The Carmarthen Weekly Reporter

Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society. I ANNUAL MEETING OF THE CARMAR- THEN BRANCH. The annual meeting of the Carmarthen Branch of the Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society washel-d at the Gu'iildhall on Friday. There were present: Lieut.-Gen. Sir James iiills-Johiites V.C., G.C.B. (in. the chair); COol. Gwynne Hughes, Glaneothi; Mr C. W. Jones, G'wynfryn; Rev T. R. Walters and Mrs Walters, the Parsonage; Mr Morgan Griffiths, Lime Grove; Mr Blackie, governor of H.M. Prison, and Mr W. W. T. Prosser, secretary. The fol-lowing report was presented by the Se.cretary The Committee begs present its report for the year 1907, >bemg the 24th annual report of the opemtioli's of the Society. The number of prisoners' assisted in various ways out of ,the f u-nds of the Society during the year was 66, viz., 58 male6 and 8 females. This is a smaller number than has been assisted in the three preceding years, but the iiiiiiiiibe,r of prisoners discharged dur- ing the year 1907 was considerably less than in preceding years. In addition to those assisted out of the funds of .the Society, (assistance has been given by communicating with former em- ployers with a view to re-engagement, and also by recommending iprisoues to homes. The amount of money expended in assisting prisoners daring the year was £ 19 7s Id of this sum tl4 13s 3d has been refunded by the Prison. Commissioners. The following toible shows the number of prisoners assisted 'and the amount of relief granted in each year since the formation of the. Society in 1883 :— Yeair Male Female Ttl. Amount of Relief. 1883 aind 1884 9 2 11 tS 19 4 1884 and 1885 13 2 15 tl2 14 6 1885 and 1886 6 0 6 £ 4 5 6 1886 and 1887 20 1 21 JE11 0 3 1886 and 1887 20 1 21 £ 11 0 3 1887 and 1888 11 0 11 £5 12 10 1888 land 1889 16 2 18 C 5 13 2 1889 and 1890 5 5 25 £ 7 0 10 1890 and 1891 9 5 14 E2 15 0 1891 and 1892 15 0 15 tio 8 8 1892 and 1893 6 1 7 R4 15 0 1893 and 1894 16 3 19 JE15 19 10 1894 and 1895 20 4 24 tl7 17 7 1895 and 1896 37 7 44 L27 6 5 1896 and 1897 22 2 25 tll 2 2 1897 Sept. to Dec. 9 0 9 £ 4 18 1 1898 39 4 43 zC23 9 4 1899 '45 1 46 zC20 19 4 J.JU 19 4 23 JE817 5 1901 34 4 38 £ 15 9 5 1902 50 5 55 JE141310 1903 45 7 52 £13 2 7 1904 79 5 84 £21 4 9 1905 75 4 78 R20 12 3 1906 81 6 87 L25 17 9 1907 58 8 66 £19 7 1 The number of prisoners discharged from Carmarthen; Prison during the year 1907 was 585 viz., 540 (males and 45 females. In the year 1906, 754 were discharged, viz., 689 males and 65 females. Following the plan which has hitherto worked satisfactorily, the most general form of assisting prisoners on their discharge has been, by providing them with clothing, 41 having Ibeen thus assisted. One female prisoner was sent to the Salvation Army Home at Cardiff, and four female prisoners were sent to the Chureh Army Laibour Home at Swansea. The former has been at the Home for five months and is doing well. Of the latter favourable reports were received with regard to two of them, who had ob- tained situations soon after t-lieir adimission to the Home. Employment has been found for olme of the prisoners on their discharge, in some instances the former employers were successfully appealed to in this respect. Gratuities of sums of 3s and upwards earned by prisoners whide in prieon have, as in former years, ibeen taken charge of and forwarded to their destination in readiness for them upon their arrival; a practice which is much resented by some old offenders. The Borstal Committee has met once a month and has dealt with all the male juvenile-adult prisoners discharged during the year. The difficulties in carrying out the Borstal iScheme in its entirety, are in- creased at this prison on account of the short terms for which -most of the juvenile- adults are sentenced. Very little of the edu- cational section of the scheme can ba canriifd out under such circumstances. One juvenile- adult, who was sent-enood for a term of nine months, was transferred to the Worcester Prison. A communication recrived the Central Committee, of the D.P.A. Societies on the subject of "Unemployment, and its possible renned'us," wa > consideied by this Comimiittce, and the Rev T. R. Walters (Chaplain)—who was unable to be pregent at the meeting—wrote to the Committee, at their request, a letter -dealing concisely with many of the causes of employment, the remedies heung aetf-suggested therefrom. This Committee approved of the views ex- pressed 'by the Chaplain, and resolved to forward a copy of his letter to the Central Committee, which was done. A circular received with regard to the treatment of ifeeibtte-tminded prisoners has had the attention of the Committee, who while being of the opiniaii, that separate treatment of the feeble-minded is desirable, do not consier it would be advisable to cOlmmit such prisoners to the workhouses, but that other suitable and separate institu- tions should The provided for them. The financial position of the Society is, as may be seeon "from the accounts, satisfac- tory. The stock of cloithiinig has been ex- hausted, but articles are now purchased as they are required. At rthcannu131 meeting heVl on the 18th of January, 1907, it was decided to appoint an agent at a salary of £ 5, and Mr J. J. Jerecnv of 18, Tabernacle terrace, Carmarthen, was at a subseqncffllt meetiing appointed. The Committee regrets to have to report the death of Sir Lewis Morris who ,had been one of its member for many years. While congratulating Mr W. J. Barnes on his we^l-merited promotion to the Governor- ship of -oi-tlial,lort,on Prison, the, Committee regrets the loss of his services. During the nine years in which he acted as Governor of this Prison, the was of the* greatest assistance in furthering the objects of Society. Mr W. T. Blackie has been appointed to sucooed Mr Ba rnes as Governor, and has already shown every desire to co-operiate in the work of the Society. The Committee desires to tender its thanks to the Lady Visitors and to the Rev T. R. Walters (the Chaplain), without the benefit of whose knowledge of the ebaraciters applying for assistance, it would have IlK-en impossible to have selected the cases deserving of assistance. The thanks of the Society are also due to Mr Mee (Chief Warder) for having kindly taken the entire core 'and supervision of the Society's stock of clothing. The following summary shows the details of the work done. -Results of A id Given. Cases dealit with druing the year ended 31st December. 1907. Males. Females. 1 Sent to a Home 4 1 i Provided witlli clothing 38 3 Do. with stock or materials I 1 Assisited food and. lodgings 0 1 Do. with railway fares 9 3 Do. with money 3 0 Total 53 8 Note: Where a prisoner is aided in several ways the case appears under one heading only. Signed on behalf of the Committee, J. HILLS-JOHNES, Chairman. Col. Gwynne Hughes said that there was a great decrease in the number of prisoners admitted last year. The Ohainman said that that was rather a good symptom. Col. Gwynne Hughes said that the report showed a very satisfactory state of affairs regarding the work done )by the Society, and he moved that it he passed, Mr C. W. Jones seconded, and the motion was carried unanimously. The Treasurer (Mr W. !Nlo,j,gaii Griffiths) presented his report, from which it ap- peared that the subscriptions amounted to jE27 16s, and the gifts to the Society £14 13s. A discussion took place over the desira- bility of investing the Reserve Fund in stock instead of leaving it on deposit in the Bank. Mr C. W. Jones said that a little more mfight be given to the prisoners. Mr Morgan Griffiths said that there might be a rush of applications soone day. Reference was made to the death of Sir Lewis Morris, who had been an active and useful member of the Society. The Chairman said that they would all miss Sir Lewis Morris very much. He moved that they p-asc, a sincere vote of sym- pathy and condolence with Lady .Morris and the members of the family. Rev T. R. Walters seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. The Rev T. R. Walters suggested that Mr C. E. Morris, a brother of Sir Lewis Morris, be asked to become a member of the Society. This was adopted, as also a suggestion of Mr Morgan Griffiths that Lady Morris be asked to become a vice-president. Mr Morgan Griffiths said that Mrs T. R. Walters was a most regular attendant at the meetings; and he proposed that she be ap- pointed a vice-president. Col. Gwynne Hughes, in seconding, said that it was a very good suggestion. This was unanimously adopted. Captain Jennings, of Gellideg, was pro- posed as a memlber of the Society. Mr Morgan Griffiths said that Captain Jennings' grandfather was the founder of the Carmarthen Branch; and it was under his guidance that he (Mr Griffiths) had got in the first sulbscrilbers to the Society. Col. Gwynne-Hughes said that as he was a great ibc-lievet in heredity, he had great pleasure in iseconding this proposal. This was agreed to. Mr C. W. Jones proposed that Sir James Hills-Jchnes jbe elected president of the branch. He had on several previous occa- sions proposed Sir James to this office, and he hoped that for many years to come he would have the pleasure of doing so. Col. Gwynine Hughes, in. seconding, said that they were all under a deep debt of gratitude to Sir James for the infinite trouble he had taken. He never shirked his duty. The proposal was carried unanimously, and the Chairman, thanked the memlbers for the confidence which they had expressed in him. A citcul-ar from the Parent Society recom- mended that the branches should endeavour to get their agents appointed probation offi- cers under the new Act. It was unanimously agreed that this sug- gestion was hardly applicable to this dis- trict, and nothing was done in the matter. Mr Morgan Griffiths said that a magis- trate could attach any corndition to a man's 'release on probation. For instance, he might make it a condition that the proba- tioner should sign the pledge and keep it. The Chairman: Then the probation officer would have to watch, him.

Mr. Me Kenna's ( SPEECH BY MR LLEWELYN WILLIAMS MP. On Friday night a meeting of Liberals was held at Zion Chapel, Llanclly. Mr T. Jones, J.P., in the chair. A resolution was sub- mitted in appreciation of the work of the present Administration. It was supported by the Rev Daniel Hughes, formerly of Calfaria Baptist Church, and carried. A rote of confidence was passed in the borough member, iMr Llowey 11 Williams. Mr Llewelyn Wiiiia<ms, M.P., referring to the question, of secondary school grants said nal grievance felt by Welsh people was tiblt while a child in an English secondary school received a grant of £ 5 for four, five, oi e. Oii eight years, a child in a Welsh inter- mediate school would only receive a grant of .£ t p" ell; an average for four years. The nir.qua.ity was iso startling that it really re- qur'rrd no argument to force it home to the mind of any impartial man. He thought it was a pity that the deputation which waited on Mr McKenna on Thursday had not been content with einiphasising this one simple point. He was glad to Bee that Mr McKenna had made an offer of exactly equal treatment for Welsh children tin. the future, and he (the speaker) could n'ot quite understand why there should be any reluctance at all on the pa.rt of the deputation to accept that offer. Mr Willi aims highly commended Mr Mc- Ivenna's action in regard to the training colleges. There were 26 Church of England training colleges built between 1842 and 1872 at a cost of £ 230,000, and of that sum, -tg-d,ooo, cr one-third, was defrayed by Gov- ernment grants. Let them take the Car- martheiii Training College -as an instance. It was founded in 1848 and enlarged in 1861. The total cost was £ 14,000. Of that sum £ 4,845, or more than one-third, represented grants frotm the public treasury. During the years 1863 to 1905 the Government grants to the college had gone up froan tl,280 to 3,433. During these veal's the average volun- tary subs-eiipticiis only amounted to -6393 a year, while the Exchequer's grants on an average came to £ 2 198, and yet it was said tc be an intoierable hardship that the Minis- ter of Education should say to these colleges that they should not receive any more public money unless they allowed the Nonconform- ist candidate the same fair play as tlhe Church of England candidate for admission into the colleges. In. conclusion, Mr Willi aims i-eip,ri-ed to the forthcoming Education Bill, which he said he was glad to see had been described as "short and drastic" bv Mr Asquith, but lie (Mr Williams) was afraid that until some Government was courageous enough to introduce a Bill for purely secular education the problem of education would never be finally solved. At the end of his speech, Mr Williams was questioned by Mr Tom Harris, a local Socialist, as to the votes lie had given during the last two sessions. Mr Williams said he did not claim to have voted with the Labour party on even- occasion, but was in full sym- pathy with the aspirations of the workers of his country. A resolution of confidence in the hon member was carried unanimously.

Women Bearers at r a III pcter. The people attending the Cardiganshire Assizes at Lampeter on Thursday last wit- nessed a singular 'incident. The body of a -Miss Edwards, of Trcheibert, near Lampeter, was to be buried in the parish churchyard, and as the cortege passed the Town Hall, the coffin wa3 borne on a bier, in pellt.ing rain, by four,married women. The sight aroused considerable interest among the vnsitors, but it is not an uncommon sight in Cardiganshire villages to see a coffin carried t:) graves by women.