Llais Llafur

I PONTARDAWE COUNCIL At the fortnighly meeting of the Pont- ardawe District Council on Thursday last, Mr Owen Davies, J.P., presiding, A letter was read from the National Housing and Town Planning Council re- garding the holding of a conference for South' Wales and Mon., at Llanelly on March 24th and 25th, and inviting the Council to send representatives. A long discussion ensued on the mat- ter, in the course of which Mr J. M. Davies spoke strongly in favour of send- ing delegates, and it was ultimately de- cided that the Chairman and the Sur- vayor should attend. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF WALES f The National Library of Wales wrote asking the cliairman of the Council to follow the action of the Mayors of the Boroughs in opening a fund in aid of the Library. The writer (Mr Lleufer Thomas) pointed cut that the Council required £ 15,000 before the end of March in order to qualify for the Treasury Grant, and he made a strong appeal for support. No action was taken in the matter. THE PROPOSED DIVISION OF THE I COUNTY The Swansea Rural District Council wrote regarding their suggestion for di- vi-din.g the County of Glamorgan into two divisions for the purpose of Assizes, Sheriffs, and general administration, and requesting the opinion of the Pontardawe Council on the matter. The Swansea Council held that the size of the County aid the increasing work of the Council made it difficult for the members to ful- fil their duties effectively. Mr H. J. Powell moved that the letter should be forwarded to the Finance Com- mittee for further consideration, and spoke strongly in favour of the proposi- tion. He expressed the opinion that un- til something of his nature was .done, they would not get the proper and neces- sary attention given to such questions as roads, etc. They did not get value for the money paid at present. Mr Alex. Evans opposed the Swansea proposal, but Mr F. R. Phillips sup- ported it, and Mr L. W. Francis agreed that there was much to be said in its favour. I The Clerk said that looking at the matter on the surface, it appeared that they had everything to gain. from the proposal. It was agreed to refer the letter to the finance committee. ——————— .»♦»«

PONTARDAWE BOARD OF GUARDIANS PROPOSED NEW PHTHISIS WARD I A meeting of the Pontardawe Board of I Guardians took place last Thursday at t:16 Workhouse, Mr H. J. Powell (Ys- taJyfera), presiding. A vote of sympathy with Mr W. D. Walters, Abercrave, in the death of his father, was carried by all the members rising in their places. LOCAL BREAD STATIONS The Clerk reported that the Joint Vagrancy Committee proposed the erec- tion of bread stations at G.C.G. and Abercrave, but were in the unfortunate position of being unable to get anyone .to tender for supplying commodities, tradesmen obviously thanking that it would be undesirable to have gentlemen of the road near their premises. He therefore felt that the locaJ members from the two places named should be asked to endeavour to get grocers in the villages to try the proposal as an experiment. Mr D. R. Morgan suggested the pre- mises of Mr Joseph Parsons, Abercrave. Mr W. D. Walters There's no need for one in Abercrave. We're all a gener- ous people! (Laughter). Mr Morgan said they could not expect honest self respecting labourers to trust to private charity, and the Guardians had I to comply with the orders of the L.G.B. The Clerk explained that men leaving the workhouses would get a ticket, and on presenting this at the shops would get a supply of bread and cheese. Trades- men would then have to send their ac- counts to the Board. The recommendation was agreed to. DELEGATES TO CONFERENCE I Messrs. Dd. Lewis (Colbren), David Lewis (G.C.G.), and Wyndham Lewis (clerk), were appointed to represent the Board at the Central Poor Law Confer- ence to be held at the Guildhall, Lon-I don, on the 17th and 18th inet. PROPOSED IMPORTANT ALTERA-I TIONS. The Clerk read the report of the House Management Committee which stated that the architect had prepared draft plans for the conversion of the Isolation Hospital into a phthisical ward, completely fitted for males and females, providing for eight patients under ordinary con- ditions, and in emergency cases, 12. The cost was vary roughly estimated at 91,050. The committee also discussed the conversion of the coach house into a mortuary,, and the existing stable into a wood shed at an estimated cost of 2100. They recommended that both schemes should be submitted to the L.G.B. in draft form, so as to get their views on the matter before detailed plans and esti- mates were drawn up. The Committee was also considering feiies for scattered homes at Trebanos, Ynismeudwy, and elsewhere, and a re- port would be submitted later. It was recommended that the tender of Mr D. Isaac Thomas for ten bedsteads and ten mattresses at respective costs of 22s.6d. and 12s.9d. each, be accepted. This was agreed to without discussion. —————— ntn

Lludded ac Iselder. I Lludded ac Iselder. I A -N,-Ivch erioed wedi iii--id (1 fed y teimlad o ludded ac iselder sydd weith- iau yn eich gwneyd i deimlo yn anny- munol, i'w briodoli i anhwylderau y cvUa a'r afu? Y mae yn bossibl ei fod, blegid y mae diffyg treuliad vsgafn, neu weithrediad methiantus ar yr afu, yn achosi isel<V?r, lludded, a blinder. Ar y cyfryw adeg y mae yn eglur mai y feddyginiaeth. sydd genych ei hangen ydyw, un wna adfer eich cylla, afu, a'r coluddion i weithrediad cysson ac iach. j Y Mother Seigel's Syrup yn ) gwneyd hyny mewn modd effeit.hi. i Am dros ddeugain mlynedd y mae pobl dros y byd wedi ei gael yn rhagorol, ac yn focidion, parnri er ymlid ac attrvl anhv-vVle^au trouliadol, pa un bynag fyddo hyny yn deilliaw o ddifFyg treu'i^d. cvfiwr ifiaeh yr afu, neu y colunrL" yn gvtT^r.od gwcithroou.

Every Man His Own Land- lord .I i WHAT THE WELSH GARDEN CITIES, LTD., IS DOING. V* "The supreme question is that of housing every man should have a sana- torium at home. Give the workers decent houses and you solve the consumption question. "—Mr Ellis J. Griffiths, M.P. That the question of providing good houses for the people still requires con- siderable attention is evident so far as South Wales is concerned no matter where one turns and it is all the more desirable that societies having for their object the provision of first class houses for the working classes should be ac- corded every assistance. Overcrowding is excessive in the Ys- tradgynJais district, and there is much insanitary property, although the Coun- cil has condemned, during the past few yea,Ts, a large number of houses in Cwm- twrch, Abercrave, Colbren and Ystra-d- gynlais. It is hoped that the three housing schemes which are at present being arranged will diminish much of the ,overcrowding, but more than. 100 houseX are still required to cope with the deand. Amon gst the pioneers of Housing Re- form ?\0 uth Wales is the Welsh Gar- den Citie?L Ltd., and this Company are the promo tf^rs of a housing scheme at Yniseedwyn, Ystradgynlais, which, when completed, will provide nearly 100 first class houses. About 40 houses have aJ- ready been completed or are in course of erection. In addition to the Ynisced wyn scheme the Company is at present developing a large number of small schemes; at Pengam over 500 houses, to- gether with shops, etc., are being erected by the Company, and at Gilfach arrangements have been made for the erection of 500 houses. In both these villages 300 of the houses are already being erected. At Gorseinon the Com- pany has already built 90 houses; many of them practically completed. It will, therefore, be seen that the Yniscedwyn Scheme is in good hands, and the people who purchase the houses will have houses up-to-date, modern and good value for the money paid for them. The Company has formulated a scheme whereby purchasers obtain most of the money frem the Council and in respect of the balance arrangements are made for the easy payment of it. By this ad- mirable system which has been taken ad- vantage of by many people in the dis- trict, a workman may own his own house by paying no more. per week than he is at present paying in rent. In fact, in some cases, a first-class house may be obtained for even less than is at present being paid in rent. The advantages of a worker owning his own house are obvious, providing it is his intention to settle down in a cer- tain district, and to invest his savings in purchasing his own house, and thus dwell under his own roof secures him from arbitrai-y interference. The houses comprising the Yniscedwyn Garden Village are of three types, the smallest type being suitable for small families, whilst the best type of house will accommodate a large family. Each of the houses have three bedrooms, scullery, kitchen, parlour, bathroom, with hot and cold water, the usual out offices, garden, properly fenced; are well built, sewered and are surounded by good roads in one of the most romantic parts of the Swansea Valley. Full particulars con- cerning the houses, and the conditions under which they may be secured may be obtained from Mr P. J. Evans, Gar- den Village Office, Yniseedwyn, Ystrad- gynlais. -——————

IN LIGHTER VEIN I In a case heard at the Highgate Police Court it was stated that one man threatened to comb another man's hair with a pickaxe. Had he carried out his threat, would he have made a parting ? In an action heard in London a wit- ness stated that his cats had hot water bottles in their straw beds at night, be- sides. being wrapped in flannel.Quite an unmotherly kind of person, what? James Gibson, of Sutton in Ashfield, told the Bench when. charged with being drunk and disorderly that he was 64 years of age. Then the Superintendent of Police unkindly commented that Jim had paid more pounds in fines than he had lived years. He had contributed J372 for various offences.—Our advice to James is to get away from Sutton-in-Ash- field; the police appear to know him as a "cert." Sir Wm. Ramsay, in an after-dinner speech asked whether it would not be better to let some of the unfit die out instead of "coddling" them. They in- sisted on the children being educated, and they came to school starved. They had to give them breakfast and find them boots and he asked where was that sort of thing going to stop ?-The thing is going to stop, Sir William, when scien- tists and others refuse to be exploited by the possessing class. Replying to criticism made, following his attacks on the morals of Mcssley, the Vicar, in the current issue of the parish magazine says, "More can be accom- plished by expressing an evil than talk- ing round it."—Surely, surely, Mr Lloyd George has sufficiently exposed the evils of the private ownership of land. And yet- Husband (shaving) Bother the razor! Wife You're dreadfully ill-tempered this morning. Husband The razor is abominably- dull. I Wife It cut beautifully yesterday when I ripped up an old skirt with it. "Any man might have a pint of beer at two o'clock and another at half-past six, and I don't think any ordinary man i would be any the worse for it—indeed, he might be somewhat the better," said Mr de Grey at Lambeth.—Providing, of course, it was beer, and not that which is I' usually served up as beer. Last week we received an unmarked copy of "The Financial Times." We j trust \VA have not givem the slightest in- diction that we possess too much of the filthy lucre. If so, search us! "A mile of pennies" is the task a re- ligious denomination in Sheffield, has set •>ut to collect. Collecting cards are a font long, and ar- divided into ore inch r.nac-f:, fitted with t-nv envelope', t" re- ppirniwn*.—S'h ingemrtv v ally ■, o' h Ih £ 22.

MAILED FIST" IN AMERI- CAN MINERS' STRIKES. WORKERS AT THE MERCY OF HI RED RUFFIANS The strike among the copper miners of Calmmet, Michigan, has now been raging for over six months. The condi- tions which existed in this district up to the time of the declaration of the strike are almost without parallel in the whole of the dark history of capi- talism. The desperate and dastardly methods employed by the capitalists in their attempts to prevent the men from organising, the cruel victimisation and ultimate banishment from the district of such miners as dared to further en- danger their wretched existence by or- ganising, and the deplorable conditions under which the miners had to work, both as regards long hours and inade- quate pay, drove these brave workers to reaching out their hands to the last weapon of the wage earners-the strike No sooner had the strike, in which 16,000 miners took part, begun, than the mining corporations, who, bv the way, seem to have got the military, municipal, and police authorities in the palm of their relentless hand, even as they had striven to do in the case of the miners, are resorting to such mea- sures as would create a sensation even in Russia, and as would be tolerated by no other civilised country. The words "money-bags" and "mailed fist" have become almost svnonvmous; here we have the "mailed fist" without discipline, and lawlessness, the mighti- est of the capitalistic strongholds. As I though the military were insufficient for the work of murder, molestation and rapine, the capitalists have engaged armed ruffians to assist the soldiers in firing upon the miners and assaulting their wives and daughters. But tjiis has not inspired one atom of fear into the hearts of the miners, neither have they budged one inch. Finding that the miners were ada- mant and that strike breakers could not be imported, it was decided to estab- lish a. "Citizens Alliance." All those who refused to join this Alliance were threatened with the ruin of their busi- ness and deportation. The sworn pur- pose of this club was to destroy or- ganised labour. A veritable reign of terror set in, the law was trampled under foot, professional men and minis- ters of religion became rampant anar- chists, the Circuit Judge and Sheriff were seized and made to do the bid- ding of the "Alliance" under threat of deportation. As though something were wanting to fill the cup of bitterness of the miners a frightful disaster overtook them and their families. Christmas Eve was celebrated, as best it could be celebrated, by the children of the miners in the Italian Hall, and the Christmas tree was gazed upon by 54 of the children of the min- ing folk for the last time; for, in the midst of the modest entertainment pro- vided entirely by the Women's Society of the Western Federation of Miners a cry of "Fire" was raised, and in the panic which ensued 76 men, women and children lost their lives. It was hoped that this catastrophe would have the effect of causing the strikers to avail themselves of the funds which had been collected by the Citi- zens' Alliance and would cause them to resume work. The vinegared sponge was, however, scornfully rejected and the men have stuck to their guns. An idea of the absolute capitalistic anarchy which prevails may be gained from the fact that the president of the Federation was assailed in his hotel by 16 ruffians, and forcibly deported from the scene of the strike with wounds in his head and gunshots in his back, under an escort of armed men. The fact that a doctor was already on the spot, and the further fact that he was ordered to send his bill for the dressing of the wounds of the president to the Sheriff at Calumen, would seem to show that the authorities were cognisant of the whole of the disgraceful proceed- ings. One of the reasons given by the assailants for the murderous attack was that he had refused to influence the strikers to accept the money raised by the Citizens' Alliance." — # « ♦

STRIKE PAY GUARANTEED FOR FIVE YEARS. STRONG POSITION OF TEACHERS I ON STRIKE IN HEREFORD. With full strike pay guaranteed for five years, if necessary, the Hereford- shire teachers realise that they are in a very strong position, and they mean to make the best use of the forces they have behind them. The National Union of Teachers, now that it has embarked upon a campaign for improving the lot of its members in the badly-paid districts, is not likely to consider giving up in a county like Herefordshire, which has only a 7d. rate for education, this in spite of the fact that it has recently been consider- ably increased. t IfducatioIÍCöte havniy Le to make -some appoint- ments. Beyond the 60 odd schools clff= £ d accwr&mg t«T the figures oFthe-lf-. tSr., in many others the staffs ar^'consider- ably reduced. Supplementary teachers and uncertificated teachers are in chargo in some cases; in others per- sons who have not taught in sc hools for years are now doing service at sala- ries in advance of those paid to the I teachers who are now on strike. I I I

A heavy fall of roof at No. 1, Mc Lareoi's Colliery, Abertysswg, took place on Saturday, causing injurios to Wm. Thomas, of 32, High street, Tredegar, from which he succumbed. At a special meeting of the Llanon Parish Council, Mr W. Greville, C.C., presiding, it was resolved to ask for prices for supplying electric light. It was also decided t- ask the Llanelly post- master to provide a second delivery of letters in Cross lands. I

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A MAYORALTY COMEDY From the town of Hohenmoelsen in the small principality of Reuss, Ger- many, comes an amusing episode in the struggle of the rulers against Social- ism. A Socialist named Herzog was elected Mayor and Registrar for the town. The duke, however, considered that a man of such views could be only a danger to the State in these positions and divested him of oiffce. Almost simultaneously, however, Her- zog was elected to the assessment com- mittee of the town and to the chair- manship of the oouncil. This post he refused. But it was found impossible to secure anyone else with the neces- sary qualification to undertake the duties, and in the result the county council intervened and intimated that if Herzog did not take office proceed- ings would be begun against him. The death is announced of Mrs. Hannah Morgan, wife of Mr John Morgan, of Glyneithrim Farm, near Craigeeftiparc. She was 71 years of age, and, as occupier of the Cwm Clydach Woollen Factory, was in previous years a familiar ficrure as a stallholder in the flannel department at local fairs. The funeral took place at Pamtycrwys Churchyard, Craigoefnparc, on Saturday. When Fred Weller was fined 7s. 6d. at Willesden for being drunk and dis- orderly, he remarked to the magis- trate: "Tell you what you can do, guv'nor, you can have four and a tan- ner and the other bit on Saturday." The magistrate accepted the offer, and told the man to bring the balance on Saturday. Weller: What, bring it here? Why, that's a day's work. Justifying a window-smashing exploit for which he was before the Tunbridge Wells Bench, a tramp said: "I only did it to get a night's lodging. I con- sidered I was justified in smashing win- dows, because Suffragists are doing it all over the place in this holy war. We tramps are a perfectly inoffensive class of men. If we had worse characters we should have more thought of us." He was sentenced to six weeks' hard labour

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