INSURANCE AGENTS" WAGES. - - - . - - - -|1918-02-09|Llais Llafur

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GLYDACH fiOTES

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GLYDACH fiOTES At a well-attended riotie :n: eung held under tin- auspices of tno !«;<• il 8. and S. ire: pt-ioii committee :tt the Public Clydach, Lanee-Corpl. .1, E. Williams, Seaman T. Arthur Smith, Ptes. Tom Morgan, Gunicr Wilbams. and Toni'Martin, all local lads home on leave from the f>ont, 'were accorded an enthusia.sitc welcome, and were pre- sented with gifts of money. Mr.- Mor- gan Tibbs also received a gift on be- half of her soldier husband, who was recently home on 1 -a ve, but had ic- joined his unit. Mr. Marston, The Square, who has given two sons to the army, the younger of whom has made the supreme sacrifice, ably presided over the gathering. The guests of the evening came in for quite an ovation from the audience, and all briefly ac- knowledged the wdcome accorded them. A pleasing miscellaneous pro- gramme, arranged by Mr Dd. Roderick was provided by a capable Trebanos concert party, to which the following contributed Songs, Miss Davie*. Mrs. Hodge and Mr. Dd. Davies; peuillion singing, Mr. Banos Dnvu's: qua rtctte, Mr. Dd. Davies and friends: "ifllin solo Mr. Maries AVilliams; dialogue, Miss Ceinwen Davies and Mr. •! J. Wil- liams. Messrs. L. Morgan and Rhys Wi *Iliaiii. were the accompanists. The party w^re v. armly thanked for their services. At a meeting of the Young People's Guild held at Cnlfaria Schoolroom on Wednesday evening last, a. well-writ- ten paper 011 the subject of "Yr Arf Olai" (The Last Weapon) based upon n well-known literary production, was read by Mr. Willie Rees, Ynistawe. The Rev. T. Valentine Evans presid- ed. The paper was of a highly contro- versial nature, and produced An in- teresting discussion. Mr. Rees was warmly thanked for his able contribu- tion. SaJem-terrace, Clydach, was the scene of a rather exciting occurrence on Friday < v'euing last. An outbreak of tire t>iok j)lace in one ot the dwell- ing-houses comprising the terrace buildings, which seriously endangered the safety of the whole block. There was a hurried rush of people to the soeue, and after much exertion and some exciting moments the fire was brought under control And eventually extinguished. Considerable damage was done to the staircase and other material. HOY. the fire originated is not known with certainty. The childrifcj of the employes of the io(t.il Mond Nick'-l Works, about 1,000 iu number, assembled at the Puhlic Hajj, Ch-d:K-h, on Saturday afhr- noon la.st, when tliev were made the !»ppy r«:-iptcnL.sof welcome gifts by the local branch of the Workers' Union. in past vrars, Yule-tide gifts were wade, to the children of their employes br the nian:v"ni of th<» Mond, who hare since <1J• iit in ue-d the customary treat. The :1 it' of t he Clydach Square e.nx.d to be charged with eVctrieitv 1 (Hl Bat'.iniay night la^t, and it l-)«kcd u if some .urprl.se attack or grand offensive Jied launched. It is whispered v!:ai suise young gladiator, brimful of the spirit, or the ar-t-ive field, had brought oil a brilliant outflank ing movement of an rtppouent, and had s.?ut h'm cr':?hin? through the oin<end a J h C' window oi a. well-known heid estab- ?is)im<t' T'.e?.);; <y,i;.< of ?.?r" were w.?.?'d b..t,"r. "Tb<-re is (pnet, on the C?yC"?' Iront. :.?! ..nihing to i report, is tne official \v:ix le-.s r<<port i.st'.ed ir.to". A young .Jack Tar friend sends a. breew from "somewliere in the Korth- -ern Mists." He writes: "T trust ind believe that the curtain is up on tlm last act of the w ir. May ic come down •on a Kulder hut wis<>r (iennany, and all our labc.urs and little sacrifices will not hnvc iii vain. All the moun- I lain-: seen i'r-Tn the a are covered ] with --now, and though cold, they pre- sent n pretty pieture under their silver !t!'?'\)i.i)'swe?.?.-ith me." mf, Enjoyaiilo Miiscellane-cus meetings piomoied in connection with the Snu- Ni i i- hold at Pa ntvcrwys Church, Ciaigcefnparc, on Sunday morning and evening last. :\1 r. John '{iiomas jiresided over large eongrega- tions. A much appreciated programme was provided, to which the following i coiiiTibured R-ecitations. Misse> Mary i Thomas. Maggie Gittins, Doris May Th.unas. Cecilia Gittins, Bessie Doris Watts. Maggie Ethel Davies, Alice May Williams, Muriel Clement, Messrs John A. Williams, and Win. Davies; songs, .Misses May Jones and Ann Evans and Mr. Idi-is George; quartette Mr. Hopkin Evans and friends. The Sister-in-Cliarge of the Quarr Auxiliary Hospital, Clydach,wishes j gratefully to acknowledge the follow- ing gifts made to the hospital during the past month: Messrs. Weaver Co. Ltd., Swansea, 20 hags of !Itiiii-: 1, 1). Kiddig Jones. Clydach, £ 1 (prizes for fancy dress competition); Air. NN-. i J. Percy Player, Clydach, eggs, butter [and vegetables; Mrs. Phillips, Masons Arms, Glai.5, £ 1 10s.: Mr. Will Jones, cvelist, uramophone records; Mr Studt 10s. 6d. I sf' I A sccrrd concert promoted in aid of the sa i lor and ,oldier lad serving with the colours was held at Calfaria | Chapel, after divine service on Sun- day evening last. Dr. J. Havard Jones presided over a very large at- tendaiK'e. The concert had bteen ar- ranged by Mr Samuel C. Jones, and tho programme, which constituted one of the b<>L y(^t given in the |iati'iotic series, wa- provided bv the Pontar- dawe Coneeri Party ((i Li-(,,c-ted by Mr j D. C. Jones). The artistes were: Miss S. M. Jenkins (soprano) Messrs. D. C, Jones (tenor) Erasmus Morgan ld ol. ( ;Il (halitonet •. Gwernydd Morgan (elo- cutioni.st); and Harry -Jenkins (organ soloist and accompanist). The con- • tributions were as follows thongs. "Dream of Pajadise" and "Angels ever bright and fair," Miss S. M. Jenkins; "Daoper and deeper still"' and "Waft her angels," Mr D. J C. Jones; "Mart-bog," Mr Erasmus Morgan; dust, "Watohjiiaii, what of the ? Messrs. Jones and Mor- gan; orgal* tsoios. "Marches," Mr. Harry Jenkins (organist at All Saints" Church); recitations. "Mark Anboiiy't; Oration. and. "Meddwon ar wdrth," Mr Gwernydd Morgan. The favourite Welsh hymns, "0 fryniau Caer.salem" and Duvr mawr T ryfeddixlau maith, also sung with inspiring effect bv t,h-e loti. On tho motion of tha Rev. T. Valetine Evans (pastor^, Mr T). C. Jones n.j the Party wera warmly thanked for their kindly visit, and Mr Samuel C. oroixes, who was responsible for the pro- gramme. y 1 -:>• tbafiked f .-r hiii I, cfForts. Tlio M. I'd Niek.-l Works Or<-he»ti'a I (conducted by Mr Wiilie. Griluths) gave an «nj<iy:'bl" recit-sl at St. John's Church, ailer .service on: Suu- da? even i n g hs t The ua? ;lo (.apiLa !v contributed to by (",wal¡:t), W. Hif.hu.rds (vio?nisL): W Mrs. Griffiths and Messrs. T. Re? GrifHt.hs(fi?ut.I-u..uidJ. Butler (or- gan im i. '1 !)••> v.-a •• a. good attcj:da.nc'' and ;i <)llecfo'i was tna-de during tho evening in < of the Quarr Hospital Kund. 'Vv etab f.lewelyn.

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F tt' "" ,..,.." t1 ó). I\,/R'…

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F tt' t1 ó). I\R' Frc? the Mystencns? E?sL i U i. ¡ ?-.?-?- Graphic fetter from an Ystrad- | 1 1, r 1 | ?? ?hus ?a?or-??: j A n" moirihs ago Mr. i-iek Jlilhvard—an } strwigynlai, reside; v. ) is serving oil K.Ai.S. City of Or ford—which was so ui;:eo.i idy interesting an<i descrip- tive, ihat invited hii to -.vrit-e- again ar.d a tew days -ago we r<'ceivcd I from him the follow ing vivid account of a visit to an Egyptian port. The iett >r >« chited i)-ee. 4th. Air. Miiiward proceeus:— 1 was agreeably surprised to nnd my humble elt'ort- printed in your paper, and if it is possible for it to give anyone a moment's pleasure it ire/oases mine a. thousandfold. As you invite me to write again I will ask you to come with me on an imaginary visit to the East. It is seven in the morning, hot, with a damp, unhealthy heat, and we are steaming our economical ten knots. The spot on the horizon that we have be-en watching for the last hour gradu- ally takes shape and becomes the light- house at the entrance of the Suez Canal an inpnense structure, the light frcin which, in peace time, can be seen some forty miles out at sea, but now it must remain dark as the light tJaat guides friends, guides foes also. As we watch, the fairway buoys and the breakwater come into view, and what appeared to be a figure on the sea wall becomes an immense bronze statue of the Frenchman, Dc Losseps, who engineered and superintended the making of the canal. Our engines are now stopped and we drift id]y along waiting for the pilot to come aboard. The pilot aboard we get under way again, but slowly now, as we are in the narrow fairway be- tween two rows of shipping lying at anchor; some ooaling, some loading or discharging cargo while others, under the white ensign, wait for orders to gu out and strafe the Hun. A tug has now got hold of us and is pulling us into our berth where we drop anchor. We are immediately surrounded by a howling horde of natives in rawing boats, touts for laundries, barbers, tailors, bootmakers, hotels and cafes; floating sliopL4 with fruit, silk goods, curios and general habeidasherv. Were we under the red ensign they would swarm aboard but on a ship of this description the strictest secrecy is o b- served, so they come as close as they dare and display and boost their wares in the noisiest manner possible. A loud voice seems to be the Egyptian's best asset. In front of us across the canal lies the big field hospital, behind us the custom house with its domes of inlaid mosaic reiiecting the sun in a thousand different rays, and the enormous wharf StD eked with food for the troops, camels and horses. We now get ashore, passing through the custom house. Were we in in civil- ian elress we should be searched for contraband, but in our uniform we pass out unmolested into the street. We are immediately pounced upon by a gentleman simply dying to fake us for a drive in his two-horsed "gharry, but we decline and proceed between rows of filthy shops into the better part of the town. We sit outside a cafe to have some refreshment and look round, but can we get peace? -N ,o. Here is an Arab who wants to sell roast peanuts, another with shrimps, a eoon with cakes, an Egypt- ian with curios, another with silk goods, his brother with cigarcttcs, and his friend with postcards, and still they come, so we move and proceed further only to be accosted by a blind beggar, a bootblack and a lemonade seller, who carries a sort of urn on his back and bangs his tins cups together as he walks along. Outside every shop I is a man shouting the particular warCi" his employer- desires to sell, and he mises nobody, "Charley," "Softy," "Tic-h," and "Tubby" being amongst the appellations he applies indiscrimi- nately to all who pass. Here is the market, with piles of enormous yellow pumpkins, heaps of oranges, bread- fruit or mangoes, garlic and onions— the smell is indescribable. Tho butchers' shops are very dirty and the moat poor, except the pork, which is mostly fat, the pigs live in small droves and grovel on the beach for the garbage washed up by the tide. We marvel at the different nationali- ties that buy and sell in this market. Bedouin A-rabs, Syrians, Soudanese, Chinese, Japs., Cingalese, French, Indian and African negroes, Algerians and Jews being but a few, and every one seems to talk his loudest in his owrr particular IODI/UP. The (ranks who want to abolish street noises should be sont out L t > h^ir this babel. Petticoat-lam- < *i uud- is a.s silent the tomb oompa ■<] with this. j What strikes us most is the dress of tho Arab and Egyptian women, every one dressed in a sort of black go. n covering them from head to feet ,nd sandals with no stockings. The married women wear tho "yashmar," a veil covering the faoo from the bridge of the nose downwards, and a. piece of thin, bamboo on the bridge of the nose with one. two or three gold rings, according to their station in life. They also wear silver arklets, which iintrle like hel's as they shuffle along. The police are rerv picturesque in their white uniforms, but their methods of administering justice is very crude. They carry a thin cane and use it on men women and children alike. I have seen a woman with a child m her amis soundly whipped by a policeman for begging aim.?. On the whole the Egyptian is very simple-minded, any child's game amuses him, and whakyer work he has to do he sings, and if possible, claps his hands in accompaniment. Their idea of the Britisher seems that lie has three pleasures in life, eating, drinking and giving them "backsheesh" (gifts). They expect "backsheesh" if they wish you goodmorning, or step out of you way and if you fail to comply they tell you what you are, in Arabic, and even the blind beggar knows how to swear in English. During the afternoon we go for a sail up the canal, on one side of which is the desert, while on the other, date palms, pampas grass, immense foxgloves and convulvuli grow in pro- fusion. Higher up is the Armenian refugee camp, where the women make lace goods and the men make wooden goods, which their children go out and sell. This wav thev make a living until they return to their own ('ountry. ¡ We return iu the evening in the light I of a glorious sunset, the like of which we never see at home. The cafes are now full and inside or on the balcony of each are musieians and singers, usually Spanish. On our way to the ship we pass the mosque with a service in full swing. There are no seats, wor- shippers either stand or kneel. On the whole they seem to make hard work of it and as much noise as possible, These services are held at all hours of the night and t-he droning monoto- nous invocations can often be heard long after midnight. As we pass through the now silent streets near the custom house the air seem.s^full of mystery, we cannot hear ourselves walk much less the Arabs. who pass us before we are aware of iii, on the sandy road, and the silence is intense. We pass once more through the custom house and now to our ship, I, feeling almost relieved to be amongst civilised beings once more, and to hear the mother tongue snoken, and so to bed. I must apologise for writing at such length, and I doubt if you will ask me again, but writing helps to while away the tedium of an idle hour, so I will close, wishing you and all friends a Happy New Year. DICK MILWARD (M.M.R.) I [Mr. Miiiward may rest assured that I ? as long as he writes in such a fresh and graphic manner as he has done i hitherto, we shall be very glad to pub- lish his letters; and we have no doubt our readers will join with us in hoping that he will "while away the tedium" of many more idle hours in a similar manner.' His letter did not arrive until the beginning of February; but it is never too Into to reciprocate kindly wishes.—Ed. L.V.]

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1_n ! PoBtarriawe Housing…

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1 _n PoBtarriawe Housing Scheme. I | District Council Clerk's Useful Report, Mr. Wyndham Lewis, clerk to the Pontardawe District Council and Guardians, has formulated a report, dealing with the Small Dwellings Ac- quisition Act. 1898, in reply to ques- tions put by the Minify of Recon- struction. h. Lewis has had a great deal to do with the Act since it came into operation. Below are embodied some of the replies given by Mr. Lewis:— L21,997 has been advanced in respect of 112 houses in the Pontardawe dis- trict. Quite 75 per cent. were new houses built in reliance on the purchaser ob- taining an advance under the Act. Borrowers were usually coal miners, steed and tinplute workers, and other men of the artisan glass. The average value of houses acquired would be about £\2-15, The typo of house* was usually de- tached or wYni-deiechrd cottages, con- taining three bedrooms. with two rsoms on the ground Thor, and the usual officers. No special covenant as to repair is inserted in the mortgages. The houses are almost invariably well kept by the borrowers. Owner-occupancy in the district had. no appreciable effect on the mobility of labour. The condition that the bor- rower must reside in the house, might be removed altogether after seven years from the date of advance. The houses built for resident owners were generally a better-cl ass cottage than those built to let to tenants by speculative builders. The houses of the District Council under the housing schemes were let on weekly tenancies, and whilst they had a large percentage of excellent results, others did not use the premises with the same care as thq occupying owners. SOME GOOD POINTS. Mr. Lewis also refers to the follow- ing points:— (1) The sum advanced cannot bill recalled as long as the conditions were complied with. (2) The low rate of in- terest. (3) The long term of repay- ment, which results in the early instal- ments of principal being little more than the sum at which a cottage of equal sise can be rented. (4) The privi- lege of repaying the whole of the principal sum to the Council after a month'6 notice, or, in like manner, to pay off sums of £ 10 or multiples there- of. (5) Four-fifths of the value of the premises can be advanced. The Act could with great advantage be used in the acquisition, development and leasing of land for building to private individuals. It would make town-planning schemes in small popu- lous oentres possible without being a burden to the rates. A model common form of lease oould be adopted. The Council might itself have a scheme enabling tenants to accumulate the first fifth value, The tenants of municipal housing schemes might be encouraged to acquire their dwelling if. instead of letting the houses on the ordinary tenancy basis, a system were devised whereby on a tenant paying a slightly increa.se.d rent there would be set to his credit, in his account with the local authority, a small sum at the end of the year of the tenancy. This sum would continue to accumulate un- til one-fifth of the value of the house was reached, with the result that the owner would have the option of ac- quiring the dwelling. A GOOD TENANT. Surely a good tenant could lay claim to be credited with the principal, pro- Tided, of oourse, the margin for repairs and upkeep in the rent was sufficient. The good tenant had to pay his share in this item, and why not give him some credit in the form of a bonus. It would enoourage the good tenant im- mensely. Yr. Lewis states tkat he has had many years experience in connection with a local permanent building society where advances were made to men of good character up to 100 per oent. of j the coat of the dwelling. Tenders were invited and examined, with the plan and speciifcation, by the society, and instalments given as the work pro- ceeded. The borrower commenced his repayment as soon as the advance was agreed upon. The system had worked exceedingly well, a.nd in the very few instances of defaulters the society had always been able to realise the proper- ty without loss.