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.c_" -ø. ØiII THE MINISTER…

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.c_" -ø. ØiII THE MINISTER OF PENSIONS I AT WREXHAM. THE GIFT OF ACTON PARK LAN D, NEW INDUSTRY'S POSSIBILITIES. The Right Hon. John Hodge, Minister of Pensions, and Sir Arthur Boscawen, Parlia- mentary Secretary to the Ministry, visited Wrexham on Friday and Saturday to discuss with the representatives of the Pensions Com- mictees of North Wales various problems eon nected with the care of the disabled and of the dependents of serving soldiers, and to re- ceive from Mr. Bernard, OppenheLer a gift of 125 acres of land at Acton Park, Wrex. ham, to be used for the benefit of men dis- abled during the war. The Minister, who. stayed at Brynkinalt with -id and Lady Trevor, arrived on Friday afternoon, und first attended a special meeting of the Joint (Dis- ablement) Committee for North Wales, which took place at the Guildhall. Sir. LI. Hugh Jones of Cheviot Hey, who has taken a lead- ing pari: in providing the contribution from North Wales to the solution If the problem before the Pensions Ministry, occupied the iehair. He was supported i Mr. Hodge. Sir Arthur Boscawen, Lady Trevor, the Hon. Mrs. C. H. Wynn, Sir J. Herbert Roberts, MP., Mrs. Pritchard (Portmrdoc), ^.essrs. A. W. Williams Wynn, T. .R,. Bridgewater, J. E. TOmley (Montgomery), the Rev. J. Griffiths (Tylwch). Messrs. Ed. Hughes (Miners' agent), Robt. Jones, J. W. Williams, H. Edwards, F. A. Sturge, A. Seymour Jones, W. G. Dodd. T. B. Taylor, Thos. Jones, Charles Richards, and E. A. Cross, Dr. Edwards Jones, Atrg. Fenwick (Denbighshire), Messrs. D. White Phillips and Jos. Williams, Dr. Lewys Lloyd (Merioneth). Mr. Walter O. -Jones (Anglesey), Mr. Ll. Davies (Carnarvon), Messrs. Trevor Eyton and P. T. Davies Cooke (Flintshire), Dr. E. L. Middleton (tuberculosis physician for Denbigh and Flintshire), Mr. N,m, Lewis and Mr. E. D. Jones (pensions inspectors for Nortli Wales), Mr. T. L. Jenkins (pensions inspector for South Wales), ilr. P. R. M!,7,-r; son and Mr. H. E. K. Adams (Welsh F>"«- Trust), and Mr. Geo. G. berry 7 of the North Wales Joint Committee). A ner a cordial welcome had been extended to the Minister by Mr. Hugh Jones, "uestions were put on behalf of the various local com- I mittees. I TREATMENT AND TRAINING. I Mr. Etl. Hughes (North Wales Miners' Association), on behalf of the Denbighshire Committee, submitted a resolution expressing the opinion as to the treatment and training of disabled men at Acton Park, that the pro- posal to take Little Acton as a hostel only without any promise of a hospital does not meet the real problem before ti e Ministry, but only provides billets for men who come to J Af"to?,i Park for traini- Acton Park for training in diamond cutting ,or horticulture; that the Ministry be asked to ] fulfil their original promise to utilise land for extension of Little Acton as required for in-patient treatment, provide workshops for I providing instruction in trades suitable for disabled men, with provision ior their out- patient treatment at Acton Park, and in- patients as required at Little. Acton, and erect hostels for men in training. Mr. J. E. Tomlay (Montgomery) called the I attention of the Minister to the urgent n-eed I of taking action to secure, adequate facilities, I both for the treatment and the training of disabled men suffering from tuberculosis. He pointed cut the special advantages enjoyed j by Wales in the matter of sanatorium treat- ment through the efforts of the 'Welsh j National Memorial Association, but observed I that no facilities existed for training the I patients for suitable occupations. f .SUGGESTIONS TO MINISTER. I Mr. A. W. Williams Wynn (C^-dymaen) called the attention of the Minister to the importance of issuing special instructions tal cover the case of men who desired to be trained in essential village industries, like those of the boot repairer, the saddler, fLniL i the wheelwright. i Mr. Walter D. Jones (Anglesey) asked for concessions on behalf of Welsh sailors, and especially those disabled whilst on transport i service. Mr. LI. Davies (Portmadoc) desired the t Minister to consider the question of making I provision for convalescents by the conversion of large hotels or boarding houses at Welsh i resortB into convalescent houses. I Mr. Seymour Jones (Wrexham) pressed for increased training allowances. Mr. White Phillips (Festiniog) asked that the parents of deceased soldiers should receive special con- j sideration Mr. Bridgewater (Newtown) called attention to the question of the payment of doctors; and the Rev. J. Griffiths (Tylwch i asked, that allowances shculd be sr. en to the; children of disabled men married after dis- ) charge. t MR HODGE REPLIES. I Mr. Rodge, in replying, said as to the I tuberculosis patients, one or tv-o Echemesi were on foot just now for the purpose of I combining treatment for them with training. The direction in which Mr Tomlfey desired to go was,the direction in which the Ministry desired to travel. With regard to Mr. W. 0. Jones's points as to disabled sailors, ar- rangements bad been made whereby the men receiving mercantile pay would receive pen- j sions on the same basis as those on rmval ratings through the Pensions Ministry. As to pensions for parents of fallen boys, which he was asked to provide, if grants were to I be made to parents who had suffered nothing i from the loss of their sons, that would be in effect to compensate them for their loss, and i the Ministry did not profess to do that. He j had succeeded in convincing rL) Committee that where a household had lost two sons, j when both parents became infirm or indigent I both parents should receive the full pension of 15s. per week. There was a claim for payment for panel doctors for medical treat-j -(Ilers in instit?, ?% i ons. ment of discharged soldiers in institutions. He felt the Pensions Ministry ware being^gofcl at by the doctors. If the dovernment vkers, going to pay the doctors they must have con. trol, and that would not be a bad thing, be- j cause fee was a bel iever, and hiid been lor { ""}4-JS: years, in a national medical service giving the poorest of the land > best medical treat- ment. (Applause.) As to the -estion made to him, that pensior c.) hould be allowed to children of discharged men who married after their discharge, that was carrying things a bit too far. Sir À, G riffith-Boscawen spoke of the in- stitutional side of the Pensions Ministry, of which he has charge, and referred to the by industry at Trefnant, in the Vale of Clwyd. A small village industrylikeLat should not be regarded as a factory in the ordinary sense, adn he proposed that, it should be recognised under special regulations. (Applause.) It was also proposed to arrange .or a special combination of training and treatment for tuberculous patients under the direction of the Welsh National Memorial. (Applause.) The conference closed with a vote of thanks proposed by Sir Herbert Roberts, M.P., Seconded by Colonel Davies Cooke, of U-wy- saney. On Friday evening a crowded meeting was held at the Church House, Wrexham. The Mayor, Councillor L. B. Rowland, presided, and spirited addresses were delivered by Mr. Hodge and Sir Arthur Boscawen, who were given a cordial reception by the silvcr-badged men of the district. i GENEROUS GIFT TO THE MINISTRY. • INTERESTING CEREMONY AT ACTON PARK. The most interesting feature of Mr. Hodge's visit was the ceremony which took place at mid-day on Saturday at the Acton Park,where he was presented by Mr. Bernard Oppen- heimer with a plot of land for the training of wounded soldiers in market gardening, In the brilliant sunshine, the beautiful grounds j looked their best, and the ceremony wag wit- nessed by a large and influential gathering. The party assembled inside the hall, and those on the platform were Mr. Ll. H. Jones, who presided, the Right Hon. J. Hodge, General Sir W. Pitcairn Campbell, Sir Arthur Boscawen, Mr. B. Oppenheimer, Major Mit- chell, Lady Trevor, the Mayor and Mayoress of Wrexham (Councillor and Mrs. Rowland), and Mr. A. Seymour Jones. Mr. Oppenheimer formally presented to Mr. Hodge the estate for the training of the men, and expressed his wish to be of assistance to those who had been broken in the war, and to place them, so far as earning capacity was concerned, in perhaps a better position than they had been before.- (Hear, hear.) He was pleased to be able also to assist the Wrexham Corporation in securing la.nd of an excellent character for the prosecution of their hous- in,, sc h eme. Such se', ing scheme. Such schemes he regarded as essential for the well-being of every industrial centre, and he wished-the Corporation every success in their enterprise. (Cheers.) Re- ferring to the Diamond Cutting Centre which he proposed establishing 'in tha/fc marsion, he hoped it would benefit hundreds of disabled men from all parts of the Principality, and he hoped that* soon they would have from 200 to 300. During the period of training, the cost of which he himself would pay, the men would receive the usual training allowance from the Ministry of Pensions. At the end of their training they would enter into an engagement far a period of at least three years, at a ,,ist tliree years, at. a minimum salary of £2 a week, and there was no reason why many of them should rOt earn from £ 3 to 95 per week, and thus enable them to settle down comfortably in life. BEGINNING OF NEW INDUSTRY. In acknowledging the gift, Mr. Hodge re- ferred to the occasion as the beginning of a new indu^ stry in the country., Previous to the war there were 8,000 Germans in Germany engaged in cutting and polishing diamonds, aud tho bulk of those diamonds came from British colonies. We were going to cut and polish our own in futire--(hear, heat}—be- cause Mr. Oppenheimer had been able to secure the assistance of the great British diamond mining companies. He believed there were over 20,000 men, betwe-n Anrster. dam and Germany, working in thig indurtry- The industry was being presented to tie nation, through Sir Arthur and himself, as a magnificent gift, and his hope was that When peace came that gift would be a great national asset. It would be a lung and a heart of a. and a, heart of a bigger Wrexham, and those who came after them would reap the benefits of it. (Cheers.) In the absence of Lord Kenyon, Mr. A. Seymour Jones was called upon to accept the tenancy of the beautiful gardens and pleasure grounds on behalf of the -NTorth Wales Horti- cultural Committee, whose scheme was in ex- istence at the Garden Village. i General Sir W. Pitcairn Campbell said he had the pleasant duty to perform of thanking Mr. Oppenheimer, on behalf of the British soldier, for his splendid and generous gift. The Mayor of Wrexham (Councillor Row- land), speaking on behalf of the Wrexham Corporation, Said that they had that day wit- nessed the consummation of their hopes for the past twelve months. There would be difficulties, but there was an urgent necessity for houses, and they would proceed to meet it at the earliest possible moment. (Hear, hear.) At the close of the ceremony, the gather-s jng, led by the Chairman, inspected ffie gar- dens, where the men were found assiduously at, work..

FOOTBALL. !

PVNYCAE.!

tWREXHAM RURAL DISTRICTI ICOUNCIL.…

!What Boys Found, I

I' TRIBUNALS.

-RHOSLLANERCHRUGGG.