South Wales Weekly Post

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The annual banquet of the Swansea. Chamber of Commerce which took place on Saturday evemng-mamtalllmg the high standard of success now associated with the event-was rendered noteworthy by reason of au American after-dinner speech, typical of the best kind, delivered by Mr. J. L. Grif- tith, the Consul-General in this country of the United States. It vividly illustrated the essential differences in the character of such speeches as made in Great Britain and in America, now reputed, not without justifi- cation, to yjoseess the best orators in the world for festive occasions. The secret of our inferiority is not far to see. In re- straint, soberness of statement, dignity of language, and closeness of reasoning British Parliamentarians have no equals in any country, and our public meetings, as a rule, are worthy of the people who were the first to enjoy and appreciate the right to iree speech.. In the United States the Congressional seeches are reproduced in extenso in the recerd&sai-netimes when not even delivered -and copies are available for distribution amongst the newspapers in the area repre- sented by the speaker, and the oratory, roarmly designed for local rather than na- tional consumption (stride, except on very rpre occasions the principal newspapers give little 5pace to it), is apt to have the same quality and the defects of that found most telling by politicians "on the stump dealinf with audiences very mixed in com- position and peculiarly susceptible to re- aniinrlinz worets'and xhrases, which may on analysis dispose little that is either w?dom or even common sense, and to anec- dotes of a pungent or humorous character This oratorv, too n.mboyant for -Britiq.? ??e. h? not i?ptly ?.cn cl???d ? the spread-cagle patt?r?i. ? poetry partaking of the same dis?n?<?? ve cha?rter the term "Turkey carpet, because th? e?ec? of the latter are produced by vio- lent contra.sts in colour. Am?ca-n oratory is h?rd at its best.at public dinn?. fany causes havt? (?olitri? buted to thi. Tn the ?t Ar. ?r. have a strong Rnd undi?g?s? .?y £ ?-i.ng bored." when th.y a-e opposed to t?f?tive.andcon?quentiytl? prop? o?f ?.d Te?ponders to to?ts are selected pnm- ariiv because they can speak and entertain anr1 interest the company, and not oerause f .hdr social or commerce importance, 1 ? the p05i1ions they occimy. The know- dse of thi= h? Teacted upon the spexke?, ivho t.?th?- obli?d? ?'riou?y. and in- '—. '?  ? moment-which may faa the tro&t competent moment—which may fafl'the coll?'pet,6nt ?.?cv?o ?ost carefuny?a.rt? slipshod de- Hv.a-T)f? by -writing their ?P?c?es' 'pol6??n- "'? .ver\ sentence, introducing discovered • (IT even original joke and stories, and ?o ?Joi?hlv memorising the production that  dramâJtie value. The .peaker  011 ,cc,ou nt of bii record is i?ll frequent deryiatid r;°X" ■« *• | ?? ?r ?ampl.. ? wnter h.uch fol" tot-lists T\út mfrequentl: re- a -bo(-,k-let-a (,,f hip  suMrblv printed, to seTve ? a  ar- dent sons and It-vers of ",Tales ?n the United 8??-Geneia? T. L. ?1??. Wh?n it is r.mem.be? that m AmN'i('a <?to? is t?ght m tl? ?bools ? ^cohepre -whMh h? debating cont?? as ,e?xcit fng M fo?ball m??hes in the prebe.nce ot *hv pa?l? of the debars and the puMic. and fa the boys r??nti?g the lwoduotd; of t?e schools and collars read?y find tlie?r way into politics where tLeir oratorical e?fts a?e matured by coœwnt pi?ttce and studious cuw-vation-it must be reaJi.soo that tihe system is fair more l?k?Iy to be fruitful than our haphazard method;- which allowed Lord Ro se.be ry—.now fat- and a wiay -ta- happiest speaker this side of tkile Atlantic for no n-political purposes—to be- come Prime Minister before he had attained even a moderate proficiency in expressing hinjoelf in public. The matter WiIIlS splen- did, but the delivery so fautlty that, the upeecth always revealted merits to the reader of its report, hidden to those who bad actually heard it. The writer recalls an addt?w Eiv? by the Pnmroae F?rl to Biitish J?-MLli&? at Edinburgh ?v?- S? ? a?o, w? the 1m1ts and pauses P?ticaJJty spo? a most ckmi^ Edi? It is alleged, that realising h.s dkoMp, Lord Ropery went for tui- tion to one of tbe foremost- flocutlOn;ss of the period, and was thereby cured of defee-ts in delivery of speeches watb the result .hat be becMMthe undispu?ted orator of the Em- pire. On the other aids of the Atlantic, Mlr, Chaunoey Depew is the acknowledged amongst after-dinner speakers. His ense of humour is so generally reoqginised taat when he was suggested as a Republican can- didate for the -vice -pe&id e,n t, a position for whidh his giraat intellectual glifts eminently fitted him, the suggestion was regarded as his latest joke and literally kungftoed out of the programme. When, some yeanp ago, he Plaited England, and spoke at a dinner party made up chiefly of Volunteer officers, the reception granted his speech was such that he returned home convinced that no fterise of humcVitr was left in this country. Frar, asked to propose the toast of the Ie V oluntoor Force —this was before the latter had proved its value in the South Airiaam War—he confined himself to saying ? was quite unnecessary to use the lang- lage of laudation in respect of a body wJhoæ ^frvioec were so well understood and appre- rjated, so he would merely ask those pre- "It to dirink to the "British Volinteerf- ;nvinc,j?,ble in peatoe, invisible in war." There was neither laugliter noir applause. Mr. Griffith, who has been likened to Mr. 4 Rtlir d ay even i n g e. auncey Depew, on Saturday evening f Ve the members of the Swansea Chamber Commerce such a taste of the finished alrlcan after-dinner speech as met,iphoric- th y ''raised the roof." Diction polished to comma, sentirrents irresistible in of eir appeal, the humorous story, the dash Senia] cynicism—all contributed to the ^or Mr. Griffith,! a Cymric Celt— mediate forbears from Carnarvon a;>d -A I "StwYtli lefi. no loophole.for doubt in rc-?ard—made every point tell. Uncon- oit?ly he enforced the truth, which hill; <jnrie need to be recognised at Swansea, tha' Qne, whatever his J1()¡:m. hrs the righ. t<'> ':he {Cun and tOO;G'r .^ntherings me;lJ b, Pl £ asa-nt and a^ « able for evpryone -ent. n<^f"^red, the next principal speaker, did p1 I.n this respect. He, too, held the '?t?TeM, ? ?? company, after all the chief *?uh-<?. Tbl aww?.9feature of his J W—WBW—WWI———wwwwpw speech was a definite declaration in favour of a Second Chamber invested with real power and importance. In view of the Pre- mier's announcement of an intention to make a very tardy redemption of his pro- mise in introducing the Parliament Act, crippling the House of Lords, this pronounce- ment of the Borough member for a genuine Upper House is significant as an indication of the feeling amongst the non-Socialist ele- ment in the Liberal party. The references to the gradual disappearance of business men from the House of Commons, due partly to the scant encouragement given them, could lend itself to the interpretation amounting to a reproach against a Ministry com- posed almost entirely of barristers and soli- citors. And public opinion would be ready to adopt and endorse it.

Does Ireland present an unsolvable problem everlastingly to be given up; is the I gap unbridgable which separates the in- habitants into two distinct and unblendabie classes; are the conflicting views so fiercely and persistently urged absolutely irrecolle,ul- able*! These are questions which must, nowadays, be recurring to many minds. Confronted by the unyielding attitude of the rival elements one recalls the clever puzzle evolved from a subtle braan. What would happen if an irresistible force came into col- iision with an immovable object?" The present situation is sombre and most unpromising. And every day's dallying in- creases the difficulties and aggravates the dangers of a development in Ulster too ter- rible for contemplation. In the tense condi- tion of an armed people who for months have been nerved-racked and tuned up to a desperate exaltation, one fool behind a gun is capable of causing the floodgates of pas- sion to fly open precipitating what might e-asiiy prove the greatest disaster that has I Aver overtaken the British Empire. Lord Roberta' contribution to Thursday's debate I in the Upper House was the most brief of all. It occupied only half a minute, but it thrilled the audience. "It is unthink.a.ble," declared the foremost soldier of the age, with great solemnity, that the British Army should be called.Upon to fight against the Ulster volunteers." As Lord Woiseley said in J 893, to do Sp would ruin the British Army. And yet the "unthinkable" is bound to happen if the Government persevere with their present policy of forcing Home Rule upon Ulster, whilst the Uiktefmen, because of the refusal to submit the iasue to the country, are permitted to believe that they are the victims of unconstitutional legisla- I tion which has not the sanction of the elec- torate. For no one now seriously challenges the reality of the formidable force which has been organised to resist by force subjection to a Nationalist Parliament. The Hon. ?eor?e PeeL in his newly issued book de- signed to scarify the Ulster leader, "Reign I of Sir E. Carson," emphasises the gigantic i proportions and preparedness of the l ister volunteers. He. the advocate of Home Rule, suggests a ralilel with another rally of de- .t?'min? men. In that of^er^jp|itember ?f 1651. w?MUf?he battle of Wor«est«r etafeed the great Civil War. Oliver Cromwell had at his disposal an array which the hlstorJIn tells us had grown silently and almost imper- ceptibly since 1645 up to close on 50,000 men! A formidable host! So formidable, indeed, that immediate steps were taken to reduce it to more manageable proportions. But the total forces of 811 Edward Carson in Ulster alone were declared by the highest authority tr, number altogether, in the sum- mer of 1913, no less than 200,QOC. 'at the lowest estimate.' The same authority, moreover, stated that in the opinion of com- petent judges, the number of men available for any emergency would exceed that figure I by a further 20.000 or 30,000." Unless the Government, by modifying the Home Rule Bill, with or without the co- operation of the Unionist leaders, to such a degree as to disarm the hostility and fears of the Protestant minority who constitute quite a fourth of the entire population of I Ireland, or unless the Government seeks f.'opulai sanction for the measure, troops will have to be sent to Ulster to enforce the mea- sure. since it could rot tolerate armed re- sistance. And the first collision would be the opening of another dark chapter in the history oF a co-intrv which has experienced many. The idea of bloodshed is equally re- pulsive. whether the victims he Nationalist and Catholic, or Unionist and Protestant, but i-natters have been brought to such a mint that the greatest wisdom, tfiet and for- bp-ararce cn the part of British politicians are needed to prevent a civil war involving the employment on either <ide of combatants without the restraint and d:sciplinq of pro- fessional soldieTg and therefore mcre liable to give way to savage deeds, the memory of which will be burned deep into the minds cf Northerners and Southerners alike, thus adding another complication in future states- manship to grapple with, and adding fresh barriers of hatred between two peoples who occupy one small country. Home Rule is not an end in itself, but the means to an end, and in that capacity is incapable of achieving a.ny good and use- ful national purpose, except it take a form acceptable to the great body of the Irish people. Protectant as well as Catholic. A settlement by consent offers" the only hope of a peaceful and enduring arrangement. If imposed in the teeth of Ulster resistance, n the latter could be overcome by force, it would wake of the North a fester- ing sore permanently fatal to the peace and prosperity of Ireland. There in truth, not a consideration vhlch appeals to the reasonable nund that .^oes not plead for the exnaustion of a., the resources cf ci viliz-a- tion to prevent the Northmen and the Southerners from flying at one another's throats. By the irony of events, this crown- thanks to Unionigt legislation, Mr. John Redmond could speak a year or two ago of Ireland as studded with the beautiful and happy homes of an ^maneinate.-l peasantry," and when the cultivators of iphe soil, who rm tihe great bulk of its workers, are, in the language of Mr. SJ,dn.eyl Br, "con- fronted with the realities of a competitive agricultural existence. For the first time, the question for Ireland is not who is to own the soil and how little he is to pay for it. and how much he is to get out of it. The struggle over the rent and owner- ship of the land has ccnased and is ceasing. The infinitely more momentous struggle for a bvjng on the landha.s just D. In other c-rds, the Irish farmer is being faced not •ith a hostile class, or a hostile country, w,ibli, competition for markets against ■vt'r-saa competitors." Ireland and the Irish are likely to be t.he rbjecte of so much discussion in the im- ■ ?-diate future, that every honeet contri- bution* helpful to our understardire of both (■ ion Id b& wielcome. As a sMiccinet ex- oressive description, in a few wmr4. it would •x> difficult to improve upon tli,at recently riven hv. I.Áwd Dunraven. He wrote: "A country not naturally adapted to p.-Yeat ) manufacturing industries, but poaeesaed oi good water-power and of some ooaJ; a coun- try extremely well adapted to agricultural industries of aJl kinds, but containing a large number of uneconomic holdings; a country poor in this world's goods., not with- out resources, but greatly needing capital for their development; a people endowed with greiat natural capacity for industrial manufacturing pursuits, especially of an artistic character, but forced to depend upon agriculture through a lack of other indus- trial occupations, and as far as agriculture is concerned, engaged largely in a specu- lative branch of it; a people heavily hiaudi- capped in respect of agriculture by the weight of inadequate means of transit, crushed in the poorer districts under the loW. of local rates, feeling the burden of indirect taxation more acutely than any other Thnritt; of the United Kingdom, a people suffering under, but recovering from, the enervating effects of past legislative restric- tions upon their natural development." In the most recent volume in The Nation's, Library." published bv Collins, entitled The New Birth of Ireland," the author, Mr. Redmond-Howard—a nephew, we believe, of Mr. John R-edmond-dwells upon a. common quality in Irish people, who, in racial origin, training, environment, con- victions. appear to be most divprse types. One can often distinguish (he ob- serves) the politics of the settlers and the natives, but it is almost impossible to dis- tinguish them in point of nationality (using the term in its psychological sense), and Lord Charles Beresford, Bernard Shaw, John Redmond, and Mr. Dooley have very much of the same fundamental spirit of the race whence they have sprung or by which they have been adopted—for though four more opposite personalities could hardly be imagined, they are all somehow looked upon as in their way typical Irishmen. The woof of the web of Irish character is the extreme facility of consciousness —the lightning genius of the Gael, to use Thomas Davis's phrase—which makes him express himself often, it is true, m terms of reckless extravagance, but, as Miss Bryant says, merely to check exaggerations is to sit upon the safety valve. Yet these exaggerations are as often in the direction of love as that of hate." It is in this similarity in essentials, de- spite distinctions in origin and differences, political and religious, which renders inter- necine stnte so easy to start and maintain, and so terrible in its manifestations. Of course we know that the Protestants of the North are mainly of Scotch, and in a lesser degree of English stock, and that they have hardly a conviction in common with 'heir neighbours, who are predominantly Gaelic. But to the onlooker from out- side there is no discernible >tign by which lie can distinguish between the two classes, which for centuries have been hopelessly estranged. When the writerlVld the sad and gruesome privilege of witnessing the fearful fighting in Beha.M in 1886, he could usually discriminate between the opposing factions wihen these were in groups or J.a,rge I bodies, but only because the Protestants.: were better dressed i?an their opponent?. mainJy un&kil!ed wcrkm?.n, attTacted into' the citv from the a gncuhursi a.rea?.? JndiVKtuaUy.. Aeit.hte'' ,n !<?e.ft:h? ft1t:j nor gesture did bathdic differ from Protestant to the s-.nmgex to both, and hence prudence dictated a discreet reticence in expressing opinions at a time when every one seemed to be in a bad temper, and the most innocent remark was liable to be misinterpreted and resented. No political advantage mow or in the fu- Lure would be. worth the price that would he exacted if the dogs of war were let loose in the Emerald Isle. It would be a crime against humanity to abandon to the fury of I civil war peepl? with so much that is lovable and good in their nature. A Government that by its acts unleashed the grim hounds would shoulder a terrible responsibility. I The supreme difficulty is how to reconcile North and South, satisfy the "SPiraticnq and relieve the fears of both with-it imperilling the safety of the United Kingdom and the continuance of the Empire. And in regard to this consideration it must be noted that- apart. from the repeated assertion bv re- sponsible Nationalist leaders that. the ulti- mate aim is the entire separation of Ireland I from Great Britain, even Mr. John Red- mond, whilst avowing a desire for reconcilia- tion, will not, any more than his colleagues, accept this or any other Home Rule BOl as a final settlement. His attitude inow does not materially differ from that of 1893, when he said in the House of Commons, "The word 'provisional,' so to speak, has been I' stamped in red ink across every page cf the Bill. I recognise that the Bill is offered as a compromise and accepted as such. England has no right to ask from Irish members any guarantee of fmality in its acceptance." The oex-perience of every country that has granted a limited autonomy under pressure is alike. It has been used to remove the limitations. Hence' the untjustworthiness of the safe- guards offered to Ulster and the insecurity of assurances that a Parliament on College Green may not at a crisis in the fate of the Empire become a source of dangerous weak- ness to the latter and of strength to the enemy. Irishmen with Nationalist ideas are apt to believe that Unionists ;,e haters of their race, despite the fact that Ireland owes its I boldest and most beneficial legislation to Unionist Governments, and fail to appre- ciate the truth that roth a desire to do the best for Ireland nud at the fame time avert perils to the Empire operate together to produce resistance to measure* capable of preparing the way for the total indepen- dence of ireland. Admiral Ma ban, an Vmerican with no anti Irish bias, but judging the si-tuauon solely from the strate- gical standpoint, has written--and there is no higher living authority It Is impossible for a military man or a statesman with an- preciation of military condition* to look at the map and not oerceive thrt the ambition of Irish separatists realised would be even more threatening to the national lif- than the secession of the South was to that of the American Union." But it may be and is being argued that even a truncated system of Home Rale wou'd end the feud of centuries and render Ire- land loyal and satisfied. There are at least two classical examples suggesting possibiH- I ties of a verv different nature. In 17/.1 Fran-klin had p.n interview with Lonl Chat- km in which, in his own words, "I as- se-ed him that having more than once tra.- velled almost from one end of the Continent, (of America) to the other, and kept a great variety of company, eating, drinking and conversing with them freely, I never had in pny conversation from any person, drunk or sober, the least expression of a wWi for senaration or a hint, tha* -i ?i to Aniei, i cl. a thing would be advantageous to America." And vet within three years came the de- coration of independence. Tr. Gladder- in 18% 'u-ide the most of the legislative inde- pendence of Swed-rl1 and Norway united noder one Crown With what effect? Not discord, not convulsions, not lialiget to peace, not, hatred, not. aversion, but a con- s'rantlv snowing sympathy, and every man j who knows their condition knows that I speak the truth wbeo I say that in every !& !?.!  year that passax the Norwegians and the Swedes are more and more feeling them- selves to be the children of a common country united by a tile which never is to be broken." Mr. Glad- stone lived nearly .Jong enough to have seen "une never to ¡.M broKtui tit pun, ;>.s-i»v..»jr and Sweden offere d the alternative of letting the Norwegians go their own way or at- tempting to prevent the secession by force of arm.?. In dealing with Ireland one is disposed to end at the same point with which one began. Is it beyond the wit of man to de- vise an arrangement whereby Irish National- ists and Unionists can be satisfied and re- conciled, and Ireland be prevented from be- coming to Great Britain what his heel was to Achilles, the most vulnerable point. The testimony of history is heavily weighted in regard to the last proviso. As Mr. J. R. Fisher, the editor of the "Northern Whig," points out in his Historical Retrospect," from the 16th century till the Act of Union, every enemy of this country could safely count on a foothold and active friends in Ireland. "In Elizabeth's time the menace was from Spain; Spanish forces twice suc- ceeded in effecting a landing on the Irish coast and were welcomed by the inhabitants. Spain was then the most powerful enemy of England and of civil and religious liberty all the world over if the Spanish Armada had been successful on sea the Spanish army in England would have found enthusiastic supporters in Ireland. La.ter on it was in Ireland and by the aid of subsidies from an Irish Parliament that St-rafford raised lu,000 men to invade Scotland and England in sup- port of Charles 1. against his Parliament. and, incidentally to drive the Scottish set- tlers out of Ulster It was under the im- pression of this manifest danger that Orom- well abolished the Irish Parliament and summoned Irish rep -esentatives to the first united Parliament c.i Wei^minster." "As the power (A Spain declined 11 (quot- ing still from the "Rftrosped") "France came to be the ehkr menace to the peace of Europe. Again Ireland instinctively allied herself to the enemy. Tyrconnel now pJayed the part of S'traffo?d and with the aid of French troops and French subsidies and a sympathetic Irish Parliament endeavoured to destroy the UTrter plantation and make Ireland a. jumping-off place for the invasion of England." Other instance, might be ad- j duced, always to the same effect, w'th no 1 single exception to f,b* rule constituting Ire- land a ready ally to every enemy of England. Justification may he pleaded for this oor" gist-oncy in enmity-the unsympathetic n(1. ture of Enghs-n. rrle 'in Ireland the diffi- culty of assimilation with a country that rejected the predominant religious faith of tne Irish—-nevertheless the fa.ct remains, oisturomg in its constant .recurrence despite varying circumstances, that Ireland'ha* ever We" on the side of te foes of tM, ever try. Tht possibility m the tradition being P-rvod by an Lmh Parliament in Dublin when G?at Britain ? b?ttHna for ufp? piflins t,h reh.?ancc to for life ex- Uni enemy within < ii^d r** 4^ ?. Pr??.nt ?..T 'y in ?n?. wh<? T' V in oy? .y h? wmwt od ev?.y ?tacj. ? tcmpt&tior! for o-rUrries

During tlip past .week the Chancellor of I j the Exchequer has been listening to a depu- tation of the Farmers' Union on the subject of local taxation, the sal? of estates, -d enquire into the unfair treatment of the railway rates, and while the Chancellor ad- mitted his sympathy with the general case presented, he was unable to express agree- ment as t:• the purchase of hnd by tenants, In accordance with the invariable practice, j Mr. IJovd George declined to makeanv definite promise, hut the deputation elicited the fact that Parliament proposed to deal in the immediate future with local taxat,ion anomalies, and that, the Board cf Trade will British fanner in reference to railway rates. This is satisfactory 30 far as it goes, and encourages the hope that some indication of I the Government's intentions will be given to deputations on education grants and other matters. Too often deputatians have to leave with- out being able to ascertain the precise effect of their pleading upon a particular Mivister. He takes shelter behind his colleagues in the Ca.binet and fobs off inconvenient questions with vague generalities. Of course, Minis- '.prs must !?ok npon all questions of equal or greater ,ii». portanoe. Deputations are us- uallv coiriposed of men—or women—w ho are v solely concerned with t.he object, in which I they happen to be intere ed..The orbit of1 their vision docs not ex. ad to the possihle f effect their proposals iray have upon colla- teral issues. Ministers have to look at all sides, but due -weight, should be -iven to the > views expressed by deputations, for they are mostly drawn from the ranks of those who have, given special study to the question, or aie in a particularly favourable position for estimating, its v beering upon the ;Dfiiisi ry\i with wh'c'i thev are associated.

The published statement that there are 220 lady suffragists in Swansea has caused a flutter in the "nutteries," and "flapperhood" is threatened with the loss of those liti 1, jaunts to the "Bays" and the Mumbles p. and all the rest that goes to make the lit: of the "SUmmep ..¡."¿, >

No less than 2.25 inches of rain fell at Cray on January 31st last. Ames scored in the first few minutes for Cardiff 11. on Saturday. Every tœm ought j to have "Ame&" in that direction. A Frenchman on the East Side, the other iv, inquired the whereabouts of a "Mr. Pixg. It transpired he meant "Pugh." A Sandefield resident says he doesn't mind the tide washing coping stones away so long as it replenishes hig coalhouse with plenty of fuel! I The new president of Cardiff Chamber of Trade says that Tafisiders ought to have "more pride in their city." No, we decline to comment. According to Mr. Edmund Law, the Neath Town Council have no more oour- age than a mouse." And someone unkindly exclaimed, £ wa ts'" w> «p- Dr. Jones's latest (at the Aberavon County Police Court Monday) You are a hot cross bun maker by profession, I suppose. Work one day in the year. Thio opinion oi some local coal-aner- chants over the replenishment of their cus- tomers' fuel supplies from the beach is in- teresting and quite forcible. The world is very observant, shrewd and just regarding the standard of life lived I by the ordinary Christian man.—(Rev. Akrill Jones, M.A., it the Y.M.C.A.). What with no tire applianoes and the water turned off At nig'h^s, the "Skepy Hollow," otherwise known as Mumbles, will be awakened with a start some day. "1"ao- To judge by the frequency of proceedings in the PC' oe mi' & certain Swansea, district thait bad long emoe lived down its old time reputation is no A' bent upon re- J covea-ing it ag,a,in. From a Cardiff paper —"The scene on the Aberystwyth promennde was a magnificent one. Soa: of the kitchens of the board- i rig-houses were Hooded. "—"Magnificent'' hardly does it justice. "Salt-horse" writes to inform up that the sound of the bell of the new clock at the Swansea Y.M.C.A. resemble& that of tiie Poi-t Talbot. Bell Buoy, with a dash of the Mixer. thrown -n:e." r"w..I. !s. A football reporter, recently describin g the weather conditions at a Vale of Neiitu football match, said "The wind blew the ball 111 all directions." Surely the "four winds'' had here met! Yet another version of the oath was given at the Amma.nford Court on Monday, when a witness said. The evidence I shall be giving shall be the true. the. whole true, and nothing bat the true." > +- Ednoatinm Co- rnffnattee has rooom- rmenided that, the salaty of the Dinector of iidiiication should h3 increased froji-, £.350 to £ 400 a year. The C'ouncl on Wednes- day has to determine the matter. Commenting on Swansea's open-air schools, a Cardiff paper says:—"Ratepayers will watch this experiment with anxious interest, if it mearns ultimately doing away with our school-pa laces and the big sums charged for tht-m." Young married Uplands lady to new Per- vant Take bad-: that bacon to the shop, Mary, and tell the man that Mr. J- does not, "like Carmarthen bacon. He will have Welsh bacon, even if he has to pay £ d. per lb. mere for i? lb. m,?ac for it The Grotesques" at the Empire this week provide some wholesome fan, ncht heartily enjoyed. But since they can sing, why should they mt provide at least one jr, i ] selection before the pleasAit fooling begins. A Pontardawe dame. 98 years of age. has been granted an old age pension by the local Old Age Pension Committee. She was pre- viously in receipt of six shillings weekly out- relitf, but preferred the 5s. a week pension so as to be independent. Although there are still some shops in Swansea's main .streets occupied by trades- men it was into a freak show the man on a hirthdav celebration strayed but he Te- tired hurriedly, a chastened being, promis- ing himself that he would lea d a new life henceforth. He had seen snakes. Those who would fain believe that other than fierce and bitter rivalry prevails be-1 tween the football cedes should be around the docks on Monday morning, when office boys, followers of the respective Rugby and Soccer teams, meet to compare notes on the Saturday's doings of their favourites. There is one public house at Llandovery to every 134 people" I There were only 11 convictions for druhKeiiuess, though the drinking facilities wero three times as great as the average in England and Wales. This rather spoils a favourite temperance argu- ment—less facilities, less drunkenness. -> The titbit of the Cwni-road case at the police court was the change in the attitude of the crowd that came upon the scene According to the evidence, at the firs: they were inclined to side with the plaintiff; but after the other side had had a chance to put in a word, they began to let fiv" at plaintiff's Itouse with every stick and stone that th-ev could lay hands on. One fact the critics who complain of the "Sunday evening parade" at Swansea seem to persistently overlook (writes a corres- pondent), and that is that it commences FORE the services at the places of wor- ship conclude, proving the need of some other form of attraction for the young peo- ple, who obviously, regrettable though it may be, do not care for chapel or church. Pain, even if a deluge, cannot damp the ardour of the Ammanford Rugby enthnsi- asts. Twenty-two motor vehicles conveyed ever 1GO persons (some of them ladies) to see j the Cup match, while o-ver 150 travelled by vrai n. They will never forget theiy journey r the match. The rain was simply torrent- ij. a.nd history has now recorded the "lash-; :d,g of their hopes for this season in tl. cup i The Swansea representatives of the two Cardiff papers in 1914 conclude thirty years' service in that capacity. -i><1>+ The best" Lire of Owen Glyndwr" is written in English. And Owen is the most "live" ngure in a shadowy and remote past. live .1 iigure in a shadov;.y and remot-e p". "Fancy a Swansea, infant being called upon to learn t.he rudiments of two langu- ages at one and th,me time !"—(A badly- riled English parenij. "¡;<t ',). The work of Llew. Morris and Jack Wil- liams on Saturday justified the hope that the building up of a great Swans' eide is proceeding on the Tight lines. Two subjects likely to contribute to a long sitting of Swansea- Council on VV ednes- day are the teachuig of Welsh in the ele- mentary schools and Sunday trading. The chief speaker (Mr. J. L. Griffiths) at the Swansea Chamber of Commerce banquet had a sly dig at the telephone system when he said that London was without one to-day. One man at least was reminded what day it was on Saturday when a friend greeted him with Good morning, 14th of liebru- ary." Then he remembered that his name was Valentine. 4>-4>-<! It 3>- True it is that Cardiff slithered home by a try in the "Park" mud on Saturday. But bad it been a game of Rugby football, the Whites would not have been beaten, let alone Birch'd. f; Upon being asked his opinion of compul- sory Welsh in schools, a docks man put it this way "Do you desire the rising genera- tion to become ba: d.s or men of afiaixs? "$.. Mr. J. L. Griftuhs, the guest of the even- ing at the Chamber of Commerce banquet, declared that, he was strongly of opinion that the Ang!o r axon is not moral oy in- stinct but by legislation." Although to-day' is the fourteenth of February, and supposed to be St. Valentine's Day, not a single Õi,1e of our "copy" boys has received even the semblance of a missive —not even a "snal?^-in-the-grass!" Even the Cardiff papers admit that the "All Whites" were unlucky to Jose on Saturday. The SAW character of the com petition between them and the Swans is emphasised bv the 6—0 win of the latter against Caerphilly. K 4 The western raiders did not come empty handed away from C-trdiff. For if the Blue 1 and Blacks were better wallowers," the all-conquering Swansea Salisbury Club b-roiigh, away the rval ps of the Cardiff Ccn- servative Club player*. • It was a well known Swansea temperance sdvocate who enthusiasticary led the &p- and fiercely demanded an encore of the splendidly rence-ed -olo, Give me punch. swf *t and stronp at "The Pnritan's Daughter" op*>ra last week. f _7- frhç"mln:nt.. of the \3vcrnsea Waters sod Sewei^s Committiee to be submiitod to Wed- nesday's Council meeting .chi-rvas miracles. Not only is Febrhary granted 31 days, but the rainfall between the 12th and the 31st is determined in advance. Moody-Manners Opera Company ended their season at Svvaiise.a in a manner com- pensa/*ing for the disappointing results earlier in the week. Friday evening, the n'atinee and the evening performances on Saturday had crowded houses. ■v ■ The gale gave a false fire-akrra at L;ui- edly at midnight on Sa+v:day. It is said to have dislodged the valve of the hooter at the South Wales tin works and as a conse- quence the alarm went for nearly t.wo hcua-s. LIumdreis of people rushed to the aoene. of leople ru-? "Why not make Landore a garden city? asked Mr. J. T. Duncan (president of the Cardiff Chamber of Commerce) at the Swansea Chamber of Commerce dinner on Saturday night. (It seems superf-umis to state that Mr. Duncan does hail from Car- diff!) I "Yes," said the ..yni?t man in the Sketty car, "I had a most enjoyable week s grand opera, and took my seat each night- happv in the sure and certain knowledge that I would hear not one -note of ragtime and I no humorous references to the talented player who performs at inside left for the Swans." The American Consu G enera l got hcme I Th> A'11crican Consul.GenC-'ral got) heme pJ'etty effectiv.c1y at +J: Chamber of Com- merce banquet At '-?ast InIt the aLdience .?t the clo' of his speech sprang to Lheir f?et ;ntent apparently to demand an," en- core." And the others forbrared o?y be- onse the.v realised it would not be reason- able. The sltiggisili-ies- of private enterprise in providing houses in Swansea—of which about 2,000 are immediately needed—is in- dicated to a painful degree by the fact that rhns for ciilv ti dwelHr.?s were parsfd bv the Highway Commict?e this month. Is I this to be attributed to Corporation com- petition? When next the "superior persons" and "intellectuals" sneer at the supposed predi- lection of Swansea audiences for musical comedy and the lighter forms of entertain- ment we will remember that Dr. Vaughan Thomas produced Elgar's "Apostks." not. lavi-hiv but with the conscientious objective of doing justice to a work by the most emin- ent of British composers, as a loss cf £6\). And now the recognised English impressario brings to Swansea his full company, chorus and orchestra, putting on three operas new to the town, of entirely different schools of music and of absorbing int' Test. The result, popular support eminently satisfactory, but the "superior per?ons" and the "intellect- uals" absented themselves with a cynicism that is incomprehensible.—("Prospero. ") J,. An old-fashioned Rugbyite writes:- Whenever Wales trounces Scotland at Rugger football—which has been a frequent occurrence during the last dozen years—al- most invariably charges or insinuations of fep! play on the part of the Welsh players appear in the newspapers. Truth to tell there is nothing mors foul and unsportsman- like than these persistent efforts to excuse the vanomshed by mean attacks upon the victors. It is noteworthy that Mr. Hamish Stuart. Who himself saw the match, and in his comments gave no hint 01 suggestion that be observed anv evidence of foul tactics, is active in giving publicity to the allegations of unnamed and unknown calumniators of the Walfh team. As a matter of fact, twice as many Welshmen as Scotsmen were in- jured iri the course of a particularly keen and strenuous game. There must be a softening in the stiff Scottish fiibre when every defeat produces moan and a slander. Can't Scotch footballers nowadays take a beating 11 i A I The traffic on the road between Swansea and Llanelly is increasing enormously., The majority of vehicles are motors. At the heaviest stage of tiThe downpettt on Thursday afternoon a man was seen walk- ing through Castle-street wearing a straw hat! The type of (Thristiaiiaty which permits a mother's mortal illness and death to be ig- nored does not commend it.¡-lf to popular favour. The Swansea Women's Suffrage Society state in their annual report that there is hard work to be done in the coming year. Nothing to do with burning houses, thotigh I The Foxhole tenant whom Aid. Merrella advised to pay no rent in a certain contin- gency looked "-very fertile soil. In fact, there would be many exponents of the "no- rent" idea. ?-  -<!> 0 < t -<t> A She Nanny" was a term of abase heard in thet polioe court on Thursday. If it is in- tended to be abusive, why, it is an aspersion on an honourable profession, that's all we can say! loull heai about this again," said A Swansea police officer to an unsavoury char- acter last November. The remark was pro- phetic. Defendant did "hear about it" on Thursday. A gem of Mr. Edmund Law at Thursday nigjht s meeting at Neath, one tha,t de- serves a place hare Once you sell your body and soul like that, then God help you, for it's all up a tr." During the recent inspection of the manual training classes at Swansea, special reference was made to the teachers' train- ing class, conduct.ed by Mr. D. L. Hairis, and it was claimed to be the "best in the country. Those who have not yet had their Christ- mas pudding and mince pies oan still buy them, for there are two shops in a certain Swaasea street that are still exhibiting plum puddings, mince pies, and holly in the windows. Both the county and the borough deputy. coroners, by a i.ingiikr coincidence, were late arrivals at inquests this week through the breakdown of their motor-caTs—Mr. Wilson at Oxwich, a.nd Mr. Glyn Morris at the Hafod. Swansea builderc have been looking up old tinie-sneets, and they declare that it ill appa-ding wnat little a workman puts in nowadays over a job compared with a few Y-s The fact is," said on.e of them, the men nowadays only wait for the clock to go round." # a» ? At Ihursday mgat ■- meeting at Neath, -dr. Edmund Law exciaimed in righteous wrath Why soine of the account? have not been pa-id sinco nineteen-ought-twedve— Id 012. G,icss there 11 be no.gas undertak- ing lor any of us to worry about then, for we shad a]: be "gas. Hotspur. ") ""t f. _:t;Q We eoidd/BOi see the fjot.y, and ee> tai.iTj the man in 'charge could not see the joke, out the Kigh street Station yard an Thura day was flowing with^mik. The horse at;. tached to a mifk-oart had moved, and a wnole cnurn of ii-ilk c"r.1e toppling out. "I will by down my life to you I will dii at your feet. was a phrase head at the pon o court on ihursday It sounds afico- tionate, but as the lady to whom it was ad- dressed summoned tile lady who used tha words for abusive language, doesn't appeal to have struck everybody in that light. < One of the most remarkable sounds to be heard at Mf. \earsiey s stammering class is the hiss as fifteen to twenty people, irom adults to small boys, exhale in the deep breathing portion of the exercises. It sug- gests the bursting of a mighty gas-bag or the sound made by the receding wave on a pebbly beach. A feat of skill wa-s performed in Hikdi- street on Thursday evening. A tram con- Huctor was seen to jump on his car which vas going at a good speed, with a jug-full of tea in his hand. The feat was performed without a drop of the t, a being spilled, and there was loud applause. A member of the Oystermouth District Council wag heard to remark after the fire on Thursday morning. Well, thank heaven, the water s.ippJv was an right this time, at any rate." This reminds one of the man who had one leg cut off and coneoled him- self with the fact that he would only have one boot to clean. Of the dresses of the African natives, Mr. Dugmore, speaking at Swansea, laid it down Ciearly that when men and women were clothed in nothing more than their right mind they were far mpret moral, than others who dressad. I'n fact, morality and clothes went in inverse ratio: the more the clothes the greater thP immoralitv. or rather immorality. The Eat Side wints a new second main road badly. At present the pavement near Quay Parade and the Arches is simply blocked with people, whilst the road is en- cumbered by all kinds of vehicles, from the railway locomotive to the ten-ton steam lorry. Such a new road might be run from the vicinity of the upper end of the North Dock, via the Pottery Bridge, and up the 6houlder of the hill by ivilvey into Dany- graig-road. A clock in a Swansea street much glanced at by men on their way to work vent an hour fast on Saturday morning, and the boy next door tooii half an hour to clean one brass in order to listen to the fun. Therf were assorted ejaculations: "Good IH "Well, I'm "Great Scott!" and some more. And the pace put on afterwards would have broken Y, coumaiis' heart, until they bethought themselves of their own watches. <8»-$: -<>-<»-<» » When a Swansea man (who was up at the police court this week) dies, one fancies that "fish carvers" will be found written on his heart. An auctioneer bought a guinea set for five shillings at a sale. They were "pinched" and sold for 4s. by the man referred to above. Later, hearing that the polioe were on the scent, he sent an in- termediary with 10s. to buy them back. The go-between effected the repurchase for 81> and the net effect is that The auctioneer, be- sides getting 21s. worth of stuff for 5s., gets his stolen property back again; the man who bought them clears 4s. net on the aeai; the go-between pocketed 2s. out of the half- sovereign given him as a species of com- mission and the defendant "drops" 20s. fine. plus costs, pirns 6s. net loss on the half-sovereign he laid out in buying lack the carvers. Three men who were charged with defendant, and discharged, also did themselves good," as they were stood drinks out of the 4s. originally realised by defend- ant) 0& the sa" el the oarvexa.