The Cambria Daily Leader

MUSIC FESTIVAL. 1 Not Rival to National I Eisteddfod. Promoters' Denials. In an interview, the Rev. J. S. Long- iden, M.A., the chairman of the Tarry National Eisteddfod Committee, on the qrestioti of the Welsh National Festival, said he welcomed all movements that had for their object the advancement of music in Wales, and especially the development of orchestral music. The proposal which 3;ad been made to hold a Welsh National Musical Festival at Mountain Ash dur- ing Whit-week of next year would mark a step in the direction of progress. NO RIVAL TO EISTEDDFOD. I Sir. Longdon, in effect. ridiculed the idea that such a festival would riyal j he "National," or even militate against its success. Rather, he said, it would materially benefit that institution, for it would fester the inherent love of the Welsh for music. j THE BARRY PROGRAMME. I Mr. D. Arthur Evans, the general, secre- tary of the Barry "National," said: Speaking on my own behalf, I do not -quite follow the criticism that Barry has no modern work in its list of subjects. (In.e of the modern works was composed for. and was successful at, the Neath j Eisteddfod last year. The composer was Mr. J. Owen Jones, of Cardiff. The male voice competition is upon another modern 't-ork. The Drummer/ by Fred Bennett, of Barry, and was the successful composi- tion at the Swansea National Eisteddfod. There is another new piece by Mr. J. Morgan Lloyd, of Barry. It is hardly fair to judge the whole programme by one item. granting that Stanford's piece us not modern. The general opinion is that it is a good programme, and a progressive one, without going to extremes by introducing too many modern works. The London Symphony Orchestra will accompany the chief choral L, .iition. It is ridiculous to think that this Festival is going to injure National Eisteddfod. It may injure the Barry meeting, but not the National Eisteddfod. In Barry we have given great prominence to young Welsh companies, and their new "arks will be produced at the Eisteddfod and accompanied by the London Sym- phony Orchestra."

TRAWLER DISPUTE. A Glimmer of Hope. Two months have elapsed since the ig wansea trawlermen came out. on strike, and despite tho joinst conferences which have been held between the men's repre- sentatives and owners, a settlement has Hot been arrived at. Now there is a glimmer of hope again, and we understand thatt the Ministry of Labour have th.. week taken the matter in hand, and are at last intervening. The men, according to the Sailors' and Fore- men's Union are willing for tne Ministry of Labour to attempt conciliation between (themselves and the owners, but oppose the'r arbi-Lrating in the dispute. The Union officials are therefore bptimistic about a settlement some time th:s week

YORK PLACE CHAPEL. Record Collection at Harvest Thanksgiving. In connection with the harvest thanks- giving services at York Place Baptist Chapel, a first-class programme was en- joyed by a large gathering, the proceeds going to the Swansea Hospital. The arrangements were entrusted to Mr. T. J. Davies, Br.rnawel, Ifafod, and opinions after the service were unani- mous a-s to the high standard of the items given. The following gave a good account of themselvesSoprano, Miss May Towers; tenor. Mr. R. A. Simpson; baritones, Mr. Trevor Evans, and Mr. H. Cardwell Hill: solo pianist, Miss May Towers; monologue by Mr. A. Wallis Pile; the accompanists being Mrs. T. J. Davies and Miss Shep- pard. The Rev. W. Casnodyn Rhys (pastor), presided. A vote of thanks was proposed to Mr. T. J. Davies for his splendid service, and to all who had taken part, a good sum being raised for the hospital, a record for the chapel being created.

CASTLE WARD ELECTION. I To the Editor, I Sir, with reference to my letter, which appeared in your issue of the 17th inst., I Rm given to understand that. some of my friends are misconstruing the meaning of the phrase, our common enemy, Labour," which 1 u<»ed. 1 regret this, and hasten to '? her have I ever assure them I am not. neither have 1 ever Ibfen, (tn opponent of honest and con- scientious Labour. There are men in my employ to-day who Ij-ave 35. M, 40, 45. and even 50 years in the firm. They were in the firm when my father was alive. Wha.t 1 meant to say when I used the phrase, our common rn,"my. Labour," was that I was and ever Ehall be implacably opposeci to the Labour policy a.s enunciated to-day by the leaders of the Labour Party. I have r.hvays been a. law abiding citizen of my own town, Cwa-nsea, e.nd. therefore, abhor the uncon. stitutional methods adopted by large and important sections cf the Labour Party. I tltm no believer in Lightning Strikes," in Direct Action," or in Anarchy.-Yotirs etc.. D. P. Gwynne. I 24, WaterlO<H;t, Swa.u&?. I

AGENTS BULLIED. I I Insurance Manager's Denials. The special committee appointed by the Board of Trade which is inquiring into industrial assurance up to sums of £ 50 re- suined hearing; evidence at the Hotel Windsor, London, on Monday, when repre- sentatives of vnrious companies wore M lled in explanation of the case against the present system cited by previous wit- nesses. Mr. George Shrubsole, general manager of the Pearl Company, asked to be allowed to make a statement, and referred to the examination on Thursday of the actuary I of the company with regard to the trans- fer agreement v:ith the London, Ðdin-I burgh and Glasgow Company. He said the actuary was not with the company at the time, and had not been alive to mat- ters pertaining to thr agreement. Every care was taken to safeguard the interest? of every one in the opinion of the judge to whom the affidavits were submitted. The Chairman (Lord Parmoor): It did not turn out to the benefit of the Pearl Company, did it? Witness: I think it has done so. further examined, witne-i-s admitted that if the six per cent on the < £ 300,000 had not been put in, the rate per cent. on paid-up capital would have been 51 in- stead of 2.5. Referring to certain specific cases in which money paid had boon re- turned by the company on the facts being brought to their notice, witness mentioned incidentally that it was taken for granted a good many of the 4,000 claims rtaid each week were for people who died of con- sumption. He agreed with the chairman that if they could get rid of litigation it would benefit everybody. ( Questioned by Mr. Carr M.P. witness said "lapsed" notices were served with the provisions of the Emergency Powers Act on the back. Mr. Carr read a letter to an agent on behalf of the witness in which the following passage occnrred: There will be no alteration with regard to the lapsing. In the event of a claim arising we shall have to pay the same, but if this becomes g-fnerl knowldge we are afraid it will affect your collections. We I therefore trust you will deal with this matter accordingly. POLICY HOLDERS IN THE DARK. I Asked what this meant, witness said: Naturally they did not wish the collec- tors to tell the policy-holders that the claims would be paid under the Emer- gency Powers Act, whether they paid or not. They did not want the collections to Buffer. Asked if this was in connection with the policy'of keeping policy holders in the dark, witness replied that they were taking every step to Keep the company's financial position sound. Mr. Carr: That being more important than the interests of the policy holders? Witness: Their interests were safe- guarded by the Act. Mr. Carr read a letter from an Inspector- General to an agent in which the follow- ing occurred: Be warned in time and drop on him." Witne&s said he did not approve of such a letter. U you had known would you have dealt with the inspector!'—Certainly. You would have dropped him r- Yes, (Laughter.) Another letter asked Why no new busi- ness was made la6t week." Witness; i disapprove of that. Mr. Carr referred to a number of otliei letters which he said bore witness's signa- ture, and put it to witness that tney showed a regular practice of bullying theu agents into doing something that m many uaseb was practically impossible. Uitness: L don't ayre- BAU LIVES." I Kepiying to anotiiei question, witness stud no company would drop a member because ho was Jailing into a decline, and the agent had no interest in doing so. Mr. iiodge, But if he gets too many bad lives he gets into trouble? Witness: No, we don't want him to get any. Kepiying to Sir Alfred Watson, he Mid his company took over 800,000 policy holders from the London. Edinburgh and GJ/'sgow, a ad that h..d been of'value to the com pan). Replying "to Mr. Hodge, M.P., witness said the company did not disclaim respon- sibility for their collectors. If an agent issued a policy on a life not aSbura b) the company always refunded the premiums paid when it came to their knowledge. Mr. Charles Da we, secretary of the Koyal Liver Society, told the chairman the block svstem was not applicable to their busi- ness. They had not tried it. It would eliminate the personal element which ob- tained and maintained business. The in- surance agent acted as guide, philosopher and friend to the people from whom he collected. Little confidences pa&sed, and he took much trouble to secure- and nurse hi6 business.

WOULD GO TO PRISON. I I Swansea Woman Summoned for I Net Sending Boy to School. When summoned at Swansea, on Tues- day fo:' not sending her sfcn to sohool, a woman said the boy had a leaving card, was fourteen in September last, and was now working. Further, if her boy was taken away from work she would like to know who was going to pay the income tax. She thought it was a shame that her boy should be deprived of an honest living. The Bench imposed a fine of 5s., and upon the woman remarking that she would not pay it an alternative of seven days' imprisonment was made. Defendant decided to accept the seven days.

AN. ? i?T?'s? ??? ????Twm SWANSEA'S RIGHT. q?"k ? th? BBwH i  Mayor to Safeguard the Colours. I CIVIC RECEPTION TO-MORROW. It has not been possible for the Cadre and Colours of the 6th Welsh I to return to Swansea to-day, but arrangements are now complete for their arrival at High-street Station on Wednesday, at 4.35 p.m. The Mayor, representatives of various aspects of the town's life I and of the battalion will meet them, they will be escorted to the Guild- hall Yard, a, band leading them, an d the Mayor will receive the Colours en behalf of the town and give their bearers a hearty welcome. Whether the Colours will be placed in Christ Church or in the Guildhall is not yet decided. LETTER TO THE MAYOR. I The whole of the arrangements. together with the constitution of the Colour party and a statement on the present position of the depot question are contained in the following letter from the Commanding Officer to the Mayor:— Kinmell Park Camp, Rhyl, October 19th, 1919. To the Mayor of Swansea (Councillor W. H. Miles). Dear Sir,—In continuation of my letter of the 12th inst., I beg to inform you that, in accordance with instructions received it has been left to me (as Commanding Officer of the l/6th Welsh Battalion the Welsh Regiment, T.F.) to hand the Colours of the Battalion over for safe keeping to whom I think fit, and to say that the Cadre must pro- ceed to its cificial headquarters at Cardiff for final disbandment. SWANSEA'S RIGHT. ) Therefore, as Swansea appears to be to have every right to safe- guard the Colours, and until the Battalion has been reconstructed, I propose sending them to you for safe custody and retention until other orders are issued by the new Commanding Officer on reconstruction of the Battalion. "Capt. (and Quartermaster) J. H. Russell, M.C., Capt. F. C. Palmer, M.C., Capt. (and Adjutant) H. L. Randell, and three other ranks (all of Swansea) will escort the Colours to Swansea, arriving by the 4.35 p.m. train G.W.R. on Wednesday, the 22nd inst., with instructions to hand same over to you for safe custody. "I would suggest that they be again placed in Christ Church or in the Town Hall. I am very sorry not to be able to come along myself, but my orders are to proceed to Headquarters, Cardiff. SPLENDID RECORD. I The inhabitants of Swansea and district have every reason to be I very proud of the officers and men (both living and fallen) who left for I the front in October, 1914, or subsequently, and afterwards became part of the First Division, and of thr Battalion's splendid record. As one who has given 25 years' service to our unbeatable army, I never wish to command a finer body of men nor a better disciplined battalion. I am sure I am only expressing the sentiments of the uihaLitants of I Swansea when I say I hope it will never be necessary to take the Colours—now about to be. committed to your keeping—into any foreign I country in the dim and distant future in connection with bloodshed I and the horrors of war. But should it. again become necessary to de- fend our King, Home and Empire, I feel sure the men of Swansea will I respond with the same spirit as they did in 1914 and subsequent years. j Yours faithfully (Signed) A. G. Thomas, I Lieut.-Colonel, commanding l/6th Battalion Welsh Regiment. It will be unnecessary to ask for a fitting welcome to the symbols of a battalion that was Swansea's first contribution to the war.

C.W.S. BANK. I Co-operative Societies & Labour. A Manchester Correspondent of a Lon- j don contemporary writes that the heads of the Co-operative Wholesale Society are greatly interested in Mr. Goslin's state- ment as to the part to be played in the Labour struggles of the future by the Co- operative movement. A representative of the Society, Mr. J.' Haslam. told me to-day that if Mr. Goslin had tnnde a mistake it lay in the sugges- tion that there actually exists a scheme which is really only a course of devel- opment. The simple fact of the matter," he said is that the C.W.S. Bank has natu- rally dealt with the trade unions who have hanked with them on more sympath- etic lilies than the joint stock or private concerns would have done. The recogni- tion of this dates from a frw "years ago, when private banks refused credit to the Durham and Northumberland Mintyv' Association during a s-Irike. The C.W.S. Bank, believing the security was sound, advanced over Z70,000 on the As- sociation's investments. TRANSFER OF FUNDS. This set the Trade Union leaders thinking, and whereas there were then very few of the men's organisations doing business with the C.W.S. Bank, there are now 1,091 trade unions and friendly socie- ties and 750 working men's clubs and mutual benefit societie., banking with it. As the advantages become known the tendency of working class organisations to transfer their funds is swiftly increasing. What Mr. Gosling has in mind is doubtless our willingness to meet the necessities of the unions during a strike, either by paying money direct up to the last penny, which can be advanced as a sound banking proposition for our people (remember that they are general bankers, and in every way responsible to the whole of their depositors), or by letting them have it in orders on retail co-operative societies, aud by that means ensuring the fullest value to the strikers and their families. We, of course, agree that more will be heard of the co-operative movement in the great struggle by which the people will win their rights. The movement has be- come big enough to stand behind the workers, The leaders of the working classes arc perceiving this, and as they invest with the C.W.S. Bank, the bank may be relied on to help in time of crisis to the full extent of invested security, and thus help gradually to create the new society/' PREPARING SCHEME. :Northern Labour leaders are very keen I on the whole question. Councillor Mellor, I secretary of the Manchester and Salford Trade Council, said the Co-operative !I movement would in future be regarded as the commissariat of the trade union strike movement. Had the railway I' I strike been carried on, workers every- 1 where would have been provided for by j I a regular system. A committee of the I Trade Union Congress is now at work on a complete scheme. It will shortly be completed, and we believe the result will justify all that Mr. Gosling has said. Of course, the important point lies in the Co-operative banks. The unions have recognised this for some time, and have been transferring funds to the Co-opera- tive Bank. This last strike and the lessons it taught has accelerated the move- ment, and I believe there will be a general turnover from capitalistic banks t 1- t of the C.W.S."  ,HI Q   W  I ——

I TINPLATE TRADE. I Interesting Figures From the Labour Gazette." The Labour Gazette" for October I shows that at the end of September em- ployment in the above trade remained good on the whole. At Llanelly, however, many tinplate and sheet mills worked in- termittently during the mcnth owing to the prolonged scarcity of water. A shortage of various classes of millmon was reported by several firms, and some mills were idle for want of labour. There were 348 tinplate mills and 86 eheet mills in operation, 6howing an in- crease of 93 and 24 respectively on a year ago. The exports of tinned and galvanised plates and shoot.s in September, 1919, amounted to 17,746 tons, or 10,540 tons less than in August, 1919. and 52,390 aons less than in September, 1913.

I Paris, Monday.—The Matin states that circles in close touch with the Supreme Council do not as yet confirm the appointment of General Mangin as High Commissioner for the Baltic Pro- vinces. Probably, the Matin under- sf ands, the post has been offered General Mangin, but the lattpr has not yet ac- otvttad it--Ilress Association.

TANK CLAIMANTS. 1 I Australian Corporal's I, Work. i I ) The case of eeveral more claimants to State compensation for their work in connection with the Tanks, including that: of Sir William Tritton, whose firm I constructed the frnst landships that went into action on the Somme, waf heard by II the Awards Commission yesterday. Sir John Simon opened the c18im5 of Colonel Crompton, the well known trana- pan? expert, Mr. Le Gros, *nd Major Field. The thing that faced everybody at the time, he f-aid, wis the difficulty which Mr. Churchill, with his wonderful power of imaginative foresight, eaw from the beginning—how to reproduce the euc- cess of the armoured cars on the road& j with a vehicle would go ncrofs broken ground and wet surfaces. When in February, 1915, Colonel Crompton was called in, all expert, opinion was in fav- j our of the big wheel as against caterpillar traation. In a few months, however, he completely established the proposition that it must be by continuous caterpillar traction that the landahip should be pro- pelled. PROBLEM SOLVED. Colonel Crompton, giving -evidence, said j he saw that if the wishes of Mr. j Churchill to have land ships in three j months were to he met the tractors had to be purchased in America and put into Ii bodies built fit home. Major Field was. sent to see the best American designs. The Colonel was astonished when he saw [ some of the machine, and remarked: i If the Americans can do this, we can build the ships The problem is solved, i .The non-success of L?tle W''H?"  wm',e", was due to the fact that his ideas were not understood The success of the later j Tank was largely the result of Major Hetherin^on'e brilliant and fearless driving. ) In cross-examinatnon, Colonel Cromp- ton said he thought if anyone succeeded in puttingthin together to perform j new duties it was either o discovery or j an invention. ) Do you know that on Jan. 5, 1915, Mr. j Churchill wrote a letter to the Prime ) Minister in which he advocated the ca;e>r pillar system on an armoured body P—I have heard so since this hearing. j AUSTRALIAN CORPORAL. ) A^<:i%limcVthe-Att.orney-Geneyftl calk* a witness who gave bis name as L. I. de Mole, ami "wore the uniform of a corporal in the Australian Army. It was stated that he was not at present, at any rate,, ft claimant, but was simply there to place certain facts before the Commission. He j said that in 1911 he had to do with some very heavy transport in Western Aus- tralia. He realised the ability of the chain rail system of traction, devised a means of steering, and in 1912 he made a model. In that year he submitted a de- j tailed description of his machine to the j War Office in London, but the documents ) were returned. j In 1915 he put fresh plans before the War Office, who replied that the design ) did not offer sufficient advantages to war- rant its adoption. He thought his machine was ahead of the Tank as now j known, particularly as regarded steer- ing. Mr. Le Gros, twice president of the Association of Automobile Engineers, said Colonel Crompton worked about 17 hours a day, and he himself 14 or 15. j The claim of Sir William Tritton and Major W. C. Wilson was also opened. Mr. j Frank Russell, K.C., putting forward their case, said he thought the Commis- sion would come to the conclusion that those two gentlemen were in fact the de- signers of the Tanks, for Sir William Tritton's firm constructed and deliver:¡ the Tanks exactly as they fought at the battle of the Somme. j The actual construction of Little Willie," said counsel, was begun at Sir William Tritton's works at Lincoln on August 11th, 1915. They definitely de- cided that the creeper grip track was un- suitable, and Sir William Tritton de- signed and constructed the new form of track which was used on all the m. Vines "hk tctok ptMfi in tho Vfristi* ,A:.t. Somme. The Commission adjourned till to-day.

DECIMAL COINAGE Ten Colonies Already. In connection with the Decimal As- sociation's agitation for counting coiois in tens, it is interesting to note that, in- eluding Egypt, already ten British colonies have adopted decimal currency. Here is the list:—Canada, Newfoundland, British Honduras (dollar), Ceylon, Mauri- tius, East Africa (rupee-cent). British North Borneo, Straits Settlements (S.S. dollar of s. 4d.), lIoag Kong (Mexican dollar), and Egypt (gE-niillieme). The last-named is particularly interesting, for the Egyptian £ very, closely approximates to our sovereign, and is divided into 1,000 milliemes, while Lord Southwark's bill proposes to substitute 1,000 mils for our present 960 farthings. We wonder if the Roydl Commission on Decimal Coin- age has noted this fàct; it appears to us that the experience of Egypt should be valuable to them in deciding this question now so much before the public. Editorial note.—The Egyptian pound consists of 100 piastres, or 1,000 milliemes, and is fixed at an exchange rate of 97!- piastres to the 91 sterling, or rEI — il 6s. for commercial purposes.

i TO-DAY S RACING. Be tt in;: ) to > r ti (.i 10 to 1 East Cheshire, 5 to 1 Troivbi: ) 1 Radiancy and Old Gold. 1, Treasury 1* ill Seven ?US-Bjinklej J, Special 2, St ï"e £ Al.-o rill) Jloorfield. i i '? & 9 •v. .?. I i I I I i i i 4' ?   i