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CARMARTHEN. ] UNDER THE. '…

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CARMARTHEN. ] UNDER THE. SEARCHLIGHT. Come, come, and sib you duwl1 yon shall nul budge You shall not go, till I set yon up a glass Where you may see the inmost jwut of you." .SHAKESPEARE. The United States Government has. declared mules and donkeys to be eotitr# banl of war." It id ueeful to know this. If any of our local mules and donkeys want to keep out of trouble they had better stay at home until the trouble has blown over. A notice has been circulated lately to which it is well that public attention should be drawn. This is that which relates to the Protection of Wild Birds. Any person who during the present season is found snaring any of the protected birds, or being in possession of their young, is liable to divers pains and penalties. It is only proper that every effort should I):, made towards pre- serving as far as possible one of the must important elements in rural attractions. The jackdaw, I am happy to be assured, is not protected. 'J herefore, you are entirely at liberty tosh->< :f as many jackdaws as you like and it is a pity that the same course of treatment ca::iiot be applied to the ultra-humanitarian people who would object to such an eminently wusiblo measure. Some of the birds sold in the market on Saturday would soull-by internal evidence, as the Higher Critics would biiy-ti) have been extremely wild birds in their day. i Is Their tough muscular development bespeaks plenty of iresh air and exercise—and who- ever had the job of caching them must have had plenty of exercise too. Fowls aud ducks over 20 years of ago ought really to be protectod; it is a shameless atrocity to bring an ancient, venerable, and matronly bird to market after a long life spent in the service of an ungrateful country. I am afraid that I do ii(it hold orthodox views in regard to the Muzzling Question. But I am not going to pretend—like a certain well-known journalistic Kir Roger de Coverloy-that there is a good deal to be said on both sides." I have noticed that people who begin liko that are the most stubborn in insisting on their own views. No; I am in favour of the Muzzling Order up to the hiJt as far as Carmarthen, or any other populous place, is concerned. Nobody in Carmarthen or in any town like it wants a dog except 10 look at. Now a dog is just as nice to look at when he has a muzzle on as when he is not so adorned. In fact; a nice comfortable muzzle if properly ornamented adds as much to a dog's appearance as the trappings do to that of a horse. And the muzzle would nullify the danger which the dogs of Carmarthen undoubtedly are to the community at present. Children are not safe, whde at times it is impossible to go a walk a hundred yards along the streets without meeting about a dozen more or leps mangy curs seeking whom they may devour. And when they take to chasing flies or one another woe betide the short-sighted pedestrian; aud as for the cyclist he (or she) had better make his (or her; will. If you are cycling and a dog crosses your path it means a new set of false tooth at the very least, and the iniquitous Inland Revenue won't allow that as a deduction in your Income Tax schedule. Some day a party of cyclists will be coming through one of our principal streets and n one of these gangs of dogs will be scamper ing across the thoroughfare at the same time. And then ono of the scavengiiif carts will have to bo Oi dered out to gather up the fragments. But even then the Carmar- then public will not be convinced of the necessity of doing something to suppress the dog nuisance. No; in Carmarthen wo regard everything —abuses and ail —as part of a great design. The dirty-faced gang at the street corners, the Sunday drinking, the beastly carnival at fair time, the bad smells from the sewers, the pudding-paths which do duty as pave- ments-all these are part of tho eternal fitness of things, with which it would bo blasphemous and revolutionary to meddle. So the Carmarthen dogs will have their day, and a good deal more, for a long time to come. Of course, none of those remarks apply to dogs kept in the country. A dog is a necessity in tho country to the farmer, to the sportsman, or even to the poacher. And if you muzzle the dog he is absolutely use- less for minding sheep, or fT hunting. In the country it is as well—for everybodv, except the Excise—not to have a dog at all as to have it muzzled. :¥c The annnal meeting of the Literary and Scientific Institute takes place shortly but it is not to be expected that any very animated discussions will take place thereat. Several suggestions have been thrown out from time to time as to opening the Reading Room on Sunday but these have been received with a tadaverous apathy which is infinitely more paralyz- ing that the fiercest opposition. You can fight against opposition but nothing can be done in the face of an indifference which is absolutely impenetrable. *• Mr Howell Howells, Pontearreg, who is well-known as a philatelist, is also the possessor of a scrap-book containing auto- graph letters from SIR Walter Scott, Tom Moore, Jane Porter, Thomas Campbell (the Scotsman who wrote "Ye Mariners of England") and many forgotten worthies. The communication ftoai the first-named In which he speaks appreciatively of Burns has undoubtedly a great historical and literary f value. Tobacco has come down sixpence in the pound on account of tho alterations in the Budget, and flour and other provisions ara climbing up as high as the clouds on account of the War. It is explained by some authorities that the fall in the price of tobacco is so small that the customer will get little benefit from it. But when bread and flour go up the consumer gets th. whole benefit of it and the tradesman loses nothing. It is the customer who seems destined to lose in any case. On Monday next the "old hands" of the Militia assemble at tho Barrack Square, and they and the recruits will proceed to Popton the same evening for the usual month's training. The resultant partings will be tearful—and perhaps beerful as well. # The Borough Magistrates have more fun in their composition than I ever beforo gave them credit for. On Saturday they gave Sleepy Dick" seven days' imprisonment for sleeping in unoccupied premises. Now, how in the name of common-sense could the premises have been unoccupied if a man were sleeping in them ? This is quite as bad as what the Irishwoman said of Succi, the professional faster—that he was making a living by starving himself to death." "The Parvenu is a very good name for a piay, but if the authut had (aIlecl it The Upstart in plain English it would have been a greater attraction tJvon than it was. If you tdl a man that you j Fwill contuse his optic if he is not careful, only a glimmering of the truth dawns upon him; but if you tell hi;n you are going to I Z;) give him one in the eye," the facts of the (asli burst upon him with a lightning glare. The grand old grime of furnishing "startling ittjlllS" of local intelligence out 0 0 of the unconsidered trifles in last week's Reporter goes on with a refreshing vigour. £ am thinking of making a scrap-book out of them. And the best of it is-to judge by past experience-that some few months hence the literary Autolycus will get up quite calmly and try to sun himself in the smiles of an admiring public for having called attention to what everybody in the town knows very well at the time was very much second-hand. *f, This is all part of a system which newspapers used to adopt about forty years ;igo-to pretend that they know of the existence of no other publication in the world. However, I am happy to say that everybody else in town—except these i*ir,teyiders "-seorn s fully conscious of our existence. And it is not these awful out and out Radicals" who are to be exclusively credited for this either. The most flattering testimonials we receive are from Torics- although the Principality does not contain a more uncornpromisiug opponent of Toryism than the Reporter. But people read a newspaper fur new?, not for opinions and the paper will necessarily be the most popular which is the best informed as to local doings. And so it is Big people decided that it ought not to be-but the public won't be dictated to. # x- It was most amusing to watch some of the Militiamen marching after the Volunteers on Monday evening. It was a decided case of the" Long and the Short" of it. The march-out looked like a procession of giants and dwarfs from some menagerie. The Volunteers were on an average four inehes tailor than the Militiamen. Militia- men had better stay away on a similar occasion in the future. -ir Now that the Corporation has done so much for Blue-street, they might go one better and give it all a civilised appearance. There is one piece facing the foundry, and extending for some yards, which has no footpath and which has a decidely down-at- heel look about it. Perhaps our new Surveyor will effect some improvement there at present it looks liko a spot in the middle of an uninhabited wilderness. T It will be well for somo members of the public to realise that this paper is not an advertising medium run on philanthropic lines. We cannot even give free advertise ments to a good cause "—because every cause is a good cause in the estimation of somebody. Newspapers are run on commercial lims sympathy is no more use to us than to a grocer or a draper. Some people are innocent enough to think Z) that they ought to have advertisements fcr nothing and a free copy of the paper to boot I wonder if they ask their grocer for a sack of flour for nothing Whatever is worth having is worth paying for. Now that the summer is coming on it is as well to remind tradesmen that they are incurring a great risk by placing out awnings which descend to within a few feet of the pavement. This is distinctly illegal; whether seven or eight feet is the legal minimum, I cannot say at present; but the fact is self-evident that many of the awnings seen in Carmarthen are not much more than four feet high at the lowest part. Tradesmen may say that the public can look out." They are wrong there. The streets are public property, and the dirtiest tramp has the same rights in the Queen's highway as the Right Honourable Lord- knows-who. It is for the tradesmen to "look out and see that they do not cause any inconvenience to the public for if any- thing happens, they are responsible for tho damage." No one has any more right to endanger hats and their contents by these low awnings than he has to erect a barricade across Picton-terrace. • Tho following lines have been suggested to a correspondent by some comments which I made a fortnight ago regarding the unequal manner in which publicans are dealt with on the occasion of a raid :— TIIE LAY OF THE INNOCENT INNKEEPER. ( With apologies to .11". GIl. Ekn.) It's a Great Big Shame The Periiee is on ter me, Who never did no wrong before, Just becoa' I &o!d a drink on Sunday night, "Which pubs is doin' by the score. There's chape about in plenty Wot 'ave played this game Regler eiaoo the Art was made, There's the sort to drop on, Not a bloke like me, It the coppers wants to make a raid. The writer assures me that these verses are of an essentially attic character. I should have thought them myself Elen-ic in style. Afcer many delays and various viccissitudes the new triple lamp in Guildhall square is, at last. an accomplished fact. The platform round the base has taken away the unfinished appearance it has worn for the last few weeks. •* I have great hopes of that lamp. I regard it as a kind of missionary. Carmarthen people have been told so often that their town is well lighted that they were at last coming to believe the shameless fiction. But now that they have one decent light in the town, they will gradually begin to realise how dark the other thoroughfares are. The first step towards improvement is a thorough consciousness of our own short- comings this truth has a physical as well as a spiritual application. The new Welsh church paper, we arc informed by the promoters, will not be under the supreme control of the clergy z,Y although not antagonistic to their personal interests." The promoters had better begin hunting for perpetual motion or for the philosophers' stone. « Supreme control is the only thiug which the clergy will ever be satisfied with; anything else must be antagonistic to their personal interests. Anything in the nature of a newspaper which the clergy cannot boss to the full, they must inevitably regard as a potential enemy. Many of those who were at the Assembly Rooms to witness the performance of the Parvenu" complain bitteily of the sanitary arrangements—or rather the almost utter lack of them—in the building. Not only is the provision made ridiculously out of proportion to the size of the audience but somebody in authority has a humorous knack of turning the key in the door, and so for tho time being absolutely wiping out of existence whatever little accommodation there is. It is tho duty of the Licensing Committee of the County Council to inspect all places of public entertainment in the district, and to see that they comply with reasonable requirements as to sanitation and safety. But the Licensing Commitcee-as far as I know—has not been heard of for years; and if they .were, they would not probably do very much. Public opinion locally does not exact a high standard in those matters. The actioo of the Town Council in regard to similar matters has shown that an undue squeamishuess on the subject is regarded as a reprehensible evidence of tho demoralising influence of all enervating and effete civilisation. Oi* bumn;or his come indeed! A hawthorn is in lull bloom in a garden in Jacksou's- lane. The double-barrelled incandescent lamp which has been placed in front of Mr Walter Lloyd's premises in Lammas-street is an immenso improvement to the thoroughfare. I understand that very shortly—perhaps even before this reaches the public—some- what s milar lamps will be provided for Carmarthen IIouso and tho Anchor House. Wo are progrjssiug. It was announced from the pulpit of St. Peter's Church on Sundiy that a meeting ot the c ngregation" would be Jl,IJ the I (3 (I ty for the purpose of deciding what action should be taken with regard to providing tho church with a new heating apparatus. It was not tho churchwardens and sidesmen" this time. This extctly corresponds with my views of clericalism as I have repeatedly alfirm, d them When it conies to raking in the cash, why everybody is good enough to take a hand in it. -tf -*• Some tini" ago A, Welsh Churchman" wrote tolling me that he never saw tho clergy near his p'acø even in times of sickness. But i'U gmvauUe one thing—- they would suddenly re uomber him if they bad an axe to grind. These c,lei ics and their helpers—may decide that you are one to he sat upon bat your money is always orthodox. Judis .Iscanut would bo a big if he was free with his cash. Ono of the London newspaper corres- pondents, spoaking of tho operation:} at Havanna on Sunday night, says "The glare of the searchlight was almost intolerable." This is a statement which many people in Carmarthen will thoroughly endorse. This is what a correspondent lias to say for himself: — DfcAlt AliK'i'Ui'Jt A, —la your iss: e of tho l.'j.h ult, you referred th It. L'toCoseo? Jon-R, in his capacity as Chairman o' tee O.r.-nnrtiir ndnse Co an y CVrwih is tlh' on 1-, -j!)' [.,rllJ i.t l!J j;¡ ¡,<n' iJ tlL3 C,ilJ!I'V that s a I I j uoS knov nr, whether an ihorougi 1>' but 8,) Car p.s my i-iform aiou «0'a, t!wre i,» <■[>- one. C!crji} m«iio! the, E-tabiished Church (viz. iiev It. G Lawrence) in this County ihnt is a J.P. S,), to us" the pluaaj known to alt whist-player- liou-mrs nr, ealy -is hr as both Couforuibt and Nonconformists (nacintrate prenohofs goes i'l this county although 1 fiud that other \\f.l^h o aiuu.8 in South Wales have inore of the reverend ^eutiemen it rates. I cannot ny ho-v many ot thf-ui are or how many of them tire Noncouforciii-tB, but their i!umber art- ns follows -Clr,E,4atbhire has 7 Breckriookshirc, 1; PJ,J}h"jk,hiI(;, Ridnoribirc, 2 and Oar- ruaruhenuoire, divided as fnr as namea goes thus: -Thare are 5 Griffi,hs's, 1 Llovd. 1 Th )ma°, 1 Price, 1 Spencer, I Phillips, I Jon!N, 1 Lnvrence,' 1 Bowen, I Crockrs, lOwen, 1 Piickard, an 1 Willhms. who i also n magistrate in two counties, viz R iduorsliire and Brecknock: hire I a r-, Eir, ¡ Ose WHO DOY'T BELIEVE IV PIUZACKEB MAGISTRATES, B-; HE CONFORMIST OR is -I,. I should like this correspondent to explain himself a little further. I should be pleased to know what is his objection to reverend gentlemen as J.P.'s. Nobody would be so foolish as to advocate that a gentleman should be looked up to simply because ho has a Rev." before his name. But if I, or my correspondent, had the necessary qualifi- cations we might become migisti-a'es why should a minister be disqualified under the same circumstances ? A minister has to pay his rates and taxes like the rest of us. A few more reverend gentlemen would at times be all immense improvement on the class of ignorant and conceited bumpkins who form such a considerable percentage of the occupants of County and Borough Benches in Eugland and Wales. i.¡;. Now that there is so much additional light knocking about, it is strange that the 0 9 1 street most in need of light -Mit I-street-is entirely overlooked. The middle of that street is an devoid of light as the top of Pønlan and yet no fussy reformer dreams of doing anything for it. If Picton-terrace were in anything like a similar condition the Press and tho Council Chamber would ring with the per-fervid denunciations of the authorities. I know very well that nothing I can say will induce the Corporation to place the much-wanted light in Mill-street-whieh would be a great gain from a sanitary and a moral standpoint. But those concerned will have the pleasure of knowing at any rate that everybody in the town has not been hypnotised into the belief that such monumental ineptitude is the perfection of common-sense. The public won't take Corporation methods at the Corporation valuation. I am in receipt of the following :— DEAR Slrt,M y I SUGGEST a way whereby our F.re Brigade can have practices a iitrlo oftener. and which practicffi can be of some benefit to them, boih as regards gaining kmwladpc in thfir drill aDd aho to be a tiuancial success, viz I am certain that if they would undertako the cleaning of windows with the hose, and take one or two streets at n practice, that they would find that t'le occupiers of the houses who?e windows they would thus clean would willingly give sixpence or a shilling according to the eizs of the house-fur tho work done, as it would not take them very long to each home. I am nure that they would inako a very fair harvest. Yours, etc., AN OCCUPIER. #- .¡;. The Carmarthen public will be sorry to hear of the departure of Mr Carter, the highly-respected G.W.R. stationmaster at Carmarthen, who, after three years'residence here, removes to Pontypool Road this week to take up the position of chief clerk to the Supt. of the Pontypool division. He will be succeeded at Carmarthen by Mr Hopkin Davies, the stationmaster of Gowerton. ALETHEIA.

. PENSARN, CARMARTHEN.

.\ St. Clears Market.I

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