The Welsh Coast Pioneer and Review for North Cambria

Mr. T. CHID LEY Begs to announce the OPENING of his Newly-constructed STUDIO which has been specially built to meet all requirements for the production of the HIGHEST CLASS OF PHOTOGRAPHY. No. 2, STATION ROAD, COLWYN BAY. Tel 856X Che Ivelsh Coast Pioneer." LARGEST CIRCULATION ON THE COAST. THbl SALE OF THE Welsh Coast Pioneer Amounts to an average which, if tested, will show an Excess of Several Thousand Copies Weekly over any other Penny Paper. Branch Offices Z.LANDUDNO MOSTYN STREET jLLANKWST WATLING STREET Rrf YL KINMEL STREET ABERGELE CAXTON HOUSE LONDON REPRESENTATIVE: MR J. E. TRIGU, 47, FLEET-STREET.

THE CHARING CROSS BANK FAILURE. The Official Receiver in Bankruptcy has not yet eoiripletc-d. his investigation into the affairs of the Glaring- Cross Bank, but the statement issued on the strength of the in- formation supplied by the proprietor bears cut tii-a impression that the depositors will be heavy lowers, and that the failure will re- sult in the financial ruin of many small in- vestors. The liabilities are estimated at £ 2,500,1 XX), due to 25,000 depositors, which gives an averag-a of J1100 per depositor. Strange as it may appear—considering the security offered by such an institution—there are same large depositors, one case being mentioned at the meeting in London on lion- day in which the deposit amounts to o less than £ 50,000. It follows, therefore, that many of the creditors have on deposit much smaller sums than £ 100. Speaking generiiiy tho depositors belong to tho lower middle class, though no doubt a considerable num- ber of working people are also involved. But in these days working class thrift is mainly directed into other channels, and what can be spared, after the usual payments to the Friendly Society or the Trade Union finds its way into a Building or Co-operative Society. Unfortunately, in the lower middle class, the temptation to in- judicious investment is much greater, and people with a narrow oompetencc fall an easy prey to the allurements &et before them in the shape of big dividends or a high rate of interest. This was the class that suffered most in the Liberator collapse, and in more recent years it h.as sustained heavy losses in the bond investment societies and kindred organisations. In the case of the go-called Charing Cross Bank the failure has rot come as a surprise to well-informed city men, and it nay be not;d that "Truth" called atten- tion some time back to its unsound financial position. Unfortunately, however, the class of sina.ll investors to whom a high rate of interest appeals have little knowledge of the world, and though the warning probably in- duced some to draw out their money, the majority remained in ignorance, and were constantly re-inforced by others who were attracted by Mr Carpenter's alluring ad- vertisements. It would eeem from tho letters sent to Sir W. H. Dunn and the other London members of Parliament who are try- ing to mitigate the distress caused by the failure, that in not a few instances the whole of a life's savings have been deposited. It is easy, of course, to condemn the imprudence of such investments, but it must not be for- gotten that in such ca-ses the inducement is great. For wh-ere the savings amount to only a few hundreds the income derivable at th-e normal bank rate of interest is very small, and tho choice has to be mado between a bare subsistence and a gradual depletion of capital. It is in these cases that the pro- mise of a higher rate of interest is so seduc- tive, though unfortunately it is often the precursor of disaster. It is to be feared that the result of the investigation int-o the affairs of the Charing Cross Bank win not relieve the gloom which has been can sed in so many homes by the stoppage. Against an indebtedness of two- and-a-half millions, the less doubtful assets amount to £ 360,000, of which R133,000 con- 8it.s of actuaj cash. The rest of the item is made up of shares, book debts, freehold and leasehold premises, etc. As for the rest everything depends upon the realisation of shares and debentures in Canadian and South African undertakings. For instance, the debtor holds £ 300,000 First Mortgage Deben- tures and all the Common Stock of the At- lantic, Quebec, and Western Railway, upon which his aggregate expenditure is stated to amount to XI,250,000--hadf the estimated liabilities of the Ba.nk. It will be the duty of the Official Receiver, of course, to ascertain whether any of the groups of shares are likely to increase in va-lue, but to judge by pa £ t financial disasters it would be foolish to indulge any sanguine hopes concerning a dividend. For in cases of this kind the men who have speculated with other people's money do not usually stop payment until they have satisfied themselves of the hopelessness of their financial position. In view of this Latest disaster it is worth consideration whether the law might not be strengtheued in the case of institutions inviting deposits from the public. At present no step is taken to protect the public, and every few years the country is shocked by the grievous losses in- flicted upon large numbers of deserving people by the recklessness or fraud of meoil who have taken advantage of the ignoranoe of small investors. Has not the time come to require a yearly official audit, and to give the Public Trustee or some other official the power to. order a complete investigation into the affairs of such [Undertakings? At preFlEmt nothing is done, though the facta are fairly obvious, and it is only when the mischief is complete that the to^k of investigation is undertaken.

UNIONISM AND SOCIAL REFORM Mr Lloyd George's recent City Temple harangue illustrates admirably the funda- mental difference bet-ween the Liberal concep- tion of eocsal reform and the Conservative and Unionist conception of social reform. Liberals believe that social reform can only be carried out by a vioient redistribution of the nation's existing weakth. and that, any such violent redistribution is social reform. Unionists, on the other hand, aim at pro- moting social reform on the basis of an in- crease in the total national wealth. And the differences between the two parties a-re as great when it ooines to the actual details and administration of any particular scheme of social reform. Liberals judge of the ex- cellence of any such scheme in proportion to the arbitrariness of its character and the ex- tent of bureaucratic tyranny involved in its administration. Unionists hold that social reform shoud, wherever possible, avoid com- pulsion, while providing the fullest oppor- tunities to the people of the country of im- proving their conditions in accordance with their own views. Rather than desiring to bring into existence costly brand-new machinery, they prefer to develop and adopt existing machinery. Practically all the great I 'dC.L- advances which have been made in Educa- tion, in Factory and Mine i«egislation, in Workmen's Compensation, b. Friendly Society and Trade Union Legislation, in the rcg-ulation of the liquor traffic, have come from the Unionist Party. And so it is to- day. The Liberals have no fundamental policy such as Tariff Reform for the advance of the national prosperity as a whole. They have one item of positive reform, which is shared with them by the Unionists—insur- ance. And here we find the great Friendly Societies gravely anxious as to their position under any Liberal proposals, whereas Unionists would be trusted from their record to make advantageous use of the machinery they provide. ri hen the Unionists have a large constructive land policy, whereas their political opponents cannot get beyond a hide- bound system of tenancy under public authori- ties. Nor does it appear that the Liberals have any constructive ideas on the subject of Poor Law Reform, which, too country rightly believes, awaits the advent of a Unionist administration for solution.

COLWYN BAY SECONDARY EDUCATION. It is not improbable that, were it not for tho presence of two or three persons acquainted with the facts, the meeting con- vened by the Colwyn Bay Ratepayers' Association, on Tuesday evening, would un- thinkingly have placed local educationists and themselves in an awkward position. Not- withstanding the prolonged controversy in connection with the proposed conversion of the Colwyn Bay Higher Elementary School into a county school under the Welsh Act, there is an extraordinary amount of ignorance upon the essential facts. For instance, it has been repeatedly pointed out in the Press and on the platform that the Boarid of Education have definitely ordered that no children over fifteen years of ago shall be educated at the school, which virtually means shutting the doors upon over fifty of those now attending the school. It is to overcome that difficulty that the Educa- tion Committee propose putting the seliool on the intermediate school basis. Yet, singularly enough, when an English educa- tionist, who admittedly knows nothing of tho z, true position of affairs, advised this public meeting to petition the Board of Education to reject the scheme there were general cheers throughout the room. Tha speaker based his suggestion on the mistaken view that it is possible to leave things as they are, and that in a numerous audience there should be so many unaware of the Board of Educa- tion's emphatic order on that point is a dis- concerting commentary upon the lack of public interest taken in this important question. Let it be stated onco more that —apart from some temporary arrangement which the Board of Education may be pre- vailed upon to agree to at the request of the Joint Education Committee—unless the Col- wyn Bay ratepayers approve the present scheme one-third of the pupils now attending the Higher Elementary School will be driven elsewhere for their secondary education. It is suggested that the change will involve the provision of additional school accommoda- tion. That is inevitable. The Board of Education have long since declared that si there is insufficient room for the boys at- tending the town's elementary schools, and they are urging the authorities to provide the necessary accommodation. The local Education Committee's view is that as n,-N- premises must bo secured a higher standard school should be built for the education of the higher cla-s-ses of boys attending the elementary schools. This would serve to re- lieve the pressure upon the existing element- ary schools, and at the gome time provide that higher education up to the age of sixteen years for those who cannot afford to pay the county school fee of £ 6 or so. We fail to see what better plan can be conceived under the circumstances. The chairman of the Local Education Committee, whose statements upon this question must be regatrded as authoritative, assured the meeting that tho new system would serve to decrease rather than increase, the local education rates, and from the figures her quoted there appears to be no reason to doubt his assertion. It must be comforting to C'olwyn Bay educa- tionists t-o reflect that he was able to re- assure tie meeting on the position of affairs. But for tho fortunate attendance of the Rev. John Edwards, and a few of his colleagues, a step might have been taken which Colwyn Bay ratepayers would never cease to regret. Colwyn Bay blundered badly on the county school question some years ago, and the community should see that there is no more blundering. The public meeting to be convened by the local members of the Education Committee will, it is to be hoped, help to prevent that.

HOUSING AND TUBERCULOSIS. The first congress promoted by the Welsh Housing Association at Wrexham, on Mon- day, came at an opportune moment, for few things could render better service to the national crusade against consumption than the publication of such facts as were quoted at these meetings. Formed for the pur- pose of investigating the state of housing in Wales and its borders and for devisi-ng means to improve the same so far as they affect the sociaJ, moral and economic con- ditions of the people," tho Association is, -i/b is to be hoped d-estiiwd to play an equally important part in educating public opinion in the direction of ensuring the physical wel- fare of the people. One of the principal themes discussed in the congress was "Con- sumption and Housing," and nothing could be more convincing than the address by Dr. Evan Jones, who opened the discussion. Dr. Jones shared with Dr. Newman the credit of organising the first public meeting which led to tOO formation in London ten years ago of the National Association for the Prevention of Consumption, whose work during the past decade has been of very great value to the English people, and, apart from his wide ex- perience as a medical man paying special at- te.ntion to tubercular diseases, his experience as one of the enthusiastic promoters of that Association entitles him to a high place as an authority upon this question. There is no reason, he states, why consumption should not be as rare in Wales in thirty years as the plague is now. When it is realised that that would mean the saving of nearly 2500 lives in Wales alone every year, to say nothing of the saving of untold illness and misery, the value of such an achievement will be appreciated. The remedy lies, in his opinion, in housing reform and the et1- lightenment of the people in regard to sanit- ary laws. Lord Kenyon, president of the Association, substantially confirmed this view subsequently when he remarked that density of population and shortness of life went together, and "where the population was most dense the housing was frequently of the worst quality." Lord Kenyon gave some significant figures relating to housing in Denbighshire, where he said eleven per cent, of the houses had ouly two rooms, and one-third of the population occupied those hous-es. This was a state of things which his lordship felt was anything but creditable to the county, and he "did not think he could altogether absolve the medical officers and sanitary inspectors from responsibility -nor were the landow.ners generally altogether exempt from blame." It might have been added that in some coses local authorities themselves are not entirely free from blame, because there have been instances where medical officers have been criticised for what some looked upon as their "unreasonable in- terference." There is no gainsaying the importance of housing reform in connection with the errodicating of tuberculous diseases, and with the efforts of tho Welsh Housing Association and the practical work to be undertaken under the aegis of the King Edward Memorial movement which, of course, aims as much to educirte the masses as to build sanatoria, we appear to bo not far off the time when the ravages of consump- tion will be greatly minimised, and the means fully established to check the inroads of this insidious disease.

RAILWAY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SIXTIES. Under the heading of "50 Years Ago" our readers will find some interesting extracts from an article which appeared in the North Wales Chronicle" of October 20th, 18GO, dea-ling at some length with tho proposed extension of the North Wales rail- ways, at that time in their infancy. The Great Western Railway terminus in the Yale of Llangollen was at Corwen, and the Cam- brian coast via BolgelLcy was only accessible by road. Several schemes were brought be- fore the public, the two principal being that of the Wehi Coast Company, and that pro- posed by the West .Midland Railway Com- pany. The Welsh Coast Company, for whom Mr Piercy, the company's engineer, was the leading spirit, suggested the extension of the Corwen. line to Bala, then from Bala to Doigeiley, and f.rom DolgeHey to Barmouth. It was also proposed that the new line should join a new coast line, to commence at Towyn, through Barmouth and Harlccia, and on to Portmadoc and PwlJheli, with a fork line to Carnarvon. The alternative scheme suggested by the West Midland Railway Company was to run a line from near Shrews- bury, at a. point on the Shrewsbury and Welshpool line, and proceed to Llangrynog, along tie Valley of the Tan at and under tho Bc-rwyn Mountains to Liardrillo and Corwen, and then follow the route to Portmadoc, suggested by Mr Piercy's Company. As it eventually proved, however, the suggested line under the Betrwyn Mountains was too costly and impracticable, and the present line to Barmouth, now belonging to the Great Western Railway Company,was made. It is in- teresting to record that several weeks later I the "North Wales Chronicle" published no fewer than eleven columns of Parliament- ary notices relative to the promotion of Welsh Railway Bills, which included a proposed extension of the Conway and LLanrwst Rail- way f.rom the Junction to Bettwsycoed; to authorise n,ew lines of ra-ilway from Denbigh to Mold; from Corwen. to BaJa, and new lines and other extension work in the Vale of Nantlle, Newton, and Machynlleth, etc.

Conway Election Cry. The burgesses of Conway are in the throes of another municipal election, and there arc few citizens who enter into these contests wit,h more enthusiasm than they. Almost invariably tho borough elections are run on party lines, and each sides has its own clear- cut policy and programme. '.r.hig. year, how- ever, tho battle is to be waged upon the much discussed camping question. As the whole world must surely know by this time, there was no Territorial encampment on the Conway Morfa this year, and an effort is now being made to lay that fact at the door of the four retiring Conservative members now seeking re-clcction. This question was dis- cussed at oonsid-eirable length a few weeks ago, when the Conway Tradesmen's Associa- tion brought the matter to the attention of the Town Council. Questions of a very pertint nature were put to the Council, and it was eventually decided to write to the War Office inquiring whether the absence of the Territorials was due to iany act of omission or commission on the part of the Council. The reply from the Secretary of State for War was "that tie sole reason for not using this camp ton this occasion was in connection with^its unsuitability for the training of a division as a whole." Nothing could be more clear th-an that, and if tie Tesult of the election depends upon bring- ing home the charge now made against Coun- cillors Porter, Prichard, Fr-cd. Jones, and Edward Jones, they will find little trouble in regaining the seats tall four have occupied to such excellent purpose in the past.

THE CHURCHES. Special services are this week bekig held at Bethel, near Carnarvon, to coietbraie tie oen- tenaryof tie esta,bli:licriie«si oi tie CongrogaUonal Church at that place.

The installation of Archdeacon Wynne Jones as Dean of St. Asaph, of Canoci Fleteher aa Archdeacon of Wrexham, and of the Rev. Daniel Davses, vicar of W rexham, as canon, will take place L-L, St. Asaph Cathedral on November 4th. The ex-Dean, Dr. Shadraoh. Prpoe, has taken up iris residence at Rhyl.

MEMORIAL WIN DO W AT PEN- AlilCllNO. A beautiful memorial window has been placed in Pencnaclino Parish, Churoh in memory of the late Mrs Sa.rah Jcr.es, Moss Hill, a co-irwmiiM- oarafc of the Olra-m-a The exipen-c hoe boclfl borne by her two sons—Messrs J. Pryoe Jones, of Aiexaiadria, and' T. R. Jones, of Mcsn Hill. The design is thai of the "Rcmirtxiotion ca our Loardi," and the oolo'iirjng ist mo.it effective. A,t the baton is inrr?r?b>9d: "I aim the R-erurreetioni and the Life." "To the Giory of God! and to the memory of Sarah Jones, of Mc,s Hill, in this parish, who died Scr oll rubor 1Pi.h, 1909." The work is that cf Men, s o Jones aln-d WuSis, London, and the window was fixed by Mr Owen WiEiams, Tanskferwen, Pemmaehno.

THE RECTORY OF LLANYMYNECH. 11:0 Bishop of St. Asaph has offered the rec- tory of Llunymvnech, vacant by the resignation of the Rev. Canon Llewelyn Wynne Jones, to the Rev. John Prydderch Poole litighee, M.A., since 1907 rector of Corwen, and he has accepted the offer. Mr Poole Hughes belongs to a. Cardiganshire family, and is a son of the late Mr William Poole Hughes. He graduated from Worcester College, Oxford, and was ordained by the Bishop of St. David's in 1888. He. was) curate of Llan- fihangel-geneur-Glyn, Cardigansiire, for three years, of Ruabon in 1891-2, and of Bodelwyddan from 1892 to 1894. In the latter year he became curate of Mold, and in 1897 he was appointed to the Vicarage of that parish. Ten years later he was appointed rector of Corwen. Mr Poole brother has be-an Warden of Llando- very College sines 1900.

A Winnipeg telegram says that Government surveyors have received reports from Canadian Indiana to the effect that in the hitherto unex- plorod districts of the North-West they have looatod a vast lake, which they declare to be as large as Lake Superior.

PERSONAL. Lady New borough has been staying in Paris,

— Coloneii Platt, C.B., has arrived at Gorddjnog, from Scotland.

Congratulations to the Bdshop of St. Asaph on hit? birthday on Wednesday next.

Lady Palmer is expected to return to Cein. Park, Wrexham, on Tuesday. -:P-

Lord Cochrane has arrlived in England from South America. to

Sir Hugh J. Ellis-Namney, Bart., has arrived ait Gwynfryn, Criccioti, from Albcma>rle-ntroot, W. ■

The Hon. Mrs BEezard has been staying at Montreux. Colonel Cornwallik West has aioo boon amongst the Engfuh contingent. -:s> ■

Lady Williams Wynn left Llangedwyn Hall on Monday for Ardley, Bicester, where she will stay for the hunting season.

Tho Very Rev. Shadrach Pryoo has left t!he Deanery at St. Asaph, and talk en up his resi- dence at Rhyl.

Sir E. Vincent Evans gave an address on the better preservation cf Welsh monumentB bef o.-e the Birmingham Welti National Society on Friday night.

Last week's number of "Tho Car" containcd an interesting illustrated article descriptive of Mr I ioyd George M.P., at home at Brynaweion, Cnccieth. ———————<$:———————.

Louie a Lady Vivian, the Hon. Alexandra Vivian, and Mr Georgo CormvaJdi s- We:-)t, a.re the gueaii of Cora. Coot liters of Strafford in Norfolk for partridge shooting. ■■ I 1 ■ ■

The name of Mr Frank Lloyd, Wrexham, h-as been added to the Board of Agriculture a-nd Fisheries' liat of Arbitrators, available for cases arising under the Agricultural Holdings Act. I-

The late Mr William Williams, of Salcan- terrace, Pwilbeli, Carnarvon, nominated Mr LloyJ George as exeoutoT, and left him £ 100 if ho accepted the execrjiiorriiip. Mr Lloyd George, however, renounced tbe office.

A. G. N. Wyatt, a Royal Navy cadet, has been awarded a medal by the Royal Humane Society for his plucky rescue of a man whoee boat sank under him in the Menai Straits on August 11th

1; The installation of Archdeacon Wynne Jones, of Oi.veiiry, as Dean of St. Asaph, of Canon Fletcher, of Marclivvicl, as Archdeacon of Wrex- ham, and of the Rey. Dawied Davieu, Wrexham, as Caaion will take place at St. Asaph Cathedral on Nevoiinibcsr 4th.

The Duke of Westminster's horses scored) a double .<mccef« at the Brighton Autunnn Meet- ing on Saturday. "Tarragona," a three year old, won the Shoreborn. Plate cf 130 sovs., while hi« Grace's "Hauadina," three years, won the I nexit event, the Autu-In-n HanKLccap of 200 sovs.

Dr. R. J. Evans, cf Pia^yward, Pwllheli, has been appointed as certifying surgeon under the Factory and Workshop Act, in succession to Dr. R. Rces, for the district of Pwli'heli, which in- cludes Pwllheli Municipal Borough, and t.ho civil parishes of Llanystuindwy, PeniiOyn, Llan- ac1¡hajaTn, Plgt-ill, and Carngiweh.

— $ I There was a large attendance-at Newmarket Raoea this week. Lady Magdalen Wiiidaom- B,Ak,zi,,y, Lady Edith Dougi'as-Penno<nt, (atttired in a coat and skirt of slats coloured cloth), the Marrfirio of Choimoaid-eiey, Lady Beatrix Her- bert, aind mra Cotton Jodre'-l were amongst thoco present. V.

❖ THE HON. ORMSBY GORE. The Hon. Ormsby Gore, the Unionist mem- ber for tie Denbigh Boroughs, who met wlith an enthusiastic reception, addressed a, large Union- ist meeting Hit the Portmadoc Constitutional Club on Tuesday evening.

:1: FORTHCOMING W ED DINGS- An engagement is acsaounoed between Henry D. Delve3 Walthall third son of the I a-t o E. W. D. Walthall, of Wictasion Hall, Nantwicfh, and of Mrs Walthall, The Cottage, St. Asapli, and Hilda Maude, only daughter of F. Leigh Han- cock, The Warren, Broughton, near Chester. A marriage has been arranged! and will take place very quietly early in November, between the Rev. T. E. Timothy, vicar of Rhesyoac, Holywell, and Alice Spencer (Pariita), daughter of the late Thomas Denison Comber, cf Val- paraiso, Chili, and! of Mrs Gceruber, 4o 9, North Gate, Regent's Pa.rk.

THE COMPETITION OF 4 THE EAST. By S. SKELHORN. There is one aspect of the Tariff question which the Free Trader never dwells upon unless he is compelled, namely, the competition of the Far East; and yet this problem forms a serious and alarming peril. What doea it mean? It means that these Oriental races find it more and more difficult to live, because iipe undeveloped resources ot tie Far East do not provide sufficient food ior the rapid increase of population. In ages past, tieso people, accepted this condition as an eN.1 fat.3 and their surplus population, was starved out. But pre-sently a now spirit stirred them and they begam to swarm oji every shore of the Asiatic b, Sea until tihe white worker in Australia, in Ame- r-ca, in Airica amd other places felt that in seH- defence lio must protect himself against tOO alien inivfacMon. AcoopciiJigiy poll-tax waa lmpcsedl on the Asiatic if he came over in person, and art equivalent duty if he. sent bis goods, and in this way the white man has protected himself against the "Yellow Peril." But one other line Oi deliverance remained if tihe native of China 3000 Japan would escape starvation and that was to develop their own rich resources and start manufacturing for themselves and this they have accordingly done.

h K WLACKLEG INVASION. New, jttft consider wvtiat thnft means. There arc. some 850 midlioffi of the e peotpb; tliey will work all day long for as many pence as a British workinftiiiaata wjmi ask &hiliiii)g.>, and to co-nieint ccujie food IJbait an Englishman wouild die- apiise; and yct they are instinct with oid-age tiadn-ticns of art, and possess a dexterity and tedtnsjique sunh as tho WO.ern world has never knovv.i. How i-i Great Britain pcuntg to com- P(Ü vlith the so people unless she adopfts a tariff system thut wiil daBcrimkaate between too origins of imports accordirag to the wa^e-lcvea arjd standard of living of the importers? What is to scciire this country frcu-n a borrifbie food- stnuggle in tie fu-turo when this wave of low- paid Eastern iabour submerges the markois where to-dray we scii our goods? And yet we dciLJoertetoy refuse to secure ourselves against tiiiu peril by saying "No" when our kinsmen .across the sea. offer to give us, in. exchange far a mannifaaiuring service, memo food and! raw roixerral than will bo given to any of our com. prtJ-tors. For tbat is what tie "Cole'.iiai ofler" amourals to. Is lit not foKly to refu.jc a-nd aAoYi j penhaps to slip boyocd recall. Not ewa our strontgeat industries are secure. We boaat about our suipreanaoy in cotton, but that aupreanaoy depends on our aibiifcty to main- tarici the huge scale of production uipen. wfhich it bac hitherto been carried on. How is thai possi-bo wheal our beat markets are contracting and cotton miils are springing up alJ: OVCT tho Far Ea..it. Al-ready wo have lost tho lead in the ccorser counts. Are we so foolish as to imagine tluait our supremacy in fin-er coarels wffi remain ujnahalleinged? Vain deAusion. Tihe Asiatic will use his capture of the coarser counts as the baee from witdh to aittacsk the finer oowte, arnd how long will t'ho structure otand when the base, .is undermined?

Miss EsteUe Stead, daughter of Mr W. T. Stead, has made her London debut at a London theatre in Shakespearean parts.

MUSICAL NOTES. By Peter Edwards, Mtts. Bac. (Pedr A law). MISS MABEL HUGHES. Miss Mabel Hughes (whose portrait ap- pears in another column) was born at Colwyn Bay, and was a most wel- come Christmas present to her parents being born on that morning. Her father is Professor A. W. Hughes, organist and teacher of music, and the family has re- sided in Rhyl for many years. Under her father's guidance she made rapid progress in music, and played at a Rhyl Eisteddfod before reaching her ninth year. At the ag.e of fourteen she was appointed organist of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Wellington- road, which post atie still fills. At the Rhyl Sat-urday evening concerts she has given her services for several years as accompanist, and .the committee has presented her with a. beautiful gold watch as a token of appreciation. In tie year 1904 Mifs Hughes was engaged by the Rhyl National Eisteddfod Committee as one of its accompanists, and was com- plimented for her work by Madame Ado, Cross- ley, Mr Ben Davies, Mr John Harrison, and others. At the Queen's Palace, Rhyl, Miss Hughes acted as IJianiste from the time of its open- ing until its destruction by fire. She has been honorary accompanist to the Rhy! Choral Society einco its formation; and, as many RhyJ and district readers know, she has acted as accompanist at many concerts, Ecs- teddfodau, etc., during several years. This season she was engaged by Baring Brothers as solo pianiste at their principal concerts at tho Pavilion, Rihyl. Mention must also be made of Mies Hughes' errvio.33 as accom- panist to the Rhyl Juvenile Prize Choir—the only juvenile choir which succeeded at -the recent Colwyn Bay National Eisteddfod in upholding the honour of North Wales! Un- doubtedly Miss Hugies helped Mr Wads- worth in his supreme effort at our national festival. Lastly, let it not 00 overlooked that Miss Hughes is a successful music teacher, of whose services many young people avail them- selves and it will be readily understood that her experience should well fit her for her wo.rk. The Pioneer" wishes her every possible success. MUSIC FOR TEST CONCERTS. The other day I was asked what kind of songs were best for competitors to sing- at test concerts. I should say those which offer the (greatest scope for the singer's powers. They must find out wihat songs suit "them best; and if they are first-rate ones—worth expending- time in the mastering, they wiU do. But then how little "mastering" of songs one hea.rs! There is so little per- sonality in the rendering of songs; you feiel the singer is giving you of what he has learnt .and not of whatj he really feels. Let com- petitors thiink of that! WELSH MUSIC. In a.n interesting article in the "Ceninen" for October, Rv. Rhys J. Huws writes upon this subject. With his general view of the subject I am in full accord, but cannot agree with his opinion of Dr. Parry's trio, "Duw, bydd drugarog." He writes: "Mewn dam cyn fyrrcd, wn i ddim cystal a'r weddi a thriawd Dr. Parry." And, referring to the same composer's anthem, "Yr ATglwydd yw fy MugaiJ," he states: "Daliodd Dr. Parry dymieredd dawel yr olygfa. yn aidderehog,— y mae swyn 'y borfa well tog a si 'y dyfroedd lond y darn." I am a great admirer of Dr. Parry's music gerseroily, and consider him, as often stated in this column, the best Welsh composer up to the beginning of tie present century, but I have often thought his trio, "Duw, bydd drugarog," about the weakest prayer ever penned in music. Its beauty is not denied, but it strikes one as having been written "right off the reel" by oae who had just been under the spell of Rossini's music. Imagine anyone who felt in the depth of his soul a desire for God's mercy praying for it in such a manner If this trio ,is really prayer, then I have never known or felt what prayer is. Again take Dr. Parry's anthem, "The Lord is my Shepherd," mentioned by Rev. Rhvs J .Huws. It contains much repetition, c.g.: "ti/ie a wna imi orwedd," "Orwcdd mewn porfeydd gwelltog" (same music), "Efe a'm tywys ger:law" (same music again), etc. Surely the words "Efe a wna imi. or- wedd mewn porfeydd gwelltog," and "Efe tywys gerllav/ y dyfroedd tawel," re- quire different treatment musically—different colouring. ;me whole treatment of the piece suggests but a. superficial study of the sub- ject. You feel there is a nice, meiodious, musical treatment here; that is all. It is only when one feeLs the deep spiritual signifi- cance of tie twenty-third Psalm, apatt from a number of "singable" verses, that 01110 can hope to enter into its inner meaning-to open the flood-gates of its spiritual comfort upon a callous world! < WONDERFUL SINGING. We are told there never is an important Wel/ah competition, dn choral music, without proof of bad intonation and it is quite cer- tain the practised ear of Welsh singers is quite capable of singing in tune, uikkvr ordinary conditions. It is only under exedte- r rment that they "lose their heads," as we say. ,,an u But in our experience of Welsh singling, wo never heard of a case such as is reported, to have occurred at the recent Blackpool sing- ing competitions. The standard of the sing- ing was, we are told, high, and yet in one choar one voice-a girl's, we believe.,—was detected to 00 a whole tone above or below that of her compaaiions, and that throughout the pMco! Why, it must iave taken one adjudicator all his time to watch that girl! Soma Welsh choirs have done wonderful things from time to time, but that Blackpool Choir went one better than %ny Welsh chocr we ever heard of. In future let us not think so badly of our competitive choirs!

p-- RATEPAYER v. TAXPAYER. MR LLOYD GEORGE TO EQUALISE THEIR BURDENS. Mr Birrel made an important stclemcnt re- garding tiho intsdence of local and imperial tax- ation to a deipnutation which waited 071 him on Moodiay to urge tho ncces-if.y of a Treasury grant towards tho Irish local taxation aeeourat. The point. mode by the deputation was that although tiere had been a large increase in cx- penses, especially in the treatmet-it of lunatics, the Treasury grant had remained almost station- ary, and the whoie burden bad fallen on the IccaJ ratepayers. Mr Birrell, in reply, said that tie same com- Pd ic-t wus being made in Scotland, and the majite.r was one which needed very somcus con- n. "My friend, the Chancellor of tho Ex- checfjor," he continued, "recognises a3 fully as I do the unsatisfactory natuire of tihe present ar- ran.gctma:iiv, and the noce^sitfcy for a total recon- struction. "I a.m in a position to promise you that will bo cuane. The Chancellor of tho Exchequer is prepared to fstate at an early date what lLl3 pro- pcEQ.llo,a.'r-ao with regard1 to loealli taxtio-n for England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales."

A GOVERNMENT ARBIT- RATOR. It is interesting to note thalt the narne of Mr Frank Lloyd, Wrexham, has been added to tho Board of Agriculture and Fisheries' list of arbi- trators, available for cases arising under tie Agricultural Hoidings Act.

Owing to the frequent assaults made by pri- soners m German courts on warders, tliese offi- cials will henceforth be provided with sabre«. Tho Board of Trade arbitration proceedings at Swansea between representatives of workmen and) masters has resulted in a settlement of the painteM' dispute. The men claimed an in- crease from 8d to 9d per hour. Bo tin parties make concessions. The Local Government Board states that three rats and a hare have beeni found to be infected vrith plague in Suffolk, and that the pneumonia, from wbich four persons died, waa caused by plague.

BETTER HOMES WANTED. HOUSING CONFERENCE AND THE WELSH MEMORIAL- ADDRKSSiEIS BY THE BI&HOP OF ST. ARAJPTH AND LORD KENYON. The Wefeh Housing Association held a con- ference at Wrexham on Monday, the Mayor of Wrexham* (Ccuroiflor Stanford) presiding. "Practical Town-planning for Wales" was tie subject of a paper by Professor S. D. Adshead, of Liverpool In the garden suburb, garden ciity, or model vii-age of the future, he urged, there must bo no overcrowding; a piece of grc-und sioutd' bo atfcaclsed to each cottage which tho occupant could; call his own, there must 00 ptibLIO spaces, and there should be some special .interest in tho design úÍ every cottage. (Jou-d1 these things 00 provided) on a. commercial ba/sia? answer to tiiii was: Most certainly, but con- da;.ion»liy, tie condition being that land wore cheap. A rercl-uton was adopted urging the associa- tion to circulate tie paper among all tho puihiuSo bodies in Wales and: Monmouthshire. Dr. Evan Josies (London), in a paper on "Consumption and its Relation to Housing," s.irj) thaii Waiea had been somewhat behind this matter, but the recent effort of a few phil- anthropists bid fair to put the Principality in the forefront of tie crusade. He trusted this nsov-eenjemt wcniid- profit by the experience al- ready gained elsewhere, and so prevent waste of money, and direct its benign efforts in a direc- tion that would prove more effectual in the pre- vention cf this dread disease than any other, iftimelv, tihe prevention of the disease at its seat of home. In the opinion of tie beet authorities coneun-ifp-Ttion was a hoiuse disease, and he urged that they should direct their efforts to make every cottage a sanatorium. NEED FOR BETTER HOUSING ACCOMMODATION. On tie motion of Dr. D. V. Widtaans (Wrex- ham) a resoSutiion was pianeed recording tboe opinion t'hat, while curative treatment for con- surntpiion wa,3 probably best effected in sanatoria spocifeUy ccraKtructed for that purposo, it was most desirable chat prev-entive measures be taken by tho bettoirment of dwellings, and ask- ing the association to seek to co-operate with the governors of the fultioIJAJ: Memorial Sana- torium for Wafes, so as to enBure hea'thy condi- tions and surrourudmgs in tiho convalescent a3 well as tthe incipient stages of the <fea:e. Mr T. Talieein Rees, of Birkenhead, followed wcth an address on "Working men's houses; their planning coat." A resolution was adopted urging the National Eisteddfod Association and the Committees of the National Eisteddfods of 1911 and 1912 to in- vito comprehensive study of and designs for houaei types suitable for Wales, and asking the Council of the Welsh lionising Association to formulate, for submission to such Committees, competitive schemes for building working men's dwellings at a. cost commensurate with tie needs, and the current rents available, and suci ae wiU yield a commercial profit of not loess than 4 per cent, nor more than 5 per cent, per annum, a.ftcr deducting all usual and necessary chirg-,s for the land, roads, building, maintenance, re ncvval, and management. AN APPEAL TO WALES. Lord Kenyon, presiding over a large meeting in the evening, said that bad housing led to bad health and slack morale. Densecnesa of i)opula, tion and shortness of life went together, and where tie population was most denee the hous- ing w& of the worst quality. In thoso places the woman and children were the chief sufferers. In Denbighshire eleven, per oent. of the houses had only two rooms, and one-tiird of the popu- lation occupied thoso houses. That showed a state of tlilsngs anything but creditable to tie county, and he did not think he could altogether absolve t'ho medical officers a.n<!j sanitary inspec- tors from responsibility, nor were the landown- ers generally altogether exempt from blame. Mr Jones Griffith, M.P., said that Wales stocd in a unique position. Of the fifte-en coun- ties in England and Wales that stood worst in tie number of deaths from consumption oov-en of them were Welsh countos. The cause oi it was doubtless the insanitary housing conditions under which the inhabitants lived.. The pro- posed memorial to King Edward was a splendid movement, but they hoped that with improved housing conditions the need for sanatoria would grow 1063. The Bishop of St. Asa.ph moved "that having regard to the existence in Wales of a housing problem calling for immedÍiate and collective action on tho part of house, and lclond o.vners and occupiers, this meeting welcomes the for- mation of and pledges itself to support any so- ciety, association, or agency that will (1) fully inquire into the conditions affecting the homes of the* people of Wales, (2) stimulate, co-<>per;, ¡,e witi, and encourage local authorities and in- <Livwlnial.s in the effort to ameliorate defective housing conditions, (3) promote public educa- tion in regard to hygienic and sanitary housing so as to attain in the fullest possible measure the physical, social, moral, and economic well- being of the inhabitants of Wales so far as healthy homes can secure such, and pledges its support to the association." lIe said that this movement formed part of a great awakening that was taking place throughout the whole country. The first step must bo to educate the people. Mr William. Aston, secretary of tihe Denbigh- shire Housing Association, seconded tho resolu- tion, which was supported by Mr Llewellyn Hugh Jones, chairman of the Wrexham Edu- cation Committee, the Rev. Herbert Morgan, London, and others, and carried unanimously. 0-

INQUISITION FOR PUB- LICANS. NEW FORM THAT WILL KEEP THEM BUSY. MINUTE DETAILS. "How many ham sandwiches did we selLin 1907-8-9?" This is one of a hundred questions with which publicans are grappling in their efforts to fill up the latest inquisition form issued by the present Government. The new inquisition takes the form of the return required by the Commissioners of Customs and Excise for the purpose of ascertaining the annual licence value of each public-house under Section 44 of the Finance Act of 1910. The details de- manded are of the most comprehensive kind. On the first page the unfortunate publican has to give in detail all the facts regarding his licence. Is he "tied" or "free," and, if tied, how much tied is he? Has he paid any premium, or has he entered into any covenant? What is the gross estimated rental, and what is the amount of the actual rent he has paid during the past three years? Then he has to estimate the annual value of his premises without a licence, and give the basis of his calculation. Having completed this page, he turns over to find an elaborate tabular state- ment waiting to be filled up, in which he has to account for every glass of beer, spirits, or wine, every packet of cigarettes, every sandwich, and every Banbury cake he has sold in the last three years. Not a. single halfpenny s to be lost in the as- sessment, for the publican has to give the dertaSs of his business down to the price per pint charged to the customer. What it was this year, last year, and the year before, all have to be stated.

EXACT FIGURES REQUIRED. Information if. sought as to the number of bar- rels of oeer purchased, the price per barrel, and thr; total amount realised by sales to consumers. Tl sere is a schedule for bottled beers, the details asked for including the number of bottles pur- chased, the capacity of the bottles, the price paid, and. ille charges to the consumers. All these details, of course, arc to be furnished for +he three-yearly period, and they will enable the Chancellor to observe the fluctuation, if any, of the purchase and selling price of the national beverage. There are further schedules to be filled by those having wine and spirit licences, and here, too, the returns must show the exact profit. Then comes a schedule devoted to "other goods," and in thi's the publican is called on to set down in deiail the cost and selling price of everything he has so'd in the three years' apart from liquors. In other wards, the history of every "penn'orth of bread and cheese" sold dur- ing the three years will have to be carefully traced and the exact cost of the bread and the exact cost of the cheese may bo obtained for the pur- poses of the return. When these arc finished with he still has a duty to perform in stating at length what he pays his staff and what it costs to feed them, what he pays in rates and taxes, what money he has borrowed, and what interest he pays for it. After all this has been completed he is called on to take a separate sheet and give a detailed statement showing how he has arrived at his estimate of the gross and net profits, and, with a touch of real humour, the form has half a sheet entirely blank headed wit hthe words, "This space may be used for any observations the declarant may wish to make." The forms are being circulated Trom the Cus- tom House and with them is issued the intimation that if the particulars are not supplied within thirty days thare is a liability to a fine of £2().

BIG FIRE AT BANGOR. IRONMONGER'S SHOP BURNT DOWN LAST NIGHT. REMARKABLE SCENES. TWO EXPLOSIONS. Bangor, which has for many years enjoyed a remarkable immunity from serious fires, was, eaaiy this (Thursday) morning the scene of a serious conflagration, which resulted in the establishment of Messrs Evans and Ro- berts, ironmongers, "Copper Kettle," being burnt down. Messrs Evans and Roberts' establishment occupies a portion of the fine red-brick fronted block of buildings near th-e Town Clock, which were built in 1898, and it is flanked on o:ne side by tOO shop of Messrs W. Hughes and Son, pork butchers, and by that of Messrs Nixon and Jarvis, stationers, on th'3 other side. It was the proximity of such important business premises which invested the out-J break with such serious import, but by dint of strenuous work on the part of the Bangor Fire Brigade, aided by tie police, in charge of Supt. Guest, and other willing helpers, the fire was practically restricted to the one shop. From all accounts it would appear that the outbreak was fitrst notioed, about 11.20 p.m., by the daughter of Mr Fisher Williams, who lives at Berllan Bach, almost immediately at the fI"('.ar of Messrs Vallanoe Bros'. establish- ment, which forms part of the same pile as the ironmongers' shop. She was in bed at the time, and noticing the flames through the bedroom window she yn mediately appraise.d her father, who quickly made the alarm. Mr Ivor Jarvis, who happened to be in High-street about 11.30 p.m., noticed the flames issuing from the roof at the rear of the ironmonger shop, and ho quickly telephoned for the Fire Brigade. By this time a crowd had assembled round the shop, which was a mass of flames, and nine minutes after the alarm had been given the members of the brigade, who had been warned by employees of the "North Wales Chronicle," one of whom cycled down to Hirael and other parts of the town where the firemen live, arrived, and shortly afterwards the ladders recently purchased by tiie Corporation were brought up. Some firemen burst open the front door of the shop, others swarmed up the ladders in order to plav the jets on the burning mass from the roof, wiulst others strove to secure the safety of the adjoining premises, palls of water being employed by the numerous unofficial firemen, whose work deserves much commendation. "LIKE A FURNACE." "The shop was like a furnace," said Capt. Gill, who had charge of the Brigade. "It was simply c a seething mass of flames. Five hydrants wero quickly employed, and we had the maximum pressure on." When the nrcf was first observed there was a strong wind which threatened to nullify the efforts of the firemen, for the flames appeared to lick all before them. They shot across the street in an ominous manner but provi- dentially the wind dropped, aila undoubtedly a calamity was thus averted, for the wind not only fanned the flames, but drove them close to the adjacent premises. So high did the flames reach that they could be seen from Garth and Glanadda. As a precaution the electrical cable in the shop was cut with hatchet, but before this was acoompiishcd seve- ral workers whoi aooidenWly handled articles in the. window oi the shop received sli-git shocks as apparently every artx was electrified1 owing to the action cf the water. The work of quelling the fire at the rear cf the premises was attended with considerable difficulty owing to the charac- ter of tie buildings there, but in a few hours the flames were subduod, and all apprehensions as to the, salety of the adjoining premises were removed. Tiie whole of Messrs Evans and Ro- berts' shop was gutted, and slight damage was done to the tailor's shop of Messrs Valla-nce, which adjoins the "Copper Kettle," whilst a largo room at tile establishment of Messrs W. Hushes and Son containing hams, etc., was gutted. TWO EXPLOSIONS. Shortly after the fire was discovered, the crowd and the firemen were alarmed by an ex- plosion inside the ironmongers' shop, and some debris was hurled about, one of the firemen, Wm. Henry Roberts, piumber, being struck on the head with a stone, but he was not seriously injured. Bricks and other refuse were thrown as far as Tanyfomvent. Tho crowd on hearing the explosion scatmpered down High-street in terror but t-iiough another alight expiojion occurred a. few minutes afterwards, no &enous injury was done by cither. It ap>poars that a s-mali room in the shop had been utilised to £ *_ore gun- powdm, but fortunately there was l()s than 201b- on the premises, and this was contained in two trunks. Tlieoe m-uni have explcded, bio wing up the ceiling. lie stock of cart- ridges, some of which exploded, was also Simail, and fortunately the petrol stored in the shop eac" the flames. In whait part CIÍ the shop and how tie firo originated is a ccmpl.ete mystery. Mr Glad- stane Roberts, the proprietor, was in his office at tie shop on Wednesday night, and left about eight o'clock after safely securing the premises. At 11.15 p.m. a number of young men passed by, and there waa not the slightest indication then of t.t:e o.t,reak. About quarter of an hour later the place was apparently one maai of flaanes. The stcek, which is valued at about £ 3000, is only partly insured.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. The hospitality of our columns is extended to corres- pondents who wish to ventilate any legitimate grievance in connection with political and religious topics, or oa o-thr matters of public interest, the Editor reserving to himself the right to delete portions of any communi- cation which he tliinka necessary to the interesta ot the paper and its reaoers. The Editor does not necessarily agree with the opin- ion expressed by correspondents, whose names and address must accompany their communications. If this is not done the letter will not be inserted.

THE TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT IN THE ARMY. (To the Editor of the "Pioneer.") Sir,—I see referred to in a contemporary tjie quesbon of temperance in its relation to the competency of our Army. What are tie figures? How many have joined the movement, can any of your readers say ? I know when troops were returning from South Africa, the practice of giving them drink was muti disapproved of and severely condemned by some, but the question of physical endurance when and where the drink is not obtainable is important.—I am, etc., OLD ATHLETE.

CON IVA Y MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. (To the Editor of the "Pioneer.") Sir, Now is the time for each elector to study the best interests of the Borough of Con- way, and con&ider whether they will only vote for those of the eight candidiases who will pledge tb&msolves to use every means at their disposal to persuade the War Office to again ■arrange for tho oamping of the Terr liter i a li en the Morfa. The amounts received for the use of the Morfa for only a limited period of the year by the Territorials in 1909 (see pages 17 and 19 of the Borough Accounts) was: cam £ 4o2, and use of nflo range £ 114 8s 8d, total of £ 546 8s 8d, leaving a balance in favour of the ratepayers of 2526 3s 8d fmm the War Office. I would like to aak who spend the moat money in the town—golfers or T emt.oriaJs? And which benefit shopkeepers, lodging-houee keepers, and boatmen the rr;o C ? Scene time ago a petition, was presented from Deganwy to the Council objecting to the Territorials, but I venture to think tills petition did not represent the views of the majority of our residents. At the last mooting of the Council it was ar- ranged to have an overdraft at the bank for E2M. What is it for ? Let each elector situdy the questions now L foro the town, and I hope t¡'I every voter will taice the trouble to vote on Tuesday next, and that they will vote irrespective of pa.rty for thcr,3 only who have the tost interests of our town at heart.—I am, etc., RATEPAYER.

The West-bound American mails by tbe Can* ard Saturday steamers will be accelerated at Queenstown on Sundays by one hour and fifty minutes.