Towyn-on-Sea and Merioneth County Times

CHURCH OF ENGLAND TEMPERANCE CONFERENCE AT OSWESTRY. The annual conference of the Sfc. Asaph Diocesan Branch of the Church of England Temperance Society was held at the Masonic Hall, Oswestry, on Monday afternoon. Archdeacon Thomas, Llan. driuio, presided. There was a good attendance of delegates, and an interesting discussion took place on the question of" How to best promote temperance Principles in the diocese," in which several took part. •A- public meeting was held at the Public Hall in the evening which was well attended. In the absence of the Bishop of St. Asaph, who had been Enable to attend, the chair was taken by Mr R. Lloyd Kenyon (the Recorder). He was supported by Archdeacon Wynne Jones, the Revs. T. Redfern, J. Hamer Lewis, Guy R. Campbell and J. Bowen, Wie Rev. John Wakeford, vicar of St. Margaret's, ^Qfield, Liverpool, and Mr Frederic S. Bishop, of ^hes'er. The Chairman, in opening the meeting, referred Jo the great interest which the Bishop took in ;Bnaperance matters. He was there in spirit if not In truth (hear, hear). In his absence perhaps it not inappropriate that he as the chief magis- trate should be in the chair as one who took great interest in a matter so closely connected with good order and good government as temperance. They 8 temperance workers must not exaggerate by SaVIng that all crime was caused by drink, but they Could all see the dreadful misery, injury and ^chief which drinking caused. Progress had done by legislation during the past few years, Q two Acts had been passed to deal with the evil. 686 were the Inebriates Act and the Act which m,Ve magistrates power to refuse grocers licences. iese licences had caused great harm amongst omen, but it had now been happily put an end to. The introductiou of the "black list bad also had due effect, and only recently he had had a case ought before him where a woman had been j on the list. He had been told that some ies in the town had taken an interest in the EMAN. HE <JI<J ]JNOW them and very probably ey did not wish to have their names published, j. ,Waa these people who did their work quietly who » far more good than magistrates or laws, and he oped all would do their best to follow this example l*ear, hear). Mr Frederic S. Bishop (Chester) followed with an interesting address in which he said that every- one must come to the conclusion that drinking was a gigantic evil and one which should not be left alone. The C.E.T.S. was a well organised body closely associated with the Church, and possessed fewer fanatics than most societies. He had no doubt that the fanatic had his place but it was not he who did the most good. Real power lay in calm and clear reasoning. It should be everyone's object to leave the woild a little better than he had found it. Everyone from the highest to the lowest did this, bat it should be done unselfishly for this was the real test [of character. He referred to the excellent work which was done by the ladies on be- half of temperance. They appeared to possess more tact and ready sympathy than the sterner sex. He hoped they would all give their sympathy to the work for this in itself greatly encouraged the workers, who were chiefly guided by the principle of self sacrifice, and whom nothing discouraged so much as ridicule and the lack of friendly sympathy. After alluding to the necessity of getting workmen to be teetotallers in various works where he had been connected with as a business man, he con- cluded by expressing the hope that they would all do what they could in their own spheres of life (applause). The Rev John Wakeford, who also spoke at length, said that they deplored the fact that so much harm was being done, and desired to make their people a more sober people. Drunkenness was to a certain extent responsible for so much crime, misery, loss of friendship, and loss of Christianity. However while they must recognise its enormity they must not be frightened of it (hear, hear). Temperance was a religious movement and one that would co.dnue to go on until it had affectel the principles of the evil. He went on to deal with the social customs of treating, &c. They wanted to shake off these shackles and to bring home to the people the sense of shame. Referring to the question of compensation he said that they must not refuse reasonable compensation to people who were being deprived of their living (hear, hear). The censumer who was responsible for the demand blamed the middleman in intemperate language. Temperance meant self BOiitrolj but the use of in. temperate language did them no good. Let them take away licences witheat causing suffering. A man was only a consistent reformer when he also set himself against immorality and impurity (ap- plause). They could only do their work by using self control which was most often allied to self respect. They would first of all have to learn people to restrain their desires and there were some ways in whioh the State could help them. In Russia there were no seats in public-houses, but before they took away seats in England let them provide reasonable recrea- tion for the working classes. They should also see that they were properly and comfortably housed, and bad cooking would have to be dealt with (hear, hear and laughter). To do their work they must change public opinion and form a clean and new opinion full of brotherly sympathy and comfort, and they must rcognise the value of self sacrifice (applause). The Rev. T. Redfern in proposing a vote of thanks to the chairman and the speakers, said they wotld start their winter campaigu in Oswestry with a better heart. They had been much dis- couraged by the lack of enthusiasm during the past few years, and he was afraid that drinking in the town was not decreasing. He hoped the authorities would take up the housing question, for this wonld be valuable help (hear, hear). The Rev Hamer Lewis having seconded, the meeting terminated through the singing of a hymn.

The report of the National Free Labour Associa- tion, which was presented to the annual Congress, opened in London on Monday, stated that the number of men for whom employment had been found had increased. A resolution was proposed urging revision of the nation's Fiscal policy, and stating that the solution was to be found in taxing foreign manufactured goods and closer trada re- lations with the Colonies. To this an amendment was move, pledging the Congress to do all in jits power to further Mr Chamberlain's policy of Preferential Tariffs. On a vote being taken, the "numbers:were-for the amendment, 24; against, 18. On the original resolution being put, seven only voted for it, and none against.

PRINTING of fevery description executed neat t quick and oheap at the COUNTY TIMES Office- Welehpool.

WELSHPOOL BOROUGH PETTY SESSIONS—TUESDAY. The fortnightly sessions were held on Tuesday when, for the second time in the last three years the charge sheet W8,S blank, ihere being no cases of any kind to come before the Berch. T^e magis- trates present were the Mayor (Mr C. T. Pugh), Col. Twyford, Messrs D. P. Owen, John Rees, Chas. E. Howell, and Maurice Jehu. THE TERMINATION OF THE MAYORALTY. This being the last petty session during the present Mayor's term of offioe Mr D. P. Owen said he had again a great pleasure in proposing a vote of thanks to their mayor for the able manner he had conducted the business of the Court during the past year. During the past fortnight he had been ill, but they were pleased to see him again on the Bench. He sympathised with him in the illness of Mrs Pugh (the Mayoress). He had great pleasure during the time he had sat to see the quiet manner in which the Mayor conducted the business, and as it had been property said by barristers it is a matter of fact the way the unpaid magistrates served the cases which came before them. He congratulated him also on his recovery and hoped his wife would also soon recover from her illness. Mr Chas E. Howell had great pleasure in second- ing the cordial vote of thanks. He thought one pleasing feature was that at the last meeting of the Mayor's year of office they had no cases to come before him, which showed a decrease of critcs. Mr E. L. R. Jones, as magistrats' clerk for the Borough, presented the Mayor with a pair of white gloves, and endorsed all that had been said and congratulated the Mayor for the way he discharged the duties of his office. P.S. Poole, on behalf of the police, thanked him for the good work he had done. In returning thanks the Mayor said he was very much obliged for the very kind remarks that had been passed which he did not think he was worthy of. When he sat there twelve months ago he did not feel himself confident to undertake the duties but by the kindness of the other magistrates and their good attendance he soon began to feel him- self safe, and it was a great pleasure to him to have to carry out the duties of mayor. He was pleased to find that he was thought fit to carry out the laws of the country and he had done so to the best of his ability. He was very pleased indeed that at his last session there were no cases to come before him and it showed that the crime was on the decrease (applause). VOTE OF THANKS TO THE CLERK. Mr John Rees proposed a vote of thanks to Mr E. L. R. Jones for the way he had carried out his duties as their clark during the past year. He hoped he would continue to do so for many yean to come. Col. Twyferd had great pleasure in seconding. The Town Clerk returned thanks, and said he had tried his best to do his duty in the past and he would try to do the same in future.

MR. BRODRICK ON HIS DEFENCE. WHY^HEJLEFT THE WAR OFFICE. Mr Brodrick, M.P., addressing the Guildford division Conservative Association on Saturday, defended his administration of the War Office. He denied what, he said, was the common assumption that his administration had been condemned by the War Commission. The military operations which came within the reference to that Com- mission were concluded before he became War Secretary. The Commission was precluded from inquiring into the reforms which, in conjunction with Lord Roberts, he was in course of carrying out. He only wished that there could be a thorough official inquiry into the work of the War Office during the past three or four years. The only stricture in the Commissioners' report that seemed to apply to his time was the expression of some doubt whether enough had been done to place matters upon a better footing, so as to be more fully prepared for any future emergenoy. There need be no doubt or misgiving upon that point. A new chapter in War Office history began at the close of the Boer war, and what the people of this country mast care to know was Dot merely that the faults and mistakes of the war had been appreciated and realised, but that they had been repaired, or were being re- paired, and could not posoiibly be repeated (cheers). Lord Roberts had surrounded himself at the War Office with all the officers who, from their ex- perience and training or conduct in the war, must be held to have earned the confidence of the nation, and the policy pursued during thel three years at the War Office was that which Lord Roberts was the exponent of. These officers' views had pressed upon h ii7. (Mr Brodrick) as Secretary of State. The improvement in the training and education of our army must be admitted by all who had read accounts of the recent manoeuvres (hear, hear). The standard of height and physique bad been improved. The army corps system had given us more decentralisation and other advantages. The education of officers had been improved. The army medical department, as well as the nursing department, had been !greatly strengthened. He thought tke public might new, without any apprehension, feel that the reserves were complete for whatever force the Government might under- take to send to protect oxr interests in any part of the world (hear, hear). The Committee of National Defence had in the lafct few months been drawing up schemes for all possible emergencies, which must for ever prevent the recurrence of such a state of things as in 1899 gave rise to much anxiety (applause).

♦ — ANOTHER STORM AT LLANGOLLEN. — A terrific storm of rain, and hail, aooompanied by vivid lightning, burst over tie Vale of Llangollen, and raged with unabated fury from seven te nine o'clock on Sunday night. In the country districts much damage waR done to timber and to crops that had not yet b; eu ingatheied. In Llangollen singular scenes were witnessed. In Regent street the storm water poured in torrents into the cellar kitohens, and in one instance, where the inhabitants were seated at their evening meal, they witnessed their supper, tables, chairs, plates, and dishts whit led away by the eddying currents The Dee has 1 suddenly risen, and many hundreds of acres were again under water.