The Cardiff Times

H B < I TRY IT

fc~- —- WORKMEN'S T0PJC8. Labour Exchanges and the Organ- isation of Boy Labour. By MABON, M.P. v" I have just discovered that in pursuance of the regulations made by the Board of Trade for Labour Exchanges rules have just been made with regard to the registration of juvenile supplicants in England and Wales after some consultation with the Board of Education. Juvenile applicants for employment will now be permitted, in lieu of attend- ing personally at a Labour Exchange, to register their applications at such tither places as may be recognised by the Board of Trade as suitable for the purpose. Special advisory committees for juvenile employment arc to be established in such areas as the Board"of Trade may think expedient. The duty of a special advisory conxoaitw will he to give advice with regard to the manage- ment of any of these Exchanges in its district. They may also take steps either by themselves .Or in co-operatien with other bodies to give information, advice, or assistance to parents fcnd their children in respect to the choice of Employment and other matters. This, to my mind, is the most promising development of the Labour Exchanges. As I pointed out in this column some months ftgo the army of casual labour is the inevit- able result Of boys who, immediately they leave school, take up some unskilled occupation, for which they become too old in a few years. That, said a friend of mine the other day, is the blind alley they go into. The object of these new regulations is to abolish this blind alley," if possible. As before pointed out, thousands of these boys and girls when they leave school take a light job for the sake of some four or five shillings a week. They become van boys or errand boys, and when they are too old for WorK of the kind they have to faJl back upon Something else. They as a rule become casual labourers and are out of work more or less ?vcry year of their lives. Then everybody will agree that if these new regulations find these boys and girls an opportunity of getting permanent work for which by a little training they may be adapted for life, a great blessing will have been gained. According to the idea of the Board of Trade jt is intended to go as far as to help these juveniles to find work that each is suitable and inclined for, and as far as possible to help them to get it. One of the recommendations of the Poor Law Commission was that there should be associ- ated with the Labour Exchanges appertaining to over elementary school an intelligence bureau which would advise parents and teachers as to the branches of employment likely to give the best openings for children leaving school. Although the Board of Trade has not gone quite as far as this, still one of the new regulations is a step in the same direc- tion, and this provides for the application of the regulations by any local Education Author- ity for higher education, which has or may Acquire statutory powers for the purpose of giving advice, information, or assistance to boys and girls with respect to the choice of tlnployment or other matters bearing thereon." More important, however, I consider the establishment of the advisory committees in 'elected areas, as they will give advice with tegard to the management of any Labour Ex- change in their district in relation to juvenile Applicants for employment. When we come to Consider that between 70 and 80 per cent, of Lboys enter unskilUgl occupations on leaving lchool, it will be seen that there is a vast field of work before the Labour Exchanges in the lew scheme. I Tariff Reform in America. Great changes are taking place in America. ^|x years ago, when I paid my first visit to the ^ri^pd States, the workers, and especially the Weigh workers, would not hear a word said Against the tariffs imposed by their Senators -n their various imports. It was then thought that those tariffs were going to make the United States an exclusive z,nd complete para- dise for all concerned. Trusts, great and small, );ere created. Three years afterwards the very lame workmen and their friends began to feel the pinch. The prices of food stuffs and wear- nig apparel and houses were so advanced that they ultimately found that the slight advances (11 %vc ges received by them did not cover the Advances made in their means of maintenance, loud they gradually found that at the end of the Soar they were not exactly as well off as they Were before the advance took place. Following ttpoji that the great Steel Trust, the real bvirney-s of South Illinois, gave notice to reduce wages of their workmen, and notwith- standing a six months' strike a reduction of J'bout. 25 per cent., generally speaking, took Place. Other trusts followed suit, and at the "nplate works of Newcastle and district, a •apgo body of elsh workers are the heroes at he strife at the present moment, in a struggle which "hows no sjgns of being settled. The cry of the Tariff Reformer is still heard the United States, that used to be considered the Protectionists' paradise, almost as loudly as ever; but it has a very different meaning from what. it nsed to have. What it jiieans at present the people are demanding the removal >J those protective duties which so-called < ri Reformers in this country seek to im- i £ °se. The Republicans, who accept Mr *»oosevelt's promises of reform in good faith, 5tit whose endeavours were thwarted by Mr ^peaker Cannon, even are becoming angry with Resident Taftbecau.se he has not kept his Pledge to revise the tariff. Strange enough, the; ^5 for the new reform comes from the West. pamphlet which has been very widely cir- culated in the Western States declares that West sees no reason why many millions Hs working people should shiver in shoddy ^pollen goods sold at exorbitant prices so ^at the over-protected woollen and various Men companies should pay dividends ranging from 25 io 50 per cent. I Let the workmen of Great Britain well con- eider these sorrowful facts. Shoddy woollen oods in the West and endless strife to main- in wages to give the families of the workers l lair and decent existence in the East I j "^hen the Tariff Reform missionaries f round, as they soon will, to | and convert them to the need of Tariff f CPiorm' *et the workers, especially the Welsh t workers, ask them why the workers of America i ou^ *or kind of reform in the tariffs i Jhat will be the means of cutting down pro- t. "Active duties. (Insurance Against Unemployment Several Tory journals ace now refuted to be J^ging their party to steal the Liberal social Programme. A short time ago they denounced < jibe Liberals as Socialists, and are now clever I t^ygh to want to steal the Liberals' alleged *U°cialistic programme just-as they said old age ISM Pensions were terribly demoralising, and now Pretend that they are most anxious to extend But the best joke of all, I think, is the m^ftaess which some of the leading Tory journals T £ 7 on insurance against unemployment, for /"Wants but a moment's-thinking to see the Hypocrisy of the pretence. For what is the use jt insuring against unemployment if '• Tariff poform means work for all," as some of their g*ders say it does ? From their own mouths 5"*ese people are convicted either of folly or ud. But the Liberal Government, which not try to deceive the workers with any **lse promises ini^i the belief that there is any complete cure for unemployment, has (1) its Development Act carried a measure *«ich ought eventually to do a great deal to **jeviate unemployment; and (2) has announced large insurance scheme for those trades in *hich for various reasons unemployment is ko.t frequent.

CUPBOARD AS PRISON. fltemarkable Story from Rome. Rome, Wednesday.—The (arrest has just £ en effected at Naples of Guiscppe Caputo, Jfho was formerly a director of several institu- tions in that city, and who disappeared two It-arLc; ago, when his apprehension was ordered Icir the allpged embezzlement, of £ 3,000. j Although the police scoured the whole of ftaly and notified the authorities abroad, no ^ace could be found at the time of Caputo. It transpires that during all this time Captlto ill a cupboard hollowed ?Ut of the wall of his house, his mother and k heing the only persons cognisant of his whereabouts. ..During the t,ime that he remained shut up is two children died, his old mother was hicken with paralysis, and one day even the mPoin in which li-s cupbonrd was Situated took It-e. and he was in danger of being roasted Jv Iiv('. ¡ imprisonment, and took a of his self-imposed L 1. At length Caputo tired walk self-imposed re Was recognised by 1 former friend, by whom e Was denounced.—Central News.

f\<,tj, c ri. PN'TP()ol,a and bone rvt the local eourfc fined 10s for (iri-.jvU; disorderly, and 40s for assault- *8MP.a. fiiiftan.

Chinese Invasion of Tibet FLIGHT OF THE LAMA. Looting of Monasteries. WELL-DRILLED ARMY AT WORK. Reports came from well-informed sources of an invasion of Tibet by Chinese troops. The latter were known to have been ad- vancing on Lhasa for some time. They have been specially drilled by Japanese trained officers, and are well equipped with modern weapons, including wireless telegraphic appa- ratus. The Dalai Lama, with a number of his Ministers, is reported to have fled to India with the object of seeking protection in British ter- ritory. The entry of the Chinese is reported to have been made from the east, and they are said to have subdued Eastern Tibet, meeting with little opposition. A Central News message says the Chinese force consists entirely of Anti-Buddhist troops, and is hurrying through the country, looting all the monasteries on its march. The situation is admirably described in an interview Reuter's Agency has had with a gentleman who reached England a few days ago, after. threG months' continuous travelling in Eastern Tibet, where for 15 years he has been carrying on work which involved much travelling among the semi-independent and wild tribes of that region.

OHINESE AMBUSHED. Just before I left," he said, reports came in of severe Chinese reverses, in which the commander-in-chief himself narrowly escaped capture. The frontier tribesmen between Dirge and Batang ambushed a force of Chinese who lost some 400 men and a number of guns. These reportsonly stirred up the Chinese to greater activity. Recruiting was in progress all over Szechuan, and all the four drili grounds of Chen Tu were daily occupied with troops, drilling. So far as it was possible to ascertain the Chinese advance into Tibet bad not, when I left, gone further towards Lhasa than Chiamdo. Enormous quantities of cartridges and machine guns were being despatched across the frontier. At least 200 ytountain guns of Japanese pattern have been sent into Tibet, and on the day I left 14 of these passed tny house bound for the west. Some time ago I counted a caravan wit h 150 loads of silver for payment of troops. Feverish activity pre- vails at the two arsenals at Chen Tu, where 7,000 men are working night and day. All the machinery in the new arsenal is German, and together with the plant at the new powder fac- tory was only lately completed under German supervision. Desecration of Monasteries. Unfortunately thereis no doubt the Chinese soldiery do not pay much regard to the re- ligious susceptibilities of Tibetans and that the charges of the desecration of monasteries are well founded. The Chinese are doing their best to reduce the number of Lamas, their policy being not to allow more than 100 to a monastery, whereas at present there are often as many as 5,000. The remainder they are inducing to get married and go on the land. The Chinese are also holding out every inducement for Chinese emi- grants to go into the newly opened part of Tibet. They are offering grants of land, and are also advancing money for outfit, seeds, &c., for fhe years without interest. There is a very general feeling that this movement may have a far-reaching effect, apart altogether from Tibetan affaire. The large majority of trained troops who are now being employed are strongly tnti-Dynastic, and chafe under the antiquated methods of Pekin. Well armed, organised,and flushed with victory, the attitude they may take up may have a good deal of influence on the position in China. The Lama's Flight. News of the Dalai Lama's flight from Lhasa is not a surprise to me," he continued. I have reason to know it was not the inten- tion of the Chinese Government, to allow him to be reinstated fully, at any rate so far as his civil power was concerned. It was well known that the Chinese tried to stop the Dalai Lama on his late journey through China back to Lhasa, but he managed to get through as a result of travelling by a more northerly route. The Chinese are pursuing an extremely active and aggressive policy with regard to Tibet," he proceeded-" a result of the British mission to Lhasa and of tile necessity thereby imposed upon China of establishing more effective control over the land of the Lamas. During the past two years the situation has become completely changed, and China is. now actively engaged in replacing the old hereditary border chiefs and representative ,men along the frontier by Chinese officials. One Tibetan frontier region is already being transformed into a Chinese province, of which Batung has now been made the capital. China's aim was graduaHy to push troops into Lhasa. Army of 25,000. When I left," continued the informant, Chinese soldiers had got as far as Chiamdo, v nine days within Tibet, proper. From that point Lhasa would be reached in six weeks. The plan was to send up 25,000 troops, all from Szechuan, the best-organised military province in Western China, and of these at. least 15,000 had left Chen Tu, the capital of Szechuan. All these men have been trained on Japanese lines by Chinese padets who themselves have passed through a military acadany with its Japanese instructors. When I left in November the num- ber I have named were stationed along the Tibetan frontier in order to occupy the terri- tory taken over by China. It is a daily occurrence for caravans to be despatched from various centres in Szechuan towards Tibet. These caravans average 400 coolies with loads, and perhaps 200 mules carrying arms, ammunition, and military sup- plies along the main road into Tibet- Equipped With Wireless Telegraphy. The army is taking up with it wireless telegraphic apparatus, and is completing this installation as it advances into Tibet. The existing telegraph is always being cut by the Tibetans, and has to be guarded by Chinese soldiers every two and a half miles. The Chinese army on the frontier is meeting with great opposition and encountering enormous difficulties. Much suffering is occasioned by the extreme cold and lack of supplies and 1 clothing." Policy of Indian Govemment. The Central News learns officially that while no confirmation has been received at the India Office of the news that Chinese troops have occupied Lhasa, advices have come to band showing that the Dalai Lama is on his way to British territory. With regard to the Viceroy's attitude as to intervention or its refusal, the Central News is informed that, as a matter of courtesy too the Government, the policy of the Indian Govern- ment will first be expounded in the House of Commons. A Calcutta message states th&t the Viceroy is understood to have refused to intervene on the appeal of the Dalai Lama. British Troops in Tibet. The only British troops in Tibet are those at Gyftngtse," where the trade agent has a guard of 80 company of the 210th Rajputana Infantry, under the command of a British officer. In well-informed quarters it is believed that effective occupation and administration of Tibet by China will not affect tfoe xnilitary situation in India. Oy the Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907, both Powers recognised the suzerain rights of China in Tibet, agreed to maintain its terri- torial integrity, to refrain from intervention in its internal administration, to treat with Tibet only through the Chinese Government, not to seifcd representatives to Lhasa, not to assign any territory to either Power, and not to Obtain railway, mining, or other concessions but direct relations between British commercial agents and Tibetan authorities under thecon-; ventions of 1904 and 1906 were permitted.

REVOLUTIONARY SIGNS. German Arms for Portugal. Lisbon (via Badajoz). We,lncsday.-A sensa- tion was caused in Government circles to-day by the fact that the Minister for Foreigh Affairs received telegraphic intimation from a Portu- guese diplomat abroarl to the effect that a large shipment of contraband arms and anunu- nition is on its way from Germany to Portugal. Orders have been issued for the cargoes of all G&rman boats to be carefully examined, and the coast is being patrolled by troops. Many arrests of members of rovoititionary societies are being made daily.-Central News.

NICARAGUAN CONFLICT. Severe Losses. New York. Wednesday. According to a. tele- gram from Manazua the Nicaraguan Minister of War announces that the Government forces, commanded by Generals Rivas and Lora, have compelled the insurgents under General Chamono to withdraw after seven hours' fighting at Tisina. The losses on both sides weT" RPvere.-R"llt,pr.

WELSH COUNTRY HOMES. XIX-Dynevor Castle. AN ANCIENT ROYAL PALACE ASSOCIATIONS OF HOWELL DDA. Practical Joke on a King's Envoy. Though in the beautiful Vale of Towy thsre are many ancient homes, there is but one Dy- nevor. In all South Wales there is no place around which so many historical associations crowd. For five centuries—centuries of tur- bulance and war-Dynevor, then a royal palace, was the centre, political and military, of South Wales. Its history covers a far longer period than thife, for it is more than a thousand years ago that Roderick Mawr, the king of all Wales, first founded a fortress there. But quite apart from its historical interests is to be noted the fact that it is situated in one ofthe most beautiful spots in South Wales. In a previous article upon Golden Grove we made reference to the magnificence of scenery of this portion of the Valley of the Towy. John Dyer, the 18th century poet, who was born hard by, makes a reference in Grongar Hill which may be regarded as a description of the heights where stands the old castle of Dynevor Deep are his feet in Towy's flood, His sides arc clothed with waving wood, And ancient towers crown his brow That cast an awful look below Whose rugged wall the ivy creeps, And with her arms from falling keeps Yet time has been, that lifts the low, And level lays the lofty brow Has seen the broken pile complete, Big with the vanity of state. But transient is the smile of fate A Itttle rule, a little sway, A sunbeam on a winter's day, Is all the proud and mighty have Between the cradle and the grave. The steep and wooded hill, which is the site of this ancient, stronghold, rises several hun- dred feet above the Towy on its northern side, and is but a mile or so to the westward of the town of Llandilo. If you stand upon the stately bridge which carries the main road to Carmarthen across the Towy at this place, and look westward, you gaze upon a prospect that is unequalled in South Wales. Below you the Towy follows its sinuous career towards the ancient town of Merlin, while to the right hand rises Dynevor Park, a domain whose ex- tent, situation, and wooded magnificence 1 create in the mind of the visitor no surprise that in days past kings made it their dwelling place and took pride to call it home. four Residences in Ten Centuries. In the course of ten centuries four or five residences have been built there. Whether it was originally the site of an ancient British camp it is hard to say, probably it was, for the situation from a defensive standpoint is ideal. It is pretty certain, however, that Roderick Mawr. the king of all Wales, who is reputed to have died in 876, built a fortress there. In those days stone buildings were al- most unknown in Great Britain, for it was the Norman who taught this method of con- struction to the Welsh. In Roderick's dAY therefore, one can imagine something in the nature of earth works, crowned by wattle erections. When the Normans came they captured Dynevor. and, recognising its merits as a place of defence, they began the erection of solid masonry. Half a century later Gruffyd ab Tewdwr regained possession of it, and his sons, Rhys ab Tewdwr. and Meredith, who, like the other Welshmen of their age speedily acquired from the invader the art of building in stone, practicallv rebuiit in in 1150. This may be re- garded as the third building upon the site. This fortress was inherited for about 500 years and appears to have been partially inhabited until 1760. It is the mouldering remains of this stronghold which to-day crowns the wooded rampart, which rises so majestically above the Towy. The date of the erection of the present home of Lord Dynevor is unknown, but it was extensively altered and partially rebuilt be- tween 1856 or 1859. We are indebted to the courtesy of the Hon. Gwenllian Rice for interesting information, on this point, for in reply to a question Miss Rice says the date of the building of the present castle is quite unknown. The family were living in the present castle long before 1760. There is an idea that it was built about Charles 1. reign, and that when Cromwell came to attack the castle every one moved into the old one, and that after Cromwell bad taken this they went down to the new house again. But there are no records verifying this." The present castle is about half a mile away from the site of the old one, and immediately to the north of it. Of this more will be T ven- tioned anon, our only object in referring to it now being to indicate the continuity of the residences in which the lords of the estate have dwelt during the past ten centuries. Tempera Mutantur! What mighty changes a thousand years brings To reflect upon the past of Dynevor Castle, and to follow out its chequered career from the past to the present is a task which prompts sadness. A thousand years ago it was the homes of kings. Then in the process of years princes inhabited it, and then the rank of its possessors become no better than lords, and in the time of the First Edward of England the line of Roderick Mawr, by the execution of Rhys Meredith and Maelgwyn Vychan, practi- cally terminated. Then there came into pos- [ session another ancient family descended from Urien Reged, in whoae hands the estate has I remained ever since. Three Famous Men. So many great men have been connected in days pact with Dynevor that it is difficult in an article, so circumscribed as this is by the exigencies of space, to decide who shall re- ceive mention. There are, however, two or three of whom something must be said. There was no more charming scene at the Welsh National pageantlast summer than that which was laid in the Vale of Towy, when the rustics of the tenth centory were seen engaged in their country game. These, it may be re- membered were rudely interrupted by the en- try of a band of ruffians, who seized the come- liett maidens, and were about to bear them away when the king and his retinue appealed. This was the great Welsh law-giver, who reigned then at Dynevor-Howel Ddu, the grandson of Roderick Mawr, Howel the Good, reigned over the old reaJm of South Wales, and RUINS OF THE OLD NO RMAN FORTRESS. (Photo, by D. C. Harries, Llandilo.) he became lord over the princes of North Wales also. His reign was a time of peace, and he characterised it further by somoning to Ty Gwyn, on the White House, at Whitland, the wisest men from every part of Wales. With the assistance of these he drew up his famous code of laws which reinained in force for cen- turies, and which had won high praise from the greatest legal experts of modern times as the most regular of any ancient code known. Griffith The Crafty. Five hundred years later one of the great men who helped to form the ancestral chain which connects Urien Regcn with the present Lord Dynevor was Griffith ap Nicholas, who. in the quaint phraseology of that day, was full of welth, an estate of seaven hundred a year, seaven strong castles and seaven houses." Since Howel's day many changes bad come, for the Norman had appeared and their inroads upon the independence of the kingdom of South Wales had been followed by the tyranny of Edward the Plantagenet. Griffith was in 1440 the most potent power in Ystrad Towy He was none too scrupulous in his methods, and news of his high-handed con- duct reached King Henry VI. By common consent Griffith was of a fierce and cholerick I THE OLD CASTLE IN 1740. spiritt, one whose counsels were all in tur- bido, and therefore naturalise composed and framed for the times." What made him more dangerous was the fact that he was verie a. wise and infinitelie subtile and crafty and am- bitious beyond measure." King Henry sent Lord Whitney to Carmarthenshire to look into the matter, and Griffith ap Nicholas, who dearly loved a practical joke, received Lord Whitney in the most humble style at the top of the Vale of Towy, and thence conducted him with much condescension via Abermarlais and Dynevor and Abergwili to Carmú-then, by which time Lord Whitney, who had had orders to arrest the turbulent, terror of Yatrad Towy, found himself surrounded by a mighty host of sup- porters of Griffith. The King's emissary was entertained in great state at Carmarthen. Lord Whitney drank wine till he fell under the table, and while he was in this state the crafty Griffith stole the Royal Warrant, and when next day Lord Whitney formally arrseted Griffith, the latter with great indignation de- manded to see the King's warrant. As Lord. Whitney fumbled in his sleeve for his authority the Eagle of Carmarthen, the brooden over a hundren eyries," denounced him asanimposter and urged that he should at once be strung up upon the town wall! The crafty Celt had triumphed. It was now Lord Whitoey who whined for mercy and Griffith promised him a safe passage home on the condition that he should report to the English King exonerat- ing him from all the charges levelled against him. Lord Whitney was glad enough to drive the bargain, and Griffith lived unmolested until death on the battlefield of Mortimers Cross terminated his strenuous but picturesque career. > DYNEVOR CASTLE. (Photo, by D. C, Harries, Llandilo.) Sir Rhys at Bosworth Field. Another of the great ancestors of "the Dyne- vor family was the Sir Rhys ap Thomas the grandson of Griffith ap Nicholas, who, during the reign of the Hunchback Richard, occupied an influential position in South Wales. Richard III. grew suspicious, and demanded the son of Rhys as a hostage, but the latter indignantly protested and roundly declared that any enemies of his Majesty who dared to land in Wales would only make their entrance and interruption over my bellie." It was not long after this, however, that Sir Rhys* started plotting with the Earl of Richmond. The sequel was on Bosworth Field where, so the story goes, it was Rhys himself who gave the last of the House of York his death blow. Rhys, who played such a notable part in that great and epoch marking conflict, was knighted by the grateful Richmond on the field of battle, and the new king henceforth regarded the Ystrad Towy chieftain as the maker df his fortunes." Rhys became the greatest man of his generation in Wales, and it is said that he became the possessor of two scoce castles and that when he sounded the call to arms two thousand men sprang to his banner. To-day Lord Dynevor's fine residence eontams notable relics of the great Sir Rhya ap Thomas in the shape of two fine old. Tudor chairs which bear his arms The Ravens of Rhys," which still find a place upon the coat of Lord of Dynevor. A sketch of one of these famous old chairs we reproduce. Dynevor in the 18th Century. We have said earlier in this article that the old castle which Rhys and Meredith ap Griffith had rebuilt in 1140 was partially in- vbabited until the year 1760. There can, how- ever, be no doubt that by this time it. was in a very ruinous condition. As indications of us what it was like in tHe middle ofthe- Igth century we reproduce a picture of it, drawn by Buck in 1740. A glance at this shows that its outer walls were even then ruinous, for the only sign of roofing appears to be upon the big tower, and the style of this roof is rather suggestive of the fact that it was the result of restoration work in Tudor times. Malkin writing in 1807 remarks, the ruins of the very ancient castle and palace still remain rising out of the dark wood, which harmonises with the gloomy grandeur of the dilapidated towers. I. The room in one of the towers was used for country parties till within this few years, when the interior was destroyed by fire." The Present Mansion. The modern mansion, which stands higher up in the park than the old castle, is a sub- stantia llv built quadrangular edifice with angle turrets. It was considerably altered and added to about half a century ago by Colonel Rice Trevor, the fourth Baron Dynevor.who, among other features, added the portico on the eastern side and the conservatory at its western end. The enclosed terraces with fountains, and the summer-houses are an even more recent addi- tion. The house occupies a charming situa- tion amidst undulating greensward in which noble forest trees are magnificently grouped. The Interior. Within, tfic house is well arranged and roomv, and the decorations arc well worthy of such a noble bafonial seat. The finely proportioned dining-room on the northern side of the porch possesses associations with George IV. who on the occasion of a fleeting visit to Wales t was entertained there. Among the fine pictures which grace the walls of this apartment is one by Sir Godfrey Kneller, of William Talbot, Bishop of Oxford, Salis- bury and Durham, in the middle of the Igth century. The entrance hall and staircase ris- ing therefrom are both well designed, and in this respect arc thoroughly in harmony with the rest of the interior. Facing the grand staircase is another good portrait by Kneller, depicting an Earl of Shewsburv who was born in the year of the restoration and died in 1717. In the corridor arc to be noted a coaple of fine old spinnets, dated 1772 and 1792, and near them is a quaint old harpsicord made in the year 18QO. The old Tudor chairs referred to previously are not the only relics which re- main of the great Sir Rhys ap Thomas which are treasured at Dynevor, for there are also preserved the very stirrups which Sir Rhys used at the Battle of Bosworth, the sword- cuts on which are indicative, if further proof were needed, of the valiant part whichfheplayed in that great and concludink conflict of the Wat-s of the Roses. From most of the windows in the mansion glorious views across the park are obtainable. The Famous Breed of Cattle. Beneath the spreading trees in the pArk fine herds of cattle graze, and concerning these there is a tale to tell. A family Jegend relates that it was their ancestor Urien who, fourteen centuries ago, drove the Irish invaders out of Wales, and that the vanquished Irish King paid as tribute two score white cattle to his conqueror. The peculiarities of this breed have been carefully perpetuated, and it is said that the present herd are in direct descent from those originally paid to Urien. Whatever the truth may be it is a pretty story. These beauti- ful cattle are white, with black ears and horns, black muzzles, black knee patches, and with black tips to their toils. The present Lord Dynevor, who is the sixth baron, maintains in every way the reputation of his ancient race for kindliness and hospi- tality. He and his family are quite devoted to their beautiful old Carmarthenshire home, and live a quiet, useful, unostentatious life, not the least charming charaocteristic of which is the kindly and personal interest, which they take, not merely in the tenantry on their ancient estate, but in a far wider circle of friends in West Wales, by whom as by their tenantry they are held in high regard and estem. Previous Articles in the Series. The previous articles that have appeared in this series are as follow Tredegar House, Oct. 23 and 30; St. Donat's Castle. Nov. 9 and 13 Ruprrra Castle. Nov. 20 Golden Grove, Nov. 27 Llantamam Abbey, Dec. 4 Stacpole Court, Dec. 11 Margam, Dec. 18 and 25; St. Fagan's castle, Jan. 1 and 8 Picton Castle, Jan. 15 and 22 Cefn Mably, Jan. 29 and Feb. 5; The Van, Feb. 12 Grecnmeadow, Feb. 19. Next woek—St..Tnlians.

I Disaster Near Glasgow. WARMING AN EXPLOSIVE. Houses Wrecked Many Persons Killed and I nj u red. There was a terrible explosion at Glenboig, near Glasgow, on Wednesday night, which wrecked three houses, and caused the death of three persons, and shocking injuries to several others. The explosion occurred in a dwelling-hoose in what is known as Colliers-row. All the victims are Poles. It is alleged that a miner named Viscus Pottrio placed 51b. of a patent explosive on the hob of the grate to heat it before going to work on the night shift at a clay pit, and thus caused the explosion. The house was completely wrecked, as well as two houses immediately adjoining. Singu- larly enough Pottrio escaped with but slight .injury, but a man, a woman, and boy were killed. The man killed was a lodger, and the woman h only arrived that morning to nurse th, ,andladv, Mrs Vilkiatus. or Wolffe, who hia been confined a few hours previousm. The infant escaped injury, but the mother, husband, and two-year-old son were injured, and conveyed to Glasgow Infirmary. The boy's eyesight was destroyed, and his condi- tion is critical. The bodies of the killed were shockingly mutilated, the man's head being blown com- pletely off. The roofs were lifted off all three houses. Viscus Pottrio was a lodger in the house of Vilkiatus. A later message gives the full names of the three persons killed as: Viscus Vilkiatus, a boy aged Antonia Svdye, aged 28, the nurse of Wolffe's wife. Cayennis Wooydonis, aged 23, another lodger with Vilkiatus. Five of the injured are suffering from burns and bruises caused by the falling debris.

ALFONSO'S 81 D JEN RETURN. Speculations in Madrid. Madrid, Wednesday.—King Alfonso, accom- panied by the Infant Carlos and Princess Louise, arrived here from Seville this morning. It bad been arranged that the King should come to Madrid on Friday or Saturday to re- ceive the Brigade of Cavalry from Melilla, and his Majesty's unexpected return this morning, which it appears was decided upon yesterday afternoon, has given rise to much speculation, in view of the fact that Senor Canalejas, the Premier, was in Seville on Monday, and dis- cussed current affairs with the King, who at the time expressed no desire to come back to Madrid earlier than the date fixed for the military cereAnony.-ReutA,.r..

MORE FLOOD HAVOC. Madrid, Wednesday.—Severe rain caused a number of rivers to overflow. The villages of Reda, Jubia. and Belelbe are practically sub- merged. Some of the inhabitants have taken refuge on the roofs of their houses. At Belelbe several houses have been carried away, the occupants escaping by swimming and clinging to floating wreckage. Immense damage has been caused throughout Galacia.

MARSEILLES DOCK FIRE. Paris, Wednesday.—A message from Mar- seilles states that a serious fire broke out at the docks there this morning. The shipping in the port has suffered some damage. -Central News. Inquiries at the Docks, Cardiff, yester- day afternoon failed to disclose that any locally-owned boats are at the French port at the present time.

ELEKTRA." Dr. Richard Strauss's Elektra proves to be one of the most wonderful operas ever seen ou the stage. The story is that of Elektra's vengeance on the murderer of her father, which is ultimately carried out by her brother Orestes, who had been banished by Klyte- mnestra, his mother, and is reported dead. Orestes finally kills bis mother with the very axe with which JEgisthus murdered Aga- memnon, while Elektra dances a wild dance of triumph and falls dead ait the end. Its per- formance at Covent Garden was graced by the presence of the King and Queen, who occupied the Royal box with Prince and Princess Henry of Prussia. The opera is in one act, with no interval, and lasted about an hour and three quarters. The triumph of "Elektra." was ■ Dr. Richard Strauss. complete. From the moment when Elektra rushes on the stage, to the frenzied ecstacy of her death-dance, the drama gripped the audience as in a vice. Then followed a scene of such enthusiasm as the walls ot Covent Garden have rarely witnessed. Mr Beecham gave a wonderfully vivid reading of Strauss's astounding score, while Mme. Edyth Walker's Elektra was a great achievement. She sang tbe exacting 'music with untiring ardour.

PARISIAN EDITOR SENTENCED. Paris, Wednesday.—M. G-ustave Herve. the anti-Militarist, and editor of the newspaper, La Guerre SociaJe," was sentenced to-day at the Assize Court to four years' impriponment and a fine of 1,000 francs on the charge of de- fending a crime on the day of the funeral of the policeman Doray, who was murdered by the apache Iiabeuf under revolting circumstances. —Central News.

THE EGYPTIAN ASSASSINATION. Sir Boutros Ghaly Pasha, the Egyptian Prime Minister, who was fatally shot by a student near the Ministry in Cairo, was a man of marked ability. It 1894 he first became pro- minent. Riaz Pasha sncceeded as Premier in that year, and gave a Cabinet appointment to Boutros Pasha. The Earl of Cromer, in his Modem Egypt," refers to the great credit to himself with which Boutros Pasha had for I Sir Boutros Ghaly Pasha. I a long time filled the office of Minister of Foreign Affairs." Sir Boutros Ghaly Pasha was appointed Premier in 1908. and retained at the same time the. office of Foreign Minister. The late Premier is known to have received many &nonymous threatening letters, but re- fused to take any measures of precaution. The assassin, Ibrahim Wardany, is a Mohammedan mid a Nationalist-

MEN'S LEADERS GO TO GAOL. Sydney, Wednesday.—Fifteen lodge officials and delegates, who in December last were fined 1100 each, or two months' hard labour in de- 0 fault, for offences against the Industrial Disputes Act in connection with the coal strike, have gone to prison, the money not having been paid.-Reuter.

EARTHQUAKE SHOCK. Philippapolis, Wednesday.—A sharp jTiot k. of I earthquake was felt here at 9.50 this morning, •f-rn-ronin? li a northerly f?irect,inri.—Bo'iter.

WELSH GLEANINGS. News and Views in Lighter Vein. It is said that there are 800,000 acres of waste land in the six counties of South Wales. Wfft i'r grefh, ac ati etto is a Glamor- ganshire saying when a person returns to work UIDW-illingly. There has just been added to the current account^ of blie CarmarUitsashiro lnririnaiy a sum of £9ù, tne not proceeds 01 a whist drive and conversazione ently held at Carmar- then. The death took place at Liverpool this week in her ninety-first year of Mr Arabella Back- well, the mother of Mr Henry alackweil, the well-known Welsh-American Dookseiier, and one oi the largest Welsh book collectors in the world. Sir Lewis Morris's essay, In the CoDfes- sional," is interesting in that it contains personal reminiscences ot the late Lord Tennyson and other well-known writers, as well as some details of the author's own liter- ary career. Portraits of the late Mr John Ra.ndell, the father of Mr David Kandell, solicitor, and of the late Mr Wniiam Cnambers, the first chair- man of the Llanelly Board of Guardians, will shortly adorn the walls of the Llanelly Free Library. Miss Stepney is becoming more and moftt interested in Welsh lite. The other evening she spoke at the Carmarthenshire dinner in ix>n- don, and now she 16 announced to fireside a6 an eisteddfod in Burry Port. Houses and furniture can be had cheaply at times. At a sale of property recently held in the Potteries a house was sold for 1, and a house with its furniture at Tredegar was di8- posed of for £3 8s lid. Joseph's Saw MiUs, Carmarthen, which wea. destroyed by tire last September, are being ra* built. The engine-house has already beeat roofed. When the renovation has been conf pleted a large number of nands will be eap- gaged. This is good news for Carmarthen. His brother officers of the defunct Carmar- then Artillery have presented to lieutenant W. Poison, who was lor years engaged at the War Oliice, with a massive silver doubler ink- stand and pen tray, "as a mark of apprecia- tion 01 the services he rendered to the old regiment." A man charged at Merthyr with begging warn asked by the Stipendiary ksir MarcHant Wil- liams) what his trade was. I am a tailor, said the man. 011," retorted the Stipeo- diary 1 see you are a tailor by trade and ft beggar by profession." A writer in a Welsh paper makes the start- ling announcement that the Tanffisto carry out an effective campaign by dressing gentlemen* servants in i-fts and sending them out totn^ villages as hawkers, with the story that iyfot Trade has ruined their livelihood. The three Welsh poets who flourished at th» time of the Wars of the Roses were Bede Brwynllys, Dafydd ap Edmwnt, and Lewir Glyn Cothi and the three were connected, with the counties of Carmarthen and BBedD" nock. The Right Hon. W. Runciman, -My-, tbm Edncation Minister of the Government, has been appointed by the British Conference oi the Wesleyan Methodists to represent that conference at the Welsh Wesleyan Methodisl Provincial Cymanfa to be held at Denbigh next June. Mr John Hodge, M.P., writing in tba monthly journal of the British Steel Smelters, says with regard to Alderman John Jenkins, of Cardiff, and the General Election I do not know of anyone who took more time 01 trouble to seek redress for grievances of dock- yard workers than Mr J enkms did. The resuU, of his exertions was defeat." After all, the inhabitants of any street. aft not the custodians of street nomenclature in anv city or town. The public authorities arc responsible for the historic appropriateness of the names of public places, and the Cardill City Council have meddled enough in such matters. May they abstain from interfering again lightly with the historical names that remain A quiet-looking young man was walking pensively along Queen-street,Cardiff, on Satur- day. Two young ladies saw him pass. There goes a man," said one, who devotes his life to the uplifting of fallen humanity." Dear me, how noble of him! observed her companion. Who is he 1" Oh, he is the allendaut, at the skating rink," was the reply. At the Edinburgh I.L.P. conference Mr KeiJ Hardie led the Welsh delegates in singing Hen Wlad fy Nhadau." The member fot Merthyr sang the verses in excellent Welsh, the delegates joining lustily in the chorua. Most of the delegates rejoiced in such namea as Stibbs, Hawcroft, Schofield, Doell, Steven- son, etc., and one of them relates how, whoa the delegates resumed their seats, a Scotch^ man remarked, By Jove, you Wdshmw can sing." Colonel C. H. Darbishire, who sustained a 3erious accident at his granite quarry last week, is one of the most popular figures m North Wales. One of his chief charactenroca is his wit. Some years ago he facetioarty claimed to be a benefactor to the country* Because," he said, I spend my time in m- ducing men to mend their ways. The chiid output of his quarries is road mending materia) The Honourable Lloyd George, according 11 the San Francisco Argonaot, ishardly afcfc to recognise his portraits in the Prench pepei* which describe him as the yelling Apache at the British crisis." This is one of the qaieM paragraphs in Figaro of Paris The <%» of Lloyd George shoots out names. It is wNt the innate majesty of a king of speech that ha treads the platform, roaring, stamping, ytm bowling, while be shakes the mass of his no§i black hair." It is doubtful whether anyone can tell th* number of parishes the county of Glamorgan contains. The number given by historical authorities vary as much as 108 and 11& Dafydd Morganwg took great care to via* every part of t he county previous to publishing his Hanes Morganwg,' and he accounts fa» 128. The confnsion arises from counting ecclesiastical districts as administrative dis- tricts, and the confusion is accentuated by the operation of the Parish Council Act and the Local Government Act of 18M, which enabfea County Councils to merge many parishes iDtt one, as has been don ein Cardiff. The standard for candidates in the coming County Council elections in Wales (writes 1 suffering correspondent) varies very much it different, districts. Of one candidate a local paper says, If Mr Blank means to go into tht. fight in earnest he must modify his mannek and look a good deal pleasanter." Well, that is all very well on paper, but between suffra- gettes, hecklers, and the men who want light, jobs under the Council," a candidate must possess an angel's temperament before he can always keep smiling. The Bridgend bench of magistrates has always been favoured with good, common- sense chairmen, and Alderman Liewellyn's selection on Saturday last for that position harmonises completely with his predecessors in office, among whom are to" be found the names of the Rev. Mr Harries, then the vicar of Newcastle parish Colonel Braftklen, father of the excellent clerk to the Glamorgan County Council the Rev. C. R. Knight, of Tytheg- ston and the late Mr R. W. Llewellyn. The new chairman is the first Nonconformist to occupy the position. Mr D. Morgan Roes, Whitchurch, who has been adopted by the local Progressives to oppose Col. Henry Lewis, Greenmeadow, in the representation of the Kibbor division on the Glamorgan County Council, is a member of an old Glamorgan family and a patriotic Welshman. Born at, Landore, Mr Rees early in life entered the office cf the late Mr Forste* Brnwn, at Cardiff. He resided for some years at Colcford. in the Forest of Dean, where be qualified as a colliery manager, and took a considerable interest, in the promotion of tech- nical education. He then was appointed to represent a well-known firm of wire-rope manufacturers, and was very soon afterwards made manager of th- firm's works at New castle-on-Tvne. Some years ago the Excelsior Wire Rope Company was formed, with Mf Rees as managins director, and works weft built. at Maindv. Mr Rees is largely inter- ested in the North Rhondda Colliery, now being developed. The site of the Presbyterian Church, Cirdi.7, the scene of Sunday night's disastrous con- flagration. was quite a rural spot until the iirst church premises were built upon it. In 1858 there were only seven houses in Windsor-place, and a local direclorv for that period contains a note to the effect that "this fashionable place of residence is gradually extending in size and importance, and forms one of the chief attractions in Crockherbtown (the ancient nnnif1 for Qvr>on-f'reef'.).