The Chester Courant and Advertiser for North Wales

BRABAZON EMPLOYMENT SOCIETY. SALE OF WORK AT WREXHAM. The annual sale of work and other articles made by the old and infirm inmates of the Wrexham Workhouse was held at the County Buildings, Wrexham, on Thursday afternoon. In consequence of the lamented decease of Captain Griffith Boscawen, for 33 years chairman of the Wrexham Board of Guardians, who always also took so great an interest in the work done by the inmates of the Union, no formal opening took place by the special request of Mrs. Griffith-Boscawen, and no speeches were this year made on the occasion. A great many people were, however, present, and business was brisk. We were glad to see that the work executed and shewn was quite up to its usual good standard, and in some ca,es shewed great improvement. Among those present during the afternoon were: The Hon. Mrs. Savage Mostyn, the Mayoress of Wrexham (Mrs. Birkett Evans), Mrs. Dixon (The Clappers, Uresford), Mrs. Grittith-Boscawen Mrs. Archdale, Miss Jones-Parry, Mrs. John Darby and Miss Darby, Mrs. Fletcher (the Vicarage), Mrs. Lyons Airs. Ori ed, Mrs. Bate (Wrest), Mrs. ihomas Bury, Mr. and Mrs. J. Uswell Bury, the Misses Cunliffe (Grosvenor-road), the Misses Pritchard, Miss Graham, Mrs. Holland, Miss Owen (Woodhey), Mrs. R. J. Powell, Miss U wen (N orman-road), Mrs. Russell, Miss Da vies (Plas Darland), the Rev. L. H: O. Pryce, Miss Sisson, Miss Jones (Regis-place). Miss White (secretary of the Brabazon Society's branch at Holy well Workhouse), Mr E. Babb, Mr. J. Allen, Miss Whitehouoe, Mr. T. A. Acton, M F. T. Bircham (Locai uovernment Board Inspector), etc. The stailholders were :-rMrs. Phillips, Mrs. Loxham, Miss band bach, iNil^ Thomas, Mrs. J. E. Powell, Miss Hill, Miss iron, Miss Boden, Mrs. Alban Jones, Miss Rowlands, Miss Mabel Owen, Mrs. Thomas, Mrs. Simon Jones, and Mrs. T. J. Parry.

MODERN NATIONS. LECTURE BY MR. HILAIRE BELLOC. People thronged1 to the Music Hall on Monday *ught in as large numbers as on pievious occasions to hear tho fourth of tho Y.M.C.A. seues of lectures. The title of the (lecture was • Modern Nations: A Comparison of Development," and the speaker was Mr. Hilaire Belloc, B.A., the well-known lecturer, who, it will be reme-mbaned, lectured at Chester some years ago, in an Oxioid University Extension course. Mr. Alfred Mond, who was accompanied by Col. H. T. Brown, presi- dent of the Y.M.C.A. at Chester, presided. In introducing Mr. Belioc, Mr. Mond said that those who knew his qualifications as a historian, as a man of letters, as an economist and as a speaker, knew what a treat was in store for them that flight. Tho comparative side of the growth and development, of the civilised nations of the world would clear people's. m.nds of a great many fallacious ideas regarding the differences whicn "Were suppoiodi to exist to a much laager extent than they did between civilised countries. The Comparison would give them a standard to judge whcUio. the growth of this country had been, on a. satisfactory scaie compared with other countries. !t was only by the. comparative steps that tho student of social matters could arrive at anything hko atue appi'sciaition of the development oi his own country or of civilisation, in genera!. Air. Belloc, in his lecture, de-alt with the some- what dry matter of statistics in a new and mtcr- way, and without entering into masses oi which would probably have hindered 'atlier than helped his purpose, he shewed clearly "ou simply what had the progress ot nations •*i the only measurable matters of population and *<?alth, leaving the moral s;de alone. His lec- Vf*e was lucid, graphic and admiiably arranged. 'Vf?rvorie. he said, who had any patriotism in him gloomed himself to some extent in the race he- reon the various nations. The first thing to be Settled was thut the race was not all important. Which came in first in armaments oi- evcri morality, and certainly which came in first- in "wea ill, was not all important. A nation could te Perfectly happy, proud and glorious, and be small <tnó poor. History gave us perpetual surprises, and the most powerful nations of to-day might bo th(t most insignificant in one hundred yea,is' time, and the nations we regarded as weak to-{lay might Po tho strongest after the same length of time jle was concerned that night with that little tiny 't of foresight which we could gain by know- ^dg-a; of that little bit, there were two divisions. l,Pon one of which no man could lecture with Positive knowledge, for it was immeasurable. Ho Jpfoirred to the moral aspect. If a nation was Vnnrensely courageous or admirably woli-organ- ^d, or verv homogeneous, or full of national *<ad:t ion. it might quite easily advance and sub to itself or conquer any nation of which the ^icosiireable elements were the stronger. The -lings we could measure wcolle so enormously Exaggerated in importanoo. Dividing the Jtie.aaura.blo elemeaita into two divisions, "'nurn- ^*or3 and "wealth," Air, Belloc- spoke first on the Tho gieat European nations—he excepted 'he aew countries, which were simply filling up- bore increasing at a speed curiously dissimilar, iu1 it must be 1c.i11.[.IlL",r0d at any moment CL jrrjut increase of a nation might, be turned into decrease. One of the things that had perpetu- appeared 'n the newspapers since the Franco- ^•Mna-n wal. had been that the French popula- tion was not ino'.easing. As a matter of fact the ''eaeh birth-rale was decreasing, but at a 'Sise-r rafco than our own. The German birth- raft- was above our own, the Russian much above, J'e Spanish far higher, and the fol.abeen of Egypt *'ad the highest birth-rate of all, so t ha.l, if that, ^as to be the test, the fellaheen was to be the Greatest nation. The actual numbers of nation Offered much less than people imagined. An Overage- of four children to a famiJy in the normal conditions of European health and the normal death-rate, just kept the State going. If there only an average of throe, the State would be Extinguished in no time, and if the average was five, the population would double in fifty years t the outside. A decimal point made all the c''fference between rapid increase and complete t'ta,gnation. It was a curious phenomenon, and it likeiy to endure, that since- the French Revo- lution European people, had tended to group themselves in gros of a certain norm all size, hitherto not exceeding 60 millions, or under 20 iuillions. It was a thing limited as was the 11 Management of armies, and! when the limit was ♦-xeeeded difficulties arose. The time was coming, according to' tho statesmen who most understand ^he matter and especially according to those who :d not understand it, when we would have to tackle the problem. Supposing Australia got vio icntly angry with Japan, we should have to con- struct a new machine by which Australia, while Twiaining within the Empiio, could be got to ac- Jflde to the treaties made nominally by England, •Hit really by the whole Empire. Turning- to the ^cond portion of his subject, ''wealth. Mr. Bolloc said the first thing to appreciate was that National wealth only told in the great handicap 9^ nations in so far as the Government could use ■t- and by the amount the Government could get hold of in timos of crisis. However efficient a Government was. however good the. system of tax- ation, and however ready the people were to pay. the Government's economical strength depended Jipon the margin of wealth above necessities. here was a second factor, and that was credit, land there was a third which was extremely im- portant, and that was the way in which the health was distributed in the community. The Hnoven distribution of wealth was bad for the n¡¡,t.;on. especially in the way of taxation, and that was a point which had never been made, but. which wanted making pretty heavily. A nation where wealth was pretty evenly distribu- ted couild raise more money in proportion to its •Wealth than a nation where wealth was badly dis- tributed. As an economist, he thought we might have paid for the South African war out of direct taxation. and we did not. We had put too much on to debt and indirect taxation. A nation's credit depended on its reputation for repaying, but. there were other considerations worth re- marking-, a-d they wero the size of thé loan, and whether it was borrowed externally or inter- nally. When a nation owed its national debf ma inly to foreigners, wealth left the country and went to a foreign country, exactly as if it were tribute. There were no stati (tics, but it was com- puted that Australia and New Zealand were pay- jug II) loans between nine and twedve millions in tribute to this country. Mr. Belloc illustrated his lecture by a few dia- grams thrown on the screen by Mr.. J. D. Siddall's la ntern-

TERRIBLE LODGING-HOUSE FIRE.-A holocaust occurred early on Sunday morning in a model lodging-house at Watson-street, Glasgow. An outbreak of fire was discovered shortly before six o'clock, and of the 320 inmates ot the building 39 lost their lives and 32 were injured so seriously as to necessitate their removal to the Infirmary. The survivors escaped with little or no clothing, and were sheltered in the Police Station, and thereafter clothed and conveyed to the poorhouse. Deeds of heroism were enacted by the firemen and an inmate of the lodging-house.

H __n_- CRAWFORD'S "MAYFAIR" BISCUITS. A NEW BISCUIT FOR AFTERNOON TEA.

MARQUIS OF ANGLESEY. TENANTS' WELCOME. On Saturday afternoon Lord Anglesey paid his first visit- (apart from the flying visit on the occa- sion of the funeral of the late Marquis) to his Welsh seat, Plas Newydd. Ho arrived at Ban- gor Station by tiain at 2.30, and was there met by his motiiei, Lady Alexander Paget. Afterwards both motored to Pias Newydd, driving to the Grand Lodge emianco. Here he met with a pleasant interruption, for just in front of the Grand Lodge gates a great number of his Welsh tenantry had assembled and barred the ful.thcr piogxcos of tiro motor-car with a rope stretched ttc-ioss the roadway, anu the travellers had por- iorco to slop all the tnieshoid of their home. That tiiese proceedings were not or a hostile characuer was made c.tar by the hearty and ringing cheers witn WilIL41 tiio tenantry welcomed their new land- lord to his \A elMl home. As soon as the car had stopped and the onecring ceased, Mr. C. F. Piitoc.ey, Hirdrefaig, one of his lordship's prin- cipal teiiiiuus, on behalf of tho tenantry ot ten Anglesey parisnes, presented Lord Anglesey with the loiiowing address ol welcome — lo the most Honourable Marquis of Angle- sey.—Un behalf ot your lordsn.p s tenants ui the IsLo ot .angiesey, we respectfully beg to orter you a. mo:,t, ilearty weiooino on your first visit to the ancestral home of the Pagets. We g-i'eat.y rejoice to bolievo that having already shown your readiness to serve your King and country you will fuiiy discharge the duties of your exalted position. Most cordial relations nave always ex.;sled between your nobie an- ceslors and their tenantry, and we hopefully trust the same kindly feelings will continue for goneiatiouis to come. The grounds of our re- joicing arc gieatly strengthened by observing the great interest which the Lady Alexander Paget has already taken in Plas Newydd and the county generally, and also by the happy recollections we have of the visits of youir noble father to the neighbourhood. We further pray that you may be blessed with ilong life and all happiness." Loid Anglesey, who was evidently pleased with his reception, was greeted with renewed cheers when ho began to reply. He said he hoped the relations between his tenants and himself would be of the happest description, and added that he was very glad to' be among them. At the request of his lordship, Mr. W. E. Jones (Graig), agent to the Anglesey estate, repeated the substance cf his lordship's remaiks in Welsh, and conveyed to tho tenantry Lord Anglesey's thanks and appre- ciation of their welcome. Then, amid renewed cheering, the rope was dropped, the great gatce opened, and the young Marquis and his mother drove on through the noble park to Pias Newydd. This week his lord- ship is entertaining a shooting party at Plas Newydd, which includes Lord Algernon Gordon Lennox and Miss Gordon Lennox. Viscountess Ingestre. Mr. Baulby, Lord Gerard, and Captain Staploton Cotton.

ELLESMERE PORT'S DEVELOPMENT. ANOTHER NEW INDUSTRY. Ellesmerc Port is rapidly developing into a most important industrial centre, due largely to its iavourable water and rail advantages. With the sharpening of competition in most trades, many manufacturers have been searching for localities offcr,i-ig tno greatest facilities for im- porting and exporting. Eliesmere Port has many t-hiugs to recommend it in this respect, and it is not- surprising that of late years the place ha-s b&cll receiving much attention from firms who are bent extensions of works. Not all t..e ruin ours 01 new industries have come true; but some have, and it is impossible to estimate 1:;JO' inautitnai fUTUTG oi tins' growing district. Tup latest additioai to the tam.or.es is the imperial fiour -dills, which are to be opened week, 'llle new mills am an imposing structure and occupy a s" Lu at iiillesmere l'on on the Man- chesier bÚiP (Janai, aoout three llLks trorn the entrance locks at iiia £ tnam. We gather that the Bii.opsiiire (Jirion ivaiivvays and Canal Company have cut a canal to connect its waterways with the new imperial Mills. This new canal also ahords a. ten-toot deep water oomnmn.cauon wicn tiie Snip Canal, as well as With hie Shropshire Union- Canal Company s hne grain elevator and tub granary at iuiesmore Port. Ocean steamers carrying b,uuU tons come -alongside tais silo, and. therr cargoes can be transtcrivd to the store or to ligjueis ior moving to the mills, which, are only about 200 yards off, thus ensuring cheap transit. The Shropshire Union Canal also aftorci-s a very cheap means oi reaching the many larg-J towns it connects up with Eiieemei-e Port. A railway connecting with all the mam s-ytems has been made at considerable expense, and brought alongside the mill, thereby pioviding means ior easy despatch oi the mill products. 'Ihe work of erecting the mills was entrusted1 with satis- factory result to Mesers. Luther and Co., of Brunswick. Mr. John Clark, F.R.I.B., was the arcnirect. The official description- says:—A bettor arranged set of buildings could hardly be oonceived. Ti.ey are well adapted to the macninery which has been placed in them, and are enabled to be worked with the greatest ownomy as regards tho handling of the raw material and the distribution of the products. The buildings form a handsome block, and com- prise reoeiving-houso, with ship elevator, silo granary, wheat cleaning house, mill, engine room, boiler house, and warehouse for the finished products', and the whole have been so arranged as to accommodate two complete milling plants capable of producing about 50 sacks of flour per hour, although for the present only one plant has been installed- Extra space has also been provided in the engine house for another engine to duplicate, or even to triple, the power, when needed. The following is a brief description of the first plant which has just been successfully put in operation. The power is generated by a "Tinker" boiler, 32ft. long by 8ft. diameter, the feed water being taken from the canal and heated by a Green's eoonomissr to boiling point before entering the boilers. The main engine is of the compound tandem type, and was built by t,he well-known firm, Messrs. Yate.s and Thom, of Blackburn, and is of the latest and' most up- to-date type. The fly-wheel has grooves for seven ropes, and these pass into the rope-race under- nea,th the tower and transmit the power to the several main shafts which drive the machinery in the various sections of the buildings. Thetp is also an auxiliary engine, by Marshalls, for driving the dynamos for lighting purposes. Overhanging the canal is the 50 ton per hour elevator for discharging lighters and small sailing ships. This delivers the wheat to two preliminary separators after it has been automatically weighed. It is then elevated to the top of too silo granary, which has a total capacity of 50,000 bushels. The bins are fed and emptied by band conveyors, and each has its mixer so that any desired blend can be made and passed to thie cleaning plant. The wheat-cleaning department has four floors, and contains all the necessary machines for washing, scouring and brushing, etc., the grain. The milling section consists of five floors. The height of the first, or ground, floor, is 16ft., and contains the elevator bottoms and two lines of shafting for driving the roller mills on the floor above. The second floor, which is a picture of the engineer's skill, carries two lines of "Luther" roller mills on one side of the building, the elevators being placed along the ccntre line. When the clean wheat first enters the mill it is weighed on automatic scales and passes to the break rolls, of which there are four double mills. The reduction of the granular bye-products made by the breaking Tolls is done on eight double smooth rolls, and two pairs of Wegmann's porcelain rolls. All the bearings have automatic ring lubrication, and ingenious alarm bel1 arc provided to call tho attention of operatives in, case the feed i reduced by acci- dent. There. is also an automatic dcviae for throwing the grinding rolls apart when the feed abases to run. All these mills are arranged1 in sequence and each performs its share of the work of gradual reduction. The purification of the granular bye-products made by the breaking mills is done on the fourth storey, the third being re- served for dust collectors. There are also two 'wheat heaters to temper the graded whoaitg going to the first break, and the chop goi'ng to the second and third break rolls passes through gravity purifiers in order to extract any offal made in the previous breakings. Both these devices tend to make the flour purer and of a brighter appearance. There are nine of Higginbottom's air belt purifiers on the fourth floor, and three of Luther's new "Brilliant" purifiers. All these machines arc exhausted into a dust collector, which keeps the air in the room cool and sweet, greatly assisting the purification. The dressing is all done on "Luther" plansifters, which are located on the top floor, in two lines. It is prob- ably the first mill in this country to be fitted as a complete plansifter mill. The rotary oscil- lations of these sifters are short and quick and, as a consequence, they cause a rapid but gentle sifting action. They produce flour of remarkable bloom and purity, and the dunsts from them are so clean that they may be sent to rolls direct without passing through purifiers. Each pair of sieve sets is doubly balanced and can be turned easily with one hand. All the pro- ducts of the mill are packed in a warehouse ad- joining, which has 110ft. by 24ft. of floor space. The sacked goods can be loaded into vessels on one s de of the warehouse or into railway trucks all the. other. In a corner of the basement of the mill there is a test bakery, fully equipped with an electrio oven by Messrs. Christy Bros. and M'ddleton, of Oholmsford, and all tha neces- sary baking utensils. There is also a set of offices and properly-fitted lavatories; a.nd the whole of the premises arc brilliantly lighttod by over 200 electric lamps. The company formed by Mr. Stephen Walley (whoso Waverton Mills were burned down in 1903) to carry on the busi- ness is styled "Imperial Flour Mills, Ltd. and that gentleman is managing director, while Mr. Douglas Sanday also is a director..

WELSH REVOLT. CARNARVONSHIRE'S ACTION. A special meoeting of the. Carnarvonshire County Council was held on Friday to consider en important communication from the Board of Education, which requested the chaiirman to call his Council's attention to alleged neglect on the part of the Education Committee, and particu- larly of the Secretary of Education for the oounty, in respect of official communications Bent by the Board. The, letter stated that failure and delay had ocvurrcd m respect of improvements demanded by the Board in 40 or 50 Council School buildings, in the staffing of 20 Voluntary Schools, a list of which was appended, and in the completion of the transfers of Vount-ary Schools to the County Council. The letter wound up with an intimation that the Council was expected to see that the Education Com- mittee would effect an alteration in the matters complained of. A discussion lasting two hours, followed. Mr. Vincent (Bangor) alleged that there was no member of the- Council but admitted in his heart of hearts that the complaint of the Board of Education was justified, and that the interests of education were being neglected in the in- terests of Mr. Lloyd-George's policy. He ap- pealed to the Council to resume the powers which it had delegated to the Education. Com- mittee, which had proved itself unfit to disclhajrge the duties. Scenes of excitement followed. The Secretary of Education for the county, oalled upon for a statement, dealt seriatim with the Board's complaints, and sa,d that, with 14 exceptions, all the Council Schools had been structurally repaired, and that the staffs of the Church schools scheduled were, in every instance, from 25 to 100 per c-nt. above the Board of Education's requirements. The letter was referred to the Education Com- mittee, with instructions to send a detailed reply within 14 days.

CREWE UNIONISTS. — +-- MR. CHAPLIN ON UNITY. SUGGESTION TO THE LEADERS. On Monday evening, under the ausp cos of the Crewe-Division Constitutional Association, amass meeting was held in the Crewe Town Hall, at which addresses were delivered by the Right Hon. Henry Chaplin, M.P., and Mr. J. H. Wels- ford, the prospective Unionist candidate for Orowe. Colonel Kennedy presided, and among others present were Mr. D. McIver, M.P., and Mr. J. S. Harmood Banner, M.P., Mr. Harry Bowler, Mr. J. F. T. Roydis, Mr. A. N. Hornby, Mrs. Welsford, Mrs. Cotton Jod-rell, Mr. G. B. Baker Wilbraham, Mr. J. H. Cooke, Mr. W. Eardley, Mr. E. R. Bellyse, Mr. J. Perks, and Mr. J. Furber. Mr. Chaplin, M.P., said -it was becoming moire and more apparent that the time was corning, and ooming quiokly, when we oould not be very far distant from an appeal to tho country. He far distant from an appeal to the country. He was old enough to have taken part in many such appeals to the oountry, to have seen many great majorities come and go, and he had also seen at t,ime.s most unexpected results from general elec- tions. Though nothing in the world would in- duce him to break the old rule, ''Never piophecy unless you know," he would entirely decline to subscribe to the belief expressed in a certain portion of the Press from day to day that the Unionist party was foredoomed to defeat, though ho did not for a moment forget that when a party had been in power for a great many ye&rs there was apt to come the 116, of the pendulum, which was generally an important factor on thtsse occasions. MANIFESTO WANTED. He had been mked the other day what would beat re-unite the Unionist party on the Fiscal question. He did not, could not, and would not admit for one moment that the Union st party is I as a whole could be said to be disunited: on the Fiscal question. It was quite possible there might be differences of opincii on some branches of the question, but in regard to the party as a whole they had bad an absolutely unmistakable evidence at Newcastle recently that they wert practically entirely united. The best and most complete specific to consolidate absolutely the Unionist party on the Fiscal question at the pre- sent time would be a joint manifcsto-cil the lines of the resolution they were to have moved later—from the two great leaders of the party, to the party-for they were the two great leaders of tho party though one was in and the other was out of the Government. (Applause.) After nearly forty years' experience of work in the service of that party he was absolutely convinced that if by any means that could be done it would bring a.bout a re-union and a complete solidarity of the overwhelming majority of their party. He believed he would be right in saying that ninety-nine hundredths would be united. Surely it ought not to be difficult to devise eomothing cf that kind after all that their great chief had said on that subject and after the lon^ period in which their two leaders had worked together wit-h such absolute loyalty. Ho believed such a manifesto would be hailed with believed such a manifesto would be hailed with satisfaction and rejoicing by the most loyal supporters of Mr. Balfour in every part of the oountry, and he believed that at the general election, taking into account the swing of the pendulum and everything else, they would make at least an uncommonly good show. He based his belief on the case they had to put before the oountry. MR. WELSFORD AND PREFERENCE. Mr. Wesford the prospective Conservative candidate for Crewe, moved— That this meeting is of opinion that the time has arrived for a reform of our Fiscal system, not only by the methods of retaliation suggested by the Prime Minister, but particu- larly through the medium of preferential ar- rangements between the Colonies and the Mother Country, with a view to strengthening the commercial union and existing ties, in order to firmly unito the British Empire. He said, that so far as the Unionist party in that division was concerned, the principles of Tariff Reform were an accepted plank in their platform. He was convinced that they were not only the best for the consumers of the United Kingdom but for the consumers of the British Empire. He had been oalled a Protectionist, and though he did not like the word, if to be in favour of a total revision of our tariff system, if to aim at the development in every possible and reason- able way, if to desire to, find more employment far British labour, and if to insist that the pro- ducts of other countries should pay a market toll such as they make us pay was to be a, Pro- tectionist, he did not care what.they called him. (Applause.) A QUESTION OF JUSTICE. He believed it was a question of justice. They wanted to give the British producer and the British workingman as fair a chance in his own market as the foreigner. (Hear, hewr.) In that division they had dealt with the misrepresenta- tion that a preference to the Colonies would in- crease the price of food. He was convinced that if foreign wheat were taxed and Colonial wheat admitted free the price of bread would be moire likely to be reduced than increased, for the best way to reduce the price of any essential article was to increase the area of production. The mis- representation with regard to the Colonial offer had also been dispelled-the Colonial offer was on the Statute Books of the country. Wo had a great responsibility towards our Colonies, and the question of preference was one of the utmost importance. We wanted a close union with them, and we wanted also a Colonial Federation such as was the ideal of Mr. Chamberlain and Mr. Chaplin. If we had had a Colonial Federation at the time there would have been no South African, war. The representatives of Capetown and Natal would have been able to inform the Government in time of what Mr. Kruger Was doing, and the want of such a federation had cost the British taxpayer two hundred' and fifty millions sterling. There were other things which mader a closer union with our Colonies necessary. WHAT OF AUSTRALIA? Take the case of Australia, a country which ex- cluded the Japanese from its borders. He had been very pleased with the Japanese Treaty, but supposing at any time there was trouble between Australia and Japan-he sincerely hoped there never would be-who would have to fight for Australia ? We should, of course, and if trouble arose between any other part of our Empire and a foreign Power we should have to intervene. As a business man with Imperial aspirations, he said that the time had come for a closer union with our Colonies. (Applause.) The Colonies were actuated by the best motives, and he believed they were ready to do their share in regard to Imperial Defence. If we entered into a preferen- tial agreement with them also with regard to trade, we should gain a large market, there would be a great development of our industries, and consequently much more employment for our people; there would be homes in the Colonies for those who could not find1 employment here, and through the reduction in our taxat:on the burdens on our people would be considerably lightened. Protection of the olden time was dead, Free Trade was rendered impossible by foreign tariffs, and what he longed to see was a British Empire ittl Free Trade within its borders. (Applause.) Tho resolution was seconded by Mr. Harmood Banner, M.P. and carried.

Earl Roberts has accepted the presidency of the National Service League. ALL SAINTS', HOOLE— Tho funds of the sick poor and other needs of All Saints', Hoole, are to be augmented by the proceeds of a sale of work to be hold in the Westminster Schools on Thursday and Friday. The bazaar is advertised to be opened on the first day by Mrs. Hornby Lewis, and on the aeoond day by Mrs Griffin.

FLINT COUNTY COURT Before his Honour Judge Sir Horatio Lloyd at the Town Hall, Flint, on Friday. EMPLOYERS SUED. Mr. Charles Hughes, of Shot-ton, lately in the employment of Messrs. Prince aud Co., chemists, sued the latter firm for ;1;;17. 10s. for services rendered, the defendant firm ooun'ter-chiimuig for ilt)4. 15s. lid. Mr. Howard Evans appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. W. H. Giiurviii, Chester, for the defendants. After the case had been opened by Mr. Evans and plaintiff was in course of examination the case was adjourned to tne next Moid Court, whicn will be held on the 7th December, Mr. Evans contending that the counter-claim only having been filed five clear days before the hearing he had not had sufficient time to go into it MR. WOOLFE JACKSON SUED. Mr. 0. Stanley Jones, w,ne and spirit mer- chants' traveller, Moid, for whom Mir. J. B. Marston appeared, sued Mr. Woolfe Jackson, financier, for whom Mr. Frank Kinsey, Orewe, appeared, for £ 5. 17s. 6d., lor balance of wit- nesses' fees, out-of-pocket at.d other expenses III connection with attendmg court on five occasions under a deed of assignment executed by plaintiff in favour of defendant. Plaintiff stated that he was a retired brewer, and becoming short of money he sold his book debts to Mr. Jackson, and at Mr. Jackson's request had attended court five times in connection with the debts.— Cross-examined by Mr. Kinsey, plaintiff sa-d hp was now travelling for a wine and spirit merchant. At the time he attended the court in connection with the cases mentioned he was representing the Burton Brewery Company.—Mr. Krnsey: You at first claimed £10. 10s.—Mr. Marston: That was my work. I came down in my price.— Plaintiff admitted that defendant's clerk had paid him 5s. on two occasions and 2s. 6d. on another occasion.—For the defeme, Mr. Kmsey contended that the case must utterly fail. Mr. Jackson and his clerk were prepared to swear that the form of agreement entered into between plaintiff and defendant was identical with a form produced, which contained a clause that the assignor would attend couit to prove the debts when required. What had been paid to plaintiff had been paid as an act of grace on the part of Mr. Jackson and not as a matter of duty.-In course of examination, Mr. Jackson admitted that he had only paid JB2. 10s. for 1;40 worth of debts, remarking that big amounts were never worth more than Is. 6d. in the £ They- had already cost him £ 20 through Mr. Marston's negligence. —Mr. Marston: You say it was through my neglect. Why don't you bring an act-ion agamso me for negligence? Do you ever lose a case?— Defendant: 1 object to extractions.—Mr. Mars- ton Where is the original assignment?—De- fendailt: Look in your office.—Mr. Marston I handed it back to you.—The defendant: You did not hand it back to me.—Mr. Marstcn: I asked you for a copy and you never sent it.- Defendant: I was advised not to do so.—Augustus Isaacs, clerk to defendant, swore that h0- told Mr. Jones that he would give him 5s. per day for attending court, and the latter stated that he did not expect it. Defendant told witness that he was hard up and had not d. to his name.— His Honour here intervened, and remarked that the clause in the agreement as to attending court did not preclude the person attending from charging reasonable remuneration, although he was giving his services to prove a debt. He was entitled to ordinary and fair remuneration as a witness. Plaintiff would come under the class of a tradesman or clerk. His Honour would there- fore allow plaintiff five days at 7s. 6d. per day and 3s. 8d. per day for travelling expenses, which, w.th the amount already received deducted, would mean judgment for plaintiff for Ll. 10s. lOd.

-h_ CHEESE TRADE CUSTOMS. --+ MANCHESTER FACTORS SUED. LOCAL FARMER'S CLAIM. I A case interesting to cheese-makers and factors was heard at the Nant,wich County Court on Saturday, before his Honour Judge Brown. John Nunnerley, fanner, Buerton. sued the firm of Messrs. Massey Bros., cheese factors. Corpora- tion-street, Manchester for JSll. 8s.. balance of an account alleged to be due for the sale of 30 cheeses. Mr. Eric Smith, of Audlem, appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. Adshead Elliott, bar- lister (instructed by Messrs. Markland and Whitehead, solicitors, Manchester), represented the defendants Mr. Smith said one of the defendants. H. Mas- sey, in July called at Mr. Nunnerley's farm, and after sampling 25 cheeses agiocd to buy them at 45s. per cwt. They were sent away from Audlem on the folic wing day. In October plaintiff re- ceived fiom defendant firm a cheque for ;BIZ. 18s., and believing that some mistake had been made he wrote- asking them for an oxplana- tion, but received no reply. He had seen Mr. Harry Massey. one of the firm, on many occa- sions since, and though he had mentioned tho mat- tw to him he failed to get a satisfactory answer. Plaintiff said that after the defendants had sent hm a ciicquc for B12 18s he received from them a cheque tor L-50 "on account,,j««cl ,a,; request that another lot of cheese should be forward'cd to them. Mr. Elliott asked if it was not the custom for the choose to be sent to the factor-, for them to sell it at the best market price, and having made certain deductions for remunerations to pay the farmers the balance?—Witness said it depended on the arrangement made cioss-examination, plaintiff denied that tho choose were sold on commission. He. admitted that in one case he sent, cheese to be sold' on com- mission, but that was the cnly instance. In reply to his Honour, plaintiff said in. aJl his dealings, with one exception, he had always 6oId his cheese to them at a fixed price. In further cross-examination, plaintiff said the cheese were not up to the usual standard of quality. He admitted that he wrote in July ask- ing defendants if he could send them more cheese and said, "We poor unfortunates have to look up all odd cheques, and I shall be glad if you could send me a cheque for £ 50, as rent day-is ap- proaching." He produced no-tes.shewing that he had sold ctheese. in June, July and August. from 42s. up to 48s. per owt. He admitted that the cheeses might have been slightly "running." He denied that the defendants had ever returned to him a bigger price than was mentioned to him when their representatives called at his farm. He had always fixed a minimum price, and he had left it to Messrs. Massey to do the best. Mr. Adshead Elliott said that Messrs. Massov had never bought cheese outright. They had dealt with plaintiff according to the ordinary practice. Their practice was to receive cheese from farmers, to warehouse it, and then sell it to likely customers They then made certain deduc- tions for warehouse charges, carriage and profit, and took the. risk of their customers paying them. Thoy returned to the farmer the price less so much deducted for their remuneration. This was the custom followed by cheese-factors in Man- chester and up and down the country. If plain- tiff had sold the cheest, outright he would have sent in a, bill to. the defendants. Harry Massey, a member of the firm, bore out the advocate's state.meint as to the practice fol- lowed. His firm did not sell "on commission." They acted as a principal, and made certain de- ductions for warehousing. discount and profit. He denied that the cheeses in question were bought outright. He said until the cheeses con- signed to them were sold they belonged to the farmer. The cheesf's for which he was sued were running badly, and before they were sold they lost about 2cwt, in weight. Five of the cheese sold at 25s. per cwt., and the other twenty at 32s. 6d. His nott profit, only amounted to 8s. lOd. The highest price they paid for the best dairies at that time was 40s. or 42s. Alfred Appleyard, cheese-factor, Manchester. corroborated as to the custom of factors when choose was sent to them "on consignment." His Honour asked if it was the custom in Man- I Chester in all cheese businesses to deduct the profit and the expenses and send the farnaer the balance. ba}T!-ce. Witness: Yes, your Honour. His Honour: Is it the universal practice? it;ncs, Yes. Witness also said he occasionally bought cheese outright from farmets. The greatest part of his business was "consignment business." A factor mie-ht buy at a farm and buy at fairs. lh, Honour said he came to the conclusion that plhintiff had m.'siakon the nature of the business which he had done with the defendants. His case 'was that ho had always, except, on one occasion, sold his cheese at a fixed price to the defendants. The defendants' case was that he had always consigned it to them to do the best they could with it. There was nothing conclusive one way or the other. and the case turned on the verbal evidence given. He thought he must come to the conclusion that the custom or the practice was as deposed to by the witnesses for the, defence. It was, he confessed, a rather curious custom, and one he had never come across before, for cheeses to be delivered to factors for them to do the- best with, and to practically make whatever return thoy pleased to the farmer, he relying on their honesty to deduct something for themselves which in their opinion was sufficient remuneration. In this case it was pretty clear what, the general practice was. It was not in accordance with a sale out-and-out. to the defendants. The plaintiff said he had always sold to the defendants, and he argued his case out because of the fact that the price was always mentioned. He said "a mini- mum price" and a return was always made to him, in fact he practically admitted that better prices had been returned to him than were discussed. That certainly looked unlike a sale out-and-out. It looked more like the other thing-that he relied on the judgment of the. cheese-factor to do the best he could. Under the circumstances he must take it that they were sold on consignment, and that the price returned to plaintiff was a reasonable and proper price. He came to the conclusion that the defendants' version was the correct one, and therefore plaintiff could not succeed.

MR. STANLEY A HOME RULER. A QUALIFIED DECLARATION. The Hon. A. Lyuiph Stanley, the adopted Radi- oal candidate for the Eddisbury division, ad- dressed a small meeting at TattenhaSi on Friday night. Mr. George Cooko provided. Mr. Stanley, who spoke only for a few minutes as he had to leave early, said it was often thrown in their toeth that their party were not united on. the question of Homo Rule, although the I Unionists should be the last. people to talk of a united party. In the first plave he was a Home Ruler, but they must. define what was mc.:Ult by Homo RiLe. He wished it to be cicaiiy under- stood that he was entirely opposed to any inde- pendent Parliament in Ireland, and lie was op- posed to giving Ireland the same amount of m. dependence possessed by Canada and other of our Colonies, because Ireland was so clow to Eng- land, it would be a danger to us to give them independence. While he did not believe in givmg them independence, ho would give Ireland avo; y large amount of local soif-government. He would not allow them to have the power to make tanffs againsrt us, but he would give them control of the police. He would not allow them to raise an army and navy, but he would allow them to sott,to what local forms of government they de- sired. He aid not think the question of Homo Rule would come on early in the. next Parlia- ment, because he believed there was a iarge •mount of work urgently needed for this country before the Government undertook tiie thoiny question of Homo Rule. There was the difficult question whether the. Irish should have represen- tation in the Imperial Parliament. He was in- clined to think th2y should have a certain amount of representation in the. Imperial Parliament, beoouse a,s we did not aiiow the lush to have the power of taxation in Ireland they ought to have repressor! at id n in the Parliament, which decreed that taxation" He was inchnod to think a com- promise might be made between England and IreiLajid, reducing the number of Irish members at Westminster. He believed it was quite, clear on the population basis that Ireland was ovei- ropiosented at Westminster, and if England was willing to give Ireland a certain amount of local •elf-government. Ireland ought to agioe to the reduction of the Irish members returned to Wc-t- minster. The whole question of Home Rule was a question full of details and difficult details, and it would be impossible for him to deal with them in the time available. He did not, think it would be a prominent question in the next Parliament, but tho Govern men! could improve Irelaaid's condition by administration vo:y largely. They could carry out the suggestions of the Irish Re- form Association under Lord Dunravcn, and there wero opportunities for minimising the grievances under which Ireland undoubtedly eunoicd. Some peopip thought that Ireland had no grievance, bait Ireland's grievance was that, being an almost entirely Catholic country it was administeied by bigoted Ulster men. Passing on to the question of temranoo re form. Mr. Stanley said he was not a teetota ler, but he lospected very much those who weie. Per- sonally, he found he could enjoy an occasioned glass of beer, and he found it d;d him no harm, but he also, recognised that drink was a very con- siderable social evil. It was tire duty of the politician to remedy that. He ought to do so by education; but he. (Mr. Stanley) e t a certain amount of good could 00 done by leg station. He did not, think that by pure legislation a drunken I man could be made a sober man, but it could be made harder for him to get drink and easier for the reforming influences to get to work. The prime measure of temperance reform which he was entirely in favour of was that of giving the people the right to say what the drinking facilities should bo in their own district. He believed in the broad democratic principle of saying to the people, "You' Phalli settle for yourselves whether you wish to have public-houses, and the number you wish to have, and the form in which they I shall exist.' He was not a prohibitionist He did not want to pass an Act of Pat iiainent for- bidding the sale of liquor all over the country. He believed it was taking from the people the right to govern themselves, and prohibition in the States had not. been as successful as it ought to be. He had not entirely made up his mind on the Question of Sunday closing, but he was aga;nst a general Sunday Closing Act for the same reason that he was not a prohibitionist. Again, ho would leave it to the localities. Local option would be better than a general Sunday Closing Act. Far more might bo done for temperance by way of education. Personally, he had not been taking any drink lately, but he did not feel any the worse for it. and he did not, think if he had a glass of beer or a glass of wine he should be- come a degraded creature. HiLving stated h:s viewe. Mr. Stanley told his audience that if they did not like them they had the remedy in their own hands at the next election.

THE NESTON SCANDAL. __n-+-- REMARKABLE LETTER FROM ASHLEY. WIRRAL GUARDIANS' ACTION. A sequel to the reoent disappn^ranoe frem Neston under somewhat sensational piroum- etancos of Mr. Alfred E. Ashley, the manager of the local gasworks, transpired on Wednesday, at a meeting of the Wirral Board of Guardians. Mr. Roberts, the relieving officer for the Nes- ton district, reported to the guardians that tho wife of Mr. Ashley had been admitted to the workhouse, and was at present a patient in,the hospital. Detailing the circumstances under which the gas manager disappeared from Neston, the officer stated that he ran away with a womwi named Mrs. Stafford, a w.dow with three chil- dren, who had kept a chandler's shop at Neston. Ashley was a man of good position. Since ivirs. Ashley sought poor-law reliet a letter, dated from Liverpool, had been received from her husband at her home in Staffordshire. From there it was forwarded to Dr. Yeoman, and handed to him (the relieving officer). The Clerk (Mr. J. E. S. OIlive) read the letter, which was as follows;- c/o Mrs. C. T. Hustwick, 81, Gilroy-road, Liver- pool, England. 25th October, 1905. Mrs. A.—Do you not think yourself a very foolish woman? I do! What folly to try to pit your head and brain against mine, You nor your agents will never find me, not in an age of Tom-cats. Although at present out of England, I expect to aoon have to come over and settle an account with the people w-th whom I left the furniture. It will be a pretty stiff bill tha,t they will have to pay, seeing timt there was a lot of furniture belonging to Mrs. S., who in tends issu- ing a summons for the recovery of her goods from the storage people if they have it, and if not from whoever feloniously removed tJhem. Mrs. S., ot course, will come over to England and issue the summons from Liverpool, and thus save all the chanoea of letting our present address being known. I wao perfectly willing to make you an allow- ance, but you were silly enough to think Mr. P. could help you, and so went, I hear, and put yourself in the hands of the union authorities. Whatever your object was in doing this I can- not think, but you went the wrong way about it. We will first say, for example, I was ar- rested what would happen? I should lose my present appointment, and with it all ohanoe of getting money to send you. When you wrote to me asking for the address of the storage people you did not give me a. chance to reply, as the next thing I had was a cable saying a warrant was out for my arrest. (This, of course, was in cypher, and oould only be read by me.) My object in writing to you is for you to make me an offer as to what you will accept, and to ask you to give the storage people to understand that you had no claim upon the famiture-Which, of course, you haven't. I could let you have whatever is your own proper- ty, and also let you have whatever you want after we have arranged matters. You will serve no useful purpose in staying in the workhouse, as they oannot bring me to England unless I wish ■to come. And then the sooner you go home and be willing to come to some amicable settle- ment the sooner you will receive a regular allow- anoe.-I am, etc., etc., ALFRED E. ASHLEY. Mrs. Ashley, c/o Mr. Origean-ot Pearce, 20, Bloomfieid-road (opposite Star and Garter Hotel), Tipton. The relieving offioer said he thought a warrant ought to be taken out agaunst Ashley, and every possible means taken to secure his arrest. He could not say whether he was in England or not. If he intended to go to America he had had time to get there by now. He understood that if Ashley turned up ait the furniture store in Liver- pool he would be detained, and a summons. which had been taken out by Mrs. Ashley, would be served upon him. On the motion of Mr. Thomas Davie.s it was decided to take out a warrant for Ashley's arrest.

CHESTER DISTRICT NURSING ASSOCIATION. 9, WATER TOWEB-STREKT. WEEKLY REPORT. Old oases 37 I Removed 3 New cascfl 16 I Deaths. 0 Cured 18 I On books 79 Old oases 37 I Removed 3 New cascfl ••••• 16 I Deaths 0 Cured 18 I On books 79 Relieved 3 | Visits 644 E. BATESON, Lady Superintendent. November IB, 1905.

CORRESPONDENCE. All letters must be authenticated by the sender's name and address, not necessarily for publication. The Editor is not responsible for the opinions, of bit correspondents. •Jinrv .pondents are particularly requested to T»rit.e oni- on one side of the paper.

THE CHESTER DIOCESAN CONFERENCE. TO THE EDITOR. X Sir,—The Diocesan Conference of 1905 has come and gone, and important results may be expected to follow it. The Bishop's address was thoughtful. statesmanlike, and farseeing, as was to be expected from one of the most distinguished prelates of our time. The speakers on temperance and juvenile smoking were most sensible and their remarks valuable, though too much appeared to be expected from parents while drinking and smoking facilities are being multiplied. The discussion on the depopulation of the country districts did not sufficiently emphasise the enormous cost of build- ing owing principally to inflated wages. The model cottage of a garden city may cost £150, plus builder's profit, architect's fees, and charges for laying foundations, but C250 is found to be the least for which a decent cottage can be built if all charges which have to be paid are included. The relaxation of the ''paraon's freehold" was declared to depend on the provision of an adequate system of pensions, which can hardly bo expected in the near future. The Bishop of Ripon's eloquent address on national character was clear and intelli- gible to all, and most interesting and useful. In une matter the Diocesan Conference is unmerciful. Neither age nor long service exempts men from iseiving on committees. The Rural Deans for instance have already more than they can do, and their place on committees might well be taken by the juuior incumbent in each Rural Deanery.—I am, sir, yours &c., CHURCHMAN.

RADICALS AND THE RAND. TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—It'was not until the middle of this month that 1 learned from references in the home papers that five Chester men were out here for a political purpose. I had understood from their manager previously that they were engaged on a tort- of Socialistic experiment, being pioneers endeavour- ing to shew that there were Englishmen ready to do unskilled labour out here. Of course the manager was generally Laughed at as a crank, for such, experiments have often been tried, and always failed, but it was not until I learned that the '"experiment'' had a political intent that I took notice of It. 1 have just had some. conversation with a gentle- man just returned from England, and he speaks despairingly of the possibilities of getting the people there to understand anything of the condi- tions obtaining in this country. I gather from him that, the Chinese Labour question is not merely a platform subject, but is actually occupying the thoughts of the public. Is it impossible to get the British electors to believe that people in this country are almost as moral as they aro them- selves, and are quite capable of looking after their own affairs? The feeling here is one of bitter resentment against the Liberals, who seem to seize on every opportunity of slandering our people (and the abominable accusations made against us, in common with the regular troops, during the war, are not likely soon to be forgotten). This place is hundreds of miles from the Rand; it has nothing to do with the Chinese, and the "Goid Fields New. at first was strongly opposed to their being introduced, till the Labour Com- mission proved conclusively that there was no chance of' getting sufficient Kaffirs. But we. in common with every other South African district, are working to make this a country for white men, where the immigrant can come with his family to earn a decent wage and live in comfort. While the. cost of living remains at anything like the p^t»ent figure, no white man can live in decency In on tiie wag-c that i" the maximum possible to pay for unskilled labour. It is a subject difficult, to bring before the public mind, which is often £qLlf'll-:1Ï&f].. but I should like to introduce some of these advocates of white unskilled labour to places around Capetown or some other port, where they could see white men. who have lost all senti- ment of the dignity of their race, consorting with coloured people, where squalor and vice of the worst description walk hand in hand, where a race of half-breeds is springing up to recmit some of the worst phases of life—for the offspring of such unions have no moral sentiment—and to ask them if it was to perpetuate such scandals as these that we fought? Fortunately there is no chance of these plague spots spreading, for rather than allow such a degradation of our land we would make common cause, British and Dutch together. to protect our race, and the South African Republic that was the dream of the old Trans- vaalers would become a reality. You will think this rather wild talk, but that is the logical out come of the position into which, judging by their speeches, the Liberals are trying to force u.- Faithfully yours, A BARBERTON RESIDENT. October 28, 1905.

"VIVISECTION" DEFENDED. TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—I have..been much amused at the letters of your corneepondents "Ratepayer" and "R." I wish to say in reply that I attended the Anti- Vivisection meeting not in an an official capacity as Assistant Director of Education for the county, but just as anyone else interested in hearing the lecture, and I consider that I had as much right to express my opinions, although antagonistic to the meeting, as anyone else. I advise your corre- spondents who consider that my opinions render me unfit to fill the position which I now occupy to notify the fact to the proper authorities. I repeat that the picture painted at the meeting of the horrors of vivisection as carried on by scientists was absolutely false, and that the statement made to the effect that such experiments on animals had been productive of no useful results was equally untrue. In order to convince your readers that I am competent to make such statements it may be necessary to state that my knowledge of the subject has been gained during a period of some eigiit or nine years spent in the medical schools of Cambridge University and The. London Hospital, and that a man who has been at the head of the anatomy and physiology examinations for University degrees in medicine and surgery may be considered to have some knowledge of the subject. In my opinion far greater cruelties than any seen in physiological or bacteriological laboratories are being constantly inflicted on animals by sports- men, by operations such as tail-cutting of dogs and other worse forms of torture, and by many of the common methods adopted for killing animals, e.g., the administration of rat-paste, which frequently inflicts the most terrible suffering on the unfor- tunate animals. I do not doubt that the speakers at the meeting conscientiously believe what they stated, but I have the same regard for their opinions as I have for those of people supplying testimonials to patent medicine vendors who are honestly of opinion that they have suffered from cancer or Bright's disease, and that they have been cured by quack medicines whose active drug i6 aloes, oascara, podophyllin or rhubarb, or who consider that they have been cured of "con- sumption" by advertised remedies designed to relieve an ordinary pharyngeal cough. It is extremely easy in regard to a subject like vivisection for its opponents to obtain the sympathy of a large portion of the public, who let their feelings run away with their common- sense, and by misrepresenting (probably through lack of knowledge) the facts, to produce a most erroneous impression in people's minds. I cannot refrain from alluding to the remarks of the speaker who considers that experiments on animals are performed out of a spirit of pure devilry and to his representation of a doctor as a sort of bloodthirsty villain anxious to use the knife on every possible occasion. I think the medical profession ought to be protected against such brutal attacks. I can only say from ex- perience gfeined in the largest hospital in this country that if the knife were permitted to be used earlier and oftener the lives of many people would be Saved. Nothing has produced a more profound impression on my mind that one should trust in one's medical man than to have seen little children frequently brought to hospital and on their parents being informed that only an im- mediate operation could save the child's life for the parents to take it home and let it die. The statements of the. gentleman to whom I refer, by prejudicing people against operations which are absolutely necessary for the saving of life, must do an incalculable amount of harm.—Yours faith- fully, J. H. HOWITT.. M.A., LL.B., Late Major Science Scholar, St. John's College, Cambridge: Medallist and Exhibitioner in Hygiene, &c. Hough Green, Chester.

A CATHOLIC CANON'S DEATH. The "Catholic Herald" states that the Reverend Canon McGrath. of Weybridge, one of the best- known Roman Catholic priests in the Southwark diocese, died on Saturday morning somewhat sud- denly, after a prolonged illness. KING AND THE LATE ARCHDRUID.- The following is a copy of a letter which the Rev. R. Peris Williams, of Wrexham, has received from Colonel A. Davidson, the King's private secretary, expressing his Majesty's sympathy with the rela- latives of the late Archdruid, Hwfa Mon:—"The private secretary is commanded by the King to thank the Rev. R. P. Williams for his letter of the 14th instant, and to say that his Majesty hears with deep regret the news of the death of the venerable Archdruid of Wales, the Rev. Rowland Williams (Hwfa Mon). The King would be glad if the Rev. R. P. Williams would convey the expres- sion of his Majesty's sincere sympathy with Hwfa Mon's relations on the loss they have suffered by the death of the Archdruid of Wales, for whom the King had a great regard." It was Hwfa Mon who led the King, when Prince of Wales, into the Gor- sedd circle when his Majesty was received a member of the Gorsedd, and as archdruid Hwfa Mon had the honour of admitting the Prince and Princess of Wales and other members of the Royal Family as members of the Gorsedd.

ACTION AGAINST DR. CUFFE. MEDICAL ASSOCIATION GET DAMAGES. COUNTY COURT JUDGMENT. At Chester County Court, otn Thursday, his Honour ga.,e judgment in a remarkable action heard soruo uiriie ago. The puaintiffs were the trustees of tthe Chester Friendly Societies' Medi- cal A..d Association, and the action was brought agaiiist D.. Cufl'e, the association's late medical oliioor, to' oolain- an injunction restraining de- fendant. from Ciurying on private practice within five iniies or tiie eir-y of Chester for a period tf twelvo months from tlio 31st of May, 1905. The plamtiifs iu: ii.er sought payment of a penalty of £ 100, oi* suc.ii otiietr sum the Court might con- sider tiio piauiiiAs entitled to, as damages for breach of u^nouiiie<nt. His Honour said on the 31st of May this year, according to p^iiutis, defendant ceased to be medical officer of the society, and in violation of Ins agrconuruS.-•-commenced pmnaie practice within trio p.et>c.) bcci iiiiiit and time. That the defend- aut. had ul¡o",¡,c4 11.. private practice and was still so doing wnfun tiie prescribed area and within the pc r ;od 0; iwcivo months was not disputed. The sul)sanLa- question resting between the par- ties was as to VviictiioT tliere ever was such an agreement M t..( plaintiffs alleged. Unfortu- nately, iio agreement- was now to be found. Whotiier it ever existed, and if so what it con- tained, and what had become of it wore matters of controversy. P.arntiff was engaged as medical officer by a resolution of the association on the 1st Feb., lb-00, and he ente.red upon his duties im- mediately aftei wards. A certified copy of the nncs was sent by the then secretary, Mr. Harris; to a fiim who acted as medical agents between the par tie. for tine purpose of their being shewn. to the candidates. There was no proof however, that the rules had ever leached the hands of the defendant. It was somewhat difficult to imagine that any candidate would have undertaken the post without, a knowledge of the rules defining his position, duties and emoluments; but the defendant averred that he never received a copy of the ruies from anyone. However that might be.. the main question involved was whether the defendant signed an agieemeint containing a clauso which prohibited him under a penalty from private practice Within, the limits of time and place. H,¡ Honour piooeeded to review at con- siderable length the evidence for the plaintiffs. Harris swore that a fair oopy of the agreement was read at a meeting and signed by the throe trustees and the defendant. Thomas Seonoe &aid lie was present, at. that meeting and heard (the agreement lead over by Hairis, and that he and trie other trustees and Dr. Cuffe signed it. There were, in fact., throe witnesses who proved the signing of the agreement by Dr. Cuffe on the 31st IX-c., 1900. There was other evidence which strongly confirmed the existence of the agree- ment Mr. Candy, the secretary who suc- ceeded Harris in 1901, said he saw the agree- ment, which consisted of four pages of closely- written manuscript and contained the clause re- ferred to. The agreement was missed in March last after Dr. Cuffe had had notice. Defendant's case was that nothing was said- to him about not pract-sing, and that, no agreement was ever signed by him or read over to him, that no refer- ence was made to rules, and that he did not know there were any. He further stated that only one question was put to him at the meeting, and that was as to when he would begin work. For the defendant a Mr. Pritchard (one of the trustees in 1900) said he did not remember any agreement, and had never seen one with Dr. Cuffe. He (his Honour) could come to no other conclusion than that there was an agreement, that it contained a provision as to not practising, and that it was signed by the trustees and Dr. Ouffe. The evi- dence of Gandy, if not true, must be almost incomprehensible; and if it was reliable, as he believed it was, it was strongly corroborative of the plaintiffs' case. It was not necessary for him to say anything with reference to the oir- cumstances connected wit.h the loss of the agree- ment. He preferred to think that possibly it had been lost, without making a serious allega- tion against anybody; and he preferred to think that Dr. Cuffe's statement that he clod not reool- leot signing any agreement was more likely to be correct than his stronger allegation that he never signed it. The evidence that he did sign the agreement was impossible to resist. With respect to the legal Question raised by the de- fence, his answer was that the agreement did not contain a new clause, and was s.mply the formal lo statement of the conditions previously agreed upon. Judgment must be for the plaintiffs, who elected to take damages and forego the injunc- tion. The only remaining question was whether the judgment was to be entered for a penalty of £100. or for the actual damage sustained up to the time of the action-— £ 35. The amount of the penalty might well be considered reasonable, and he was therefore bound to enter judgment for. the plaintiffs for the sum of £100.

CHESTER INFIRMARY. 6 WEEKLY STATE, ENDED SATURDAY LAST. In-Patients are admitted on Tuesday Morning ate I- Eleven o'clock. In-patients Discharged. In-patients. In-pafeients Discharged. In-patients. Cured 11 Admitted 19 Relieved.. 3 Remain in the House 87 Made Out-patients 0 Unrelieved 0 Irregularity 0 Dead 0 OUT-PATIENTS. Medical Cases are seen on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday mornings at Eleven o'clock. Surgical Cases are seen on Thursday mornings at Eleven o'clock. Ophthalmic Cases are seen on Friday mornings at Eleven o'clock. Dental Cases are seen on Tuesday and Saturday mornings at "Ten o'clock. Out-patients admitted since Saturday last.97

BIRTHS,MARRIAGES &DE ATHS BIRTHS, MARRIAGES, AND DEATHS ar. oharged at. the rate of 20 words for la. (prepaid). If not prepaid, the charge will be 2E. 6d. The announcement must be authenticated by the Signature and Address of the Sender. BIRTH. THOMPSON-On the 14th November, at The Lindens, Wrexham-road, Whitchurch, the wife of the Rev. R. M. Thompson, of a son. MARRIAGES. GAMON—MARTYN—On the 17th November, at the Cathedral, Singapore, by the Rijrht Rev. the Bishop of Singapore, Geoffrey Percival Gatnon, of Bangkok, Siam, fourth son of John Gamon, of Chester, Solicitor, to Gertrude Mary, eldest daughter of the Rev. R. J. Martyn, Rector of St Buryan, Cornwall, Hon. Canon of Truro, and niece of F. E. Roberts, of Chester, J.P. (By cable.) WILLIAMS—FREEBOROUGH—On the 11th November, at St. Matthew's Church, tdpreley. Stockport, by the Rev. J. W. Thomas, M. A., vicar of Holywell, assisted by the Rev. E. P. Alexandra, M.A, vicar of St. Matthew's, Edgeley, Stockport, Mr. Albert Foster Williams, fourth eon of the late Mr. Josephus Williams (mining and civil engineer), and of Mrs. Williams, Trosymaes. Holywell, to Margaret Ethel Freefcoroujjh, youngest daughter of the late Mr. Charles Freeborough, Bombay, and of Mrs. Freeborough, Edgeley, Stockport. DEATHS. DAVIES-On the 18th November suddenly, at Stoke-on- Trent, Thomas. the dearly-beloved husband of Kate Davies, Bromborough and West Kirby (W.M. of the West Kirby Masonic Lodge, No. 2.69 ). EDWARDS-On the 14th November, at Darland Cottage, Rossett, Charles Edwards, Lieut.-Colonel, 2nd V.B. Ches- Regt., V.D. Chief Clerk Chester Probate Registry, aged å3 years. LAMBRICK—On the 10th November, at Benthall, Salop, Mary Lambrick, widow of the Rev. Samuel Stratford Lambrick, ed 73 years. PETERS-ROBERTS—On the 17th November, aged 38 years, I the Rev. Robert Peters-Roberts, B.A., curate-in-charge of Llanddoget. PRICE—On the 13th November, at Cambrian House, Peny- ffordd, Hope, aged 6i years, Thomas Price, for 45 years in the service of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT. Mrs. R. Poynton and Family desire to Thank their numerous friends for the kindness and sympathy, also for floral tributes received during their recent sod bereave- ment.-Liverpool-road Mews, Chester.

iyr EMORIAL8, AT ALL PRICES, IN MARBLE, GRANITE, STONE & ALA]BASTER.. On View, and to order. W. HASWELL & SON, MASONS, KALEYARDS, CHESTER. Estimates and Designs Free on.applwtion. Telephone No. 1'61a. The Bishop of Ripon preached in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle on Sunday morning, when the King and Queen and the King of the Hellenes and other Royal personages attended service there.

AN EARL'S PLATE.—Mr. Justice Warring- ton on Saturday heard an adjourned summons to decide how certain plate left by the late Earl of Stamford was to be disposed of. The earl left two of his country seats to Lady Catherine Lambert and Mrs. Katherine Duncombe respectively, with the articles and chattels in or about the houses at the time of his death. He died at his shooting- box at Bradgate, having temporarily removed from his principal residence a certain quantity of plate for use during his visit. His lordship thought the proper conclusion was that the devisees of Bradgate were entitled to such articles as were actually in or about the house at the time of the earl's deoeaae.