The South Wales Daily Post

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1894. I NOTES &' COMMENTS Alcan'a article in the Western Mail, with its su^trestion that the Liverpool Post was prepr.iin j the way for an attack on tho w .two-rate in the tin-plate tiado, has provoked a dignified and moderate protest from an employer. The latter is of opinion that the Yankees already know: too much respecting the weaknesses of the trade without unnc- eeMarily adding to their knowledge. There may be point in the protest, but we n hardly imagine the Americans so dependent upos casual newspaper articles ) 1 the employer would seem to believe. They luve CONSUL* in this country whose duty it ij to collect and transmit every, a ;rap of information hkely to be helpful tcthe manufacturers of the States; there I are thousands of Welshmen in Yankee- land, scores of whom are possesn_-i1 I of everything worth knowing respecting the tin-plate tra le and, further thorc is scarcely an American paper < f standing which is unrepresented it; England. A moment's reflection will, thc:c- fore, suffice to convince most people that if our cousins across the •.rater want to be kept posted I as to the driftof events ill Wuias theyhuvo the most ample facilities for doing 30. 011 Lhe eve of the presidential election in 1S9-2 one Democratic New York paper dis- patched a sped;1! correspondent to W«Lt& to collect effective ammunition to use m the attack then being made on McEanley- ism. Wis report, cabled on tho dav ptevi • T that fixed for the voting, had, ieve, no little influence in sc r 3 return of President Cleve- land r he same time, while rather sT disc- ie necessity for the protest of I the — we are quite with him in dis- miss • idea that the Lioerjjcl I Pos .• set in motion by the manu- fad < Wales. It is a notion alto- get n. sonable, if only by reason of the t at the articles appear in a which the great majoritv of WV^V caters have probably never ov Svanc«a in one respect compares badly with •ywy other town of aay importance in s&f Principality. Most of its public busifloss is transacted behind closed doors. Nothing i» better calculated to breed J distrust and lower the status of public men 1 distrust and lower the status of public men than the secret committee. The public mind is so coiwtituted that it will insist upon I believing that there must be reasons of I questionable character for the dread of ] publicity vhich is thus implied. This might be rt-gardel as the sentimental si .o of a j subject wlich has another side unquestion 1 abiy ssriow. Secrocy is beyond a doubt '< £ i*vourab!eto jobbery oi kind. In K fact, thoserecurreiifrpttblic scandalfl would; be almos'-impoMtble if the representatives I, v uf thu rifepayufi a;;t;d as if thoybvlicvüd t I the latter took an intelligent interest in the borough afl'airs, and wero. therefore, entitied to laciiities for watchiisg how the public work was being done. The wonder is that the present bad system-ha0 been tolerated all these years, and that the ratepayers have been content to be kept in the dark until too late generally for to, exercise any effective check upon t,h,in,i to. exercise any effective check upon the treatment of Corporation affairs. If the I gentlemen in oiliee continue to manifest this indifferent regard for tho go^d opinion of the electors, the latter have an effective corrective in theirpower. Let them insist upon knowing from w--h candidate who presents himse f for election whether he supports the secret committee system, and when he has tho courage to say he does, let them vote only for men who do not. The pot argument invariably advanced for the secret eommittee is that matters come l,lidor considoration which cannot be freely discussed in the presence of repor- ters. It is an argument thit has been worn thirt by repetition one also that ha.; boon thoroughly discredited by practical experience.. Will it be protended that the business of the sister borough of Cardiff is not so Weil managed as that of Swansea — I hat there is Joss jobbery or th » suspicion "f jo|)l^ery here than in the eastern town '? Not :1 bit of il. The suggestion, £0.1' example, that information re:I)-, the purchase of property f'r public impr^vv;- nicnts should be treated aa the psrqimite 'of aide: men and coirscil'iorsis a mischievous one. Theoretically it may seem the wis" and pr-per thing-not to disclose the intcn- thfe Opriwration in practical work- rt;g, fijpyv0ve>t-,v.='pre .oil plan merely places tetnptat'ons in the way of public men to •«is0 'tho ieforimtioni for the benefit of (hsftlSelvoa and friends. Herein lies the source of half the jobbery rishtly or wrbugty Urged rgamst our public r :prc- aoniatlves. and th j latter would bo well advised in tJhcir own intorj.tis to end a system r.-hieh exposes them to suspicion. -Yet another phase of the subject is pre- seKted i-y the Harbonr Trust. Here we hai;c a public body lioMmg k..rd and fast to Hiet!ir»<is of procedure which remind us -f tho days of the fancy franchise when the otdy.Deople supposed to have the slightest r ght to information were a | dozen or, so of the le-idtng dignitaries. Intelligence of interest to every II resident of the town is jealously with- held or permitted to filter out in-dis- torted forms- t'-ron«h the agenciy of nvfti. b rs of the Trust who, in some in- stances at ali events, have personal end. t 1 serve thereby. Just imagine a town of one hundred thousand peopie being de- pendent for its information respecting matters of the gravest importance to the whole community upon the gossip of hotel bare Or the chance remarks of pubbc men t» reporters. Wo contend that tho system is*rad:eally bad. and that Swansea cannot hops {or a wholesome tor; in the discm- sibu of its public affairs until the repre- sentatives elected, by the ratepayers have bij&ii Weaned cf their,Section for secre. y. is an endless variety of cants. newspapers, unsparing in thyir r'd.- j ei.ite of other forms of the falling, have, naVortheloas. a fuU-bodied CRHt, of their own. Jt discloses itself in an affected Ittf.dlibility and in a comforting de'usion nursed by oach newspaper that nothing ^orth having is missed by it in the shape of pews. And BO it happens that whet,- ever-one p*per gets the start in publishing aii important "item of int" rruation its rival proceeds forthwith to discredit the infor- mation, or, failing that, to depreciate the value of it. Ancl'aq naturally as ihe day! follows the night comes the fashion of appropriating Without aeknowledgment the, collected by the diH- |l^cc cf'others, cn^'lihe most wholesale piecing of other men's brains. We do not say this in a apirit of seif-rightoousness. Ohr merit hes not in being free from the cant and its attendant evils—for We are n-t—but in recognizing the fact and in wishing to 9ee it disappear. Why should common honesty be excluded from these matters ? Why should newspapers, re- presenting the collective work of many men, be less fa:r and honest than the indi- vidual journalist f The Western Mail has I sot an oxcellent example in this respect, and if our other contemporaries coul d be induced to reciprocate, we should be crhd in our small'way to assist in making the practice of the Mail g'n ;i al in this con e.- of the worl d. worl d.

READERSIPLEASE NOTE. I A GUINEA FOR A DRINK. The overwhelming majority of the aduit male population in the- district covered by the Post are employed in occupations entailing great bodily exertion in intense heat. In the old expressive language they are Giteiihtiy/ tan A want severely felt, csp. 0 ally in summer, is a drink that quenches thirst, is agre, al-le to the taste. and is sustaining and non-injurious. With a view of ascertaining whether such a I' drink is obtainable, aut', if so, of making it widely known, we otter a prize of oue guinea for information respecting the best drink known to onr readers. We particu- larly invite workmen with practical I experience to let us know what beverage they find most satisfactory. I Where hurb beer is mentioned the herbs •-•ed should bo stated. We purpose to su ailt the information thus eoiieettiu to a et,)r uf position, and ask him a,; to winch drink, in h.s o inion. does thu kast harm atul the most good. All that the competi- tor needs do u to fill in the coupon below and forward it to the Daily Fost Ofihe, Swansea, marked" Cornpétitioil." Tuis competition closes on the loth September, and the,.award will be announced on thu 17 th September. -COUPON. ¡ .J IN MY oPi.oar FOR TIN-PLATE WCRKMU. IBOX, KtKUh IXD COPPUL SMKLL'BIKS. The be si Urlr.k is I I (If n home-brc "e beverage ndd" Ma.de with (give ingredients)" Name I Address 1 A GUINEA FOR A LOCAL ALLUSION. .Readers ox standard books frequently alight on allusions to places, persons, and things in this district For example, we have recently published references to Swansea, Neath, and the M-.nnbles, by Carlyle, and Waiter Savage Landor. A collection of such allusions would be exceedingly interesting, and to secure the co-operation of the readers of tho Post in securing it we offer a guinea for the most interesting local allusion sent toH9 cn ot before the St.h Sept. The j awand will be announced on Monday 10th Sept. NOTICE.—All letters in connection with tild above competitions should have the word Competition" written on the envelope

TRADITIONS OF G-OWER. [i» V V>.RAX.] I I hold that the lover of tiie antique tDd. the picturesque culf do no more unfortunate thing than take a. cynic and it Phiiistine to the shrine of ancient days, and try to invest him with a little of that spirit of veneration and patriotism to which Dr. John30a bears grace- ful testimony iti bs Journals o2 his tour in the Western Hebrides. My friend Wits both a cynic and a Phiiistuic. Wo had set forth froill Swausoit early thai morning, had climbed the sha.dy inli bv Ciyne Casi.e and reached the uudu'ating sweep or Fairwood Coinmon. It was a blazing hot day, the sun shone down from a canapv of spotless azure, and there were no public-houses neir at hand. My friend was disconsohtto. Wo were en route fo;\ the Sphinx of l;o'S_l', and as we toiled up Pengwcrt;-l)ii le tvm.; tho Decoy Pond to our ieft hand, ¡"Hl skirted the reedy banks of Broad Pool 1 tr.ld mv, unbelieving companion of the wonders of the monument of antiquity that we were about to visit. He hsiened ouioilv eno-i^h to my n rration for some tune, and ti e-i bluntlv said that he'i wait 111 he arr.ved there, ani then expl-es; an op.nidi). 00 w« pie;"c.t OUt. way aeross the I>O £ :L\ ground .hat covers tile ]o.\cr j art d. the 110, tl.-eastern s opt: o: < fn liryu, and •serambkd up tho bcutii-'i-clud "tope l) the siumuit of tLe liu^e. I y Irion.i was perspiring profusely by that time, and spoilt iiis ti.itc in e'asii:i_ rcpioaeistul ulance-4 iirst at me and then at his own b>Ofc| <;ni tmmeutionahlei, for the io.ver estreinitics of the latter h- d bec.)i:ic-.c- ised in a sub- stratum ot" Log and peat, w:.iu hi* boats v, ould ha. re caused a whoij a; my oi boot- bhtcks to shod tears. I saw ill it h. a> il:- prepared tod. aw to \vh.it e'en in his better 111011 ents he v.oo!d v ry > cssibly have I scoffed at, but tho/e was nothing for it but to press on, and ten minutes later we were within a lew lards oil Arthur's Stone. I real! don't LlIOIV •hat ntv friend had cx- pected to sec, for I usually re/arded l:'i¡¡ as a being devoid 0;: imagination at ali e\ents, it nceicd but a ¡,w"c to show I h:tt he W: grievously disappointed, iwist he w.dkcd furionsly roan.1 the \cneralj!e VJdol; o. then he went upto it, m-tde a. d api) y of his Vandal ,ri)n u (Jotiiie bi i'sdin bv craping nis bo-Is ag ,i.,st ir,thcn be 1. o ed at me. then a^ai:; at tLe stone, aiui jinaily. being unable t> contain his wrath any longer, asked me what the blank [ thou.;ht he was. 1 pbed t. a', at any rate, I couldn't regard it I,, as an antiquarian. Ilo thon strode round the Sitonp again, and eonfrmtea ti;conee more by asking n;c v.hat the blank, blauk I'd brought him or.t for to See. My retort was tl at we had started with the intention of n Arthur's Stone, and that r.i brought h.)n tt o 0. 'i'i;en he turiied to and addressed the stone in language that 1 dare not attempt to mention, and unste it with his stick; but history 011 that occasion did not repeat 11s i and h b.cnma th rsticr than ever 11c Iried another lack, and, after \acant!y gazing round and seeing i.oth.nc but bare, bleak mo rlands, churned me with raving brought him into tlij wilderness to dtc! I [old him that :.t some dlstanco to t::c west lay the I of Keyuolcistonc, at.d liiat if lie liked to make track'! Gr that place I would follow after having p: de expiation for hi 4 profanity. He juinpid at this idea, anl I watched hiin as he ds-appeared ove" the brow of the hillin search of that material nourishment the eoRSumption of whijh took up s.) much of his leisure ume. I breathed mure freely no. The sordid C'luimonpiaeos of the mundane mind always defile thoee spots, in which the faithful see. able to hokl communion with th: g cat and ncbie beings o an uge Ion:: past, 1 stretched myself in the heather and gave myself ever to thought. Three years before, on a similarly gloriout summer day, I had stretched myscif on the green turf in the ruined nave of Glastonbury Abbey, with my h,'ad resting against the antique stone coibn that bears the inscription. Hie jacct Arih-ia-ut rex quondam et futvr :« rcxqtte. The stately pilars and mouldering archer of CI stonbury Ableey, which lie aaiid the stately trees of the "island vabey of Aviiion,' and the arey, weather-bnateu old eromiceh 0:1 the wild fastnesses of Cefn Bryn told. me the same stories, avioltc in me the same spirit—ihe spirit of that ideal ago of j chivalry and bi auty, tho a^-e that w .s initiated on that wild niyht wiicn Merlin descended irom the rocky heights of Tinta^cl, and clutched the intant Kin» Artnur from the bosom of the deep. It was in this L nol or Gowor that there lived the quecn-witcix whose dread deeds run 1 to a black thread through the gulden fabric of tho Aithurian legends. Mo. gun-lo-Eay way, ac- cord ib^ to Merlin, the illegitimate daughter of igrair.c, and half-sister of King Arth. r. Malory tells how that she was put to school in a nunnery, mid learned so much that she was "a. great clerk of necromancy." FItr fust associations w.th Cower came a out through her marriage to Urience, King I- of the land of Gore.' She was Kin:; Arthur's bad angel, and on several occasions Merlin warned him of her wiles. She soon grew tired of lur husband, and wished to become the "f e of Sir Acco o; but to do this it was accessary for her to murder her hrsband. She ieared tho wrath of Arthur, and deter- mined to begin by destroying her brother's lie. Having stolen from King Arthur) tLe brand Ex-abbur and given it to Sir Acolon, the latter meets the King in single combat, and Arthur escapes but by a lmracle- i At the critical inomeiu the immortal weapon fails fiora the hand of Aceolou, and Arthur sciZ ugh 8 own again, bna the ioverof M organ- ic-Fay at his mercy! less, lie of the "blameless life," .1 for my sister, Morvan-lc-Fay, by her falte crUtti made the!; to agree and consent to her false j lusts, but I shi-.U be so a-enje i upon her au j I i;vo that all Christendom t>h.-dl speak of it!" In the mcantixG the inhuman- Queen of Cower attempts tno life of her husband. King Urience, but is preuented by the HC, ion of her r,t)n., Sic Hearing that King At-lhur, has posse, sion of his sword again, she rides off to liii camp, enters his bed chamber, and sees him .3 asleep with the sword in his rtKhb hand. She clutches the jewalled sheath which lies near at hand, but in her flight wakes the king, who hotly pursues. Finding herself unable to escape, she rides to a lake, flings the precious sheath far into the water, rides off to a valley near at hand, and turns herself into a I pillar of stone. After Arthur had gone she deftly reeonvests herself from her petrified state, and returns into the country ot Gower» where, to quote Malary again, "she was alwavs richly received, anl made her castles lad .owns passing strong for always she much dreaded King Ar bur." 11 wfly# through this same country, too, that Sir Galahad, Sir Pereival, and Sir Bors went on their que t of I the Holy Grail; what more probable than that they 7' were T entertained at thfl conrL of King Uricnco and his. treacherous Queen. Such are the thoughts that not unnaturally come uppermost in tho mind, as the lover of old time basks by I the noble old fitone that is the mute link with centuries past, and inhales the upper air of Cefn Bryn. To say that the stone éarne there ii.atthe beat an unsatisfactory supposition, [have no patience with those unimaginative mortals who try pvovethe former existe> ce of an incline plane, up which the m.-asci e stone was 10.led into its present position, ft is j kiittwu in ihe Triads as the stone o £ Sliett;, and the proverb -1 like the work or the stone of Siietti, has long Lean used in South Wales as a method or chiding the explanation of 'lie way ill wll dl any incoui- p.ehtnsible wonder has been accomplished. 1-et ..s be content tj wonder, for when we cease to wonuer we shall eeajoto venerate. It was hitj in the afternoon whe 1 1 at length quilted lie spot and made my way to on; e iii-rc renew acquaintance w t,¡ ihe 19d1 century. Cowing np the hill in search of me 1 fcspicd my munchme frljnd. He was in a morv aimabie frame of mind now, I ve gore one better th n you, old boy," lie ex- claimed boisterou 1, "you've only found King Arthur's Stone, I've founl ihe King Ar.iiur itself!'

NOTES FROM LONDON. -+-- i Fll'-M OT7K Oww ConKKSfOXDRN'T ] LONDON. TUBSDAY EVEKINO. THE TRADES UilOX CONCURS*. The Trades Union Congress at orwich is attracting a great deul of attention from (he presg, I'roLably tliis is explained to some i <j:vient by the interest awa -encd in the struggle lor the rarliamcntary Secretaryship. Ibtt in addition to this there is the undoubted iaet tiiat labour topics nro now receiving n amount of attCii.i iu wliioh would stupefy the jo.H-nai.sts of a. century a, o. It is a s.^mlic. nt sign of the times that the Pall Mali iJuzetle and the Evening Xcws. two l-owcr.ul Conservative organs, not only report tee proeeedin.g at fo:)- S-dtrable L-ngtb, but are very sympathetic in ir eir ccrnimcnts. A tel" ntr, the etiHe of labour is onL, i 10 the doinain of p rty. The no!orUuiatc thing, from tha ( 'onsevva- ti\e point of view, is that the leaders of the Trade Union n.oveiuent li;iv ■ quietly ac- q-.ii. seed 111 the coo: annexation of their C,LU"C by t.;e Ridical wirc-pulle's. In :-pife of the f;ro'.v:h o! tiie I:ide[)end jnt Labour Party, the survival oi' t-ai. idea ij seen in the annual o" :,jet i3 Ieeli i:i ttie -.In report read by the iniihrul hcnchman of tne Ciiadstonlan party. Mr. Thomas Fenwick. In tiiose portions <d' it rcfeiring to political acti D tiicrc wcro Hu usual stereotyped p'.ira. er, abor.t the House of Lords '-mutilat- ui_' ;i!id destroying,' which inevitably sug- pe.-tcd the insi.iratlon of the benevolent and astutw Mr. Schnadhurs1. n L'ATH ,\0 ni-;yrAi,iFxoi? tox. Some fOJ:;su c"LlJl:siasL is aiways crying out that it is impossible to get on the register, and that some enlightened ividivid; ai is prevented fr-nu recording his vote. But it is agicat ileal harder to vet off fie rcg.ster. There was a man at Hackney \\ha died six- teen ye.irs ago, but his name is still in the register. He has been objected to eight years n succession, but still they cannot get, him oil tha' list. It i> hard to see what doe> diuqnalify a man it death does not. Mir. LT.OYD-GKOKGE. Air. Lloyd-George, M.P., says the Globet understands the virtue of silenee. He still rel usee to txphun or :;polo-ise for his statc- ment in tho House of Commons that the Welsh bishops issued circulars to the clergy inti.ing them to procure the cooking of the Census returns with regard to tiie use of the We sh language, and that it was upon the cooked returns thus obtained that the R. gistr ir-Geneiid ^loundcd his returns. Now, as the rec or of LLndudno polnti outs MI a litter to Mr. George, of which he has .-ent. us a copy, ht,, his',ops b. n declare;! that they issued 1:0 circular, therefore the clergv could have taken no action upon such a, doeu- ment. The "i ie: • s: rar-Geueral. moreover.. Sits that lie received 110 inf. rimition from tho bishops, and therefore could no', have in- corporated any in his report. Such a flat contradiction would seem to demand an ex- piation or a frank retraction from any self-respcct;ng man. but Mr. George remains j obstinately silent. Are we to believe the bishops and the Uegis'-rar Genet&! or Mr. Lloyd-George ? MIt, OS CHBQtTF. A good deal ha; b en said during the last ihreo days about Mr. Gladstone's £ !00cheque for the Irish Nationalists, but vet (savs the WcrhC) the signific-mcj ot the gift has escaped 4ca n tieo. WhvshouidLord Tweedmouth have appeared in the transaction ? Can an, one doubt that it was tlw cx- W bip who arranged'' tiief,'ift? And docs not. h s connection with it suggest the uuture of it ? The revolt of tho Irish was the clmracteristievent of the cioa- :uG days of the re >8:011 just expired. And the shadow of their threats readies forward already to the »essi'-n of 1695. If t hey return to St,Stephen'g next January in the the temper they manifested !a-t month, the Govern- ment cannot even tide over the debate on the Ad -I rces. At least Ministers could secure their support oniv by i ing the Sr.:t place to Irish measures, and thus provoke a revolt among other sections cf their following. To conciliate <hj)n, tiic-re- fore, is tv mat er of vital importance, and this W a warden cheque is a diplomatic movo to that end. The McCarthyite-M.P.'s cannot, of cou.se, refuse it, notwithstanding the t.,itints or the Parueliite orsan th;t their price at this rate is twenty-eight shillings a licaJ. lord Tweedmouth cannot expcci, indeed, to secure their goodwill for next year by a monev sift now, but the importance is obvious of loinc; something to appease them before they ap- pear on Irish platforms during the aulumn. A few wild or bitter speeche, might commit the party to open host hty to i.ord Ros^bery's Government, and the Grand Old Magieian i has teen invoked in hope of at le -,st post- polling the erisi-,

SUBSIDISING THE IRISHMEN.! AN EXPLANATION. The LnJon stales th::t. av; the result of exhaustive enquiries, he is aliI" to sty to tb.it the cireuhir re!er ed to in Lord Tweedmouth'a letter was issued by (lie eom.'nittco of the London branches of tho IS alio al league appoim cd to organise tie Irish Pariiamcutary PartyinLondc". The committee repudiates having authorised the sending of the circular to Mr. UladSvOne or any other Minis er or ex-Miliistor. end the only explanation of the receipt of the circular by tbeai is that, it was .cm either by e'erieal mistui c or by the unauthorised action 01 some person into whoso I hand s a copy had lallcu.

TilE COLLIER AND THE I PHEASANTS. ALLEGED THEFT PROM PEN LLERGr AER. Mr. W. P. Smith applied to the Swansea magistrates to-day (Wednesday) for a re- mand in tha ease or John Davies, a collier, living at Goi seinon, who was charged with stealing two hen pheasants, the pro- perty "f S.r J. T. I). Llewelyn, Bart., tt., Pcutb*rgaer, 011 Saturday night la.t.— David lice- gamekeeper, gave evidence to the effect that he saw the pheasants safely in the coops. On Sunday morning at six c clock he visited the coops as usual, and found tbem open, and two of the bens mis8ing.Willia.m Kosser, the bend gamekeeper, deposed that the defendant came to liiia and asked him not to do anything with the case, as he knew nothing about the pheasants, at the same time expressing sorrow tor what bad happened. The man explained to witness that be had been in bad company.—The Bench considered this suffi- cient evidence to connect defendant with the theft, and remanded the ci e until Saturday, bail being allowed in the sum of £ 10. °_

HARRINGTON & CO., for Wreaths and Crosses.—81, Wiad-street. i

THE POST BAG. ——————*————' j< Mi" R. T. Le-, son says that ha never ON aniiovcd. Hal. A man at the Brewster Sessions vests'' would persist in referring to a refu quart. tJjl 'there was a ^o^d de;d of bitter-ness Brewster Sessions, but precious little — Burton or any other brand. in r. and Mrs. Christopher James among the large audience at the Enapire (Tuesd >y) night. ,'t.P' The Rev. A. A. Mathews popped into Brewster Sessionsfor a short time on To2?^ afternoon, and seem ed to greatly enjoy j w.t and humour of the rival advocates. After Tuesday's proceedings at the Brewster Sessions, Mr. Richard Wat-kin* „ likely to be known as "my learned frieO At least it won t be Mr. Ley son's fault if isn't Mr. W. Howell, Llaneilv, said at Swaneea Brewster Sessions that be c0°jj prove tho, need for a beer licence in a ce part of ihe town up to the hilt. Of meant up to the bung. t'oaieoiie at the isrewster Sessions Tuesday afternoon remarked that if t.. Post would open a competition as to who the funny man of the Swansea 501ic1tOl Mr. Yincr Leeacr wouldn't have a chance • t Wliiic discussing a Cjuestion relating bottled beer at the Brewster Sessions, Blr. T. Leyson referred to Mr. Riehard W'atk'^ wl>o wft-? seated on b^s left as '• Lis ie!l friend," and exclaimed that he did so bec3|i Mr. Watkins was ,l very learned in tiJe:ll matters." Eh ? Councillor Yiner J eed"r, our ivittieit councillor, gave the jokcict, now expected of him, at Monday's meeting Watch Committee. The Post reporter was present li-is quite forgotten its purp0** but it took the shape of a retort to AIJerJJ1 Richards, and was much laughed at. Tne problem which is now agitating minds of Empire-ijoers is as to wiiether accent fahs on the Jirst or soconu the name ot their favourite comedia"- gentleman who applied to him for inio^°v tioe. was given the genial reply: '•'CoHt't. wh it you will, niy boy, eall it what you Mr. R. T. LeysoB was vanquished for when, on Tuesday, lie described ce, premises as containing a stibte i.ranego arrangement which goes upstairs.' Sai*!1 Magistrates' Clerk, laconically "A rancan arrangement would go (ton /tStai''s.. et'P "What a f- you foingtodo wit.h that which Worthington hont along for the fir gatia? asked someone of Cc scciHor ford. And the best-looking member ot Council unbl;ish:n;-Iv replied, "Play skittle, with part of it, and take Kichirdson 0 pleasure trip with the rest." Who's IilcillJt son ? '1'/ "The quality of" mercy is net strained fortunately 'or tho p«iice-eonstable came before the Watch C ommittee I Tuesday not for the first time. He n:rro'" escaped dismissal or enforced resig but thanks to the merciful spirit pervaa the assembly he was let otf with a fine. V hope it will be a warning to him, øttt A solictor at the Swansea Bro*gt'j Sessions remarke I. wh. i fexamining ft Iho Rh;ddings district, that come 0? details were fomicroscopie that it f cult to discover them without the •' glasses." Ti i-?. require1? explanation. f is a. "glass" that. leads a man to s e far mor than he desires. 11' Mr. R. T. Leyson is too generous. He fr marked at the court yesterday, while enSaf I in an argument with Mr. Richard W". that he liked to give the lat er "credit." New, seeing that Mr. W prevented some poor advocate from onTn!~ two guineas at the sessions, sh ruid not SO0* thing have been placed to his debit ? ..íØ Mr. Bertie Perkins, captain of the teV" section of the Swansea Football, Cricket, Tennis Club, looks forward w.th creat hOPi1) jjJ fulness totSic future of his favourite gan'8 Swansea. They have six courts going which mea s 24 players at one time. the popular interest 'in tennu is deepci"^ Mr. Ferkins does not censlder liiuipeb sanguine 111 an.icipating that by next ) they wiil haTe nillO courts in full swin", Two Swansea bors were recently wa!h, £ towards tha canal bnnk, when one of managed to fail in. Immediately ibro<" up his ai uis, he began crying, "1 am arc;I;S ing" I can't swim! I can't swim'7 con)p?»,nion on the bank took his pipe s'05* out of h:,3 mcuth and replied, "Weil, 1 0 SWill], either. But yon don't I-eitr tilee around blowing about it!' We don't 3ctoa»_ endorse this vain. It was to!d us by DlltC Daly. And on his head be it! 11 ¡JJ If the wansea representative of the bad i.e.oi a competitor for our io^al Jc prize he would have been a formidable petiUr, as the fotiowine- f lory his indicates:—A Swansea 30! W*1 used to tell tins story:—There is. or a bacon nd beans dinner given peri:'<JlC' to the "patienls.' Cm- day a prisoner, at f,azin.Pei)s;ve)N-on the moderate tllOvai)e of bacon compared with beans on his P shouted tp the wardc, "Hey! I v° bacon!" As the svr.rder turned the pr:s°" corrected himself hastily. "Ob, }es I pardon, it's .qot under ene of the be:'nsi ti\€* Among the shoal of piominent towns"1 who were present at the Swansea Bre**8 Sessions 011 Tucaday, only five wore lio" in their coat*. 'Ir. AN. -J. -"t-cs i'a show of white and purple bloom. :1'. „ Stone sported a deep red carnation, Mr. 1 Leader were a pale blush Carnation, Mr- W. Slate a big rod rose, and Mr. Herve" 'Monger—strange to reiate—had his b't hole adorned with what appeared to b0 faded mnrgueriia daisy. Charles Collette, the popular comedian, is now delighting our tow os 101k at 1,0 Empire, had been giving his entertainment^ Peterborough, and whilst waiting fc'' ma 1 train which was to convey hue to town, he bad ordered a Duck rabbit his supper at the little hotel adjoining theatre. On sittine down a Iiuge dish v'i cover like a diving-beii was placed be'l^e him. What on earth is this ?" cried astonished Ciaarle#. Please sir,' exela" the waiter, apologetically, '• misses trlC^bifc< over tiie town and couldn't get a buck r>> to she though yoa might be al?le lo do a jugged hare ———— bit The Rev. J. P. Davies whilst re" Dr paper on uTlie present position of Baptists of >Va!esin relation toother denl)tpiv nations" at the Conference at 1I,;ort)!.):, yesterday, hesitated to give his hearers "lJI benefit of some denominational statistics bt had compiled. Go on, go on," cried Rev. Gomor Lewis in stentorii.n Give them f.O that tho reporters ror.y them." The rev, speaker turned up00 intruder with a huge frown and tjreateu br. rst of laughter when he informed G° to that the statistics bad already beer' the reporters.