The Cambria Daily Leader

PIECE RATE  PIECE BATE OFFER. Miners See the Premier. TODAYS CONFERENCES. LONDON, Frid-ay. The Miners1 Executive met again this morning to consider the Government 'piece rate offer. At 12.40 they went to Downing-street to see the Premier. CONSt DERI N G THE OFFER. I The Executive of the Miners' Federation again met at Russell Square shortly after 10.30 this morning, when there was a full attendance of members, to further consider the Government's offer made yesterday for the settlement of the piece rate which has caused the strike in Yorkshire and other plac-,s.-Exchange. BANNED EXPORTS. Mr. Finlay Gibson's Message to Controller. Our Cardiff correspondent says: With regard to the order of the Govern- ment as to the prohibition of exports, we are informed by Mr. Finlay Gibson, sec- retary of the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coalowners' Association, that the following telegram has to-day been sent by that body to the Coal Controller:— The Monmouthshire and South Wales Coalowners' Association desire to inform you that if the order as to the prohibi- tion of exports remains in operation, the collieries will gradually stop, which will be a serious matter for the district, which is depending on export trade for keeping the collieries working. Only a email pro- portion of the output could be sent in- lan d. The Association will instruct its mem- bers to loyally carry out all instruction and orders as to the inland trade. The matter is urgent and pressing. A partial stoppage of the coalfield is to be avoided." A similar telegram hag been sent to the Controller by the Cowl Supplies Com- mittee, and pointing out that the can ing out of the order of supplying 2cwt. of coal to each householder is impractic- able in that district. The position in Cardiff remains the same -as yesterday in regard to the shipment of foreign orders. I The Yorkshire miners' dispute is on the point of settlement. While piece- -workers will probably receive an increase of 14.3 pel cent.. to bring their wages up to the former lbve., an average increase II of 10 per cent. for the whole country will be maintained. This settlement will not affect the I many other poiuts in dispute, nor the strike ballot to be taken by the Triple Alliance next week, but the situation is I distinctly easier. A considerable number of miners resumed work yesterday in Nottinghamshire, North Staf fordshirs, Monmouthshire, Derbyshire, and Lan- cashire. Mr. Bonar Law declared in the House ¡ of Commons that the Government are doing all they can to deal with the agi- tators who are fomenting discontent with the object of destroying our whole social and political system. As a precaution the export of coal to foreign countries has been prohibited. OFFICIAL STATEM ENT. I The Prime Minister met the Miners' I Executive at 10, Downing-street, yester- I day morning, and at the close of the con- ference the following official statement II was issued.- I The Prime Minister met representa- tives of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain at 10, Downing-street this morn- j ing, to discuss the question of the ad- justment of piece rates in the coalfields in view of the reduction of hours conse- quent upon the Sankey interim report. Mr. Smillie submitted the case for the miners, as set forth in the following Keswick Conference resolution:— This conference decides that the maximum figure to be accepted in any given district for the reduction of one hour per working shift shall be 14.3 per coent., with a proportionate increase for every fractional part of an hour re- < Ruction., provided that efth inereama tA j-ateft shall not mean an increase in actual wages. GOVERNMENT OFFER. I After prolonged discussion the Prime Minister, on behalf of the Government, submitted the following formula for the consideration of the Federation:— Accepting and acting on the basis laid down in Mr. Justice Sankey's interim report that the reduction in output will be less than 10 per cent., the Govern- ment is prepared to say that the piece- workers will not suffer any loss of earn. ings. The piece rates will therefore be L increased by an amount which, on the average, will be thought necessary to correspond with a 10 per cent. reduc- tion in output. The Prime Minister suggested that the methods by which the formula can be I put into a form of adoption in the several districts, might be examined by a small committee representing the Coal Mines ^Department and the Miners' Federation. Mr. Smillie intimated that the execu- tive would meet this afternoon to con- sider the Government's formula." FEWER TRAINS. I On inquiry at the offices of the Railway .Executive it was learned that, subject to the coal strike continuing, the curtail- ment in the country's train service, of which notice has been given, would, it is expected, take effect at the beginning of jaext week. L I The notice, said an official, was a warn- I ing to the public that the restrictions would be brought into force very quickly if the strike continues. The convenience of the public will be studied by the rail- way companies as far as possible, and every effort will be made to that end. That is to say, the trams taken off for the start will be those which least affect the public convenience. The reduction would be gradual at first, probably about 20 per cent., extending to about 50 per cent. of the prefwar standard if the strike con- tinued. I -1 15,000 iDLE. I I Stoppage in Cannock Chase I Coalfields. The whole. of the pits in the Cannock Ciuaae Coalfields are at a «tan distill to-dt-y, 15.000 men beinz idle. j I DUCKHAM REPORT. I Rumoured Acceptance by Government. The Parliamentary correspondent of the Daily Herald says with regard io the' Sankey Report that there is a per- sistent and wilely-edreulated rumoiir in the House that the Government has de- cided to act on the Minority Report of Sir Arthur Duckham. In his report Sir Arthur Duckham re- commends the acquisition by the State of tho whole lht. of Great Britain, compensation to be paid in the form of annuities. He condemns nationalisation of mines. and says the Miners' Federation's scheme is unworkable. WHAT THE SCHEME IS. 1 His main proposals are as follow#^ (1) A Ministry of Mines to contpk* .I mineral rights and ensure the ptSe^per working of all mineralx. (2) An Area Commission of experts to divide the country into effective working districts. (3) The amalgamtion of all colliery in- terests in each such urea into statutory company to buy over the existing com- panies- This company will be called a District Coal Board. The Government is to guarantee a dividend of 4 per cent. and a conditional participation up to 6 per cent. (5) There shall be seven directors, two to be elected by the workpeople. (6) Pit Committees to be established for advisory purposes.

TO FIGHT BRITISH. I Soviet Alliance with Afghans. COPENHAGEN, Friday. The Bolshevist paper InveStia states that the Soviet Government has made an alliance with the itew Government of I Afghanistan. They have also entered into a military convention for joint action against the I British on the Asphab front.—Exchange, at 11

TO-DAY'S WIRES. i '? -mI I TITTONI "'0' VISIT PREMIER..1 Paris. Friday.—The "Journal" states I that Signor Tittoni, the Italian Foreign Minister, will visit London to confer with I Mr. Lloyd George onoolonial questions. ¡ —— ■ RESTORING THE SWAG. I I The Paris Journal reports that four German officials living in the former Ger- man Embassy, go each morning to a large bank busily restoring to Fiance the se- curities seized in the invaded regions.

OXFORD LOCAL. The Oxford local examinations, Swan- sea centre, now being held at Mount Pleasant Schoolrooms, conclude on Satur- day next after ten days' work. Thp can. didates number 89, of which 62 are girls and 27 boys. The superintending examiner is Mrs. Picton-Evars. of Morriston, assisted by the local committee—Mrs. Edgar Reid, Mrs. F. E. Perkins, Mrs. Corby, Mrs. A. L. White, Miss Averil Moy-Evans, Miss Edith Perkins, Mr. Charles R. Perkins-and the local secre- tary, Mr. A. D. Perkins. Mr. Seyler has 4.(,ain allowed the use of his laboratory for the practical chemistry examination. The, candidates come from Swansea and the South-West Wales district. r

COAL EMBARGO, ] I COAL EBARGO, 1 Not Apply to Coastwise  Vessels.  I1 I There is an easier feeling at the Swan- sea Docks by reason of the coal restriction not being so severe as it wag at first thought it would be. It now appears thalt the restriction does not apply to any eo astwise cargoes. The Channel Islands ar"a regarded as coasrt- wi-se. Vessels loaded with anthracite, or the bulk of whose cargo is anthracite, will be cleared. Another satisfactory feature is th,¡,t steam coal, fuel, and cokeare being loaded at the docks, but of course these vessels.- < whoise destination in for foreign ports, I will not be cleared untile tho present em- bargo is removed. t

"IN VAIN." t ■» Efforts to Arrange I Slesvig Evacuation I 1% (Press Association War Special.) I COPENHAGEN. Thursday I | ^received r nday). The newspapers report that all efforts' to arrange the evacuation of the third Slesvig Zone by the German Authorities have been in vain, beuause the Peace Treaty contains no chta-se to that effect. The PoiÚhn." coramenting on the subject, says: "The discussion regarding i the evacuation of Ike third zone will now I probably come to an emd. We, on our part, have never contributed any special importance t othe omissioiti of the evacua- tion terms in the Peace Treaty, whether it has been done ,by mistalte or purposely, as a concession to Germaany, because we I havs always been convinced that the In- ternational Plebiscite Qommitee" which soon will be at work, will know how to secure full freedom of voting in the two zones, even without the Evacuation of the third Wll<. From the first moment we had taken the view that the Allies would na. de- mand that the Peace Treaty, which has already been signed, should bs altered in consideration of this comparatively non- essential question, and therefore we are I not able to feel disappointment b?^r?r.#: our national scepticism has been con- t firmed NO REASON TO COMPLAIN. On contrary we must express our bs- tonishment when telegrams; from ParJsi suggest that the possibility of evacuation is not excluded. To those whose hopes have been confirmed by sllqh unauchen-; ticated reports and now are disappointed, it will perhaps be opportune to draw at- tendon to wha we have enipI?sMed inoM than once, namely, that a clause regard- ing evacuation was not inchided because of the demands or wishes from the Dan- ish side. The fact is that the- entire pro- gramme with -which the two Danish Dele- gations arrived" in Paris hats boejn ful- filled in every detail in the Pteace Treaty. We have indeed no reason t.o complain."

WAR SAVINGS. I Compliment to Swansea Borough Treasurer. U -Has been felt by a large number of I people thai some steps should be taken to continue the good work wfoich has en performed by War Savings Committers throughout the country, so that the habit of thrift which has been inculcated into so many millions at people may be encour- aged during times of peace. The Govern- ment Committee have therefore estab- led a National Savings Assembly, con- sisting of elected representatives from all the different counties of England and Wales to consider the best mfa-ns of pro- moting thiis object. This assembly mot at Buxton, Glamorganshire- and Mon- mouthshire being represented by Mr. W. H. ArfimoLe, the borough 'treasurer of Swansea. A long and useful discuss took pis?ce on many matters connected with the movement, and at the request of the National War Savings Committee ap- pointed by His Majesty's Treasury, six røp-rooentativlls of the whole country were elected to serve on the National Commit- tee. It was decided that One of these representatives should represent the whole of Wales, and we are pleased to announce that Mr. Ashmole was selected to, fill this j POSt. :| I This is a great compliment to Mr. Ash- mole and to Swansea, aiiti we feel sure that he will ably represent the Princi- pality on this important Government, as he has taken a keen interest in the move- ment from its inception. j

I SWANSEA POST. Electricity Committee Appoint I Shift Engineer. '1 A sub-committee of the Swansea Cor- poration Electrical Committee on Thurs- day interviewed applicants for the, posi- tion of shift engineer at a salary of £306 a year. Six applicants had been placed in a short list, of whom six attended. bf r. T. Bell, at present a temporary shift engineer, was appointed to the vacant permanent post, and Mr. Walter Melvin Wilson, Swansea, formerly en- gaged by the Tramway Co., to the tem- I porary post held hitherto by Mr. JBell. j t

GIRL MOTHER. I Child Murder I Charge at Assize. I lATHER IN PRISON. I At Swansea Assizes' on Friday—before Mr. Justice Avory—Gladys May Snell (19), 'single, pleaded not gurl'y to a charge of murdering her child, Ralph Snell (21 months' old), at Barry on May lst.-Mr. N. H. Thomas prosecuted for the Crown, and Mr. Marlay Samson. K.C., and Mr. W C. Howe were for the defence. There was also a coroner's inquisition for the same offence. Prisoner was a well built and well dressed young woman. Opening, Mr. Thomas said on the lOh July, 1917, prisoner was admitted to the City Lodge Workhouse at Cardiff, stating that she was a single woman. On 24-h July the child. was born, and a month later both were discharged, and went to the Salvation Army Home, Cardiff. On F'2b. 14th this year she was again ad- mitted to the City Lodge Workhouse. Cardiff On March 20th she applied for permission to leave and allow the child to remain chargeable, but for some reason the consideration was held over till loth of May. r DECLINED A "LIFT." j ) f On 1st May, however, prisoner obtained her discharge, and took the child with I her. She left about noon: telling the porter she was taking the child to her parents at Cadoxton. An hour later she I was seen by a R.A.S.C. driver sitting I down on the roadside between Grange- town Station and the toll gates on the Penarth road. The child was with her. and she appeared distressed, but she I'declined a "lift." That, as far as was known, was the la.st occasion on which the child was seen alive. I TOOK HI M TO THE SPOT. I On 7th May Police Inspector Thomas interviewed prisoner at her parents* home, and she took him along a path and to a spot 40 yards from it. where they found a body (later identified as her ■,child) lying in a foot of water. It was wrapped in a workhouse shawl. At the police station she made a statement, which the prosecution said was deter- L.urinative in this grave charge., The jury had the* very gj&e-jrikf'onsi,>ility oj- de- ciding whether accused should live or die. The Judge: You should not make that I observation. That (ieeision does not rest jdth the jury. I Counsel withdrew the remark. Evidence was then called, Martha Calloway, in charge of the women's block at the infirmary, said the girl told her the father of the child was in prison. When she left she seemed to her to have a perfectly natural affection for the child. The girl had had a certain disease. Mary Stxirt. in charge of the nursery at the infirmary, said the child was very weakly, and had been separated from the mother because of the latter's ill-health. TOLD TO DROWN HER BABY. Violet Ash, a domestic servant, dis- charged from the Workhouse on the same day as the prisoner, said on the day prior to the discharge prisoner said a young girl had told her to drown her baby, but she said she would rather put it on its father's doorstep than do that, adding: I cannot "take my baby home." Witness did not think accused meant to do anything wron- to the child of which she seemed fond, wishing it would get well and stronger. She wanted to go out and get a livelihood. Owing to the father being in gaol, she said, he had been unable to sup- port the child. Cross-examined: She seemed greatly up- set and worried 09 this day before leav- ing, and said she wished someone would look after the child till she could get some money for its maintenance.. As far as the witness could judge the last thing in the world that prisoner wished on this day was that the child should die. Martin Hugh, the ]&A:Pi £ late^i how lie haw accused deme up "b:¡- the roadside about six ihiles from Barry, with her baby. She twice refused a lift. ) I I INSPECTOR'S STORY, I Inspector R. H. Thomas, Ban-y, on the 7th May, went to the accused's parents' he-use at 1, I)obbin's-road, Barrv, Ask,,d where the child was, prisoner said: I brought it out of the home, and a girl named Violet Ash there, who was very fond of it, adopted it and has taken it to I Lontlun." The mother said: "You told me you left your child in the homes." When' the mother had retired she burst out crying and said: "I have drowned it." Asked where, she replied: In a ¡' field not far from the cross roads after J passing Greenyard Farm. I He took prisoner to a field and walking I alongside the bank of a brook, she pointed j out two spots where the child would be, and at a third he found the body face up- wards in about a foot of water, the water ■just over the iaoe. The shawl produced ¡ was tied loosely around the neck. I THE GIRL'S CONFESSION. Cautioned at the station and charged f with murder, accused, after say,:ng that the officials had done nothing in regard jjiflt keeping the child in the Hoii,-eN isaid: I came out on Thursday and brought th-a child with me. I had no money. I carried hjun from Cardiff to go home to •Barry. I knew it was no good going I there with the cfcild. I took a sudden 1 thought; I did 'not know what I was doing, and threw him into the brook." The spot was only about a mile from her home. By Mr. Marlay Sainton: Accused was one of six children, and went to work at 14. The girl had told him she wa-, seduced when 16 years of age, and a married man named Ivor Newton Mad- docks had admitted to him the paternity of the child. He did not know whether he had contributed to tho maintenance but he was taken into custody en loth July, 1918, and was. still in prison. Pri- soner had contributed to the home from time to time small for the main.. I tenance of the child. MENTAL DISTURBANCE? Sergt. D. Phillips corroborated.—Dr. P. J. O'Donnell said there were no marks of violence, and death was due to asphyxia due to drowning. The body was very poorly nourished. In cross-examination: The carrying of the child such a long distance, and the knowledge that accused and child would not have a good reception at home, might. have overthrown her reasoning power, j Ho did not associate the disease from which she had suffered with this mental disturbance. PRISONER'S STATE OF MIND. On resumption after lunch, Mr. Samson called no evidence. Mr. N. H. Thomas asked for a verdict on the capital charge, and Mr. Samson made an eloquent and moving plea for the girl on the ground that, as she her self said. she did not know what she was doing. No more piti- able story had ever been told to the court, he said, and her early betrayal, the dis- ease, and the subsequent history of the man had a very important bearing on her state of mind at the time. He suggested that when she did the rash act she did not know what the was doing, so as to make her legally responsible for the act. If ever there were predisposing causes to an overthrow of reason, they existed in this case. (Proceeding).

IN 14 DAYS TIME, French Disolution Rumours. PARIS, Friday. An official personage lias informed thE I ç; Echo de Paris that the present P arlia- • ment will ptofcahly, la^t l.?. a- ,?  5. .?  ,,x .Ñ }Jv .r. I.t' .1; artmght, and a ?en6ra! ?eetMn wilt ?? j Oabbtùepl on Sunday Octoräth, I

DEBTORS MEMORY. j Registrar Warns Swan- I sea Engineers. The public examination of Mr. Ben-! jamin Owen Ledbury, Burrows-road, Swansea, insulating engineer, who car- ried on business at Imperial-chambers, Gaer-street, and lately at 25, Trafalgar. terrace, was held before the Registrar, Mr. Charles, at the Bankruptcy Office, Swansea. I Debtor, in the course of examination, said his' liabilities were So75 and hi? I fre a. and assets ?15. He attribu his failure to insufficient capital, illness of his partner, and the unsettled state of musiness at the present time. He had been in busi- ness for te-n years as steam insulator and engineer, and since August last year he was a partner in the Imperial Insulating and Engineering Supply Co., his partner being Mr. Brinley Morgan Husscy, who found all the capital. I, During his examination, the debtor, while maintaining that his ntemory was j normal, seemed unable to answer many 1 of the questions put. One of these was j as to what he was doing before he went I' into business, but eventually, after much hesitation, and a stern demand from the Registrar, he said he had been an I evangelistic colportetir. "AN ORDINARY MEMORY." I The Registrar asked him if he sufferedi from defective memory ordinarily, and he; replied, My memory is not defective, ] but I haven't got the memory of two or three persons rolled into one; I've an ordiQary? memory, only ordinary, prdinary raemory, only ordinary, On another occasion, when he failed to I answer a question to who had been en- gaged in business with him besides his I brother-in-law and Mr. Perkins, the Registrar warned him that he was adopt- ing a very unsatisfactory and unjustifi- able attitude, and said if he did not -?l duct himself with decency he would j adjourn the examination and have him j brought before the judge, on the ground that he seemed desirous of arguing every possible question put to him, and not giving a true and correct statement of his ailairs, in which case the conse- quences might be serious for the debtor. The examination was conducted at ¡ some length, and then was adjourned, and an order made that in the interval ) the debtor must supply fuller particulars cf all his affairs.

I MISS ELSWORTHY. I I On Thursday night, at the Empire* Miss Dolly Elsworthy was presented with a beautiful bouquet of flowers by Mr. J. I Morris on behalf of the ladies in front and j back of the Empire staff. The present was made as a token of their dPpreciatio n of Miss Elsworthy's kindness to the staff ] at their picnic.

I OUTLOOK HOPEFUL". London. Friday Afternoon.— Tlw Miners' Ex-c-evitive were in confer- I encc- with the Government for nearly all Lour, during- which r-hey forward an approximate <•-■?. tire ate or how the Government furmul:! for the now piece rates will work out in di*- i emit -districts. Tlicio are htiLg i-heckej by the Government, and the conference will be rcs-umed at fenr o'clock. The Press Association says the situation generally may foe re- garded as hopeful of settlement. I TO-DAY'S RACING. I Batting: 6 io 'i Aii-cn. 3.30—Gallinata. 1, Marc-ia Blanche Paragon 3.—Eight ran. it to 8 win- ner. 3.50—Shoemaker 1, Arrs Ja-vvleyfoavf 2, Carapace S.-Three ran., I :2;£; •vsrw-r. I I *T; ~\7T I I j [ r- I ,) i For To-day's Raefn. Hid Crkk#