Pioneer

I Gardening Notes. I k% reader who is in a difficulty with refer- to bis garden will write directly to the ess given beneath, his questions will all answered free of charge, in full detail, and l return of post.—Editor. HE VEGETABLE GARDEN IN MARCH. hroom (-()!I-e(-t(-d f i-eqtietitly IS tables w h ere the horses are fed on corn ay alone. Shake out all strawy litter, the residue in a lieip in a covered (I. wti the separate layers, siW'mkling each with water if it be in the dry. kverv three oi- fotti- days remake j ap- P|: icing the formerly outside portions. i centre of the new bed, so that all may ente,(i, at the same time, liber- ■Plingling with water- if necessary, but ta- care that the manure does not become so Ellat a drop of water can be squeezed out « Conti.nue this until the manure becomes 'loured. sweet-smelling. and just sufficient to adhere when pressed in the hand. t4ell ill condition for use. If too 1tlte manure crumbles, and will not stick ?- Make the manure into convenient- t)d .lng, or rounded beds, about a foot in p'11 a ^ark; frost-proof cellar, shed, or ?"bot!se. or in a. sheltered position in ^Jood crops can be secured nushe!- &t' boxes. Tread the (¡ed firmly down or ? boxes. Tread the bed hrmh- down ticear*d wait IIT]tll. the j. lows a steady temperature of from 80 I -eSi'ess before spawning. If the tempera- T1|e to from 1?5 to 140 degree's. it will to make hoLes in the bed with a bar t oiV+ h¿> heat. This is effected Iv break- ^ch ^ke of spawn into some eight or nine ? a forcing them into the manure eight '?'cing them into the mamu'p eight Up (. '? ?? '?Part all over the bed. just v enOugh to be covered when the surface 'e? "?Mle smooth and firm again, and the  (.Ioii-it i-oiin d (,,ic l i piece  keen packed down round each piece m"' Cove.)- the bed immediately after ,"itll- ? 6in. layer of clean litter; and ws tme remove this covering to see t?he "??Ps of spawn are not blacker than i>, ,d I h ?-? ?- M ?? li?hac, or white threads yeellj Tn' .?Ppear to h? spreading, cover the ivith '?' ?? good and moist turfy loam, n .fr t in? down with a spad, and in?? Q +f ? "tter with as little delay as pos- ?Ppsa-rance of the mushrooms, ? are {fii e ? 8*x 01 seven weeks, the lit- taT j.p ??oved if the bed be in a warm pe\,| csheo or cellar, sheets of II Pa substituted. The bed must '? allowed to become dry, tepid w?ter, rJ) about 90 degrees, being given as d, the I)eiu,)- removed before, and ied. Instantly after wltel'ing, The bed Jjl1 over he soake d wIth moisture. Co1d g and t l i-e terij)  i-a- sI8 ?t?t be avoided, and the tempera- ??'be kept as uniform as possibie, i Tievei- 1)e to bc-- <i?. ?'ct must never be permitted to be- jj?, WIth mOlsturf'. The walls and floor e ttt 1TsV hroom house should frequently be ? ? t'm. deep!y-.worked and well pulverised ?y EL" open situation will do, though, na- n.fil''lll  ,aUd \e.} ,1 Pl:lh,el'ised  ?oist. rich loams in fine tilth are to ??1 ?1. If only Sight aad porous land be (H ii|' must be firmly trodden down at '%? ?"? beds shouid he prepared as Ing 1 as possible, those for the spring (r ?'Ug left rough through the winter, s, ,P°or and very firm pfot for IHcklmg 11 [,and intended for onion culture J;;Qfi 'ev'el and the (?e must be work 'r,el'Y. fine, c()n eli,); ,;()1.1, Iib'nll dressings of ('itd. partially decayed manure are most ipjjjij 'f ?"S some t'me before sowing. 1 ,{ &111 olll.ng ?e??in??ng.gweasu? ?.?kling of mixed soot and salt to co]- juiy e Sl|face of the bed. I 1 t ns of sii nanure, sheep and pig 1 •harred )-ipt?)od ashes, and other fertiliser.s ra- 'n P°tash are benencial. Select a day t-Ha surface soil is almost dry. and sow in ,j"IJûlll b to I?in. asunder, according to U:ll' of the variety and method of tn- ?  seed to 3 square yards. Cover with t QQf"n-llleh ef nne sod; ül'a,d lightly ??lus: touch the surface with a rake, the ''?? down all over with the back ye, p.rovided the soU is dry. Roe i??een the Jines directly the seedlings w, .? and thin out the first time with a tllltlllings will provide f lading material. the plants being ???? out at distances of from four to ? & ?part. Water is St?dom required, 'S()aking of weak liquid manure is [SS5ilft} durmg long-continued drought. S'WtJ? L ?eeds bv using a smaN hoe regu- !ip?t? -'? the rows. ?!?.P. sandy loam in open situations and ?  from stones are best. Trench the "t,{h' in autumn, and leave it rough ?' ?H ? winter. As oarly as possible in lt l ?? soil down into a fine seed-!)ed. ?? ) ??ssing of pariiaHy decayed dung, W.j 'Ve from straw, is benefiemJ 1f large '??ired. For kitchpn use we prefer ? t ?? globe kind, which should alwav8 ^arly crops. Sow thickly as early 4,? AN-e,,iiliei- iiid soil 'in shallow fi?q a" 14 to ?8 inchAs apaii. one ounce of ?,. ? "f 100 feet? and covel: with about "tL f;1(1 so'). It is well to sow radish or quickiy-gt-'rminating seeds with ? -? ?der to break the crust of soil over "?.? to maJ-k Un' lines, so admitting o a? d iiiitt. i n- ',?? ?ge. Commence systematic tillage !'1" plants a.re "??1e in the rows. hIt¡ jlie eciling,.? are about two inches 1 f}etn out to six inches apart. Finally ?t t'It' '? from 10 to 12, or even 15.  11Ildr. Keep the hoe busy amongst J ? ')h?1 the tops die in autumn. k' e. \,i Of hurnt vegetable refuse, road and '? -??. soot' decayed ?a.ves. &c., are ?q'? '? Priced in trenches or •WrtN '? the surface where dibbling is tk' a ?'?sing of artificials is necessary, ofsuperphospha-tes, two cwts. (Ow". of superphosphate, two cwts. I I of guano, and tiu'ee-quairte-i's of a cwt. of jnuri- of ,uano, and tlN'ee-quîlll'türs of a O\vt. of nuri-! ate c?i' potash per acre being put in under the sets. Potash manures, applied to the preceding <iiiop seem, specially desirable. Select tubers of moderate size, weighing two or three ounces each or. failing these, divide larger ones into pieces. When planting rub off all the shoots except one o-r two short and stout ones. The. rows should be about 15 or 20 inches apart- for early kinds, and about 24 to 30 for more robust-growing varieties, while the set must be placed m the trendies at from eight to ten inches .apart for early, and from 14 to 16 for later crops. Kaiiiv crops are planted in shel- tered positions during Marf-h, the main crop being left until early" April. The sets can- either lx' dibbled in some six or seven inches deep or may be placed in trenches or furrows of like depth, the earth being closed in on them. About mid-March will be found the best time to plant sprouted sets father shallowly in the ridges. If frames can be spared to place over the young plants, there will be much less risk of injury from frost. An open situation is most essential for April planting. If whole tubers are employed, it is well, to out a small piece off the bottom of each to expedite its decay after growth is fairly started. Hoe be- tween the rows direetiy the shaws are visible; rt-nd. cover them lightly with fine soil if frost ap- pear imminent. Earthing up should be done when the tops are about six inches high, the ridge of soil drawn up. to the stems of the plants being fur or five inches in height. Success de- pends verv largely upon continued surface til- lage. Radishes. A proportion of well-docayccl. mellow dung, is essential for rapid growth and good flavour. Continue to make successional sowings until November, scattering one ounce of seed to two square yards of ground. Cover with about an inch of fine earth. On light soils make the sur- face firm with the back of a spade. Protect- all sowings from birds. Large seeds, from which small ones have been sift.ed out, give the best and most uniform crops. Barliness and con- tinuously rapid growth are of the utmost im- portance. Eary thinning is vital, as crowded plants produce large tops instead of roots. In very hot weather the beds should be lightly, shaded. Water liberally. E. KEMP TOOGOOD, F.L.S.. F.R.Met.S., pro Toogood and Sons. The King's Seedsmen, Southampton.

The Future of the Labour Movement in Wales, I By William HARRIS, Miners' Political Orga- niser, Pontllanfraith. Mon. It may seem rather out of place to discuss the Future of the Labour Movement in Wales" at the present moment, when the fever of militarism has the movement so much in its grip, but those of us who have the interest of the movement at heart, and are not so much in the grip of militarism, will dtQ well to turn our attention to the future, and prepare for the time that will inevitably arrive when the reaction, will have set in, and when there will yet be the need, and that more than ever, of a Labour Political Movement to deal with the many problems that will arise, and which can only be solved by politieal action. I have felt for some tMiic that there is need for organising the political movement in Wales on national lines, as has been done bv the other political parties, and we need to break away from the pLSelJJt insulated position with regard to our organisation. At the present time we have some 11 or 12 L.JtCVs ii). existence in the various constitu- encies in South Wales, and one oi- two in North Wales, with no connecting link between them except that of the National Labour Party, who usually meet once a. year, and discuss a variety of qitestTons, but very rarely purely Welsb. questions. The ether parties have their South and South Wale's organisations, and these, are linked up into a Welsh National Organisation, and then federated with those, oi England, Scotland, and Ireland, and in this way every aspect of na- tional life is considered. This has resulted in the Liberal Party in Wales exploiting the Welsh national sentiment wholly in the interest of and the Conservative Party have for -sodne time recognised the value of this sentiment, that they are now endeavouring to regain their influence in Wales, ..which they lost hy Ignoring the Welsh national sentiment in the past. I feel strongly on this matter that If the Labour Movement- is to progress politi- cally that we also must put our house in order, and the sooner we commence the work the bet- ter shall we be prepared for the immense work that lies before us. The Scottish workers have already set us an example in this direction, and have already their Political Advisory Oonunittee formed and are at work in connection with the political movement in Scotland. to asee,r- I have already taken some trouble to ascer- tain the views of the Trade Union leaders of Wales on this matter, and I am pleased to find that almost without exception they favour the idea. In North Wales some such movement was started before the war, but there their ac- tivities have been serionslyinterfered with by the war. and the same might be said of the position in South Wales. At the Annual Con- ference of the Labour Party last. January a resolution in the name of the East Glamorgan Labour Party, which was on the agenda, was not discussed for want of time, and the matter has been referred to the Executive of the La-, bour Party. but I am afraid from what I hear that the matter will not be taken any further by them as some little difficulty has arisen with reference to the Scottish Advisory Com- mittee. The Miners' Federation of Great Bri- tain has decided to support the formation of the Welsh Advisory Committee so that we need not anticipate any difficulty from that direc- tion. but unless the initiative comes from within Wales itself, I am afraid tTlat nothing will be done until the war is over, and then there will be so many questions to be dealt with that it may be years before anything will be done, and an excellent opportunity of preparing 'the ground in Wales will bQ lost for some time. I believe that very effective work could be done immediately by calling together represen- tatives from the various L.K.C.'s in South Wales to prepare for the future, and as soon as circumstances permit, we should attempt to convene a joint meeting with the North Wales organisation, with a view of deciding on com- mon action throughout the whole of the Princi- pality and Monmouthshire. One of the press- ing questions that will have to be dealt with as soon as the war is over is that of the Land and I believe that Wales is full ripe for dealing with this question, which is so closely allied, with our industrial problems. The interest of the Labour Movement in Wales should not be confined to a few industrial constituencies, but should be broadened so as to embrace all the workers, in vhatever occu- pation they may be engaged fh. There is a ten- dency at the present time to view the Labour Political Movement as something by which the larger Trade Unions are to obtain certain reforms that they have been unable to obtain by industrial action, and that all the Labour Members of Parliament have to do is to voice the demands of their particular trade, and as long as they do so, all is well. We must have a. broadening of the view as to the duties of the Labour Members attached to the larger Trade Unions, and to emphasise.' the fact that Labour means something more than one trade, and that as long as there are large numbers of workers who are below the poverty line, they are a menace to those who may be a little above them. Then, in. I think we ought to broaden our view with reference to those who may not be members of Trades Unions- through no fault of their own—but who desire to associate with us in political matters, but who are not so far advanced as to be able to join the I.L.P, or some other Socialist organisa- tion. I think I am correct in stating that men of this class are among the most able men to be found in the Continental Labour Parties. I am afraid that those organisations that have made provision for" Associate -Nloiiibei-s view with a certain amount of suspicion any applic- ant that may desire to become an "Associate Member." In Monmouthshire at the present time—thanks to Labour Representation a number of men have been elected to various offices in connection with depafrtments of the State, and are desirous of retaining their con- nection with the Labour Political Movement. Why should they not be allowed to do so? Will they not be of immense service to the move- ment in giving information—quite legitimately —that witl be of great assistance to the move- iiiell.t I know that the knowledge that I ob- tained during the 18 months I was in the Labour Exchange will be of immense assistance to me when I come to deal with the prob- lem of unemployment, and other phases of the employment of Labour. Then, what of the teaching profession? Are there not among the teachers a number who desire to assist Labour, but who are not avowed Socialists P Why not invite their co-operation? The teaching profes- sion is beginning to find out Labour represent- atives are their best friends, as is evidenced by the championship by two of nn- friends — Councillors R. and H. Jenkins—of the case of the head teachers of Glamorganshire against the tyrannical action of the Glamorgan Education Committee and we have anotheir illustration in Monmouthshire, where the class teachers are meeting the Labour "Group of the Mon. County Council with a view to haying certain grievan- ces redressed. Then, agiain, there is the ministerial pro- fession. Here I know I am touching on a matter on which there may be serious differ- ences of opinion. Still, I feel that there ought to be room in the Labour Party for ministers of religion, notwithstanding that there may be among us some who do not accept the tenets or the Christian Faith. Here again we ought to lea 111 from the other political parties, as we know that inside the Liberal Party the Leaders of the Non-Com Free Churches have been able to work with such pronounced Free Thinkers as Lord M-orlev and J. M. Robertson (M.P. for Tynesicle, and a member of the last Liberal Administration). The Conservative High Church man was prepared to. accept his politics with Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, though Chamberlain was an Unitarian, and denied the Divinity of Christ: and Balfour's philosophic doubts were not allowed to interfere with the loyalty of the Conservati ve Party to him as leader. Why then, do we of the Labour Party allow religious matters to retard the success of our movement? I may be told that it is beoausa the Non-Con ministers are always against us. If this has been so in the past, is it sufficient reason why they must always be so What encouragement have we of the Labour Party given them in the past to come and help us? Does it help the Labour Movement to describe these gentlemen contemptuously as "sky pi- lots?" And will anyone wiho has taken the trouble to enquire, deny that there are a large—yea, I will repeat, a large—number of these men who are desirous of helping Labour if we will only extend to them a. welcome ? I know that there are mony of them who have been cradled in Liberalism that will remain Liberals to the end. and will view Labour po- litif-alty as an enemy; but these are among the decreasing number, whilst, those in sympathy with Labour are on the increase, and anyone who takes the trduble to question the students on leaving the various theological colleges will find that the great majority of them are im- bued with a strong desire to do all they can for the uplifting of humanity in a social and industrial sense, as well as that of a spiritual sense. Many of them become disheartened' because their sincerity is questioned by the workers, and at the same time their interest in the Labour Movement, is viewed with suspicion by the leading lights of their churches many of w hom are representatives of capital in various forms. I feel that an effort should be made to extend the right hand of fellowship to those ministers who desire to assist us in the work of building up a Labour Party in Wales as many of them are reared in the workers' home, and know from bitter experi- ence the many difficulties the worker has to contend with. I was very pained on one occa- sion. when assisting at an election in South Wales, when asking the question as to whether the ministers of religion had been approached with a view of assisting the Labour Candid- ate, to be told. Let them there tliev are no good to us." This is, I am afraid, the trend of mind in many centres in South Wales, but it is not strictly true so far as my personal experience goes. I purpose, in future articles, discussing some of the problems I think a Welsh Labour Party should deal with.

I Coquetting with Tariff I Reform. II LABOUR COUNCILLORS' HARD BUT SUC- CESSFUL FIGHT. I THE NEW MOTOR SERVICE AND THE I CORPORATION. The Mertliyr Corporation were on Monday asked by the Manchester. City Council to give their support to a dastardly attempt to forward the proposal for an Allied Zollverin by adopting a resolution preventing the placing of fmture contracts with fiFri-ti, of German origin, or firms financed by Teuton capital. Had it not been for the strong stand taken by Labour, the project would have been carried, and the sub- tle argument for the setting up of the Tariff barriers had been supplied to the Lanacshire Council to further their scheme at Westminster. An objection was taken to the easy terms on which the new motor omnibus service com- pany had obtained their agreement. The matter was introduced by Aid. Lewie, who asked what the effect was of those cars running over our roads. The Surveyor (Mr. Marshall) said they would make the roads bad in a short time. Aid. Lewis pointed out that the company were not ratepayers, and he was told that it would cost £ 1,000 a year to repair the roads. They were making ruts in the roads 6 inches deep, and lie thought the vehicles were dan- gerous. The Clerk (Mr. T. Aneuryn Ilees) said in addition to a hackney carriage licence the com- pany paid the Corporation £ 100 a. year. Aid. Lewis thought it was unfair and iniqui- tous to the ratepayers. He did not know if they were justified in granting a. licence to a company like that outside the district. The Corporation derived no benefit from them. He moved that the matter be referred back to the Public Works Committee. Aid. Thomas thought that the £ 100 a year that the Company had been called upon to pay was a paltry sum. He was creditably in- formed that the repairs to that portion of the roads over which they would travel would amount to between and £ 2,000. No one really said more than he did that these ve- hicles were a great convenience, but if they were using the roads of the authority they must pay adequately for them. On these grounds he seconded that the matter should be referred back for further enquiry. Conn. Wilson did not agree with what had been said. These vehicles were a great public convenience, and he only wished that they had been running years ago. Everyone must admit that since the war broke out the train service^ had been in a most deplorable state, and there- fore it was pleasing that these 'busses had come along, and the people were able to travel from place to place. The manner in which they were patronised s howed how much the publie appreciated them. We had had cars much heavier than these travelling over the roads for years, and nothing had been said about them yet directly these people brought along omnibuses that were a. great convenience to the public these objections were raised. He took it that if the 'buses proved a financial success these people would establish a garage in Merthyr and would thereby become rate- payers-, for it was a fact that their present garage was inconvenient, and necessitated the running of a special ear "With the workpeople and supplies. His one regret was that the Corporation had not ydars ago itself decided to run these vehicles, for he believed that a good reliable service would have proved one of the most paying concerns which they could have en gaged in. He was opposed to the placing of any obstacles in the way of the Company, but at the same time agreed that they should be made to pay a, fair contribution towards the maintenance of the roads. The Corporation had made an agreement with the Company for the paymeat of tIOO for the first year. Why not allow it to stand, and then at the end of the year they would be able to see whether the service was a success financially, and if it was they could then revise the figure ? Coiin. Parry asked whether in the event of the Company developing a good trade and the Corporation deciding to run their own vehicles the Company could claim any compensation P The Town Clerk No, sir, they cannot, and we cannot run motor services without an Act of Parliament. Aid. Thomas agreed with every word that Coun. Wl isoi) had uttered, but contended that the Watch Committee or whoever were respon- sible for the setting of the £ 100 were altogether too generous, and that it should go back for further consideration. Coun. Parry asked whether in the event of this service being successful, the Company would be asked to consider their promise to open a service between Merthyr and Heolgerrig. He was told that this would be attended to, and on being put to the meeting it was decided to refer the minute back to the responsible Committee for further consideration. Coun. Francis protested against the extension of a cuh ert in the vicinity of the new school at Penydarren. There were something like 200 people living in the immediate vicinity who would have to pass this culvert, and the tipping was within a. few yards of it. This extension would bring the tipping within 50 feet of the nearest dwelling house. They had had enough tipping in the Peny- dairren Ward, and the parents of the children who attended the school. which had been re- cently built at a cost of £ 20,000, objected strongly to their children having to pass this tipping. He moved that the resolution authori- sing the extension be deleted. C'oun. J. Davies also entered a protest, and Aid. Griffiths, who regretted being in opposi- tion to his colleagues in this matter, pointed out that the tipping was only for the purpose of arching a spot at present dangerous to the children, and carrying it further along. The tipping provided was next to nothing, and would not provide for a month. Upon a vote being taken, 7 voted for the amendment put forward by Coun. Francis, and the original motion was carried. A motion, moved by Coun. Francis, that the minute previously appointing the Health Com- mittee to supervise the scavenging be rescinded, and that the work be turned over to the Public Works Department; the Sanitary In- spectors to report any neglect of work on the part of the contractors, to the Borough Sur- veyor, was seconded by the Chairman of the Health. Committee (Coun. Lloyd) and carried without discussion. Coun. Davies protested against the nuisance of the advertisements on the car windows, and asked the Corporation to send a request to the Traction Company to provide a better service between Merthyr and Cefn.—The Council ag- reed to this. The C,,ouncil.iinanimoiisl,, a,-reM to subscribe towards a great memorial that is to be pre- sented to the Government asking it to repay all damage done bv aircraft, and to refund the premiums of all private persons who had iu- sured against air-raid damage. ,I The resolution of the Manchester City Coun- cil wax. then read to the effect that no contract should be entered into with any person of German or Austrian nationality, or any Com- pany whose sublScrihed capital whether by btrtit or control was held to the extent of one- third by persons of German or Austrian birth. Coun. Hankey pointed out that the Australian Premier had advis- ed us to remove the canker of German trade'. Coun. John Davies opposed the motion, not because he was a pro-German, but because he was a Free Trader all through and because when this war was over he aid not want to have any kind of revenge on the Germans. Aid. Lewis: Nonsense. Coun Davies: I am opposed to it on principle.. Aid. Lewis: Yes, we have had a lot of that. Coun. Davies: Some people do not know what principle, is. (Hear, hear.) Proceeding, the Councillor described this at- tempt as the thin edge of the wedge, and most unfair tactics, for trying to secure tariff iveform—(hear, hear)—at the present moment, when iNk, were in the midst of a crisis such as the war had brought about. It was not fair it was not what was usually considered British. "We always boast that we are fair to our opponents. Let us be fair in this mat- ter. Let us bury. the hatchet of disagreement in thin crisis, and let us work as one party to achieve oj-ir objects. When the war is over I am prepared to go on the platform an-d defend rn" position." Coun. Lloyd, in moving the resolution, declared that he was as good a. Democrat as any one in that hall. and also as much in- clined to Free Trade, but he thought that at the present time they ought to remember that self-preservation was the first law of nature, and at the present time it was necessary to exclucle German goods to protect our own in- terests. The great Free Trade School of Man- chester was simply doing what was a nationaJ service in moving this at a time like the present Coun..Francis also entered a forcible protest against this attempt to introduce a covert mea- sure 01 hrrift Reform.—In reply to Coun. Haiv- key. fie declared that our Colonies were only supportii-tg the move for their own ends as they had previously done. He believed that the proper course was to buv the best. and it was significant that 9 out of every 10 razors supplied to the troops were of German manufac- ture. If the Germans made a. better article than us, should not seek to exclude them bv an artificial barrier, but should aim to pro- duce a, better article ourselves He seconded Coun Davies' motion that the resolution lie on the table. On being put to the meeting 10 were in fav- our of the resolution, and 12 supported the motion that it lie on the table. The Mayor and Town Clerk were, by the casting vote of the Mayor, elected to represent the Corporation at the forthcoming meeting of the Municipal Corporations Associations at the Guildhall. London.

I Child Labour in Merthyr. STARTLING STATISTICS FROM EDUCA- TION AUTHORITY. Mr, Rhys Elias, the Borough Director of E^ ducation, presented an interesting report to the Education Committee last week on the ques- tion or school attendance, and amongst the items were the following important statistics, arising out of the agitation started by the Borough Trades Council some months back. and which will form the basis of the discussion of the Trades Council on "Child Labour." which is to take place at a speelal meeting to be held next week. 1—Number Employed. No. at ?) years of age and under 72 No. at 10 years of age 85 No. at 11 years of age No. at 12 years of age 194 No at 13 years of age. 128-(j22 2—Duration of Employment. No. working under 12 hour per week 202 No. working between 12 and 20 hours per week 165 No working between 20 and 25 hours per week 118 N o. working between 25 and 30 hours per week 90 No. working over 30 hours per week 47—622 3—Saturday Employment. No. working under 8 hours 167 No. working between 8 and 18 hours 233 No. working between 13 and 15 hours 168-558 4-Newspaper Selling Trade. Nc. employed 147-147 .5-Number Employed after 9 p.m. Newspaper Selling Trade 70 Other Trades 296-366 6—Wages per Week,, Owing to the varied nature of the employ" ment no fixed rates can be deduced. A very" large number of lads work for rates as low as 3d.. Id., 6d.. 9d. and 1/- per week; a considerable portion receive from 1/- to 3/- per week; while a great proportion receive from 4/- to 8/6 per week. In one case 11/- per week is received, and in another 14/6 per week. The last-mention- ed case is a newspaper boys of 11 years who remains on the streets until 11 o'clock every night. 8 f <—The following particulars, taken from the return submitted by one school, shows how close is the relation between the employment question and the wefare of the child—education- al and physical: — Of the sa boys employed— (a) The ages of 25 are one year above the average for their respective standards. (b) The ages of 8 are two years above the average for their respective standards. (c) The age of 1 is three years above the average for his respective standards. (d) 16 are physically weak. and have been absent from school for long periods owing to illness, and 7 of these are tubercular. 37 are employed dining the dinner hour.

I Our Draughts Column. PROBLEMS—By llr.Mchiif.v OWEN. Bedlinog. Solutions invited, and aU to hand by Wed- nesday next, will be dulv acknowledged. No I-By N.H. Back men on 5, 14. 17. 21: kings on 15, 19, 22. White men on 6. 10, 11. 26; kings on 7, 28. 31. White to move and win. No. 2—By H.B.V.: Black men on 10, 17; king on 6. White man on 24; kings on 1. 25. White to move and win. No. 3—By W.C. Black men on 6. 7, 8, 16, 21. 23; king on 26. White men on 15. 17, 24, 29, 30; king 14. White 4?o move and win.