The Cardiff Times

DELICIOUS MAZAWATTEE TEA A LUXURY Within the Reach of All. Full Weight without Wrapper. 1248 I

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WORKMEN'S TOPICS. (By MABON, M.P.). THE POLITICS OF BREAD. To-day bread is about the governing factor in thepoliics of our country, and will, in all pro- bability, he for some time to come. That must be so until the Conservative party gives up the crusade it pursues in favour of putting a tax upon corn. And it will be the business of I' ree Traders to teach the electors of Great Britain for many years to come, and I am afraid that the chief political issue will be that of bread. In the House of Commons last Wednesday night, after eight o'clock, we talked of nothing but bread the whole night through and for that night we wasted no time. It was moved "that this House is of the opinion that the pre- sent high price of bread in this country is due to natural causes alone, and that any import duty on wheat would tend to make it still higher, and would aggravate the suffering caused by dear bread," and Mr Goulding, on behalf of the Tariff Reformers, admitted, be- cause he could not deny, that the recent high price of bread was due to natural causes, but then he moved that it was also due to the neglect of British resources," and that great advantage would accrue if the consumer in the United Kingdom would follow such a re-ar- rangement of duties on food products that would encourage agriculture in the United Kingdom, give a preference to the Colonies, stimulate the productive powers of the Em- Tire as a whole, and so lessen our dependence on foreign countries for the necessaries of life. But he and all his fellow corn-taxers failed entirely to explain how a tax on corn would make corn cheaper. When Colonel Seely, challenging the Tariff Reformers on the point, said, It is admitted you' will tax bread, ne elicited Tory cries cf Not bread Then Col.Vijeely retorted and asked, VVeU, what is your bread made of •'? bread for Bnti-sh workmen is made of corn, and any tax on corn cannot fail to increase the price of bread by at least its own amount. And it, will be well for British workmen to keep their minds well fixed upon this hard and cold fact, which cannot be affected by the most patriotic rhetoric. Whatever Tories, Tariff Reformers, and Protectionists may do or say, a workman s "Stomach will remain empty and will not be filled by any mere clap trap. The plain truth is. and will remain so, that unless bread is alloved to be made artificially dear by tariff, the price thereof will depend on the whims of nature. If the earth, and the sun, and the rain, fee., will produce plenty of wheat then bread is plentiful and cheap. But if they produce less wheat than usual, then bread is dearer if not scarce. Last year there was a shortage in the wheat supply of tohe world by 37,000,000 quarters, or 10 per cent. less than the year before. In Canada the reduction was as much as 30 per cent.. In the United States there was a falling off, and so there was in Australia. In all the wheat growing countries of Europe, barring France, which was not quite so bad as the rest, there were bad harvests, with the consequence that the price of wheat advanced and the price of the quartern loaf rose with it. The Daily News," the other dav, gave a most useful table showing the fluctuations dur- ing the past four years 1905 30s. 6d. 1906 28s. 3d. 1907 26s. 9d. 1908 30s. lid.. It is, indeed, absurd to say that a tax on corn would cure that evil. The Economist" points. out that last November three pounds of black bread, in Berlin cost more than four pounds of while br<\rl "n LonJonduring the same month r (• 1)('lL¡ ■; '• r \lln!d wish to enjoy we oaiv -kind of bread that an linglish workman would think of eating, has even now to pay rather more than three times the cur- rent price in London. Some time ago in Paris a quartern loaf cost 7Jd the English quar- tern loaf was well below 6d. If we had a scientific tariff like the Germans have,the poor man, instead of paving 5d or. 6d, would have to pay for his quartern loaf 7d. or 8d. And the only logical conclusion to the whole matter is that whatever the price of bread may be under Free Trade, it is bound to be still dearer under Protection, for in truth you have to pay for the tax as well as for the corn. Indeed, we had a real Royal night of it and I am inclined to let the reader enjoy a bit of Sun To start with, the resolution was a direct challenge to the °PP°sltl £ nj espec »lly an opportunity for Mr Balfourt^ay whether or not he was in. favour of pufting a tax on corn. The Protectionists I really think, rather welcomed the opportunity to put him to the fence, and Mr Gouldmg, ripe as a strawberry from Worcester, urged things on with his amendment-the one figure wanting ?or a long time to complete the picture was absent: Mr Balfour was nowhere to be seen. It was surmised that he had taken his night, as was his practice when these matters were discussed in the' Parliament last led by him. Tho Protectionists held the fort. Mr Austen Chamberlain, who apparently led the hostile host for the mOulent, rubbed his hands and declared at the outset that he wanted a division, and was glad that the motion was brought on, &c. And just as the heir-apparent to the Protectionist leadership had set himself in order for his task, the titular Conservative leader quietly slipped in. Poor Austen spurred himself on to braver words, pounded the table, and ultimately he got him- self to declare, to the consternation of those behind him and the glee of those in front of him on the other side of the House, over and over again, Yes, we are in favour of a tax on corn." He then became an easy prey in the hands of the much more skilful debater, Mr Lloyo George, who had only left a quarter of an hour to deal with the matter. Mr Lloyd George commenced his torture of the Opposi- tion oy taunting them with the tenets of their assertions. Why, he asked them, they had not attempted to justify their charge in the coun- try that the price of food, fuel, and clothing had gone up as the result of a Liberal Gov- ernment?" Why have they rk>t challenged us on the floor of the House," he asked they have not even blamed us for the weather ? Referring to references made earlier in the de- bate as to the attacks made on the late Gov- ernment respecting sugar and Chinese labour, "We attacked them on the floorof the House," said Mr Lloyd George. What about the weather and sugar ?" asked Mr Balfour. The right hon. gentleman has naturally joined his party rather late to-night, otherwise he would have known what had gone on," retorted the President of the Board of Trade, and the House rang and rang again with laughter and cheers. And when the division was called, the official Opposition Whips act- ing as tellers, those that followed Mr Cham- berlain's son into the Lobby were 90 all told, the Government supporters reckoning 293. The Licensing Bill and Clubs. I am more than pleased to find so many of my own fellow Labour representatives are -so displeased with the immunity from efficient Government control which the drinking clubs seemingly are to receive under the provisions of the new Bill. We are all certain that these clubs are f r greater evils among our colliery villages than properly conducted hotels and public houses, and are greatly disappointed that no more drastic steps are to be taken for their proper control than there seem to be proposed in the Bill. We are assured also that very strong opinion is held in various other directions that this Bill does not deal ade- quately with clubs. There really is a great substance in this opinion. The Bill has for one of its two main objects the reduction of excessive facilities for drinking. The desired ability of a substantial decrease in this direc- tion, I believe, is strongly desired on both sides of the House of Commons. But the advantage of reducingdicensed premises would be greatly neutralised if for every public house or group of public houses closed drinking clubs sprang up instead. Should this be the case, as is in- deed feared, then the remedy would be far worse than the evil. The prevalent opinion among all the workmen's representatives in the House of Commons is that as the public houses decrease, the drinking clubs, which they con- sider to be ten times worse, will increase. And so far as our opinion and experience go, they are indeed far worse evils than public houses, for they are not under control and constraint such as applies to public,houses. Their mul- tiplication is, moreover, a form of competition with public houses, which the latter may fairly complain against. And somehow or other one cannot help feeling that it would be a great injustice, as well as a greater evil, that licensed premises should be closed and followed by some corresponding increase of drinking clubs, and though I do not exactly subscribe to that opinion, still I would consider it a calamity were the Bill to leave it possible that the sup- pression of public houses should be followed by an increase in the drinking clubs, and it is to be highly desired that the Bill should be so watched in its progress as to make any suah stupendous mistake impossible.

Deaths from influenza in Ixindon fast week numbered 122, as compared with 141 the week before,

I Disputed Slag Contract. SWANSEA COUNTY COURT ACTION. Claim, JE82 Counterclaim, £2,101. Judge Bryn Roberts sat till late on Wednes- day evening at the Swansea County Court to hear an action brought by Thomas Morgan, a Llanelly oil, soap, and candle works proprietor, against J. H. Russell and Sons, iron merchant, of Penclawdd, for the recovery of £82 19s 2d alleged to be dtre with respect, to certain cirders and slag sold and delivered to defen- dants. There was a counterclaim for £ 2,101 18s loss of profit on the re-sale and non-delivery of the slag and delay and inconvenience. Mr L. M. Richards (instructed by Mr Edward Harris) was for the plaintiff, and Mr Lleufer Thomas (instructed by Messrs Andrew and Thompson) for the defence. It appeared that in 1906- plaintiff took a lease from Judge Benson of the site of the Fen- clawdd Iron and Tinplate Works, with the in- tention.of establishing there his oil, soap, and candle works. He did not do so, however, having decided instead to float a company to restart the tinplate works. The existing works, which had formerly been a copper works, were dismantled, and defendants got into communi- cation, with plaintiff, and entered into an agreement with him to take the cinders an slag on the tips at Is 6d a ton. Difficulties arose, and a new agreement was In course of time entered into by which the price was in- creased to 2s 4d per ton. The material thus excavated by defendants was sold by them under contracts for 8s 6d a ton. entered into certain arrangements with the Duke of Beaufort, the Misses Roe, and Mr W J. Rees, owners of adjoining property, and the slag, etc., from these properties was also alleged to have been included ,n the agreement Subsequently it transpired that the.owners of all the properties declined to allow the slag to be removed, but the defendants ,■ enter into separate agreements with the Misses Roe and Mr WT. J. Rees. It was in respect of the allege 1f,t\he plaintiff to carry out his agreem defendants had submitted what Mr L. M. Richards described as an astounding counter claim. Plaint i1' was called and was examined at great length in support of h^. f d Mr Lleufer Thomas said his clients had bv virtue of their agreement with plaintiff entered into contracts for the sale of the material, and the counterclaim was based on the profit they would have made on the.re- sale of the material on the properties in question, and the obligations they were under to carry the contracts out. Mr John Thomas, surveyor, was called to speak to the quantity of slag on the properties, but his evidence was not completed when an adjournment to the next court was agreed to.

CARMARTHENSHIRE FAILURES. EXAMINATIONS IN BANKRUPTCY. The Carmarthenshire Bankruptcy Court was held at Carmarthen Guildhall on W ednessday before Mr Registrar Thomas Parkinson, the examinations being conducted by Mr Thomas Thomas, Official Receiver for the Swansea and Carmarthen districts. Re William Jones—This debtor commenced farming Cwmeinon, Conwil, 32 years ago, when his father died. His liabilitiesramomWto JE361 8s 6d, his deficiency being £255 Os 9d. He attributed his failure to losses through death of stock and to the illness of his wife and family. The levyine of an execution forced him to file his petition. Debtor in the course ot his examination said he had experienced great. losses bv the death of cattle and horses. In all he lost 21 cattle and five horses. The latter loss he estimated at £100. Mr J. F. Morris, solici- tor, Carmarthen, appeared for the debtor, whose examination was provisionally closed. Interest on Borrowed Money. Re Daniel James.—Debtor gave his liabilities as £136 6s 4d and his deficiency as £123 6s 4d. Pressure by creditors made him file his peti- tion. He corpmenced business as a fancy goods dealer in 1934 with £ 20 borrowed, the business being superintended by his wife and daughter, whilst he worked as a quarryman. The business w»as discontinued last November, and since that time debtor had been working as a colliery labourer at Ammanford. Failure was attributed to heavy rent, slackness of trade, County Court costs, interest on borrowed money, and illness of himself find family. Debtor srud ;i«j- lior- rowed £ 75 to%. £ 80 irqiu professional, riioney- lenders on the understanding that btf'toas to pay £3 a. month thter^&t on every X20 bor- rowed. The moneylenders did not require security on his furniture, only a note of hand. The examination was closed.

GOT HIS MONIES WRONG V BLAINA MINERS' TREASURER CHARGED At Abert illery onW ednesdayG eo. Hall, 50, col- liery labourer, formerly treasurer of the Lower Deep, Blaina, Lodge of the Miners' Federation, was brought up on a warrant charged with em- bezzling £62 10s 7d, the monies of the Federa- tion. The interest taken in the case was very great. Mr T. Hughes (Brynmawr Pond Ebbw V ale) prosecuted on behalf of the Federation, and Mr W. J. Everett, Abertillery, defended. Hall, when placed in the dock, appeared to feel his position acutely, and through his advocate pleaded guilty. David Jenkins, Brynmawr, the secretary of the lodge, said Hall had held office in the Federation for many years, and until the recentaud it everything had been satisfactory. P.S. Jones, Blaina, having said that prisoner had surrendered, gave Hall a good character. Addressingthe Bench, Mr Everett, in view of defendant's previous good character, appealed for leniency. Hall had undertaken to put every- thing right and the Federation would not lose anything. J. Manning, county councillor and miners agent, testified to Hall's good character, and said that had he come to witness and acquainted him of the fact that he was in trouble he would have done his best to help him out of it. The Chairman (Mr E. Jones Williams) said the Bench would give the prisoner the benefit of the Probationers Act and bind him over in the sum of £20 for 12 months and ordered him to pay seven guineas costs.

£20 POLICE-ASSAULT FINE. W. Coles, 34, a cattle drover, appeared on re- mand before the Cardiff Stipendiary on Wed. nesday on four charges, viz. Refusing to quit the Tredegar Hotel, Clifton-street; assaulting the licensee, George Frederick John; assault- ing P.C. Palmer and P.S. Gurney. From the evidence it seems that Coles left the hotel, but returned. When again requested by the licensee to quit, he struck John in the jaw. P-C. Palmer came on the scene. Coles became violent and kicked the officer, whose leather belt, however, saved him from serious injury. It took two policemen and three civilians to get prisoner to the lock-up. When in Clifton- street, P.S. Gurney, who was helping the con- stable, was kicked twice in the pit ol the stomach.. Coles pleaded guilty to reiusing to quit tne hotel and assaulting Johns, but said he was in drink and knew nothing more about the affair. The sentences were 10s and costs or 14 days for refusing to quit; £2 and costs or one month for assaulting John £5 and costs or one month for assaulting P.C. Palmer, and £20 and costs or three months' hard labour for a similar offence on P.S. Gurney-total in fines, £27 10s.

VALUE OF WELL-COOKED FOOD. Mr J. C. Buckmaster, of the South Kensing- ton Department of Science and Art, has passed his 90th birthday. I am ninety. I intend to be 110," said Mr Buckmaster to an interviewer. I feel younger than many men of 30 and 40, 1 expect.' I am not a vegetarian in the strict sense of the term, but I do not eat much meat, and I firmly believe in the principle that it should be weil cooked. I can assure you that wholesome, well-cooked food, aye, and a tew wild flowers on the table, are greater helps to happiness and moral progress than many prcachers on the subjects"

I 4 HAS HE SWALLOWED IT P SP (With apologies to Alice.") The Morning Post thinks Mt Balfour has swallowed, the Taxed Loaf the Standard thinks hf^tias not. The probable solution is that he has swallowed half and is sitting on the other half. Cartoon by Sir F. C. Gould. (Published by arrangement with the Westminster Gazette.")

BABY'S BODY IN CARDIFF TRAIN. j Inquiries at Bristol. I A baby's body was foind in a train which arrived at Bristol on Monday night from Cardiff. P.C. Beavan received the information from a G.W.R carriage cleaner named Ryan, who told him that at nine o'clock he found the body of a newly born male child wrapped in two pieces of plain brown paper, lying underneath the seat of a third-class carriage in a train which arrived at Temple- mead at eight o'clock, and which left Cardiff about 6.30 the same evening. At the inquest held on Tuesday Dr. Hedley Hill, police surgeon, said he had made a post- mortem examination. The body was that of a very finely developed male child. There was no mark of violence on the body. The lungs were inflated, and the child had been able to breathe. There was no food in the stomach. The organs were not diseased, and there was nothing to indicate the cause of death. Itmight have been want of proper attention at birth. In reply to the Coroner (Mr H. G. Doggett), it was stated that the train made eight stop- pages on the way up from Cardiff. The jury returned an open verdict.

A DISTINGUISHED MUSICIAN. Sir Hubert Parry, who has been compelled to tengn the Professorship of Music at Oxford, received the appointment on the death of Sir John Stainer nine years ago. Sir Hubert has only just completed his 60th year, so that, relieved of some of his many duties it is to' be hoped he will completely regain his health and have many more years to give to music, to which he has already devoted such valuable > services. Sir Hubert went to Eton in 1861. I Sir Hubert Parry. working at harmony, &c., with Sir George EJvey, organist at Windsor, and Jater took the musical bachelor's degree at Oxford before leaving school. At intervals he worked at music, first with Sir William Sterndale Bennett, then with Sir G. A. Macfarren, and Mr E. Dannrenther, and began to contribute to Sir George Groves's Dictionary of* Music." In 1873 he gave up his business itfthe City and devoted himself entirely to music. The honour of knighthood was conferred upon him in June 1898.

TRAGEDY ON CARDIFF TRADER. Details have been received from Santiago of a tragic occurrence on the s.s. Ashfield, lying in that port. Captain Smith, the com- mander, on December 26th last, was found in his berth unconscious, and he died from the effects of morphia poisoning. An inqutest was held, but there was no evidence to prove whether death was caused through an acciden- tal overdose or whether the poison had been intentionally taken. The Ashfield was a regu- lar Cardiff trader, and Captain Smith was well- known in local shipping circles.

PLAGUE OF RATS. New York, Tuesdav.-A San Francisco tele- gram says California is suffering from the most serious plague of rats experienced for many years. Concerted efforts are being made to destroy the rodents, and towards funds for this purpose the Southern Pacific Railroad Com- pany has contributed 30,000 dollars.-Central News. {,

A RELATIONSHIP TAN6LE. Tredegar Corejjbensstien Case. A complicated compensation case Was heard at Tredegar County Cd'urt(before Judge Owen) on Tuesday. The "su^Kof €221 13s 3d had been paid into court by M'e#|rS John Lancaster and Co. in fcespect bf the di&th of David Davies, haulier, Blaina. It wM stated that deceased had been separated frdpi wife for 18 years, and had lived with ther woman, and three illegitimate children wwre fcorn. His Honour was asked to decide wife1 was the legal appli- cant. Mr W. J. Everill» Pontypool, applied for the money on beha» of the widow and a dependent daughter \WV Hughes, Ebbw Vale, appeared on 'hiiialf of the Miners' Federation. A made on behalf of the illegitimate childr^Kof the deceased and Ethel Sweet, a majS|ed daughter of the deceased. Evidence 4as called in support of the contention that Dalies was the father of the illegitimate chil is Honour con- sidered that it had not wen proved that the illegitimate children we^e Davies's, and he could not therefore adjudge tsem dependent. Sarah Sweet,, being a married Woman, was also not dependent. An award js^as made for JE100 for the deceased's unmarriod daughter, Henrietta Davies, and the remainder for the widow. Not Pit for His Ordinary Work. The compensation cage of Thomas Lewis., haulier., Tredegar, which was referred at the previous Court to the medical referee, was raised.. Mr Ivor BowenJdinstructed by Mr T. S. Edwards) was for the,w°rk-rnan' and Mr A. Parsons (instructed by Mr Prank Lewis, New- port) was for the Tredegar Company. The report of the medical referee was that the woi-kman was not GtLto follow his ordinary work he was, ho\vt*<=>r, able to do certain kinds of light work. jTl^ll compensation was ordered from August! 1907, to date, and 10s a week afterwards. Apportionments- Apportionments were 4»de of death claims paid into cohrt in the liuses of Maud Pole, Machen, JE281 9s, and Margaret Evans E300. In the latter case the'vwhole amount was ordered to be paid th4 on the applica- j, tion ot Mr T"irpiT "*<1(1) on the ground that there were no ehlltBtexi Wbc provided for. A Question of e^t^ble Light Work. -John Ryan, liauiier, Abertillery, claimed compensation from the Powell Tukry Com- pany. He sustained a severe rupture while taking a sprag out of a tram. Mr Ivor wen (instructed by Mr T. S. Edwards) was for the applicant, and Mr Parsons for the respon- dents. The workman had been put to do light work, but as it necessitated filling rubbish underground he failed to do it. The respon- dents alleged they had offered applicant suit- able light work, and, that he had refused to accept it. This, however, was denied by the applicant. An award was made for compensa- tion from December 7th to January 7th only.

„ CHILD'S WELCOME DEATH. J Shocking allegations were made at an inquest at Salford yesterday on the body of Lily Dyson, aged 19 months, and a verdict of '■ Murder was returned. The child's mothef alleged that her husband, who is now serving i second term of imprison- ment for ill-treating the infant, frequently struck and slapped her. He had blacked the baby's eyes, he bad damaged the bone in one of her legs, and her skull was fractured by his violence. In January the child had a fit, which left one of her arms paralysed, and she lost the slight of an eye. Her death occurred on the 5th inst. ———— v

LITTLEFIRE-VICTIMS. Two little children lost their lives in a fire which broke out about 11 a.m. on Tuesday at a tenement house in Albert-street, Barns- bury, London. In addition four other persons were so severely burned as to necessitate their removal to hospital. The two children were both very young and belonged to a family named Stoneman, which inhabited thr top floor. There were five families living in the house, and several other persons had extremely narrow escapes.

GREAT RUSSIAN ROBBERY. St. Peters burg, Tuesday.—The following mes- sage from Ashkabad, Transcaspian Province, has Ifeen received here -Three hundred and seventy thousand roubles have been stolen from the Revenue Office at Charjui Bakhara. A sentry was killed and some soldiers on guard were wounded and bound by the robbers. A revenue officer, who is suspected, of. complicity in the crimo, was found dead two versts from the town.—Reuter.

SHORT CUT TO DEATH. Killed on the Taff Vale Line. Mr Coroner A J. Rhys held an inquest at Tre- herbert Police Station on Tuesday on William Bees (32), a night timberman at the Fernhill Colliery, who was killed on the Taff Vale Rail- way line by a coal train in taking a short cut to work on Friday. It was a stormy night. said W. Griffiths, a coUier, who was with de- ceased when he met his death, and they were a bit late. Witness did not hear any whistle, but he heard a smack from behind, and in clearing out of the way he fell down an em- bankment. Deceased, who was walking between the metals, was dragged a distance of about 20 yards by the train, and was dead when witness reached him. Frank Marshall, a mineral guard, said he saw the men when close upon them, and he shouted and put the danger signal on. A railway official stated that neither of the men had leave to walk the line. The Coroner remarked that undoubtedly the storm prevented the men hearing the train. A verdict of accidental death was returned.

THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY. The Admiralty is always more or less in the public eve." Of late, however, particular at- tention has been directed to that most impor- tant department, and notably to its chief, Lord Tweedmouth. The wide discussion of recent weeks on our naval policy and estimates has found an appropriate anti-climax in the 11 ridi- culous fuss," as Lord Rosebery called it, about the Kaiser's letter to Lord Tweedmouth. Three days were given up to debate in press, Lord Tweedmouth. I club, and Parliament, the net result being a dis- turbance of feeling between this country and Germany withont any obvious compensation. Lord Tweedmouth has een for many years a figure in political life. He has been Parlia- mentary Secretary to the Treasury, Chief Liberal Whip, Lord Privy Seal, and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. As Mr Marjori- banks he was known as one of the most re- sourceful whips the Liberal party ever had. He married the amiable and popular Lady Fanny Spencer-Churchill, sister pf Lord Ran- dolph Churchill, and her death, in 190-1, was universally lamented throughout political society.

ANARCHISTS ATSWANSEA r A Swansea reporter has' apparently made the discovery that there are Anarchists in the town, he havipg been so fortunate as to inter- view a "good looking Yiddish lady," who boldly avowed" herself to him as an Anarchist, and told him it is quite true there are Anarchists here, but you could not call it a branch—only a group just at present of the Yiddish-speaking Anarchist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland. You see, there are only about a dozen of us-men and women- at present, but there will be more, of course. We gather together and read and discuss the topics of the day-that is all. We have no proper meeting, place yet. Bombs ? That is where people make the mistake. We only use bombs when they are necessary, you see. But, of course, any obstacle in the road of progress must be removed." Asked if she approved of the assassinations in Portugal, she replied, Why not?"

) SIGNS OF SPRING.. After a protracted period of quiescence the ancient and venerable British Oak, showing phenomenal activity for such an old tree, puts forth its leaves once more for the purpose of holding an inquiry into the state of the plantation over the hill. (The Welsh Churth Commission met on Tuesdav J

A TERRIBLE BLIZZARD. Christchurch, IVfarch 7th.—The men landed from the Nimrod give a more interesting account of the operations of the expedition than is contained in Lieutenant Shackieton's official report. Some of the icebergs en- countered measured 150 feet above the water. The first landing party consisted of Lieutenant Adams. Mr Joyce, and Mr Wilde. They found Captain Scott's Discovery hut intact, but snowed up. They effected an entrance and found the stores still in good condition. It had been intended to land 25 tons of coal to supplement the short supply of only 18 tons on shore. The ice at this poipt was 12 feet high. While the coal was being run out a tremendous blizzard started. Those in the boat reached the ship with difficulty owing to the driving particles of ice. The land party had a trying experience. The wind was terrific, and the spray from the sea drove in fiercely, blinding them with a thick icy sleet. Lumps of ice as large as a potato were blown inland a quarter of a mile and struck their faces with most painful effects. This blizzard lasted three days. The temperature was 16 degrees below zero Fahrenheit, or 48 de- grees of frost, and the wind blew with tre- mendous force. Contrary to the usual experience of Arctic and Antarctic explorers, the temperature during the blizzard, instead of increasing, fell rapidly, with the result that the water froze the rudder trunks and jammed the rudder, and the ship became unsteerable. Ultimately a man cut the ice away with an axe. Two men were stationed at the wheel, and the ship hove to and headed to sea straight into the storm. At last the temp rature became so low that the tempestuous sea froze. This was a fortunate circumstance, as the weight Of the ice flattened the billows. When the blizzard was over the deck was covered with ice nine inches to a foot thick, and the rigging was so covered that the men had to chip the ice away before the sails could be worked. Forward there was a 15in. ram- part of ice round the bulwarks, and this was retained until the Nimrod reached the sixties on her return journey. Ropes as thick as a man's little finger were increased to eight inches in diameter.—Press Association Foreign Special. Christchurch, March 9.—The Nimrod has landed the following invalids here, namely, Dr. Mitchell, Mr Mackintosh, and Mr Cotton. Mr Mackintosh has lost an eye. Lieutenant Shackieton's report states the whole bay is alive with huge fin-backed whales Reuter.

REPORTED DISSENSIONS. Christchurch, Monday.—The announcement that Captain England has resigned the com- mand of the Antarctic Expedition's vessel the Nimrod is regarded as giving colour to a great deal of gossip which has been current since the Nimrod's return of serious dissension between Captain England and Lieutenant Shackleton. The captain himself and the other officers are silent, but the men hint at trouble amount- ing at one time to a personal conflict. The Nimrod's early return with 80 tons of coal still in her bunkers and without having carried out the projected surveying operations gives addi- tional support to these reports. They are also strengthened by the fact that the further survey work originally proposed is also believed to have been abandoned, the ex- cuse given for this, namely, that the repairs to the Nimrod would take a long time, being generally discredited.—Press Association Special Telegram. Wellington, New Zealand, Tuesday.—Th Nimrod, of Lieut. Shackieton's expedition, which returned to New Zealand, has been badly strained, and considerable repairs are necessary. In the circumstances the magnetic survey cruise will probably be abandoned. The Nimrod returns to the South in December to bring back an exploration party in March, 1909. Captain England has resigned owing to ill-health. The inability of the Nimrod to reach Edward Land is a great disappointment,' and difficulty will mow be experienced in getting the motor-car to smooth ice. The Manchurian ponies have so far been a great success, and the party are hopeful that they will get through.—" Times,' per Press Association.

PENARTH MOTHER'S NEGLECT. At PenarthPoliceCourton Wednesday (before Mr J. GF^Thotoas and Mr J, J. Neale) a change" of neglecting- her three children was preferred against Mary White, a widow, of Juudlow- street, Penarth. Mr George David; Cardiff, prosecuted on behalf of the N.S.P.C.C. Mrs Thomas, wife of Rev. John Thomas, rector of Penarth, stated that she had helped the woman considerably. She had given her food, clothing, and money, and paid her rent, but her efforts had proved of no avail. The defendant pleaded guilty to the chafge, and the Bench sent her to prison for one month. In a further charge of being drunk and disorderly, the magistrates cautioned defendant. Before the hearing of the case began White was seized with a fit, and had to be carried out of court by P.C.s Roberts and Rees Jones, with whose assistance she came round. • v

UNTESTED SHIP'S CHAINS. Master Fined. At Cardiff on Wednesday (before the Stipen- diary magistrate) Constantine Stobbe, master of the ss. Heinrich Robert, was charged by Mr HenryWolfe, inspector of factories, with failing to keep a register of the tests of the strength of his chains, William Smith, who was working on the vessel unloading pitwood, said that a link of the .chain broke and the load fell, but fortunately no one was injured. He called the attention of the chief mate to the chain, and he replied that hé would put it all right with some wire. Shortly afterwards another link snapped, and when he again spoke about it the mate threatened him with violence. The defen- dant said he was very sorry and that he had the chains tested in Germany. A fine of £ 5 and costs or one month was inflicted.

DOCTORS DIFFER. Before Judge Owen, at Pontypool on Wed- nesday, Mr C. Kenshole made an applica- nesday, Mr C. Kenshole made All applica- tion on behalf of Messrs Guest, Keen and Co., Cwmbran Colliery, for an order to terminate the payment of compensation to Abraham Tibler, a labourer, who injured his right knee through a fall of roof in the hauling level on October 8th, 1903. An award was made in 1905 for he payment of 15s per week DrNaish, Newport, said he had examined respondent's knee, and could find nothing the matter With it at the present time as the knee worked properly except when respondent wilfully re- sisted. Dr. Boucher, Newport, concurred. Mr Hugh Jones, Cardiff, for the respondent, called Dr. Hayles, Pontnewydd, and Dr. Jones, Pontypool, who both stated thatthe cartila.ge in Tibler's right knee had been displaced it was still tender, and might give way at any time. His Honour referred the catse to a medical referee.

MOTOR RACING CATASTROPHE. Three Killed and Many Injured. Cairo, Tuesday.—Motor races organised in honour of the visit of the Duke and Dt&Jtess of Connaught itook place to-day, but were brought to an abrupt conclusion. A car, aftar killing a policeman, who was attempting tr> pick up a cushion which had droppeu a few yards from the finish, swerved into a crowd opposite the Khedive's stand, killing two and injuring 10 persons, several of them seriously. The Duke and Duchess of Connaught were not witnesses of the accident, as they did not arrive until later. —" Times," per Press Association.

GOOD TIMES FOR MINERS. A striking contrast to the dire distress which now prevails atnong so many industrial sec- tions in the North of England, is the phenome- nal prosperity which the miners are now en- joying. There are many cases in which sets of hewers—there are four in alset-havc drawn from £30 to JEt! for a fortnight, and in other cases the figure has frequently reached £40. Even £5 a week does not mark the maximum of Northumberland miners' enviable pros- perity at the present time. In the course of an address at Ashington the Rev. Dr. Drysdale, of Morpeth, stated that a young miner had informed him that his pre- sent wages worked out at jEl a day.

EYE KNOCKED OUT. Distressing Accident at MiJford. On Wednesday morning while a cutter, Mr Jenkins, of Hazelbeach, Neyland, was engaged in breaking up a cargo boat at Castle Pill Ironworks, Milford Haven, the lashings gave way and Jenkins fell from a staging, a dis- tance of about 10 feet. His head came in con- tact with the deck, inflicting serious injuries, and knockini out one of his eyes. He was con- veyed to his home on aji ambulance.

The funeral of Miss Martha Williams, Aber- dare, for many years headmistress of the Town National School, took place on Wednesday, the interment being at theAberdare Cemetery. Ths officiating ministers were the Revs. H. K. Johnson, warden of St. Michael's College, HandaC C. A. H. Green, vicar of Aberdare and Dewi Williams, curate.

WELSH GLEANINdS, News and Views in Lighter Veirv '( At the invitation of the Baptist Association of Ohio and East Pennsylvania, the Rev. \V. S. Jones, of Llwynypin, has left for the SVatei" to conduct a mission for the deepening of the spiritual life. Since December last a pigeon has found ay home with fowls belonging to Mr Herbert Pierce, Henllan. near Newcastle Emlyn, and it was only recently discovered, from an exami- nation of one of its quill feathers, that it came from Connah's Quav, Flintshire. I i i v Mr R. M. Thomas and his ancestors have held the post of town clerk and magistrates' clerk of Carmarthen, for three generations. Mr Thomas, who is the secretary of the Weigh Church Commission, will soon" be leaving the town to |ake up the chief agencv of the Wvnn- stay estajtes in North Wales. Treorky is said to be a stronghold of New Theologians. According to the Rev. Rhonddj* W ilhams, the Progressive Theological League has now over 70 members. Many of these," remarks the Seren (Welsh Baptists), are men who have not frequented anv placfe of worship for years." v J Unitarians, taking advantage of the New Theology movement, are organising an attack on Wales. The Unitarian Mission Van. which is now touring England, is shortly to visit the Principality, where it will engage in aggres- sive work from place to place lor a period of twenty weeks. Master Tom Ellis, the son. of t)ie. late Mr T. E. Ellis, M.P.. took part in a competitive meeting at Llangeitho the other day, and won second prize for reciting Ceiriog's Nant y Mynydd," open to competitors under sixteen years, and also second prize for reciting a Welsh hymn open to competitors under ten years. The Pontypridd Cymmrodorion are to be commended for upholding the Welsh language at their St. David's Day function, for out of the score of speakers only one delivered his address in English. There were many excellent Welsh orations, notably those of the Rev. J. Dyfnallt Owen, Mr Ellis Owen (the Official Receiver), and Mr E. Smith Jones. There is not a single Welsh member of Parlia- ment now sitting in the House of Commons who was elected prior to the General Election of 1S85. The senior Welsh M.P.'s are Mr W. Abraham (Mabon) and Sir Alfred Thomas, who will shortly complete 33 years' servicc as mem- bers for Glamorgan. Then comes Mr D. A. Thomas, the senior member for Merthvr, who was elected twenty years ago. Mr D: Lloyd George was elected at a bye-election in 1890. v and there arc several in the House who were elected at the General Election of 1892. The name of St. Arthen, or Arthan, one of the sons of Brychan Brycheinog is perpetrated in the full name Cefnarthen in Breconshire, which was within his father's territory. There was a church once dedicated to him in Gwynllywg, but was destroyed by the English. It is con- sidered this church is the extinct Llanarthen, near MarshOeld, Monmouthshire. Rhiwarthen, near Aberystwyth, was more probably named after Arthen or Arthgen, King of Ceredigion who died in 807, and not, as is supposed, after St. Arthen the Confessor. The St. David's Day dinner at Pontypridd was purely "teetotal," and Mr Moses Jones had a neat little dig at the Waterworks Com- pany. He jocularly expressed the opinion that the Waterworks Company—only water being drunk with the toasts—load captured the society m order that they might submit evi- dence in support of the Bill now before Parlia- ment. "But," added the speaker, I have noticed after each toast that the water gets no lower in the glasses, so that may be strong evidence in opposition to the Bill." Mr Harry Evans, late of Dowlais, speaking as one of the music adjudicators at the North Wales Provincial Eisteddfod, at Llandudno, the other day, said that to him one of the most promising outlooks with regard to the future of the Eisteddfod was that the national songs of Wales were coming into favour. They heard much about French and German art son: They had art songs among the national Wales, and he hoped that they would, ere long, find their proper place in the programm,1t of the National Eisteddfod. "Talk" about Monmouthshire being in Wales," said the. Rev. Thos. Richards, when supporting the Sunday Closing resolution at the Newport mass meeting on Thursday even- ing, why, we have never been out of Wales. Take our place-names," he went on, Llan- Ah&ngel-ar-arth to start with," at which the audience roared. Nantyderry, Penpergwm, Nantybwch. Why, when the Englishman refers to Nantybwchhe calls it 'Nanny book.' MrW. H. Allen, the founder and head of ^he well-known engineering firm of'W. H. Allen, Son, and Co., of Bedford, whose name will be found on every battleship of the British Navy, and on a large number of warships of other navies, was at one time a resident of Cardiff, He was educated under John Elwell at Weston-super-Mare, and, according to Cassier's Magazine," found himself at the age of 20 the owner of a small engineering works in Cardiff doing general work." This was in 1869, and the conditions not being congenial and the prospects not as bright as he thought they should be," he removed to London. Where were the Cardiff works referred to ? The new Berw Bridge, which has been the pet subject in all elections at Pontypridd for the last decade, is.now in a fair way of being speedily erected. After the wooden piles had been sunk a difficulty arose with one of the landowners, but now this has been overcome, and work has been resumed. The new bridge will possess the largest ferro-concrete arch in the United Kingdom, and will make a splendid companion to the famous one-span bridge, which is situated within a quarter of a mile of the new structure. Pontypridd will soon have even greater claim jihan ever to the title The Town of Bridges. The noble work done tiy the early Church in Wales in converting Ireland and Brittany was ill rewarded by the lordly Norman prelates. Wherever they could they displaced the Celtic patrons frotjd their churches and reded icated them to saints whose names were to be found in the Roman Calendar. The native saints were mainly supplanted by the Blessed Virgin, hut in a number of instances by St. Peter. Taking the diocese of St. Asaph alone we find that Llanfarog (St. Murog), Llannefydd (St. Nefydd), and Whitford (St. Beuno) were trans- ferred to St. Mary Northop (St. Eurgain) and Llandrinio (St. Trinio) to St. Peter; Guiisfiold (St. Aelhaiarn) and Llangynyw (St. Cynyw) to All "Saints. The two southern cathedrals were r^dedicated—rSt. David's to St. Andrew and Llandaff to St. Peter. Bangor was rededicated to St. Mary, but St. Asaph escaped. The same thing took place in Brittany and Cornwall. Viscount Tredegar told the Newport Welsh Society the other evening that he had spent a long time in the Tredegar Muniment Room trying to find out Dafydd ap Gwilvm's con- nection with Ifor Hael. He found innumerabU boxes in the muniment room, and at last dis- covered a pedigree badly written and nearly unintelligible. He had always thought that St. David was Dafydd ap Gxvilyni, but when he read the latter's life he found he was not the sort of man they usually canonised. Never- theless, as Dafydd ap Gwilvm had spent the greater part of his life within half a mile of Tredegar House he (Viscount Tredegar) thought he ought to be Dewi Sant. One of the best and most appropriate poetic tributes on Gwyt Dewi was that recited by Mr D. Laidd Jones at the Cardigan celebrar tion the other evening :— Caru'n cenedl, caru'n hiaith, Codi Cymra—dyma'n gwaith. y Dylem daro uchel dant Pan yn son am Dewi Sant. Nid gwledd o fwyd a diod yw, Ond ysbrydoliaeth cenedl fyw. Os gwledda'n iawn, ein dysgu wna I gadw'n fyw y syml a da— Bvw fel 'roedd Dewi Sant yn byw Ar y bendithion goreu'u rhyw— Sef bara, menyn, caws a llaeth, A chawl Sir Benfro mawr ei faeth, Digon o fwyd, digon o waith, Digon o gysur ocdd ei iaith. Cofiwn y pethau da i gyd Wrth gofio Dewi Sant o hyd. The Labour andSocia.list movement in NortI Wales, while hot so insistent as in the South, is nevertheless making quiet headway. Th< I.L.P. has several branches in industrial Den- bighshire, and has gained a footing as fat I westward even as Llanrwst, where an English scout did a deal of Socialist spade work last summer. A Clarion Fellowship hold? weekly meetings at Holyhead, and anothei similar society is in process of formation at Colwyn Bay. At Carnarvon the founding of a Fabian Fellowship last autumn provided materials for a discussion that is still raging ir. the local Press, and fuel was added to the lire by the refusal of the Free Library Committee to accept a copy of the Clarion" for the library. How far these signs of Revolt will affect prac- tical politics is as. yet hardly estimable, but even now the matter of Labour candidates is being actively discussed. The Press in North Wales remains largely Ministerial, with the significant except ion of the Genedl," which, consistently and strenuously advocates Labour policy.