Welsh Gazette and West Wales Advertiser

r GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY. A C a.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. P.m. ABERYSTWYTH Dept. 8 25 12 30 115 1 15 6 25 WREXHAM Air. 1 42 5 28 5 43 6 47 10 26 CHESTER- 71 IB30 5 55 6 8 7 10 10 53 LIVERPOOL (Landing Stage) 2B40 7 0 7 20 8 0 12 15 MANCHESTER (Exchange) „ 3B 2 8 10 8 10 8 37 t)" WOLVERHAMPTON 2 13 6 0 BIRMINGHAM 2 38 Wednes- 6 27 LONDON (Paddington)- 5 20 days only 10 50 A.—THROUGH CARRIAGE for Wolverhampton, Birmingham, and London by this Train, and Passengers are allowed one hour at Shrewsbury for Lunch. B.-VL,t Shrewsbury. C.-Via Dolgelley. Passengers wishing to travel by this Train should ask for Tickets via Dolgelley when booking. PASSENGERS ARE REQUESTED TO ASK FOR TICKETS BY THE GREAT WESTERN ROUTE. Every Information respecting Great Western Train Service can be obtained of Mr. J. ROBERTS, 15, Terrace Road, Aberystwyth, or of Air. G. GRANT, Divisional Superintendent, G.W.R., Chester. PADDINGTON STATION. J. L. WILKINSON, General Manager.

HIS; SELLING OFF! SELLING OFF! 35; I DANIEL THOMAS' ANNUAL CLEARANCE SALE (the 22nd) OF GENERAL DRAPERY GOODS AND READY-MADE CLOTHING OF EVERY DESCRIPTION Will Commence March 2nd and Continue to the 19th inclusive. GREAT BARGAINS WILL BE OFFERED IN EVERY DEPARTMENT. NOTE THE ADDRESS :— 22, 24, LITTLE DARKGATE STREET, Aberystwyth T— CELEBRATED 'CYMRO' RAZORS Made of the finest warranted quality Steel, POST FREE, 3s. 6d. EACH. SOLD ONLY BY M. H. DAVIS1& SONS, HARDWARE MERCHANTS, ABERYSTWYTH. NOTICE TO CORRESPONDENTS. i f FARMER.—Mr. Morgan Richardson's address, [ which was published in full in our last 1 week's issue, is being reprinted by the Agricultural Association of the University I College. Applications for copies should I be made to Professor Murray, Aberyst- wyth. 1

SANITATION FOR THE PEOPLE. [BY DR. WALKER.] III.—METHOD. AT the Sanitary Conference held in October of last year at Southampton, the. President, Sir W. H. PREECE, at the beginning of his excellent address, drew attention to the fact that modern sanitation was reverting to the laws of Moses, which most of us believe to hav& been divinely inspired. The- aim of all these- complicated rules was to secure pure air, water, food, soil, dwellings and bodies. He also instanced the habits of carnivora to show that even lower animals had a rudimentary idea of sanitation. Still, until the present century, we had but a very crude and imperfect conception of the means of preventing disease. The main idea was that an evil smell was the danger, and the aim was to remove the bad odour.. Disinfectants were really only deodorants,, and very often simply substituted one offensive odour for another. It was like offering incense to appease the wrath of an offended deity, and was equally absurd and ineffective. All this blundering was due to ignorance of the true source of danger, which, thanks to science is rapidly passing, away. In place of ignorance of the cause,, other feelings possess the mind of the sanitarian— astonishment at the mistakes of the past, and awe at the magnitude of the task before him. The enemy is discovered, as we have seen, to be almost invisible and working in secret. Like the modern rifle it inflicts a wound without sound or smoke to indicate the source of the bullet, unless at very close quarters. The foe is mobile, resourceful, and ubiquitous. Not even lyddite, with its destructive expansion, and its poisonous fumes, is more deadly than cholera, small- pox, or influenza. Yet against this mighty enemy we have been bringing our puny pop-guns like the stifling fumes of incense, and leaving our homes and our health at the mercy of the foe. In our extremity, for it is nothing short of that, we are wise if we fall back on nature for the means of defence. As a fact we have been doing so un-. consciously and necessarily all the time But for natural means of protection we would all have been victims to our own mistakes. In the past disease was believed to be the work of supernatural agency. Homer puts into- the mouths of the gods, when the Greek army at the Siege of Troy y 0 was decimated by a pestilence, which they ascribed to the arrows of Apollo— Lo I how men blame the God's! From us they say spring troubles, But through their own perversity, More than is their due, they meet with sorrow," In the dark ages the devil sent every disease. Later on the 'huinours' of the body became a sort of fetish to the medical faculty the liver and spleen became presiding deities. We must have done with superstition in science a.nd religion alike. It is an insult to reason and manhood. To the student of nature a rich and heaven-sent reward will be given. To the proud nature is a sealed book, to the humble an all but infallible guide. What does nature teach of sanitation ? (1) That sunlight is our greatest friend, and the foe of all foul and corrupt things. Some of the most dangerous bacteria die quickly in sunlight. But for this, consumption would be ten times the scourge it is, for the tuberucle bacillus cannot live in light. (2) That the air possesses a powerful destroyer of many bacteria, in oxygen. Upon this gas we and all living creatures depend for existence. The due proportion-one-fifth-must be present in the atmostphere to maintain our healthy Abundance of sunlight and pure air is the basis of sanitation, our first and strongest line of defence against disease. The move- ment of air, which we call wind, and which is due to variations of temperature, is a powerful means of removing injurious gases. The chemical law of diffusion of gases operates also to dissipate offensive odours. One product of atmostpheric disturbance —electricity—forms a very active disinfec- tant, ozone, which is often perceptible to the sense of smell after a storm. (3) That rain, which is not always popular I fear, is the means of cleansing the air of its floating bacteria, and then after finding its way through the ground, provides us with a pure water sup- ply. (t That the earth, which has also in virtue of the air it contains a proportion of oxygen, is a very efficient filter for the rain water. This action is assisted by light, which permits bacteria living in presence of light and air to destroy noxious matters, and convert them into nitrogen, which is the food of plants. (5) That rivers carry off vast quantities of offensive matters to the sea, and slowly purify them on the way. (6) That the sea is nature's great reservoir, in which poison cannot live. A few miles from land both the sea and the air above it are germ-free. (7) That the human body has a resistant power against disease. This power is greater or less according to heredit- ary or acquired predisposition, and the con- ditions of life. The doctrine of heredity'of disease is gradually being modified, and predisposition taking its place. How im- portant then becomes the environment in which we are placed A chain of glands exists, especially near vulnerable points,"to filter and destroy bacteria, which are en- deavouring to invade us. The gastric juice is poisonous to most bacteria which have been swallowed. A product of our tissues which has been called alexin," is active as an antiseptic when in good health, and the invasion is not too severe. But one of the most wonderful of Nature's defences is the wandering cell, which is called a phagocyte." It is able, by change of shape and power of movement, to travel in the blood, and through the tissues. When bac- teria enter the body, the phagocytes promptly assemble, surround, and devour the enemy. The reason why individuals, races, sexes, and ages differ in susceptibility is probably due to the conditions of life, and the relative strength or weakness of constitution. But the question is too wide for discussion in this brief article. One practical observation is not out of place, however, viz., that any- thing which depresses the health, whether physical as illness, or mental as fear, weakens this power of resistance, which I might call the last and critical line of defence against disease.

THE MINING INDUSTRY. Signs are not wanting of a welcome revival in the mining industry of central Wales. Many of the lead mines of North Cardiganshire are being re-started, and operations are already being successfully carried on by foreign capitalists at Fron- goch. To work the mines with anything like profit many of the old methods have been abandoned, more improved plant has been laid down and foreign labour has been introduced. Last Friday the first. contingent of Italian miners arrived at Frongoch, where- a building has been specially erected to accommodate about eighty of them. We find from the newly- printed report of her Majesty's Inspector of Mines that the total number of persons employed in the industry in Cardiganshire last year was 632. Of this number, 304 worked above ground, and 328 below ground. The total output of lead ore was 598 tons, and of zinc ore 1,819 tons. There is every reason to believe that the present year will witness a considerable increase in these figures, and it is to be hoped that the industry will not be thwarted by any extravagant demands, and that every assistance and encouragement will be given to re-open the other mines that can be worked with a fair prospect of success. The gold mining industry of Merioneth has also received a new impetus. The Clogau mine has been bought and is being worked by a new company. Last year the output of gold ore in Merionethshire was 3,047 tons. The Government returns for 1898 show that 15 tons of gold ore was obtained at the Arenig mines, Cwmprysor 354 tons at Carndochan 14:1 tons at Cefn 4 Coch, Dolgelley; 320 tons at Clogau, Bontddu and ton at Trawsfynydd. The 320 tons of ore at Clogau, however, yielded 241 ounces of goJd valued at £885, as against 83 ounces valued at £ 71 from the Carndochan mines. The output has been much larger in previous years, and there is said to be every prospect that the present yield could be considerably increased by judicious working and careful management. We are not aware that the resources of the Merioneth mines have materially increased or lessened during the past few years. But there has been quite a cataclysmal change in the tone and attitude of the Aberystwyth critic. Why this change ? Has he learnt by this time that reckless criticism is as bad as unscrupulous booming ?

NOTES AND COMMENTS. The manoeuvres to be held in the early summer on Salisbury Plain will be on an imposing scale. Something like 54,000 men —Volunteers and Militia-will be included, and it may be necessary to establish as many as five camps. In a flattering comment on the recent speech of Mr. Vaughan Davies, M.P., at the Aberystwyth railway men's dinner, the Railway Review urges all non-union men to give due consideration to Mr. Davies' weighty utterance on the necessity and value of combination. The joint work of Mr. Brynmor Jones, M.P., and Professor Rhys, of Jesus College, on The Welsh People will see the light in a few days. The authors deal especially with the question of the origin and early history of the Welsh people as an organised community. Lord Roberts expressed his great satisfaction at the Welsh Regiment's brilliant work. A war correspondent states that the storming of the Alexander Kopje by the Welsh Regiment was the finest piece of work he has seen. The Welshmen showed marvellous skill in securing every particle of cover while advancing. Tiiey were supported by a heavy artillery fire, and were almost invisible except when they were actually moving. Finally the order was given to fix bayonets, and with a great dash the top of the hill was cleared. The enemy did not i wait for the final charge, but barely escaped j under a heavy fire, I All who want to know how to grow peas I successfully should read Mr. Pickards 1; interesting and seasonable notes,, which will j be found in another column. I 1tiachynlleth seems to be already reaping the benefit of its recent improvements. The ] Medical Officer's reports presented at the 1 last meeting of the Urban District Council i was most encouraging, and showed a marked 1 dimination in the death rate. But the 1 authority should not rest on its oars, and 1 the ratepayers should remember tha4; there j is no finality in progress. < —————— ] The Morning Leader says that a dark suspicion is beginning to cloud the trade < to the effect that the extra Is. per barrel on beer is likely to be a permanent impost, and not of a temporary character, as in the case of the extra sixpence a gallon on spirits and the rest of the indirect taxation proposed in the Budget. The hon. member who, will question the Chancellor of the Exchequer on this point is named Phillpotts. After six months of fighting and blood- shed the Presidents of the South African Republics and the Prime Minister have interchanged ideas. Lord Salisbury has re- jected the proposals of the Presidents. The British Gohernment are not prepared to ,i assent to the independence" of either Re- public. War is declared over again,, and in a fresh sense. Both sides now know ex- actly where they are. The prospectus of the new Government loan has been issued. It is designated the National War Loan. The amount is, as expected, X30,000,000 the interest is at the rate of 2 per cent., and the issue price is 98. Subscriptions will ba received at the Bank of England, but may be forwarded either directly or through the medium of any bank or stockbroker in the United Kingdom. The list will be closed on or before to-day, Thursday, the 15th inst. The instalments are spread over a long period. The extent of the famine in India is truly alarming, and the terrible sufferings of many millions of our fellow-subjects in that unfortunate country is simply appalling. The number of persons on the relief works, which have been opened to reduce the distress, is increasing everywhere in the famine-stricken districts. In response to an appeal from the Lord Mayor of London, Alderman C. M. Williams (the Mayor) has undertaken to receive subscriptions in the borough. All contributions will be readily acknowledged in our columns. At a meeting of the Merioneth Liberal Association last Tliurday, it was agreed to defer the consideration of the resignation of Mr O. M. Edwards until the annual meet- ing in September. A certain busybody at Aberystwyth did his utmost last spring to work the press in favour of someone other than Mr O. M. Edwards. But he was baulked—completely baulked. It is a pretty story and we will give it some day to the electors of Merioneth. It is much safer you know to try and wire pull than through your own. Here is a new remedy for an old trouble The Russian Ministers of State have recently been endeavouring to Snd a means of preventing a repetition of the disturbances among university students, which have of recent years caused the Government such continual trouble. They have now evolved a. regulation, which has received the assent of the Tsar, ordering that in future any students who instigate or by participation encourage disturbances inside or outside the universities, will be forced to serve in the army for one to three years as common soldiers. The Barmouth Urban District Council and the Dolgelley Rural District Council are at loggerheads over the method lately in vogue of disposing of the Barmouth refuse. The Barmouth Council seems to resent with righteous indignation the complaints made by the rural authority that the refuse of their :town is carried away in uncovered carts. It appears that the nuisance com- plained of has now been abated, but the reputation of the Urban and the honour of the Rural Council seems to keep the feelings of both authorities smouldering. Messrs. C. Williams, Cadwaladr Roberts, Meyrick Roberts, and other members of the Rural Council have treated the question fairly, and Barmouth will no doubt be better in the long run for the firm but gentlemanly attitude they have maintained. At a meeting of the Beckenham School Board, the Management Committee pre- sented a recommendation that one of their medical officers should be asked to draft a circular for distribution among the parents explaining the injury caused to children by cigarette smoking. The Chairman said the recommendation was the result of the growing practice of quite small boys attend- ing their schools of smoking cigarettes. However fond the members of the board might be ef cigarettes themselves, they knew they were extremely injurious to small boys. The Rev. R. Stewart Fleming bhought they ought to ask the teachers to bring the subject very specially under the aotice of the scholars. The recommendation was adopted. Mr. Passmore Edwards has sent to the press the following copy of a letter he has addressed to the editor of a Sunday school paper: "Sir, Somebody, no doubt from a kind motive, has been sending me from your office since the commencement of the present year the Sunday-school Chronicle." Please discontinue it, as I see you sanction the present war in South Africa. This war, mainly inspired and promoted in the first place by a gang of rich financial speculators, is to my mind in inception and in execution criminal and cowardly, and there is no room in my house for a paper, professedly Christian, that vindicates or sustains in any way such a hugh bloody business, and which I regret to say gets many more smiles than frowns from Christian churches. On the other hand, I may say that I do not know a single agnostic, or sceptic, or humanitarian but he condemns the war.—Yours, &c., J. PASSMORE EDWARDS." The release of Mr. William Simmons, watchmaker, who was imprisoned for three days for refusing to have his child vaccinated, was made the occasion of a great popular demonstration at Eastbourne on Saturday night, and forcibly recalls the tithe war in Cardiganshire. On arriving from Lewes, Mr. Simmons was welcomed bv a crowd consisting of many thousands. He took a sent in a waggonette with a number of the leading local anti-vaccinationists. A brass band headed the procession, which went through the principal thoroughfares. Three t) meetings were held, and addresses were given. Alderman Wen ham announced that whei ever the goods of an anti-vaccinationist were seized a bugler would ride round the town to summon the people to the sale. Another speaker, a Mr. Martin, publicly burned the Vaccination Acts on the sea front, after which he exclaimed, So may all infamous Acts of Parliament perish L A Local Government Board Inquiry was ield at Aberdovey on Tuesday, and at Aber- ystwyth on Wednesday. Reports of both vill be found elsewhere. The Code of Regulations for Public Elementary Day Schools in England and Wales for 1900-1 is said to contain an mportant new principle involving a striking iew departure. This is nothing less than jhe substitution of a simple block grant," jhat is a capitation payment per child in iverage attendance at school, in place of the complicated cumulative and variable grants liitherto in vogue. Hitherto the grants to schools have been built up in sections, and 3ach section at a variable price—so much for the "three R's," so much added for geography, so much more added for English grammar, singing, drawing, algebra, and so forth, and so much for discipline and organisation. Each of these items might vary between a maximum and a minimum, and the effect of all this has been to reward a school according to the number of subjects taken and the thoroughness of the teaching. For school years beginning after the 31st of March, 1900, there is now to be paid a block grant of 17s. or 16s. per head for infant children, and 22s. per head for children in schools for older scholars that is, schools for boys, girls, or boys and girls not being infants. School managers and teachers will now be free to arrange a school programme according to their ideas of what the pro- gramme for a school in their respective localities and circumstances ought to be. They will present this programme to the Government inspector, and if he approves and later on finds the school to be efficiently taught, the grant at one of the rates men- < tioned above will be paid, irrespective of the actual length of or number of subjects in the programme. A gentleman who takes an interest in the breeding of shorthorns, and was so pleased with our report of Mr. Morgan Richardson's paper at the College last week, sends us the following list of extraordinary prices given for animals of this breed at the great spring. sale at Bingley Hall, Birmingham, which took place last week. Several animals were purchased for this county, a few going to the Lampeter Bull Club, while lr. F. R. Roberts, of Penywern, bought a very pro- mising animal, and they were greatly ad- mired at Aberystwyth station on Friday last by:a few enthusiasts. The Principality was well represented in the prize lists by the Earl of Powis and Mr. Morgan Richardson; the former took first and reserve in the Heifer Calf class with Winsome Beauty VII." and Dora XIV. while the latter took second with Premium Rose in the Yearling Heifer class. Some of the under- mentioned prices only confirm some of the suggestions by Mr. Morgan Richardson in his address at the U.C.W. last week. The figures given below are enough to tempt any farmer to go in for the breeding of shorthorn cattle. Among the bulls from 21 to 30 months, Mr. J. W. Barnes' Masterpiece was sold for 250 guineas, and the Earl of Lathom's Charming Duke" for 205 guineas; among those between 10 and 21 months Mr. R. H. Dyke's Duke of Bar- rington 53rd" fetched the sum of 510 guineas, and Lord Lovat's I- Encombe 270 guineas; Lord Lovat's Shylock," a bull between 12 and 15 months, 460 guineas, and Lord Lovat's Macbeth," a bull calf, fetched 200 guineas. It is reported that a better sale has not been held during the last twenty » years at this famous spring meeting. The South Africa Conciliation Committee, of which Mr. Leonard Courtney, M.P., is president, has sent another letter to the Prime Minister, under the date of March 12. The repeated victories of the British arms, the retreat of the enemy on many sides at once, with a capture of a consider- able army from the two Republics, is declared to open a new phase of the war. The committee continues :—" We are now at the parting of the ways. Shall we continue the war until the last spark of resistance is stamped out, and then establish Crown Colonies in the two Republics to be governed with the assistance of a large army of occupation ? This must arouse the resentment of the majority of our fellow- subjects at the Cape, and must be continued until the far distant time when we are asked to believe that memories and aspira- tions will be forgotten and the Boers will placidly submit to our authority while, in the meantime, it is quite possible that some opportunity might be seized of up- setting a dominion founded upon military superiority." Common sense, not less than justice, the writers assert, point a different way. Remembering Lord Salisbury's de- claration that we desired neither goldfields nor territory," and satisfied that our strength and resources are understood by the Boers, as we understand their courage and determination, we are advised to be content to secure within the two Republics political rights for white men of whatever origin, on terms such as were approved by her Majesty's Government before the war, coupled with the demolition of forts and the abandonment of all armaments not required for the maintenance of internal order, and therewith leave to the Republics the en- joyment of the national life within their own borders for which they have now, not for the first time, so bravely fought, in the assurance that by these means alone can the conditions of permanent peace be en- joyed in South Africa." In moving for leave to bring in a bill to amend the law relating to agricultural holdings in the House of Commons on Monday, Mr. Long said that the fundamental principle which underlies the existing Act dealing with this subject, namely, that the measure of compensation shall be the value to the incoming tenant of improvements effected by the outgoing tenant. As the law stands at present the tenant makes his claim, and the landlord has the right to make a claim as a set-off against the tenant, the amount of the landlord's claim being limited to the amount of the tenant's claim. It was now proposed to improve the tenant's position by enabling him to claim for certain improvements which he has not now the power to. do. They would simplify the machinery under which a claim can be established, supposing there is a difference of opinion between landlord and tenant, by bringing in the Arbitration Act in an amended form. They propose that there shall be a single arbitrator, and abolish the statutory obligation to have referees and umpire. They give to the landlord and tenants the utmost freedom in selecting the machinery by which they ean make their case clear and establish their claims, and if they adopt the machinery of the bill they will have the machinery of the Arbitration Act as applied to this purpose, which will, it is hoped, very much diminish expense. With regard to rnotice, the tenant shall make his claim within three months of the termination of the tenency. The Board of Agriculture will be the governing authority instead of the County Court in the case where the landlord has to borrow money in order to pay compensation and charge the estate. In these and other ways it is proposed to cheapen and simplify the procedure by which any difference between landlord and tenant can be settled on the determination of a tenancy.