The Montgomeryshire Express and Radnor Times

"NOTHING but UNHAPPINESS." The Woes of a Young Welshpool Wife. Newtown Man's Alleged Neglect. No Home of Their- Own. Painful Letters. A Welshpool girl, who had been employed by a Newtown confectioner, was wedded on Novem- ber 25th, 1907, at Caersws Baptist Chapel, to a Newtown tailor. This marriage had a sad develop- ment at the Welshpool Borough Sessions last Tuesday, when, aged only 22 years, Mrs Lilian Poulton, Church-road, Mount-street, summoned Thomas Poulton (31), jun., Lady well-street, Newtown, for unlawfully neglecting to provide maintenance for her and her infant child, and by such neglect causing her to live separately from him. Mr Richard E. George, solicitor, Newtown, appeared for defendant, who was allowed to sit at the solicitors' table. Mrs Poulton conducted her own case, which consisted of her evidence alone- a task that kept her standing in the box for an hour. The Mayor (Mr T. J. Evans) presided, and with him on the Bench were Messrs D. P. Owen, William Humphreys, J. Pryce Jones, and Maurice. Jehu. Mrs Poulton said they bad one child—a little boy-who was seventeen months old on the 4th of this month. At the time of the marriage, and afterwards, she had lived at Welsh pool with the people who bad adopted her since she was a child. Her husband lived at Newtown, and had been coming weekly DOWN TO WELSHPOOL OVER THE WEEK- END. She had been living fairly, but not very comfort- ably her husband had paid. her from 8s to 12s weekly out of his standing wages, 2Ss. Whilst giving this evidence Mrs Poulton every now and then looked down, and in answer to the Justices' Clerk (Mr C. Pryce Yearsley) explained that it was a book in which she had been making notes. February 5th, Saturday, he came that day," she continued," and on the following Sunday we had a few words. He cursed me, and cursed my baby also, told me distinctly he was tired of me, and tired of keeping me. On the following Saturday he came and took his box away. He gave me 10s. He told me he was tired of me, and tired of keeping me; he didn't give any reason. He said he had brought a lawyer's letter, and in that letter he could demand the child. He has given me nothing for my main- tenance since. He told me that he wanted the baby because he thought his mother was better able to look after it. Witness now handed a letter to the Clerk, with the explanation, "This is the letter his mother sent me in reply to a wire I sent him. He wasn't man enongh to answer me Mr George No, no You mustn't say that. Her husband, continued witness, said, when he fetched his box, that he would allow her 10s a week till April. On Saturday, February 19th, he came into the house and tore the baby off her in a most cruel fashion. She was in the kitchen, and HER FATHER WAS NURSING THE BABY, which was ill at the time. The Clerk: Who's your father ?—Mr Harris, Church-road. He isn't my father, but adopted me. What's his name ?-John Harris. I Her father, continued witness, had not inter- fered in any way. Her husband said to the baby "Come along," and showed his watch. She went for the baby; he tore it off her and took it into the street. It cried, and had nothing on but a night-dress and a littla shawl. Her husband would give no reason for his action, and Sergeant Hughes was brought to the house. She heard that he took the baby straight to Newtown she had not seen it since, and was not willing to part with the child. Witness said she had received a letter from her husband that it was better for them to part. SHE WROTE HIM A LETTER (post-marked February Sth), which was produced in Court by Mr George, and read by witness as follows:— Church-road, Mount-street. Dear Husband,— Just a few lines in answer to yours. Well, my cold is no better. In fact it is worse. I went through the market, and had to come back and go to bed, and here I've been ever since. I don't know what's the matter with me, but I can hardly walk. Well, when I married you I thought you would always take care of me, and still I am to stand by and hear you curse your own baby and your wife. Now, Tom. you know this is the third time you have done it. You told me I have no control over the kid. What I do you me.An by that- Am I not fi, m look after him You also said if you had a bit ot poison, you would soon end it off. Your work worries yn. Don't you think it is your place to keep us ? you worry when you come here, and vou said you Luv.: had enough of it. Now I have told you what you said to me. I don't know what to think about you. Can you think for a moment you are the same man you were before we were married ? Well, Tom, something will have to be altered. I shall stand it no more, because I have had nothing but unhappiness since I have been married,— first through others, and then through you. I have done nothing to make you say such things, and I am sure Baby can't do anything. So, if you like to take him, you can do so. But-let me tell you this: You have no love for him. I hope you will forgive me writing this, but I feel quite justified and right in doing so. Let me know what you intend to do. You tell me you love me. How can a man love his wife or child, who has said aucu Liimgs :oeueve me to remain, your once love wife, LIL. THE HUSBAND REPLIED: I received your letter this morning, and I am sure it will be best for us to part. So I will come down about five to-morrow for my clothes, and I think you had better let me have the Baby. I am sure MOTHER will be able to take care of him better than you age. So, if you are willing, put his clothes together, and I will take him home with me to-morrow night." THEN MRS. POULTON WROTE: Church-road, Mount-street. In reply to your letter I have made up my mind to keep the Baby,-first, because he would not be con- tent up there, and, another thing, he has taken a great dislike to your mother. Of course, the child's nature teaches Irm. He knows who said such lies about me before we were married, and has been saying lots of little cant since. Why was Mrs Pool not afraid of me taking the case against her ? She said she could prove everything. Another thing, what are the other little things you. are tired of ? The fact of the matter is you were never intended for a married man, and I hope you will still remain with your mother. You have hinted at getting a home of your own. Why don't you do it ? For the reason you can't leave her. You think the best thing for us to do is to go our own way. Well, we can do so. You know we can never agree as husband and wife should do. Should I as a wife sit still and see you treat my baby cruelly? No, never, when you, who once promised to live with us, curse ua both. I have read your letter for Mr Howells, and told iim what you said on Sunday. They, who thought you such a devoted husband and daddy, know you in your true light. THE HUSBAND'S WARNING. The Clerk observed that he saw attached to one of the letters the following notice cut from a local newspaper: I hereby give notice that I will not be responsible for any debts contracted by my wife, Lilian Poulton Church-road, Mount-street, Welshpool, on and after this date. Dated this 24th day of February, 1910, "THOMAS POULTON (Junr.), Ladywell-street, Newtown." Asked if she had anything more to say, Mrs Poulton added that the Inspector for the Pro- vention of Cruelty to Children came to see her after her husband had taken the baby away. "Would you mind reading that, sir ? she asked, handing another letter to the Clerk. This proved ta be dated March 7th, from Dr Hawksworth, who testified, Mrs Poulton looked after her baby very well when it was ill." Cross-examined by Mr George, witness admitted that her HUSBAND HAD NEVER PUT HIS HAND ON HER since they had been married. Mr George: He's not a lazy man la any shape or form is he ?-I can't say for that. I know he is lazy sometimes. Mr George put to witness that, according to the correspondence read, she had agreed to part. And yet she charged her husband with wilfully neglecting her! "Well, no," she replied, "I can't say I have agreed to part. I tried to appeal to his better nature." Mr George: Never mind his better nature! Mrs Poulton said that when they were married Poulton was working in Newtown with Mr George Astley, tailor, where he had been for a number of years, and she was employed at Mr Bebb's. Mr George: Why was it you were married at Caersws ? Why didn't you go to Welshpool to be married ?—That was his suggestion. Whose suggestion was it that you should go to live to Welsbpool ?-He suggested that I should live at home because he had no money to make a home for me. The man who tells you that he has no money to keep a home is keeping on two at the present time, and since he married you!—Well, he must prove that. The Clerk: Do you mean he did not have the means of furnishing a house P Mrs Poulton: Yes. Mr George: From the day he married you he has been paying you so much at Welshpool, and been paying so much for food and lodging with his mother at Newtown ?—Yes. Which has consequently made it very much HARDER FOR HIM TO LIVE. Now, do you think any sane man would go on in the way he is doing now if he bad any free will in the matter, and if his wife was willing to live with him ? Do you mean to suggest that he lives much cheaper with you at Welshpool and he at Newtown?—He has suggested to me many times he would never make a home for me. Mr George: Didn't you refuse to go to New- town to live, as you would not leave your father ? -No, I didn't refuse anything of the sort Mr George put to witness how her husband expended his weekly wage of 283: 2s 3d a week railway fare, 8s 6d to his mother- Mrs Poulton: I was given to understand ho allows her 10s. 14s you had," proceeded Mr George, whereat witness exclaimed that her husband had never given her a proper allowance; she never had 14s in her life. So," continued Mr George, he has had left for himself to pay his club and find himself in clothes 3s 3d a week. Do you know that your husband went to see Mr John Jones, tailor, as to obtaining a job in Welshpool, so it would be better for both of you to live ? It was very hard for him to live at Newtown." No, he never said anything to me about that," answered Mrs Poulton. He might have gone." Mr George: I think your husband used to bring something down for the baby—food and clothes. These all come out of the 28s.—He never brought food. He brought clothes some- times. I understood his mother gave what he brought for the baby. Mr George You are rather of a morose nature ? You get SULKY AT TIMES, don't you ?—Well, no. You get morose at time ?- Well, I may do. And I think you have always been very jealous of your husband ?-No, I never have. You don't deny that you haven't used bad language to him on many occasions ?-I never have. At any rate for the last eighteen months there I has been a great deal of unpleasantness, which might not have occurred if you had gone to New- town ?- WeU, it was entirely his own fault. I have asked him many times to take a home for me. When the Doctor came to your child your husband and you had some unpleasantness about his condition ?—No. Looking at you, I pay you this compliment, you look very nice. But these are the clothes that this little dear wore that night coming from Welshpool. At this juncture the husband rose to his feet, and from a Gladstone bag on the table in front of him he produced a brownish shawl and a dingy little garment, which were handed to witness.' Mrs Poulton said they belohgsd to the child, bat were perfectly clean when it had them on the night it was taken to Newtown. Mr George I am prepared to go into the box and swear the opposite. The Mayor: Don't you think if we adjourn this case for a fortnight- Mr George: I am quite willing, but I should not like to interfere with my client. Here he is. If your Worship cruld speak to the two of them- The Clerk They are two young people; IT IS A PITY that they should come to loggerheads; there's 9. long time before them. The Mayor (to defendant) Can you make a home for your wife at Newtown ? Defendant: Can 1! The Mayor And will you ? Defendant: Not under the conditions, sir, I won't! The Clerk Then there is neglect straight off the reel. Mr George: There is an agreement to part. Mr D. P. Owen: He acknowledges he won't make a home for her. The Mayor: I should like to adjourn it. Let them sink the differences and begin again. (To Mr veorge) Do you think if we adjourn for a fortnight there will be some chance of settlement? Mr George I don't know. The advocate, having had a conversation with Client, added: No. I must take my -client's instructions, and he says that he can't settle it, your Worships. He prefers it to be settled to-day. The Clerk (to Mrs Poulton) Are you WILLING TO MAKE IT UP? —Not so long as he isn't (laughter). The Clerk: Never mind him. Are you willing to meet him if he is willing to meet you ? Yes. Mr D. P. Owen: Adjourn it tor a month. Mr George: I should be willing for the case to be adjourned for a fortnight or a month. But my client says no. He has firmly made up his mind, and he would like your Worships to hear his story. me Clerk now told Mrs Poulton to stand down. The Mayor then announced that the Bench had decided to adjourn the case for a month so as to enable husband and wife to sink their differences and make it up. Mr George: That is in face of my wishing to go on, your Worships ? The Mayor: Yes. We are iloing it with the sole idea that they will make it up- Mr D. P. Owen (to the Mayor): Don't express your opinion. The Mayor: I will do as I like. Mr D. P. Owen You must speak as chairman of the Bench The Mayor: I hope they will sink their differences,

AT Towyn, on Tuesday, a young man named Arthur Steward Moore, of Madeley. Staffordshire, was committed for trial at the quarter sessions on a charge of burglary at Talgarth Hall, Pennall, the residence of Mrs Flora Annie Steel, the novelist,

THE BOROUGH MEMBER IN PARLIAMENT. MILITARY DOCTORS. In the debate raised by Mr Kettle as to whether the medical diploma which is held to be sufficient for military surgeons .in India is also in all cases cases sufficient to enable the holder to be registered under the Medical Acts, and to be recognised as a qualified medical practitioner in this country, Mr Rees asked Does not the sys- tem of using these military doctors in civil employ during times of peace reduce the charge on the taxpayers, as compared with the system of having two separate services ? Mr Montagu These matters were fully dealt with in the papers laid before Parlia- ment last year. ASIATIC SAILORS (TREATMENT AND CONDITIONS OF WORK). Mr Rees asked the President of the Board of Trade whether any complaints were made by or on behalf of the deceased Asiatic coal- trimmer, Ali Mahomed Rajan; the Asiatic fireman, Annasalla Cadis Mahd and the Asiatic fireman, Sliibatoola Romeezoola, of the steamers Mahronda," of Liverpool Arracan," of Glasgow and City of Lon- don," of Glasgow, respectively and whether he has any official information showing that the crews of these steamers have complained, or have cause of complaint, of their treat- ment by the masters and owners concerned ? The Hon. Member also asked whether any complaints or claims for compensation have been made by or on behalf of the deceased Asiatic seamen, Vue Yu Aliu and Woo Chin Za, of the Prometheus," Liverpool of the deceased Asiatic, Rasan Ghalib, of the Tangistan," of Swansn of the deceased Asiatic saman, Riman Hussein, of the "Macedonia," of Belfast and of the de- ceased Asiatic fireman, Dong Chup, of the Chatham," of London and whether lie has any official information showing that the crews of these steamers have complained, or have cause of complaint, against the mas- ters and owners concerned ? Mr Buxton No complaints have reached me with regard to any of the cases to which he calls attention. But I desire to add that any bona-fide representations made from anyquarter in regard to the conditions under which firemen and others on board ship work will always receive my consideration. Mr Rees May I ask whether particulars upon which this question are framed are not available in the official returns. which have been published, and whether the sta- tistics do not show that violent deaths and suicides are fewer proportionately among Asiatic than European sailors ? Mr Buxton I do not think that is the point. The 'allegation is that, under certain conditions of temperature in certain hulls under which these firemen and others work, there is a tendency to commit suicide. What I pointed out was that I do not think it is necessary for me or the Board of Trade to wait to get representations from the crews themselves. So long as we get bona-fide representations upon the matter, we say it is our duty to consider the representations and to examine them carefully, in order as far as possible to reduce such evil results as those complained of. Mr Rees: Do not the official statistics show that the percentage of deaths on this account are lower among Asiatics, on the average, than among Europeans ? Mr Buxton Even though the percentage of deaths is low, everyone will desire to see it lower. THE MAD MULLAH. Following a speech upon the supplemen- tary estimates by Mr John Dillon, in which reference was made to the Mad Mullah, Mr 1?. rpu„ 1 1 j.. Vl AICCB icuiaiAcu He nan. iiieiiiDer ior Hiast Mayo (Mr Dillon) said that this Mullah was no madder than other people, and that might well be so, but I should be sorry to think it was a proof of sanity on his part, as the hon. member seemed to think, that he spent most of his time engaged in attacking the British. Mr Dillon What I said was that he said that the British spent most of their time in attacking him. Mr Rees I understood the hon. gentle- man to say that a proof of his sanity was that he was attacking the British. Mr Dillon Not at all. Mr Rees I draw from these premises the exactly opposite conclusion. The hon. mem- ber saiu Also that he has beaten us for ten years running, but that is by no means the case. It is the exact opposite. It is the fact that we have been engaged in desultory fnti spasmodic conflicts for periods of that L reason why they have been so much prolonged is not that we have been unable altogether to deal with this wild man I I 1 desert> but because it is our invari- able habit, whether a wise one or not, in dealing with enemies of this class, having defeated them, to treat them as fit examples displaced leniency, whereby opponents £ i- surt c°nsider tliat we are unable to take those steps which, in their eyes we uid not take when we could. Mr Dillon: When did we beat the Mullah ? Mr Rees I cannot agree with the hon. gentleman in this matter, neither do I think it is conclusively proved that these expedi- tions have cost the British Government £ 4,000,000. I should be loth to ascribe all the expenditure in Somaliland to this pur- pose. Of course, if you start from the stand- point that British prestige is nothing, that there is no pride in the British flag flying anywhere, or protection under it except in our own islands, and, I suppose, in the neighbouring island of Ireland, then the hon. gentleman may be right. As the exact contrary in the case, and as, matters on the shores of the Red Sea and the adiacent countries are such that British influence should predominate if possible, for the safety of our Indian Empire, I draw an entirely opposite conclusion, and believe this supple- mentary vote to be a sum of money which, though large, has been well spent, and that we could not, without great loss of British prestige, have treated the Mullah with that indifference which the hon. member for East Mayo recommends. He says, what have we got to show for this-money ? If everything were to be judged from the purely commercial point of view, I take it this House of Commons would never have been dealing with anything but the affairs of these small islands, and there would have been no British Empire for hon. gentlemen to criticise, and no British Empire, with servants in every part of the world, which the hon. member could criticise in that hostile spirit which he invariably adopts. It is true, as he says, that parties omp. ana parties go, but the Mullah is always with us. It is the nature of Mullahs that they are not to die Just like the Dalai Lama of inibet, with whc/m we are concerned at present. They appear, whether from heaven or elsevvhere and there is a succession of them. This Mullah may be the same one but even of that we are not sure. Persona- tior, i-, not so difficult in Somaliland as it is in the office of an old age pension agent. Ihe hon. gentleman said, and it is perfectlv "1 J .'1 nue, mat there are considerable hardships endured by our troops in pursuing this potentate, if that is a correct description of him. Incidentally, he referred to the tem- £ frn'h!~lrie' a?,d quii,te ri £ htb' paid it was often far higher than that that referred to as the fate of Asiatic seamen to-day. The hon. gentleman wanted to know what we have gained in pounds, shillings, and pence. If that had been the principle that had actu- ated us in the past we would never have had the Indian Empire, never regenerated Egypt, and never have had anything but this small island without any interest out- side it, not even across St. George's Channel. A colleague of the hon. member for Mayo on a previous occasion invited the Front Bench to state what were the military mea- sures which were in contemplation for, the purpose of crushing the Mullah. He wished them stated on the floor of the House, so that the Mullah, who seems to be a very up-to-date gentleman, might obtain, through his agents in London, the necessary infor- mation with which lie could more easily meet our soldiers. Mr Dillon Has he got agents in London ? ) He is a greater man than I thought. Has he got agents here ? Mr Rees Evidently. Then the hon. member proceeded to say that it would be much cheaper to pay the Mullah £ 2,000 or £ 3,000 per year. That was the precise course adopted by the Roman Empire, with which we are often compared. In its days of de- cadence it bought off the neighbouring bar- barians until the barbarians, being per- suaded of its weakness, came down and destroyed it. The hon. gentleman seriously put that forward as a policy, and he re- ferred to a similar policy which, he said, was pursued along the frontier of Afghan- istan. It is true it is pursued to some extent there, but speaking for my humble self I entirely regret it, and I believe it to be a bad policy. I think we do too much in the way of subsidy. I must point out, however, that the policy that is pursued on the Indian frontier is by no means the policy the hon. member, suggests. It is a policy no doubt of subsidy, but it is also of punishment wherever hostilities are engaged in against the British Empire. It is by no means the case that the British Government buys all barbarians on the frontier. It is the case that they smite them hip and thigh, and if they pursued the policy of subsidy less there would be less expenditure of treasure and blood and life on that frontier. I repeat that the tribes on the frontier are punished, and that such necessary pun- ishment is frequently commented on in this House as if it were a barbarity. Neverthe- less, in spite of these considerations which arose from what the hon. member said, no doubt it is desirable that this vote should be discussed. There are points in it which certainly make it desirable that a full ex- planation should be given. For instance, there have been no doubt serious raids in Somaliland. I see, from the latest informa- tion which reached me on the subject, that a great many people were lately killed and a thousand camels looted. The question arises, who amongst the different sections and tribes were the persons whose camels were looted and to some extent killed (la-ughter). That is not a slip on my part, because in the eyes of these tribes the loss of camels is regarded as equal to the loss of life. They place a different value upon human life from what we do in this House. I do not say who is right, but that is their point of view. At Aden, only a month ago, thirty of the Mullah's men attacked a friendly tribe and killed twenty. The Secretary of State for Home Affairs (Mr Churchill) The hon. gentleman is on the wrong side of the water. Mr Rees: The right hon. gentleman forgets that I have been in these waters far oftener than he has. I do not forget where Aden is, but I say that these men were in communi- cation with the Mullah, and said to be act- ing under his advice or orders. That is my information. I shall be glad to hear that I am wrong. Aden is some little way from Somaliland, but not very far as Oriental distances go. I may be entirely wrong in thinking that our advance posts in Somali- land have been brought back towards their base, thereby exposing friendly tribes to the resentment of the Mullah's people. An ex- planation on that point will be acceptable. If there is any policy of hasty withdrawal or of curtailment of the protected area, it must seriously injure British prestige, not only in Somaliland, but also at Aden, which is prac- tically the next door place, for, from an Oriental point of view, Aden and Somaliland are no farther apart than Middlesex and Berkshire. I so far agree with the hon. member for East Mayo that I do not think we can altogether subjugate Somaliland. I do not know that I would advise it. But in any case you cannot ignore the Mullah in the way the hon. member suggests, and it is necessary all over these regions that we 'should see that no tribes are the worse off for having been friends to the British. I Mr J. L. Baird 1 rise to ask for further information, and to endorse the remarks of we non. memoer opposite (Mr Rees). I sliari with him the good fortune of having been in the public service in the part of the world now under discussion, and I also par- take of his feeling of resentment at the speech of the hon. member for East Mayo. Mr Churchill, after referring to the inter- esting speech of the Borough Member con- cluded thus :—I hope the Committee will have confidence in the Government and will believe we are endeavouring to relieve the cost and strengthen the situation and con- tract the area of our responsibilities in Somaliland, and at the same time to do justice to our obligations to those who, through mistaken policy on our part, have been led to rely, to some extent, at any rate, upon the protection of our military forces. t Mr Rees May I ask two questions? I should like to ask the right hon. gentleman whether there is any ground for the assumD- tion which appeared to underlie the speech of the hon. member for Gravesend (Sir G. Parker) that if a railway was made up to a certain point in the interior the Mullah would wait at the end of that railway in order that he might be attacked at the ter- minus by our troops when they detrained. The second question I wish to ask the right hon. gentleman is whether General Manning, who is so conspicuously well suited by his experience and ability to deal with the pre- sent situation, has been, I will not say per- manently appointed, but whether, as such appointments go, lie has been more or less permanently appointed to Somaliland, or whether it is merely a temporary appoint- ment ? I think it would give general satis- faction if so able. an officer is likely to re- main where lie is whilst affairs are in their present condition. Mr Churchill I think it would be placing undue reliance on the somewhat slender qualifications of the Mullah to be classed as insane to base our railway or military policy upon the supposition that he would adopt such a simple course as that. With regard to the question asked about General Man- I 1- UlH, we nave sent general Manning out to look most carefully into this situation. He knows most thoroughly the view of the Government, he has worked for a long time in the Colonial Office, and he is perhaps more than any other officer on the active list thoroughly conversant with the condi- tions in Somaliland. I hope he may have the fullest freedom in any course which lie may think it right to adopt. THE NAVY. In the debate on the Navy, Mr Rees said he understood the First Lord of the Admi- ralty to say that the ships being built would be ready in 27 months. The Prime Minis- ter's assurance therefore, in April, 1908, that it would take the Germans 30 months to build a Dreadnought, while we could build one in 24 months, had been falsified. State- ments had been made that there was no proof to show that the Germans might ac- celerate their programme. He quoted the words of Colonel Gadke, an expert in Ger- many, showing that 16 capital ships could be completed by the beginning of 1912, and that the promises not to accelerate construc- tion any further before 1912 were only harm- less acknowledgments of the fact that no more money could be got out of the Reich- stag. That was, in his view, a material point. The- right hon. member for West Islington expressed his desire to help the u-overnment. it was possible, however, that the Government might say "non tali aux- ilio." The right hon. gentleman said that he did not_think they ought to take thought for to-morrow in regard to battleships, a statement which made him glad that Privv Councillors were not consulted on all occa- sions (laughter). The German Fleet was no more intended for aggression than our own Germany was but following the example of- all great commercial nations possessing a coast line, lor, as the amount of property to be insured increased, the amount paid in insurance must also increase. THE DEVELOPMENT FUND. Mr Rees asked the Parliamentary Secre- tary to the Board of Agriculture whether the Government proposed to give any grant for horse-breeding, and to arrange for the ear- marking of certain classes of horses which, in return for monetary consideration, their owners would undertake not to export, but to retain in the country for military pur- poses. Sir E. Strachey We hope to' be able to obtain a grant for the encouragement of horse-breeding out of the Development Fund established by the Act of last Session. The suggestion made in the latter part of the question is one for the consideration of my right hon. friend the Secretary of State for War. Mr Courthope Has any application been made by the Board of Agriculture with re- gard to this ? Sir E. Strachey We shall make it at the proper time. Mr Rees Would it not be possible, under some voluntary system, to make a payment once for all for the life of a horse and is it contemplated to establish a stud of brood mares ? Sir E. Strachey We hope to obtain a grant from the Development Fund for this purpose. As to the latter part of the question, it is purely hypothetical INTERESTING SPEECH ON ARMY AFFAIRS. In his speech during the debate on the Army, Mr Rees said:— The Secretary of State for War, when he disposed of the arguments of the hon. mem- ber for Hexham (Mr Holt), claimed that he had pursued a mean course. He said, In medio tutissimus ibis. I think he has indeed pursued a very satisfactory mean course, and if I might be allowed to cap his Latin with another quotation, I would say that he as a minister has fulfilled the Horatian conditions and may be described as Totus teres atque rotundus. I was greatly astonished that an hon. member, speaking in the sacred name of economy, should propose to wreck a fair scheme by a hasty and unconsidered reduction of 15,000 men. It might just as well be 115,000. It is merely put down in the name of a false and A SPECIOUS ECONOMY which it would by no means serve. As to the army in South Africa being too large, I do not think so. We cannot assume, in consequence of the Union, that our few fellow-countrymen out there are safe amongst millions of Africans. But if some really Imperial scheme could be devised, as I hope it will be in the future, and as it might have been after the Boer war, when one-eighth of the troops in the field were Colonials-by which the Colonial forces were really part of a truly Imperial Army, so that they could be called upon to redress the balance for the home army when re- quired, I think that something like what the hon. gentleman foreshadowed might be brought about, and the Colonies might not only be able to defend themselves, but also to relieve the strain on the British tax- payers—because, no doubt, it is a strain, though I maintain it would be the worst possible policy to relieve it in the manner suggested. In such a scheme as that we might have had the beginning of a truly Imperial Army. The hon. gentleman said that he would cut down our troops in the Mediterranean. I wish, on the contrary, that these Estimates contained some provis- ion' for teaching patriotism in our schools. It has become, I think, more than necessary that this should be taught in these days of a high civilization, for we are in danger of forgetting that civilization itself may dis- appear off the face of the earth if certain influences get the upper hand. We seem to be approaching that state in which it is really necessary in the interests of patri- otism that something should be done to counteract that unfortunate spirit which hon. members of this House have, to their sorrow, encountered in going up and down the country at election times. I wish my- self specially to refer to some remarks made by the right hon. baronet, the mem- ber for the Forest of Dean (Sir Charles Dilke), whom I always listen to with the utmost respect and attention, like all the other members of this House. While my right hon. tnenci was speaking, in my effort to learn and to put down exactly what he said, I endeavoured to make a precis of his remarks about invasion. If I were in- dexing a book such as the right hon. gen- tleman, who writes very good books, writes, I should say: "Preparation for invasion policy necessary to pursue in respect there- to policy naturally, but unjustly, at- tributed to that much-maligned bird, the ostrich." The right hon. baronet said: We cannot prepare for invasion if we are always talking about it." I do not know how we can prepare for invasion if we do not talk about it, and if we ignore it. It is true that it has been held in former times that the insular position t of the British Islands was sufficient projection. But that arose solely from the fact that there was no fleet which came within measurable dis- tance of our own. So far as I can under- stand, as soon as there is another fleet that is capable of coping with our own, our ir*- sular position becomes A DANGER instead of a source of safety, because in- stead of being a country which might be attacked over one, two, or three land routes, we become a country open to attack on all sides, by paths leading everywhere across the sea, unless our fleet it so immeasurably superior that no other fleet dare attack us. The right hon. gentleman pooh-poohed the idea of invasion. I do not propose to trouble the House with any lengthy re- marks upon a subject of which they would not acknowledge me to be that which I do not pretend for one moment to be, and that is an authority, but I cannot help remem- bering-I looked it up when the right hon. gentleman was speaking, in the Library-a book with which I am familiar, and which shows that in 1798 three French brigades landed on the coast of Mayo, and with a small body of regulars maintained them- selves in the field for seventeen days. They had hardly any artillery, and no cavalry, ihe possibilities of the situation were realised by General Humbert, who offered to land again the next year with io'^n trooPs if the French would give him .,000 men- I have never heard any proof given why, if the navy of a neighbouring country was as strong as our own-that is certainly its endeavour—the invasion of these shores should be impossible, or why a military authority like the right hon. baronet should hold up any such idea to ridicule as he he did in this House yester- day. He said, "No country can have a _+ g-uau ariiiy anct a great navy, and we will not have it The fact is no country can set down what it will have in this respect. What it must have arises solely from what is forced upon it by what its neighbours do. Germany has the greatest army on the Continent, and is setting to work to have the greatest navy. We can never have the greatest army that is quite clear. But I do think it is an extraordinary thing that the matter^ t>State for ^Var> who has brought matters to the present comnarati^w lfke°thisS' fr,r\hh0Ulc! bf-faced with a motion like this for the reduction of 15,000 men. MONTGOMERYSHIRE HORSES. I wish to say a word only—because I do not in the least pretend to be an expert—on a question that arises out of the require- ments in my own county. And that is upon the horse question. Montgomeryshire is famous for horse-breeding. It might be de- scribed in these days. when we arc all fami- liar with Elektra," as a country famous tor good horses and good scenery," a kind Colonos. We do breed extremely good horses. I should like very much to see some system, by which for one payment down, once and for all, the State could obtain a call upon horses suitable for mili- tary purposes, and that there should be a voluntary system of registration or par- marking. It is possible also that it may be desirable m some parts of the country—I do not think it is necessary in Montgomery- shire-to put some kind of tax upon sires in order to prevent breeding from indifferent sires which is so apt to spoil good stock in I many parts of the country. We want a Iiropi- grant, l think, for horse breeding. In Ger- many there is nearly £ 400,000 annually set £ 2^ 000 rlhlS pUfp0hSe' anc* in Austria £ Jo0,000. I happen to have seen these estab- lishments in Austria, and they are extra ordinarily efficient, and more should be done m this country to meet an admittedly diffi cult situation than is being done at the present moment. With regard to another point, speaking as a civilian, I should like to see something done to improve the posi- tion of THE BRITISH OFFICER. During my life and in connection with my work I have been brought into very frequent relationship with the British officer. I have lived in his mess and alongside him, and I know what an exceedingly hardworked man he is what a good fellow he is and how well he deserves of his country, how little prone to complain he is, and how anxious everyone who comes in contact with him is to see more justice done to him in this re- spect. I do not know any harder worked man than the Cavalry soldier. He is at work morn and noon and night, and any- thing more unlike the life of a cavalry soldier than that which is portrayed in shilling volumes on our bookstalls I cannot imagine. Continuing, the hon. member said that the existence of a nation is more important than the necessity of slightly improving the conditions of existence in the nation: In- surance must be first provided, and al- though I sympathise with the hon. gentle- men who spoke in regretting that we have to spend so much, surely we must remember that the amount of money spent upon arma- ments is only 3 per cent. of the annual income of the country. If that amount is heavy so is the property to be insured. Other countries have to pay a far greater percentage of insurance. It is all very well to say that if you had not to spend so much on insurance you would have more money for social reform, but IF YOU DO NOT SPEND the money on insurance you may find that you have nothing for reform. Nobody would suffer so much from letting down the insur- ance, and nobody is so much dependent on that insurance as the workers. I can hardly understand why it is that these votes are not supported by hon. members who, as soon as any hands are dismissed in a dockyard or in an arsenal in their own constituency, come down here at once and complain. They complain individually of that which they collectively approve. I think they are very inconsistent in that attitude, and hon. members who take that view when these individual reductions are made, are practi- cally, though not professedly, in agreement with myself upon these matters. In the French Republic, which is not now domi- nated by militarism as it was in the early days of Napoleon, the 'Foreign Minister, when a reduction was moved in the cost of armaments, lately said—" The spectacle we are witnessing, the care with which the greatest nations of Europe are attending to their armaments would alone suffice to put our patriotism on its guard." I cannot see how civilisation is to be really promoted unless those nations which are in the van of civilisation shall carefully ensure their own position, so that they shall continue to pro- vide for the spread of that civilisation of which we are all so proud, but which, I think. carried beyond a certain point seems to sap the strength of the over-civilised nation. I notice that in Australia, in a Bill which was introduced last year they have altogether 974,000 men available for the defence of the country, as against the small numbers which we have here and about which we are hearing to-night. They have that number of men for the defence of a country where you have a mere baga- telle of people per square mile. In Canada, I am told, they can put 1,000,000 trained men into the field. I AM A STRONG ADMIRER of the policy of the right hon. gentleman the Secretary of State for War, and I think lie has accomplished great things. Concluding, he said :—I think of all the achievements of the present Government, when it comes to an end, those of the Sec- retary of War are likely to be amongst the achievements which will be longest remem- bereci ana appreciated, because the right hon. gentleman has introduced a certain co- ordination into previously unconnected units, and, as far as I can understand as a mere civilian, he has done a great deal to produce the nucleus of a force which some day or other may be equal to the task be- fore it. What that task will be I do not care to inquire or to prophesy, but I cannot help thinking that it may conceivably be greater, at any rate, than some hon. mem- bers of this House seem to contemplate.

The Prudential's 1909 Figures. It is but saying what most folks know when we state that the chief event of this period of the insurance year is the publica- tion of the Prudential's report and accounts. Everybody in the business is anxious to know how our biggest company has done for everybody is curious about giants and wonders-and there is no doubt that the Prudential is the wonder of the insurance world. Year by year it grows by leaps and bounds. The figures it shows are so stupen- dous that one can scarce grasp them. What is additionally marvellous is that it is im- proving its benefits so quickly. In 1906 the company was paying an ordinary branch bonus of 30s per cent. In 1907 it increased this by 2s and again this year, as the present report shows, it has increased it by another 2s-thus making it 34s per cent. This increase is unequalled in the same period and it is one on which the manage- ment is to be heartily congratulated, parti- cularly in view of the financial stringency during the last four years. Many of the purely ordinary offices have reduced their bonuses in this period, yet the Prudential has made an increase twice Probably this increased ordinary bonus is the feature of •?i accounts. It is certainly one which W1.ring very great satisfaction to some millions of ordinary branch nolicv-bolders. The representatives of the company, too, will greatly rejoice, for not only does the increase more than justify the faith of the company which they have expressed to ex- isting policy-holders, it gives them a magni- ficent opportunity for new business. Another feature of the accounts is the increase in the industrial branch bonus. It is, of course, well known that industrial bonuses are of recent birth, and, indeed, are not yet generally given. In increasing its bonus, therefore, for the third time in three years the Prudential must be held to 'L.. nave accomplished a great feat. We refer readers to our other columns for details of the increase, but we would remark that this further generosity to the public must make the Prudential more popular than ever amongst the working classes. Other points we not in the accounts are that a splendid increase has been made in the industrial branch premium income. It was generally thought that owing to the state of trade this increase would be but moderate, but we actually find tliit, if, i« fai. great than the great majority of even the Rlgi !^CrKaSeS ^ast> anc*> indeed, that i, een exceeded by but one or two boom years. The conclusion we draw, then, is that the Prudential report is a magnificent one, worthy of the company with the largest number of policy-holders in the world, and a credit to everyone concerned. We are certain that there was never one which might well be received, by public and neurits alike, with greater satisfaction.—" The Insurance Mail."

-0 CHEAP DIVORCE. The Royal Commission investigatin0- the operation of the divorce law, with special reference to the poorer classes, heard the evidence of Mr Robert Moore, a barrister associated with the poor man's lawyer de- -1 partment of the Cambridge Union Settle- ment, London, S. He said that he was most struck with the frequency of parties living with members of the opposite sex without being married. They looked upon it as a matter of necessity, the marriage tie being I 1- 1 _1 nelU. in very low esteem. The women pre- ferred to be married, but mainly because of the legal hold they obtained over the men. The class concerned was large, nondescript, and mainly incompetent and helpless.

The death is announced of Mr George Whale, formerly chief mechanical engineer of the Londoneand North-Western Railway. I

NOT FOOLED AGAIN." LLANIDLOES COUNCIL AND A SANITARY DISGRACE." PROPERTY OWNER PILLORIED. The Sanitary Committee of Llanidloes was very active last Tuesday, judging by the report which Mr J. J. Meredith presented to the Town Council on Thursday night.. Their minutes included the following tren- chant entry:— Your committee visited Hafren-street, the property of Mr John Davies, and we were astonished to find the sanitary condi- tion very bad indeed, in fact worse that when we visited the place some months ago. Of the three w.c.'s in the lower yard, only one basin was free, and the water pipes to that was burst. The others were unapproachable. In the top yard he was asked some time ago to have additional w.c's. There is over six months since then, and he fixed two wooden closets against the house, but he has never connected them in any way whatever. In fact, the doors have been locked ever since, and also there is a water pipe, which was burst some months. ago, that has never been put right. So the committee want the Council to take strong measures to have this put right, and not be fooled again. So they recommend three days' notice." Mr J. J. Meredith (who submitted the report, and moved the adoption of this paragraph) said they had visited the place several times, and had VERY STRONG REPORTS upon it. There were about 16 or 18 houses there and only one w.c. It was no use the committee bringing their reports in if they did not enforce them. It was only shirking their duty, and he did not see why they should make some people provide w.c.'s for all their tenants, while others could do with one for 60 or 70 people. They had given Mr Davies seven days' notice, they had given him 14 he now proposed they give him three. Mr D. Owen: What happens after the three days' notice ? Mr J. Kinsey Jones: A summons. Mr Owen: It's not in the report, that's all (laughter). It's not a very nice subject to talk about, but somehow or other this matter has been spoken of here more than any other subject that I have noticed since I have been on the Council. The last time it was on the Council really by a majority stretched a point in his favour, and we all understood then that the matter was going to be put right. It may be that too lenient the Council have been in this matter alto- gether. I remember a couple of meetings ago we gave very strict orders to issue sum- monses on other defaulting parties, and this one was lying for all these months, SIMPLY IGNORING THE COUNCIL in every respect whatever, and simply be- cause other people were a little bit less deficient, issue a summons at once against them. But it seems the Council is afraid to proceed in this matter—the very case they ought to take up in the interest of public health. As Councillor Meredith has said, it is a standing disgrace, and, more than that, it is a danger to public health that such things are allowed to exist in a thickly populated part of the town. Mr J. Breeze: If the Sanitary Inspector brings his report here, and we don't act on it, it is not his fault it is our fault. Sanitary Inspector Morgan testified that he had notified Mr Davies about the de- cision of the last Council meeting. Another part of his property in Brook-street had been attended to, but not the place under consideration. Mr E. B. O'Neill added that Mr Davies had attended to his own house, as well as to Brook-street., but not to Hatren-terrace. The ex-Mayor (Mr E. R. Horsfall Turner): This matter has been before us several times. We ought to come to a certain de- cision on it now. Mr R. Jerman: Some twelve months ago I came home from work, and I found a letter there from Mr Woosnam from the Town Clerk, stating that unless a certain nuisance was abated in 14 days, proceedings would be taken. I WENT QUITE SICK when I saw it (laughter). I have been re- presenting the Woosnam family now for 30 years. It was never notified to me I was ignored I don't know why—because per- haps I am not well knovrn in the town (laughter). But that was the fact. I think it was a very strange thing to do. There have been things done rather in too much of a hurry. I don't say but what this has oeen standing too long—we are too extreme on both sides. I haven't told all of you be- fore, but I have told some few of you that it was a very unreasonable thing to send to Mr Woosnam, as if he had nothing to. do but clean drains. And his agent here! It turned out to be nothing but a little gully to be fixed inside the cow-byre. And we did so as soon as we heard of it, but we hear now it is not lawful to put it inside. The Surveyor says it should be inside, so we have gone a little beyond the law. Mr J. Breeze: Hadn't we better leave it till he has finished ? The workmen are there they are finishing. Mr O'Neill: There was NO SIGN OF ANY WORK being done when we were there. Mr Breeze: Yes, there was a man working there last night. Mr O'Neill: There was no sign on Tues- day of anything being done. And' I must say in backing up Mr Meredith that it is a disgrace to any man-I don't care who. he is, agent or owner-to leave the property in that state for that number of people. that they have no place to go to except the side of the river. As one of the tenants complained to me—" not only have we to go to the side of the river, but we have also to tramp through a lot of horse manure to go through that passage down to the river." The Council decided, without dissent, to give the three days' notice to Mr Davies- to put his property into a sanitary state otherwise that proceedings would be taken against him.

Colonel J. R. F. Sladen Killed. A NATIVE QF RADNORSHIRE. Colonel John Ramsay Frederick Sladen, ?-n i East Yorkshire Regiment, was killed while playing polo on Monday, 28th ult., 'at Allahabad.. Colonel Sladen was the son of Major- General John Ramsay Sladen, late R A of Rhydoldog, Rhayader. He was born in 1860, and joined at the age of 20 the 82nd -foot, and was transferred a few months later to the 15th Foot. He served in thA Afghan War of 1879-80 and in the Bu™«! expedition of 1886 with mounted infaTtry Promoted major in 1899, he took part in the South African War, and in June, 1901 as a result of his leading at the action of 'Gras- pan, was awarded a brevet lieutenant- ?! Wl- Ini addlti011. at the termination eSi be received the Queen's medal with three clasps and the King's medal with L_ Iwo claspei. Colonel Sladen afterwards oc- cupied the post of D.A.A.G. at Aldershot with the 1st Army Corps, under General Sir John French, and in 1908 obtained command of the 2nd Battalion of his regiment The deceased officer leaves a wid™" u

AN UNITED FREE CHTTRnw geliSl ^reeC^iurcbes1 incfudecl °f B 6„?»C.V Ur"' Sha^speare seoSy o/thJ Baptist Union on the subject of Free Churches and National Life." He said thlt the most marked change in the life of the Free Churches to-day was the decay of de- nommationalism. Then there was loss of faith m the Church as an institution He urged a redistribution of their forces ks 7e! gards colleges, churches, means, and minis- try. They must ally themselves with the cause of the poor and the broken. The paper which attracted much attention, was referred to the Council to report.