The Amman Valley Chronicle and East Carmarthen News

I Llandovery Board of Guardians i The monthly meeting of this Board was held on Friday, the 15th inst., Mr. Danl. Lewis, Ynysborde, presiding. THE HOUSE. I The Master reported that there were 15 inmates against 17 in the correspond- ing period last year. Mr. Dl. Lewis, Mrs. Lewis, Mile End, and Aid. T. Watkins had paid visits to the House. The gist of their reports was that the inmates from the oldest to the youngest were thoroughly comfortable and had no complaints to make. Prayer meetings had been held as well as preaching ser- vice by the Rev. Tivy Davies, on be- half of Salem Congregational Church. Mrs. Williams, Llanfair Grange, had given a tea to the inmates, consisting of bread and butter and cake and different kinds of pastry. She had also distri- buted tea to the females, tobacco to the men, and sweets to the children. On the occasion of the Peace celebrations the inmates were served with a dinner of roast lamb, stewed fruit and blanc- mange. OUTDOOR RELIEF. I The Relieving Officer reported that on August 7th 79 persons had received outdoor relief at a cost of £ 25/12/ corresponding period last year 92, cost £ 24/15/- August 14th 79, cost £ 25/12/ corresponding period last year 91, cost £ 23/14/ THE NEW HEALTH MINISTRY I BEGINS TO HUSTLE. The Ministry of Health wrote anent Dr. Fuller' s recent visit to the Institu- tion. He reported that no skilled nurse was employed day or night. The Ministry asked what arrangements the Board was prepared to make for such attendance. Mr. D. Davies: The Nurse of the town is attending them regularly. The Relieving Officer: She visits them twice a week. Mrs. Lewis, Mile End, said that if there was any inmates requiring special attention the Nurse visited them daily. The Clerk: Are you going to make any arrangements for day attendance of a skilled nurse. If you are not, you must say so and give your reasons for doing so. Mr. D. Davies: Tell them what our arrangements are. Ald. Watkins: We subscribe a certain sum every year towards the District Nurse attending the Institution, and I was under the impression that it was understood at the time we granted the money, the nurse was to visit the Work- house either once or twice a week. The Clerk: She is supposed to go whenever cases require nursing.. They want to know what arrangements you are making for daily attendance. Mrs. Lewis said that at present there was no daily attendance, but they had made arrangements for bi-weekly at- tendance or oftener if required. She had personally seen some of the cases in bed. They were extremely well looked after and were a credit to the Matron and Nurse. They were not suffering from bed-sores or anything like it. The nursing was quite competently sar- ried out at present under the, existing arrangements. But if additional cases were brought in she did not know whether the present nurse's services were quite enough. Answering a question the Acting Master said he considered the present arrangements satisfactory. It was stated that there was a great scarcity of nurses. It was decided to reply giving the present arrangements. The Plymouth Board wrote asking this Board to support a resolution urging the Government to increase the allow- ance of Old Age Pensioners, and to send a similar resolution to the local M.P's. Ald. Watkins: I move that we sup- port that, and also that we instruct our Clerk to communicate with the two members for the county urging them to take up the matter at Westminster. This was seconded and carried. | COUNTY RATE. I The Clerk announced the receipt of a county precept on the different parishes at Is. Ifd. in the £ Replying to a question as to how it compared with previous ones, he said that it seemed to be going up. Mr. David Davies, Rhyblid, claimed that the County Council was far more economical than local public bodies. The present increases he attributed to the advances recently given to teachers. RELIEVING OFFICER'S SALARY. I Ald. Watkins then brought forward the question of increasing the Relieving Officer's salary. He said the applicant fully deserved their sympathy, and he had no doubt that so far as possible they would do justice to the case. Mr. Williams was a very old and a very good officer. He was one of the best. They v/ere all agreed as to that. He had given the whole of his time to the service of that Board for the last 38 years; 25 years to the whole Union. He (Ald. Watkins) did not think there were any Guardians present that day besides himself who were present when I the arrangement was made that one Relieving Officer should do the work of the whole Union instead of two. The Chairman: I say there is not a single one except yourself. Continuing, Aid. Watkins said that the Board paid £ 120 to the two Reliev- ing Officers. There had been a saving since the two appointments had been merged into one of f-500. That was 25 years ago. They experienced great difficulty in getting the Local Govern- ment Board to sanction the alteration. The Local Government Board were strongly of opinion that it was an im- possibility for one man to do the work, because it was stated that it was one of the largest Unions in Wales in so far as area was concerned. If his memory served him rightly, it was about 108,000 acres. The Clerk: One hundred and sixty square miles. Ald. Watkins proceeded to say that the change had been fully justified. The then Local Government Board Inspec- tor, a Mr. Bircham, was against it, and advised them not to sanction the new arrangement. However, they per- severed, talked the matter over, and got pretty hot over it. each party thinking they were right. Afterwards Mr. Bircham was one of the first to con- gratulate Mr. Williams on the fact that he had done the work excellently. He was agreeably surprised at finding one man could do the work. Mr. Williams had been Collector for the Board for 25 years, and collected on an average £ 100 a vear, and that at the rate of 5 the other Boards throughout England per cent. represented a good deal of saving in addition to the £ 500. All the other Boards throughout England and Wales paid their collectors 2s. in the £ Narberth granted their Reliev- ing Officer an increase of 100 per cent. on account of the increased cost of living. Mr. Williams had also keep a horse and trap, the cost in connection with which was double what it used to be. Pontardawe had increased 20 per cent. to the Relieving Officer; Swansea had adopted the Civil Service List, the maximum 75 per cent.; Brecon had in creased 60 and 70 per cent. One of the Relieving Officers there—and it was an easier district to work—enjoyed several privileges. He was allowed to keep a farm, and paid about £ 50 rent. He also registrar of births, marriages and deaths. Whatever they granted Mr. Williams would not trouble them long. He, like himself, was just begin- ning to get old. Mr. Williams was 73. So they would not have to pay it long. He did not suppose he would continue more than a year or two in office. There was one thing he wished to make clear, fearing some may go away with a wrong impression, viz., that if they granted him 100 per cent. or 75, or even less, one-fifth of that would be added to -his present salary to count for super- annuation, and one-fifth of 160, say, would be £ 12. In conclusion, he said that he had had the honour of filling the chair for twelve years in succession, and felt happy in being surrounded with such excellent officers-both the Clerk and the Relieving Officer. ("Clywch, clywch "). It was a great responsi- bility to be Chairman of a Board of Guardians, but it roinimised the respon- S'bility to have such excellent officers. Mr. Williams was so posted in the Law of Settlement-the Poor Law Act —that he had it at his finger ends. The Clerk: Don't you move any- thing? Ald. Watkins: I will move unless somebody else does. Mr. D. Davies said that he did not approve of Mr. Watkins' speech. It was too long. A few words would have been adequate to meet the whole thing. As Mr. Williams had been such a good servant, he thought that ,they ought to support him. He thought, however, that 50 per cent. would meet the case. In all the years there had not been a single error in his accounts. Ald. Watkins: I didn't understand Mr. Davies' remarks. I don't know whether he was complimenting me or not. (Laughter) Mr. D. Davies: What I say I mean always, Ald. Watkins. The Chairman explained that the only fault Mr. Davies found was that the speech was too long. Mr. W. Evans, Cross Inn, thought Mr. Watkins was very fair. There were new members present who did not know much about Mr. Williams. Ald. Watkins said that was the reason he entered into details. Mr. Davies made a remark, and Ald. Watkins observed: I am very glad Mr. Davies sees it." Mr. James Price, Glantowy, did not agree that the services of Mr. Williams were drawing to a close. He hoped that he would live for a long time to continue the excellent work he had done in the past. He paid a similar compliment to Ald. Watkins., but j agreed from the ratepayers' point of I view that 50 per cent. would meet the case. He seconded Mr. Davies. Mr. W. Thomas, Caio, said it would be superfluous on his part to try to add to anything that had been said as to Mr. Williams' proficiency. The county at large knew what he had done for years, but as Mr. Davies pointed out quietly, it was unnecessary to make a big speech. (Laughter). The Chairman added his tribute. He said Mr. Williams had done his work without doubt and without fear or favour I to anybody. That was his opinion of I him. That was how he had always found him. Those were the very kind of officers they ought to have. Ald. Watkins would have preferred Mr. Davies speaking for half an hour, rather than he should propose 50 per pent. He held that it was too little. He never thought that anyone would I have proposed anything under 60 per cent. Other Boards had granted the 75 per cent. Mr. Evans, Cross Inn, seconded Mr. Watkins. On a division, 5 vote in favour of an increase of 60 per cent. and 14 for 50 per cent., which was the increase granted, to be retrospective from July, subject to the Local Government Board's approval.

-2 Topics. I Cricket X Topics. I The Ammanford Cricket Team visited Llanelly Steelworks on Satur- day week to play the return game. The visiting captain lost the toss, and sent in Ike Evans and Mil. Davies to bat. Boh played careful cricket till Mil. was given out I. b.w. when the score had reached 20. Lewis Hopkins and Cled Morris carried the score to 35, when rain came on, and so the game had to be abandoned with the score at 35 for four wickets. Ike Evans played well for his 12 runs, and great credit is due to him for volunteering to play for his old team. AMMANFORD v. GARNANT. COMMENTS ON THE GAMES PLAYED). Having played four games, each team winning two apiece, honours remain equal, and having read "Excel sior s comments in a previous issue on the games played, I must say his various excuses for Gamant's failure in the last two maches is, in fairness to the coming young cricketers of Amman- ford, not very encouraging, especially when he states that he is thoroughly convinced that it was the poor form of Garnant rather than the good display of the Ammanford players which decided the games in favour of the latter team. I can only quote to this the old sporting adage, and try to con- vince him that it was the superior cricket played by the Ammanford boys which enabled them to beat Garnant in the last two games. Hoping I shall not be taking up too much of your valuable space, I venture to summarise the matches played. The first match was played at Ammanford in very poor light. The home captain, winning the toss, and naturally thinking the light would im- prove, put Gamant in to bat first. It turned out otherwise; in fact, so bad that five of the home team were given out I.b.w. by misjudging the flight of the ball. We lost by 1 1 runs. The second game was played at Garnant, and Ammanford got a severe drubbing. The Ammanford captain, again winning the toss, after con- sultation with his players, came to the concl usion to send in the home side to bat first. For this decision, considera- tion was given to the fact that nine out of the eleven had not played on mat- ting before, and so were not prepared to risk batting before knowing how it played. Gamant made the big score: of 137 for six wickets. Amman ford, I replying badly, only scored 47 runs. Here young Mil. Davies carried out his bot thraugh the whole innings. He is the first player in my recollection who has performed this feat when Amman- ford and Garnant have met. This was the ouly good thing we brought back from Gamant that day. The third game was played at Ammanford under glorious conditions. A good natural wicket had been pre- pared for this game. The home cap- tain lost the toss for the first time, and his team was sent in to bat. I am not going to go into details about this game, only to quote the opinion of several of the old school cricketers who were watching the game. Better cricket they had not seen played for the last 15 years on the Ammanford ground either by Ammanford or Gamant. Both teams played excellent cricket, and it was to my mind (not because we won) one of the pleasantest and finest con- tested games I have played in during the last 22 years between Gamant and Ammanford. Here again I must men- tion Mil. Davies, Luther Thomas, LeW!S Hopkins, and GH Fidher, all young cricketers who are shewing good promise of becoming 6rst-c!aes players. Their scores, it will be remembered. ¡ were: M'I. Davies, 24; Lather Thomas: 49; and Lewis Hopkins, 15. Luther had very hard lines in not making his 1 50. Gil is a very nasty thorn in Gar- nant's side. He bowled well, and i made the ball break both ways. He and the captain bowled unchanged. Gil got six wickets for 37 runs, and the captain four for 20. The batting and bowling of Ammanford were too good for Garnant, and in this game, these combined with the opinions quoted before, and are the true facts concern- ing Garnant' s defeat. The scores were 115 to 62. The last and fourth game was played at Garnant on a very hot day. The home captain won the toss, and sent Ammanford in to bat, Lewis Hop-I kins procuring 22 runs, Cled Morris 21, S. Hughson 32, D. E. Thomas 12, and Mr. Byes totalled 18. These I were the principal scores. All played good cricket except the last man. Our players batted with more confidence than when they did in the first game they played on matting. The score reached 125, and Garnant replied with 118. It was rather a pity the last man for Gamant did not bat. It was a good sporting game all through, and was one of the hardest and most strenuous Ammanford ever played against Garnant, who had for this occa- sion one of the best teams they could possibly get. The game lasted over four hours, and it had been arranged to draw stumps at 7.30 or thereabouts if there was a sporting chance for either side to win; but the visiting captain allowed the game to be fought out to a finish, and lasted till 8.15. This proves that Gamant had every oppor- tunity of showing what they could do, and here I do agree with Excel- sior, the home captain made a mis- take (if I may be allowed to say so) by not making more use of the bowlers he had at his disposal. I hope "Excel- sior will in future give credit where credit is due, and foster up the good feeling which has prevailed, more especially this year. When Amman- ford and Camant again meet, it would be well to remember that in cricket the better side does not always prove the better side on the day that matters. ONE OF THE OLD SCHOOL.

I N.S.P.C.C. AND CHILD NEGLECT. The National Society for the Pre- vention of Cruelty to Children investi- gated 3,146 complaints of neglect and cruelty in England, Wales and Ireland during the month of July. Of the 3,069 cases completed, 2,989 were found true, affecting the welfare of 8,015 children and involving 3,896 offenders. Warnings were issued in 2,01 cases, 76 were prosecuted (resulting in 75 convictions), and 212 were dealt with by transfer or in other ways. From its foundation in 1884, the Society has dealt with 1,033,453 complaints involving 2,906,706 chil- dren. In the Carmarthenshire and Pem- brokeshire Branch during the same month 14 cases were dealt with, affect- ing 44 children. The Local Office of the Society for complaints is situated at Waterloo Ter- race, Carmarthen. I r_

I Llafldebie Weddiflg. A very interesting and pretty wed- ding was solemnised at Llandebie Parish Church on Saturday last, the contracting parties being Miss Maude Evans, the well-known elocutionist, the second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Evans, Gwalia, Llandebie, and Mr. David John Vaughan, son of Mr. and Mrs. Vaughan, of Penybank, Amman- f ord. The officiating clergyman was the Rev. J. Llewellyn Thomas, B.A., curate of Llandebie. The bride, who was very neatly attired in a dress Qf white satin, with crepe-de-Chine hat to match, was given away by her father. Mr. Sam Vaughan (brother of bride- groom) acted as best man, whilst the bridesmaids were Miss Nellie Evans, A.V.C.M., L.C.M., who wore a cream costume, with black picture hat trmmed with white feather to match, and Miss Winifred Haines, Gorseinon niece of bride), who was dressed all in white. After the wedding ceremony, the happy couple, together with a dis- tinguished number of guests, repaired to Gwalia, the home of the bride's parents, where the wedding breakfast was partaken of. The service was fully choral, and the Wedding March was played by Mr. Idris Rees, who presided at the organ. The presents were numerous and costly. The happy couple left by the 2.30 train for Cardiff, where the honeymoon is being spent. Appropriate verses by Irlwyn and Brynach appear in our Welsh columns. The bride, who is well-known in eisteddfodic circles as Llanferch," has won during her career seme 350 6rst prizes, 18 chairs, 15 me da ls, and two silver cups for her elocutionary powers. She was also a faithful mem- ber of Llandebie Parish Church Choir.

I Animamorfl foiiee Court, j Before Mr. D. Richards, Tirydaiil House (in the chair), Mr. J. Lewis, I Brynrhug, and Mr. J. Bevan. t' BREACH OF RULES. i David Williams, a fireman at the Tirydail Colliery was summoned for a i breach of rules under the Mines Regu- lations Act. Mr. J. Walton Bishop appeared for the prosecution. Mr. T. W. Lewis, manager at the. coHiery deposed that on the 23rd July last the defendant went down to fire a charge in a certain part of the mine. He fired one and the second misfired. De- fendant then went away, leaving a col- lier in charge. The result was that the collier went to look for the detonator and an explosion followed. He sus- tained injuries. The defendant in reply to the charge said that he left the place because there were other duties calling him in ether parts of the colliery. Mr. T. W. Lewis to the Bench said that defendant was an excellent and re- liable official. The Chairman said that he hoped the occurence would be a warning to him. He would be fined 10/- and costs, totalling £ 1/16/6. STRAYING MARE. I STRAYING MARE. I Alfred Bradbrook, 106, College Street, Amman ford;, was charged with allowing a mare to stray on the high- way. Defendant to the Police Officer stated that he had put the mare out to graze the night before and it must have come out. The Chairman remarked that com- plaints of this kind were getting serious. Defendant would have to pay 10/6. IN AN UNFIT STATE. I I Rudolph Bondy, a marine store dealer; Walter Belmont Thomas, and I Mary Thomas, his wife, were charged in the first instance jointly, with allow-I ing and working a pony in an unfit state, j The Inspector to the R.P.C.A. at the outset said that the reason why the defendants were charged of the offence; jointly was the fact that neither of the male defendants admitted ownership of the animal. It would be for the Bench to decide upon the question. On being charged the female defendant admitted- working the anima l. Walter Thamlasi pleaded not guilty, and Bondy entered: a plea of guilty as to ownership. The, charge' against Walter Thomas was! thereupon withdrawn. P.C. Edwards gave evidence to ¿he í effect that at 5.45 pm. on the 14th, inst! he saw a bay pony attached to a spring cart laden with rags outside Harold Street. As witness went towards the horse and cart, the defendant Mary; Thomas came to the door and .'>aid "I'm in charge, I've just returned after being gathering rags about the town." Winess then told her that the pony ap- peared to be in great pain, and ordered it to be unharnessed. The female de- fendant then called her husband, who took the pony out of the cart. Witness then saw a piece of rag covered with matter and blood,. On the back part of the pony was a wound, discharging matter and blood. Witness then told defendant the pony was not to be worked. She replied: "I did not knpw it was cruel to work the pony." Wit- ness communicated with Inspector Mullard, who at 6.30 p.m. on the 14th inst interviewed defendant Bondy. He told him that he had seen Mrs. Thomas working the pony in an unfit state. He also told him that he had cautioned him six weeks ago, and advised him not to work the pony. Bondy said to the In- ¡! spector that he had bought it that day, and lent it to Walter Thomas to keep I' him out of the Workhouse. Cross-examined: He did not ask him 'I whether he had given permission to work the horse. Inspector Muilard said that about 12 p.m. on the 15th August he accom- panied the last witness to the back of 1 Harold Street. He there examined the pony which was very old and had no l teeth. There was an old wound dis- charging. Witness afterwards saw defendant Bondy, whom he charged with allowing the animal to be worked in an unfit state. Defendant replied: The pony is not mine. I gave it to Walter Thomas a fortnight ago to keep him out of the workhouse. Walter Thomas had happened to sell his horse. I gave the horse to Walter Thomas so I that he could cure it. He had pro- mised to do so. I could have sold the mare for I Os. Defendant Mary Thomas: You liar! In reply to the Bench, defendant Mary Thomas said that she was haiving the loan of the horse and cart for I nothing. The Inspector invited the Bench to inspect the animal, whereupon the Chairman remarked: We want to see something better than a ten-shilling horse." The Bench ordered Bondy to pay costs amounting to £ 1 10s. Also, the defendant Thomas was ordered to pay costs. Inspector Millard asked that the Bench make an order to hav the animal destroyed. The request was accc.°d I A GARNANT SQUABBLE. William Simms, Brynoethim Bach, Garnant, charged William Evans, of" Garnant, for assault. Mr. T. R. Ludford, Llanelly, ap- peared for the prosecution, and Mr. Sam Griffiths, Ammanford, defended. The complainant said that the dis- pute arose over a betting transaction. He never had authorised defendant to uoe his name for the purpose of making any bets. On Friday, the 27th June last, defendant struck witness several Limes, as a result of which several of his teeth were loosened. At the time of the alleged assault, Mrs. Jenkins, the landlady of the Prince Albert Hotel, came out and told defendant to stop striking him (witness) He s'isited Dr. Jones, not to see about the injuries. Defendant hit him three times with his fist. Cross-examined: He did not go by any other name. He had never known a person of the name of Bradshaw, nor had he used the name of Bradshaw. He had received several letters by that name. He had opened an account with Br?ckh?.v.' had paid him up. Other people had been betting in his name, and he was not responsible. He was a handyman at the Lamb and Hag. He was not a tout. He had put a few bets on for the defendant. He (complainant) put on his own rancy. They won £20 between them. It was a coincidence that defendant backed the same horse as witness. He did not agree with defen- dant that he should telephone the com- mission to Swansea, nor did he agree vjiih defendant that he should tele- phone in his name. He did not know of any persons who had tried to settle the case, neither had he told anyone that he intended bringing a civil action against the defendant as the result of the case that day. Defendant was very anxious to get his money, but struck complainant first. Re-called: He spoke to George Davies about the case, and he asked him, Why he did not let into him." He had never struck anyone in his life. Mrs. Mary Anne Jenkins, the licensee of the Prince Albert Hotel, said that she knew both parties. Refer- ring to the offence complained of, she had never seen any blows struck. She, however, asked Evans to go iway. Mrs. Annie Thomas, Colliers' Row, Gamant, said that she saw two men coming down the road. Both were coming pretty quick. Simms was 10 front. The defendant caught com- plainant up without any need of run- ning. When the parties were in fie yard of the Prince Albert, she saw defendant strike compl ainant twice. She did not see complainant make any attempt to retaliate. Cross-examined: She could not say whether they were quarrelling. The defendant said that he had some betting transactions with complainant. He ai de about 1]7 the first week, i and had won about £ 15 the second week. He asked complainant, who was an agent for a bookmaker at Swan- siea, about the money. Complainant repiied: Will you have it now, or wait ilill you get it ? Witness re- Iplied: I 11 have it now." With that ] complainant lashed out at him. Wit- iness retaliated. Cross-examined: He could not ex- plain now Mrs. Annie l'homas saw witness chasing complainant down the j street. He might have struck at com- plainant three or four times. Re-called: They struck at one an- other. George Davies, Gwalia House, Garnant., said that he was standing just above the Colliers Arms on the date of the offence. The conversation ,attracted him. He saw the complainant stepping back, buttoning his coat, and aiming a blow at defendant. After that there was a fight. He was there m the interests of the truth. Cross-examined: He asked com- plainant as to why he had not finished the fight after starting it. He was the Garnant man of importance. He had appeared before the Bench on a charge brought by his wife of persistent cruelty. The Bench decided that an offence had been committed, and ordered defendant to pay costs. JUVENILE COURT. At the Juvenile Court, seven boys, ages ranging between 13 and 8 years, were summoned for causing damage to 26 insulators on the Great Western Railway to the extent of £ 3 9s. 4d. Mr. Ludford, for the prosecution, said that the offence should be regarded as a serious one. There was not only the trouble of repairing the damage, but they could not be got. P.S. Morgan deposed to watching the defendants on the line on a Sunday morning. He could not get to them at the time, but later saw three of the offenders, who admitted the offence, Accompanied by P. C. Kennedy, he vsited the spot on the following day, and found 27 of the insulators broken. All the defendants pleaded guilty, and the parents were ordered to pay costs amounting to f-I each. Two of the defendants had appeared before the Court on- a previous occasion and charged with causing wilful damage.

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