Welsh Gazette and West Wales Advertiser

THE TOPIC OF THE HOUR AT ABERYSTWYTH. THE agitation at Aberystwyth in favour of a more auspicious celebration in connection with the laying of the memorial stone of the new Marine Promenade is growing apace. Last week a deputation waited upon the Mayor, and during: the present week petitions are being prepared for presentation at the next meeting, of the Council. The feeling in the town is, spreading, deep and wide, and the ratepayers evidently believe that there is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune." The undertaking is by no means a small one for a town like Aberystwyth; and the ratepayers have every right to ex- pect that the most should be made of the opportunity. Unless some steps be taken to increase the revenue of the town, the present expenditure on the extension can hardly be justified. If the attendance of any distin- guished personage were secured to perform the ceremony, the town would be gisen a far better and more effective advertisement that it could get for a thousand pounds. It is hard to understand that, while hundreds of pounds are spent every year in advertising the town, the authorities are willing to forfeit such a splendid opportunity as that which now offers.. In addition to the more permanent results that could be expected to accrue from such a ceremonial, the coming season would a no doubt, be considerably benefitted by having such an auspicious opening. It is to be hoped that the Town Council will take the matter up heartily and spare no» efforts to bring it to a, success- ful issue. JttU "——.

AN ANTIQUATED POSTAL SERVICE. the coming of the railway, the people of Aberayror. and the neighbourhood .Mould do well to agitate for a better postal service. It may seem a paradox, but it is nevertheless true, that the present service is far worse than the one we had in the old coach days. In the olden time an Aberyst- wyth tradesman, for instance, could send a parcel to Llanon or Aberayron by return— that is to say, if he received an order in the evening he would be able to despatch the next morning. But at present, thanks to the senseless arrangements at the Aberyst- wyth Post Office, he must wait fully forty- eight hours, or find some other means than the post. For, unless a parcel be posted at Aberystwyth before eight o'clock in the evening it cannot be sent to Aberayron by the mail on the following morning—even, if were tendered at the Post Office at half- past five in the morning—fully an hour before the departure of the mail-car. It is not infrequently the case at Aberystwyth that the evening delivery of letters is not over until after the Post Office has closed, and when such is the case it is impossible for tradesmen to send any parcels to the country in the morning. Seeing that the Post Office is open shortly after five o'clock in the morning, and that an hour or so intervenes before the departure of the mail car, it is the height of absurdity to refuse to post parcels in the meantime. The present arrangement is simply a travesty of the public service; and the sooner it be put right the better for the country. c

NOTES AND COMMENTS At the annual meeting of the Towyn and t5 Aberdovey Urban District Council, Mr D. Jones Hughes was elected chairman for the ensuing year. This week we publish an, interesting 0 interview with Miss Constance Lloyd, of Newcastle Emlyii-one of the nurses of the Welsh Military Hospital in South Africa. After endless vicissitudes, the old lead mines at Cwmystwyth have at last fallen under petticoat rule, and are now managed by Miss Hope Symons, a cultured Cornish lady, and a niece of the late General Symons. The funeral of the late Mr John Corbett took place at Stoke Prior, Worcestershire, on Saturday afternoon. There were present many of the residents of the neighbourhood, employes at the salt works with which Mr Coilbett was for so many years connected, tenants on his estate at Droitwich and Ynysymaengwyn, and representatives of the various public, philanthropic, and political bodies with which the deceased gentleman had been connected. The inaugural meeting of the newly- formed Aberystwyth Free Church Council will be held next week. The Denbigh County Council have agreed to grant a further loan of = £ 1,500 to the Tanat Valley Railway,. In the London markets this week Spanish lead was quoted Y,12 5s Od English lead at X12 12s 6d and Spelter = £ 17. Mr Osmond Williams, in his maiden speech in the House of Commons on Monday said he thought the sugar tax would press most heavily on those who could least bear the burden. The Barmouth Urban District Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution protesting against the renewal of the Agri- cultural Rating Act, which was described as an iniquitous piece of class legislation." ( Mr Owen M. Edwards, Fellow of Lincoln College, has been reappointed as representa- tive of the University of Oxford on the Council of the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, for three years. It is stated that the Treasury has com- missioned Mr Gwenogfryn Evans to pre- pare a general catalogue of Welsh manu- scripts for the Government. All the libraries in England where such manuscripts are preserved will be visited for the purpose of the work.. At a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Central Welsh Board list week a com- munication was received from the Principal St David's College, Lampeter, offering the following scholarships, tenable at St David's College, Lampeter. on the results of the annual examination of the Board to be held in July iiext:-(I) a scholarship of X22, tenable for three years, open to natives of the Principality, and to be awarded for excel- lency in classics, history, scripture, mathe- matics, or science (2) a scholarship of Y,22 18s 4d, tenable for one year, for proficiency in Welsh. It was resolved that the Chief Inspector be authorised to forward to St David's College, Lampeter, such reports as would enable it to make the respective awards.. As will be seen by an advertisement in another part of the paper, the North Car- diganshire Main Roads Committee have decided to close the famous Devil's Bridge for about three months for repairs. There is a good Jdeal of feeling in the neighbour- hood against the closing of the bridge at this time of year, and it is hoped that it will be ready again for traffic at an early date.. In any case the closing of the bridge will seri- ously interfere with the business of carriage proprietors, especially at Aberystwyth on the other hand, the Committee can hardly be blamed for selecting the most convenient season for making repairs. The recent oil discovery in Tfexas is expected radically to influence the English coal question in. so far as America is con- cerned. The Southern Pacific Railway with a total of 7,000 miles, has decided to change from coal to oil; f uel on all its locomotives. Other lines touching the, oil regions are expected to follow suit, and it is proposed also that all steamers entering Laporte and Galveston shall take oil as fuel. This,, it is claimed, will be an economy alike in price and space. The oil can be carried in the ballast tanks and will allow the bunker spaee to be utilised for an additional amount of cargo. A portion of the English bunker coal deaaand will consequently be with- drawn. Southern American newspapers are jubilant that the British Government's action with regard to the price of export coal is thus frustrated. An important deputation representing the coal owners and Chambers of Commerce of South Wales waited on the Chancellor of the Exchequer last Friday to protest against the coal export duty. Mr J. Shaw, who spoke on behalf of the Coal Owners' Association, said the tax was such a serious matter that he hardly dared to express the feeling of the Association upon it. It would throw a great many men out of work and confiscate the enormous capital embarked in the trade. It was really a tax upon labour, and they would never cease agitating until it was removed. Sir Michael Hicks-Beach replied briefly, explaining that he had nothing to add to what he had said to the deputation he received the previous day. He did not, he said, take the gloomy view of the industry which the deputation had expressed, and was not convinced that the duty would have the results they anticipated. He believed the whole thing was very much exaggerated. He asked if there was any particular class of coal which would be especially affected. Mr Shaw replied that they were opposing the whole tax, and he did not see where they could draw the line. In the course of dis- cussion the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that bunker coal for the round voyage would be exempt. Satisfaction was expressed at this, as it had been understood that the exemption applied only to coal for the outward voyage. At Cardiff yesterday a large number of contracts were deposited for examination in connection with claims for abatement. It appears that a new point has arisen in this matter—namely, whether relief can be claimed ih the case of a contract with a British subject living abroad. Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman speaking at a Liberal dinner in London last week, referred to the war and the Budget. He had always, he said, been particular to dis- claim for the Liberal party any responsibility for the war-for its causes, its conduct, or its consequences. He thought the exercise of some of those qualities which they imagined to reside in a statesman would have obtained the naturalisation of the Johannes- burg Outlander at- somewhat less cost than 30,000 human lives, the devastation of two great States, the temporary ruin of the whole of South Africa, and a charge of X150,000,000 on the British Exchequer. Referring to the Budget proposals, Sir Henry pointed to the out-cry from the whole of the coal industry against the export duty, and criticised the inquisitorial nature of the examination which was being made at the ports into the circumstances of individual trading transactions. Speaking of the sugar tax, he expressed agreement with the principle enunciated by Sir M. Hicks-Beach, that those who desifed the war should pay for it; but he denied that the working men who would feel this tax, had called for the war. On the contrary, he said, all the organisations entitled to speak in the name of the working men had declared against the war, and every working-man member of the House of Commons had taken the same line. After suggesting that the Government might afford some financial relief by abandoning the doles they bad given so freely to their friends, Sir Henry, in conclusion, said that if the situation led to the husbanding of resources, the restriction of expenditure, and the checking of adventurous enterprises the present financial burdens might pot be with- out their advantage. .J"- In a speech at Oxford on Saturday Mr Winston Churchill, M.P. criticised the Government s army policy. England was, he said, a commercial and naval Power, and they ought not to imitate a system of Imperial defence from the Germans. If they did they would fail, and would impair their commercial activities.. Referring to the position of the Liberal party, he remarked that the truth was that that party was by no means so broken as was generally supposed. The Committee of the House of Lords on the Early Closing., of Shops Bill heard evidence last week from representatives of shopkeepers' associations at Hull, London, Accrington, Portsmouth, and other places. Mr J. E. Eccles, who stated the views of the Accrington and District Grocers' Associa- tion, agreed with other witnesses in saying that shops were now open much longer than was necessary for the public convenience. Voluntary effort with the view of shortening the hours would not be successful, and the general feeling appeared to be that legisla- tion was necessary. In the annual report of the National Liberal Federation reference is made to the. war, and the opinion expressed that there can be no real settlement until the Boers are free to govern themselves in their own .way. Mr Brodrick's scheme of army re- organisation, the report states, does not inspire confidence. Our supreme need was ;to retain command of the sea, and we should be attempting the impossible in seeking to become also a great military Power. Satis- faction is expressed that the Chancellor of ,the Exchequer has not attempted to pay the whole cost of the war out of loans, but regrets the sugar duty and the impost on exported coal. It is stated on good authority that the quest of gold at the well-known Gwynfynydd mines, near Dolgelley, is to be resumed. A well-known syndicate has acquired the pro- iperty, and mining operations will be begun 'very shortly. The land around the estuary of the Mawddach is described in the mining journal as the most important gold region r, :of Great Britain." That may not be saying much what is more to the point is that ,gold in paying quantities has been found at Gwynfynydd. It will be remembered that some thirteen years ago Mr Pritchard Morgan floated the Morgan Gold Mining Company for the purpose of working the Gwynfynycd Mines, and gold to the value of over X34,000 was obtained before the end of 1.889. Gold mining, however, is at best a costly business in this country, and after some trouble with the Crown over claims and royalties the Morgan Company had to go into liquidation. Mining experts now tell, us that the amount of gold em- bedded in the Gwynfynydd rocks has, if anything,, been under-estimated, and that under proper management thf) mine should be "as successful as any geld mine in any part of the world."

CARDIGAN DISTRICT LETTER. Cardigan Harbour and River Scheme. Vistas of Great Things. Suggested Harbour of Refuge. Scope for Railway Enterprise., The Improvement of the RIver Tivy for purposes of navigation is not a merely local matter it is one which may have far- reaching and beneficial results on the whole district, if the Committee succeed, as they anticipate, in their designs. For this reason the statement made by Mr Morgan-Richard- son on the occasion of the recent application to the Town Council, is especially interest- rug and valuable. Last week particulars were given as to the constitution of the deputation and Council, so that it is not now necessary to do more than give a. full note of the application :— Mr Morgan-Richardson, addressing the Council as spokesman for the deputation, said they came on behalf of the persons interested in the navigation of the River Tivy, to ask them to appoint a Committee for a certain purpose, and he would as briefly as possible explain the object of the application. The application was that the Corporation be asked to appoint a Committee to consider the advisability of improving the navigation of the River Tivy, upon the utldertanuing that the Corporation be in- demnified against any expense incurred by them." It was well-known to everybody there that the River- Tivy had been during the last 30 or 40 years going from bad to worse. It was difficult to say what the cause was, but without doubt the river had been deteriorating. About six months ago —when he had had the honour of acting as Mayor of Cardigan his attention was called to the matter, and he was asked to call a public meeting to see whether any plan could be devised to improve the river. They had met in August last, and appointed a committee to deal with the whole question. The committee had met on several occasions, and they had chosen from amongst their number two gentlemen, who had had more experience 'than the rest of therii-Mi- Ba.llie (who had had a great deal of ex- perience as an engineer), and Mr Richa: d Thomas (who had had experience as secretary to the Seaflower," and manager of the Brickworks, and had had a great deal to do with the navigation of the Tivy) who were asked to suggest schemes for improving the river. They had brought in two schemes, in writing, and the Committee had adjourned to the river itself to consider them. They had met at the Bar—at lowest tide, when they had an opportunity vf seeing the course of the river, and with the two plans in front of them, they had thoroughly discussed the question. The two gentlemen, who, lor the purposes of his argument, he would call the two experts, were agreed upon one point, namely, that the river then running in three or four different channels, should be conducted into one channel, and that a sand plough should be used to deepen such channel. There was also the question of removing the hard gravel, but as to this the experts did not agree. It was suggested at that time that a few workmen, with a few barrows, would be able to remove the whole deposit. It seemed amusing to some of them thinre to be told that in the few minutes which were allowed at low tide, a few navvies, with a few barrows, would be able to remove what had taken centuries to accumulate It bad reminded him of THE WALRUS AND THE CABPEI^TKH They wept like anything, to see such quantities of sand If this were only swept away,' they said, 'it would be grand. If seren maids with seven mops swept it for half a year, do you think,' the Walrus said that they could get it clear ? He feared the 20 navvies with their 20 barrows would not have accomplished more than the seven maids with their seven, mops! The matter was then deferred until the Spring. In the meantime Provid- ence had done for them what they had, intended to do for themselves. The winter floods had swept away the four channels, and, the river had returned to its original course. The matter then became very much simpler for them to deal with, as they had no longer to construct a channel, but merely to get the channel clear. It is believed by the two;, experts, and by every member of the Com- mittee, that the use of a sand plough would deepen the channel, and keep it clear for the future. The question then arose: Who would do this ? The Committee could not do it without the consent of the Corporation. As a Corporation they had the power to deal with this river under the Harbours Act. The preamble to the Act says, It is expedient that there should be somebody to deal with the accumulation in the river bed," and it was clearly the intention of the promoters of the Act that they should exercise their power They could not, as a Committee, sweep the river with their plough, because any individual might come to them and say, 44 What right have you to come here; you have no authority?" But with the permission of the Corporation, and under their authority, they might do so. They should require this authority in the first instance, and still more would it be necessary when they had to deal with the hard gravel. He thought the first scheme was very simple and workable, and they should have no difficulty in raising by public subscription the amount of money required. The cost of the sand plough would only be a matter of a ten-pound note, and if they went to the expense of a tug-boat for a time to work the sand-plough, the expense would not be serious, certainly out of proportion to the enormous benefit which would result to the Town of Cardigan. As to the hard gravel, he thought he was right in saying that Dr Pritchard and Mr Baillie would guarantee that somebody should deal with that question, but this was a much larger question than the other. They did not now ask the Corpor- ation to give them a blank cheque, but theyy wanted them to appoint a Committee to con- sider the scheme, and if the scheme was feasible, then to give them the consent they asked for, upon the understanding, of course, that they were not to be called upon to bear any expense., And they asked that the Corporation should exercise their powers under the Harbours Act, so that whatever was done might be preserved to them in future. He was speaking from hearsay, but he believed it was a fact that a wreck was allowed to remain in. the stream, aud this had diverted the course of the river and. destroyed THE HARBOUR OF REFUGE at Pwllcam. The Committee, therefore r asked that some guarantee should be given to them that what they might do, should not. be undone. He did not think that any harm could accrue, and on the other hand, some good might be done. There could be; no harm because they did not propose to put any obstacles in the river. If they had talked of putting down piles or stones, or of altering the course of the river in any way,, they might consider that to do so would be incurring great responsibility. The Com- mittee asked for nothing more than leave to, clear the river. He did not think they could do any harm to the fishermen of St. Dogmell's. No member of that Committee would be a party to anything to injure the salmon trade of St. Dogmell's. He thought the fishermen would welcome the proposal to. clear the river, as it would give them. a shorter distance to travel, to their work. And again they might have to spend four or five hundred pounds, and this money would be spent in the place, and do a certain amount of good. Apart from this,, if they deepened the river to the extent the experts led them to hope they must do an immense deal of good to the trade of the whole neigh- bourhood. A hundred years ago Cardigan stood & EIGHTH IN POINT OF SHIPPING. They could not expect to bring those days back, but they nugut hooe to improve trade to a very large extent. For instance the Hi.ruour of irsijgmtrd was being developed, and as a result there was bound to be six or seven times the number of vessels passing their shores wrthiu a few miles, and it, must be a questio., whether a Har bour of Refuge should be found for these vesseis. Po^ibly Pwllcam migut return to its old character and become a Harbour of Refuge tor the small steaming a.ud sailing craft on tliif coast. The improvement of Fishguard Hai-bour might possibly result in the London and North Western Co. moving. Tuey already possessed luntiing powers to New- castle Loilyn, and if the river Tivy could be made navigable it might be that a line would be constructed here by that Co., making Cardigan a port in some way a rival to that of Frshguatd. As yet these might be only dreams, but they were not impossible. There were, however-, tangible results to be gamed by the improvement of the river for the ordinary trade and traffic. Every load of manure, of which great quantities were used in the district, now paid something like 3s a ton more in freight, simply and solely because the river was not navigable. At the present time it was a tax upon the whole country ot from 3s to 4s upon every ton of manure used, and of 2d or 3d per foot upon timoer. In conclusion he hoped that as a result of their application they woull appoint a Committee to go into the whole question, and be prepared to deal with hem, and then, if they could shew good cause that they would grant the consent which hey asked for. The result of the application (as briefly stated last week) was the appointment a strong Committee of the Council to co- operate with the River Committee, and tat Joint Committee held their first meeting on Tuesday afternoon. A BREEZE FROM THE VELDT COMING. The Cardigan Volunteer Reception Com- mittee are having a repetition of the exper ience which befel the Send-off Com, mittee, in making arrangements mid great ,b a uncertainity for a public dinner to celebrate the event. On Tuesday morning the Com- mittee, through the Press, realized that it was extremely doubtful, if not actually impossible for the men to return tf Cardigan, but a communication was sent by the Mayor to Headquar ters in the hope that the men might secure special leave ou Wednesday, as counted upon. At the tim* of writing there is deep suspense, as the Committee are committed to the caterer, and the caterer is committed to the kitchen, for he has roasted his, piime joints, and accomplished much towards the realization of his excellent menu, -U.I.\t at the present moment the cooks are anathematising ttitt uncertainty of military intentions, while the. Committee are suiely unsettled at the pros- pect of a dintiqv 41itius guests. It is to be hoped, howevev, that ths public will not be dispointed getting a breeze from the veldt on Wednesday evening. The dinner tickets have sold excellently well, and 150, or mQI tkx-Q be present. TELE?Am