The Cambrian

Ihc €ambrian. I FBIDAT, JANUARY 12, 1906. NOTES ON MEN & THINGS Since the last election the number of voters on the Swansea list lias increased by nearly 2,000. Of these about 650 are house- holders, and 1,3>50 lodgers. This accession of strength contributes the unknown quan- tity to the problem of the election. The Welsh Rugby Union is showing more courage in making experiments than the other unions of the Kingdom. At Richmond the English will be opposed witii the same formation as -was adopted against the New Zealand era. Only by practical experience will it be possible to ascertain whether the playing of eight backs can safely be tried against the English team with eight for- wards in the pack. At Cardiff the serum- magers on either side were numerically equal; at Richmond the Eriglish will have an extra man in front, and their forwards may play havoc with the Welsh, the bold- ness of the Welsh authorities is commend- able, however. Only by taking risks can the new formation b: practically tested. It was an easy task which awaited the Selection Committee of the Welsh Rugby Union when, on Saturday, they proceeded to pick fifteen players to pit against the English team at Riclimond on Saturday. Only one change was made in the fifteen that did such excellent service against New Zualand-Maddocks, of the London Welsh, replacing Llewellyn, who has now definitely retired from the game. Another change, unfortunately due to an accident, causes the withdra"al of J. F. Williams, who is re- placed by H. Watkins. Without in the slightest degree disparaging the qualitv of the "latter, it is permissable to deplore this change, since W illiams, on his form this s-easop, probacy the best forward, not only in Wales,- but in the United Kingdom. Predictions freely made a few months ago, that the returns for 1905 when completed would show a great increase io the export of ;Welsh, tinplates, Have bfcem abeohrtely falsi- tieif at^tfie' eleventh hour. Up to December the figures were excellent, but in the last niOiiths of tho year there was a tremendous drop in the demand, and the year ends 13.206 tons worse than 1904. Partly this was no doubt due to the condition of Russia; but a scrutiny ef the figures dis- closes the significant fact that whilst there Has been a decrease of 24,000 tons in the quantity of tinplates imported into, Russia, there has been an* increase of 9,000 tons in the quantity of black plates sent to that country. From this the discomforting de- duction appears to be warranted that the Russians are satisfying to an increasing de- gree their requirements by means of black plate instead of tinplate. The political contest in Swansea borough is being maintained with the utmost spirit and vigour. At the outset the Liberals were disposed to consider Col. Wright's can- didature with light hearts, and estimates were publicly made of a majority- for their side of 2,000 or over. Latterly, however, the weight of the, Colonel has been more correctly gauged, and it is now realiced that, the struggle is to be most keen and close. Even the friends of Col. Wright had not anticipated how much his own popularity and straight-forwardness, together with the impression produced by the propaganda for Tariff Reform, was to affect the electorate. It is claimed by the Conservatives that the canvass is "as in 1895"—when Sir John Llewelyn was returned—"only better." There is a feeling of quiet confide-nce in their ranks, which seems to have considerable justification in fact. "They that go down to the sea in ships" do not experience many hardship; now- when the elements are yearly be- < Mning less and le&s formidable, and the winds are completely out o fths calculations of the captains of our modern merchant vessels. But here and there, in the bve- ways of the world's ocean paths, we come across aiD occasional story of hardship which equals anything that the fertile brain of Claa-k Russell ever invented. Such was the story of the "Celtic Monarch/' bound from Swansea to San Francisco, whose captain has just written to his owners describing his battling with the terrific winter weather off Cape Horn. Four times was the vessel on her beam ends. The ship was a mass ot ice, rigging and gear frozen as hard as ire-n, decks feet deep in snow. iceberg all arotf-itd- with gales blowing at h urrica>r.e velo-^y* whilst the sea was a mass of huge rollers. ;1 third of a mile long, and twenty to thirty feet in height. Altogether vi appalling .-xene that mignt strike terror into the heart ot the hardest; still; onlva coni- "mon-place t'Ti^tigh experience ci traders round "The Hort'- Passage through the Straits of Magellan 13 of such extreme diffi- why. the channels ;11'8 so narrow, twisting and land-locked tha t only > a steamer can weil navigate tbeiri with twfety.- Hence this inevitable choice of a through one of the wildest spots of the earth's outskirts. Yearly, however, fewer ve^6 are called upon to brave its perils. The ocean high- way is ont of the last Kes«rts 01 :'16 tailing vessel, and she is now almost as often Ger- man as English. The Panama ŒJiool i6 ex- pected to work a. revolution, when com- plet-ed, but there are those who still affirm that freights-will always be secured betw-'en England and the West C'jast, of South Africa, which sailing vessels alo- could accept at a profit; and that their final dis- appearance will not be at hand even then, in the days of old the seaman was at the merov of the elements, and his day's work consisted in evading or skilfully utilising their powers; to-day he is replaced by t-ht mere mechanic^ who fear only the powers that he and his kind have enchained to serve their will. I At last there seems some hope that the Dust Destructor will justify its existence; it is actually raising steam for the generation of electric current. To what extent its ( earnings in this regard can be set off against the capital cost and the expenses of maisitainanoe, cannot be gauged for a somewhat singular reason. The Electrical Engineer and the Surveyor have for the past six months been vainly trynig to arrive at what would be a fair rrice to charge for the J power eo raised. Until they do agree, or some third party takes the matter out of their hands, it will not be possible to ascer- tain the value cf the Dust Destructor. l ) A convert is notoriously more extreme in i his views the nearer he is to the date of his 2 conversion. Mr. Moy Evans affords a case f in point. On the Education Committee, he r; cow out-Martins Mr. Martin in his hostility r to everything appertaining to the National 1 schools. When, at a recent meeting it was stated that the teachers in the other schools 3 had not yet 1 signed their agreements, Mr. Evans amiably suggested, t'hat if they did Z Lot sign the agreements they should be dismissed. From one standpoint it is al- most a pity that Mr. Evans' proposal was not acted upon, as these teachers, almost without exception, are the sens and. daughters of Swansea ratepayers, and their dismissal would be an object lesson of some value. Ever since his Worship, the Mayor, claimed in public that he had been the means of bringing two new industries to Swansea, one an undertaking on a very large scale, certain local people, interested in the two concerns, have been wondering at what point the good offices of the Mayor were employed. Until the Mayor said so, no one had connected him with the move- ment for erecting blast furnaces ^/on the Burrows, and as for the Nickel and silver works at Landore, the company had been formed and carried out initial experi- ments months before Mr. Morgan entered office. Can the explanation be that the undertakings h2 had in mind are independent of these two? if so,, the good fortune of Swansea is greater than was thought. Father Fitzgerald and Fatlipr Gwydr, the! two principal Roman Catholic priests of Swansea, made no secret of their feelings regarding the action of some of the Irish electors in determining to throw in their lot with the Liberal party, and so associate themselves with the persecutors of the Roman Catholic schools. Both the rev. gentlemen are emphatic in the expression of their opinion, that the predominant con- sideration with Swansea Irishmen at the present time should be the schools, and that the candidate they are supporting should be a man who is prepared to help in safe- guarding the distinctive character of the edacatioit imparted at these schools. It remains to be seen whether politics or reli- gion has the strongest hold upon the Irish electors. Mr. Roger Beck, the ex-President of the Swansea. Conservative Association1, is not appearing on Col. Wright's platform, aind an attempt has been made to interprete this as due to want of sympathy with the Con- servative candidate. The letter which Mr. Beck wrote to the 'Daily Post" on Tuesday effectually disposes of this idea. The ab- stention of Mr. Beck from the public plat- form, whilst doing all he-can. in other ways to promote tbè. success of Got. Wright, is due -to a. circumstance wholly unconnected with. the present contest. Mr. Beck so keenly resented the sordid view that some people took of politics in 1900, when the cry "What has Sir John done for Swansea" was raised, that he vowed that he would never again appear on a political platform in the towrn. As a Quaker, he is holding steadfastly to that vow. ,I. At Tuesday's meeting of the Streets Com- mittee a proposal was made to -hase from the tramway contractors the surplus stock of wood blocks and gran ite gets left on hand. In this connection reference was made to the condition of High-street, and it was suggested that the wood blocks might be used to effect a long-required improve- ment in t-his, the principal street of the town. The Surveyor WitS understood I to disapprove of the suggestion, on the ground that the tramway lines in the street would have to be re-laid before the surface of the road can be dealt with. But surely it is not seriously contended that High-street is to remain in its present disgraceful condi- tion until some day in the distant future, when the Tramway Co. will have to under- take the re-laying of their lines. It is cer- tain tha.t nothing in Swansea gives visitors so ba.d an impression of the town as the appearance of High-street, on a wet da.y. When a. Conservative statesman was at the head of the Board of Education the decision was given that the managers of the Oxford-street schools were entitled to 40 per cent. of the school fees. The Local Education Committee protested in vain, and rightly in vain, for the Education Authoritv in London, a thoroughly Radical body, had voluntarily decided to concede 50 per cent to the managers of the Metropolitan volun- tary schools. The protest was renewed when Mr. Birneil tcok over the reins of office, with the result that the previous, decision was re-affirmed. The Local Edu- cation Committee, acting under the guidance of Mr. Tutton, will accept the decision of neither the Conservatives nor the Liberal minister of education, and the hint is thrown out that from 11ure spleen the fees will be abolished. In this way, in order to deprive I the managers of the 40 per cent., the rate- payers will ha.ve to lose the remaining 60 per cent. So far as the Swansea election has pro- gressed, the most convincing arguments dis- covered by either side are. Tariff Reform bv the Conservatives, and Chinese labour by the Liberals. Unquestionably the former policy has met with a surprisingly warm welcome a.t Swansea. Colonel Wright, with a. business man's love of plain, lucid specch and grasp of figures, has made several most convincing speeches. At a meeting in St. Thomas last week, attended by a thoroughly representative workup-class audience, one presumably. dependent for its livelihood on the docks, the hearing was most attentive and absorbed. Much better, for party pur- poses, than frothy enthusiasm that is merely a pretext for "letting off steam," and vent- ipg itsdf en any excuse. Sir Geo. Newii€« is handicapped by a manifest lack of ora- torical capacity, plus an ignorance not only of Welsh politics but of local industries as well. that would lead to awkward slips were he to venture into the technicalities upon which the Colonel treads with assured foot- ing. Sir George, indeed, does not seem particularly interested in politics of anv description. His speeches are rambling in style, and contain very little "meat. And what is the use of a dissertation cm rfiip- building under Free Trade in a constituency where that industry has been extinct since the iron plate was substituted for the oak ? Yet, such was one of the industrial subjects upon which he chose to enlarge. Tree Trade orators, wlio draw pathetic pictures of the poor, suffering German, re- duced to the eating of horse flesh, may bo relieved to know that the deposits in the German Savings' Banks amounted to £ 515,665,750 in 1902, as compared with £ 197,110,169 in the British Savings' Banks; that whilst we are organising committees for the relief of the unemployed there are practically no men, willing to work, out of employment in the German Fatherland, and finally, whilst the latter is receiving from outside more people than emigrate from it, Great Britain is sending away 272,000 a year of emigrants, including the pick of its workmen. The Catholic clergy at Swansea have been compelled by the fate that threatens their echtools to participate, Í1r1 reality if not avowedly, in the election, and their in- direct. inter ven-lion is likely to have the most telling effect. Father "McLaughlin, of LlaneUy, was the meet outspoken. His letter of advice to the Irish,, voters at Swan- sea is instinct, with the yigour and stremu- ousness that the worthy father iinpayto into the pastime of the cricket field, where he is such a familiar figure. He has thrown himself into the arena with tn" f->rce of an avalanche. "Unseat Newnes," is almost the first sentence of a blunt, fiery letter, filled with hammer-like sentences. A likely counterblast to this on the part of the Liberals was the obtaining of some more or less academic advice from a leader of the Irish party. But the danger menacing the Swansea, Catholic schools ia of a kind to ont- the moral effect of a non-committal letter. It is realised by both political parties at Swansea that the key of the position is in the hands of the Irish Roman Catholics, provided the latter can be induced to vote all the same way. Unfortunately for the calculation of the party managers, this is an extremely remote contingemcy. What may be described as the extreme politicians, such membeais of the Irish league as are prepared to set the mandate of their Execu- tive Committee, above all other consideration will doubtless vote for Sir George Newnes. On the other hand there is every expecta- tion that the more religious elemeint, that is 1 to say, Irish parents who attach the greatest importance to the religious teaching in their schools, will not be found associated with a party which for two years has subjected, t he managers of the Roman" Catholic schools. in Swansea to a pitiless persecution. Time will tell which of these two sections commands the larger number of votes. It will cer- tainly be a grief to some of the more earnest Roman Catholics to find brothers in the faitii trooping behind a banner carried by Messrs. Martin and Tutton, whose nominee Sir George Newnas is. In this connection there will probably be interesting develop- ments before the day of the polling. I One fact conspicuously brought out by tlh6 annual return of the coal and coke exports from Sotith Wales ports during 1905 is that while Cardiff and Newport have to record a substantial falling off. in their aggregate c1 shipments, all the western, ports, that is to say, Swansea, Port Tafbot and Llanelly, show increases. In the case of Swansea, the increase is not far short of 200,000 tons, and at Port Talbot it was over 80,000 tona Apparently Kingsley'«famous saying "Westward, the .course of Empire takes its sway" can be easily varied to describe th$ most pronounced tendency visibljj in tta Welsh-coal trade. 20,105,18$ tolls bif coal South Wrale» ports in 1895, or 69o 7$3 tons less than Sri 1.904. The..total ^cftty exported from Great Britain wag' 47*476407*. representing" an increase of approximately one million and a quarter tons, as compared with the ex, ports in 1904. The Scotch also isont 637,20(1 to-ns more coal away last'year thaii" the pre- ceding yeaj-. Fro.m tiesa figures If would appear that whilst the ioreign demand fclt British coal is as strong as ever, ea.rdifl: and Newport, as places for the shipments of the best steam coal, hare suffered in cbiiseT quence of the end of the war. The tome of the contest at SwansM is so far creditable both to Sir Geo. Newnes and Col. Wright, though one or two of their supporters liave introduced matters that are aroutiing danjunciation. Mr. R. L. Sails walked on thin ice (m Tuesday night at a. meeting at Rhyddings Chapel and at a St. Thomas meeting Mr. Yiner Leedcr made one or two remarks in. a bantering spirit, which Sir Geo. Newnes resented. Mr. Leeder's utteranoes on this subject were no particularly grave sin against the 'laws of "good taste." They-consisted merely rf a half-joking assertion that. Sir Geo. Newnes was comforting Lady Newnes because the latter had not been maide a peeress. If personalities go no further than this the election will be one upon-which both parties can plume themselves. The omission of the exact terms of Mr. Leeder's reference, how- ever, from the reports of the speech in the daily press led the publie-or that :99 per cent. of it not present, at the particular meeting where it was delivered-to surmie that something offensive had been said. In the Gower division all three candidates are experiencing a turn of rat-her disorderly meetings. The latest in personalities which is reported from that quarter is that a speaker, rising to support the motion,, pledg- ing the assembly to further the return of Mr. So-and-So, said he supported that can- didate because he was "neither a, nincompooD nor a waster." That, also, is only offensive by suggestion. Mr. Llewelyn Williams, in the oourste of his candidature for the Carmarthen Boroughs last week struck a "snag" in shape of Mr. Hubert Thomas, the well- known Llanelly manufacturer, who, like Mr. W. H. Edwards and Col. Wright, in a us" degree, is "curious" upon the Tariff ques- tion. Mr. Williams, in the discussion that. followed Mr. Thomas' rising at one of his. meetings to make a fewenquiriffi; was -rather at a loss. For he could claim no special knowledge of the trade. JStoIl, he ocwW have made a better display thajj -he did. It is argument of a very poor and flimsy char- acter to declare that the dumping of German, goods in Britain and the exporting of British goods to Germany were alike. It was also a very lame answer to Mr. Tiiomas' query as to what safeguard Mr. Williams had to propose against a repeti- Williams had to propose against a repeti- tion of the disaster that befell the tinplate trade after the McKinley (tariff to say that the only method of meeting -such an emer- gency was by adhering to Free Trade, and developing new markets. Like Alexander, tinplate manufacturers would in that even- tuality be sighing for a new world, for the "markets" of the old world are being pretty well tapped. Col. Wright, at Swansea, has described how Italy is now repeating the .1 American process. A few weeks ago the Llanelly papers oontained-,a letter from.* a boy of the tinplato town, engaged in an Italian tinplate works, describing the really excellent work of the native employee, and claiming a record production of a certain class of plate. One line of. fact like that i§ of more practical value as afcontribution to the controversy thaji ra column of airy argo- naent zucd: adj tiratkm aboui ofcw ras>ir.lc«i^. Steel and iron workers, and other work- men who sympathise with them, will probably be interested to know that in 1904 over 1,300,000 tons of iron and steel in various forms, with an estimated value of over £12,000,000, were imported into this coun- try. Applying Colonel Wright's calculation to this quantity, and dealing with it as only six times the 200,000 tons used by him for purposes of illustration, we have it that the imported metal, if produced at home, would have furnished a year's employment for 7,200 colliers, 2.200 cokers, 450 quarrymen, 5,076 blast furnacemen, and 11,640 steel workmen. A peck of fact is worth bushels of theories. By means of a tariff designed to that end, the United States compelled thousands of Welsh people to leave their native land and seek in America the employment denied to them in Wales. At. the present time the American tinplate trade created and main- tained by means of protection, furnishes em- ployment for 25,000 persons, all receiving wages on a scale that makes the mouth of the average Welsh tinplater water. Those with friends across the Atlantic know some- thing of the wages paid in the States, where there are now over fifty tinplate works, with an annual output of the estimated value cf 75,000,000 dollars. Not one of these works could exist without a tariff; not one would have been established if in. 1891 our Govern- ment had been in a position to say that the retention of clauses designed to shut out Welsh tinplates from North America would be met by imposing a duty upon American wheat. The mere threat would have been enough no duty on wheat would have l <v,n necessary, for the mere possibility would have brought 14,000,000 of American farmers to their feet. Wales is to-day poorer to the extent of the thousands of people now de- pendent lipon the American tinplate trade, who would otherwise have been in Wales, consuming our products, giving employment to our tailors, shoemakers, etc., and contri- buting to our loc-i ra' cs and taxes. Shipowners are rather more interested in the question of the lighting dues than in that of the alien pilotage question, concern- in which a deal of activity is being mani- fested during this election, in the shape of questions to candidates. Sir George Newnes at Swansea has, for example, been called upon to declare, like a true Britotn, that he would support legislation banning the foreigner from such a calling. Though for the matter of that good charts and a good navigating officer-and they are common enough—would stand prospective enemies in equally good stead as a. pilot off most ports. Shipowners, however, have a larger griev- ance, in the matter of the light dues imposed upon their vessels. They contend now. as they have boen contending for a generation past, that the lighting of the coasts is as obligatory upon the nation as the policing and lighting of the streets is upon a muni- cipality. Over half-a-million is at present paid by owners. However, the Chancellor will have a word to say in the matter. Here, as in, the case of the coal tax, national and class interests are at conflict. By the way, it is interesting to note that out of 133 replies to a. question whether candidates are prepared to vote. for the abolition of the coal tax, if returned, 80 are from Liberals; 25 Conservatives, 28 Labour candidates, ajid 15 are non-ooinmittal. How many candi- dates consider the ooal industry is really handicapped by the tax it would be of profit to ascertain. Probably the bulk are simply vote-catchers, angling with this particular their line.. "Vote-catchihg," with the tendency for political strife to become a in^rf^stgiggle. ,iflter^f. bi<j £ fair, to be the chief occupation of the. new government and a dominant trait of British. politics of the near future. I'n the past the elector was con-tent to be plain Wnig or Tory to-day he is mainly "on. the make," to employ an expressive vulgarism, with a vote-as the price for class concessions.

SWANSEA AND ITS MEMBER. This headline is somewhat of a misnomer, since at the present time Swansea has no member. Th-ere is no parliament in existence .and consequently no member of parliament. The caption, in truth, refers to no particular person as past or prospective parliamentary representative of Swansea, but impersonally to such a member as the town may actually obtain, or should aspire to possess. Putting party politics aside, it is surely an anomaly that the inetropolic of Welsh Wales should be represented at Westminster by a gentle- man who is essentially English, and without the remotest connection or association with Wales. And the anomaly approaches the grotesque when it is considered that he was jtut forward and is supported by what claims to' be the Welsh National Party. From the latter the circumetance is equivalent to an admission that Wales is so poorly supplied with, men of capacity that a stranger with no Welsh sympathies should be asked to act as the parliamentary representative of the. second largest town in Wales, and the Welsbiest of all big centres in the Princi- pality.. The late Mr. Dillwyn, without be- hng Cymric, had, by long association, become Welsh iosympatliy; Mr. Burnie, who suc- ooOO£d him had qualified as a Swamseaite by many years of public service; Sir John Llewelyn, of course, is racy of the soil, and sbarea with Vifioouiit Tredegar the distinc- tion of descent from an old Welsh family. In- the sense that Mr. Burnie could qualify for the appellation of Welshman, 1:n, so far as the description embraces all residents of Wak« long and closely identified with the eotrntfy, Col. Wright's title is unchallenge- able. He arrived in Wales whilst yet vmm-' And lias grown grey in actively prq^moting the industries of his adopted land, and in- cidentally reaping the rewards of his in- dustry and capacity. But in no scnoo can Sir George Newnes be regarded as other than a stranger who came here fir pa.rty and personal purposes, and whose connection with Swansea amd Wales is of a Casual and, temporary character. And yet h^ has enjoyed, by virtue solely of the possession ofi Wealth and the status which it gfaes, the highest honour 'at the disposal of t|e people of Swansea. Assuredly the wor- ship of the. golden calf—evm though the latter may listen to no one's prayer—cannot be considered; as a freak of ancient days. And as if to indicate that this weakness has practically no limit, we had the proposal Htriottsly made, that in the event of Sir George Newnes being ele*w £ v>d to the House of Lords—which place every good Radical denounces and hopes to reach-his son, Mr. Frank Newnes, should be offered the rever- sion of the seat, and so reduce Sw-atnsea to tie level of a pocket-borough—the heirloom oi a-family utterly alien to the town, and mating use of it merely as a stepping-stone. It is curious how insusceptible to slights the aresa^e Welsh Nationalist is where party politics are oortcertied, and how blind he is tnj the concltisiorBS which the outside world is bound to adopt, when it perceives the second largest town in Wales importing its parliamentary representative from across the border. This tacit confession, of raciaA inferiority is but one of many instances of the Welsh assisting to justify the poor I dpi±;don which their neighbours are too apt to entertain regarding them. i

GLYNN VIVIAN MINERS' MISSION HALLS. The opening of the first of the missaon halls in connection with the Glynn Vivian Miners' Mission Scheme, took place at Hafod, Swan- sea, on Thursday afternoon. A number of similar halls are to be erected at an early date in different localities where there are miners in England and Wales. The building is built to accommodate 350 persons, and externally it is designed m uie Gothic .style with native stone hammer dressed work. The principal entrance is imposing, and large mullioned windows glazed with tinted glass, together with the grey stone walls and red tiles, contrast harmoniously and effectively. The floors are laid with pitch-pine blocks, and the walls to a height of four feet have a dado and stained green wood, and above the walls are finished in salmon colour. The work has been excellently executed from de- signs by Mr. Glendinning Moxham, F.R.I.B.A., Swansea, the contractor being Mr. John Davies, Swansea PIONEER OF A DOZEN HALLS. The pioneer of some twelve halls to be erected in various parts, for which object Mr. Glynn Vivian has set aside upwards of £ 70,000, is situate on the Hafod fields. At three o'clock, the time fixed for the opening by Lady Swansea, there was a large atten- dance which included Lady Robinson, Mr. Glynn Vivian, Miss Vivian, Miss Lindsey, Mr. Graham Vivian, Hon. Odo Vivian, Col. Phillips (Brighton), Col. Roberts (Wimble- don), Miss Desevin, Mrs. Paton Wrigiit^ Mr: Collicott (Upper Norwood), Mr. Josepn Hall, J.P., Revs. W. Talbot Rice, Oscar Sneiling, C. C. Lindsey, Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Eden and a numerous assembly of the general public. Mr. Glynn Vivian accompanied Lady Swansea to the door, where the architect (Mr. Moxham) presented Mr. Glynn Vivian with a gold key. Mr. Glynn Vivian handed the same to Lady Swansea, who then un- locked the door. In a few minutes every seat in the hall was occupied. Mr. Glynn Vivian gave out the hymn "All hail 'the power of Jesus name," which was enthusi- astically sung. The Rev. W. Talbot Rice then lead the congregation in prayer. The hymn, "There is a fountain filled with blood" followed. Rev. C. C. Lindsey hav- ing read a portion of scripture, Lady Swansea said her brother-in-law had invited her and she was pleased to be pre- sent and take her part in the opening. Her ladyship hoped God's blessing would rest upon the building and that it would be -he means of winning many souls. "God bless this work, and all those who take pert m this mission." Mr. Glynn Vivian said it was now two years since he first formed the idea of found- ing a mission and sent Mr. H. A. Voke down to do so. He was canvinoKil it was under God's blessing and he conceived the idea of sending missions to all parts of the world for the miners and colliers who were busy working for our good. Each mission would be eaxctly alike as far as practicable and all would be under one brotherhood. There would be a reading-room, tea and coffee at a small cost, and a medicine chest. Mr. Glynn Vivian asked them to imagine wha.t such halls would be in Chili or Russia. There were difficulties in tue way of carrying out the scheme, but he hoped, by God's blessing, to be able to carry it out, and he could not but believe it would appeal to all the world. He asked those present to unite in prayer, so that this society would be a success. He asked the Press to uphold his efforts and assist him in bringing the same to a successful issue, and then they would all praise His name together and meet those who had been redeemed in heaven. The Rev. W. Talbot Rice, in the course of an address, said a great many of the noble and wonderful works in the world had begun in a small way. Those halls would be homes for the body as well as the soul, and many to-day were wanting such places, and may such buildings help them to a bet- ter, purer, holier, and happier life. New things often attracted men, and he hoped that hall would indeed prove a great bless- ing. Mr. Glynn Vivian bad set a noble ex- !W*Mre Voke, who had had the arrangements in hand, euoke of t^ previous meetings in the room kindly .lent by Messrs. Vivian, whose kindness in other directions he touch- ed upon. He spoke of the good that had al- ready been accomplished and the success achieved, and they were all grateful to Mr. Glynn Vivian. One suggestion he would make—and it had met with the approval of Mr. Vivian—and that was they might 1D tne future establish mission rooms around for the miners. Colonel P-^herts and Colonel Phnlip6 hav- ing spoken, Mi'. Glynn Vivian again asked for uod s blessing, and The proceedings terminated with aie Doxology. During the afternoon Miss De Sevm sang a solo.

NEATH RURAL COUNCIL. CWRTYCLAr^Y BRIDGE AND PONTRHYI .J VIADUCT. Neath Rural Council met on Wednesday, Mr. Evan HoweUs presidio. The Medical Offioer of Health (Dr. Whit- tington) reported that the sample of water from Bryncoch, sent to be analysed, was most unsatisfactory. This was the water used by the cottages from whence two cases of diphtheria were reported. During the month there had been 75 births, 35 deaths, giving a death rate of 14.6. In the matter of the drainage at Pentre- ffynon, the Council accepted the recommen- dation of Committee to carry out this work, and, in view of the slackness of trade, local labour should be employed. Mr. J. Edwardes-Vaughan presided over the Highway Board. i Mr. Rees, G.W.R., wrote asking the Council to increase their rontnbution to- wards the construction oi a bridge at Cwrtvclafdy Crossing. The Chairman: It looks like a try-on on the part of that estimable body, the G.W H Co. (Laughter.) I suggest that we stand The Committee eventually agred not to increase its contribution. A discussion took place with reference to the Pontrhydyfen aqueduct —Mr. D. E. Jones (clerk to the Margam District Council) attended, and offered the >llowing terms: —The aqueduct to be conveyed jointly to the Neath and Margam District Council, each to be responsible for one-half of the up-keep of the bridge, and the mitial cost of repair to be borne in the proportion of one-third each by Miss Talbot, the Margam District Council, and the Neath District Council. Eventually the matter was left in the hands of a committee to report.

SUICIDAL MANIA AT SWANSEA UNION. INMATE CUTS HIS THROAT: ANOTHER'S THREAT. An attempt last Thursday on the part of a male inmate of Swansea Workhouse to commit suicide by cutting his throat with a knife, was reported to the Workhouee Visit- ing Committee on Wednesday by the ■superintendent nurse. The man's name is Thomas Burns. Thomas Burns. Dr. Hughes said the man created a lot of trouble at Bridgend Asylum. He was brought to Swansea Workhouse, and under- went an operation to his ankle. Lately he had beeai getting very morose and lazy, and a close watch was kept on him. He bor- rowed the knife from another inmate, say- ing he wanted to cut some tobacco, and in- flicted a skin woond, which was not very deep. The next day be was sent back to Bridgend. Replying to the chairman, Dr. Hugices saa^l there was no doubt. the ma.n mtendiedtocut his throat, but when he found it hurt ham he threw the knife to the floor. Master: He could not have done it with that knife.. 5 Dr. Hughes: Another inmate got impressed bv the occurrence, and started threatening to do the sarnie, and he was also removed. SWANSEA HARBOUR TRUST CLERK. Swansea Harbour Trust have decided to

SWANSEA HARBOUR TRUST CLERK. Swansea Harbour Trust have decided to increase the clerk'* :;a.w7 by £1DO, ææ i for 1906..< ClJIOG

LLANELLY PRIEST'S CALL TO ACTION. REMEMBER THE PERSE- CUTED SCHOOLS. Rev. Thomas McLoughlin, Roman Catho lie priest, Haneily, writes:—Like the priests of Swansea, i myself, though a pre- sident of the United Irish League, am as- tonished that there should be any difficulty as to the way Swansea CathoLics should vote oa the present occasion. My advice is this: Unseat Sir George Newnes, and let the Irishmen of Swansea and tae surrounding district be able to >ay, "We were the ones that did it." Not a single vote ought to be given to the other siie. If it does, there is a traitor in the camp. Catholics of Swansea, show a united front. Let it be known that you are a force now and for all time—a force to be reckoned with. Let your memories go back a little, and recall the villainous treatment meted out to your little ones, the children whom God ..a;-) given you. When they were shivering with tho cold of many a wintry day, they were laughed at by the very men who want your votes to-dav. They are our enemies. We know what they have done in the past. Give them the chance, and they will do worse to-morrow. Vote for them, and they will call us a pack of fools—and rightly so. They have as far as they could kicked your children about. They try the sootning "ro- c-ess now have none of Give back blow for blow, and, if possible, with added inter- est. Swansea Catholics—every man, woman, and child of you—treasure the words of Ab- bot Ford, spoken to you on that memorable day, wfcen the beloved Father Julian O'Hare left you—words that you cheered to tne echo: "Fight for God and the salvation of your little cnesl"

FATHER FITZGERALD'S VIEWS. Rev. Father Fitzgerald writes from St. Joseph's Priory, Geenhill, Swansea, as fol- lows :—In your contemporary of Monday I read: "At a mass meeting of Irishmen held at St. Joseph's Hall, Greenhill, Swan- sea, on Sunday," etc., certain resolutions were carried. 1 beg to state that there was no "mass meeting of Irishmen held at St. Josepn's Hall" on Sunday. Some twenty or thirty members of the United Irish League held a meeting, and, contrary to the express terms on which they are allowed to hold the'r meetings ih St. Joseph's Hall, addressed their communications to the press with that beading thereby implicitly committing the clergy and Irish voters to a certain policy. By mere accident, no doubt, Sir George Newnes* address was received by IrUh voters on the day following this meeting. From that address it is absolutely clear that in Swansea the election is being to. jnt, on the education question. I recommend all Irish voters to read again and again the fine "Manifesto to the elec- tors by the Swansea Free Church Council," which Sir George Newnes encloses with Irs election address. It is a document which will repay careful study by enabling them to decide who is friend who who is foe to the dearest inter- ests of the Swansea Irish.

FATHER GWYDR'S ADVICE. "I consider that the schools question is of paramount impoitance, and ;,bove all others to Catholics at the present time." "To any Roman Catholic el^rt^r who seeks advice 1 should say—vote for the man who will help us with our schools."

SIR GEORGE'S REPLY. REV. DR. HARRINGTON POINTS OUT ITS INCONSISTENCY. Sir George Newnes, M.P., has sent the following letter in reply to the Rev. Father Fitzgerald — "Hotel Metropole, January 9.—Reverend Sir,—In reply to your letter of the 8th inst., I am pledged to an amendment of the pre sent Education Act in the direction of secur- ing public control of all State-maintained schools. "At the same time, I am solicitous that •Roman Catholics should receive no injustice by any amendment of the Act.—I am, yours faithfully, George Newnes." COMMENTS BY DR. i. ORPINGTON. Father Fitzgerald has left Swansea for a week, but a "Daily Post" reporter had a chat wit1. the Rev. Dr. Harrington at .:3t, Joseph's Priory. "What is your opinion of it?" he was ssked. "Well," responded Dr. Harrington, "if you compare it with Sir George's reference to education in his election address, it is ao- -ii> inconsistent. The proposals he supports in his address are just those very principles which Catholics are fighting against. If the amendments were carried cut on those lines we should lose every- thing for which we are contending. COLONEL WRIGHT'S STRAIGHT- FORWARD REPLY. Colonel Wright's reply on the other hand is characteirstically straightforward and clear. He writes: — "My dear Father Gwydr,—I beg to ac- knowledge yours of (ve-n date. "I will certainly resist any interference with the right of Catholic parents, as at pTesent secured by law. to have their child- ren educated in the elementary schools in the country in conformity with their con- scientious religious convictions. "And this. whetheT I aT eV<~fed or not. Yours very sincerely, John R. Wright."

AGAINST NEWNES THIS TIME. SWANSEA ROMAN CATHOLICS WILL THINK OF TH—IR SCHOOLS. The outspoken utterances of the Swansea Roman Catholic clergy on the schools ques- tion at the present juncture has created quite a sensation in St. Joseph's and St. David's parishes, and the gen opi^^n appears to be that for the first time for some years past the great majority of the Roman Catholic voting power will be cast for the Conservative candidate ^rho, how- ever, it is not lost sight of, is pledged to see that ,the schools of Convent-street and Edward-street secure that '-»ir p'ay which is being denied them at present. A prominent Irish Roman Catholic, who is, however, not a member of the United League, told a "Daily Post' reporter on Wednesday that he believed, as a result of the priest's "pointers" on the Education question, quite three-fourths of t h", Irish electorate m the town would poll for CoL W"fhie are also," he added, "a large num- ber of voters in Greenhill who are not satis- fied with Sir George Newnes on other ques- tions, and who regret voting for him last tU"What is the strength of the Irish vote in the town—a thousand?" "About eight or nine hundred all told." "And out of this what votes are held by the United Irish League?" "About three hundred, but not One-half of these will poll on the Home Rule issue- if they do poll. I believe a. number will not vote at all."

SWANSEA HOSPITAL APPOINTMENTS A vacancy having occurred on tht honor- ary medical staff of the Swansea Hospital, r. special meeting of the Board of Management was held on Wednesday (to fdl jt. Mr. H. McDonnell presided. Mr. Howel Watkins moved that Dr. CW&t-rap. appointed CTJC- cessor to' Dr. Coach (rwngjsndV Carried Mr. Watkins also tuowd that Dr. Edwwas should become vbich petition Dr. Cameron had previously bftirj. Carried, j For the post of wKsstlHrtifS. ttrmiroSmtioas i were received, vis.. Dr. '"Iwi Bflgg, Dr. Leonard Isaac, and Dr. »1W. Svww, eP. of j Swansea. Final j Mi; jLhr, Kvan.s, 36. JV. irafe j j

-J NEATH NOTES. Mr. Brynmor Jones Gaia off CheaplY2 Constituents Gpumblw m Mem- ber's Absences. Neatn Tradesmen and Munici- pal Electricity. Two of the luckiest men alive to-day 4ra Messrs- S. T. Evans and Brynmor Jones, for both are again spared the trouble anc expense of contested elections. And it is not because they are "undeserving" of it, but because the other side seemingly realise the hopelessness of success in a. Parliamen- tary joust with either of the Radical war- riors. Even within the ranks of the Radi- cal party are heard complaints of their ..t. titude (particularly that of Mr. Brynmor Jones) towards the constituencies thev re- present. "We see so little of either of them," is the general complaint. The r-n- swer 108', of course, "We are elected to fb present you at Westminster. We do that and therefore fulfil our obligations." That is all very well, but constituents have the right to expect a little more and thev do expect it too. Mr. Brynmor Jones could well afford to spend a little more time among "his people," and to manifest greater interest in the welfare and progress of V,e local Radical party, and Mr. G. l. j^yaiis could make things "fit in" with his profes- sional requirements if he chose. But while each hold seats which are unassailed by ti e Unionist party they are not likely to trouble" themselves very much about the people whom they represent. It is an open eeret that the rank and file of the local Radical party would like to see both seats contested to bring both gentlemen, as one put it, to the sense of their responsibilities. How- ever, at present there is no prospect of a contest, and Mr. S. T. Evans and Mr. Bryn. mor Jones can again enjoy an inexpensive and gratifying chuckle. -+- Neath Unionists are delighted with the fact that the gallant colonel is making mat- ters sultry for Sir George Newnes at Swan- sea. Colonel Wright once fought the Swansea District against Mr. Brynm<>r Jones, and although he was a long wav out at the finish, and although he started with the pre-knowledge of defeat, he proved himself a rare fighter and won for himself golden opinions, both for his own side and from his opponents. "The old colonel," as he is affectionately styled by the adherents of the Conservative cause in this district has the best wishes of all Unionists. C0.1. Wright loves a fair stand-up fight, and abhors the hitting-below-the-belt tactics ad- opted by some opponents. It is very un- fortunate that he has not a palatial yacht on which to entertain his friends. The fact that he has been a great pioneer of labour and that his industrial interests in Swan- sea and the district are immense count for little in the eyes of his political opponents. Now we are in the vortex of a General Election it is interesting to read the political addresses of the candidates. Some afford very amusing reading, others are dull anu uninviting. The gentleman in the North of England who said "I will make no prem- ises. I have made too many which I have been unable to fulfil," deserves a vote k- his candour. Another who winds up W1"], the words "What I have said, I have said and will fulfil," must be viewed with sus- pision when it is remembered that he went baldheaded for Home Rule, the Disestablisb- of the Church in Wales, the repeal of 'the Education Act and the nationalisation oi the unemployed question (whatever this lat- ter may mean.) In sooth that were a big un- dertaking even for a Radical candidate pos- sessing the Alpine ideas of his own powers. If these great things are to be accomplisied he must accomplish them unaided for the Radical party will be powerless. This modern Don Quixote is, methinks, doomed to bitter disappointment.. Election promises are like the proverbial pie-crust, made to be broken. One can be- lieve that many candidates are well-inten- tioned; that many possess unbounded con- fidence in themselves and their party but when the political pudding is cut it will be found to be uneatable. There are too many "side issues" in the Radical Party. Each sedtion has its own pet idea, and, although we often hear "that on the broad principles of Liberalism we are all agreed," \V2, who have "had some," many times before, ask ourselves the question, "what are those broad principles?" The Neath Corporation are playing a funny game in connection with the electric light-' ing- They are being supplied with ekctric power for lighting at lAd. per unit, and are charging those tradesmen, who have been rash enough to have the light installed, the sum of 5d. per unit—a profit of 31d. on each unit consumed, which. I think, works out at 70 per cent. The result is that the trades- men who sought by the aid of elcetricityto make their windows brighter and more at- tractive, had a rude shock when their quar- ter's bills arrived early this month. One gentleman, whose gas bill for a correspond- ing period had never exceeded J34, had to face an account of very nearly £9 And he had paid over £9 for the fittings. Ho has had the electric light cut off, and I hear that others are following suit. As the Cor- poration are obtaining the power from a com- pany, and as thev have their own gas works, the move, from their point of view, is a good one. But it is hardly fair, is It. The Neath Forward Movement does cater for the public, and no mistake, and the strides which the Mission continues to make should serve as an example to the stick-in- the-mud Nonconformist chapels in the town. On Saturday last a free concert was given under the auspices of Mr. Edwin Curtis' Bible Class, and a crowded audience spent a most enjoyable evening. The artistes who assisted werp —Madame S. J. Thomas (Llaneilv), Miss Ethel Dunsdon, the Rev. Frank Joshua, Mr. Ernest J. Griffiths, Mr. Tom Morris, Mr. Philip Thomas, Master Brinley Richard Owen, and Mr. J. S. Church. The programme wa.s bright and attractive, and everyone was sorry when it came to a conclusion. -+-- We all appreciate the necessity of pure water—Bryncoch excepted. Some of the people there, rather than go a lew yards and get this healthful commodity, have been ob- taining impure water against which they have been warned, from a well a little more conveniently situated. Result two cases of diphtheria from one house., The District had the water analysed and it was found to be unfit for drinking purposes. The "busy" folks of Bryncoch will now have to use the Council water, whether thev like to or not. "OBSERVER."

LjOCAL WILLS. MR. SAMUEL FREEMAN, BRYN- HYFRYD. Mr. Samuel Freeman, of 55, Penyfiliar road, Brynhyfrvd, near Swansea, who died on the 18th of November last, left estate of the gross value of £1,555 15s. Id., including JB168 16s. 9d. in net personalty, and probate of his will has been granted to Mr. John Matuiew Freeman, jomer; his brother, Mr. Thomas Freeman, who was also named as aJt executor of the will, having renounced prt b DANIEL LONGDEN, COCKETT- Mr. Daniel Longden, of Cockett House. Cockett, near Swansea, formerly of 67, Rich- mond-road, Swansea, who di.-d at. 9th of December last, left estate of t.h1/1 value of £929 7s. 2d., including SA98 2d. 111 net personalty, and prob: c«' Nw has been granted to his ■v^dtym Mr* Longden. of Cockett Hon w, Mx ick Longden, commereia! -*r- Ernest Longden, of Springf-*?^ Vl'4* reaper, tho sons of itoo te-f-iator. bead.

TO CURE A COi.D IN °^5 A!I i Take Ls-sAtre „ 1 Oberai** ,>* *? VL | W. Civ-