The Brecon County Times Neath Gazette and General Advertiser for the Counties of Brecon Carmarthen Radnor Monmouth Glamorgan Cardigan Montgomery Hereford

"r i7# BRECON OVERCHARGE. Market; Vendor Fined. Miss Annie Rogers, of Penrhos, Glyn, was summoned to the Brecon Borough Police Court on Monday to answer two charges made by Mr G-. Hyatt Williams, executive officer to the Borough Food Control Committee exceeding the maximum fixed by the Meat Prices Control Order on December 23rd and selling meat without being registered as a retail meat dealer. The magistrates sitting were Mr Evan Morgan (in the chair) and Mr T7. J. Nott. Mr Thomas Sogers, defendant's brother, appeared and pleaded guilty on her behalf. He said she was very sorry; she looked at the paper and the "mouse" was not there. Mr J. P. Jones Powell (Messrs Jeffrejrs and Powell), who appeared to prosecute, said that the reference to the mouse was no excuse, as no part of-a pig could be legally sold at the time of the offence at a price exceeding 2/2 per lb, an'f in this case pig meat was sold at 2/5 per lb. The "mouse," as he understood it. was really a part of the tender loin. and the maximum price for that was 2/2. P.S. Evans stated that about 1 p.m. on the day of the Christmas market he saw defendant in the market surrounded by a crowd of women. Several of these complained to Miss Rogers of the price she was charging for the pork sho was selling. 'One asked the price of a piece of meat in the basket and defendant replied "It is a pound and a half and it is 3/7-j. The woman purchased the meat and paid for it, and witness then had it weighed and found its weight was exactly l lbs. He told defendant she was exceeding tlîÐ control piico, ând she replied that she did not know but he drew her attention to a list posted up clQse to her. Then she said she was willing to give the money back. She had some small pieces of meat on a skewer which she was charging 2/6 each for. 'Asked if she had registered as a retailer, she said she did not know 3he had to be registered. Mr Jones Powell pointed out that the maximum price for pork had since been reduced to 2/ He also read a letter Mr Hyatt Williams had received from the Gellygaer Executive Officer, stating that numerous complaints had been made to him that poultry and rabbits could not be bought by the dealers in Brecon at the wholesale control prices, and that the sellers insisted on the maxi- mum prices being exceeded either by openly asking for more money or by gratuities on the sale. This made it Very difficult for him to enforce the orders. Mr Jones Powell admitted that the letter had nothing to do with this particular cç. Mr Nott said he did not think the letter was a fair complaint as affecting that case. The dealer could not insist on the farmer selling at wholesale prices the farmer could sell at the retail prices only if he liked, and if the dealer wanted the stuff under those circumstances he must pay the retail price. Mr Evan Morgan It does not affect this case at all. Mr Jones Powell It is an offence to sell to the dealers at more than the whole- sale price. Mr Nott No, not if they tell them they won't sell at the wholesale and will only sell at the retail price. Mr Jones Powell renlied that the farmer could not sell to the huckster at the retail price, because the huckster could not give coupons. Mr Nott Then the only thing the farmer can do is to refuse to sell at all. Mr Evan Morgan It is well that it should be known that people cannot sell small quantities of meat at all without being registered. Defendant was fined;El- 5s. Gd. in each case, inclusive of costs.

Comrades of the Great War. The monthly meeting of the Brecon Post at Church House on Saturday last was attended by a large number of mem- bers. Mr Fred James presided. Details of the arrangements for the public de- monstration and presentations this (Thursday) evening were dealt with. stewards appointed, and all were keen on rendering assistance so as to ensure a successful gathering, and extending a welcome to lur Siuuey Robinson, Til. who will be accompanied by Miss Robin- son. Nearly a dozen new members were elected, amongst them being Councillor E. M. Meredith, Mr W. Ashton, M.M., Sergt.-Major S. Hooton (a veteran of the 24th Regt.), Mr Edward Davies (who wears the Mons riband), and Mr C. M. Price, who, after serving many years in the Brecknocks, re-engaged for the Great 91,19 War and saw much service in France, al- though over 50 years of age. It was resolved that discharged soldiers should be admitted as members free of entrance fee, and that the subscription for 1919 should be 1/- with no levies. A dis- cussion took place regarding unfair and Unjustifiable attacks made upon the Comrades, whose watchword is Har- mony," and it was felt that so long as untruthful attacks continued it was not in the best interests of discharged men that they should be associated with more than one organisation. The members were informed that gratuity claim forms were obtainable at the Post Office, and advised to make immediate application or them. Comrades' Posts and Branches now exceed 700, and a large number of pension successes were reported.

'OU.C__lPI< "1" I RANDOM READINGS. BUSTING A PRUSSIAN OFFICER A Yankee truck-driver and a Prussian officer clashed back of the Chateau Thierry front, as runs the authentic repori of a returned American officer, and when the clash was over the Yankee truck driver had found a way to remove from the Prussian officer the arrogance for which all Prussian officers are justly famous. The tale was relayed from the front to Camp D-ix, N.J., and then to the Neid York Sun, which repeats it thus: After depositing supplies and ammuni- tion at the front, the big army trucks were tilled with German prisoners who were to be taken to the rear. A German captain, I member of a famous Prussian regiment, I was among the detail of prisoners assigned to ride in the truck of which this particu- lar driver had charge. The Bodies had filled the body of the car when the driver noticed that the captain had not joined them. Climb in there he ordered. I "Look at my uniform! Don't you recognise that I'm a captain? You don't Cv.,j.-CL me to ride with theni? lie zzi-1, in perfect English, indicating his erstwhile í poldiers as if they were so many caged dc t;s. Then he demanded a place on the .driver's seat, where there were already two 4ip,htiy wounded American soldiers to get back to dressing-stations. I'm particular about my oc Get in with your gang, and be quick about it! said the Yankee. off those American swine and rsclc for me on tbst front ordered the Prussian. I'm a captain and He got no further. The driver slid a grimy ftst into his pocket and whipped put a 1 penknife, while the otlieT hand shot down, gripped the Prussian by the collar, a powerful arm jerked him from the ground as if he had been a child. Captain, eh? Weil, we won't let that wuiy ) OLl long! See here! And a0 he spoke' the hand with the knife deftly clipped the insignia from the officer's shoulders. You're bus he said. "You're a private now Get back in the ranks with the rest of the in! And he dropped the sputtering Prussian into the back of the truck among the other, prisoners. I KINOSLBY'B PROPHECY. The following prophetic ps-ssage in Charles Kingsley's poem, On the Rhine," written about eighty years ago, is pointed out by a correspondent: I heard an eagle crying all alone, Above the vineyards through the summer nigfct. Among the skeletons of robber towers, Because the ancient eyrie of his race Was trenched aad walled by busy-handed man- Were trim with grapes whioh swelled from hour to hour, And tossed their golden tendrils to the I sun. Ió, I thought, The great devourers of the earth shall sit Down staring from their barren height of KUlbd On nations grown too wise, to slay and slave, I While peaceful lure And fellow-help make glad the heart of earth With wonders which they fear and hate, as he, The eagle, bates the vineyard slopes below. DREDGING FOR GOLD IN THE U.S. The discovery of goldfields in any por- tion of the giobe has always fascinated and interested people the world over. The discovery of gold in California and Alaska brought enthusiastic prospectors to the SCCll from the four corners of the earth. South Africa and New Zealand have been the goal of thousands of eeekers for the precious metal. And, once found, the efforts of individual miners and large hold- ing concerns have been directed to extract that metal most quickly and economically, and to discover a means of working exten- sive but comparatively low-grade deposits successfully. The recovery of gold from sands and gravels is one of the oldest forms of mining. The early miner washed the rich spots in stream beds or terraces with his pan, his long torn," and his primitive sluice. Then followed the growth of hydraulic mining and the use of giants supplied with water under pressure of hundreds of pounds to the square inch that could work at a profit gravel? whose gold tenor was less than three cents to the cubic yard. And, finally, came the gold dredge that can handle deposits lying so iar belew water ievei as to be beyond attack by other meihod. This dredge, after long experimentation, was first sue-, cessful on a commercial scale in New Zea- land. These gold dredges are on huge scows. Their vast buckets sink eighty feet below the water level and gulp up mud and gravel and sand with their richer freight, and lift obstructing boulders weighing over a ton. The first successful bucket-lift gold dredge in the United States began work in Montana in 1894, and in the total pro- duction of gold won by dredging in the Z, United States Montana is second only to California. The output from gold in Cali- fornia has far exceeded the combined out- put in all other States and, for that matter, in any foreign country. In 189G there was one dredge operating in California. At the present date there are over fifty-eight. In 1<896 the value of the gold recovered in California was two thousand dollars by 1915 the value had reached over seven million and three-quarters, the total re- covery of gold by dredging in California during those years being seventy-nine mil- lion one hundred and four thousand two hundred and thirty-one dollars. The first: Aredge was designed to dig forty-five feet deep, whereas the modern dredge digs seventy-five feet below wat,er level, a feat titat was considered by many engineers meobaaically impossible even as late as 1005. These dredges can handle five to six hundred cubic yards an hour or four hundred thousand cubic yards a I month for montbfi at a time. The total production of &,old by dredging in the United States, excluding Alaska, from the beginning of operations up to 1911, has been approximately eighty- five million doa-ars. California contri- buted more than seventy-one million dol- lars of this amount, and its production for 1916 was over seven 'millions. Montana comes next with six million fim hundred

"r ._=?.=-=: I j 2I!:>'Ut's:III1ii:t -čE I I I M, feiM W f l&iC 'i Is I JlawjuC! j c# II ONCE you start putting by a little money every few days for | 1 1 investment in War Savings Certificates, it is surprising hew j* A&* II quickly you find yourself in possession of a substantial sum. | i' i he working men and women of Joseph Snr'thies cr Sons, Ltd., | Albert Mills.. Elianformed a War Savings -Association with r twenty members When the Armistice was signed, they celebrated •; by bringing their purchases up to 1,500. Even if they never £ save another penny and simply keep their Certificates for five | years, that will mean /OJ* J^-3 <=^3-? fe- ll ihe members of Girlington Congregational Church, Bradford. I i formed an Association and in two years the 89 subscribers had | I saved £3.8! 1—nearly £ 43 foe ever-t, member, L I 'c-=-=- b j | The 150 children of St. Martin's Church School, Osv/estry, g g invested in 22 month- no iess than £ ,4.306 in "vvW Savings Cer- i I lincates—an average of more than £ 28 for e&ck child. | 1 £ 28— £ 43— £ 75 you would find any of these sums very useful | Why not join a War Savings Association and get together a | | bit 01 capital for yourself ? | a vs*s>a 1 § I will, help you to get it. | | Was* S»ri;T» C<?rtif>c*ies cost 15/6 ratar b five vrsH Be & I £ 1 each. You can give notice at any time that you v.-<«h to y/ithdrf.w your money I a in full v/iih any interest which is fi's. You eua buy War S*c;nr# Certificates § | trota any T'aaey Crdcr PoiiCfflco, B&uV., or ^h^pkeeper Official Agent. Jig OW>

-gO"1;&¡;1I4Ibi.¿" pees mmm' to mm OF W. C. Bride's Connection with Breconshire. The circumstances surrounding the romantic marriage of a V.C.'s widow and a peer were made known on Saturday. The bride was Mrs D. M. Dimmer, widow of the Wimbledon V.C., who rose from the ranks to be a lieut.-colonel, and was killed in action on the first day of the great German offensive iu March, 1918. Lord Garvagh, the fourth Baron of that! title, the bridegroom, rind the mar- riage was on New Year's Day, at St. Matthew's Church, Bayswater. Mrs Dimmer, when she married the V.C. just twelve months ago, was Miss Giau^ is oi-a Buj iu\ Parker, whose parents- reside at the Oakiands, Moseley, Birmingham. At that time Lieut.-Col. Dimmer had achicyedfame inconsequence of his brilliant Army career. He en- tered the Army as a private in the King's Royal Rifles, went to South Africa, and gained promotion through conspicuous gallantly. He received his commission in 1908, and won the V.C. on November 12th, 1914, at Klein Zillebeke, when he served his machine-gun till he had been shot the times. On recovery from his wounds he was promoted from captain to brigade-major, and when made a licut.-col. was given a command in the Berkshire Regt. Lord Garvagh is in his 41st year. 'ld vn^r»opr]orl in 1915. The bride (Mrs Dimmer) is a niece of Mr W. Richard Thomas and Mr Rupert Thomas, both of Crickhowell.

"o. WASTE PAPER. Will the local Public kindly note that we have cea-ed to collect Waste Paper, except that we are prepared to receive the sacks at present held for filling. Thc:e must ba re- turned inis &ESX. We effer cur :i::ccrc thanks to all who have helped us in this matter, and assure them that they have played a really useful part in keeping up the Nation's supply of new Paper in War time. .— I Telephone P.O. 16. FOE CQEBECT WINTER 1AILORING Costumes § Goal Frocks Fit and Style Guaranteed. I- -r_ ALL GARMENTS are Cut and M'ade 01 the Premises. It, .6, I.- I Only Expert Workmen Kept. Write or Call for Patterns and Prices. I MORGAN AND LEWIS BRECON.

SCIENCE NOTES AND NE\VS; THE EARTH A BLUE STAB. Observations cf the dark part of moon were made by Prof. Lowell at the observatory at Flagstaff, Arizona. TSit dark part of the moon is lighted only by the faint light reflected by the earth, and the oolour of this would be I'ne colour with \vl.ieh ihc- eaith shines to the other heavenly bodies. Tliis colon;' proved to be blue, which was to be ex- ;>c.cted, as the atmosphere, as we see it, is blue, and it is the earth's atmosphere which chiefly would be visible to other planets. Thus the earth is a.Mue star. I ———- -HERS" OF THE CANAL ZONE, While the tropical hurricanes that ar« •! so dangerous to shipping over the greater part of the Caribbean Sea do not extend their r&vages to the immediate vicinity of the Isthmus of Panama, the latter region is occasionally visited by severe storms I known as "northers." According to a note in the Monthly Weather Review, j these storms occur during the dry season, from November to April, when the Isthmus is under the influence of the trade winds, and are generally associated villi lL t ~c cf :22p:r l11"3h 1.rn- metric pressure over some part of the United States. The harbour of Colon, before the construction of the break- waters, had a bad reputation among sailoiT. for -4-- 1 SOIL OXYGEN AND PLANT ROOTS. The effects of dcucient soil oxygen on the roots of plants liave been made the subject of extensive t.xporiinents by B. E Livingston and E. E. Free dusmg several years. Observatiojis on the isolated and controlled root systems of the higher plants, the aerial portions being exposed to the atmosphere, show tliiiv response to a deficiency of soil oxygen niffers greatly with the species. The first noticeable ( effect of oxygen deprivation is an Li.er- ference with water absorption by the | roots. Jr> r-^vtain species this yrocess ceases completely in Wpenty-four hours. The roots di-o and become partially aisin- tegrated. The earliest symptoms of in- jury axe fauna 011 plants having the largest root systems. The evidence suggests tuat the cause of injury by oxygen exclusion is an interference with the respiration of the protoplasm in the root cells. TEST WITHOUT DF.'sTRUCTION. | Our tests for the physical properties of j materials have long been open to the objection that destroy lh", sauipie tested. We find out what the elastic limit is by stretching a bar until it re- fuse-s to return to its original shape. We discover what pull a substance will sup- part bofora being' pulled apart by pulling it apart; we learn what pressure it will stand without being crushed by cruoliing it; we inform ourselves of its ability to withstand any kind of destruction by de- stroying it in the manner prescribed. This is all very crude. It places us at the imn-ey of errors in sampling, since we can never test a piece and then uae it. For the same reason we have no remedy and no preventive fcr irregularities in manufacture—except the unsatisfactory one of testing, and thereby destroying, a I greater percentage 01 the output. it is possible for us to apply only a very limited number of tests to the exceptional tool or part which has been discovered by acci- dent among a quantity of ordinary pieces; and we are so prevented from getting a complete insight into the reasons for the unexpected excellence. If we are to do away with the test by unexpected excellence. If we are to do away with the test by destruction, however, we must discover some physical property of matter which varies in demonstrable manner with the properties of tensile strength, hardness, elasticity, &e., and which ai the same time can be measured directly without impair- ing the material. If such a property be found, we can, by measuring it directly, measure iadirectiy the properties in which we are really interested, such as these named above. I THE PERMEAMETEE. It has been established that magnetic I permeability bears a definite relation to hardness, tensile and elastic strength, and I other qualities which are of importance in structural materials and tool metals. With this point of attack it becomes pos- sible, according to the United States Bureau of Standards, to carry out the pro- gramme outlined above, and test for these primary properties by measuring the pro- perty, secondary in direct importance, of magne+ie permeability. Moreover, the new method has great advantages over the old, asidfl from its lack of destructiveness. For the permeameter has been developed to the poiat where it shows, not merely g iVtii of te which it feas been applied, but actually I reveals the local conditions throughout the piece, showing whether it is uniform in strtvtmm, localising the weak points or zones, and revealing regularities or de- fects which would have remained unsus- pected cmdor the old order of testing. A metallurgical technique of great impor- tance is thus opened up, which is being applied more and more widely to replace the old methods of testing by destruction. I MEASURING CLIMATE BY PLANTS. Prof B. E. Livingston and F. T. McLean of Johns Hopkins University, have from time to time emphasised the value of plants as automatically integrat- ing instruments for measuring the effective climate and weather conditions of any locality, comparing climate with climate, season Wtth season, and they have espe- cially made use of the soy bean for this purpose. In their exeriments soy beans arc grown in pots always filled with the same kind of soil, the seed being soaked in water at a given temperature for a cer- tain time before planting. Measurements fere made on the plants after two weeks and again after four- weeks. New cultures Lre starfcad .vcry two weeks. The efficiency of the weather for any two to four week period at any, station may be compared with that for any other period at the same or another station. It is desirable in such experiments to ascertain the dry weight of the plant alive and uninjured. This is done indirectly by measuring the leaf area of the plant, which, in the case of the doy bean, is found to be nearly proportional to tlmdry weight of stem and leaves. Lastly, Mr. F. M. Hildebrandt has recently pub- lished in the Johns Hopkins University Circular directions for obtaining the leaf area frosu measurements of the axes of the elliptical leaflets.

g&jy——fra—■■iataafc -iriTr'rT-'—-— 1 ii MAKE HiM COSY THIS a '= I rag imr n I iflilfETl. I I BUY RIGHT. BUY EIGHT at the outset. Do not run the risk of disappointment. Socks of Boys' Overcoats are depicting, and cannot be 'replaced for a considerable time. WATTS' many years experience in fitting out the Lovs is your guarantee. Parents come here from all quarters to get their boys fitted [ with clothing. .$" \.¡,i,{)), /A'}f,)" q.. -Ij", i {; ptlf ;.lt\ ifef 18MA MMM .:¡ tip# If feci#1 I;|i If • 'f^\ ¡.? Ilk :1 t.==J [Npf l\ I lw SINGLE OR DOUBLE BREASTED. THE Y.C. COAT. The above illustrates Watts' popular Y.C. Coat, just the tuing for boys from three to seven years of age. Made in Soft Overcoat Materials in Grey, Brown, Saxe, Cardinal, etc. High Grade Qualities. 16/11 to 40/ Double Breasted Over- coats for Boys from 7 to IT years of age. Re- fined and gentlemanly. Strongly made in tweed and heavy cloths Also 1 a great variety in single breasted sl>rtpei>. Let the boys and lads be snug and comfortable, and well protected right through till May. Double or Single Breasted Coats 25s. to 50s. mrsjags^-Bftrun- likj ojJI • "^SCbreccxv Jae maumem. 1

GARTH. j Whist Drive.—A very successful whist drive took place fiiere on the evening of the 1st inst. Th weather conditions were very bad, but notwithstanding this the room was well filled, a number of the players having come over three miles. The proceeds of the drive go to augment the fund for presenting a Treasury note to Garth boys when home on leave frulU foreign service. Play commcnccd soon after 8 p.m., and at the close of the interval for refreshments—all of which were given—Mr Morris, the School, after a suitable speech, called on Mrs Griffith, Garth House, who presented £1 each to Sergt. Sydney Jarman and Corpl. Trevor Evans. Sergt. Jarman has recently returned from imprisonment in Germany, having been first wounded and then captured; and Corporal Evans. who is the eldest son of the respected Station Master, was on leave from Sir Daniel Gooch's Hospital, near Chelmsford. The winners of the ladies' prizes were—1, I Mrs Griffiths; 2, Miss Phyllis Arthur, i Beulah 3, Mrs John Morgan, Garth. The consolation prize was won by Miss Nora Evans, Station House. The win- ners of the gentlemen's prizes were—1, I Mr Evans, The Station 2, Mr A. Jones, I Llwynpiod 3, Corporal Leonard Lee, I and the consolation, prize went to Mr Watson, Garth. Commander Wilson, Garth House, generously provided the prizes.

DECARBONIZING CYLINDERS. Some inventive genius has discovered a method of clearing carbon from the cylin- ders that is certainly simple, and is said toO be quite effective. All that is neceoe- sary ia to put a teaspoonful of- common C, I salt into each cylinder, through the spark plug ryrming. and then run the engine fast. As the operation creates quite a mess in the neighbourhood of the exhaust it is not exactly desirable to do the work indoors, and it is best performed out on the open road. As it is quite difficult to start the engine with the salt in tbe cylinders, it ie well to have the engine well warmed tip befoceband. i i

ABERCRAYB Personal.-County Alderman M. W Morgan, J.P.. of Bryntawe, sailed on Saturday from Liverpool for the Canary Islands, where he will stay for two or three months for the benefit of his health. Strike Threatened for Change of Pay Day.—The miners of the Abercrave and Ir.temo^onn! Collieries, have just tendered fourteen days' notice to come out on strike in sympathy with the miners of Seven Sisters and district, who are agitating for the pay- ment of their wages on Fridays instead of Saturdays.

J. E. NOTT & Co., UTO., High St. & Ship St., Brecon. t- I For USEFUL PRESENTS you cannot i do better than pay a visit to the Showrooms of the Old Firm, j 28, HIGH STREET, BgECOH. i 1 » 1 4

I-I:A.. thousand dollars, and is followed by idaho and Colorado, with about three million dollars each. THE HAGUE IN HISTORY. The Hague was originally a mere hunt- ing station of the counts of Holland. Its name, freely translated, means the count's hedge." The little town first rose to importance in 1527, when it was made the scat of the Supreme Court of Holland. In 1584 it became the place of assembly of the States-General and the residence of the stadtliolders, since when it has been the principal diplomatic con- ference-place of EuroisB,