Welsh Gazette and West Wales Advertiser

♦ Tomatoes out of Doors. Weather permitting, the sooner after about the middle of May these plants can be got out into their fruiting quarters the better. In some excep- tionally warm and sheltered spots they may be planted out during the second or even the first week in the month, but, as a rule, the third, and in low or cold places the fourth week is usually safer and better. But when the plants—especially if these are small—are not put out till some time in June the best of the season is over before they begin to carry any quantity of fruit; and then if the autumn prove wet or cold this cannot ripen. and is probably wasted. There is nothing like getting good, strong, forward plants ready by the early part of May, and then get them out on the first oppurtunity. The border in which they are to be planted should be in fairly good heart, though'not too rich, and it ought also to be sunny and sheltered by some means on the north and east. If the ground is at all poor or shallow, dig and manure at once. Once put out, the plants ought to make a vigorous and healthy growth before they can carry any quantity of fruit, and to this end that should be rather freely watered in dry weather, and have a little liquid manure also if necessary. Keep all lateral growths regularly pinched or cut off, and take out the point of each about the third week in August.

Farm Work and National Health, With xiur steadily diminishing birth-rate and the daily increase of institutions for the reception of those whose moral, mental, or physical diseases prevent them from earning their own living it is difficult to believe that the stamina of our highly civilized urban populations is increasing. Apart from the question of food supply, it is, I believe, says Dr. G. V. Poore, absolutely necessary to en- courage agriculture ip order that our race may be maintained in vigour. The strong contrast which exists between the agriculturalist and the town worker in the matter of health is well-known. Certain tables (quoted) show conclusively that agriculturalists are among the healthiest class in the community, and that even the farm labourer in the matter of health is 33 per cent. better than the average. This is a matter of great interest and importance. He is often represented as half- sta-ved, miserably housed, a martyr to rheumatism and poisoned by filthy water. As a matter of fact, as regards sobriety and health he might be taken as a model by the rest of the industrial classes. There is another point of view from which agri- culture is of great importance. We are beginning to find out that a factory hand who has to keep pace with steam machinery becomes" too old for his work at a comparatively early age. Defects of-eyesight or hearing or a lessening of acuteness and nimbleness soon unfit a man for [employments where dexterity is of more importance than exper- ience. There has been much talk of late of "old age pensions," but it musi. be admitted that even if the financial difficulties of the question could be overcome, the prospect of being without employe ment and existing on a pittance without any true interest, in life after the age of fifty-five years is not cheerful. I believe that the practice of agri- culture is the only remedy for this, and that the best old age pension will be found in the possession of an acre or so of land. Not only are the ordinary horticultural operations all possible for a man long after he is capable of attending to machinery, but such a possession would give him an interest in life, and he would find that the productivness of his land would certainly increase with time and in direct proportion to the amount of skill and labour expended in tillage and cultivation, and the quan- tity of organic manure placed upon the soil.

Flower Garden in May. The flower garden will now be looking well The hyacinths will be in full bloom, and so will be the different kinds of the Ribes Berberis among the shrubs. The spring heart's-ease will be coming into uower. Candytufit will now, with its snowy whitness, be making, an efiective display in many gardens. The common evergreen candytuft is by far the best and most popular of all the species. Continue sowing seeds of hardy annuals, and sow also those of biennals for planting out the follow- ing spring. Many sorts of perennial and biennial flower-seeds may yet be sown; but this should be done in the first or second week in the month, and the plants will soon come up strong, and attain a proper growth for prickingout in July into nursery- beds, to obtain strengthen for final transplanting in autumn, &c., and will all produce flowers the next summer. The sorts which will still succeed are, July-flowers, wall-flowers, sweet-williams, and columbines, carnations, and pinks; likewise scabi- ouses, Canterbury-bell-flowers, hollyhocks, and French honeysuckles, and most other sorts. Plant out tender annuals that have been raised on a hot- bed. Plant out at the end of the month dahlias, stocks, calceolarias, and hardy pelargoniums, pro- tecting t he dahlias against slight frosts. Propagate perennial fibrous-rooted plants by cutting. Increase double wall-flowers by slips of the young shoots of the heads. Support all flowers with sticks; .train them upright. Clear away the dead leaves from your carnations, and gently stir the earth round with your smallest trowel. Take up those hyacinths, tulips, &c., which have done flowering, and dry them in the shade to put away.

The Farmer's Garden. The garden of the farm should have much care, for many reasons. It should be the housewife's market, the children* school, the master's recre- ation and solace, and to the whole family, it should contribute food for the body and food for the mind, and serve ever to stand between them all and those depressing influences that are forgotten of isola- tion and loneliness, and the temptations to morbid introspection, of which in the country there is often more than enough. And if gardening in a general way may be vindicated is augmented in force when we turn from the suburban garden of the farm, which for the most part is singularly advantaged by surrounding circumstances. What- ever thing you stick into a farmer's garden becomes presently a thing of beauty and a joy for ever."

Taste in Picture-hanging. An important canon of good taste in picture- hanging is that one and the same apartment should contain either coloured or monochrome pictures, but not both. This rule is perhaps sub- ject to exception where a person is living in one or two rooms, and is thus under som necessity to hang in proximity incongrous pictures. In choos- ing places on walls for different pictures, of course the old rule is not to be forgotten* to regard the light and shade in the picture, and t rut it where the prevailing light from the nearest window will be opposite the depicted shadow. Care is necess- ary also sometimes to avoid the occurence of an unpleasant glare from the surface of all oil-painting or from glass. A common error is having the eye- lets in the frame too near the middle of* the two sides, whereby the surface of the picture when hung tips forward at an ungraceful pitclt Too little inclination is not so bad as too nnlCh. r4-

On Fireplaces. A shallow fireplace saves fuel, and gives, out more-heat than a deeper one. Great advantages also be obtained by simply lining the back of an ordinary fireplace with fire-bricks. has noticed, probably, that when a fire the coals or wood at the sides are left uh- nile the centre is consumed. With fire- •e whole of the fire, however small, will be ht; end even after the fire is extinguished, "ick lining will continue to throw out some time. A no less advantage i.s that ioke is produced.

THE DECLINE OF FARMING. At a meeti.g of the Norfolk Chamber of Agri- culture, held at Norwich, on Saturday, Mr. H. Rider Haggard deiiverecl a striking address on The Exodus of the Rural Population." He at first moved:—" This Chamber respectfully calls the attention of Her Majesty's Government to the continual and progressive shrinkage of the rural population in the Eastern Counties, and especially of those adult members of it who are described as skilled agricultural labourers. In view of the grave and obvious national consequences which must re- sult if this exodus continues, the Chamber prays that Her Majesty's Government will, as soon as may be convenient, make its causes the subject of Parliamentary inquiry, and report, with a view to their mitigation or removal." He said the supply of agricultural labourers was much less than it used to be, and to-day it was largely furnished from the ranks of elderly and old men, who at their time of life could turn to nothing else, or by those who for some reason or other, such as mental weak- ness, were unfit to do anything else. The young men were no longer going on the land in anything like the same proportion as used to be the case, and when they did go on the land their great de- sire was to get off it and into some other employ- ment as quickly as possible. He farmed about 370 acres, and of the four ploughmen whom he employed not one was under 50, and two must be between 60 and 70. What he said of plough- men applied equally to the other classes of agricultural labour, such as milking, drilling, thatching,, and ditching, in which training and judgement were required For more than a year he had been looking for a young skilled labourer to whom he could offer the advantage of a good cottage, but had been unable to find one. Most of those to whom he had spoken upon the subject in his neighbourhood made the same complaint. The inspector of the Union counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, with parts of Essex and Cambridge, Mr. Philip Bagenal, in his report for 1897-8, as made to the Local Government Board, said-" In the years of 1871-91 the census returns show that one-fourth of the agricultural labourers of Norfolk had left the land. There is too much reason to believe that since 1891 the rate of decrease has been accelerated. For the same period in Suf- folk the decrease in the same class was a fraction over 10 pan cent. a constant drain of the best class of wage-earners is thus going on. The old and infirm are left, and these necessarily come on the rates." In his (Mr. Haggard's) own neighbourhood he was- informed that in a single small parish 40 cottages were standing empty. A large estate agent in Hertfordshire had written to him: "I am afraid the true and serious facts of the case are as follows :—All' the young :men have, or are, quitting the land for the army, navy, towns, railways,, police, and large nursery grounds near London*, leaving only the idle young men and those of weak intellect—who are oii no use anywhere— the mitMle-aged and old mess, to work the land and as i-hese die or become incapacitated ^through illness, there is no sue to take their place, and therefore it is only a, matter cf time and there will be a very few hands left for agricultural workup am afraid that nothing short of a very substantial rise in wages will induce the young men to remain and work in the country; but at present prices I do' nOt see how the farmer can afford to meet jthis extra call on his expenses." He feared there was a good deal of truth in the remark a farmer made to him on Friday—•' Education has done it all." In a letter he had received from Lord Walsingham, the writer said :—" Although for many years 1 have been cultivating land at a loss, under the impres- sion that it was- at least a charity to find employ- ment for the agricultural population, I have now seriously to contemplate the prospect of allowing iarms which do pay to go out of cultivation for want of hands to carry on the 7/ork. Better educa- tion makes every young man desire to wear a blask coat, and the drift is toward the towns, where clerks are superabundant already and the brain market is overstocked. Mechanical contrivance; may come to the rescue to some extent. I send a lot of milk to London, and shall probably be obliged to milk the cows by machinery, for the men here dislike the job, and the women won't do it. Yet are they likely to be so much better off that they can afford to decline a healthy country life and rural labour ? High wages will not mend matters, for farming is very uphill work at present prices, and if the labour bill runs high nc profit can be made, and the light lands must gc back to rabbits. Already many farmers prefer tc pay their rent out of these rather than to run th( risks of higher cultivation." What were the cause.' of this shrinkage in the rural population' He had heard various reasons given, all oi most of which had some weight — that tht spread of education made labour on the lane distasteful to the young; that the housing o: labourers was in many cases insufficient; and thai the desire for music-halls and other forms OJ entertainment drew the young from dull country places. Such were some of the reasons, but ht maintained that the true first cause of this emigra tion was purely economic—that the labourer lefi the land because the land could not pay sufficiem wage to keep him upon it, and that if it could paj him sufficient, he would soon get over his lono'inc for the music-halls, or his dislike of labour in th< fields, or even the insufficiency of house accommo dation in the neighbourhood. This could b( easily proved. If anyone wanted a groom, or < keeper, or under gardener, there was no lack 0 applicants for the post, because the work was com- paratively light, and the pay a few shillings a weei better. They might take it as a propositior beyond all reasonable doubt that the labourer was leaving the land because in the present depressor' state of the great agricultural industry in then part of England the cultivator of the land coulc not by any possibility manage to pay him a bettei wage and live himself. As this emigration was going on, and, if some way was not found to check it, was likely to go on, it might be worth while tc glance at its probable results. As regarded the land, it seemed to be that with- in the next twenty years or so a great deal of the poorer soil—the very heavy and the very light- would go out of cultivation, the grass area would be largely increased, while such lands as remained for arable would have to be cultivated by machinery directed by a few highly-paid mechanics. This in its turn would mean that small fields must be done away with, since steam ploughs, &c., could not be used in them to advantage. The next question was, what would be the effect upon the large towns towards which this migration flowed, and especially upon London ? He had from time to time been credited with some powers of imagi- nation, but he confessed that they failed him when he thought of England spotted over with huge cities, surrounded each of them by market gardens, and beyond by great stretches of what in Africa they would call Tjeld—that was, unim- proved or scarcely improved country, broken here and there by the mansions of rich colonial or city men encircled by their areas of sporting lands. Yet apalling and, in some ways, almost ludicrous as was the picture, it was. one "that human eyes might see unless the country folk ceased running to the towns and agriculture once more became a paying pursuit, or, rather, unless this last happened, since all these questions hinged upon the prosperity, or non-prosperity, of the agricul- tural interest. Behind these remained the largest question of all: What would be the effect upon the national health and physique, and, therefore, upon the national character, of the transplanting of the sturdiest classes of our inhabitants, the dwellers in the rural districts, from their wholesome countrv homes to the crowded courts of sweltering cities ? It was possible that the immediate effect had been ex- aggerated by some thinkers and writers, for the stamina of the race would hold out against the influence of surroundings for one generation, or perhaps for two. But, by way of example, look at the pure-bred Cockney—he meant the little fellow seen running in and out of offices in the City, and whose forefathers had for the last two generations dwelt within a two mile radius of Charing Cross—and then look at an average young labourer coming home from his day's' field work. He thought they would admit that the city bred one stamp of human beings and the country bred another. They might be a little sharper in the towns, but after all it was not mere sharpness that bad made Great Britain what she was. It was the thews and sinews of her sons which were the foun- dation of everything, and the even. healthy minds that dwelt in healthy bodies. Take the people away from their natural breeding and growing grounds, thereby sapping their health and strength in cities such as Nature never intended to be the permanent homes, of men, and the decay of this country became only a question of time. As rem- edies for a state of affairs which most people would be inclined to admit was not natural, and which might prove disastrous, in his opinion, what a speaker in that chamber a month or two ago very aptly called sugar-plum cpres" were no cures at all. though in certain instances they might be palliatives, and after all palliatives were not to be despised. Such things as better housing, more technical education, more rural holidays, such as flower shows and ploughing matches, more coffee- rooms and draughts, &c., would never suffice to keep the labourer on the land unless they were able to raise the labourer's wages. If they offered him a house with hot and cold water laid on throughout and lit with electric light, and took him to and from his work in a motor car, had a coffee stall erected upon every farm, and brought him to a lecture three times a week, it would not persuade him to accept 12s, or 13s. a week, when he knew or believed that by transferring himself and his family to two or three squalid rooms in the dingy courts of a great town he could earn 20s. or 25s. Wages and nothing but wages, to speak broadly, was at the bottom of this movement from the country to the towns. Another remedy that, in his opinion, was no remedy was the semi-socialistic legislation that was advocated by some — legislation of which the real, if not the ostensible, object was to better the position of the labouring classes out of the pockets of the owners and occupiers of land and the allied sections of society, as by forcing them to build houses that could not possibly be re- munerative, at their own cost, or to become re- sponsible for anything and everything that might happen to a man in their employ, however entirely it might be his own fault. Governments, it was probable, would like to solve the trouble in this fashion—namely, by spoliation of certain classes for the benefit of other classes—for the Govern- ment naturally attacked the weak—that was those who had few votes—and offered them up as a sacri- fice to those who had many votes, and from whom they hoped to win support. But although the agricultural interest, with its eight millions of people connected with it, was, be supposed, because of its suicidal divisions, its timidity, and its want of political organisation, absolutely the weakest in the kingdom, it had this protection—the protec- tion of its vtterpoverty so if money was wanted for more experiments in popular legislation, it would have to be got elsewhere. What was there that could help the land, and therefore, help the labourer ? He suggested one or two things, Very stringent measures which would make it impos- sible for the farmer to be defrauded by the sale as his produce of that which he never grew 'the equalisation of rates and taxation upon real and personal property, thereby lessening the burdens that now fall upon the land, and the making it im- possible in fact, as well as in name, for carriers to transport foreign- goods at cheaper rates than they granted to British, produce. What they had to. do was to call the attention of thoss in authority to a certain grave state of affairs, and ask them to deal with it.

MR. BIRRELL AND THE LATE MR. T. R ELLIS. Mr. Augustine Birrell,M.P., as- chairman of the Liberal Publication Department, has written, for the May number of "The Liberal Magazine" a few touching words of appreciation of the late-Mr. Thomas Ellis. They will be read, with melancholy pleasure by all who knew the Sfete Whip, and by masiy who, never having had; the pleasure of knowing him personally, must have been impr essed by the universal testimony to his worth sines his untimely death deprived the Liberal party 0f his services. Mr. Birrell writes:— Nowhere has the shadow of the death of Tom Elias fallen more heavily than, upon the Liberal Publication Department; and it is only fitting that his-name should be affectionately recorded in the Magazine" he nurtured. He was oar best support and our wisest inspiration. He helped us in every way it was possible foe a man to do. He was always iull of suggestions and friendly criticism. So, obvious was his- sincerity, so quick his intelligence, so cordial his manner that I often hIt I wouldi sooner be found fault with by Tom Ellis than pressed by anybody else. What delight- ful conclavesdlave we held discussing the: fortunes of the" Magazine," how inspiriting was his talk, how fascinating his eloquence! To my aolleague, Mr. Geake., whose work brought him into daily aontact with Mr. Ellis, the loss is overwhelmingly great.

i Corris and Aberllefenni. j AMBULANCE,—A class, of about 3.0 members, almost ajl of them engaged in the Aberllefenni Slab and Slate Quarries, by Captain Pryce, of Cyfronydd, has been iaeld at the Board School during the past few weeks. The desirability of some knowledge of the First Aid to the Injured is evident in the case of quarrymen, and Captain Pryce generously subscribed all the expenses necessary to establish and conduct the class. The class was instructed by Dr. Robert Jones (Dol- gelley) who has lately acted as assistant to Dr. J. T. Jones, Corris. The examination of the class was conducted by Dr. Hugh Jones, Caerffynon, Dolgelley, and we understand that he expressed his great satisfaction with the work done, especi- ally the practical part, which is of such importance to all connected with the quarries. PRIZES.—On 70 children attending the Aber- J llefenni Board School have been presented with a prize for regularity of attendance, progress and ) good conduct, during the school year now drawing } to its close. The prizes, value over £ 5, were ob- l tained from the proceeds of the school concert held J last March. The distribution was made by Mr. Ifor Jones, Clerk to the School Board, Mr. J. R. r Evans, the headmaster, and Mrs. Evans. j TEMPERANCE FESTIVAL.—On Wednesday even- j. ing, and all day Thursday—Ascension Day—the l annual temperance festival of Corns was held. „ Sermons and addrssses were given at the various [ chapels by Revs A. 0, Roberts, Treharris, E. 7 Evans, Lampeter, and J. R. Williams, Rhydbach, J Pwllheli, The meetings were presided over by Mr. t Morris Morris, Garneddwen. This festival has now reached its 63rd year, having been established on t the 12th August, 1836. It has a noble record and its influence in the district is great as is evident from the large proportion who are firm teetotalers. 3 At five o'clock a procession, headed by the Corris Brafs Band, paraded the village, and it is estimated 3 that over 400 joined. It is to be regretted that so 1 few adults turned out to march in the procession. We hope it was not due to apathy or indifference in the cause of Temperance. The meetings were well attended, and the addresses were all full of 1 vigourous, earnest, and conclusive proofs of the noble work done by Temperance, The Rev. Mr. ■ Evans, Lampeter, reviewed the present state of the Temperance cause, and the signs of progress— the multiplying of coffee-houses, the popular de- mand for legislation on the question, and the great change in the views entertained on the value of alcohol as a remedy, &c, Rev. J. R. Williams, in the afternoon meeting, addressed the children present, basing his remarks on the story of Johnny Bach, Bryn Heli." At the evening meet- ing. the Rev. G. 0. Roberts spoke eloquently on the relation between Temperance and Labour, and demonstrated clearly the great gain to the country, and especially to workmen, if the drink traffic was non-existent. Messrs. H. S. Roberts, C. M., and James Lewis (Iago Idris) conducted the singing, and Mr. John Lewis presided at the harmonium. A strong resolution was unanimously passed con- demning the Cardiff Eisteddfod Committee for introducing sale of liquors to the National Eistedd- fod Grounds. Mr. Robert Davies, Pantycelyn, the Secretary, desires great praise for his energetic work in connection with the Festival.

BRITHDIR. A CONCERT.—On Wednesday evening the renowned Perthyfelin Choir paid a visit to this district, and gave a miscellaneous concert. Mr. W. Cellon Williams, Caerynwch, presided. Glees, part-songs, &c., were rendered by the choir in their characteristic style, and were well appreciated. The blind penillion singer, Mr. David Roberts, who took the prize at the National Eisteddfod at Festiniog, and who will likely make a mark as a penillion singer, gave several choice bits on well-known Welsh airs. Songs and solos were also given by Messrs. LI. Owen Williams and R. Owen Thomas. Mr. John Roberts, Dolgelley, as usual gave great satisfaction as accom- panist. Mr. T. C. Davies, A.C., Dinas, also accom- panied with the violin. The schoolroom, where the concert was held, was crowded by an appreciative audience, who were well satisfied. ILLNESS.—We regret that Mr. S. J. Owen, son of Mr. David Owen, Brynbras, who has been headmaster of Croesor School, Penrhyndeudraeth, for many years, has been obliged to resign owing to ill-health. His services being so valuable the Board have refused to accept his resignation, and have given him four months' furlough, hoping when that is finished he will again be able to resume his duties. Mr. Owen has been very successful as a teacher, and the valuable gold watch he received a short time ago from the inhabitants of Croesor show that he is very popular there. We wish him a speedy recovery.

ARTHOG. PERSONAL.—The May number of "Cymru'r Plant" contains a good photo of Miss Catherine Rowlands, The Terrace, Arthog, who is a pupil at Barmouth County School. Ziox CHAPEL.—A few months ago the members of Zion Chapel decided to renovate their chapel. Plans were prepared, tenders invited and accepted, and the work was completed a few weeks ago. The expenses incurred amount to about £200. and on Saturday a committee was convened to consider the best way of clearing the debt. It was decided to endeavour to collect about £50 at present, and to pav the remainder by instalments. However, the sum of £50 was promised at the committee, and before the end of the following week the promises within a few pounds reached the sum of £100, and the committee arc very hopeful of being able to collect three times what they first intended. This speaks well of the small church at Zion. GOOD NEWS FOR AKTHOU.—We arc pleased to understand that Mr. Solomon Andrews, of Cardiff and Swansea, the gentleman who has done so much towards developing Pwllheli, intends doing a great deal towards the development of Arthog. At present he is erecting a reservoir at Tyddyrseffre for the supplv of water on his estate. Later, we under- standj he intends making a train road from Barmouth Bridge to Arthog with a great number of other improvements. He intends spending as much money on the development of Arthog as he lias already done on Pwllheli, which is enough guarantee that Arthog will soon be a well-known holiday resort.

The Sunday School Union. which is to be con- gratulated on having secured Mr. Alfred Spicer, M.P., as its president for next year, now embraces 13.203 schools. In these there are 189,976 teachers and 1,944,249 scholars, an increase on last year of 380 sohools, 2,391 teachers, and 18,986 scholars.

WORLD IN A WEEK. The Empress of Russia has caused an inquiry to be made into the extent of the famine in the stricken provinces, aud has given 50,000 roubles from her privy purse for the benefit of the sufferers. Thousands of hungry Filipinos are swarming into General Lawton's lines, and are being fed with the stores of rice captured at Balinag. General Lawton has established at Balinag the first native municipal government in the Phillip- pines. A Filipino is appointed mayor, with a council to be elected by the natives on Monday. Telegrams from Pretoria and Johannesburg rep- resenting an improvement in the political situation in the Transvaal are published. A disquieting report has reached Aden from Sana as to the situation in Yemen, which is described as worse than at the outbreak of the revolution. Abdullah Pasha, the Turkish commander, had been repulsed, and had lost a large number of men from various causes. News comes from Bonny of fighting in the Benin hinterland, in which Lieutenant Uniacke, of the 19th Hussars, has, according to rumour, been killed. The "Bull of the Holy Year," proclaiming the universal jubilee," which takes place every twenty- five years, was promulgated in the vestibule of the Vatican Basilica on Friday. At the annual general meeting of the Llandudno Victoria Pier Company, Limited, a contract with Messrs. Heenaa. and Froude was approved and sealed for the construction of a pier at Llandudno, at a cost of £OOOOO. The pier will be 40 feet wide, and will be carried seawards from the centre of the bay, a distance of 350 yards. Mr. Charles E. Mallet, the Liberal candidate for the West Salford division, addressed a public meeting at the- Town Hall, Pendleton, last week. Mr. Mallet dealt at length with the temperance question, old-age pensions, and Sialf-time child labour. A number of Socialists being present, the- candidate pointed out that there were many subjects in regard to which Liberals- and Socialists could work together, and even if they differed as to some of their final schemes, to quarrel with each other was notking less than suicidal. A resolution. endorsing Mr. Mallet's views was enthusiastically adopted. The Councils meetings of the Women's Liberal' Federation was continued in London.1 yesterday. The Rev. John Williams (Brynsiencyn), the celebrated Welsh preacher, was married on Wed- nesday, in Anglesey, amid scenes of great rejoicing.. The bride was Miss Edith Mary Hughes, youngest daughter of Mr. David Hughes, of Cemaes and Liverpool, ami ex-high sheriff of Anglesey. A meeting; of Lancashire and Cheshire master builders, heiil at Manchester on Thursday, decided on a general" lockout of 25 per cent..of the unionists in the build&g trade, the object being to bring the plasterers' strike to a crisis. A great conflagration raged at the small market town of Guxa Humora in Birkowina, which has been in flames since noon on Thursday. Up to the present 200: buildings, including a. church, public offices, ancB schools, have been destroyed. A storm prevails, aid, driven by the wind, the flames have set fire to the forest. It is now said that the Mahdl's body was not entirely destroyed when Omdurman was taken. The skull,, which was sent to Gordon's nephew, still exists, and it is believed to be sow in the Cairo Cathedral. Two hundred and sixty desrrishes, with many women and children, from the Khalifa's camp have surrendered to the gun-boats Mi the White Nile. Lord Lovat and party have arrived fifty miles from the Egyptian outpost Famaka. Here they were stopped. The Sirdar has sent a message to the Abyssinian authorities to allow them to pass to Egypt. Mr. Hughes, Sir William' Harcourt's agent in West Monmouth, received an intimation from the hon. member on Friday morning that he would address a meeting at Nantyglo on May 30th. The Paris papers say that ten men of the Re- publican Guard and four gendarmes, who sailed on Tuesday last from St. Nazaire on board the Lafeyette,are to form the escort which is to bring Dreyfus back to France, and that Dreyfus may be expected to arrive in France about the end of June. The mining town of Hondo, in Mexico, has been visited by a tornado, which has caused much damage. Nine people were killed and many injured. Eleven others are missing Moses Williams, the oldest guide to Snowdon, died on Friday, aged 88, at Hen Dai, Waenfawr. For fifty years he acted as guide to Snowdon, and probably climbed the mountain more often than anyone else. For twenty-eight years he kept the Half-way House in the Llanberis Pass, and he was very popular amongst the tourists. A remarkable and disastrous explosion occurred on Friday morning at Kurtz's chemical works, St. Helens, Lancashire, It was feared at first that there must have been a terrible loss of life, but investigation showed that only four persons were killed, while the number of injured was also com- paratively small. The explosion was at the chlorate house of the extensive works of Messrs Kurtz. It was preceded and doubtless caused by a fire, for within in a minute of the first outbreak of flames the building blew up, scattering ruins for hundreds of yards around. In the town itself the effect was tremendous, the concussion smash- ing all the window panes in thousands of buildings. The Kurtz works were naturally the severest sufferers, all the sheds being hurled from their foundations and wrecked, while at the adjoining chemical works of Hardshaw Bros. all the vitrol chambers were levelled Lo the ground, and the valuable liquor wasted. A large gasometer at the corporation gasworks was broken at the top by the force of the explosion, and a quarter of a million feet of gas escaped, filling the neighbourhood with noxious fumes. ( Widespread consternation pre- vailed in the town, for the shop fronts of many buildings were smashed and the contents of the shops, together with the broken glass, strewed the principal streets. Owing to the intense sufferings and heavy losses of the Nebraska Regiment in the Philippines the men have petitioned to be withdrawn. Lord Salisbury received last week two deputa- tions, representing fishing interests. The first wished to impress on him the necessity of sending one or more gunboats to Icelandic waters for the protection of British trawlers there. In reply the Premier said that to seize vessels outside the three- mile limit was not, he believed, sanctioned by the law of nations. Reports from various large centres indicate that the employers in the building trade intend to go forward with the movement for the lock-out of their trade union workmen. Representatives of the trade unions held a conference on the question in Manchester on Monday. Serious anti-Jewish riots occurred at Nicolaieff during Easter week. The principal sufferers were the poorer Jews. In the quarter inhabited by them great destruction to property was done by the mob. The windows of their houses were broken, and their furniture smashed, and the refreshment kiosks in the streets were destroyed. The police were compelled to have recourse to the assistance of the troops to quell the riots. The police stations and the prisons were crowded with people who had been arrested. The judicial authorities from Kher- son will proceed to Nicolaieff to open an inquiry. The Russian Government has decided to prohibit 1 the stay of Jews in St. Petersburg. 1 The Archbishops' inquiry in the ritual appeal, as far as the ceremonial use of increase is concerned, was concluded on Saturday. The Primate stated that they wodld take time to consider the matters which had been placed before them, but their j decision would not be long delayed. A Pretoria telegram says that the political situa- 1 tion has improved owing to the announcement that President Kruger and the High Commissioner 1 will meet at Bloemfontein. The meeting, how- ever will not take place before the end of the month, as the points to form the basis of discussion are to be decided beforehand. A collision between two American passenger trains occurred on the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad on Friday at Exeter, six miles from Reading. An express which was behind time had stopped at Exeter for orders, and was still standing in the station when an excursion train which was following it crashed into its rear at full speed. Three of the cars were telescoped. The latest telegrams state that 34 dead bodies have been brought there from Exeter, of which fourteen have been indentified. The prevalent heat and the nature of the country are causing considerable losses among the United States troops, and all the hospitals are filled with 1 sick and wounded Americans. Four hundred men > of the Cincinnati Regiment have been arrested for r- acts of insubordination. Other despatches from a J Filipino source severely cencure the American and ] British Press for systematically concealing the J truth as to the situation in the Philippines. ( c

1 ( United States Wheat Crop. t ( ] A return made by the Department of Agriculture I shows that the area of the wheat-growing land on ] May 1 was 25,000,000 acres, which is 4,000,000 c acres less than estimated. Its quality is inferior t to last year's crop by ten points. t

ROUND THE CHURCHES. [NOTE.—We have pleasure in stating that a short article will appear here weekly from the pen of Philip Sidney. It will, as a rule, deal with some topic of local interest other than the purely theological and political. Communications for the writer's consideration may be sent to him. c/o Editor, "Welsh Gazette."] II.—PORTLAND-STREET CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. This congregation has been described, and not inaptly, as The English offshoot" of the original Welsh Independent Society, now worshiping in Baker-street, whence it migrated a few years ago from the large meeting-house—still occasionally used—in Vulcan-street. According to the inscrip- tion on the front of this building it was erected in the year 1823. The church, however, was formed in 1819—this being the date given in 1836, when the interesting register of births and baptisms— containing entries from the year 1805—was de- posited in London with the Registrar General, by the Rev. John Saunders. A few families, feeling the necessity of wor- shiping in the English tongue, amicably withdrew from their Welsh-speaking brethren in Vulcan- street (by the way, called SionJChapel in 1836), and formed a church, which, after holding its services for a time in the Assembly Room and Town Hall, erected the present Gothic church in Portland- street, which was opened for divine worship in July, 1866. The first minister was the Rev. Arthur Griffiths, B.A., B.Sc., whose short, but brilliant pastorate is still remembered in the town. His successor was the Rev. Thomas Arthur Penry, the present popular, liberal-minded, and justly esteemed minister, who, a few months ago, completed the twenty-fith year of office as such with this congre- gation. The buildings are all that can be desired—the spacious church, witn organ-loft, and vestry, schoolrooms, and minister's house, occupy a central position in the town, and open out on two streets. The congregations, as a rule, are such as to gladden the heart of any minister, both for their numbers and their intelligence. One striking characteristic, especially in term time for the morning service, being the large percentage of young men amongst the worshipers. To many generations of students Mr. Penry is well known and remembered. Judging from his practice, he is a believer in the 40 minutes' sermon,, and that, too, not infrequently without a leaning to mercy. His words come as those of the tried,, practical minister, and are spoken, straight from his heart to those of his fellow-worshippers. In listening to him one feels that it is a man speaking to you, who has put his creed into his deed, and has not let twenty-five years pass away without having tried to make the town a better town for' his being in it. The Congregational Hymn Book is used, a truly catholic collection organised from many com- posers. A striking feature in this widely-used collection is the number of fine hymns by Uni- tarian writers, In common with Hymns Ancient and Modern, and welt-nigh all other collections of any merit, it includes Nearer my God to Thee," given to the world by the well known Unitarian writer, Sarah Flower Adams. There, too, is found Come kingdom of our God," by John Johns, first minister to the poor, in Liverpool, who died a martyr's death in June, 1847. The previous winter had been a time of terrible distress, owing to the great influx to Liverpool of fugitives from the Irish famine. During those trying months Johns' relaxed none of his faithful efforts for the people's good. When the inevitable fatal fever broke out in his frightfully over-crowded district, he did not shrink from his duty. He and a Roman Catholic priest one day compassionately tended the body of a man who had died of the fever, and whom no one else would touch. That act of pity cost them their lives. Eight Catholic priests in all were among the victims of the fever." In more ways than one is the blood of the martyrs the seed of the Church. Then, too, Sir John Bowring finds a place in the hymnal with his glorious lines, In the cross of Christ I glory," and so one could go on. The unique financial.position now enjoyed by this church, owing to the large legacy recently bequeathed to it, and to the further addition to it, as residuary legatees, of the sum of £1,500, rightly and justly declined being received by the University College of Wales, owing to the restric- tive clause anent Unitarians and Roman Catholics, places it at once as amongst the wealthiest Con- gregational Churches in Great Britain. The cir- cumstances of this legacy having lately occupied much attention in the public press naturally cause some speculations as to the channels through which the yearly income will run. Is this dead hand to paralyse the living church 1 Will the j members now fold their arms and say, We have no need to care, all is done for us" ? Not, if I j know their feelings aright, will such be the case. Just think of what they can achieve for the promotion here and now of the Kingdom of God. First, they will say to their pastor, You have been with us and borne with us in the day of small things, now let us see that with our altered circumstances yours too shall be easier." Then let them look round upon all their sister churches in I Cardiganshire, none are too well off with this world's goods. They will gladden the hearts of their ministers and their wives, by seeing that some help is forthcoming to aid in the educating of their children, either in higher grade schools or at Mansfield or Girton. Then they will make it a I sine qua non," that once at least in every term I time, there shall be heard from Portland-street pulpit the voice of some leader from amongst the Nonconforming ministry, that next session e. g. Fairbairn, of Mansfield, Jowett, of Carr's Lane, and Dr. McKennall shall have one Sunday, with a special afternoon sermon to students; that there shall, in fact, be no excuse now for not bringing to this University centre the very best that Noncon- formity can offer. Let us go one step further, though, perchance, with fear and trembling What is there to prevent the congregation now saying to Dr. Stopford Brooke, You have sacrificed much for your honesty, honour us by using our pulpit and our church for a week night service; your books are read and your fame is known here to our professors and students let us hear your living voice, even though we agree not absolutely with your tenets." Or to Dr. Brooke Herford let them say "Our pulpit is at your disposal for any week evening; your nephew has been one of our most valued townsmen for years, and even the North could not tempt him to leave his professor's chair by the sea." Or to John Page Hopps, of Our Father's Church, or to Dr. Drummond, the principal of Manchester College, Oxford, let them say, If you have a word to give, and want a place to give it in, then in God's name, accept our offer, for our Trinitarianism will be none the less sweet to us on the following Sunday if you do." Or, again, could they not say to Frances Power Cobbe, You are amongst the first of English women to-day, leave your Dolgelley home for one night and come, give a word of cheer to your sisters in our college, if you will but come, we will invite all residents at the Hostel to meet you at tea." Or yet, again, what better course for using a small portion of the income could be adopted than by giving sets of works by Congregational writers to poorer ministers and to the Aberystwith Free Library I Fancy the joy to many young readers (and old Jnes too for the matter of that) if the Librarian could lend them a complete new set of Silas K. Hocking's renowned books. But why pursue this further ? A thousand ways are now open to Portland-street people to make their power felt mightily in the town; and one knows well enough that in due time minister and people will render a good account of their stewardship. It is theirs now to carry out, Dr. Martineau's advice when he said, Crowd the pavement of the Church with the aged and the young, make it the favourite storehouse of earnest vows and loving sacrifice, train its echoes to sweet and holy hymns that shall blend soul with soul, and carry all to God, and, thus sanctified, let it stand by night and day a silent witness to the world invisible and heavenly things." PHILIP SIDNEY.

Aberavon School Board. A Bill to confirm a fProvinsional Order of the Education Department, authorising the School Board of Aberavon to compulsorily purchase land school purposes, came before the Examiners of he House of Commons on Friday, and was certified 'or second reading. The House of Lords have ilready passed the Bill.

The Welsh University Court. A meeting of the Welsh University Court was lelrl at Shrewsbury last Eriday. The deputy senior Chancellor (Dr. Isambard Owen) presided, rhe attendance included Mr. Humphreys-Owen, M.P., Colonel Price-Jones, M.P., the Hon. George Kenyon. Principal Viriamu Jones, Principal Reichel, Ur. Ivor James (registrar), and Mr. Owen Owen chief inspector of intermediatejschocls). The leputy senior Chancellor proposed that the section )f the charter dealing with matriculation should Je amended so that the charter should recognise he examination of the Welsh Central Board as jquivalcnt to the matriculation examination. The Son. George Kenyon seconded, and it was carried. vlr. Humphreys-Owen, as the Chairman or Central Board, expressed the gratitude of that body for the loncession, and said the Board would do its utmost I o make the examination worthy of entrance to | lie University.

Business Notices. TAILORING ESTABLISHMENT, 13, pIER STREET, ABERYSTWYTH. DAVID JAMES. Suitings, Coatings. Trouserings, &c., in the best fashion and at reasonable prices. Cricketing and Boating Suits made to order on the Shortest Notice. FOR WELSH WOOLLEN GOODS GO TO [ ROWLAND MORGAN, LONDON HOUSE, ABERYSTWYTH. WM. THOMAS, COAL AND LIME MERCHANT, ABERYSTWYTH. BRICKS, SLATES & PIPES of every description always in Stock. DAVID MORGAN, DRAPERY AND MILLINERY ESTABLISHMENT, 18, JJIER STREET, A BERYSTWYTH, DAVID EVANS, WATCHMAKER, JEWELLER & OPTICIAN, 39 GREAT J^arksate ABERYSTWYTH, (Opposite the Lion Royal Hotel,) Invites your attention to his Choice Stock of JEWELLERY, Comprising all the Latest Designs and mast Fashion- able Patterns in GOLD, SILVER, PEBBLES & JET SILVER PLATE SUITABLE FOR PRESENTATIONS. GOLD AND SILVER "TATCHES IN GREAT VARIETY., II. II. DAVIES, PHOTOGRAPHER, PIE 11 STREET, (Removed one door above.) ABERYSTWYTH. HH. D., having removed to larger premises, • begs to inform the public generally that he is now enabled, with the be tor facilities at his disposal, to execute all orders p omptly. In thanking his numerous patronisers for their kind support in the past, he trusts that his care and attention will merit a continuance of the same. MRS. M. E. DAVIES, CONFECTIONER. jp IER ^TEEET, B E R Y S T W Y T II HAVING given up the Confectionery business, JLJ)L begs to thank her numerous customers for their past support and to state that she will still retain her DINING ROOMS which she trusts will continue to receive a share of public patronage. I. AND G. LLOYD, COACHBUILDERS, ALFRED PLACE, ABERYSTWYTH Carriages made to order on the shortest notice. Experienced Men kept for all Branches. CARRIAGES FOR SALE. "SUMMER FASHIONS. C. M. WILLIAMS BEGS respectfully to announce that he is now- JD showing a good selection of NEW GOODS. SUITABLE FOR THE PRESENT SEASON. NEW HATS AND BONNETS. NEW MILLINERY. FEATHRRS AND FLOWERS. RIBBONS AND LACES. NEW DRESS MATERIALS. NEW GOWNS AND SILK SCARFS. NEW SILK UMBRELLAS, &c. NOTED HOUSE FOR STYLISH HATS AND BONNETS. SPECIAL ATTENTION PAID TO MOURNING ORDERS. GENTS' NEWEST SHPES IN HATS AND CAPS, TIES, SCARFS COLLARS, CCFIS, &C. Inspection respectfully invited. C. M. WILLIAMS, ^UiNERAL J^R APERY J^STABLISHMENT, 10, PIER STREET, ABERYSTWYTH. printing. OF EVERY DESCRIPTION QUICKLY AND NEATLY JQONE AT THE "ttidsb Gazette" PRINTERIES t) RIDGE ST. & ^CRAY'S IN ABERYSTWYTH. 0HAHGES JyrODEEATE ESTIMATES FREE JgtfGLISH AND WELSH WORK BY RELIABLE AND COMPETENT MEN. TRANSLATIONS ON EASY TERMS. .«..1 GWNEIR POll MATH o A ff Argraffwaith YN DDESTLUS A BUAN YN SWYDDFAll "Ulclsb Gaztt" JJEOL Y BONT A INX RD. A BERYSTWYTH. AM BRISIATJ RHESYMOL. CYFIEITHIR JQ^LAWYSGRIFAU ^YMREIG- A S EISIG AR DELERAU RHAD. EYERY KIND OF ARTISTIC AlfJ) COMMERCIAL PrintinQ QUICKLY AND NEATLY DONE AT THE 'UUeisD Gazette" PRINTERIES, BRIDGE STREET (TOP OF GRAY'S Ixx ROAD), ABERYSTWYTH.