Llais Llafur

Welsh Societies' Council I and Home Rule. At a meeting of the council of the National Union of Welsh Societies held at Swansea on Saturday, presided over by Alderman John Jordan, Llansamlet, a resolution passed at the Cardiff con- ference held on the 15th ult., was con- sidered. After some discussion it was decided not to convene a National Con- ference to promote Welsh Home Rule, and that no representatives from the council should attend the National Con- ference on Self-goverment. for Wales, which, it is understod, will meet during Whitsuntide, but it was resolved to in- vite the organisation with which Alder,1 man S. N. Jones is now associated to consult with represeiita; ives' of the National Union before any arrangements are made for the proposed Whitsuntide Conference. The council decided to limit the activities of the Union to hold- ing educational conferences in various parts of the Principality aj.. times to be fixed, whereby the objects, aims, and scope of the Welsh Home Rule propos- als will be make known to the general public. Mr E. T. John submitted a statement to the Council dwelling on.,the powers that should be conferred on a Welsh Parliament. Of his proposals that which included the nationalisation of industry provoked most criticism it being already known to the council that Mr** John holds that Wales should con- trol its own fiscal and foreign policy. Mr John Walter Jones, B.A., Profes- sor Joseph Jones, the Rev. Eurof Wal- ters, and the Rev. J. Dyfnallt Owen in the course of the discussion which fol- lowed strongly resented the introduction of polities into a Welsh organisation ultra vires to its constitution, the ob- ject and aims of the societies contribu- ting to the Union being purely national. Ultimately it was resolved to refer Mr John's statement to the aims com- mittee of the council. OFFICIAL REPORT I The proceedings were private, and the following official report was sup- plied by Mr D. Arthen Evans, the general secretary:— The council of the National Union -of Welsh Societies met at Swansea on Saturday last. Alderman J Jordan, J.P, presided. Mr E. T. John, the president of the Union, also attended. The following resolutions were passed 1. "That we organise a conference (or conferences) at a convenient centre (or centres), and that delegates from every society, council, and board of Welsh character and aim be invited thereto to discuss in all its aspects the question of Home Rule for Wales. 2. "That we invite the Llandrindod Conference Committee to elect six re- presentatives to confer, prior to conven- ing the proposed National Conference, with six representati ves of the council of the National Union of Welsh Societies, the delegates to meet on Saturday, the 22nd inst., at Swansea." The delegates appointed by the coun- cil are :—Mr E. T. John, Alderman J. Jordan, the Rev. D. Eurof Walters, the Rev. Dyfnallt Owen, Mr Roland Thomas, and Mr D. Arthen Evans.

SWANSEA RATE UP. Swansea's education rate is expected to be 3s. in the Ccompared with 2s.71-d. last year. The estimates pro- vide for an expenditure of £ 109,297.

Mr and Mrs. William Jenkins, 20, Gething-street. Aberavon, have cele- brated their golden wedding. Mr Jen- kins is 72 years. There are two sur- viving daughters and 23 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

CHANNEL TUNNEL. QUESTION OF IMMEDIATE CON- STRUCTION. The important announcement was made in the House of Commons on Mon- day that negotiations are in progress for the immediate commencement of work on the Channel Tunnel. The construc- tion of a tunnel between Dover and Calais has been much discussed within recent years, being brought into promi- nence more particularly in connection with the war. The announcement of a probable eaHy beginning on the scheme was made by- way of a reply to a question. Mr Bottomley (Ind., South Hackney). asked whether in order to find employ- ment for discharged soldiers, the Prime Minister would approach the French Government with a view to immediately commencing the construction of the Channel Tunnel. Mr Bonar Law said he was in com- munication with the Prime Minister in Paris on this subject. (Hear, hear).

Conditions of Germans and Effect on British Soldiers, PLUMER'S DRAMATIC MESSAGE. The Peace Conference, by its very constitution, does not lend itself to dramatic effect, although it is dealing with the greatest problems in the world's history. But even a business meeting of statesmen occasionally be- comes dramatic. There was such a moment in Saturday's sitting of the Council of Ten, when, during a discus- sion of the conditions upon which Ger- many shoulcr be given food, a telegram arrived for Mr Lloyd George from General Plumer which the Prime Minis- ter read at once to the assembled Coun- cil. In this dispatch General Plumer painted the food situation, at Øhy rate so far as Western Germany is concerned, in very sombre tones, and asked for an immediate supply of food in order to counteract Bolshevist agitation. Per- haps the most impressive passage in his telegram was that in which he pointed out how bad was the effect produced upon the British Army of the spectacle of the sufferings of German women and children. When the Prime Minister had. finished reading this dispatch he re- marked, with some emphasis, "Gentle- men, you cannot say that General Plumer is a pro-German." This voice of reality speaking from the Rhine had a very great effect upon the Council, which has now decided that the negotiations interrupted at Spa shall be resumed at Brussels as quickly as possible with a view to supplying Germany with food. There is general agreement that the revictualling of Germany must be dealt with at once. But, as is natural, the French are determined to see to it that Germany's resources for reparation shall not be diminished. It had been suggested by the Supreme Economic Council that 20 German ships should be handed over first of all, an equivalent in food be given to the enemy, that the second instalment of German shipping should consist of 100 vessels, and the third of all the remaining merchant- men. In view of Germany's immediate need of food the French are -beginning to be convinced that it is better to utilise part of the German gold reserve for the pur- chase of that food than to run the risk of an irrepassible outbreak of Bol- shevism in Germany which would de- prive the Allies of any possibility of ob- taining reparation, let alone indemnity. —"The Times," per Press Association.

WOMEN AS SOLICITORS. Mr Bonar Law stated, in reply to Major Hills, that he understood the Solicitors (Admission of Women) Bill was to be introduced in the House of Lords, and when it came to the House of Commons, he would try to find time for its consideration. (Cheers).

An officer of the South Wales Borderers iells a story of one of his men who lost a brother in the war and thereafter developed "blood lust. Nothing would keep him back. He did not know what fear was. He was al- ways missing from his place in the trenches and would return in the morn- ing twilight over "No Man's Land," with tales of Germans whom he had settled. One morning he came back and his comrades expressed their dis- belief. "Very well," he said, "we shall advance to-day over the ground and you will find dead Germans in certain .dug-outs and you will find my chalk marks "S. W.B." on the doors. The Jbattalion advanced and the words of that Borderer proved true in every de- fail. Eventually he himself paid the penalty.

I A SWANSEA MYSTERY I I AMERICANS ESCAPE FROM POLICE STATION. Two Americans who were detained at the cells at the Central Police-stationrl Swansea, for alleged offences on board ship escaped from the cells during Sun- day night, to the great mystification of the officials. The cells are treble locked, and the men were searched be- fore being incarcerated, and it is sup- posed they had skeleton keys concealed about them. When "Black 'Maria" arrived to take them to the prison it was found that they had flown, and the cells were empty. -0

NO GOOD IN PRISON CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS. Mr Shortt (Home Secretary) informed Mr W. R. Smith that 947 conscientious .objectors were now serviiig sentences of imprisonment with hard labour, and of these 663 were receiving special privi- leges 732 had served in the aggregate more than 12 months' imprisonment with hard labour. Mr W. Thorne asked i lie Home Office had considered the advisability of giving complete freedom to these men? (Cries of "Why?") Mr Thorne Because they are no good in prison. (Laughter). No reply was given.

TRUNK "MYSTERY" I STRANGE DISCOVERY NEAR SKEWEN. A discovery which until Saturday was enshrouded in mystery was made in the Skewen district on Friday night. One of the workmen employed at the No. 4 pit of, the Main Collieries, Skewen and living on the side of the Drymma Mountain, was proceeding to his work on Friday evening through the wood at the rear of the colliery, a few yards away from the feeder a large pond at the back of the colliery), when he came across a quantity of men's clothing, also a wooden case and a tin trunk. The workman came to the conclusion that someone had jumped into the pond, and he immediately informed the police. Inspector Gill, wtth several local con- stables, proceeded to the wood and took possession of the clothing and boxes. The wooden case contained a man's clothing, whilst in the tin trunk was found a wallet' containing zC37 in Treasury notes and a Post Office Sav- ings Bank Book issued at Westbury-on- Trym with a deposit of £50 in the name of Patrick Fox, with an address of Church Cottage, Hallen, Henbury, near Bristol. There was also a bank book bearing the same name, but with the address, Rock Cottage, Inverkeithing, 1913, with a sum of 10s. to the credit of Mr Fox. There was also found in the wood a practically new Raleigh bicycle. The police immediately set about dragging the feeder. but failed to re- cover a body. Light was thrown on the mystery by an application inade to the Swansea justices on Saturday, when a man named Fox applied for a warrant against two men for stealing a cycle and two bags at Landore station two days before. He said lie left the ar- ticles at the Landor St tation, and on proceeding to Swanse, o tld two men over some drinks thatne had left his things at the Landore cloakroom, and that one of the bags contained £ 40 in notes and about E20 in silver, besides a Post Office savings book. Later, on applying for the articles at the cloak- room, he was informed that they had already been given out to two men, one of whom claimed to be Fox's brother, who stated that Fox was ill and had lost his ticket, and produced what he said was an authority from him to re- ceive the things. The warrant was issued.

G.C.G. COUNCILLOR AND FIERY STEED. David Lewis, a guardian and district councillor, of Gwauncaegui vven^ was at Ammanford on Tuesday, summoned for riding a motor cycle to the danger of the public at Llandebie. P.S. Morgan stated that on the occasion of a parade of discharged soldiers and sailors, High street, Llandebie, was crowded when defendant came through, and after nearly colliding with a motor car knock- ed two persons down. Defendant had I since approached him and asked him not say too much, and to bring no witnesses, to save expense. The magistrates I ordered defendant to pay the costs.

CHEERY JOHN WARD, Colonel John Ward M.P., the well- known Labour leader, whose thrilling account of the horrors of Bolshevism in Russia was recently published, „ writes again under date of December 12th last to Mr W. A. Appleton, secretary of the General Federation of Trade Unions. I "I am at a point in Western Siberia 3,000 miles from Vladivostok. The sea is frozen over for five miles from the I shore. I am on the Ural front, with about a quarter of a million Bolsheviks, Russians, Magyars, and Germans bar- ring the way towards European Russia. "I have been over the Urals once, and had a slight brush with the enemy, but am now back in winter quarters at Omsk in a temperature within five degrees of anything registered at the North Pole. "My room is supposed to be fairly well heated, yet every nail has at least an inch of white ice on it, and the wood- work has quite an artistic appearance, and the ventilator in my bedroom has long streaks of ice hanging down to- wards the bed. Every brass door handle I. and every piece of metal is covered with ice inside the room, and the world out- side looks like one vast sea of snow. "It does not get really dark as in England, but on the other hand the sun only shows itself for about six hours out of 24. "It is a cold like nothing I had ever imagined. It seems to freeze the very I marrow in your bones. What* makes it feel worse is the fact that we lived in the Tropics nearly two years, and our blood got thin. "But the Tommies are wonderful for keeping up their courage under these trying circumstances. "Christmas is here but it is no I Christmas to us. No beef, no pudding, no beer, no nothing beyond the bare Government ration for officer and soldier alike in this deeply-stricken land. Our own people have lost the run of us, and owing to some foolish interference at I iHong Kong our letters only arrive nt long tctur-mls. Bl."t we never despair, for are we not soldiers, and our busi- ness to serve the country regardless of our own comfort?"

EXPERTS TO ASSIST SWANSEA I COMMITTEE. At Swansea Education Committee, the Director of Education introduced the question of forming a scheme of education under the new Education Act, and said the work at Swansea would include nearly every phase of education and would be of a very com- I plex character. He advised the im- mediate formation of a special com- mittee with power to co-opt experts to draw up the scheme. This was agreed to. It was decided to allocate L500 to- wn" commencing the education of m. rally deficient children.

Sir Owen Edwards adopted the middle name of Morgan in his Bala days to distinguish him from his then more famous cousin, Owen Edwards of Car- narvon. After an absence of a few years in Australia, the latter returned for a brief visit to Wales to find the order reversed, and was amused to find that he had been announced to preach as "the cousin of Owen M. Edwards."

BRECON COUNTY COUNCIL. As a result of County Council elec- tions in Breconshire last week the Con- servatives, who have had a majority over Liberals and Labour for the last, nine years, lose that position. The constitution of the Council was as follows :— Conservatives 26 Liberals 20 Labour 3 THE NEW Ct oNCIL The results last week changes this balance, namely: Conservatives 22 Liberals. 19 Labour 8 Eight aldermen are to be elected, and, two, if not three of these should be Labourites. A feature of the election was that no Liberal or Labourite lost his seat to a Conservative. The defeat of Mr Moore-Gwyn, of Duffryn, by Labour, reduces the num- number of the original members of the Council to three, namely:—Rev. D. A. Griffiths (Troedrhiwdalar) Mr S. Miller (Forest Lodge), and Mr Owen Price (Nantyrharn). It is probable that Mr Moore-Gwyn will be elected to an aldermanic seat. A notice has been issued by the deputy returning officer (Mr Howell Powell) declaring that for the Ystrad. fellte division, Mr David Price (farmer) has been duly elected. It will be re- membered that at last Thursday's poll rlo Mr Price and Mr W B Trick (auctioneer of Neath) tied, each with 99 votes. The returning officer then gave his casting vote in favour of the old member (Mr Price), a decision that was at the time disputed by Mr Trick.

MORE POSTAL DELIVERIES. It is very unlikely that the full n.t." 1 corvicc, c. in J\^oe"i»eit>re the war, will ever be resumed on the old scale. In areas where in pre-war times they had twelve deliveries of letters during the day, and about five or six deliveries during the war, it is extremely improb- able that the number of deliveries in the future will exceed nine or ten. The object of this is to secure better and more regular working hours for post men with as little inconvenience as pos- sible to the general public. In a few weeks an increased delivery of letters may be expected.

ALIEN JOB-SNATCHERS. To prevent the landing in this country of alien labour the strictest regulations are now being enforced at all British ports. Under orders from the Ministry of Labour any foreigner arriving in this country seeking British labour and wages is subjected to a most rigid scrutiny as to his purpose and the cir- cumstances under which he was prompted to come. As a result.it has happened quite re- cently that various people from abroad have been confined to their steamers for a considerable period pending inquiry.

Put your money into WAR SAVINGS CERTIFICATES and I WATCH IT GROW! 15/6 becomes f- 1. £ 7.15/- becomes £ 10 £ 38 15/- becomes £ 50 £ 77.10/- becomes f- 100 £ 193.15/- becomes &250 f-387. 10il- becomes £ 500 WAR Savings Certificates are the safest and most* profitable investment in the world. Your money grows without any effort or care on your part. It grows even while you sleep. If you want your money back before it has grown to its fuli extent, you can obtain | repayment at any time by giving two or three days ) notice to the Post Omce—but if you are wise you won t notice to the Post Office-but if you are w,, se you won 't You can buy War Savings Certificates from your Bank, Post Office, Association, or Official Agent. H.H.B.—5