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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. I

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OUR WEEKLY CALENDAR.

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SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 1914.…

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SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 1914. Topical Tattle. There were meetings galore last week end and on Friday night no less than four im- portant gatherings had to be covered. Un- doubtedly the most important from the Led- bunun's point of view was the annual meet- ing uf the Ledbury Urban District Council, when the amateur Mayor for the year, if you will pardon a little levity, was elected. Candidly I was rather thinking that probably the new Chairman of the Council would be Mr C H Bastow, who has been a member of the Council for 15 years, has been Chairman of the Streets and Sanitary Committees, and yet has never been Chairman of the Council. By length of service and ability the position was undoubtedly his. But things did not work out as I expected, and I must confess I was honestly surprised when I heard that Mr H Thacker had been elected. Of course, the Council have an informal meeting before the representatives of the fourth estate are admitted, when the Councillors settle the question among them- selves, and one of my colleagues informs me that one or two of the Councillors by their countenances when the press were admitted showed that all had not been smooth and easy. In the end we had an absolutely political division, though for my part I pay little political significance to the matter, and put it down to more a question of J personality. Anyway the Liberals and anti-Hopkinsites triumphed over the Union- ists and pro-Hopkinsites. For that is really how matters stand at the present time. It is a significant fact that last year the chair was Mr Bastow's for the acceptance, but, following a deep bereavement, he did not see his way clear to accept it. At that time there would have been no necessity for an informal meeting, and I have been wondering what particular offence Mr Bastow has committed that he should not be deemed worthy of the honour this time. Again the question of personality comes in, and that is the only reason I can find. Mr Tinker, the new Chairman of the Council, is entering on his sixth year of office as a Councillor, and is a regular and diligent member. Candidly, I do not envy him his post just at the present time, if the turbulent spirits of the Council are not curbed, though after all, I expect the Coun- cillors will, as they have ever done, be loyal to their new Chairman. In the retiring Chairman the Council have undoubtedly had the best occupant of the chair the Council possess, and his ability in this direction can not be gainsaid. Mr Tbacker is undoubtedly at a disadvantage: in following a Councillor so versed in the rules and usages of public debate as Mr Hopkins is, but it is, of course, essentially necessary that the honour should go round, in order that each Councillor may have an opportunity of becoming versed in the duties pertaining to the office of Chairman. I sin- cerely trust that the clouds which would appear to have gathered on the Council horiaon will be dispersed, that Mr Thacker's term of office will prove to be pleasant, smooth and successful both to himself and his fellow members, and that at the close of the year there will be no vain regrets. Mr W S Lane has had a lengthly occu- pancy of the chair of the Ledbury Rural Parish Council, having been, I believe, chair- man since the Council was formed. Mr Lane has had a wide experience of service on public bodies, as he has been a member of the County Council, a member of the Ledbury Urban Council, and is at present a co-opted member of the Ledbury Board of Guardians, on all of which bodies he has rendered excellent service, and in regard to the Guardians is doing so to-day. In all his public work Mr Lane has brought not only wide experience, but that inflection of humour which so effectually brightens up serious matters. He has undoubtedly ren- dered valuable service to the ratepayers during the last 25 years. The churchpeople of Ledbury are indeed fortunate in being able to retain the services of their senior churchwarden, Mr C H Bastow, who performs the duties in such a manner as to avoid ruffling anyone's feelings, and their junior churchwarden, Mr W P Barry, w ho is so diligent and anxious to have arrangements properly made and carried out. The finances of the church appear to be in a healthy state, thanks largely to the generous response to Mr Bastow's appeal for church expenses, but it is not a good sign that the average offertories are dwindling. Churcbpeople must remember that the expense of a church such as Ledbury is no small matter, and the average offertories should be kept up to about X5 10s to meet the demands. Here is a story of two Gamblers who went to the Hunt steeplechases on Wednesday In one race there were only two runners, and my two friends were determined to back the winner. One of the horses was 3 to 1 on and the other 2 to 1 against. One of the Gamblers laid the 3 to 1 on and the other took the odds of 2 to 1 against. They al- most came to blows in reckoning up how they stood at the end of the race, as they bad agreed to halve the proceeds. When they found that they had backed the winner and yet had lost 6d each, after a frantic 10 minutes calculation, they were ready to kick themselves. ♦ This may seem a wildly impossible story even in the annals of the Royal and ancient game but golfers will be golfers, you know. He said he drove hard and so high that a lady eagle who was winging her way over the course received a little white ball smack on the side of her head. The ball dropped about 17 inches from the hole the golfer was playing for. Meanwhile, the eagle paused in her flight, and, after circling round a few times in a considering mood, swooped down and deposited an egg between the hole, and the golf ball. In revenge she had laid the golfer a stymie. • Fancy golfing in a ruffled shirt says the Globe." We are ruffled enough already as we golf. # » The way they have in the Army is a very curious way sometimes. Recently a cart drawn by two horses and containing one driver, one non-commissioned officer, and four men rumbled down to Woolwich Arsenal from Wellington Barracks, with an order for l stores. When the order was opened it was found to represent four gross of pins On the other hand, the authorities at St John's Wood Barracks believe in light transport. A man was sent down to the Arsenal on a bicycle. His order was for a gun wheel! Can any conclusion be drawn from the character of the present month as to the quality of those that will follow ? The answer must be No," says the Daily Telegraph." May knows; but she won't tell. 4c It appears that every such ball. passes through some 15 different departments of skilled workmen," is an Evening Standard" reference to cricket balls. But think of the number of unskilled butter- fingers it passes through afterwards. "Cheese and Freedom" is a heading in the Daily Mail." Should cheeses be chained up ? TATTLER. I

DYMOCK.