The South Wales Daily Post

NOTES AND COMMENTS. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1910. The Swansea Guardians, like other bodies in South Wales, have been discussing whe- ther the services of takers, drawn from the rfcnks of the unemployed, should not be Titilised when the census of 1911 is taken. By all means, if men, possessing the requisite qualifications, can be obtained from these sources let them be engaged. But pub- lie authorities should bear in mind, as the paramount consideration, the necessity for I engaging men who, aborve all things, possess keen intelligence, a good education, and are I thoroughly trustworthy and conscientious. Otherwise the value of this expensive and important enterprise will suffer materially. It is decidedly not a task to be regarded lightly, and it b doubtful whether in a dis- trict. like Swansea many of the unemployed locally will be discovered complying with the above conditions. In large areas, no doubt a considerable number of clerks and business men of the minor grade will be available for such duties The census oonkl be taken much more fre- quently thiui once in ten years, with great profit to the nation. The statistics it pro- video are of the very highest value to the legislator, who gropes to-day mostly in the dark, having a. very vague idea of the pre- ejFoc ext-ent to which certain evils exist. Ex- act information and illumination can onlv he obtained through the medium of some such agency as this decennial muster of the na- tion. The census schedules can be framed I to produce of the most valuable a.nd\ important information bearing upon a hun-, dred knotty points for one thing it wi !1 be possible to discover the real extent- of nnomp.'oyin^jit of all variefcice, casual or j permanent, a matter upon which there ie a.t.1 the present moment nothing but tho vaguest snrmiec and conjecture. !ansea will bene- fit in one direction from the new census by the publication of correct figures dealing with her birth and death rates. At present | these are grossly over-eshmated, as the Regifttrar-Generai'* caletxlafcion was ha?ed npon ar. nMiimed population of 94.000, j whareas ten to fifteen thousand more in- I habitants are pvtibably contained in the town than aro unbraced in the above estimate. Ac a conaeqnenee the town is i»rrsented as ¡! posserfing one of the highest death-rate* in the kingdom in spite of an exceptionally I salnbrixios position. The census will enablo us to cope with II the housing problem with some clear know- ledge of the approximate increase annually, and the consequent number of new dwellings whvh is necessitated in addition to buildings ♦ intended to replace condemned tenements. Once it 1;, clearly ascertained what number of houses is required, what number private enterprise is prepared to supply—in- formation upon this point being provided by the plans submitted to the Wonijs Com- mittee—and what is the true extent of tho deficiency,, the Corporation can proceod con- tidently with its j»cherces, with all the mat- erial ior calculating the precise effect its proposals w;li have in relieving the present congestion, and providing for future needs. And this*is but one of a hundred directions in which a ma.ss of reliable statistics will serve as a guide through the complexities of many thorny problems, cur treatment, of which to-dav is largely empirical m the lack of any plain knowledge of their magni- tude and truo character. t

,f>, Radnor has boon lost by the transference of fifty votes from Oonserva.tiviem to Liber- i alism. and in Pembroke a reduction of two hundred is the consolation of Mr. Lort Phillip6 for a strenuous campaign. The WVi.sh naval dockvard, onoe in the fbst rank of naval shipbuilding yards now fallen to a very secondary grade, remains the ex- ception to the general tendency of the great dockyard* to associate themselves with the party which has never permitted our naval supremacy to be otherwise than beyond challenge. Colonel Llewelyn will receive the sympathies of n hcst. of admirers upon Lis defeat in Radnor. His task has always been an extremely arduous one, and he has persevered gaJilantly over four campaigns in his fight for the Conservative principles. The margin in Radnor has aJways been of the narrowest; and the constituency has been one whore no help is afforded by the •vrarvo of emotion that in the more thickly populated industrial areas sweeps away majorities running into maaiy thousands, as has been done in the case of Cardiff. The population is almost stagnant; and there is as little alteration in the poli- tical convictions of ite units. It is a seat where .it is aimoet incumbent upon the candidate who dee ires to rest assured that he has exhausted every reasonable effort to secure success, to conduct a campaign of personal proeelytiijm. Wednesday and. Thursday, howevor, saw spfondid results won ftakr Conservatism as a whole, iwid at the close of the day the partv's majority over tdle Liberals had risen to over fifty. It is a crushing exposure of the moral rout which lias befallen the purely Liberal forces tihat their party, though it still retains the responsibilities of office, and presumes ailono to voioe the opinions of the people—as if the million odd voters who have recorded I their faith in Conservatism vare dr»cendant« I or defnemdnnts upon the Conservative aristo- cracy—that their party should have been so hop-ekfi-sly beatan so far as the elections have —1 » « i ■■ progressed. The barest of working majori- ties is only possible by an alliance with a group whose views are in some cases Repnb- lican and very little removed from anarchic. It is incomprehensible that stioh an al- liance is tolerated by moderate LiberaJs, who recognise that their Government stoops to win the support of mÐmhers who have been convicted again and again of frankest dis- loyalty and of artti-patriotic sentiments, which have outraged every Britisher worthy to be called such. Failing a revulsion of sejitirnent entailing the crushing of the Lib- erals, the country is condemned to every evil inherent in an impotent and checkmated Government, which is emtirely destitute of authority, to effect drastic steps. Such, no doubt, will, nevertheless, be attempted; but the Government's helplessness in the face of Irish hostility destroys all vestiges of the claim that a Liberal Ministry is acting in the name of the majority of Great Britain.

While the subjects of the Crown in South Africa are no doubt watching with interest the progress of the General Ejection in Britain, at the same time there is a subject which concerns them even more nearly, and that is, the possibility of welcoming King George and Queen Mary to their shores. As wo were reminded last week by the Mayor and Councillors of Potchefst/room, it was the intention of the late King that the then Prince and Princess of Wales should visit South Africa to perform the ceremony which has been undertaken by the Duke of Connaught, but among the inevitable re- sults of the death of King Edward was the abandonment of that plan. The Duke of Connaught has proved a most admirable sub- stitute, and there have been everywhere en- thusiastic demonstrations of his personal popularity, as well as of the gratification which is felt by his Majesty's subjects in that part of the world at the fact that the Duchess of Connaught and the Princess Patricia were able to accompany him. There can be no doubt that the visit of their Royal Highnesses has been of un- estimabls value in uniting the two races, who were, ten years ago, at war, and in stimulating them to strive together for the promotion of the common prosperity, but of all the apt and pleasing things that the Duke has said, none was so welcome as the suggestion which he was able to offer, that King George and his Consort might be able to visit South Africa. The date of the pro- jected visit was not indicated, and indeed it is probable that it is impossible to indi- cate it at the present moment, even ap- proximately, but there seems little room for doubt that the Jfing cherishes the hope of going to South Africa, as well as to India, and that it is the intention that Queen Marv sha.ll accompany him. The impres- sion that the King contemplates a visit to South Africa depends mainly upon the words "at present" in his Majesty's mes- sage. but it was confirmed by the remarks of the Duke of Connaught on subsequent occasions, and it is very evident that His lioyal Highness would not have ventured upon even the most cautious suggestion, un- less. he had some authority for so doing. We may therefore assume that unless some- thing very unexpected happens, the visit of the King and Queen will in due course become that which our French neighbours designate a fact," and we may be very sure that. it will be a groat day in South Africa when their Majesties arrive. The first visit of a British King to one of the great Dominions will be a memorable and historic occasion, but we are making history very rapidly in these days, a.nd a chapter will have to be reserved for a simi- lar visit to the Empire of India. Next to the Coronation in London, the Durbar at Delhi will be the most splendid ceremonial oi reoent years. and we may be oertain that many Britons from all parts of the world will gather in the Indian city on that occa- sion. The enterprise is so much of an in- novation that it must surely have originated in the mind of the King himself, and if that is so, it is evident that King George possesses a statesmanlike mind. which was onp of the most conspicuous attributes of his revered father. It may be that the sedition of which we hear, as prevalent in India, is not formidable, and it is certain that tho vast majority of the native popula- tion are entirely loyal, but the experience ot' the Mutiny forbids us to ignore the slightest indications of discontent. What- ever the tact may be, it is impossible to overestimate j he bcneticia! effect which the Royal visit will have in confirming and strengthening the loyalty of the natives, and in fostcrmg that peace and contentment which British stat-osmen have striven to pro- mote.

SWANSEA MAYOR'S POOR FUND £14() IX HAND FOR THE PHILAN- THROPIC WORK, A meeting in connection with the Mayor's (ouncillor David Matthews) Charitv Christ- mas Gifts to the Aged Poor and Necessity Sick Fund was held at the Guildhall, Swan- sea. on Thursday, the Mayor presiding. His Warship reported" that the total amount in hand, up-to-date, was £14D 6s. 6d.. which included £50 of the £ 1C0 which Sir Alfred Mond, M.P.. had subscribed to his general charity fund. The lady collectors reported the amount received by them in their respective wards. The Mayoress afterwards entertained the committee to tea, and was thanked, on tha motio nof Mrs. Phillips, seconded by Mrs. John Williams.

FORMER SWANSEA BOOKSELLER FOUND DEAD IN BED AT BRYN- HYFRYD. A former Swansea ,bookseller, who carried on business at the Alexandra Arcade, High- street, and by name WiUiam Henry Gould (46), 121. Eaton-road. Brynhyfryd, was found dead in bed on Thursday evening. He resided with Mr. Samuel Hanu, who, shortly after six, had occasion to go up to deceased's roum. and at that time found him ..Jive and well. About half-past seven, however, Mr. Hann again went upstairs and found Mr. Gould dead in bed. Dr. Hubert Thomas was at once sent for but could not certify the cause of death, so that, an inquest will have to be held. Two months ago deceased was treated at the hospital for a lung c-omplaint: one hftig was then "gone," and the other in a grave condition. A few vears ago deceased's wife was a.lpo found dead in bod at Alexandra-arcade. Deceased leaves a son and a daughter.

Soma workmen discussed fcha weather on Friday morning in a Merriston oaf, It- the Vv isat'ne:1-—dcfcei'v^l it all! The question of the hour is raally net who will win the eieetions, but whether the ali&g- etl shortage in turkeys will be thia Christmas, "To have won the capital of Wales is, in. d&ed. an achievement," the "Daily Chronicle." For once in a way we are in hearty agreement with the "Chroniale." About seventy-eight thousand nine hun- dred and thirty-two people rang ns up on the 'phor.e on Thursday for the Radnor re- sult, At least that's how it seemed this end I An applicant for relief from the Swansea Guardians on Thursday had been a lady s maid in the service of the iate Lady Hani- ilton, and was said to know the Continent thoroughly. The fishmongers' shops are a sure guide of the approach of Christmas. Every day now the huge stacks of pheasants, game, etc., seems to be getting larger, and, of course, higher. Mr. W. F. Phillips promised his heareira at Sketty that when he got into tthe House he would stand up in defence of the imperial heritage of Great Britain, to discredit the scaremonger, and not to believe that every German sausage contained a cartridge. Very, very funny! Away in Cardiganshire the New Quay football team is unique in one sense. Threfl nationalities are represented in the team, viz., Welsh. English, and Spanish. Another feature of the team is that it has been de- feated in all the matches it has played dur- ing the season. .1. The Llanellv law students played th. clerks of the South Wales Works on SaiOTV da.y. and won by 10 points to 3. We under* stand (says the "Llanelly Guardian") thai all the points scored by the embryo lawyers were obtained whilst the fifteen clerks were arguing points of play with fourteen of their opponents, who had instructed the fifteenth to do the scoring whilst they were doing the talking. The frequent appeal to momentous utter- ances by politicians reminds as of the Swan- sea street corner orator who exdhbsoed in impassioned tones: "What did Mr. Lloyd George say in 1898?" A corduroyed gentle* man of unsteady gait replied, "To the d with corned beef!" The reply was not marked by intelligence, but it, anffioed too extinguish the orator. A few weeks ago the milk vendors of Car-* marthen decided to raise the price of xofflc from 121 d. to 2d. per pint. A good deal of adverse feeding was aroused in ormserfnenca among consumers (says the "We^nnanr^), md one of the latter declared before a laigw a,nd sympathetic gathering of listeners on a sawdust floor that he would in future) tap nothing but "content milk." -I From the "Llarrelly GnarrHan" :—Sbmef Town Councillors are evidently anxious to let the officials know the pokey they intend to pursue before the meetings, as on Monday afternoon one of them took the trouble to inform an official that he intended to be present at the meeting that night, and pro- posed adopting "a fighting attitude." The meeting turned out a very tome one. The following question was levelled at th. Han. Walter M.P. for Brighton (and connected with the Dynevor family) just be- fore his election If you sweat the sweated that sweats the sweated, won't the sweate* that sweats the sweated sweat the sweated mofe?" The questioner sat down and dr&W a long breath. Mr. Rice looked worried, but he will no doubt- find consolation in hi* 4,000 majority. TEETOTAL PEOBLEML L'a.neliy's de^th-rato shows a riøe- A most unpleasant tale; The blame's upon (remark the wise) The local "Adam's ale r" If this be so teetotallers most Admit a queer defeat. When—worthy people—they cannot trust To take their water "neati" Interesting at Christmastide :—The "Live Stock Journal" with 1911 almanack, dealing with Welsh cattle, says: -"The ever-in- crensing popularity of Welsh cattle with graziers and butchers has brought the breed much more to the fore of recent years. G41 where one may through the Midlands, ami even through some of the southern and south-western counties of England, one en" counters the breed grazing in a variety of pastures, yet displaying the same admirable qualities under widely differing conditions." A writer in the current issue of "Cymru" re-calls the fact that at a time when hymn- books were scarce in Nonconformist places of worship in Wales it was the custom for the preachers to give out oraly such hymns aft were most familiar to the congregation, who sang words and music from memory. 'This does not quite oover the situation, however. In most country districts forty years ago an- other system was in vogue. The minister, yeThaps the only man who bad a hymn-book before him. would read out two lines of the hymn, which the congregation would then sing. Then the preacher would read the next two lines, and so on to the end. The result, as may be imagined, was no texactly pleasing, and the wonder is that the old precentors were able to retain their grasp of the tune throughout the long-drawn-out perr formance. Mr. T. P. O'Connor, writing in "T.P.'i Weekly" on "The Psychology of an Elec- tion," says "To the Parliamentary candi- date who goes through an election for the first time it is one of the most delightful and even intoxicating of experiences to the hardened and experienced electioneer it is one of the hardest and often most exasper- ating. The neophyte, accustomed to the obscurity of private life, taken by even his best friends at a moderate valuation, going to his business every morning and returning from it every evening, without attracting any particular notice. his name unknown outside his own family and his immediate circle of friends or asociates, suddenly node himself a public character. His name be- comes known to tens of thousands of people t he is at once raised above the ordinary masses of humanity." A stationmaster in charge of a mmiatui^ station on the old M. and M. Railway wheif the G.W.R. took over tha.t branch waf greatly disturbed by the innovations, oi lather, from his point of view, upheavals, which resti'it&d in the train arrangements. One day the hideous truth dawned upon him that passenger trains were actually running through his station without stopping. He realised this one day when a new G.W.R. express bound for Aberystwyth swept dis- dainfully past him while he held out as usual the train staff for the engino-driver. On that day nis little railway universe eamo toppling about his ears, and after some weeks of brooding his dismay and indigna- tion burst forth into a letter to his .supearin- • tendend protesting against certain trains I passing hi* station without stopping because |^iv made his legs cold.—("The Welshm*