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PORTHCAWL CAMPS QUESTION

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PORTHCAWL CAMPS QUESTION 0 A REPLY TO "SEA-SERPENT." WHY THE WORCESTERS & WARWICKS ARE NOT COMING. TELEGRAM REFUSING LAND. At the meeting of Porthcawl Council on Monday night, Mr. John Grace asked to be alloAved to call the attention of the Council to a note which appeared' in last- week's Gla- morgan Gazette" under the heading of "By the Silver Sea." In that article, said Sir. Grace, some statements were made which he considered were a dastardly attack on the Camps Committee of that Council. After commenting on the secrecy which went on at the Council and the referring of things to committee, like they had been doing that night, the writer made the following refer- ence to the Camp Committee — Perhaps there has been no more glaring instance of this policy of secrecy than is provided by the Camps Committee, some members of which will no doubt be rudely dealt with if they face the electors before making amends. It is an open secret that it is through some bungling or other on the part of that committee that the Worcester and Warwick Brigade is not to encamp at PorthcaAvl this year, and yet the committee has refrained from presenting any repoir-t on the subject to the Council. The other members are equally to blame for not de- manding an explanation why their col- leagues have failed to come to terms with the commanding officer of the Brigade. I wish to avoid personalities, but I: cannot re- frain from expressing the opinion that the member of the Council who has been wont to pose before the electors as the one infal- lible champion of publicity has not of late been acting up to his part. It seemed to him that the writer of that ar- ticle had some motive in view, and that mo- tive was to injure PorthcaAvl. It would not injure the members of the Camps Committee, and he personally did not c-are very much what was said about him. Their CONSCIENCES WERE PERFECTLY CLEAR. The Gazette" had always received the great- est courtesy from the Council ever since lie had been a member, and the reporter of that paper was given all information, while it was the wish of the Council that he should receive information from the clerk concerning mat- ters dealt with in committee. The airticle had caused a great deal of talk. It was dis- cussed' night after night—he would not say ii-here-wit Ile the Council were thoroughly well" cussed" for keeping away the Worcester and Warwickshire Brigade. The Council were not responsible and lie asked that the Surveyor should read a short statement he had prepared on the subject. The Surveyor (Mr. A. S. Lilley) read the folloAving report A private application to encamp here was made by the officer com- manding the Worcester and Warwickshire Brigade, in September, 1908. A Camps Com- mittee was formed in order to secure and re- serve lands and obtain prices, and terms were submitted to the commanding officer in Octo- ber following. Nothing, however, was heard until a similar, but unofficial, application was made by the Territorial authorities in April this year for the Hereford, Brecon, and 3rd Monmouth Battalions to encamp here on the same dates as applied for by the Worcester and Warwicks, and an agreement was pre- pared and entered into in June of this year to take the land so reserved. On the 9th June, Immediately following the closing of the second application, the officer command- ing the Worcester and Warwicks made his formal application for the land, and we had to reply by wire whether arrangements could be made. The surveyor replied on June 10th: Lands already engaged till end of August.' A meeting of the Camps Committee was convened on the 11th June, and they en- deavoured to secure other lands. After great difficulty OTHER LAXDS WERE SECURED and submitted to the applicant per wire on the same day. The offer was, however, too late, as other arrangements had been made. It will be noticed that in not less than 24 hours of the receipt of the formal application of the Worcester and Warwicks, although the first site had been disposed of all additional 26 acres were, with difficulty, secured and submitted with terms." Mr. T. E. Deere said he had read the article in the Gazette." He noticed that his name cropped up in it, and he wished it to be understood that he, was not associated in any shape or form with the matter Mr. Grace re- ferred to. He did not know who wrote the article. In further remarks, Mr. Deere said the re- port which got about might have emanated from the wire which Mr. Lilley admitted. having sent to the commanding officer of the brigade befotre consulting the Camps Com- mittee. It was the first time he (Mr. Deere) had heard of a telegram to the effect that no land could be offered. The Surveyor read' the telegrams which passed between Major Gillman and himself. Mr. W. J. Jackson said it seemed from the article in the Gazette" that outsiders knew that Major Gillman was told the land was let. The Chairman (Mr. J. L. Lambert): It is certain that some information has leaked out, but I don't think any good purpose can be served by going into this matter further. Mr. Deere: It seems to be insinuated that the statements got out through members of the Council; that should' be cleared up. Mr. Grace seemed to insinuate that some MEMBERS WERE CARRYING TITTLE TATTLE. Mr. Grace: I never thought of such a thing. The Chairman: I didn't take it in that light. Mr. Grace feels that it is only fair to the Council that the articleshould not go uncontradicted. That is his motive. Mr. Elias (Newton) said it seemed to him that there was a feeling in the district that certain members of the Council objected to camps coming there, but he had never heard one of them express such views. There was a difference of opinion with Iregard to camps being allowed on. the common, but they were all agreed that private and enclosed land should' be secured if possible. The terms of- fered to Major Gillman Avere loAver than those Avhich any district could offer, and the Coun- cil had given all assistance with respect to water and sanitary arrangements. They had been most pleased with the terms in the past. He understood' that the reason why Major Gillman had not come to terms was that the two brigade camps clashed', and, after an experience lie once had where there was a "war" bet-ween the brigades, he was not anxious that there should be a clash again. The Chairman) said that, as a member of the Camps Committee, he felt that every member of the committee did all they possibly could to get as many Territorials to Pbrth- c'awl as possible. Major Gillman was to blame, because he would not definitely take the fields which the members of the commit- tee had secured on their own responsibility and without placing any liability on the rate- payers. Major Gillman would not say he would have the land, and the committee were between, the devil and the deep sea" when the other Territorial battalions came along, and the Council, in order to secure a camp, closed with them for the land. Subsequently Major Gillman changed his mind, but the committee, after considerable trouble, found other land, and there was no doubt that the reason why the brigade did not come to Porthcawl was not because of any difficulty in. regard to land. but because it was not de- sirable that two brigades should be so close together. The danger was that they would get entangled' in manoeuvring. That was the only true explanation of the matter, and he hoped the Gazette" would give this explan- ation of the Couneil as much publicity as was given to the airticle in question. Mr. Elias (Nottage), also a member of the committee, endorsed the statements of the previous speakers. The writer in the "Gazette" indicated that the oommittee were responsible for the brigade not coming to Porthcawl, but the committee actually went to a great deal of trouble to try and bring the camp about, and had some difficulting in persuading Mr. David' Hopkins to give the land. They were anxious that there should be two camps this year. The matter was then allowed to drop.

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