The Glamorgan Gazette

TONDU AND ABERKENFIG. 1 COYTRAHEN HOSPITAL.—The Covtra- hen ladies choir gave a concert to the woun- ded soldiers on Monday evening, which was much appreciated, the various items being much applauded. ABERKENFIG MAN OX THE BRITAN- NIC.—Pte. Edward Higgins, R.A.M.C., of C-Gronation Street, was on board the hospital ship when she was struck. Great anxiety was felt as to his safety, not a word having been received as to his well-being until Mon- 4ihW laat, when his parents received a post- card from him stating he was safe.

LLANTWIT MAJOR I DEATH OF MISS THOMAS (PWLL- HELIG).—The above esteemed lady, who died .on the 2nd inst., was buried on Monday last at the Patrish Churchyard by the Rev. R. David. She was the youngest daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Elias Thomas (Pwll- "helig Farm). The funeral was well attended. The chief mourners were :-1rs. G. Griffiths, Pwllhelig, and Mrs, Thomas, Camarthen (sisters); Mr. Richard Thomas, Cardiff (brother), and Mr. Bertie Griffiths (nephew). Miss Thomas had attained the age of 73 years.

FARMERS OF THE YALE. I QUESTION OF LABOUR SUPPLY DIS- I CUSSED AT COWBRIDGE. WOMEN AND GERMAN PRISONERS. I A meeting of Vale farmers of an interest quite out of proportion to its size and preten- tions was held at the Bear Hotel, Cowbridge, on Tuesday, when the Cowbridge and County Farmers' Club met to discuss, and to express their views on, the Government methods, present and to come, of dealing with the ques- tion of man power on the land—or, as the convening notice put it, "to discuss the ques- tion of the ^rious position of farmers en- tailed by the Military authorities calling up so many skilled hands." A feature of the meeting was a statement made by Mr Osmond Smith, county land agent, as to the working of the new War Agricultural Sub-committees for dealing with the question. The chair was taken by Mr. Illtyd Williams (Castleton), who said agriculturists should do their utmost in this crisis to support the Gov- ernment, but at the same time it was neces- sary that they should look after their own in- terests, and do their best to get everything done fairly and as smoothly as possible. Mr. Osmond Smith, county land agent, ex- plained the arrangement that had been set up for taking the agricultural census. The J object of the census was to ascertain the true position as regards labour on the land, to ascertain deficiencies, and to replace them. The census was to be taken as soon as pos- sible. There was as yet no absolute pro- nouncement as to the Government's inten- tions with regard to substitution of labuor, but they might rest assured that men would not be taken unless an efficient substitute could be found. There were many questions to be considered in connection with the i scheme—the question, for instance, of accom- modation for the "substitutes." The Gov- ernment, moreover, were going to provide facilities for steam traction as one possible so- lution of the labour problem. Also it should be known that men released from the Army could be got by applying to the Labour Ex- changes, or to himself (Mr. Osmond Smith). Then there was the question of women. A large number had been registered, and some were being employed in the Vale—Mr. Akers, for instance, was employing two or three. In this very serious crisis in the country's his- tory, let them not say "I can't," but "I will." (Hear, hear.) Mr. Edmund Lewis agreed that the ques- tion was a very serious and urgent one. As farmers they were between two-fires. There was need of men on the land, and the need of men for the Army. They were, in fact, be- tween the devil and the deep sea—an inva- sion by the Germans on the one hand, and shortage of food on the other. If they were to maintain normal production, it was cer- tain they must have labour. It was their duty as patriots to take such labour as the Government sent them. The situation was frankly one of great perpexity for ,everyone; for the men at the helm, as well as for the farmers. (Hear, hear.) Rev. Edward Jenkins (Llanmihangel) sug- geeted the passing of a resolution touching the wages to be paid to farm hands at this crisis. There was a tendency on the part of farm labourers just now to demand as much as 50 per oent. higher wages than before the war. Wages should be regulated by author- ity. These men whom they were to be asked to take on in place of the men called up might ask for more than they (the farmers) could afford to pay. The wages both of men and women should be fixed according to their ex- perience. People were taking advantage of the farmer's position. Mr. Edmund Lewis said certainly no one had benefited more by the present crisis than the farm labourer. At the same time, he did not agree with the rev. gentleman. When they got a good man, they should pay him well. The labourer was worthy of his hore. Mr. David Jenkins: It is a question of supply and demand. If a man asks 30s., and you say no, there are three or four who are iready to take him on. Rev. E. Jenkins: That is just what we want to make illegal. Mr. David Jenkins: If you begin on that tack, you will have to go on to the shop- keepers the grocers and butchers and bakers. A Member: And the colliers. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Noah Morgan, speaking on the general question of the substitution scheme about to be put into force, said he had been told on very good authority that the Military autho- rities regarded two men under 25 as fully equal in value, as far as the trenches were concerned, to three men of from 30 to 35 or 40. As regards the labour that was going to be substituted for those of their men who were called up, they must not be too fastidi- ous. As farmers they were, by their very profession, conservative, and when a man suited them they liked to stick to him. But at this crisis they must put their own predi- lections aside. The cry was always, "Men, more men," and they must let their's go, and take the best substitutes that the Government could place at their disposal. WOMEN ON FARMS. r As to the question of women labour," continued Mr. Morgan; I say now what I have said many a time before, women are ut- terly unsuited to farm work. Dairy work and milk selling is different, but as far as work on an arable farm is concerned, it is only one woman in a thousand who can do it, and she must have been brought up to it. There is certain work on farms that women can so, such as milking, etc., but taking our Vale farms as a whole, such work is already being done by our wives and daughters." He hoped the new Agricultural Committee would be made really effective. (Hear, hear.) They should not be dominated by one or two. There ought to be more liberty in their selec- tion. The selection of the substitutes, and going through the census with the official representatives of the Government, should be done by the committees themselves as a body, so that they could investigate each case on their own account. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Osmond Smith: That is actually being done. Mr. T. Morgan (Dunraven Hotel, Bridg- end), speaking not as a farmer but as one who depended very much on farmers, said he understood the meeting was called for the pur- pose of demanding that no more skilled men should be called up from the land. Labour Exchangee had been mentioned. His own experience of men supplied by the Labour Ex- changes was that they were here to-day and gone to-morrow. (Hear, hear.) As regarded female labour on farms, he thought they would all be gone before they saw women back on the land again. A Member, who said that one skilled man used to handling farm machinery, was worth three "substitutes," as a rule, asked what they were to do if the Government sent them such men ? Mr. Osmond Smith: The Government pro- mise "efficient substitutes." To send such men would not be carrying out their promise. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Edmund Lewis: They would be very efficient in taking the' rations and the salary, and very inefficient in doing the work. (Laughter.) The Chairman agreed that it would be very difficult to find substitutes for skilled men. Women would be of no use to most of their Vale farmers. They were being urged to employ men over military age, but it was impossible to get them. The whole question was avery grave one. Take for ex- ample thatching. Thatching could only be done by skilled men, and their ricks would be open all the year round if they were left to unskilled "substitutes," and they knew what damage a single night's heavy rain could do to an unthatched rick. Again, they were told to sow more wheat, but what was the use of that if they could not reap it? He hoped the Committees would do their best to keep for them theirs killed men. Mr. Williams concluded by proposing the following resolution:—"That although we, tho members of the Cowbridge and County Farmers' Club, sympathise with the difficul- ties in which the Government finds itself placed in regard to getting men for the Army, we sincerely trust we shall have fair play in the proper investigating of our cases by the Committees in conjunction with the war officials." The resolution was seconded by Mr. Ed- IDWld Lewis, and carried unanimously. GERMAN PRISONERS. I Mr. Osmond Smith raised the question of the employment of German prisoners. Was that a solution that was likely to meet with favour in that part of the world? The Chairman said without going away as far as Germany, most of those present had had experience of men who wanted constant watching. The experience was not encoura- ging. (Laughter). Mr. Noah Morgan thought the employ- I ment of German prisoners in South Wales was out of the question. Who was going to supervise them? Then, too, they had Cardiff and Swansea at their doors. It might be feasible to use German prisoners in the Mid- land oounties of England, but nqt there. (Hear, hear).

STRANDED SOLDIERS AND OGMORE I VALE RECEPTION COMMITTEE. I To the Editor. I Sir,-We shall be glad if you will kindly give us space to reply to Mr. Bartlett's fetter re stranded soldiers at Bridgend. We are taxicab drivers at Bridgend Sta- tion and regularly drive stranded soldiers to their destination. Therefore, we claim to know something of Rev Thos. Davies and his organi- sation. On the 17th November, for example, he needed another car to take some stranded soldiers home, all the available cars at the station being already engaged for that pur- poee by the organisation which Mr. Davies represents. At 11-30 p.m. he was tramping the darkened streets of Bridgend in the cold and wet, and at 12 o'clock we saw him at the Police Station, where he had sought and re- ceived the ever ready help of Inspector Rees Davies. No matter how late the hour, or how inclement the weather, Mr. Davies is waiting for the boys, and if he cannot find a taxi he will see them into comfortable lodg- ings for the night, and provide them with money for supper and breakfast. Mr. Bart- lett is in the wrong place to help stranded soldiers. He speaks of the good work he .and his reception committee are doing. We give him and them due credit for this, and may it be even more successful. But, sir, the stran- ded and tired soldier needs a "reception" before he gets .\to Ogmore" Vale or wherever his destination ihay be. When he gets home he has his own family and friends. It is a helping hand to get to tl-em that he needs. Bridgend offers this helping hand, and through Mr Davies and his helpers it is given, and it costs more than the silver crown Mr. Bartlett speaks of. We venture to aasert that for every crown Ogmore Vale spends on stranded soldiers Bridgend spends six. Every driver whose name is appended to this letter can prove, and is willing to prove, either privately, or preferably through the Press, that he has driven any number of stranded Ogmore Vale soldiers for Mr Davies and his organisation. As recently as last Friday night two different parties of stranded Ogmore Vale soldiers were driven home by us. Mr.' Bartlett asks for the names of the six who have been helped by Mr. Davies or his organisation. We have seen Mr. Davies befriend scores of stranded soldiers, and we venture to say that he does not know the name of one. When these weary warriors arrive at Bridgend, they are longing for rest and a sight of those who are near and dear to them. A few words of welcome, their des- tination asked, a cheery "good-night boys," and before the worthy President could bare 11 1 rubbed his eyes open the lads would be well on their way to Ogmore, Ogmore Valley and Ogmore Vale. It may not be very becoming, sir, for a lot of rough and tumble taxi-drivers to appeal to a real live President to be a "sport," but we do feel that if he could see this Bridgend organisation at work a sense of what is fair and just would prompt him to withdraw his cheap gibes at those who labour untiringly for our brave soldiers. If he could hear, as we drivers often hear, a mudstained, tired lad expressing his joy and gratitude for the help received, he would feel sorry that he and his reception committee had needed "to be informed" that even one gallant lad from Ogmore Vale was stranded.—We are Sir, Yours etc., FRANK YOTTNG. GEO. THUR3FIELD HOPKINS. THOMAS H. C. DAVIES. ALEX. J. HOLLOWAY. TOM HILLMAN.

19, I To the Editor. ) Sir,—I think it is only fair to the Rev. Thomas Davies and members of the various denominations at Bridgend for me to state a few facts, as I think I am in a position to say what actually takes place. Soon after the outbreak of the war members of the dif- ferent Churches by permission had the use of the "down" waiting room, Bridgend Sta- tion, from 9-30 p.m. to 11-30 p.m. for the providing of hot coffee, bread and cheese, etc. for the soldiers and sailors passing through the station and for those waiting connections, and for a long time these gentlemen came out in turn at 2-30 a.m. to provide similar re- freshments for soldiers and sailors arriving and passing in the 3 a.m. mail train, and from what I saw these re-fresments were greatly appreciated. Latterly the refresh- ments have been discontinued, but the same gentlemen meet the late trains, and from my own personal knowledge have assisted stran- ded soldiers and sailors by paying part of the taxi-fare and in some cases the whole, to the different valleys. Names are never to my knowlOOgt asked for. I am fully aware that the Ogmore Vale Reception Committee are doing a good work. We have instructions from this Committee to inform returning soldiers and sailors to en- gage a taxi at their expense. To get a taxi at 3 a.m. however is a difficult matter, but I believe a definite arangement could be made by co-operation. Last week there was a large number of men coming home on leave. The greater portion of these arrive by the 3 a.m. mail train and are stranded for several hours. We do all we possibly can for them. If the various committees and persons interested were to make it one common cause to assist the stranded, and often tired soldier, they would be doing a good and necessary work. I will give one incident for the public to know how necessary it is to assist the re- turning soldiers coming home on leave--an incident that came under my own observation It is only a short time ago a soldier arrived by the 3 a.m. mail train. He had been in the trenches three days fighting and without sleep. On arrival at Bridgend he was so dead sleepy that he could not be awakened. We carried him from the train to the waiting room and made him as comfortable as we could and allowed him to sleep. Such men as these should never be allowed to be stran- ded for the want of funds. The staff at Bridgend Station will do whatever they can to assist Committees and persons interested in soldiers and sailors arriving by train on leave.—Yours faithfully, W. H. PETTY (Inspector), I r Bridgend Station. I no

I To the Editor. j Sir,—I was pleased to find the altered tone of the Rev. Thomas Davies' last letter, which clearly showed that he had been misled as to the operations of the Ogmore Vale Reception Committee. I thank him on behalf of the Committee for his candid appreciation of the work done by us, and refciprocate the com- pliments. The organisation over which the rev. gentle- man presides has done excellent work, and we at Ogmore Vale have not the least desire to detract from its praise. We covet no hon- our deservedly won by Bridgend, but we must he TYfiTwlnrtpd if we venture to chamnion our r- own prestige. Mr. Davies need have no fear about secur- ing the whole-hearted support and sympathy of the Ogmore Vale Reception Committee in the noble work he is doing; in fact, a few months ago the question of financially assist- ing his organisation was mooted at one of our committee meetings, but was allowed to drop, as no direct application had been made to them. Before closing, I should like to repeat that the Ogmore Vale Reception Committee only exists to provide comforts and conveyances for soldiers and sailors returning from the front or hospital. Our idea is to get the warrior who has been through all the horrors of war—wounded or unwounded-home into the bosom of his family with as little delay as possible. The "leave" of such men is usu- ally short, and every hour counts. But if we extend this to men from training camps— well, while human nature is what it is, I am sure that the funds of the Ogmore Vale Reception Committee could not stand the financial strain. Why should not our home- training men break their journey at Cardiff and stay there until the last train, if they knew a conveyance awaited them at Bridg- end? The home-ties of a soldier from the front' would minimise this, if not entirely negative the rigk. The three Ogmore Vale instances quoted by Mr. Davies in his last letter were from "home camps"—two belonging to Nantymoel.— Apologising for again trespassing, I am, yours faithfully, WILLIAM BARTLETT. I

ABERKENFIG CHILDREN'S TREAT. I To the Editor. I Sir,—Respecting the tea and free enter- ? i taiment Umt is being qrganiwd for oar I ?"4 4 ?, brave fighting men's children at the Cinema, Aberkenfig, on Boxing Day, may I suggest that the promoters should incorporate the movement with the work of the committee which is now arranging to supply the needs of the dependents of sailors and soldiers? The Boxing Day treat is a big undertaking, and should have the supervision of a recognised and authoritative body such as the said com- mittee. The Rev. G. R. Cole is hon. sec- tary, and I respectfully suggest that the pro- moters of the tea should invite him and his committee to take the matter up.—Yours, I SUBSCRIBER. I

Women 0. « ø wn a 9 Cocoo nzah4 a, Siacuit üdlt a tneai Buy a 4td. Tin and test it to-day. 2 OV = j H «1 P WAOOINCTONl B&/j t  s????????  "?  ? ???????? ?ss& ???3? ? ta ||2g||g§E|| I e 1m _ts",are. ø CoId8iD a111DOCkrD "011. ø 1  ll '1o 1 p.> the :¡ ? ? ? S? ? ???-r?'???T??M??i th? e ???N?0?? ?j ? 3  i ?  HIjj § g cr t!I WADD?QTON?I?NM5? I3 H f2 'as d (ESTABLISHED IM.) —' STATION ROAD (Opposite the CoMtySehoots) PORT TALBOT. 0 ) TELEGRAMS: MORGAN, IRONMONGER. TELEPHONE No. 5. W. MORGAN & CO., (LLANTWIT MAJOR.) LTD., Wholesale and, Retail Fi nishing and Builders' Ironmongers, Implement Agents, EAST STRUT, LLANTWIT MAJOR, Hold a Good Stock of Wearing Parts for MOWERS and BINDER*, CULTIVATOR* and PLOUCiH FITTINGS. Inspect our Stock oi Barn Machinery, Ctiaflcutters & Grinding Mills. Sole Agents far Honnsby's Pioughs and Machinery. „ II Hantaille Chaff cutter s & Mills. &c. J

I COYTRAHENE LADIES CHOIR. I I CONCERT FOR RED CROSS.. I A successful concert was held by the Ladies Choir on Wednesday and Thursday last in aid of the Red Cross Hospital. This choir has been in existence for some tiwte;" and has latterly made such progress as justi- fied them taking up a work of such a charac- ter as the one performed on this occasion. The oantataj, Joseph" is arranged for ladies voices. It is a true test of the capabilities of any c hoir taking it up, and it may be said that by their fine performance the Coytrahen ladies have enhanced their reputation. The vocalisation, tone and attack, together with the balance of the parts were all good. The chorus (unaccompanied) was beautifully given. • The choir were assisted by Madame Rosser Morgan (soprano) and Miss Riggs (contralto), both of whom gave a very good rendering of their respective parts. The playing of the orchestra was of great assistance to the choir and added much to, the performance. Miss May Williams presidètt at the piano. Great praise is due to Mr. S. Paget, A.T.S.C., the conductor, for the manner in which he has trained the choir. The chapel was packed on the two evenings, and a good sum will be handed to the funds of the hos- pital as a result. The L-airman on Wed- nesday was Mr. Fred Thomas (Aberkenfig) and on Thursday Councillor T. Butler (Coy- trahen). The first part of the programme was of a miscellaneous character, as follows:— Wednesday:: -Sdlo, "Gwlad yr Eisteddfo- dau," Mr. David Griffiths; solo, "Nant y Mynydd," Madame Rosser Morgan; solo (violin), Miss Blodwen Hopkin; solo, "The Two Grenadiers," Mr. David Griffiths; solo, "Tbere's-a. land," Miss S. Riggs; duet (A.B.C.), Madame Rosser Morgan and Mr. David Griffiths. Thursday:—Solo, From Oberon in Fairy- land," Mr. David Griffiths; solo, "The Holy City," Madame Rosser Morgan; solo (violin), "The Lost, Chord"' (by request), Miss Blod- wen Hopkin; solo, "Y WIad a garaf Fi," Mr. David Griffiths, solo, "Abide with Me" (by request), Miss S. Riggs; duet, "The Lord be gracious unto thee," Madame Rosser Morgan and Mr. David Griffiths. Votes of thanks were accorded to Mrs. Thomas, who placed her home at the dis- posal of the choir for the purpose of dressing rooms, to Misses Burgess and Jones, hon. secretary and hon. treasurer respectively, to Mr. J. W. Hutchinson, of North's, for the free use of stage and men hauling same, to the Chairman for presiding, also to the Trus- tees of the Chapel and to the Rifle ItangW Committee for use of chairs.

Advefttfoe in the Glamorgan Gaaette. if,, yow, wwd to Bell, buy • Qt exchange; you _"0- do bettor.