The Cambrian

Zlic (Eantbrmit. FRIDAY, OCT 9th, 1903. NOTES ON MEN & THINGS Lord Cawdor is expected back in London this week from his Scottish seat. The largest parish in Wales, Conwil Gaio, in Carmarthenshire, has an area of 26,187 acres. Why is the Mumbles Rail way the emailed in the wo-rld'! Because it goes through a Blaokpill and into ¡\JI Ov.stsiniout'i. Mr. Oliver Watkins, a. young instrumen- talist at Gorsoinon, w, about to publish a com- position for violin or mandoline and piano- forte. The i.ew music will be entitled "Swansea Post March." Speaking at the Swansea Chamber of Coin- ;nercc. the Hon. Odo Vivian said there was a great need of more practical business men on the Council. He might have included Llanelly.—(Llanelly paper.) "It is only for small things we can thank people. There are some favours K> great that, when we come face to face with the giver, the words choke in our throats.—Rev. Tudor dopes. The Swansea. Trades Council are certainlv thrashing out the fisail problem thoroughly. < Opinion seems to be pretty generally focm^d upon the desirability of a change of some kind. Carmarthen is following, with cat-like in- tentries, the Parliamentary kettle of fish which Llanelly is concocting. When that. Labour candidate materialises there will be music in the air. Swansea football rules the rooj-.t, and Ihr> Abcrtawe lad iet; are taking to the game in water, and administering real hard knocks to all and sundry at water polo. Their victory over "All London'' on Saturday makes us proud. --+-+- "Would Robinson Crusoe Live to render a full account of all his adventures since leaving his island?" pathetically asked Mr. B. Francis Williams, when holding the "Circumstances of Travel" clause in the Railway Comtrens-a- tion Form No. 44 up to ridicule. Much amusement was caused at the Swan- isra Quarter Sessions when two plants, which had been found in a bug, were produced. It transpired they were "potted" to keep them alive, but the amusing part came in when it was discovered the> plr.nts were dead. Eighteen years back every inhabitant of Gwmllynfell was sublimely independent and happy. For each houaehnld owned three acres and not less than one cow. Then came bail times, and some Cwmllynfellites were compelled to sell out. But a great many didn't. Up to the present time only three muni- cipal elections are assured in the borough. There is a triangular fight in prospect at Morriston, where Councillor Howell Lewis and Messrs Benjamin and ll. D. Williams are in the neid in Brynmelin Ward Council- lor Morgan Hopkin and Mr. Jas. Wignall promise? the liveliest of contests, and in Vic- toria Ward Mr. Cadwallader, for many de- cades a schoolmaster in the Ward, oppose.s the re-election of Councillor W. H. Mill. Consistency is not a conspicuous quality in the Swansea Free C'huich Council. It pursues with relentless severity the rank and tile councillor coming up for re-eect:on who asked for co-optation, but appeals al- most tearfully for the withdrawal of the resignation of Mr. Martin, the leader of the o-optionists. By the way, Mr. Martin's opinion of his colleagues in the Council, as e\|>ies-ed at the interview with the Free Church deputations, would, if published, raise blisters in some quarters. A great increase in the Swansea fishing trade ia confidently anticipated. The great bulk of the Milford trawling business is in course of transference here. _11 Swansea and the G W.R. Company were at open war a. few years ago over the Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway. How senseless that seems to-day, when the two companies have a working agreement. It is being commented upon, as a -Lgn of the times, that Sir John Jones Jenkins, in referring to the fiscal reform debate, strictly confines his praise to Messrs. Wignall and Jenkins, the two members of the Swansea Trades Council, generally regarded as Liberals. The facts do not seem to warrant the sug- gestion made in a. contemporaiy that in re- ducing the number of district libraries from rive to four, Mr. Carnegie had in mind a separate offer in respect of bandore, since provision for the latter is made in the scheme embracing the four district libraries. Exciting times are expected in Brynmelin Wfcird. when the campaign opens. In the absence of a candidate likely to obtain the votes of the friends of the Voluntary Schools National and Roman Catholic—there are people prepared to back the retiring member for a place, even against a Lib-lab combina- tion. For he has a. persuasive tongue, and | as a canvasser as hard to beat. The Chamberlain message to Swansea was, of course, alluded to at the Trades Council j debate on Fridiy Mr. Harry Rogers, who tmbmittexl the amendment favouring rtt;a- { HJn- tariffs was, it wias good-humouredly stated, "sure of a iseat in the Cabinet." Mr. Coilett also said that he expt-cted an invita- tion to Highbury. Meanwhile the work of ■ conversion is going on. Mr. Carnegie's offer of £8,000 tor the erection of four district. libraries at Swan- sea is conditional upon a special half-pennv rate being levied for their maintenance, and upon free sites being secured. The latter may give rise to even more difficulty than the former, as the free sites must be ac- cepted where they happen to be, and not where they should be, having regard to the convenience of toe greater number uf rate, payers. -+- It has been whispered for two or three weeks past that Sir John Joneto; Jenkins, was the likely Literal candidate for the Cower Division. Mr. Aeron Thomas, if he offered himself for re-election, would probably lose against a candidate who had the united sup- poit of the labour sections. But that would have to be someone other than Mr. John Williams who, if opposed by the sitting member, or Sir John J Jenkins would have odds against, because of the -certainly that many of the working men would be glad to have the chance of voting for either in pre- I ference to the Miners' Agent. The Swansea police may not be able to get at the burglais, but they appear t^i be determined to get at the newspapers giving publicity to the burglaries. It is leported that special meetings of the police have been held for the purpose of warning all and sun- drv that henceforward no information of anv kind is to be given to those pest lential I fellows, the reporters. How petty all this is It is not as if the local newspapers had been wanting in indulgence in the criticism invited by the failure of the police to put an end to the depredations of t>he burglar fraternity. The steel smelters at Mr. Palmer's funeral at Pontardawe. on Saturday, each wore, for ihe first time, a new memorial ribbon, black Olll one sdde, blue on the other. In the centre was a silver sketch of "Justice, above clasped hands, worked in gold coloured metal. The ribbon had on it the words, "Briti-h Steel Smelters, Metal and Tinplate Workers," and was attached to the left breist of the wearer. It is curious that the suggestion for the purchase of these memor- ials to be worn at funerals came from Mr. Palmer (himself. little did anyone think that iit was at Palmer's funeral they would be worn first! The suggestion made by Mr. Hosford at Swansea is rather a good one (sav s a Car- diff paper), that someone should be appoint- ed to explain the pictures at the ant gallery. Tlk-ie are muny visitors at tho-s.> galleries who would be thankful of a little aosistance and advice beyohd what they get in cata- logues, and there is no doubt that if oine competent individual went through our pic- ture galleries or museums from one object to another, making a running comment, lIP would be followed by grateful tlnongs. Of course, clever people (and thoSt, who 1 hink themselves clever) would not want his assis4- anet; but the others would only be too glad of it. In a book of Max Adeler's, stories ere told about the Central American Republics, where. according to him, revolutions take place about every twelve hours. G-waun-cae-gurwen is like that, too; they are iy;>w "in" and now "out." "working," and again "not working" Tile changes occur so rapidly that it isn't t:sy, even for a native, to tell straight off just what the condition of affairs is at any particular moment. They say the meIl will make a row, tnen the firm gets angry, and tells them to go to Owmtwrch. The men don't exactly repair io the locality indicated by the manager, but just pick up tools, go home, and wait. Next day they are back again, and peace reigns once more. If W3 could be certain that the proposed new mineral line of the (J.W.R. would never be used for main line traffic. Swansea people would have every reason to be pleased with the scheme for running trains in and out of Swyansea by the curved line from Cockett Tunnel. For all practical purposes this places Swansea on 11le main line. The al- teration will necessitate a thorough revision of the time tables, as trains will reach Swan- sea from ten to twenty minutes earlier, be- cause of the avoidance of the delay at Lan. dore. By the proposed new arrangement the trains will be taken out from Swansea by a fresh locomotive, the front part becoming the rear. It is estimated that as compared with the existing arrangement, the loss of time for the trains will not average more than two minutes. In the eighteenth century Swansea was famous for its pottery, and few genuine specimens of this celebrated ware now le- main. The fame of the Cambrian pottery about 1780 was world-wide. In 1802 th, works bearing this name passed into tl e hando of Mr. Lewis Weston Dillwyn, M.l*. for Glamorganshire from 1832 to 18e5. WIll) produced a superior stamp of china. Ulti- mately his son, the late Mr. Lewis Llewelyn Dillwyn, M.P.. introduced an article known as "Dillwyn'x Etruscan wore," made TI<eo day of the neighbourhood, with figure^ of a rich red colour on a body of o'.aek. Many artistes of talent were emp.oyed at these works, and Swansea china became of grf it repute. Long since the Camb. an pottery bar. ceased to exist. Mr. Edw. Davies, the well-known local tenor, has been making a hit with the Royal Carl Rosa Opera. Co., at Birmingliam. The "Pall Mall Gazette" refers to Lord Hugh Cecil and Mr. Winston Churchill as those wayward and interesting juveniles." The "La Poupee'' Company which will visdt Swansea shortly will include among its artistes Miss Barbara Price, of Gorsainon, who will perform the part of "the baby." A challenge has been sent by I,he City nf London Chess Club to the Brooidyn Chess Club to play the annual chess match by cable for the troplhy presented by Sir George Newnes, Bart., M.P. In the photographic competition in the "South Wales Graphic," the Rev. A. E. Evans. Viaunarlwydd took first prize for a oeautiful photograph of the House of Treib, on Lake Lucerne. Mr. Evans was also a prize-winner a fortnight ago for a photo- graph of "A Typical Penclawdd Cockle Girl." The Tariff Reform League should find in Swansea a ready ear for therir propaganda, ■imsider.ng the industrial depression ex- perienced through "free" trade. A meeting will be held at the King's Hall, on October 19th. at which the Mayor will preside. No doubt tihere will be a substantial attendance. Mis. Thomas Freeman was a listener to the dvbite at the Swansea Education Confer- ence. and she afterwards expressed the hope thair the power of the Conference to co-opt nine inemoeis on the Joint Committee would lie so used that all of them would be women, The Cardiff dailies have been "doirlig" good work in tbe inflation line regarding the ex- tent of the Swansea jewellery burglary, but tlej ,i.iti-Lhambeiiain organ. "Morning J>adei. as usual, transcends everybody in flights of fancy by putting the value of the t,"1 .ods down at £2,000. An official return shows that there '.5 not a single coal-cutting machine in the coMierie., oi the Caidiff district. In the Swansea dis- trict there aiv six, divided between two col- tieiie.s. In Yurk and Lincoln there are no less than 129 machines, in the Midlands 93, West Scotland 52. and Liverpool and North Wales 70. .t- A denial was given at the time to a sug- gestion that Mrs. Llewellyn, of Haglan Hall, was the mysterious "X." wJw proved such a benefactor to the Swansea Hospital. By her death, which would remove any occasion for secrecy, the range of opinion a.s to the iden- tity of the individual who has done good by stealth has- been sensibly restricted, as Swan- sea and neighbourhood are not exactly the forcing grounds of Carnegies. However, "X." is entitled to have "its" desire for secrecy gratified1. A sort of blank look, indicating a seeming total ignorance of almost the existence of the Association, to say nothing of a common or garden meeting having been held, is what the Swansea pressman expects, and alwavs gets, when the secretary of the Tinplate Masters Association is asked for any inforni- ation resptct.ing the -doings of that secret cr- ganisation. Nothing could possibly be beaer than the way he does it, and our tinplate re- porter feels sure that the secretary would luive made a splendid diplomatist. Visitors would not seem to think so ronch of local preachers is do natives of Swansea. Oik of these last was a bit upset on Sunday evening. He and a Lancashire man had been listening to one of Swansea's most popular preachers in a crowded edifice. "What did jou think of our minister?" asked the Swan- *eaite. "He brightened up a bit towatds the end.' replied the Lancashire man, unemotiou- idly, but with an evident desiiv to say seme- thing pleasant and not untruthful. One incide-nt at the conference of the Welsh ^0l,nt.v Uojim-ils at Swansea has so far gone nniveorded. Alderman Tut ton. of Swansea, "as opposing the principle of co-opt ion' when Mr. Hugh Edwards (tditor of "Young Wales") pointed out that if that principle '»;"1 been observed by the County Councils -Ur. Lloyd-G.orge himself would not have Jt'en there flat day, as he Mas a pui-ly 'jjted nie'iik-r. Aldermon Tut ton "Km v.< don't do these tilings in Swansea." "Ah:" 'H;i,d t.he other, "all the wisdom of Wale* is not centre.) in Swansea, thank Heave i." Mr. Carnegie's donation to the Swans-i ^'brarv Committee is very carefullv hedged I conditions, whicii commit the town to a hoioiighly adequate support for the new "ranch libraries A special rate has to be K'ised for their behalf alone; and he con- sequently has provided an effective safeguard 'against any attempt to' economise during the (line of an agitation against high rates at tile expense of what is more or less of a wury, so f. itS the bulk of the town is concerned. For the fringe of the industrial ^tiLcts surrounding Swansea ploper. how- ever, the library can hardly be termed such, supplanting as it does the public-house as the place of local social communion and toregutherijag. In these days .»t quick and cheap dis- semination of news and literature, it is a 1 P(>ln^ W1*th the police authorities whether the Pre.ss is a. help or a hindrance In the case of a murder, the criminal is more of i€SS <ln Ishmael. surrounded with a host ° self constituted amateur detectives, but In smaller cases, in which the public takes, *» active interest, the Press, on the other! II<mel, may be held to be an invaluable source Tl lnf°""ati"n lul ^ie fugitiye from justice, le Swansea burglars have had a pretty free ,nd more or less, and it is a q^.tion whether their immunity from arre.st.as recor- e by the Pre.ss. has not stimulated .some veteran member- of the fraternity to have a ook-round locally. The big jewel robbery •t .lessrs. Freedman's, perhaps the bigge-t of it kind yet known locally, was obviou-lv not the work of the 'prentice hands-, who e e^°its have hitherto been confined to thefts swcct.s and cigarettes 'he Swansea branch of the old R ,-val Xaq] Artillery \*olunteers. broken up about a decade ago, unwisely, as the Admiralty now admits, is about to he reconstituted. and an attemnt. is to be made to raise a com- pany locally. It should, on the whole, he pos- 'e to do so, for all classes art- available- for l(Ljiuiting services, and the conditions of enlistulent have been judiciously made as elastic as possibly by My Lords of the _<1. iniialtv. The Naval Volunteer reservists, unlike the:r brethren of the land, are Table to service anywheje during a naval war; d course, were it iile-g.l to einp'oy them out- side home wateis tiiev would be of lit tie use. The Admiralty recognise that cloubtlrss the men would volunteer willingly, bet it makes all the differ ence between having men who are legally bound to sei ve wac.e they think they can best ulilise them or haph-azaid dependence upon a volunteering "hot lit." In the case of big naval wai breaking out, public opinion would be left very little time to work itself up into- the required pitch, ihe volunteers, however, will be' employed as far as possible in the Mediteri anean or Channel, "md North Sea. Swansea ship repairing firmware at present 1 experiencing rather hard times. The port, can hardly sustain such a multiplicity of small docks, which are mainly obsolete in point of size. When the new dock is con- structed we may liave very much bigger boats here tluan have yet put in, and suitable ac- commodation for them will not be available. It is a curious fact that whilst in private conversation, the Liberal who does not be- lieve fiscal reform to be necessary is a rarity, there is apparent unanimity at party gather- ings in condemning fiscal reform root and branch. Can it be that as with labour, the leaders go one way and the rank and file another. W ill the old men of fifty yeans hence be as vigorous and active as the old men of to-day ? We are prompted to ask this ques- tion by the courageous action of Mr. Cad- walladr, headmaster of the Swansea National Schools, who, like Mr. Chamberlain, leaves a responsible office, after very many years of aiduous work, to fight an election, on j a subject dear to his heart! t Mr. Prussmann. the Borough Electrical Engineer gave his committee a satisfactory explanation of the circumstances in which he was induced to apply for a position at Brad- ford in an-arent violation of the undertaking given b- him not toleave Swansea for the next four or five years. One good result of the incident is that ail possible causes of misundeistanding have been removed, and there is now no danger of the Electrical engineer going elsewhere, whilst effect is being given to his plans and specifications for tile Tramway extensions. The public will not begrudge the decision of the Swansea Drapers Association to close their establishments at seven o'clock on Mon- day, luesdav and Wednesday, and eight o'clock on Friday The bulk of the purchas- ing done during the week is on the last two days, and the old system meant that in the main the hapless assistants were cooped up for absurdly long periods in an unhealthy at- mospheres to suit the caprices of a compara- tively small section of the purchasing pub- lic, who could, with equal conveniences to themselves, make their purchases -at much earlier hours. I hough the case made out against the man Gay at the Quarter Sessions was a strong one, yet the Company was not at all sure of a. conviction indeed, a representative evidently thought the prejudice against the Company as a Corporation, minus body or soul, would be sufficiently .strong to adversely affect the veidict. As a piece of work, one must ad- inik the compensation claim made out was hopelessly bungled and crude; the idea of £62 worth of goods being crammed' into a very ordinary handbag is preposterous Had the perpetmtor aimed very much lower he might have been successful; but the veiy magnitude of his pretensions was sufficient to excite suspicion. The bill for litigation in connection with the n ewdock at Llanelly now amounts to some eleven thousand pounds—which is suf- fieient. one would imagine, to almost defray the expenses of constructing an exit. Most South Wales corporations have these little white elephants. Swansea, in the Cray under-I taking now. let us hope, with brighter pros- pects, and the back of the work broken- Cardiff in the egregious fish-market, and Llanelly in its comic-opera hole in the ground, suitable for immediate use only as a gigantic municipal ash-pit. For the extravagance in the case of the Llanelly dock, there can be little excuse, as the undeitakingisnotof such an experimental nature as that of the Swansea Corporation, when they took over the Crav thereby hoping to eliminate the element of personal profit. The recent Quartet Sessions calendar con- tained a couple of interesting cases, and an important decision is likely to be that in the Right of appeal case, which raises the ques- tion as to whether a man who pleads guilty and is mulcted accordingly retains that pri- vilege. The evidence showed that the case, me under the Child Messenger's Act, was really of a trivial nature. The landlady, whilst about to sail a bottle containing drini suppLcd to a child, had her attention dis- tracted by an altercation in another part of the bar, and when she was, free again she found that the child had not. waited for the sealing to be performed, and had gone away. Probably such a case would have not reached to the Sessions, had the whole of the story beentoidatfirst. The case was prima facie one for dismissal. Unless Cardiff and Newport improve gleal. ly. the athletic papers will have much to say concerning an "English Rugby Renaissance" this year, and Leicester, Devonport Albion and above all the redoubtable Scotch teams will enjoy triumphs that a couple of seasons a go would have been deemed impossible. For Llanellv the outlook is indeed almost. hope- less; Aberavon show signs of reviving; and Neath have piuctically to win their spurs as a first-class team all over again. The withdrawal of a couple of "stars" in each case has sufficed to wreck the prospects of die unhappy team, and the most ominiou-- point is that. good reserves seem almost non- existent, even in Swansea's case. Here we have, an abundance ot men of tried capability it is true, but where are the promising re- cruits Certainly none were seen in the District League match. Rugby football in Wales has apparently reached its zenith. and one can onh-hope for the luck of the game t..J effect 'a suprising ieversal of the existing state of things. "Wed better be careful!" This wa.< the warning Councillor Dd. Griffiths utteied at the special Council meeting, when, as a matter of urgency, a letter was read from Mr. A. R Lewis, Graig House, Morriston. asking lor a Council grant of £ 20, towtrds entertaining the delegates attending the forthcoming convention of the South Wales Young People's Christian Union, to be he'd atMorriston. The warning was accepted, and the general body of ratepayers will en- dorse the decision. Against the objects of the Young People's Christian Union not one word can be said. Possibly, too, the strain upon the funds of these organisations that hold periodical conferences of a peripatetic character is somewhat great. But, suiely, it cannot be expected that the public pu»e is to be drawn upon in the sliaj. of the Mayor's salary for every object partaking of semblance of a public gathering, and ch of the semblance of a public gathering, that crops up in our midst. If so, then wheiv i< the tiling to stop. The tad that the Young People's Christ an Union is an undenomina- tional body makes not the slightest diffeience in this case. Ihe point is that public monev should cnly be devoted—if it can be shown it o for tne good "f the entire ("immunity, and not a section ot it. Hie application in question is left with the Mayor, who will, no doubt, extend some practical sympathy wit lithe object of the Young Peop'e's Chii- tian Union, by receiving the body of minis- te: 0; who win attend the convention. At the same time, Mr. I)d. Griffiths' warning should be respected in the future. "We'd better be careful." The publican's lot is not a happy (me-in a. congested district. The notices to be served upon the seventy-one marked out for investi- ga t ion at the next Licensing Session, are responsible for much unostentatious activity. The Borough Electrical Engineer believes that he can furnish public lighting as cheaply as the Gas Company. On the faith of his assurance, quite a number of streets will presently be taken off the paying list of the Company. It has been reported with a wealth of detail that, the Corporation deputation, which waited upon the directors of the G.W.R. on Tuesday were entrusted by the Swansea ImnlM-r of Trade with a. petition, asking for better railway facilities with Merthyr and k money. A curious circumstance 'is that Ilo member of the deputation had the slight ,t knowledge of even the existence of .such a document. Swansea has been exceedingly fortunate in securing such a substantial sum from Mr. Carnegie's ample purse, and the thanks (If the burgesses have been well won by tJ". gentlemen who interested themselves in ap- proaehing the multi-millionaire. There will doubtless be a little grumbling in various quarters at the proposal to increase the public library rate, but in view of the undeniable benefits that will accrue to the community, it should not be an insur- mountable difficulty to convert the critics to a wider and more generous view of the subject. +-- The profound impression produced bv Mr. Chamberlain's embarkation on the wide'ocean of fiscal leform is reflected in a very marked degtee at Swansea, where the statesman and tire subject remain the absorbing questions of the hour. No industrial centre in the Kingdom has been so dearly affected by the consequences of hostile tariffs, and there should accordingly be a wise and sober dis- cussion of the intricate ins and outs of the fiscal problem. It is for this reason that we sincerely regret the political bias that ob- tain paity leaders have introduced into the controversy. Apart from the merit or de- ments of the Chamberlain scheme, the fact, remains that the ex-Coloniel Secretary was condemned long before his programme had been disclosed. Whenever the returns of a tramway con- cern, whether owned by a company* or a municipality, shows .:t. decent balance of pro- fit, it is customaiy with a section of people at Swansea to refer to the same and say -see what we have lost by the defeat of the triple Scheme." It is possible that evidence nearer home and of more value in consequence, may escape their notice. The half-yearly report of the Swansea Tramways Company shows that nothing was left as dividend for the ordinary shareholders. In addition to the payment made for the concern—chiefly in scrip—no less a sum than £136,000 was ,«pent in reconstructing the tramways. What pro- fits would have been left to the ratepayers if the work of reconstruction and the manage- ment of the line had been municipalised? For further particulars refer to the experience of Cardiff. -+. 1 he district of Bala Lake, in which Mr Morlev unveils the late Mr. Eilis's statue, contains some of the most picturesque scen- ery in the country. It has also historical and' literary associations. Only a few mile.* from Mr. Ellis's village of Handderfe). a Glyndyvrdwy. the home of the great Welsh patriot, Owen Glendower—like Mr. Eilis, a Merioneth man whose estates reached to Corwen. Llanddeifel itself boasted in old days the image of Derfpl the Mighty, to whom Welshmen in pre-Rctoiination times made pilgrimages. By Bala also are Cae Uai. the home of the literary Cavalier, Squiie Howland Vaughan, and the River Arran, wheie, according to Spenser, old Simon taught voung Arthur knightly feats. lllere, too, is Llannwchllyn, the home of Mr. Ellis's life-long friend, Professor I Iwen Morgan Edwards, the historian of Wales.

SWANSEA ON THE MAIN LINE. The question of placing Swansea on the main line of the U. W. Railway occupied a lam- olace in the public mind at Swansea -at all events whenever it is undeigoing one of the regular revivals. It is just possible that if the concession were obtained, ihè actual benefits derived therefrom would h disappointing. For except on the giound of convenience to passengers to and from Swansea—and the measure of tlrs tends to diminish as the Company increases the num- her of trains running directly from or into High-street without necessitating a change at Landore—there is little practical justi- tication for attaching supreme importance to th3 suggested change. Sentiment is the main factor inducing the average ratepayer to agree to any reasonable sacrifice so that the concession may be obtained. The truth is it is utterly abhorrent to the sens.' of heal patriotism that the second largest town in Wale>—one destined probably to be first in population before many years go by should be side-tracked by the principal lail- way serving the Principality. Consequently the effoit which is being made by the Cor- poration to peisuade the O. \H. direcioiate to satisfy the persistently expressed wishes of the people of Swansea, commands general approval. It is an open secret that the Company is contemplating great changes in its system west of Neath, partly to deal with the greatly increased Irish tiaflic. for which it is competing against the London and North Western Company, and partly to 1 facilitate the development of th.- great coal. Held north of Swansea The precise chaiactei of the changes has yet to be determined; whatever the engineers of the Company may have de- cided upon, nothing can be done towaids giving effect to their ideas without sanction frijai Parliament. And since the. coal in view is by its position naturally marked out for siiipment at Swansea, and no line .skirt- ing tne town can be a matter of indiffe:ence to tlr- hitter, it i.s- not, unreasonable to con- clude that the opinion in regard to any such scheme of two Corporation and Harbour tru-sf will have considerable weight with Parliament. So far as the details have been disclosed, it appears that the sections of the general scheme of special significance to Swaoe:) are (1) « JP construction of a new new mineral line from Hendy to a point east of the Swansea docks; and (2) the construe- tion of a short loop-line from Coekett funnel to High-street, enabling the passenger trains to run in and out of Swansea, thus avoiding the long wait at Landoie. We believe Swansea will year by vear become of increas ng importance to the G.W. Ry. Company, and uy a parity of i\a-ining that the hitter's influence upon Swansea for weal or woe must likewise grow. In lecent yea is the relations between town Company have sensibly improved-,o- day the blunders connected with the RhondcTa Railway agitation are generally discerned — and it i> earnestly to be hoped that the de- velopments of the immediate future will have th« effect of bringing the two even more ..losely together in a communrty of interest.

IN LIGHTER VEIN. | # A break-down gang—a music-hall dancing troupe. +- "Kate Carnegie." i„ in great demand at th. Suansea Library just at present. Appro- priate r rr l ^alf°UI\ the Swansea burglar)* have "no settled convictions"; that is n» lault of the police, however. +- -+- i) | heie ^\rere a lot of explosrives in Swansea oliee Court on Wednesday, irrespective of ■ olicitors Thompson and Levson. A correspondent is of opinion that Adanl Smith, the economist, in writing the initial o! his name, only told two-thirds of th« truth. Look out for "Jail-birds" cries the acB- Vftisenient, of a Swansea place of entertain- ment 1 his notice isn't primarily intended tor the police. Swansea Library Committee sat "in camera" to consider the offer from the good genius of :kiho Castle. But was not Mr. »i. A. Chapman there? A (General Election took place in Swansea last, week But don't get alarmed, and keejt v.mi seats. 1 was only the appointment of » new domestic by a Brynmill housewife. ('he Amalgamated Mud-Shifters Inioir 1S" the only body that indulges in th<* lux"l7 "strike pay." Levies are mad« weekly bv the Swansea police, as well afte*" the conclusion of an "assault and batters" "InquirEr" Yes, there is to be a loop linff made in- the G.WR. from Swansea t€f (ockett luimeJ, but if you think that digni- fied Corporation is going in for such frivolities as "looping the loop'" you are very mucht mistaken. J he.i owansea is on the main line, it is ths intention of the G.W.R, to transfer the Lan- dore t.efiesnment Rooms to High-street. K i* not .stiucd whetlu'i- it is their intention t()- include the existing stock of refreshments ii* tne transits. + -+- Is Fiscal Police.y the men who see yot» don t import Hollands and Tauchnitz novels* in the middle of your trunk when you're oommtr home from Boolong?" cried the un- giunnnatieal stranger. He was referred to- • Birmingham for a reply. A Cardiff journal proudly declares in it* athletic columns that the, local team hatf tour Internationals in its ranks!! Four' J e are very modest about these things "to Swansea, and so don't care about obtrusively boasting that WE have half-a-dozen Oce ot it ."We don't hear much of Sir UeorgtJ. Newnes lately," said a local Liberal; "le,(tst- ways lie very seldom gives us much of art idea of his views on political matters. 1.!J that what they call 'political economy'"? In the. silence that ensued you could have heard a policeman snore The general impression at Swansea regard- ing Mr. Carnegies latest gift is that lø would be better appreciated were he to sUi.r* giving away £1.000 cheques for the founda- tion of private libraries—"every man his own libraiy. e calculate, however, the build- ing trade would not stand to benefit much. -+- "Ci usted Tory" writes, inquiring whether the opposition of the London j)- N— (eacU- letter is the beginning of a word, dear reader, not the commencement and termination of familial' objurgation) to Mr. Chamberlain'# proposals is accounted for by the fact thafc tbe POOL Man S Cocoa Cup may be penalised by his tariffs'. -+- A defendant at a Swansea Sessions was charged with declaring his bag to con- tain orchids of the Odontoglossuni variety in a railway compensation case; what the bag really contained, was fern-roots. But wildt a glorious chance was missed of getting Mr. Chamberlain down here to give expert evidence Several harvest festivals and thanksgiving services were held in Swansea this "week- Tho blue-coated minions of the Jaw up ell masse. They had an idea somebody might attend them with whom they desira a much closer acquaintance than the bashful and retiring dispositions of the said indivi- duals would permit. Assuredly there IS reason for the burglar to lift aloud his voic«* in gratitude. 1 +.-+- A Swansea preacher has been waxing wrath with Mi. Balfour and the condition affairs in Macedonia. Doubtless in time, we shall hear in the near future learned dis- sertations on the Balance of Imports and Expoi s, subsequent to the Sunday hvmn" Locd Rasebery was just a bit too previous with his declaration that Free Trade waif not part of the sermon\ from the Mount- tie should have waited a bit to hear what the loial Mount was going to produce in the wai- o;' fiscal oratory. At pro-clerical demonstrations in France recently, when a- detachment of soldiers was despatched to close a clerical school the in- dignant populace turned out en masse, and many of the women in the crowds threw'their arms around the necks of the soldiers tlJ prevent them getting there. That is just the sort of "pa,ssiv eresistance" the minions of tll3 law would appreciate. Alas titat things are not done with equal breadth of imagina- tion by the local resister. In place of poetical embraces and Scriptural kisses the auctioneer is here greeted with abuse and brick-bats. SEVEN YEARS PENAL. I here once was a young man of Scotland, W ho was very much fond of the bottle a»<J The eiirksciew and glass. But "all flesh is grass," And that young man now sleeps sound n* Portland. A TALE OF THE RAILS. Young Phillip John Jones, of Sweet Wales** ({ot. tired And sat on the rails. A train comes aJong- Puts an end to my song— Tn tile dead house they bore him ill pails. AN 1DYLL OF OYSTERMOUTH. « Young Jenkin Mac Gones, of the Mumbled Was full to the brim with loud grumbles, But a County P.C. Just dropped on J. G.— (Ter his grave t he wild violet now tumbled -+-- "Home Chat." this week contains an inter- esting little account of the Hon. Alex:tn«Ir< Vivian, whose forthcoming marriage to Mi"- .-Me.vaiider Leith is announced. Ac- comparying the article is an celYnt. photograph of the bi^de-t o-be- The bridegroom, Mr. Alexander Leith. !S h-, and twenty, and distinguished himself J!I the stubborn and glorious defence of Lady- smith. He is sprung from the ancient Scot' tish family of Leiths of Glenkindie. in Aber- deenshire. Mr. Leith, whose mother is a sister («f the Earl of Carnw it-li, is the son c? major-general, and the grandson of Genera* Sir Alexander Leith, a famous Peninsula*" offica r. and he carries on, not only the military t ailitions of his family, but also their rvpu" tation for good looks.

Llysdinham Hall, Radnorshire, where Sir Michael Hicks-B'ach has been staying, is piet in c.sque mansion charmingly situated near New bridge-on-Wye. Th° whole ph»c** bie.ath.s the spirit of calm and repose, an th surrounding scenery is magnificent. LI.»*S~ dinlium Hall is the home of Mr. Vena.'1^'1 Llewelyn, son of Sir—John Llewelyn all' nephevv of Sir Michael.