The Montgomeryshire Express and Radnor Times

In this series of specially written articles, we purpose answering the various arguments used by advocates of Tariff Reform.

WHAT IS TARIFF REFORM? Tariff Reform" is a proposed revolution- ary change in our system of national taxation -a change that would affect, for better or for worse, every household in the kingdom. At present our Government imposes Tariff duties or taxes upon only a very small number of the commodities imported into this country from abroad. The chief commodities thus taxed are alcoholic drinks, tobacco, tea, coffee, sugar, and substances containing sLIgar. None of these commodities excepting alcoholic drinks is produced in this country; and it is important to note that these drinks, when manufactured in this country, are taxed equally with those imported from abroad. FREE TRADE v. TARIFF REFORM. The merits of our present system by com- parison with that of the Tariff Reformers are, firstly, that the whole of the money raised by these taxes goes into the National Exchequer; and, secondly, that the cost of collecting the taxes is comparatively small. Tariff Reformers, on the other hand, pro- pose to put taxes on all commodities, whether food commodities or manufactured goods, that are brought into this country from abroad, subject to two exceptions or qualifications. Firstly, they say that no Tariff taxes are to be imposes upon raw materials for use in our manufactures. Secondly, that commodities imported from our Colonies or other Dominions are either to be admitted free, or are to be taxed more lightly than those im- ported from foreign countries. Tariff Reformers argue that these proposals would have the following beneficial results: 1. Additional revenue would be brought into the National Exchequer. 2. The importation of foreign manufac- tured goods into this country would be dis- couraged, thus providing more employment for British labour. 3. The importation of foreign food com- modities would be discouraged, thus stimu- lating the production of thtee commodities at home and in our Colonies. In exchange for the benefit thus resulting to the Colonies, it is expected that they would give a "preference" to our manufactures by imposing lower Tariff duties upon these than upon foreign manufactures Tin; minimum Tariff Taxes proposed bv Tariff Reformers upon commodities imported into this country are 5 per cent. upon food, and 10 or 15 per cent. upon manufactured goods. But there is no unanimity or official support of the Tariff Reform League regarding per- centages. ° Plainly, the most important of these pro- 'r0vS'eil £ XrS are taxC6 uPon imported food, lanif Reformers maintain that food taxes at tl,ie of 5 per cent. upon imported corn and meat, being only Is. on each sovereign's worth, would not make food any dearer to the consumer, because the foreign growers of the TmTit!C? WOuId 6el1 5 per cent. cap y for fear of losing the British market. Z, THE FUNDAMENTAL ERROR. Actual experience of food taxation, how- ever, both in this country and abroad, has conelusiveiy proved that these anticipations r! Tariff Reformers are entirely mistaken. One of the ablest Conservative Chancellors of the Exchequer, Sir Michael Ilicks-Beach (now Lord St. Aldwyn). believed at one time ..L 1 un,at a tax of 16. per 4801b. on imported corn would not make flour any dearer to the con- sumer. Afterwards he frankly confessed that he found himself mistaken for, in fact, corn became Is. dearer immediately the tax was imposed, and later, when the tax was taken off, corn immediately became Is. cheaper. Again, in Germany and other countries which have had experience of food taxes it has been found that food prices rose br at least the amount of the taxes, and sometimes more than that. For example, at the becin- ning of August, 1908, the price of wheat" in London was 31s. lOd. for 4801b. In Berlin at the same time wheat of the same quality was 43s. 8d. for 4801b., or lis. lOd. dearer; and lis. lOd. was the precise amount of the Ger- man tax. Two months afterwards, in the middle of October, the London price was 31s. 2d., and the Berlin price 44s., being 12s. lOde dearer, or actually Is. more thatf the amount of the German tax. British agri- culturists laugh at the notion that food taxa- tion would not raise prices. The very purpose and intention of the taxation is to raise prices—otherwise, the Tariff Taxes would be no encouragement to the growing of British corn. It should be clearly understood that the proposal of Tariff Reformers is to impose the 5 per cent. Tariff taxation on all kinds of im- ported food. Mr. Joseph Chamberlain at first proposed that no Tariff duties should be put upon imported maize nor upon bacon, because British farmers need maize at its cheapest as Jood for their animals, and because imported bacon is an important food of the poorest working people, Mr. Chamberlain thus ad- mitting, by implication, that duties do en- hance prices. Now, however, practically all Tariff Reformers are agreed that the 5 per cent. Tariff must fall on all food commodities alike. EFFECT OF FOOD TAXES ABROAD. Let us remember also that the food taxes imposed by foreign Governments on their im- ports of food commodities were small at first, and were afterwards made much heavier, on account of the complaints of the agriculturists that the small taxes did not sufficiently com- pensate them for the increase in the cost of living caused to them by the Protection Tariff system. Foreign experience is a surer guide as to what we may expect than are the pro- mises made by our Tariff Reformers at pre- sent, when they are striving their best to ren- der their proposals attractive to che masses of the people. Even now, British farmers declare that the 5 per cent. tax on wheat will not be nearly enough to enable them to grow wheat against foreign and Colonial competition. The earn- ings Qf the farmers, we must remember, will be reduced by the increased cost of feedino their animals, consequent on the taxation of imported feeding stuffs and agricultural ma- chinery, and they will, therefore, clamour for compensation in other directions. PRODUCERS FIGHT CONSUMERS. In fact, as we see from the example of other countries, the only ultimate limit to the weight of the food taxation will be the result of the perpetual struggle between landowners and farmers on the one hand to force the taxes higher, and of the consumers on the other huiid to keep them down. As it is more diffi- cult for consumers to combine than for pro- ducers, the result of the struggle can only be in favour of the latter,. Yf. R. Y. F. T. F.

"What are Our Churches?" SPIRITUAL INSTITUTIONS OR BUILD- ING SOCIETIES. The Rev Alun T. Jones, Chwilog, created quite a sensation at Pwllheli this week by delivering an address on St. John's Epistles." He said it was time for the Churches to go back to St. John. St. Paul and St. Peter had had their innings The country had been confused by St. Paul's "Righteousness" and the Rev R. J. Campbell's II Immanence." The time had arrived when the country should have more of God's love and God's light. People should be taught to consider every human being their brother, and not the man who belonged to their sect. They should feed the hungry without considering to what denomination they belonged. They might aqk the hungry, after feeding them, if they belonged to the society," if they liked. God's love was the foundation of the true social order. If the chapels did not reform and make an advance, Christianity would be found growing outside them. Mr Jones was afraid that the churches were more building societies than spiritual institutions! The lusts of the flesh and the eye, and the pride of life, blinded the churches so that they did not walk in the light. If they did not walk in the light they were not the people of God. who. according to St. John, was the light. The crowded audience loudly cheered the speaker.

CARNO. A BEAUTIFUL braas eagle lectern has just been presented to Carno Pariah Church by Dr Charles E. Adams, London, in memory of his father, the late Captain Adam., Plas Lljssyn.

01 TWR. YJ HAUWR. Yr Hauwr, in twr wyt ti Ac un hyddsg i'n noddi, Rhag difaolswydol, syn Gwae, ni we., a rhwyg newyn Dy nod yw arbod erbyn, Wr hael hot ar ol hyn," A'n gwarchd rhag tylodi- Ni byddai tcth hebddot ti: A'i wedd de mor ddiwyd oedd Yn y maes frwy y misoedd, Parottoi i rii yr bad I'w gol er d)geliad, Arndru, a lhfnu'n lion Y bu, y dewfab eon, Rhwygo'r d(ol--r og i ddilyn Difrc,di, a ct--dl'r cliwyn. Wete un bre heulog Fe ad ar geriad y gog,— Ei fuarth yi dirf hauwr- I'r maes a y: rymus wr,— Hoen ei gorl, natur yn gwau Haf iecbyd Ir ei fochau. Yn eu rhodf. i'r ydfaes— Chwery y mirch ar y maes, Gwerhyrant neidiant mewn nwyf Yn eu hegnibywiognwyf; A chroeniacl, eu harweinydd Yn ei sel, ytchwiban sydd. A Phero" ;r hoff arwr A'i roesaw t, mawr ei stwr,— Geir yno, yngawr heinyf, Hawlia'i ranfel gwyliwr hyf, C:. fartha, rr"dia drwy'r ar- Rhedeg ar olyr adar. Mae'r ci purmor bryaur bron Ar gwys, a nib o'r gweision. Weithiau Hon amaethydd Eofn del a deifyn dydd- Adref, mewntymer hydrin A stor o fostir ei fin, Taena gwen yd eigionau Ei fyd ef'r ol" darfod bau." Llanfair-Caereinion LLWYDIABTH MON. Dywedir mai prin 'u cynhauaf yd llynedd yn mhrif feusydd y byl Y mae rhywun yn yr America yn amcanu lmvned yn gyfoethog ar bwys hyny. Y mae wedi orynu cymaint o'r yd, ac wedi ei gadw o'r farclnad fel y mae y prisiau yn codi. Ychydig flynyedau yn ol eeisiodd rhywun o'r blaen wneud yr an peth ond aflwyddodd hwnw ac arno ei huaan y daeth y drychineb. Da genyf weled mai metbiant fu gyda hwy hefyd. Gresynus yw fad un dyn yn amcanu at ymgyfoethogi trwy vDeud bara y tlawd yn ddrutach iddo. Ni byld bendith ar 6i waith, nac __J.L\ T7\ ar ei gyiuem ipr ys llawer dydd pan yr oedd deddfau y wlad hon yi cyfyngu ar y farchnad yr oedd yn arferiad led gyffredinol gan yr amaethwyr i gadw yr yd o'r farctnad hyd oni chodai y pris yn uchel. Dyna yr ad<g yr oedd bara y gweitbiwr yn ddu, a phrin a drui. Blewn cyfarfod diolch- garwch am y cynhauafyn Mon yr oedd llaturwr yn gweddio ac wed: didch am yr haul a'r gwlaw, a'r cynhauaf, Diolch i Ti, Arglwydd Mawr, meddai, am y llygod mawr. Oni bae y rheini buasai yr hen ffermwyr cybyddlyd yma yn cadw yr yd ac ni chawsai po)l dlodion fara, ond y mae arnynt ofn dy lygod mawr di, diolch am y llygod mawr! Diddymu Deddfau Y], symud y doll ar ddyfodfa yd, a gwneuthur Prycain yn farchnad rydd i'r byd ddod a'i yd i mewi, wnaeth y bara yn rhad ac yn iachus i'r bobl. Erbyn hyn y mae cened- laeth wedi codi na wyddant am galedi yr hen flynyddau ao y maent eisieu myned yn ol i dy y caethiwed. Y mae arnynt awydd rhoddi toll ar yr yd 1 gaaw auan yr yd tramor, i roddi chwareu teg i yd ein gwlad em hunain. Ond nid oes digon 0 bono i gyflenwi angen y bobl ac fe gwyd ei bris. Arfer dynion ydyw codi y pris ar yr hyn sydd yn prinhau. AteMr, y codir mwy o yd yn y wlad pan a y pris yn uchel. Ond nid oes digon o ddaear yn y deyrnas ton i gyflenwi ei thrigolion a bara pe byddai yr on yn feusydd yd. Nis gellir cael hyny heb gyfyngu ar feusydd bela a chwareu yr uchelwyr Wei, meddir, daw y Trefedigaethau 1 n helpu. Er.fyn Awstralia, Affrica a Cbanada lwytbi o ydau i ni. Teimlant hwy yn fwy cynhesol atom os byddwn yn gws- meriaid iddynt hwy yn unig. Ie, ond beth os na bydd ganddynt ddigon ar brydiau iddynt hwy a ninau? Beth os bydd rhyw wr craff o lygad a chaled o galon yn gweled ei gyfle i gornelu yd Canada pan y diswydda fod yn brin yn y Trefedigaethau eraill ? Dyna hanes y byd er dyddiau Joseph lly wodraeth wr yr Aifft. Terms pur galed roddes ef ar yr Aifftwyr pan yr oedd yr yd yn ei feddiant a hwythau heb ddim. Na ein doethineb ni yw cadw drws agored i'r byd ddod a'i yd i'n gwlad heb gyfyngiad nac ataliad. Ni roddwn agoriad trysordy yr yd i lywodraethwr Canada nac Awstralia. Derbyniwn yr eiddynt hwy yn cbwanog a thalwn am dano ond mynwn gadw rhyddid i bob gwlad arall ddymuna ddelio a ni a chyflenwi ein rheidiau. Anhawdd, ie, nis gellir, boddib pawb. Derbyn- iodd y Cyngor Trefol gais am ddistewi llais cloc y dref yn oriau y nos gan fod dieithriaid yn pallu cysgu o'r herwydd a phenodwyd pwyllgor i ystyried cwestiwn y pa fodd. Ond y mae y trefwyr yn gwrthwynebu gan eu bod hwy yn hoffi clywed ei leferydd pan ddigwyddont fod yn effro. Nid yw eraill yn foddlawn bod unrbyw ymhela a'r cloc rhag ofn ei niweidio, a'r lleill ni fynant i'r dref fyned dan y draul angenrheidiol er gwneud y cyfnewidiad. Nis gwn beth wna y cyngor; braidd na thybiwn mai goreu iddynt wneud dim y tro yma. Adroddai Mr Thomas, Carno, banes wrthyf am amgvlchiad yn Aberystwyth flynyddau yn ol. Arferai ef fyned i'r Tabernacl i bregethu y Sul ac aros nos Lun i'r Seiat. Lied dawedog oeddynt yn arfer bod yn y Seiat, ond un noson yr oeddynt yn siaradus dros ben, o'r set fawr ac o'r llawr. Siaradent yn frwd ac yn brysur, ac yr oedd cymaint i'w ddyweud arno fel y gorfu gohirio penderfynu y mater hyd yr wythnos ganlynol. A wyddoch chwi beth oedd y mater i'w bender- fynu ?" gofynai Mr Thomas i mi. Na wn i." Wei, pa un wnae nhw a'i rhoi cloc y capel wrth gloc y dref yntau wrth gloc y stesion." Ym- ddengys fed ryw bum munud rhwng y ddau gloc fel sydd eto yn y Drefnewydd o ran hyny. Ni chefais wybod pa fodd y penderfynwyd y ddadl. Yr wyf wedi sylwi mai lleiaf fyddo y pwnc hawddaf fydd cael siarad arno. 0 ran hyny am bethau lleiaf crefydd y mae y dadleuon poethaf. Y defodau a'r gwisgoedd, y petbau allanol sydd yn rbanu crefyddwyr yn fynych. Bid sicr y mae yr arweinwyr yn gweled rhyw ystyron dwfndreiddiol o dan y ddefod a'r wisg, ond nid yw y llu o olynwyr yn gweled ond yr arwydd ac yn dadlu am hwnw. Gwelais hanesyn am ddwy long yn cyfarfod a'u gilydd yn y niwl yn amser rhyfel a chan dybied mai gelynion oeddynt, yn tanio ar eu gilydd ond pan wasgarodd y niwl yn cael mai pertbyn i'r un wlad oeddynt, ao na ddylasent niweidio eu gilydd ar un cyfrif. Felly yr ymddengys y dadleuon crefyddol ryw ddydd pan godo y niwl. Doeth y gwnaeth eglwys Maengwyn yn sicrhau yn feddiant y tir y tu ol i'r capel. Y mae gan- ddynt le yu awr i adeiladu ystafell gymwys i'r organ ac hefyd ysgoldy ac ystafelloedd eraill at eu gwasanaeth. Hyiwydda cael ystafelloedd cyfleus a goleu lawr ar y gwaith. Rhyfedd gymaint a wnaed yn y gorphenol er pob rhwystr ac anghyfleusdra; ond nid yw byny yn un rheswm dros beidio symud pan mae'r golofn yn arwain, a'r ffordd y cyfeiria yn yr oes hon, yw i gymeryd gafael ar bob cyfleusdra all fod yn fantais i'r gwaith. Dylid gofalu am gadw yspryd gweithio yn fyw a heinyf, onide aiff y manteision allanol yn rhwystr yn lie yn help. Rhaid gwylied rhag i'r allanol wthio i le yr ysprydol. Gall yspryd wneud llawer mwy o waith pan y caiff gyfryngau at ei bwrpas. Ond ni wna y cyfryngau, pa mor gyflawn bynag y byddont yn lie yr yspryd. Pe byddai raid dewis rhyngddynt am na cheid ond un ein dewisiad dibetrus fyddai, rhoddweh i ni yspryd gcveithio, fe grea hwnw ei offerynau ryw sut. Ond ni chyfyngir ni i'r naill heb y llall a mynwn y ddau, yr yspryd a'r cyfleusderau. Da genyf weled y gwaith yn myned ymlaen gyda'r addoldy yn Ffordd Rhydyfelin. Gellir gweled erbyn hyn y bydd gryn lawer barddach a mwy cysurus yn ei ddiwyg newydd. Ofnaf mai nid bycban fydd y draul a gobeithiaf fod yr arian yn dod i mewn i gyfarfod a'r gofyn. Dyma gyfle arbonig i'r rhai sydd wedi derbyn budd a bendith o fewn ei furiau i dalu y pwytb yn ol trwy anfon oyfran i gynorthwyo y rhai sydd heddyw o dan bwys y gwaith a'r gofal. Erbyn y gorphenir y capel ao yr mdeiledir y rhes tai ar y maes wrth ei oohr bydd newid yn ngwedd y rhan hon o'r ffordd. OWTUWK.

TWELVE PLACE NAMES IN MONTGOMERYSHIRE. [By "BITA."] INTRODUCTORY. The study of Welsh place-names is ever an interesting one, because they are either descriptive of the situation or derived from some person or circumstance connected with its early hist< ry; and where the original meaning has in the course of time became somewhat obscured, as in the cases under consideration, either by the corrupting influence of provincialism or by the use of a dominant alien language, it would be folly to dogmatise, because there is ever ample scope and possibilities of fresh discoveries to the diligent student of the nubject, and it is with a realisation of that possibility that the following solutions are submitted :— ABERMULE. A hamlet and railway station 31 miles east of Newtown; Aber is a common prefix in Welsh and Scottish place-names, and is generally applied to the mouth of the smaller stream where it falls into the greater, forming a junction or confluence here of the brook Mule with the river Severn; Mule is the name of a brook which rises near the Two Tumps (Tumuli) on Kerry Hill, south of Dolfor, and running east in a course of about 11 miles past Kerry and Fronfraith, falls into the Severn at Abermule. It is spelt Mulle on an old map dated 1620, but this is only the phonetic English equivalent of an older form of spelling the name of this brook which we find in the Welsh Brnt y Tywysogion (Account of the Princes) in 1203, viz., Miwl, see Mont. Coll. II, p. 173; but Miwl, however, is not Welsh (the Welsh for Mule is Mules), and probably pertains, like Cerist and Tarannon—the names of two other Montgomeryshire streams—to a language and people anterior to the Welsh. KERRY. The name of a parish on the southern borders of the county; its area is 21,654 acres, and it is the third largest parish in the county, being only ex- ceeded by mountainous Llangurig and Llanbrynmair. There are many variants in the spelling ot this name, as well as speculations as to its meaning and origin. I have met with the following: In a poem by Owen C'yfailiog he spells it Keri in the Brut y Tywsogion, p. 645, Circa 1237, a Cheri Dafydd ap Gwilym, Mont. Coll. II, p. 360, "Caor Geri"; then it is called the Commot of Kery in Cantred of Melenith, Mont. poll. I, p. 235, and that it means a wooded mountain," page 238. with which the Rev Walter Davies in his survey, agrees Browne-Willis in his survey of the Diocese of St. Asaph (Circa 1720) describes the Church as then called Llaufihangel yn Ngheri," which be translates (sic) The Church of St. Michael in the Highlands" (M. Coll. II, p. 11). The Rev John Jenkins, a former Vicar of the parish and an antiquary of high repute, in his MSS prefers to derive its name from a pen teulu (chief or head of a family), such as i'er Hir Llyngwyn (Iolo MSS, p. 343), whose patrimony is said to have lain here, and who'had a residence at Porth Kerry in Glamorgan; but the fact that there is a county Kerry in Ireland I consider goes against this view. That it is a corruption of" Caerau," fortified places, vide E. R. Morris' History of Kerry, Mont. Coll., Vol. Ill, has much to commend its acceptance. It was a border- land country, and, therefore, exposed to the raids and forays whi3h agitated the borders in those troublous times necessitating the formation of camps and watching places, many evidences of which are still to be found scattered over the parish, and "The Moat," the present Vicarage of Kerry, is the site of the ancient castle of the Lords of Ceri. It was reckoned as English territory at the Domesday Survey (A.D. 1086), and we may rely that its old possessors hlld not willingly yielded it up to the Saxon foe. "Ceri" is the Mountain Ash which is said to have flourished luxuriantly in these parts, and from which, in my opinion, the place name is derived, for there is abundant evidence that it was a densely wooded country throughout the border wars, well entitling it to be called "a wooded mountain and Caer Geri." GUILSFIELD. Is the name of a large inland parish in the north- east of the county; it has an area of 15,311 acres. The Welsh name of this parish is Cegidfa. The Parish Church here was founded by St. Aelhaiarn A.D. 600 (Ree.' Welsh Saints, p. 275), and dedicated, according to the Diocesan Calendar, to St. Tyssilio and All Saints," but Pennant, in his Toura in Wales, says that the Church is dedicated to St. Giles (Mont. Coll., II, p. 359), and I have seen the parish called Gilfield in an old reference to it—so whatever about the dedication the present name seems to be a corruption of Giles' field. LLANDINAM. This is another large parish on the southern border of the county, embracing an area of 18,565 acres (it is aext in size to Kerry); it is spelt both Llanddinam and Llanthinam, A.D. 1162, in an article. Mont. Col. Vol. I p251. An easy meaning to give to this name would be Dinam's Church, there is, however, no such name as Dinam in the category of Welsh saints, and the Church at Llandinam is dedicated to St. Llonio, who flourished in the early part of the sixth century then Llan does not always, neither did originally mean a church, but refers rather to the churchyard as the word implies an enclosure, the same as in perllan, gwinllan, ydlan, i.e. orchard, vineyard, and oornyard or rickyard, as we say it was properly applied to a choioe or fertile spot enclosed, and subsequently to the sacred edifioe itself. Kil" is its equivalent in Ireland and Scotland. "Dinam" is a Welsh word meaning faultless it may also be a man's proper name, e.g. Llys Dinam," is the name of a mansion near Newbridge on Wye but history records no such person as having ever been connected with Llandinam; and having regard to the situation and site of Llan- dinam churchyard, I should, Bay that it is a "fault- less enclosure." MACRYNLLETH. An ancient borough town and parish in the extreme weat of the county. I have tried the following solu- tions of the origin of this apparently inscrutable name, with, to me, a progressive degree of success :— (1) That Mach is a mas. form of bach-a nook, corner, or angle, as in Bach-y-graig and Bach-y-saint, fem fach, as in Fachwen, Gilfach, etc.; and that ynlleth is a mutated form of Cynlleth, which is the name of a stream in the parishes of Llansilin and Llangedwyn, with which district Owen Glyndwr, who had his Parliament House at Machynlleth, was connected; but I find there is no stream at or near Mach- ynlleth that can be associated with that name, and that it was a lordship in West Denbighshire that gave to the Welsh chieftain-by inheritance-the appella- tion of Lord of Cynlleth," within which domain his mansion of Sycharth was situate. (2; That Mach means a high ridge, a barrier, a defence used as a prefix in Machen and Mechain, and in many names in Ireland, and as a suffix in Armagh, yn is in or on, and Llaith, Llaeth, or Llethr—a slope, but this definition does not correctly describe the situation of the place, so we come to No. 3. Maglona, its first recorded name in the Roman period. Welsh Lluoedd-hosta, in reference to the Roman soldiers stationed there, and the following various spelling of the name have been noted, viz., (1) Maglona of the hosts, (2) Magl-n, (3)Magn-l, (4) Maghn-l, (5) Maghen- leyd A.D. 1253, («) Maghenleyt, A.D. 1309, (<) Mathenli, A.D. 1291, (8) Mach-llunlloedd, (9) Llyn- lloedd-Llynllo, (10) Manghenteleth, (11) Maghunteley, (12) Machynlleth. Thus the name emerges as a cor- ruption of the first part of the old Roman name of the place and of its Welsh equivalent, which latter is still -almost perfeotly-enahrined in the name of the man- sion near by, of Llynlloedd (lake of the hosts), the residence of Mr Gillart. SHORROD. This is the name of a small holding in the parish of Newtown, in.the direction of Kerry. I have seen the meaning given as the place of peat dust," but there ie no trace of a turbary (Fawnog) here, and it is unlikely place to find peat, neither does that meaning accord with the old time pronunciation of the place, which was shw-rwd-all the older inhabitants of Newtown will reoollect Dick Shwrwd," not Shorrod. Shwa is a woman's proper name, we have it exempli- fied in the place name Penshwa rwd or rhwd is the Welsh form of rood, and the meaning is Shwn's patch or portion, not necessarily the fourth part of an acre. EBRANDY. The name of a farm and mill in the parish of Llan- llugan. Ebrandy or Ty Ebran is a good old Welsh word meaning "Provision (or refreshment) house," for horses and other beasts of burden (see Gen. 4S. 24v. Welsh version) and as such, this was appro- priately situated on the old hill road between Pool and Carno. It may have been an adjunct to the old Cistercian Nunnery at Llanllugan near by, but I have no authority for this conjecture. That such houses are now called Brandy House or Brandy Shop is a sad evidence of the corruption that prevails. GETHIN. Is a farm mostly in the parish of Llanllwchaiarn, but part of the house and of the land is in Bettws, and a small portion of the land is in Aberhafeap the division of the parishes goes through the kitchen, but the hearth or domicile is in Llanllwchaiarn. I have seen various meanings given for the word Gethin, such as dusky, foul, rugged and if that first named will admit of gloomy it will correctly describe the situation or aspect of the place, which is low-lying and surrounded by woods. MEIFOD. This is the name of another large inland parish in the north-east of the county, containing 12,925 acres. There is considerable mystery surrounding the ongm of this name. those fond of traditional folk-lore tell us that the church here, or one of the three churches which its ohurchyard once contained (Rees Welsh Saints), was intended to be built elsewhere, and stones were carried for that purpose, but during the night the stones were removed to where the church was built, and the voice of Gwynfardd, an anchorite, who lived on the brow of a hill, was heard at midnight in the valley warning and directing the workmen where to build by repeating the words Dyma'r fan aiyaaifod Mid Yam i fod." heaoetke name Meifod. Thottas Pzioe, the local antiquary, in a letter dated 12th April, 1701, arguea that it is the site of the Roman station Mediolanum, and that Meifod is a corruption of that name (Mont. Coll. IV., p. 197) Pennant, the traveller, agrees with this view and adds that it is a Latinised form of Meuddwylan (p. 198). The late Mr R. Williams says "probably the name signifies the cove at the head of the moiat or meadow land (p. 197). Dr. Owen Purhe contends that it means a "champaign place of settlement," which appears to me to be a natural and correct view, because Mai is the Welsh for a plain or champaign country, and the Meifod Valley fully answers to that description, and when bod is affixed, here inflected fod, the compound implies a champaign dwelling. It is certain from the earliest times Meifod has been a place of great importance, ecclesiastical as well as civil, and another solution of the name is that it is derived from "Mai-fod," a summer residence from the probability that it was at first the summer resi- dence of the Princes of Powys. and after the destruc- tion of Pengwern (Shrewsbury) it became the perman- ent abode, whose castle stood at Mathrafal and whose burial place was the Church of St. Tysslio at Meifod. CLATTER. A hamlet in the parish of Llanwnog. Some of the highest local authorities have concluded that this name is a corruption of Caled-dwr-hard water. A similar corruption emerges in Cletterwood, the name of a township m the ancient parish of Buttington. GREGYNOG. th»theofrTotrH°ISe,7ihire of Lord ^oicey. latelv ? eie £ *nd ^merly for hundreds of years the ancestral home of the Blayney family. It j19 of Tregynon, about six miles north of ISewtown. Lewys Dwnn, the Welsh Herald and geneologist(anativeof Bettws Cedewain), tempo. Elizabeth, m his pedigree of the Blayneys, skys that they derived from Meilyr Gryg of Llwynmelyn, circa 1197 (Llwynmelyn is a farm on the Grervnosr estate two miles east of Gregynog Hall), so that Grgy is a man's proper name or surname; yn and on are both plural forms of Ash (singular Onen), we have the former in Gwdenynog (Llanfair). Og occurs fre- quently as an affix in both propor and common nouns. In the former it means residence or abode, and in the latter in reference to animals, its retreat or habitat, and in reference to trees and plants, where they thrive, luxuriate, or abound, so that Gregynog means Gryg's (home), where the ash trees abound. It should be spelt Grygynog, and pronounced as if spelt in English Greegeenog. The Welsh poet Cynddelw (12th century) spells it both Grugunau and Gru- gunawg (Myfr. Arch. p. 184), but the spellinp, of the middle ages-even of the poets-is not reliable, and you would look in vain for Grug-heath within about three miles of either Gregynog or Llwynmelyn, and grug is incongruous with ynog. BRIMMON. The name of three farms in the parish of Newtown, they are situate on a rising ground or foothill between the town and the more elevated Vastre (y Fae tre- the open field or common of the town), and severally designated Big, Middle, and Little Brimmon. The nume is probably a corruption of either Brvn-On- Ash Hill-or Bryn Mawn—Peat Hill. In regard to the former, it is not inappropriate, because ash trees always thrive on these farms but the formation of the present name more accords with a derivation from mawn. When two proper nouns, such as Bryn Mawn, form a compound the tendency is to shorten the name and to transpose the accent to the first syllable, e.g., Bryn Gwyn to Bryngwyn, Bryn falch to Bryntalch. I can, however, find no trace of a Turbary (Fawnog) en either of these farms-which I i think would be essential to support the latter derivation. The above essay won second prize at Newtown 1909 Eisteddfod, and was contributed by Mr J. Hamer Jones, Pantmawr, Bettws.

Montgomery Surveyor's Salary. SHOULD THE COUNTY TOWN PAY MORE THAN £ 7 10s? f What does the Montgomery Council pay to this Council for the service of our Surveyor?" was the query that Mr Edward Davies, Felindre, put at the Forden Rural Council maetinp laafc Wed- nesday. -0 "Not enongb replied Mr John Edwards. The Clerk (Mr C. S. Pryce) said that the Mont- gomery Council paid £ 7 10s. Considering the work done by the Surveyor, as shown by newspaper reports of the Montgomery Council meetings, Mr Davies questioned was that a fair proportion. Mr John Edwards: We had a committee on this business when the District Council started, and I fought hard against it. The Chairman (Mr William Pritchard): It is the result of a conference we had. Mr Davies: But there are other people on the Council now, and it is the beginning of the year. The Chairman: Do you want a revision ? Mr Davies; I don't quite understand the thing. It was left te one or two. Mr Edwards No, there was a committee. Mr JDavios What is our position ? The Clerk: We reoewe from the Montgomery Corporation t7 10s, and out of that we pay the Llanfyllin Rural Council X2 2s 9d, Chirbury Rural Council Al IS 4d, and the Newtown and Llanidloes Rural Council 5s 3d a year. Mr Davies What is the propot tion of the work you have to do between the Forden and Mont- gomery Councils ? The Surveyor (Mr W. P. Hole) It depends on what is going on. Mr Davies Well, you know! Mr John Davies: It SEEKS A VERT SMALL AMOUNT, according to the public reports of the Mont- gomery Town Council, for the services of the Surveyor, because he seems to be water-engineer and all sorts of things (laughter). I do really think the matter should be revised. Mr Edward Davies: Since this settlement was made they had bad auctions in Montgomery, and all sorts of things have to be seen to. The work is a great deal more in Montgomery now than it was in those days. The Surveyor This salary was fixed upon soon after Montgomery was incorporated. Until then Montgomery was a parish comprised within the area of Pool and Forden Highway Board. The Montgomery people applied to the Board to retain my services as Surveyor, and the salary was fixed then on the valuation of the parish not on the mileage. Mr T. Rogers What do the auctioneers pay the Town Council ? The Chairman: That is outside our province. Mr Rogers: But I think that entails more work on the Surveyor. They get more than X7 10s from the auctioneers. Mr Richard Jones: Has the work increased since the Surveyor took it over ? The Chairman: We know it has. Mr Edward Davies: Is it a fact you have to take men from the Forden district to Montgomery to scavenge the town ? The Surveyor: We don't have to, but we do it. The Clerk: These men are paid by Montgomery. The Chairman, with the Vice-Chairman (Mr Hurlbutt), Messrs Richard Jones, Edward Davies, and T. Rogers were elected a committee to enquire into the matter.

GOLF. WELSHPOOL v. CHIRBURY. Welshpool entertained Chirbury in the return fixture on Saturday week, when hononrs were again divided. At the close of play there were two byes to play, and Mr Peppe halved his with Mr Rogers, but the rain which came on about 6 p.m. prevented Mr T. Hiles and Mr S. Knowles from deciding their bye. The match was very keenly fought, and some capital cards were filled in. The scores were as follows :— Welshpool. (JhirDury. J Lane 0 Dr Walker 1 Harper 1 G Morgan Owen. 0 Captain Westby. i RevP Lushington 1 NPowell. 0 D Jones Ii T Hiles 1 S Knowles 0 Colonel Twyford. 1 C Spackman 0 Rev D Morgan 1 W R Shaw. 0 C Peppe 0 R Roers. I 4i: 4* NEWTOWN v. TOWYN. Played at Towyn on Saturday, 17th inst. The visitors were hopelessly outclassed, but were splendidly entertained. The Newtown Captain (Mr S. P. Powell) played a brilliant game: ewtown. Towyn. S.P.Powell 1 de Wattville. 0 M. Woosnam 0 Col. Lewis 1 J.A.Jones. 0 A. W. Pryce-Jones. 1 Ernest Norton 1 Tom Jones 0 E. Powell 0 S. Hardie 1 Canon Woosnam 0 R. B. Yates 1 D. H. Lewis 0 E. J. Evans 1 C. W. Norton 0 R. M. Kinsey 1 James Wall 0 Laurence Jones 1 J. E. Roberts 0 O. P. Jones 1 E. Lewis (pro.). 0 George Gadd (pro.) 1 2 9

J Welshpool Wardens as Free Traders. Sir,-I was glad to see that in your issue of April 20th you give due prominence to the fact that the vestry meetings at Welshpool are held at an hour at which but few of the parishioners are able to attend. The difference in the numbers of those who attended the Newtown and the Welsh- pool vestries—100 and 17 respectively-speaks for itself. And we had always prided ourselves that Welshpool takes the palm over Newtown in mat- ters ecclesiastical. Those of us who found it impossible to attend at the legal and military hour of 10 a.m. owe a debt of gratitude to you for giving us the most interesting report of the vestry proceedings, which is not only verbatim but also gives some descrip- tive tcuches. Thus we, the less fortunately situ- ated parishioners, were able to see what was going on and how the churchwardens spent our money. One item in the St. Mary's wardens' account is particularly interesting to those tradespeople who belong to and support the Church. I mean the item termed Harrod's. Fixtures, .£1 6s." What a fund of information Captain Westby must have conveyed to his hearers when he announced this contribution towards the receipts of the famous London stores. One cannot h"lp asking what were those fixtures, and was it utterly impossible for a local tradesman to supply them ? If so, what a curious item to occur in the wardens' accounts of St. Mary's, Welshpool. I fail to see a corresponding item in the Christ Church wardens' accounts. But, Christ Church being the poorer and less fashionable place of worship, the wardens of that Church seem content to support those who support them. But your report omits the name of the architect who was consulted by the parish churchwardens before the stuccjiug the 13th century tower of that venerable t.uLlding, Yllur. etc., Welshpool. ONE WHO WAS KOT THERE. [The reason why the name of the architect was omitted from our report was because his name did net transpire at the meeting.—ED ]

The Borough Member and the Suggested Cavalry Depot at Welshpool. Sir»~R0ferring to the comments in the County Times of the 10th inst., on the fact that Mr Haldane did not answer me on the Wednesday afternoon, 7th A-pril, on the cavalry depot ques- tion, I ask leave to say that no blame attaches to him on that score. I brought the matter up by arrangement with him, and though there was a Cabinet Council that afternoon he came into the House three times to try and fit in his presence with my speech in order to reply. In theory any member can bring up any sub- ject on the adjournment; in practice the whole day is given to such subjects of general interest as may by arrangement be discussed. For in- stance, the Opposition had the Declaration of London, the Labour Party, the Old Age Pensions Act, the Irish as their subject, and so on. A member with a subject in which his own constitu- ency only is interested, has a small chance. I did, however, after waiting all day, catch the Speaker's eye after the general subjects were over, but it was then five o'clock, and Mr Haldane had to leave Victoria at 5-30 for Germany. He was anxious to reply, and I have moved to reduce his salary by RIOO-a mere formality, of course, since he earns every penny of £ 5,000—in order that he may do so on the appropriate vote in Committee. The County Times for the 17th inst. publishes an interview with Colonel Pryce-Jones on the subject of my speech, which it observes was un- fortunate on the occasion on which it was delivered, but the County Times is evidently unaware of the difficulty which exists in bringing before the House matters in which one member only is chiefly interested. The day of adjourn- ment is almost the only day on which this can be done, and few, indeed, get a chance even then. As to Colonel Pryce-Jones' suggestion that I should obtain the support of the Welsh party, which he himself when he was in the House was necessarily unable to command, the suggestion is equally admirable and obvious, and I should, of course, adopt the suggestion if I had not antici- pated it. I had, however, put the matter down on the agenda paper for the meeting of the Welsh party fixed for this day, and a resolution was passed to the effect that the Welsh party wishes to urge upon the Secretary of State for War the superior claims of Wales to those of Lancashire in respect of a cavalry depot for the Western Command. This is being forwarded by Sir Brymnor Jones. with a special reference to the claims of Welshpool and to my speech on the day of adjournment. The reasons why I moved the resolution in the terms stated are too obvious to require explanation. Had I found any Weleh Dreadnoughts, to use Colonel Pryce-Jones' meta- phor, cruising about the House that day I should have enlisted their support and brought their broadsides into action, and I would have welcomed above all others the support, which I should certainly have got, of H.M.S. Montgomeryshire." I am sure the commander of this ship, our re- spected County Member, will, when occasion offers, bring his guns into action along with those of all the other Dreadnoughts in the Welsh party. If anyone has any further suggestion to make, I shall be most happy to take it to heart and act upon it at once, sincerely hoping we may be successful. -Yours faithfully, J. D. REES. House of Commons, April 20th, 1909.

Stucco, Evergreens, and Pool's Church Tower. Sir,—May I be permitted, on behalf of a very large number of parishioners, to voice their most grateful thanks to Mr Robert Owen for his out- spoken remarks upon the work recently done at St Mary's. Unfortunately, owing to the incon- venient hour chosen for the meeting, many of us who would have supported him were unable to be present. I personally regret that he should have withdrawn the words Bad taste." Most cer- tainly the work could not be described as Good taste," so what taste it comes under I fail to com- prehend. The Churchwardens of Welshpool, in the past and present, have had much to answer for. They can certainly congratulate themselves on possess- ing at present a church from which very nearly every object of beauty and interest has been carefully removed, and which shows in a most painful and startling manner the vandalism which has had such full soope and play within its walls. The dictionary definition of a Churchwarden is One who takes care of Church property a legal representative of the parish-an officer who keeps and guards." There seems but a hazy idea of keeping and guarding the things of beauty, which ought to have been kept^s a joy for future generation in Welshpool. Look at the record—The 14th Century East Window, removed and destroyed in 1856. The Early English font buried. The bouth porch and door removed to make way for the present modern substitute. The battlements from around the chancel walls ruthlessly destroyed and the rubble steeple en the tower removed by order of these same early Victorian Guardians of Church property. The Georgian Vandals and Goths were responsible for the destruction of the exquisite Rood Screen and the Clerestory and ancient windows and buttresses. But more modern offenders must answer for the stowing away behind the organ, where nobody can even get a glimpse of it, of the only ancient window left to us. The interior of the Church has been recently made more deplorable than ever by the painfully new and plain match- board work at organ and vestry. Surely, the Wardens cannot call this good taste." The drear and weird looking north gallery is the first thing that slaps one in the face on entering this wreck of a 13th Century Church. But one receives so many shocks and slaps to the artistic nervous system in the examination of the poor Church that the tortured tourist must retire wondering why such things should be. Is this the result of Churchwarden good taste?" And, to crown all, stucco now replaces the ancient red sandstone base of the tower. Surely if the wardens of Church property call this good taste, why have they endeavoured to hide their delinquencies by hurriedly planting evergreens in front of the stucco. Is it a case of covering up a multitude of sins ? But to go to facts. Surely, if the tower was in such a dangerous state the parishioners ought to have been notified and given a chance of contri- buting towards preserving the old fabric. The Ludlow parishioners a few years ago repaired their tower at an enormous expense. Bat the plea of lack of æ s. d. seems feeble under the l' circumstances. One knows there are several ways of raising the ecclesiastical wind besides collec- tion in Chureb.-Yours, ate. Vaaa SAP. Walshpool, Eye of St. Mark's.