The Montgomeryshire Express and Radnor Times

THE BICTON PROBLEM. Criticism of Montgomeryshire. At a meeting of the Salop County Coun- cil, the question of Bicton Asylum genera- ted a lively debate. Mr Blakeley Phillips pointed out that there was all increase of 24 patients during the year. At present there were 117 pa- tients boarded out in various lunatic asy- lums, in addition to 24 at Forden, and still there was not the regulation room at Bicton at the present moment. The proportion of those boarded out amounted to 16 per cent. With regard to the proposal to send an additional 35 patients to Forden. he under- stood an architect sent by the Commission- ers in Lunacy had reported that it was J possible at considerable expense to make more accommodation at the workhouse, but that it would be an enormous expense to convert the place into a supplementary asylum, which seemed to him (Mr Phillips) what was being aimed at by Montgomery- shire. The Lunacy Commissioners were against a supplementary asylum, consider- ing it could not be so economically or so efficiently dealt with. They were still strongly of opinion that the wisest course would be to acquire the Copthorne estate, but that scheme was tabooed entirely by the Home Secretary for reasons best known to himself. Mr Gladstone told the deputa- tion that one of his principal reasons for objecting was the strong opposition of Montgomeryshire, but one would have thought that the opinion of Shropshire, as the senior partner, would have had the greater weight (hear, hear). He allowed that Shropshire was unanimous in approv- ing of the purchase, and that, at any rate, could not be altogether said of Montgom- eryshire. But at present there was a regu- lar deadlock, and it was difficult to see a way out of it. It was certainly very un- fortunate. Apart from the economical as- pect, the boarding out of patients at such distances was, in his opinion, most unfair and unkind to their friends and relatives (hear, hear). He could not understand the Home Secretary not considering that point more strongly than he had done. Mr Payne emphasised Mr Phillips' re- marks as to the injustice to relatives and patients. He was one who attended the deputation to the Lunacy Commissioners, and he took note of the words used by the Chairman, which were that they never r-ould or never would sanction such a cruel .injustice. Therefore, if the relatives of the patients in that county were suffering that injustice the blame lay entirely at the door not of the visitors-who had done all they could to obviate it. but entirely with the Home Secretary (hear, hear). The Lunacy Commissioners were entirely opposed to Mr ■Gladstone, but he was the master of the situation. Mr Kenyon asked whether, before pa- ,tients were removed, notice was given to the relatives. He had had complaints that this was not done. Mr W. H. Smith asked whether, having regard to the fact that boarding-out en- tailed cost on the various unions, the com- mittee in selecting patients to be boarded- out acted on any principle ensuring that the unions were fairly dealt with. Mr Ward Green said last year's increase .of lunacy was larger than for some time. When the additional 35 patients were sent -,to Forden they would have boarded out 177, or 20 per cent. of the wnole number. In answer to Mr Smith, lie might say that the boarded-out patients were chosen practic- ally from all the unions. Montgomeryshire had contributed rather more than their ra- tio of increase. He thought that they had about 17 or 18 per cent. of patients more -than their proportion in the asylum at the present time, and Shropshire had about ]5 4.>r 16 per cent. above their proportion. For- den was out of the question as a supple- mentary asylum. They were told also that probably a resolution to dissolve the part- nership would not be sanctioned. In the circumstances it was difficult to know what course the visitors could take. It had been t,eriously considered whether they should not give notice to the various Boards of Guardians that they could not receive any lHore patients. That, he believed, they could legally do. In conclusion, Mr Green paid a tribute to the zeal and ability with which Captain Mytton had discharged his 4duties as chairman of the visitors. Mr Lander said the position appeared to him most strange. Of the twelve governors, ten were in favour of extending the asylum, which they were bound to do sooner or later, remembering that they had 43 in excess of their proper number at the asy- Jum. It was a very curious position that! the voices of two out of twelve should pre- vail,—(hear, hear)—and that their views, should be backed up by the Home Secre- tary. The position of the governors was most undesirable and most undeserved. Many Boards of Guardians or directors similarly placed would have resigned- (hear, hear)—and he had noticed that one asylum board of visitors did resign. It haa occurred to him that the Council might help the visitors. They knew that they had the co-operation of the Lunacy Com- missioners, and at the next meeting he in- tended to give notice of a resolution urging upon the Secretary of State the great de- sirability of ratifying the arrangement made for purchasing the Copthorne estate. Mr Phillips, answering Mr Kenyon, said as far as possible patients were selected who had not many relatves, and notice of the intended removal was always given to I the patients* friends. I;

POLITICAL, SPEECH ES IN THE BOROUGHS. During the past week a series of political meetings held in Llanfyllin, Newt-own, Machynlleth, Llanidloes, and Montgom- ery, under the auspices of the Bor- oughs Liberal Association, were addressed by Mr Edgar Jones, M.A., an ex-teacher from Porth, Glamorganshire. The subjects chiefly dealt with by the speaker were Free Trade v. Protection, Land, the House of Lords, and Religious Equality. Possessing a fluency and ready wit, Mr Jones in some respects resembles Mr Lloyd George, and the telling way in which he drove home the arguments roused his audiences to a high pitch of enthusiasm. At each of the meetings resolutions were passed ex- pressing confidence in the Government and upholding Free Trade.

WHELiE THE MONE Y CAN COME FrtOM. Llanfyllin Radicals Pass a Strong Resolution. The Borough Member's Promise. That this matting of Liaufyllin Liberals desires to record its continued firm belief in the principles of Free Trade, which proved victorious at the last General Election it expresses its confidence that the Chancellor of the hxehtquev in his next budget can meet the coat ut social reforms by taxing the supei- fiuous wealth of the rich rather th tu the neceasiuiet- of the poor-(btar, bear)-aiita this meeting pledges itself to support 1.1.16 Government in any measure, however drastic, to destroy the power of the H(Ju.tJ of Lords to block reform (hear, hearj. J. hat a copy of this resolution be sent to the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the County and Borough Members for Montgomeryshire (hear, hear). .=a- An audience numbering about 170 men, women, and children—containing a repre- sentative and influential sprinklingof voters —faced Mr Pentyrch Williams, the veteran schoolmaster, when he proposed this reso- lution in the Llanfyllin Town Hall a few minutes after nine o'clock last Monday night. The meeting had already lasted an hour, the room was very cold, but the lis- teners emphasised their enthusiastic appre- ciation with hearty "hear, hears," which felt no doubt as to the sturdiness of local Radicalism. In a brief, but fiery Welsh speech, the ixev Charles Jones (Wesley an minister) seconded the resolution. He feared the Government had compromised too much, and the more they had compromised, their measures only became subjects of ridicule for the House of Lords to throw out. Whatever be the enthusiasm for Disestab- lishment-, they had better forego it in order to conquer the Lords. Reform was beiii" hindered by the capitalists and the land° lords. fcome said that "capital" might be ciriyen out of the country. The sooner the better, if it was such a monster! In the Montgomery Boroughs, ere long, there would be a terrible responsibility upon the Lioerals. They needed to be wide-awake not only to see that they had the right man to represent them,-( cheers)-but to see that the people were educated, that the young Liberals were being reared, not on political skim-milk,-(laughter and cheers) --but that they might become conscientious Liberals, "WITH NO TWO MINDS ABOUT THEM, and we want members of Parliament like this, and we want Liberals to put such men into power." The speaker also hoped that Y°men WouM also have votes, and then he was confident the countrv cheers; better governed (laughter and With "D.1+; at i. ycxiuv, icivuur me auaience carried the resolution unanimously. Mr William Jones, J P., was in the chair, but he said very little. "I asked Mr Rees to attend this meeting," said the Chairman at the commencement. "He said he was very, very busy preparing for Parliament to- morrow night, and he asked me to have him excused. But he promised he is going m the summer to spend a month or six weeks at Lake Virniew, and he will be at mer hoMays!" neCeMM5r' dutin^ the — Supporting the Chairman on the platform were Mr Pentyrch Williams, Mr Ellis Rob- erts, Mr William Lewis (the Liberal' agent for the boroughs), and Mr Edgar Jones, M.A., who is touring through Wales as a lecturer under the ausnices of the Welsh Liberal Federation. The last named was the star turn of the evening, and he spoke for an hour and fiye minutes-passing from Welsh into English and back again to the "old language" equally at home in either tongue. Mr Jones fully understaiicls the art 01 driving his subjects home into the minds of his listeners. He diverted them every now and again with quips and yarns, which showed that he had studied closely the manners of the Khondda col- lier. And—what counts for much in manv parts of Montgomeryshire—when he spoke English, he took plenty of time, so that his language was thoroughly "understood of the people." "Why, man!" he's a sec- ond Lloyd George!" declared one Llanfyl- linue after the meeting. "The little fel- low is the best speaker we've had here since Lloyd George came here for the Coun- ty Council election five years ago!" At any rate, cries of "Go on!" were raised when Mr Edgar Jones was about to resume his seat at the end of the hour. POINTS FROM HIS SPEECH. There is a great principle at stake be- tween Liberalism and Toryism, and there can be no flirtation between the two! (loud 7he Pri?ciPte of Toryism and of Tariff Reform is to make the poor and the millions of the toilers of the land find all the money to maintain the government of the country. We have another Reform—not Tariff "Reform," but Land Reform (loud cheers). Mr Balfour asks, "Where are you going to get the money from?" ° This country has been bounding up in wealth year by year beyond the dreams of avarice, but the rich have been getting richer and the poor have been getting poorer. This cannot be tolerated for ever in a civilized country that pretends to have political knowledge and enlightenment! Liberalism has said that this great gulf must be bridged, so that we shall have a the p^o^ie.16 standard of comfort fori Down in the works in South Wales a man paid contractors for a house 92,500. He got a license, and the week after he sold that house for £ 9,500. What right has the btate to give that man a gift of £ 7,000 in one lump more than to me or you? "lere is no more of that going to t>e! When the State grants a huge monopoly like that, a good bit of it at any rate must come back for the benefit of the community. From a high license system Mr Lloyd George will get £ 15,000,000 a year. On a public house valued at £10 a year the license is £ 6 a year, 60 per cent.; on a public house valued at Eloo a year the li- cense is £ 30, or 30 per cent. If you go down to Cardiff and get a public house worth £ 1,000 a year, you pay £60, or 6 per cent. There s the old dodge! If we only put that right, and make the £ 1,000 house pay at the same rate as the £ 10 house, we get £ 3,000,000 more a year. In the colliery districts and in the great centres, like London and Cardiff, there is a huge lot of wealth that the landlord amasses, though he has never contributed a moment's thought, nor paid a penny for an hour's labour-wealth that has been I created simply by the mass of the com- munity. | While the landlords may be dozing in their palatial hotels in Monte Carlo, or humming and hawing on the race course, or shooting groose on the Scotch moun- tains—without a whisper or movement of a finger on their part, the value of land in London every year is worth t5,000,000 more than the year before. This increased value goes into the pockets of the few landlords, and is not touched for local rates or taxes. We say that the land values must be taxed. Instead of being, as we are in the Rhondda, a population of 130,000, crowded into 2,000 acres, the landlord will then be running after us, saying "For goodness' sake, come and relieve me of my rates, and I will build a house, and I will give you a big garden and a lawn, and you will have an estate of your own!" These are some of the ways in which Liberalism hopes to put upon accumulated wealth a share of the burden You see why the landlords are all Tariff "Reformers." They 'know, if they can per- suade you to accept Tariff "'Reform," you won't want the money off them.

WHAT TORYISM TRIES TO DO. Parsons v. People. An Appeal at Newtown. A representative gathering gave Mr Edgar Jones a wanll welcome when he appeared upon the platform of the Victoria Hall. Mr Hugh Lewis, of Glanhafren, presided, and was supported by the Rev T. E. Wil- liams, Mr Richard Phillips, Mr C. J. Newell, and Mr William Lewis, the Liberal agent. THE CHAIRMAN'S REVIEW. "I have very great pleasure in taking the chair this evening," said the Chairman, who was greeted with a hearty round of applause from the body of the hall; "and in introducing to you our friend, Mr Edgar Jones, who has been doing such good work in Wales in sowing the good seed. I think what we require is a little spade work at present. Three years ago we reaped a very rich harvest, but since then we have rather allowed the ground to fall fallow, and meanwhile our enemies have been sowing tares. We have heard frequently that the Liberal Government has been .growing old and worn-out, and has exhausted its powers, that some of the weaker-kneed ones have been imposed upon by them. As a matter of fact, we have every reason to feel proud of the good work which has been done by the Liberal Government—(ap- plause)—and still more proud of the good work which they have attempted to do (re- newed applause). It is not the fault of the Government that there has been no educa- tion settlement, and it is not Mr Asquith's fault that Temperance Reform has been de- layed. He strove nobly to bring about an educational settlement; he, too, with ad- mirable courage, framed a bill to reduce the facilities for drinking and to obtain State control over the liquor traffic. We all know the fate of that Bill, how, after re- ceiving the approval and support of every religious body, it passed through the House of Commons with a majority of 246, and then was contemptuously thrown out by an irresponsible body of Peers (cries of "Shame"). Other bills have shared the same fate, and the action of the House of Lords whilst the Liberals are in power is becoming A PUBLIC SCANDAL. Turning to our foregn affairs, this has been so ably conducted by Sir Edward Grey that even our bitterest opponents cannot say anything against it. England never stood higher in her foreign relations than she does to-day (applause). In finance we have Mr Asquith's splendid work as Chancellor of the Exchequer; in taxes he has taken off 1:8,600,000 annual taxation, whilst in three years our National Debt has been reduced by £ 45,000,000, and we have paid our way as we have gone alone.! What do we see in Germany, wTioru we hear so much spoken about lately?—they have this year a deficit of E25,000,600, and in ten years their National Debt has in- creased by £ 125,000,000. Again, Mr Hal- dane's great scheme of putting our army on a business-like footing has been most favourably received by both parties, and up to the present it has been working ad- mirably. The Government, too, has done much for agriculture, under the able con- trol of Lord Carrington, by passing the Agricultural Holdings Act, and they have done much for the State in bringing in the Small Holdings Act. They have also put on the Statute Book the Merchants' Shipping Act, the Miners' Eight Hours' Act, the Patents' Act, the Children's Act, and that great boon to our old people, the Old Age Pensions Act,—(applause)—and we all know how much these pensions are ap- preciated by our old folk. The Tories talked about this for ten years and did nothing. I believe there were 32 bills in- troduced during the last ten years on this subject, but none of them ever reached a second reading. What have the Tories to offer us in place of this fine record?— A MISERABLE, WORN-OUT, EXTINCT policy of Protection, or Tariff Reform, as they prefer to call it. I thought that this was as dead as Queen Anne; I-thought we had killed it three years ago. Under Free Trade we have had in 1906 and 1907 the two most prosperous years this country has ever known, and because in this last year trade has not been so good, the Tariff 3Te- formers must needs bring in their old policy of Protection. The country's adver- sity is their opportunity. They prefer to call it "broadening the basis of taxation." I call it transferring the taxation from the broad shoulders of the rich upon those cf the people least able to bear it (applause). The cat has been let out of the bag by Mr Wyndham. The first thine t.V»0-*r Tirill -1. I -0 .J.&J '.1. \IV when they get into power is to put a 2s duty upon corn, wheat, and wood, for the benefit of Canada, and, of course, we should have to pay more for these articles. Sup- pose we do sacrifice ourselves for Canada. what about Australia and South Africa? They would certainly want a tax on meat and wool and other articles, and by the time all these countries are satisfied where would the poor British workman come in? These fallacies were all exposed and blown to the wind at the last general election; but if the Tories like to choose the same ground for the fight, we should be delighted to meet them, and also thrash out the educa- tion question, and the intolerable position taken up by the House of Lords" (applause). MR. EDGAR JONES. Mr Edgar Jones, who received an enthu siastic welcome on rising, immediately fas- tened upon the Tariff Reformers. When they came to Newtown, he said, next week with their old tale of woe, and told them that the condition of the country was a bit bard here and there, they should cry out "hear, hear, too true, all too sad, because Toryism was in power for 20 years" (ap- plause). What was the Liberal alternative to the policy of Tariff Reform? They did not pretend to cure the ills of trade by sticking a 10 per cent. plaster here and there. It was a Liberal principle that they must get to the bottom of the constitution, and work from within, and eradicate the disease in that way through every depart- ment of life. Look at the methods which Liberalism had applied to relieve industry of its trammels and burdens through the Shipping Act, the Patents' Act, the re moval of unfair restrictions upon British commerce and trade; the relief of the starving child, the feeding of school chil- dren, the relief of the middle aged, and the addtion of six million recipients under the Compensation Act. They did not want fid- dling scientific tariffs or anything of that sort. Mr Jones proceeded to show that the Bills rejected by the House of Lords re- lated to property which was sacred in the eyes of the Peers. Instancing the Land Valuation Bill, he reminded his hearers that the land of this country paid ratss and j taxes on a basis fixed 200 years ago. That was the reason the Lords objected to a bill which simply proposed to find out what was the value of property. Again, the Lib- erals sought to put in operation a great measure to improve the social and moral conditions of the people by dealing with the drink traffic, but because they touched the property of the rich brewer and share- holder the Lords would not listen to it. They were willing to accept the temper- ance clauses of the Bill, but the property clauses they spurned. The late Sir Wil- liam Harcourt had done much to equalise things by his death duties, and to-day there was a Chancellor of the Exchequer who would be equally courageous (loud cheers). Would the people be deceived by the Tory cry of broadening the basis of taxation? That is what Toryism had al- ways been trying to do—to put more taxa- tion upon the poorest in the land. He asked them to work out the proposals of Mr Chamberlain for themselves. Mr Cham- berlain proposed to put 10 per cent. on all manufactured goods, leaving out food now, so as to help the home manufacturers to get better prices than they could get in competition with Germany and America. He (Mr Jones) advised his hearers to get a sheet of paper and put down the articles, clothing, boots, domestic necessaries, im- plements, and all other things required, with the price they were now paying for them, plus, say, S per cent. on each. Then they should call in their wives and ask them about the hats and ribbons they must buy, and the prices of these, and the differ- ence between Free Trade and Protection would be clearly seen. That was broaden- ing the basis cf taxation. Of course, the Tories were crying out, "Where is the money to come from for old-age pensions?" They could not see, or, rather, did not pre- tend to see. Thsy might get a night-mare if tney aid (laughter). Proceeding, Mr Jones said he wanted to APPEAL TO CHURCHMEN. make a special appeal to the Churchmen present. Why was it that so many of the Church clergy were becoming Tariff Re- formers? Had a clergyman got a fiscal brain? Some of them used to love monev very much in days gone by. He hoped the present race of them did not. Why should the clergy be in opposition to the great mass of the people? Why were the only representatives of the so-called National Church of Whales in the House of Lords op- ponents of the Licensing Bill-those who represented this little nation, which, above all others, stood out so passionately for that measure? Why did they witness that sorry spectacle when the Conservative Lord Mayor oi Cardiff tried to get a conference with regard to a National Council of Edu- cation and a Minister for Wales-why was it that the Bishops came in and smashed it Why did they destroy that national aspirations? Because of the old barrier in the way. They knew that they stood the possessors of wealth which they did not receive with the good grace of the Welsh people, and they weie going the other way because they felt a guilty conscience, and uhat tney have the brand of Cain upon them. That was why. He wanted to know whether the time had not come when the clergy should join issue with us in remov- ing the barrier, so 23 -to form a great Jorce all striving in one direction for the benefit of the people at large. Concluding, Mr Jones said he had to make a great moral appeal to the best in their manhood. Ours, he said, is a land that wants repeopling with a vigorous and healthy race; there are slums with horrors and accumulated ruboisn that need to be cleansed, homeless that want to be hoteed, and employed and employable that want to be re-animated with the zest of life; there are rogues and cheats and blood-suckers protected bv our laws battening upon the poor, and while wealth is accumulating and accumu- lating, tne number of those on the poverty line also js steadily Increasing and increas- ing, and we say the time is come when, in I all seriousness, theie must be a leavening I and an increasing ,i, comfort, bringing the e^trexx^s to meetn^^r in L healthy ind sound condition i national life—and I say' to do tnat, to lift the character of the land from the sewers and the pits into which'iV th? n if1 + -ng- that should aPPeal to the noWest that is m us; and if we are united in that way, then just as the reeds have to bend for the strong wind to go over them, so will this House of Lords bow down before the Sovereign will of the people (loud applause). THE RESOLUTION. the Viv Tl0r8 w-S^r Edgar J-mes' sP«ech, the He/ T. E. Williams submitted the fol- lowing resolution: "That this meeting de- sires to record its continued firm belief in the principles of Free Trade, which proved lCiorious at the last election. It also ex- presses its confidence that the Chancellor of the Exchequer will m his next Budget meet the cost of social reform without tK- nig the necessaries of life. This meeting pledges itself to support the Government in any measure which wjll curtail the form House of Lords to block re- Mr C. J. Newell, in seconding the reso- lution, said he had been pained very often to hear the question—where is the money to come from to pay old-age pensions? That question was asked by people who never asked where the money was to come from to pay for the South African War (hear hear). He had perfect confidence in the ability of the Government to find the money for that beneficial reform, which would help the poor people who had la- boured through the heat of the day to enjoy their well-earned eventide (applause). The resolution was enthusiastically car- ried. Mr Alfred Ford had pleasure in moving a vote of thanks to Mr Jones, whose lec- ture lie felt sure would do much good. ANOTHER MR. JONES. Mr Edward Jones then rose to second the vote of thanks so briefly put by Mr Ford. His ovation was a great one, and his speech brought the house down. Unfortunately, only a portion could be heard at the press table, on account of the cheering, and Mr Jones addressing those in the rear of the hall. The remarks which were audible ran as followsI am very pleased to see such a large number of young people here (ap- plause). I have seen this hall packed at a meeting, but I don't think I have ever seen so many young people-intelligent young men—present at a meeting. If you look around it is not women you see, but intelligent young men,—(laughter and ap- plause)—and it is a good sign. I have heard about this Jones before, and there are a great number of that name (laughter). You would almost have thought by our Chairman that it was Edward Jones who was going to speak, but it was not Edward but Edgar (laughter). I was standing in the Cross this afternoon about four o'clock, when some young slip of a man came up, and I was introduced to him as one of the stalwarts of Liberalism in the town, and I said, "Well, he is not a very big man, like myself" (laughter). Now there is not one in this hall who has not been delighted with the lecture. There is only one thing I am sorry for, and it is this—that there wasn't another Jones here to-night to lis- ten to Edgar Jones (laughter and applause): if he had been here to-night he would have been speechless. "Broadening the basis of taxation" indeed; well, we understand it now. We can see all our young men with a piece of paper-I can see my little grand- son doing it-taking up a piece of paper, and adding up this and that, and add- ing 10 per cent. on to it. Don't you remem- ber me in this very hall some years ago shouting for "more light"-(loud cheers, laughter and uproar)—and just in the same way you ought to be very thankful to that little man Edgar Jones for giving you so much more light (loud and continued ap- plause) Mr Jones ackrtowledged the compliment, and on his proposition, seconded by Mr Richard Phillips, the audience accorded their thanks to the Chairman.

•Che Borough Member Championed "He Said What He Meant, and Meant What He Said." At the Liberal meetings in Llanfyllin, N ewtwll, and Llanidloes no direct reference: had been made to the recent situation I caused by the Borough Members speech to his Welshpool supporters. But this omis- sion was not repeated at Machynlleth last ihursday night. An audience of over three hundred strong assembled in the Town Hail under the presidency of Mr H. Meredith lioberts, solicitor—chairman of the local Young Liberals' League, that worked so hara during the last general election. He was supported on his right by Mr T. R. Morgan, and on the left by Mr Edgar Jones' M.A., and Mr William Lewis (the Liberal agent). "I was delighted," said Mr Edgar Jones, towards the close of his address, "to read the words of your Member for the Mont- gomery Boroughs—(applause)—the night be- fore last in Parliament. He must have been there panting, and getting the palpi- tation watching the Speaker's eye (laugh- ter). He jumped to his feet to tell the House that his costituents would be de- lighted to find the promise of Disestablish- ment given in the King's Speech." On the motion of. Mr Richard Rees, seconded by the Rev D. H. Hughes, a vote of thanks was heartily accorded to the lec- turer, and then came a scries of references {<> Borough Member. First, there spoke Air 1. K. Morgan, who is the chairman of the local Liberal Association; lie spoke FIRMLY IN FAVOUR OF lifE J. D. REES. Then followed Mr Meredith Roberts, one of Machynlleth's representatives at the New- A^W1miueeting; lle was in entire accord with Mr T. R. Morgan. And thirdly there came the Rev Evan Isaac, as an outside Radical. By a curious coincidence, the most critical speeches both at Llanfyllin and Machyn- lletn came from Wesleyan ministers. Mr Morgan remarked that the statement he was going to make would only take a very short time, but in order that he might leave nothing unsaid that should be said, or that he might not say anything which ought not to be said, he had written it down on paper. The speaker then pro- ceeded to read as "follows "I consider it important that the matter which I propose to place before this meet- ing should have public attention, and there is no better opportunity than the present l\Jl ™ §'• You are, of course, aware that the series of meetings which have been addressed by Mr Edgar Jones, M.A., in all of the Montgomeryshire Boroughs have been arranged by the Montgomery Bor- oughs Liberal Association, with a view of enlightening and confirming electors in these boroughs on great questions of Lib- eral policy, such as Free Trade, the Re- form of the House of Lords, Licensing Re- form, and Welsh Disestablishment, and doubtless the object in view will be at- tained. "Now, it so happens that the Member for these boroughs—Mr J. D. Rees— WAS CALLED UPON TO GIVE AN ACCOUNT of the views held by him on these import- ant questions. You will remember that at some semi-private gatherings held in Welsh- pool some two weeks ago-one being a meeting of railwaymen and the other, I think, a dinner—the Borough Member, in an informal talk, expressed his opinions on some of the questions named. A reporter (who, I believe, is present here this even- -c. T_L_ nig, IIUIII U iNb'wiowii paper was present at these gatherings, and reported those ad- dresses of Mr Rees, and the report appeared in the columns of the paper in the follow- ing week. In this report it would appear that Mr Rees had, to some extent, abjured or inrangeti ms views irn some ot tlie vital points of Liberal policy, such as Free Trade, the Reform of the House of Lords, Licensing Reforms, and so forth. This, na- turally, caused much consternation and dis- may among his supporters in these bor- oughs, and not a little indignation, so much so that the Secretary for the Boroughs Lib- eral Association considered it advisable to call a meeting of the Liberal Executive at Newtown, at which Mr Rees was invited to be present, in order that he might have AN OPPORTUNITY OF EXPLAINING HIS POSITION. '7he meeting was accordingly held in the ictona Hall, Newtown, on the morning of Thursday, February nth, and there were present about 70 representatives or dele- gates from the various boroughs. It was reported in some of the papers that only 30 persons were present at the meeting, but, of course, this was an incorrect state- ment. The Machynlleth Liberal Associa- tion sent twelve representatives to the meet- ing, being the Revs Fred J. Davies, Messrs Henry Lewis T. R. Morgan, John M. Breeze, Roland Prys, Rhys Lewis, Meredith Roberts, David Jones, H. Lloyd Jones, Alfred Jones, W. P. Evans, and G. M. Arthur. The meeting was presided over by the veteran Liberal leader, Mr Hugh Lewis, of Newtown, and there were present many of the most prominent Liberals from the different boroughs, and all were deeply im- pressed with the seriousness of the situa- tion. The Secretary, Mr Pugh Phillips, of Newtown, having stated the object of the meeting, and many of the delegates having expressed their feelings in clear, concise, and unmistakable terms, the Chairman then called upon Mr J. D. Rees to address the meeting and to MAKE HIS POSITION CLEAR. The words that he spoke and the explana- tion which he made are already, to some extent, public property. But Mr Rees com- plained that the report of his speeches, which appeared in the paper mentioned, were incorrect and misleading, and that while certain statements which appeared to point to a change of views on his part were inserted, the conclusions ultimately arrived at were altogether omitted. Fur- er, Mr Rees declared his conscientious and. unalterable adhesion to the cardinal doctrines of Liberalism—Free Trade, Re- form of the House of Lords, Welsh Dises- tablishment, Temperance, and social legis- lation—(hear, hear, and applause)-and having spoken for about one hour and a half he sat down, having Convinced the delegates that he was sound on all points of Liberalism (applause). At the conclu- sion, and after a number of questions had been asked and answered by him, a reso- lution declaring confidence in him urflQ unanimously and with acclamation declared carried, after which the meeting closed. "Now, it will be said by some—probably has been said by some already—that the delegates were hoodwinked and carried away by the eloquence of the Borough Member but I should like to point out that while the delegates may not claim to possess gigantic intellects yet they wptp men who e WENT TO THE MEETING WITH AN OPEN MIND, some like myself, perhaps, whose sympa- thies were largely with the Borough Mem- ber. others who needed comincing, but all ready to acknowledge that the Borough Member was a gentleman, that he said what he meant and meant vhat he said. We believe so still, and will continue to do so. In Mr J. D. Rees, whatever his shortcomings may be, we hav, a member of whom it may be said there :s no harder worker in the House of C(tnrnong,-(A Voice: Hear, hear)—one who in always at his post, always supports his patty and the Government which his party represents, and has always endeavoured to 4enefit the constituency which he so ably lepresents. He may not be always able to utt*r the old shibboleths, and perhaps like the Ephraimites of old, he can only say "Sib- boleth" to some things. But you would not because of that slay him at the fords as was done of old. Mr Rees won the seat for Liberalism at the last election, and, if we show a united front, and sink our party differences, we shall keep the seat for Lib- eralism and for progress and for reform. but this desirable consummation will not be brought about if individual electors in this constituency, who possibly may have axes of their own to grind, deliberately set themselves to hinder and obstruct the har- mony and unity which should prevail amongst us as the party of progress and re- iorm. Let us close up our ranks, set our laces as flint against dissentions, and face the enemy with an united front. Thus shall we win the battle" (applause). Mr Meredith Roberts said he was very thankful to Mr Morgan for his statement, lie himself had been present at this meet- ing, "and," he added, "I corroborate every- thing that Mr Morgan has said. This after- noon I was noticing in a newspaper another paragraph relating to the same matter. It would be well to read it." The Chairman then proceeded to quote from a paragraph that was published bv an Aberystwyth contemporary in its Machyn- lleth news column:— "The Montgomery Boroughs is one of those seats which may be said POLITICALLY TO BE AT THE CRITICAL POINT; it is the party which does most spade work that wins. It is, moreover, one of those seats which may decide the fate of parties at the next general election, which is speeding towards the constituen- cies at an uncertain pace. It would be well for these Boroughs to set their house in perfect order, and to run strongly along the paths of: No Tax on Bread; No Truckling to the House of Lords; No Preference in Religion. Mr J. D. Rees is perfectly clear on all these questions (applause). This should quickly allay any discontent amongst the electors." "So,' suggested the Chairman, "whatever our opinions were, let us give him every justice, and consider well before we come to any decision whatever." Mr Harry Lewis (chairman of the Mach- ynlleth Urban Council) next moved the fol- lowing resolution:- "That this meeting desires to express its gratitude to the present Liberal Govern- ment for the determination to introduce during the present Session of Parliament a Bill for the Disestablishment and Disen- dowment of the State Church in Wales, and also to express its full and complete confidence in the Government." h The Rev Evan Isaac, the local Wesleyan uinuster, seconded the resolution. Speak- ing in Welsh, he remarked that it was time for us to have made up our minds. It was all very well to talk about "keeping an open mind" on certain things. But there were questions upon which it was time we had made up our minds—Tariff Reform, Dises- tablishment, and House of Lords. There was to be no open mind on these questions, and it was time for us as electors, and cer- tainly time for our representative in Par- liament, to have made up his mind once and for all on such a question (hear, hear, and applause). He (Mr Isaac) had heard what the delegates, including Mr Morgan, had said, after the Newtown meeting. "BUI WHAT DOES THE MAN IN THE STREET SAY P continued Mr Isaac. "Are the public sa- tisfied? Is the man in the street satisfied, because it is he who will send the man to i arliament, and not the few who met in Newtown? (hear, hear, and applause). I am perfectly certain that if the election will come as Mr Richard Rees suggested (quoting the Liberal's \vhip's statement that perhaps it will come in a few months), there is much work to remove misannrp. hensions, if we want to keep this seat (hear, hear). I think it is very important for us to be ready, and for our present Member to succeed in convincing the county, and, indeed, the country, that he has made up his mind finally on these Questions. Thp-rp are important men in this town, who say they cannot vote under the present circum- stances. There is a misapprehension which must be cleared. We have great respect for our member. He is a strong man, a clever man, crafty, and very able. But we want him to have a mind that will be per- fectly satisfactory to everyone of us. Dis- establishmeVit will never become law until the House of Lords is moved. I don't know why people say we ought to reform ax'u ouse Lords. Can it be reformed? hen a man enters the ministry in our denomination, he has read out, to nlTYI I Dont mend our rules, but keep them'' n (iaughter). I don't know what about Mr Wesley s politics, but I think, if he were ahve to-day, he would say, 'Don't mend the House of Lords, but kill them'(ap- plause)—and then ere longo wp shall justice, and Disestablishment will become a fact in the history of our country." Before putting the resolution, which was adopted unanimously, Mr Meredith Roberts remarked that he thought the man in the street had been under a misapprehension, but it was their object to remove that mis- apprehension.

I THE CURSE OF POVERTY! Llanidloes 3Madicals Demand Social Reform. Tory Party and the Pensions. We require in Llanidloes some extensive pro- gramme of reform-that is the one thing we have always been keen upon." Turn,e,r' M.A., major of "the first! town on the Severn," spoke these words as chair- man over 400 Radical men and women, youths and maidens who filled the Public Hall last Wednesday night. Thfre was little need of Mr Edgar Jones, M A., here as a political missionary —(cmnously enough, Welshpool, the borough that needed him moat in that capacity, cancelled his engagement last waek)-but in Llanidloes Mr Jones s mission was naturally more on the lines of supplying fresh reasons for the faith that is and always has been in the minds and hearts of his audience. It was noted that throughout the meeting no word, directly or indirectly, was uttered regarding the position of the Borough Member, to wh< m a few days previously leading Liberals at Newtown had accorded a unanimous vote of confidence after the explanation Mr J. D. Rees gave of his Welshpool speech. Another noteworthy point was that the resolution which the Llanidloes Radicals adopted did not speak eo drastically of the House of Lords as did the Llan- fyllin resolution two nights previously. The Chairman reminded the audience that Llanidloes had been noted for its adherence to Chartism in the past, and Chartism was bv no means tne discredited movement some people would have them believe. It stood for six great reforms. Most of them have come about, and I don't know that we have gone. back to-day in Llanidloes- I haven't gone back on p .yment of members or adult suffrage, or manhood suffrage,' aa thr.y called it in those days." Mr Horefall Turner referred next to the most important thing which lies before any Liberal Government." "This fear, this continual, grind- ing fear of the curse of poverty is one of the wou terrible things that we can f«el in our country and any Government which can give us r«li £ f from the fear of poverty and all that it entail- he curse of poverty-is sufficient to COMMAND OUR RESPECT AND ESTEEM' But Mr Hflrpfall Turner had no faith in Tariff H. form There was a danger at this particular time, he feared, of mistaking the had trad. of th, country as an indicati'-o that tiny wanted some drastic alteration in the fiscal system :"«nd rho,> whn find it worth their while are m .L-iLg tbit, '•anger the more felt." Mr Edgar Jones sp^k« for an hour and a quar- I-r. and carried his audhnc* with him throu: hou as he worked out why the House of Lords h*- hrown out certain bills and allowed others t; P,tss. The keynote of their conduct he proved t be one word, Property!" The Chairman r.-ad the following resolution That this meeting, having heard with the utmost satisfaction of the prominent place given in the King's speech to the Welsh Church Disestablishment Bill, relies with confidence on the passing of this measure so long delayed and so greatly desired by the overwhelming majority of the Welsh nation, and pledges itself to stand firm in the principles of Free Tradu, feeling sure that the Minister can meet the cost of urgent social reforms without recourse to a tax on the necessaries of life, and further promises its hearty support in any measure which the Government may introduce with a view to limiting the power of the Lords to overthrow those measures of reform de- manded by the people. Mr William Ashton moved this rpsolution in a characteristically fervent speech, remarking that he was afraid there was perhaps a litue bir of un- easiness on the Tariff 11 Reform "question amongst the younger people. But the older people were pretty firm on Free Trade (laughter and cheers). If the younger people bad lived in the times he remembered they would never think of swerving from Free Trade. Referring to Old Age Pensions, Mr Ashton said that the Conservatives now took credit that they initiated the old-.ige pension But on the second reading of that Bill 29 Tories voted against it and 91 abstain. d from voting at all. How many supported the Bill after that? There were not many left (laughter) On the third reading 11 voted against, 140 didn't vote at all (laughter). That is the support, they had from the Tory party for Old-Age Pensions. It was A VERY SUSPECTABLE SUPPORT (laughter and cheers). The Rev William Roberts, seconding the resolu- tion, related a story of the last election He asked an intelligent farmer IIpar Llanidloes did he not think Tariff "Reform" would benefit the farmer. He said no; lie had been thinking about Mr Chamberlain's proposals. It would be non- sense to put 2s a quarter on wheat. Unless the farmers got 10s at least it would not be worth mentioning. He (Mr Roberts) asked wouldn't he like to get that ? In one way, of course, I would," said the farmer, but in another way I would not. Why The workers of this country would sweep every farmer into the German Ocean at once—(laughter)—and they would do quite rijiht!" Mr David Rees moved a vote of thanks to Mr Edgar Jones, and in seconding Mr H. Dulston remarked that he bad received a telephone mes- sage from LNewtown stating that Mr Lloyd George is not a patch on Mr Edgar Jones (laughter and cheers). He had also heard Mr Edgar Jones described as a second Mr Lloyd George. He (Mr Dulston) had known Mr Lloyd George for nearly 20 years, and he was not going to agree that Mr Jones is a second Mr Lloyd George. But by the time Mr Jones has had the exp^rie^ce and the years that have passed since he (Mr Dulston) has known Mr Lloyd George, aud if he is spared with strength of body and mind, no d"ubt he will be equally prominent as the one of whom they are all so proud. At the close of the meeting a number of Idloesians pressed forward to congratulate tb6 lecturer. Poor fellow! remarked one spectator, "They'll shake his hand off POINTS FROM MR EDGAR JONES' SPEECH. You may not be the mister of much money, of » thousands of men, of extensive acres, but, if you are master of the vote and use it judiciously and well, you can open the gateway to every avenue of reform. Wherever the walls of a great castle, the palace of a bishop or an earl or a duke may be, under the shadow of that wall the power of the workingman to vote for reform seems to be absolutely paralysed. The House of Lords said the Trades Disputes Bill was going to ruin trade. But it was Dot going to touch land or property. If it would ruin a colliery proprietor through a strike, or ruin some- body else who had a factory, never mind this! The Lords don't dabble in such dirty things as collieries and factories. They are the lords of the acres and the splendid estates, tho deer forests of Scotland and the game preserves of Norfolk. So they didn't mind this Bill. It didn't pinch their pockets, and a lord is tender nowhere except in the vicinity of his pocket. Colonel Pryce-Jones said at Walsh pool last night that Tariff Reform has for an object the provision of more revenue. Quite so! That is what Mr Balfour says. Mr Balfour's criticism of the last Budget was this: Why are you taking that tax off sugar and giving it back to the people, this £ 3,500,000 a year ? Why don't you keep it for old-age pensions ? That poor laay with 5s a Week, with rent and- fire and light to pay for, is to pay also in her sugar and tea. A. lot of value the pension will be if you make her pay to maintain the A rmy and Navy in that old- fashioned way. That is what they did, because their great principle is "to broaden the basis of taxation" Broaden it out on the shoulders of the thousands, on to the tea, sugar, meat, bread, and coal, and the ether necessaries of life for the poor Broaden it down to the starv- ing, shivering one, homeless and houseless in a London slum. Broaden it down to the shepherd living on his scanty oatmeal in the deserted north of Scotland! Broaden it anywhere, but—leave their property alone! The ISSllA la noffonflw aTaoh T4- ¡:- — A.- ijr ii ia iur juu WJ ehoose how in the future the money is going to ba found to carry on the work of this country. Are you, as you have foolishly been doing in the past, going to pay it, or must those who have been es- caping, now come in and pay their share ? Let ua have money for social reform without taxing the necesities of the poor (loud cheers). You say What are you going to do with the House of Lords ?" Well, I don't know. I am willing to leave it to the leaders to decide what it is to be. There was an old lady trying to get into a bus. It was very difficult; the door was too narrow, and the conductor, after a time, turned around and said, Try sideways, Mrs Jones (loud laughter). And she cried out, after trying hard, Oh I ain't got no sideways (more laughter). We have been trying patiently, we tried it in 1886, in 1895, we have tried it again for three years to get these Lords sideways into the vehicle of the Constitution I should like to see them get in like that. But, if they are going to stand there blocking progress, they have got to be shifted by other methods (loud and continued cheers).

FACTS FOR FARMERS. Meeting at Montgomery. I agree with Mr Edgar Jones in, I may say almost everything he has said-I agree with ail he has said to-night." Thus spoke Alderman Fairies-Humphreys, pre- siding over a Liberal meeting in the Town Hall of Montgomery on Friday night. He was the second Montgomeryshire mayor to be chairman at last week s political gatherings, and the attend- ance was good-for such a meeting in the town. At the close Mr J. McGavin proposed the same resolution as had been adopted at Newtown the previous Tuesday. This was seconded by Mr R W. Carter, and carried. 1 cannot conceive, said Mr Edgar Jones, of a farmer or anybody dependent on farmers looking for a moment at the Tariff "Reform proposals. Mr Balfour, in his half sheet of notepaper, has- said plainly that be is not at all in favour of a protective tariff that will raise home prices to help home productions.. If that is not plain enough, Mr Austen Cham- berlain, on the 4th of March last in the House of Commons, said: I will say for myself that I have never pretended that farmers would derive any r benefit from the 2 duty on wheat." The Tariff Reformers don't want to bother with the farmers. They say their object is to- enable the manufacturers of our great towns- makers of clothing and steel and brass and tin etc.,—to keep the markets in England by being allowed to charge higher prices for their goods than they possibly can, when there is open com- petition with Germany, America, and other countries. The rich manufacturers know that they are going to be millionaires-those who are not- millionaires, already. But it is a question for the people, not for the rich manufacturer. Colonel Pryce-Jones can see Tariff Reform is- a convenient way of getting more money out of your food, clothing, boots and everything that yotti buy. They did it before 1861, when you paid on 1025 articles of the home, and the farm, and the- <¡bop. Tb"J hai hardly any income tax; the. Ufcome tax w,ia varying from 3d to 5d a They didn t want money from the income tax. They got it out of your eugar and tea-2s a lb. out of !.t.8. To make a complete tour of the Boroughs, Mr- £ dgar J ne*. M A., was also advertised to feteak at Welshpool. Th« meeting had been fixed for Saturday night, but wag cancelled locally.