily, and the Corporation and the Company had lived in brotherly love ever since. Mr C. W. R. Stokes (the secretary of the Tenby Gas Company), who occu- pied the vice-chair, in replying to the toast of his health, which had been submitted by the chairman, said:— Mr Brookman and his aim had been first to serve the company, and secondly the consu- mers. They said that if they supplied a good article the consumer would come and take it, and they did everything they could to encourage the consumers to buy their gas. Sometimes they kicked about the price, but they tickled them up "—(laughter)—and the consumers fell in with their view that they must consider the shareholders. The shareholders' interests were the interests of the company, and the secretary, the manager, and the directors always con- sidered what was best for the benefit of the shareholders, who had invested their money in the concern, and who expected a good return for their money Up to the present time he thought every shareholder would say that they had paid a good dividend—it used to be 7^ per cent., but now he was pleased to say it was 10 per, cent.-a. very comfortable dividend, and they hoped to continue paying it for some years to come. There was a little difficulty mith the Corporation with regard to the renewal of the lease in 1896, but wiser counsels prevailed, and they fell in with the idea that the old company was the company for Tenby, and he hoped it would be the company for Tenby as long as he lived. • 1f. When my readers remember that Mr Stokes, the Secretary of the Tenby Gas Company, rules the Town Council as he pleases, and possesses very able sup- porters in Aldermen Leach and Chiles, also Councillor Tucker, all of whom are directors and rulers of the Gas Com- pany, it can be easily understood that relations between the Council and Gas Company have always been very plea- sant; also that these gentlemen have been able to look after the interests of their shareholders remarkably well; but I venture to call attention to the fact that no one is allowed to look after the interests of the ratepayers. Oh, dear, no! a majority of their votes can always be secured, and I hope they like the prospect promised them for many years to come, viz., 10 per cent. divi- dend to gas shareholders and free luncheons for soft soaping purposes to Town Council big wigs and Gas Com- pany magnates, whilst the ratepayers are to cheerfully go on paying about £700 per annum for lighting and re- pairing public lamps. 11- I am sure Mr Krempl provided an excellent luncheon, but I fear was rather liberal with the champagne, or the public would not have been treated with so much untruthful effervescence by local magnates in their speeches. Please remember, gentlemen, that you would not now be in office if you had not paid one hundred guineas in 1896 to your opponent. F. B. M. THE TATLER."

THE PEMBROKE BOROUGHS. GENERAL ELECTION PROSPECTS. t The looming ahead at a not far distant date of a General Election was conspicuously re- flected in this year's Registration Courts throughout the country, and not more so than in Pembrokeshire, where the work of the Revising Barrister and both political parties was the heaviest on record. Never in the history of the country has there been such a "rounding up," the claims and objections on both sides reaching the large and unexampled total of about 2300, a record leaving far behind all previous figures in the same direction. At the various Revision Courts in the county the fights to secure a political advantage have been very keen, though in no sense acrimonious, on either side, and as is usual in such circum- stances both parties claim to have secured pre- dominance in the matter of the gain in voting power. Looking at the matter impartially, however, and without any political bias, we cannot help coming to the conclusion, on the figures available, that the Liberals have had the best of the deal all through. This, of course, is a statement which no doubt will be travestied by the Conservative headquarters, but after all the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and the proof of either side's contention will in due course be found in the ballot box. That there is going to be a keen and deter- mined fight in the Pembroke Boroughs there is ample indication neither party, to use a famous political phrase, which comes from Bir- mingham, is going to "take it lying down." A bold bid to capture the seat by the Tories is to be made, and if organization, ample funds, a strong candidate, and enthusiasm count for anything in these matters, and assuredly they do, then it can be fairly said that Sir George Armstrong will have a good "look in," which, however, as a terminological inexactitude, if such a phrase is permissible, does not perhaps altogether mean that he will actually get in. In the first place, he has to face a strong and popular sitting member in the person of Mr Owen Philipps in the second place, the sub- stantial majority of over a thousand votes, a barrier which will take some reducing before a capture can be made. As a matter of fact, Mr Philipps, although he may not care par- ticularly about such a sacrifice, could afford to allow Sir George to reduce his majority at the last election by a solid thousand votes, and yet have a sufficient balance left to carry him back. Both candidates are popular with their respec- tive sides, but the question is which party can command the largest number of votes. As a county Pembroke is, it may be said without anything approaching exaggeration, inherently Radical in this respect the county division is hopeless from a Tory point of view, and even the most enthusiastic and sanguine Unionist must admit that to attempt to change the political complexion of its representative at St. Stephen's is a worse than forlorn venture. The Boroughs, however, are not quite so far gone, and as all those who are acquainted with the past political history know, there have been occasions when the constituency was held by the Conservatives, though, it is true, by only narrow majorities. But this may perhaps be ex- plained by the fact that a strong local candidate in the Liberal interest was not on those occa- sions available. With the advent of Mr Owen Philipps there appeared in the political arena a man with material interests at stake in the division, with immense influence behind him, and at the same time a man whose popularity with the voters of both parties was soon de- veloped and established. As a "local he is a very formidable opponent, and it will certainly take a strong man to oust him from the repre- sentation of the Pembroke Boroughs. Against Sir George Armstrong as a candidate it would be unfair to say a single disparaging word from a Tory point of view he is an ideal exponent of their doctrines and tenets, and if as a party they are numerically strong enough in the Boroughs they will carry him safely through but it is evident that they will for the next election have to obtain a very substantial acqui- I sition of voting power in order to do this.

LINERS AT FISHGUARD. I PASSENGERS APPRECIATE THE PORT. At 4.30 on Thursday morning the Booth liner Hilary called at Fishguard and landed 25 passengers, together with several tons of bag- gage, from South America. As the time of arrival suited that of the incoming Irish boats an extra dining car was coupled to the 6.5 ex- press, and the passengers left by this train. Several passengers joined the Hilary, so they told an official, at Cherbourg, because of the widespread repute of Fishguard as the port of call for Cunard leviathans, and the quick dis- embarkation which characterised the plaee. During the operations they asked the official how the luggage was transferred, and when it was pointed out that the electric crane had al- ready lifted the crates from the tender to the trolley, aud that the Customs officers were busy examining the packages before the gangway was made fast between the quay and the tender, they expressed themselves as being greatly surprised. They considered that the name the port had earned for rapid debarkation was fully justified by what they had seen, and that the harbour was destined to become an im- portant landing-place for American passengers. The officials present directing the transfer were Messrs. Charles Bowen and N. P. Mans- field.

THE INQUEST. At the inquest which was held at Stoke Newington, before Dr. W. Wynne Westcott, last Friday, Mrs Mabel Reid, of 98, Kyvordale Road, said deceased was her brother, who sang comic and sentimental songs all over the country. She knew very little about his habits, as he was so often travelling. He was married in 1903 and had one child, but twelve ninths ago his wife divorced him. He returned from Cork on Saturday, where he had been fulfilling an engagement. Some years ago he got sunstroke. The Coroner—Abroad ? No, in Glasgow. The Coroner (in an astonished tone)—I should not have thought there was enough sun. Continuing, witness said she heard he had cut his throat at his lodgings on Wednesday. The wife was then called to give evidence, and she asked which name she should give, and was told both single and married. She said her name was originally Violet Margaret Reeve. She had never seen deceased nor heard of him since the divorce. During the five years of their married life she discovered he was insane, as he had attempted to take his life. That was at a time when he was suffering from religious mania. She thought he must have been going down in the world lately, as she heard now he was financially embarrassed, whereas at one time he earned plenty, being a popular artiste. He sang in the name of "Stuart James." Miss Ethel Parker, a sister of the deceased, said that since the divorce he had been steadily on the down grade. He worried very much over his child, and was continually, when at home, picking up the photograph and kissing it fervently. Mrs Head said deceased took rooms from her on Saturday as he had done before. He ap- peared to be down on his luck." On Wednes- day at a quarter to eight he asked for a knife, and she settt- up a small table knife. He did not come down, and when her boy came home from school she sent him up to call him, and he was found dead on the floor with two terrible gashes in his throat. Under his arm was found a novel entitled "Love Decides," by Charles Garvice. The Coroner—Love decided for him anyway, did it not ? A verdict of ""Suicide during temporary in- sanity was returned.

THE ART OF MR. J. YOUNG HUNTER. Writing on the Art of Mr J. Young Hunter in the October number of the Windsor Magazine, which includes no fewer than fifteen reproductions from the artist's best pictures, the contributor says:—" Of the pictures here reproduced it may be added that The Philosopher of Fernev is a record of one of those freaks of humour to which both Frederick the Great and Voltaire by their sharpness of tongue sacrificed many a friendship. Why the King of Prussia christened Voltaire a. stork it is very difficult to say—perhaps because a stork makes a loud noise by the chattering of its mandibles perhaps because he is a visitant to many parts of the Continent; or perhaps be- cause of his extraordinary thinness. Voltaire, exiled from the favour alike of France and of Prussia, took up his residence at Ferney. and Mr Young Hunter presents him as hovering over the Canton, since he spent his time whilst there in the defence and protection of the victims of reli- gious intolerance."

UNKNOWN FOUND ON TENBY SANDS. THE INQUEST. As briefly reported in our issue of last Thurs- day, the news reaching us as we were on the point of going to press, the "body of an unknown man was found on the Giltar Sands shortly after ten o'clock that morning. In view of what had transpired but a week previously, when a foreigner employed at the Royal Gate House Hotel mysteriously disappeared, and was sup- posed to have committed suicide in the neigh- bourhood of Giltar, it was but a natural con- clusion to arrive at that the body now found was that of this man. The body which, with the exception of a pair of socks, was in a com- plete state of nudity, was discovered by a Penally boy who was out on the beach gathering firewood, and he at once gave information to the Tenby police, by whom the remains were removed to the local mortuary. Mr Max Krempl, the manager of the Royal Gate House Hotel, subsequently saw the body with a view to identifying same with the kitchen porter who left the hotel under suspicious circumstances the previous week, but was unable to do so, the present remains being those of a big and finely developed man, whilst Mayr, the Swiss Italian, was a comparatively small man. Another fact which strengthened the impos- sibility of the unknown being Mayr was that the body had by all appearances been in the water considerably longer than a week as a matter of fact, the medical evidence was to the effect that the time was probably between two and three weeks. Decomposition had set in, the hair had fallen out from the scalp and other parts of the body, and there were other indi- cations that the remains had been in the water longer than five or six days. Owing possibly to the hairless state of the scalp and the flat appearance of the face, the latter due no doubt to the severe buffeting received whilst in the water, there was an impression abroad that the body was that of a Celestial, but the doctor in his evidence at the inquest emphatically nega- tived this, being strongly of opinion that it was that of a white man, a European. Though the head was badly damaged, there being various wounds and cuts, the other parts of the body were free from any injuries. As to whether these injuries were received before or after the deceased got into the water the medical evidence was indefinite. The head injuries might, of course, have been caused by the rocks, though it is somewhat remarkable that if such were the cause, the rest of the body was left un- touched. At the coroner's inquiry very little light was thrown on the mystery, and the only thing left for the jury to do was to return a verdict of "Found drowned." What meagre details were available were officially recorded, though it is to be feared that the description available will hardly be of much assistance in leading to the identification of the unknown." The absence of clothing was, of course, a point which rendered identification all the more difficult, as in cases of this kind wearing apparel is often the direct means of affording a valuable clue to identity. With regard to the case, a correspondent has suggested to us the advisability of photography being called in in such circumstances. In many places unclaimed dead bodies are photographed, and copies care- fully kept, these having in several cases been the means of leading, even years afterwards, to clearing up what had remained so long a mystery. There is no doubt but that a photo- graph in addition to a description of the remains would make the record more complete.