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The freedom of the borough was con- ferred at Swansea on Thursday alLernùvn upon bir John Llewelyn, Messrs. Dav.d Davies, 1 Soger Beck .a¡;d John Dyer, under every au&p.cioua ciicumstance peiieci spring weacner, a large and lepresentative usseruolage, and spetclies wmch touched apt and nappy no^. All classes of the community, uirough the mouthpiece of i heir representatives up in the Council, testified to the conspicuous incut of t'le four recipients of an honour that is now but a symooiica; survival from long past days, when munici- palities won charters of emancipation from kingB in need t f their, gold, who played the:.i. oil against a powerful feudal nobility cap- able of challenging the Crown itself in strenglh,an,i pi-e;,erbloria. l'iie.SwatiseaCol- poration, by the ceremony of Thursday after- noon, set up the freedom as the crown of a career spent- in the public sClvice locally, and the standard of eligibility is the. loftiest that can be set up for a civic honour. Happy long life, with honour at its close," can be fittingly said of the three Swansea recipients; Mr. David Davies, of Llan- dinarn, is young, but already rich in achieve- ment in the path to which he has dedi- cated his encigios..Nothing could be seemlier than this recognition of true worth when the recognition of it can still flush and warm with gratification men who can feel that many years devoted to well-doing do j Lot in the end pass ithoat a word of grati- tude- The 'common bond of union between the public career of the four gentlemen who are now inscribed upon toe municipal roll of honour is their consciousness that wealth brings with it obligations and responsibili- tIes. Probably in no country other inan Britain Is this conspicuous. Sir John Llewelyn for the aristocratic element: I Messrs., Beck and Dver for the commercial o middle class element: ad Mr. David l>avies for the captains of industry '—each and all arc ncriew.rrt.hy exponents of this creed of public service, the voluntarv devo- tion to the .ei'oration ot social malidies a: d to social labour, of leisure creaLdbv fortune and available for the pursuit of pleasure. In Fiance we have seen an aristocracy divorced, "from public life relansing into an exist thee in which time and opportunity are frittered away, ijr America it "(A trne wealthy men are prodigally generous in their bensfac- tions, but intervene in political life to no good purpose, and leave municipal work to be the piey of rogues in many cases. In Cierroaay the arirlO!Watlf'; class devotes its disinterested services, chiefly to an iii-paid and thayki n>»lit»ry -.e>'V'ne. -¡.. But upon the whole no country com- Ettres with Qreat Biitain for the t?mpte set y its men of mean? and kisure; and it is th& ghjry of our public life that it is so rich in prototypes of Sir John Llewelyn, Mr. Beck, Mr. 'Dyer, and Mr. Davies, untiringly and unselfishly spending theqr energies in fruitful and elevating public life. The standard they have personally exhibited, in rectitude, modeo y, geniality and activity of life. alone constitutes a claim upon p. ohc i-ecogriltion. Another claim 1.fl furnished by their endowment with the humanitarian spirit that has in Britain so far exceeded and outstripped in its growth the provision made elsewhere by Government and muni- cipaldty for the alleviation of sickness and j suffering. It is a sign of a sound and heakhv public constitution when such as these are amongst the foremost in public life, and it Jill hope for the future that even the chillier realms of politics are being warmed and quickened by the same generous end humane movement which prompted the four gentlemen whom Swansea honoured to the ¡ achievement of their good wor'vs. i The honour in Mr. Davies' case was of a special character. His work has been na- tional; it has not been limited to the gift of a sum that, great as it is, could still leave a weathy man abundantly wealthy, but it has been inspired by a personal lacour and devotion to furthering the task for which 1 lIe donated a hundred thousand pound s. He was quick to discern a national plague spot; energetic to initiate and, launch a compre- iiensive and systematic campaign for the eiadication of the disease and he thus made Wales the pioneer amongst the four coun- r tries of the Union, and equipped her more efficiently than any other. Nor are the benefits from the amault upon the whole plague likely to be restricted to the diminu- tion of tube;culogis fbr throughout the la!ldI there has been diffused a knowledge of the Principles of health and h-ithf,.l habi. "'hose educative influence should deal a blow *t many ailments part begotten of ignor- aoce and contributory negligence. This (leremoDY supplements the recognition of the 4Uanger within our gates—of Gladstone and Ilosebery and Stanley (in some ways the greatest Welshman of the nineteenth cen- I tlxry) with a more particular but equally I • Meritorious reward of good, vseful and latent lives lived locally; and has set up the free- 4orn of the borough as the ultimate and highest prize of all who do their duty pre- eminently well within the confines of the town wherein they toiled.

A calumny that is worn threadbare is wenig revi ved in connection with the WeHi Nonconformist petition against the diren- dowment clauses in the Welsh ChIlTeh Bill. Intimidation is what the charge amounts tlo. The acts of intimidation alleged con- in promiqent Churchmen, themselves 10 person or through their servants, taking Petitions to people with whom they have dealings, to sign. To an unbiased person, "Otbine could be more natural than such a Procee.iing, that men keenly interested in agitation should take some personal part 111 ft1rthring it, and that they should on- Pr<iach other people whom they know. The J?nt>e>ido of t'ip calumny is in the sugT^'t'on t -at people who do not sign such petitions .?. marked men amd are ?aMp to "'VM- "?tsa.tion" in some %hn,m or form. It :[11;116S a verv poor and disparag?n? concep- of the manhood of those who Mfm under 11}'ni"'d or pop?(.n? coercion, tW t-h?v Sbonld n<? be d-emed to have the c<?ura?e to resist it. And it f'!r?h?r argues a verv if U*u j action on the mrt of Church peoole If the latter are really 'so very greatly Ollt- UrnH»red in Wales 11 it is sovcht to reprp- to Hp. jf Chn^hmei are in wh niinoritv, cor^-rriot J'^tories to TVir m^t bvious "1"! d uril co'irf«» of action would be to adont Pickwickian counsfl and "of two ow ds, shout with the bigger." 11 Thnt Church'Tien have good cause for ounsbine a bitter resentment. aaimt the 41it liorsrl the .-Ii endnwmeit proposals may be admitted. The thing which roev-* HI"ir Is so 8oid, mean and contemptible. Ilia* they copLJ carry into practice a pol'cy of, a T>ersonal vendetta in the fashion irsir-u- n,ed ms ridiculous, if they are really but a i handful amongst the Welsh people. The very few do not usually oppress the many, and the latter can very well defend their own interests if the need arises. It is enl ghten- ing to recall that an organisation called the "Gladstone League" was formed to discover;, expose, and explOIt, such cases of political op- pression and retaliation as are suggested in connection with the Nonconformist Church Bill petitions. If, has had to "sheathe its sword from lack of argument." Its discover- ies have been insignificant. Those engaged in spreading these calumnies might have the grace and tact to remember that it is the conduct of Nonconformists as well as that of Churchmen that they call in question, and that it would be the safer course to credit erring members of their flock with honest if mistaken convictions.

It is regrettable to learn that in some French atületic quarters tile suggestion is joing made that Anglo-French Kugby—a genuinely democratic manifestation of the Entente Cordiale-may presently lapse on iccount of the resentment feit at the pre- iominance of British referees, as well as dis- satisfaction with their decisions. The t'aris Excelsior asks: Are we to cease play- ing* international football?" and declares that in Rugby football the Entente does not exist; the gentlemen wiio control t ne gan ( continue to look upon the French as little boys. The international matches are always refereed by the English, and the Inter- national Board has continually refused to allow a Frenchman to hold the whistle." It continues We have so often had occasion to be scrry for the decisions rendered by English referees that the crowd has entirely lost confidence." It fears a repetition of the scene of New Year's Day, last year, when a disorderly crowd hooted the referee out of the grounds in Paris. The reply is a very sample one English- i I meal do not referee in matches where an I ,,n:: l' ..n t Ie c"sto<I? j ■ r, is j (ointed out that in the m* i' • <glajid and France a iaii rr.ei'Ofev, between Wales and France an EngrlKhimn: and Irela-d and Fr -L-, an E 11,2-1 ishman. The French, not tmnwtiura 11 v ho??ev?r, h?T"T) t-c.?ether En?- ) lih. Welsh. S?n?ch ?nd Ir'sh a? one people, and do not recognise f?nr!€nn? disbia'oHons I oif He, -ir-e th? f?'?"'? "?t. Englisihmen pre^n-inpte. The jrri* av- ance eQuId be eonitablv mort bv the ,le:f)-n of a French refere" in a Priti'h ■-r-r+ch. But t-h-e er"'o' of the French jonmal is com pre- hAii^jble and i, is very eaN- to iinde-,f.-ni that. whilst French crowds like British ciwvds are frequentJ'5' di^nclined to c' t to the wisdom and iiistice of the referee's rulings, Britirili.'«E;f^rees have more fiv- 1 quently occasdois^ tk> c^/rrect slips and blunders by French payers than bv on j' T7. or a We1?h fifteen. French. I thcugb they fore doing rcirar'-ably welt in onrire-nticesbin to r-nie. p,re all still new comers, «nd still more so is i th,i« t.h.«i c"!i?e with a French crowd, wbi-1, proba-Mv does iK'.t re?'?' th? ilu'?hef a?'d coY!<?pxity o? the rn]? tha.t di.r?t. the ?a?.  j <It ? not j -b4?wev?t, tb ???'1? Bt'M- ish critics regard the French ss "little bovg." The tendency has been upon the other hard rather to over-estimate the prowess1 of the French players and to exaggerate the rapid- ity of their progress towards proficiency. It is to be trusted that plea Ranter feelings will soon prevail, but it is veil to remember .thet sport is a prolific cause of discord and quarrel in this country, and that translated to an international sphere it may operate to mere seriously mischievous an end. Passing storms are to be deplored and care needful to avert them in the future; it is a pity that they should be permitted to mar a very effective means of bringing the French and the British peoples into personal touch.

The second reading of the Welsh Church Bill for the third and last occasion mder the Parliament Act has been very strikingly signalised by a timely revelation of the ox- tent of -the Nonconformist protest against; the disendowment clauSoef of the measure, the repeal of which has been declared by, Mr. Bonar Law to be the first duty (If Unionists upon their return to power. Thi. petition has been signed by 69,706 adult Nonconformists in South Wales by 18.197 in the Diocese of Bangor and by 15.321 in the Diooese of St. Asaph All told th< re J have been 103,224 signatures, and the weight: of the protest is emphasised by the fa,cts that some 53 ministers or preachers, 473 deacons, 160 other church office bearers, 22 justices of the peace., and 52 county and other councillors have inscribed their names upon the protest in South Wales. Whilst! all told the number of protesting deacons stands at 790. It hardly needs to be dc- clared that the petition is a fact as im- portant and significant <as any that have yet been cibed by the defenders of the Church's property, and that if there exists amongst the Liberal party in Parliament any honest dirAto regard the question with an c?n nriind, the protest must excite grave search- mgs of the hoar4 and impel a reconsid l-ation of their attitude. Whatever effect it nay have in that regard, the-, revelation of the real Nonconformist conscience," the opinion of men who set religion foremost, amply justifies all that has been said by j Churchmen that in their hearts a very con- Riderable body of Nonconformists repudiated the le urt defensible uortion of the T)rograr-iine embodied in the Welsh Church Bill. h u,b Bill. The import of tlu' figures may be gauged when comparing them with the number of voters w bo, at contested elections in -,Va,es in December, 1910, cast their vc/tes for the Li-beial candidates who were cfScially re- sponsible for the Bill, the Labour members standing upon the general principle that matters affecting industry were of primary concern to the electoiate, and not such ques- tions as that of Disondowment and D tses- tablishment. There were m round nurnlvrs less than 67,000 Liberal vokti cast at the contests for the Bill, and over 64/00 Unionist votes cast against it. To some ex- tent the Liberal votes were given because under the present political system it was im- possible for the electors to differentiate against obnoxious items upon their ov n party's programme, and good and bad had to be swallowed together. The number of signatures obtained uoon this specific issue of the endowments justifies the opinion of the promoters in drawing the conclusion that a. referendum in the Hal would ibid no majority of the people of Wales in favour of the Disendowment proposals, qnd that the protest has proved once for all that the allegation that Nonconformists of Wales ns .i bodv are in favour of depriving the Church of her ancient endowments and her inclosed ancient churchyards is unfounded. Mr. Asouith, however, has refused to re- ceive a deputation from the men,her", of the South Wales Protest Committee. He has simply run awav and his flight is ore of the most discreditable things in his career. He covers his refusal by a wordy allusion to the desirability of sending such petitions to "the only body in this country competent to deal with the matter, namely, the Petitions Com- mittee of the House of Commons." He recaPs his statement upon the occasion of the deputation from the North Wales Committee of Protest (whom he received in entire in- consistency with his decision not to see a corresponding South Wales deputation), that "there was a proper, well-recognised, and constitutional method by which electors and others in this country could make known their opinions upon matters of public policy, and that was by petition to tbe House of Commons." Mr. Asquith distinctly leccg- nises that such petitions are valid and admis- sible political documents; yet he ignored the petition bearing more than half a million sig- natures against the Bill presented two years ago to Parliament—a number far exceeding tne total of votes cast in Wales for the mea- sure. 'And it is to be feared that the* present, petition may, in his sight, be similarly ig- nored. It is acts of this kind that justify Unionist speakers who declare that the Gov- ernment is tearing up one by one the safe-' guards and usages of democratic and repre- sentati ve government in this country, and, entrenched in power, is defying public opinion. It is for Churchmen, however, to recog- nise that the petition of the Nonconformists marks a sharp and deep cut division between the militant political Nonconformist and very many of their dissenting followers. In face of this definite protest and repudiation of policy the antagonisms that were kindled between Churchmen and those who in the eyes of the former were about to deal them a mean and painful injury should be con- siderably abated. A distinction can bf* d'awn between the Disestablishment propo- sals, which constitute a theme Uiat it should be passible to discuss without arowIing tile acerbities that are so prone to attend relig- ious controversies, and the Disendowment proposals, concerning which but one ques- tion can be asked Will they promote re- ligion? To which but one answer is pos- sible They wiN be seriously to its detri- ment. Churchmen will very generously and warmly recognise that the portion of the Bill, justifiably described as odiors. J, the work of extremists amongst Nonconformists, and that moderate dissenting oninion to a very striking degree disavows it. This is a fact 0' h f to be conspicuously brought forward and laid stress upon, for with the prospect of a Peud afflicting the religious life of the country it is desirable that every consideration of weight that could tell against an eventuality so tragically opposed to the spirit of religion should be taken into account. A wnter in the Times observed a few dlt,vs a-o: To snend Treasury funds on the preservation of rude cromlechs, -preHs- t"iic htit-i and mined abbeys, and to with- draw endowments consecrated by the use of ccnt-Ties from the ancient Christian altars ot Wales; to bea said nrav for subsci-irvt;nvc toward^ securing a miniwnm wase for Non- conformist ministers, and to impoverish the ancient parochial system '"hich guarantees ;• living and a universal Christian mi^istr" l i v i iiq and a un i ver, tbr'->no'hout Wales: to bewail the necrlect of public worship and fhe advance of material- ism and deliberately to divert to secular uses ^rds applied from time immeirr,rial to pnrjKises and never more Truit- n)P? e"?'? fd thw th?y ?re to-dav to fxult and vet hu!T?-?' exalt in Welsh nario»"]i*v and vet hmri1: ?.? f?t.<t n:'w? ,???;tt-t,;r<? Wh1" s?'?nHes fb» %fwkT>o"d oivps V, and diVnitv to We^sh literati1 iv— surely no more violently incongruous o facle cor Id be imacm^d +h»n that whi"h f'd" in ih attitude towards the Na-titnal Church." He nointi; out that the protesters against Disendowment "have no doubt been influ- enced by pressure, but it 'is the pressure of the. own internal problems, bringing V me to tOPnJ the grave consequences of the Dis- pn-'rwrnent provisions ff the W-1-1, Church Bill." He points out that t-dny tli min- istrv must be composed cf a hinhlv educated personnel; and "a well-educated man who had taken his Welsh B D. is Inot disposed to snend his life in his native valley on the sal- arv of a farm labourer." He demands-rea- sonable social amenities for himself and his family; and, failing their supply in the vil- lages. he migrates to the towns, or across the border—as with so many of the most. distinguished of Welsh Nonconformists—or drifts at an early stalre into other profes- sions, politics, the Civil Service, law or medi- cine. At one time the ministry was regarded as the great vocation in Wales. It is so no longer. And what is more natural than that Nonconformists, seeing: these things in their own households, should view with alarm the Disendowment of. the Church ho;»hold con- currently with the growing difficulty of main- taining their own?"

The Premier, on Monday night, refused to grant a judicial inquiry into the charge I! so circumstantially and responsibly bxougikt aiga.in.st the Ministrv of an attempt- to light such a (handle" in Ulster as could not be quenched save with civil war. The detailed statement of the Ulster Unionist Council, that two divisions of infantry and a brigade of cavalry were to be emplolv-rd, with a formidoible naval co-operation, holds the field and has yet to be authoritatively controverted arid denied. And it is im- possible to believe that so grave an accusa- tion as that of an attempt to goad a per- fectly calm a,nd law-abiding people into bloodshed, I a,nd to crush them by force of arms, would be made wrtV>ut solid justifica- tion. Such fncts as are known all Wid to the support of the lister Charges. We have seen in the case of the South African de- portees the Government, by inaction, as- senting to the punishment of British srb- jects wii.heut a trial or the preferring of a oharsre in legal form; we have apparently in Ulster witnessed an attemwt to use the Arvnv as an 'nstrument of political cooiw^n, as the tool of a party, not to repress trouble that wa? n?n-?x istent. or compel obedience to a. bw th.?t his not vet been passed, hnt to shed ov"J blof?d and shoot down politi- cal ntpvOTiients in th" fashion of some semi- civilised American State. I The fly and dust play in the temperate zone of Europe the part taken in the dissemination of disease iu the tiopics by the mosquito, and the achievements of American samitary engineers in a former Plllill-I "pot like Panama., where the mor- tality has been enormously reduced and some of the most virulent and deadly of maladies all but eradicated, indicates the great possibilities of a health crusade in which sanitary measures are rigorously and thoroughly carried into force. In Britain, slacknessin leav ing streets unswept, and j rubbish accumulated, to form breeding places for files. may not yield a harvest of; deiath and disease so directly tracea.ble to these ca,uses as the neglect of sanitary pre- cautions which is oommon in the tropios but it is nevertheless potent for evil in un- doing much of the good work wrought for Public health in other directions, in the pro- vision of pure water and an efficient and comprehensive system of drains. Swansea. with ita narrow streets, heavy motor traffic, its natural draughtiness froin its hilliness and proximity to the sea, and the low re- i 3t*lllq sisting i power of tllp, macadamised road s to the disintegrating effects of a climate apt to very rainy or with a prevalent moist heat, is peculiarly exposed to the dantrers that 1 arise from remissness in the sanitary ser- vice of a great town. where there is. in id- -lition to other complicating and asrgravat- irv: factors, a great dpnl of public apathy and indifference to cleanliness. With the ever-increasing motor traffic, the dust problem is one that is engaging tba — 1 most ærious attention of experts in load-I making it is true, but so far no infallible remedy has been found Tar spraying is' effective, up to a point, but there are objec- tions to it, ttfough these are by no means so pronounced as the nuisance from dust it is designed to diminish. Swansea, perhaps, more than many 01 her town, is particularly inconvenienced by this dust nuisance. With the narrowness of the streets dust, is more readily blown against shop fronts, of which many are open and exposed, and fish. fruit and meat are liable to contamination. The planting of trees in the chief public thnroughfares is a very de- sirable thing from the standpoint of beauty, but a defect it entails is the keeping of the dust in suspension in the air, as it is bio vn up by the wind r<id caught and retained by leaf and branch. This may be observed in any dry spell in Walter-road in certain vicinities. The defect is, however, less ap- parent in the side streets that are not so I frequently used Uy dust-producing traffic. Pending sotoe permanent solution of the dust nuisance, t: watering of the Swansea i streets should be more systematically cavru -1 out,, and' for this purpose the town should be divided into distriea-s so that, especially on the occasions ot drying east winds, such as we experienced week, the carts can be brought out 1 at a 'aoment's notice. In orai- j nary times there is no reason why the 1 ing should not bo done regularly twice or thrice' a day. Of ourse this cannot apply I to every little side street, but t.he train I route and the business centres, where the people are attra('.t.tr from all parts of the town, should receive this special attention. As against the expense, there is the danger to the public health that ensues from the dust. We may nci. see this at the moment, but the health statistics of the next few years will make ns painfully aware of the fact unless some remedy is found for the dust problem. I' With the increasing conversion of the road f-urfaces from friable macadam to asphalte and wood and tar macadam, the task of street cleansing is being greatly facilitated, and increased attention can be diverted to other routes. Motor traffic possesses, for one of the "atialities of its defects," the reduction of the refuse that encumbered streets where horse traffic used to predominate, but it is, to a much greater extent a disperser of dust r with the draught of its progress, as well as a creator of it by the pulverising eftect upon road surfaces of the heavy motor lorry of from two tons weight upwards. The very rapid extension of rnotoi, driven traffic in the district, through the formation of lines of passenger services, a-a well as the abolition of the horse driven traffic of the highways, opens up a serious problem for public author- 1 ities, not only in respect to the maintenance I or reconstruction of roads that were never I built to meet such strains, but in regard to public health. To some extent the 4i.ease is providing its own remedy, or palliative, as the intolerable nature of the d-isr nuisance, as well as the! breaking up of the roadfi. compel public bodies to v LIO WWI '+ _P(Xfe duraiwer faces, but every diist cloud that whirls into the,air like smoke behind one of these swift passing or cumbrous vehicles, with its mil- lions of germs, is a reminder that the many- sided progress of science creates new dan- gers, besides abolishing old onfw.

The state of war :-ha.t now exists between t.he American Government and that of the major portion of Mexico is replete with irony. Mr. Bryan, the American Foreign Secretary, ia a s"ntimenta.list who has probably talked of the blessings ot paace and horrors 'of war than any other man in America. s a judgment on him, he has now to • stop fra.min,g (grandiose schemes of uni versal arbitration to desjuatoh battleships and landixig parties. A denoun- cer of ltnperiallsm and aggression, in his re- gime his countrv ha* been committed to what may well be one of the greatest- and richest conquests modern times. And President Woodiro*- Wilson, .a less lo- quacious but equally earnest aibhoirrer of war, is in like case. He confronts the very thing that he sought to a.void-war and in- tervention and it is his own policy and idealism that have been, in this respect, his. undoing. One cannot indeed pretend to much sympathy for the difficulties he has created. President Huerta is unquestionably the sov- ereign power in Mexico; lie controls tho greater part of the country, he has pro- tected foreigners to the best of his ability, he bears no personal responsibility for the occasional excesses of the troops, or for the insults to American marines that have now forced the inssrie. V>■ 11- President Woodrow Wilson has hampered and burdened him /in suppressing a revolt d.rected by a gang c.i brigands upon <b6 grand scale, even to the extent of opening the American frontier for the supply by j Americans of .arms to rebels whose career h?-'3 been marked by outrage, crime, and violence of every description. The occupation of the Mexican seaports and the interruption of the commerce of the country, apart from the havoc that it will occasion to Mexican trade, in which Britain is so largely interested, may precipitate his fall; but what alternative is there? No suc- cessor is in sight. Ca,rranz and Villa are unthinkable as candidates for the Mexican Presidency. Huerta has been the target for the hostility of President Woodrow Wilson for reasons entirely ohsciire both to Euro- pean opinion and to that, "If the foreign policy in Mexico. But the rebels he has been eon terming against are incomparably more obnoxious. The policy of the American President has been throughout idealistic, possibly, but of the nature that makes one realise the truth of the aphorism that "half the time of the wise is spent, in widening j the brain weight of the good." It has been i faltering, reluctant, half-hearted and now, I when passive lethargy has been abandoned for action, that action k tentative and inde- cisive. The choice of a pretext for interven- tion has been ill-judged. It would be ample justification for the United States were they to point to the anarchy that is devastating Northern Mexico and the inability ofresi- dent Huerta to suppr^* it. Instead of in- tervening in the interest-, of civilised gov- j ernment to arrest the -!Teer of bandits President Woodrow Wi)„o« chocees a typically "Jingo" pretext6 of "an insult to1 the flag." and the question of the burning of blank cartridge—a strange point of punctilio for a pacifist t-o stake huniarn life upon. If there is serious Warfare in Mexico it will be of inordinate length and expense if pur- j sued with the luke-warmness hitherto ex- hibited in the actions of the American Pre- si dent. One can but trilat that events will; take the most favourable "course for the! Americans, and that peace may be restored to Mexico speedily. But the. Northern Re-1 public is not in a military sense qualified for the task, at the moment. It possesses a big Navy, but Mexico is one of the not incon- siderable number of exceptions to the rule that teea-power is of prime importance. Its army. is etc-ollent, what there is of it; but tfesre is ludicrously little, and the business Of improvising an army &iPW tedious and exorbitantly oo.stly.

The Metal Exchange new gardens off Wind-street will be a welcome oasis for the 'Cnange meetings in the summer. Mr. Llewellyn Williams, M.P., is spend- ing the Easter Holiday at Pem brey, and has a fame of golf every day. Sir Robert Purvis was with Lord Glantawe at the freemen's ceremony on Thursday. They are very close friends of many years' standing. One who has been through it savs a fort- night in Swansea Prison is the finest tonic to a jaded system. We should prefer the jaded feeling. A Swansea clothier has mackintoshes displayed nght above the topmost window of his establishment. This seems to be in- viting wet weather. :.><!>< -< One of the witnesses at the Swansea Under Sheriff s Court, upon being called made a .bee-line for the Press seats. He was gently directed to the more usual channels. The new Prudential building at the comer of Castle-street will be similar in design to that at the other corner. The new "Pru." will be completed in about twelve months t i me. Immediately after the freedom ceremony at the Albert Hall on Thursday Aid. David Davies and Mrs. Davies left for Gibraltar and the MorcJccan Coast. They will be away about a fortnight. Sir Court-enay Mansel's pretty little golden-haired daughter. Germaine, was the cynosure ot all eyes at the reception to the freemen. She is aged eight, and is the eldest of Sir Courtenay's children. Hair and sawdust were, it was stated at the Swansea Under Sheriff's Court, to be the constituent parts of some building slabs. It would be incorrect to diagnose every sla b- iet by the sweeping interjection, "There's air," The late Dr. T. D. Griffiths, Swansea., was a great advocate oi sea bathing and healthy walking and cycling exercise. When nearly 70 one could meet him nearly every morning returning before breakfast from the near Gower bays after a. bathe. '<:><P<$. One could weil- anticipate a ran on bad debts if ore was adored of t-heni turning oftt so successfully ;õ.8 u' *bv. • j.* ;♦? 1:kr Beck. His bad debt at Swansea m- directly disclosed the way to commercial prosperity. The oases at Swansea Police Court on Thursday averaged some two minutes and twelve fleconds apiece in their hearing. There were a number of adjournments and five cases were heard in a batch, but the average is still remarkabiy good. Mr. Roger Beck's vigorous individualism and character were never seen to better ad- vantage than on Thursday afternoon, when, as one of the new freemen, he sketched the turning points in his successful career. One came away with the impression that dogged dops it. $ > < >. Much laughter was caused at the freedom oeremonv when Sir Joliu Llewelyn de- clared that the good things said of i;m very largely undeserved of him, "and of the others." The worthy baronet added that. of course, ?he others would speak f"r | themselves. tl,-mse lver.. A plucky cyclist ventured fortb on the Mumbles-ro&d on Thursday evening, and returned covered in the dust disturbed by the motor-cycles and motor-cars. Relating his experiences, he said that of all the dust he"had swallowed that at Blaekpill was the most palatable. ■ <  -ct>-?>-4>?>f Unintentional humour was introduced into a report we recently received from Neath. A local correspondent, dealing with the re- cent session of Good Templars, observed therein: "The D.C.T. referred feelingly to the death of --— and suggested other ways of improving the district."—("Hotspur.") For the first time for many years the Mayor of Swansea lAId. T. T. Corker) at- tended in person on Easter Monday at the Parish Church of St. Mary's, and nominiied his own wardens. Usually the nominations have Jxn made by an official from the Town Clerk's office. An inspector visiting a Mumbles school wished to test the observation powers of 1 the children, and asked for a r.umber to write on the blackboard. On boing given 46 he wrote 64, and a further number was also reversed with no remark by the chil- dren. At last a little fellow piped out, Write 55, sir As a rule, Mayors eschew party politics during their year of ofifce. Sir Stafford Howard, however, the first Mayor of Llan- ellv, presided and spoke at the meeting ad- dressed by Mr. Masterman and Mr. Llewelyn Williams, M.P., on Friday night, and was, indeed, as downright in his Radical utter- ances as if there were no such thing as a mayoral chair. Nothing can happen these days without Swansea tiguring somewhere in it. On May the 28th the Cunard line, whose cargo boats trade regularly to the Prince of Wales Dock will hold a tuiisic-hali performance on board their great new liner, the Aquitania. One of the artistes to appear on the occasion will be Mr. Barclay Gammon, who tops the bill at the Swansea Empire this week. By a recent mail a request came to .i¡- I John Llewelyn from a lady in India for a copy of the "Daily Post," containing some reminiscences of the l.?tc Mr. Deffett > ran- cis at the re-openmg of the Deffett FralH'is Art Gallery, the date of which she could not state. By a curious coincidence the request came on ihe first anniversary of the re ap ing of the gallery, which took place on A.in-ii, 17th, 1913. Manv years ago, when Sir John Llewelyn Many years tt <ijx?-?-??-<? j wag- making one of his fighting election j speeches at the South Dock during the din- ner-hour—he always appeared to be at the top of his form when addressing the genuine worker—an old foreman whispered to the writer, He ought to get in. bnt- I am afraid he wont; any way, I hope to live to see him get the freedom -of the borough. But Sir John did win the seat, and was re- turned to Parliament, but poor old Jim did not live to see Sir John made a fieernan. Boy Scouts know no age. The oldest in uniform at Swansea yesterday was nearly sixty. Sir Robert Baden Powell is one of the most affable of men, and he likes to talk to every- body. I One man at least has expressed an opinion on the design for the new frontage of tligh- street Station. He said it makes his htad ache." I. Monday was blue ribbon day at Swansea Police Court. Defendant after defendart was politely requested to take the pledge, lest worse things befall! In such high esteem was the late Mr. Joseph Gregor held in business circles, that his spoken word was as confidentially ac- cepted as was his written contract. j The Swansea Health Committee on Mon- day discussed the possibilities of motor- scavenging. Perhaps someone will be swank a, in the near future as Chauffeur to the Corporation." Scouts always sahH.e with the left hand. This leaves the right free fez any emer- gency. There is another reason. The left hand is nearer the heart, a.nd is mare sym- bolical of brotherhood, -<?-e'< < £ • Shades of Spanker! The Swa;na He?lth Committee are advertising for horses to re- plen.isb the Corporation stable". We have no confirmation of the rumour that Con- tinental firms are after the old 'mis. «{-<;>- >* -< $ *< f "Cocky," the fine specimem of a cockatoo, in the aviary at Brynmill Park, draws a good crowd together W with his droll sayings. It it scarcely surprising that included in his repertoire is "Give it to Bailie!" A little girl travelling by train from Llml- dilo to Carmarthen with her mother lot.ced a herd of cows, all red in colour except one, which was a Jersey. "Oh, mother," she cried, "just look at that pretty cow; but it isn't ripe "We are of opinion that a training in Scout ideas and methods is so beneficial to all boys that it cannot fail to be in every way an advantage to all the junior members of our staff."—(Testimonial from Messrs. W. H. SmÜÁ. and Son, Strand, London.) The country seems to make tor loncevity of the vocal organs. A song that arose in the smoking room of a Carmarthenshire village inn on Saturday evening, in a clear, firm, strong voice, came from a veteran of well past three score years and ten. When lever the tenants of Carra g G-annen Ca?tio d€?r<?d to deport any scurvy knave or saucy varkt., or dispose o th? castle aah- pit, they had a short way with them. On one side the cliff drops .sheer as a plumb line some hundred and nfty fact —■a dizzy height that makes the hoad swim to gaze upon. $ -< < A .-ountrvside is very deOentlw\ to it I t?wnMf""?'. P?-?MW ahmi the road I, e ':<le .inpr?A?' ?'   bf iae ^iiipret-x Oji » ..> »! -u.) r* be passes at ka? iateirvais tha-t ? ia ahocai d,rt. But surveying the landscape from a lofty eminence—e.g., the castle at Ca-rreg ¡ C>eruln-d;lJ¡ngs ,ce to he seen sprinKva everywhere and ensconcad in their hollows. Tho.) time expended and the taste displayed hv i'it steward and stewardess, Mr. iii-d Mrs. Inc. assisted by the Misses Inch, in the deeorit;,n of the Salisbury Club tor Primrose Day, were most thoroughly r.ppre- ciated by the membt-is. Indeed, the ejiect in the concert rooni was All art,istic a-chiev- inent The thick layers of dust on the roads round Mumbles and Gower make vraiveUing tunpl 1,, far pedestrian, cyclist, and motorist alike. People living near the Mumbles-road are unable to keep the, dust from invading even the sacred precincts of their most zealously guarded drawing- rooms. It is only fair to followers of the oppot.i- tion cede to state that there i" among them no feeling of exultation over the differences that have arisen amongst the wan". The ita-tiire of the whole proceeding is so foreign to the "iigby gamp. th-cit latter-day events lead "1; ger men to the opinion that It is for local "'Soccer to work out its own salvation.—(" Prospero.") An old lady with a sonorous voice1..r:c1 a Welsh accent climbed into the witness-box at Swansea Police Court on Saturday to give evidence in a cattle straying oasf. She spoke in tones so deep, with such an air of finality and conviction that it sounded as if there w?'e absolutely nothing more t? be said. But 'twas all for riouglit Her siclf- i lost, as there was nothinrr in its story in- ) consistent with the police, evidence. i t » ■ I Mr. George Gunning, of the Swansea branch of the Sailors' and Firemen's Union, bad a curious experience at Cardiff one day this week. He wp- leaving a Trades I. nion meeting wearing the familiar broad-brimmed Trilby, when he was button-holed by some. pressmen who wanted to know the position of things in Dublin. They mistook him for J:m Larkin You've got hold of the wrong co m this time," replied senial George. 1.t the Neath Guardians' meeting they were voting on the election of second vice- chairman. There were two candidates—the Rev. Z. P. Williamson and Mr. John Thomas—and the clerk was reading out the names. He came to that of John Thomas, I "I won't vote at all," replied Mr. Thomas. Mr. E. Powell: 'You must either vote or the room." "Then John Thomas it must be," rejoined the candidate, amid laughter. And John Thomas it was in the result, too. "A Member of Some Years Standing" writes —Local cricket enthusiasts hail with delight the fact that Mr. Edgar Biliings is to have the honour of captaining the Swan- •■-fta Cricket Eleven this season. In addition to being a c,apital committeeman, ever ready to do everything possible to enhance the prestige of the club, he is a clever wicket- keeper, a brilliant fielder in any position (either close in or in the long-field), and a magnificent batsman, and his consistent form of the past half-dozen seasons fully entitles, him to the position. Ten years ago Oxford University con- ferred the degree of Dr. of Science honoris causa, upon the late Dr. T. D. Griffiths, M.D.. of Swansea, the retiring president of the British Medical Association. He was then introduced to convocationbv Professor Leve, who said the University wa« nviud of enrol among her doctors some of those who by their akili in surgery or in medicine, by 1 theiir teaching of t.he principles and practice J of these arts, by their investigations of the causes of disease, had made the lives of the people, happier, had served the State, and had advanced the boundaries of human knowledge. Of these, Professor L-.e Je- clared, top man who. more- than any other, was the abject, of their felicitation, was the retiring, president of the Medical Associa- tion. I, The distant, rumble of thunder could be heard on Swansea Sands last evening. -<tX!!>-$> I Swansea Harbour Trust consists of 26 members; 12 of these are proprietary Trus- tees. I The Swansea English bowlers look as if they are all out to win the A. F. Eden i trophy this year. The small boy would have it on Wednes- day that the p:Iratf-s were sitting at the Harjjour Trust Offices. Where was Cardiff at the Swansea pilotage enquiry on Wednesday? Their neighbours, Newport, were represented '?- t  & -<  -< & -<  The Swans achieved a feat yesterday, which they had failed to perform before- beating Llanelly at Halfway. I Fairfoul is the name of one of the Liver- pool half-backs. The name sounds a bit I queer when one thinks it out. Overheard at the Docks.—Boss (to one of his workmeai whom he suspected of malinger- ing): Have you had your breakfast this iy.uz-ning, Jim!jim: Not a drop, sir. .0-1%0--t- Some words may hit you in the eye,' said Sir Henry Wood on Tuesday evening to the Swansea Male Voice Choir, but EVERY word should hit you in the eye." Miss Kate Moffatt, sister of the author, will appear in "Bunty pulls the strings" at the Grand Theatre. Swansea, during Whit- week. Miss Moffatt scored a very big suo cess in London. These are indeed days of hustle. A letter tiom a business house in High-street, Swan- sea, was posted to a customer at Mynydd- b,wh four years ago. It arrived1 there quite safely last week. j Loughor Parish Council was reported for the first time in its history on Tuesday even- ing. If they had been granted a special charter, the members could not have looked more important. Mr. Frederick Terry will appear at the Grand llheatre, Swansea, in "The Scarlet r'impernel" during the Bath and West of England Show week (May 25th). The box office opens 011 the 4th prllx. Twenty peppie turned up at the Cocketfc raiepnyerft' meeting culled to discuss a very important wwersge scheme. And yet -aoO who were not present "-■rtli be the first to ii thing* don t ruz smoothly. St- j „ I It :s stated that m indepenaent are u, certain class of fruiterers and greengrocer iii Swansea that a large consignment of vegetables were left- t" rot in tne station rstner than the goods shoo id be sold too cneaj. to the puhiic. t < 4 Do the bapief at Swansea never go to bed?a-sked Sir Henry Wood at tfce cnoral n. iwirnl at the Working Men's Club on Taesday evening. The time was 9.45, and t the children outside quite 'interruptod tha proceedings. Parents in 'the vicinity, pleas ■note.  are A few young cricketers of p?omtse are hkety to be ??n assisting the Swansea team I this season and h welcome is extended to all promising players.. Mr. Harold Jenkins, who showed such promise as .a. bat a couple of seasons ago, intends helping Swansea, again. < The pid 11 re of the Swanll-Brentford mat-cli being shown at the Carlton this week is one of the best of its kind yet seen in the town and a tribute to the operator who took it. Every incident, of Dote is depicted, and it, gives a non-footballer a good idea of the game. "4 < -< Some oi the obituaries of the late Dt", T. D. Griffiths, of Swansea, refer to him as a nati ve of Druslvn," Carmarthenshire. Dryslwyn is the correct -f.oxiii. A walk to the too of Dryslwyn Gaetle will reveal a splendid view of Grougar Hall, made famous by John Dyer. The efwansei Town Club could do w-th the services of Bailiffe, the Llanelly goalia, but if negotiations were entered into be- tween the clubs, i, is thought Llanelly would place a very high transfer fee, which would prevent any South W ales club securing the Welsh international goafie. .A. <p-<?t-  -<  -?-? How the law of averages works out in a man's wages is often evidenced in, the wages certificate before the County Court- Here is one that came before his Honour this | week 1st week, £1 9s, 2nd week, 168,; ¡3rd week, 21 lis. 4th week, 14s. The aver- age works out at £1 Os, 6d. only. Sir Henry Wood is one of the most con. scientious and painstaking of conductors. He put the Swansea and District Male Voice Choir so often "through their paces" at the Working Men's Club on Tuesday evening tha.t those who do not know the man might have thought him to be unreasonably cap- tious. At the Swansea County Court-, counsel made an application for costs in res pect of a request that had succeeded but in an altered iorm, and his Honour said, You cannot bring a charge of murder against a. man and claim that you had succeeded, be- cause though it was not murder, yet. he hit me in the eye." Quite so. Although strange to Swansea muaic-lovers. III-an, s Alto Rhapsody which is one of ihe three pieces to be sunt by tile" Male Voice next Monday, will be found to be a composition of much beauty, whilst Goetze's WVer Lily," which suggests something on juvenile cantata lines, contains many p;is» :iagi of dramatic lire and expression. A Walsh farmer, paying a visit to London, entered the hotel dining-room OIl the m<)r-in g of his arrival and asked the waiter, 11 Well, what have you for breakfast?" "Porridore, soles, kidney and bacon, grilled ham. sau- sages, chops. steaks, and tomatoes," said the waiter. Right. answered the farmer: •• I'll have what yon rnentioi. An-I some eggs and muffin* t t< Now that we have beein favoured with snch a spell of fine weather it seems a great pity that the tennis and bowls courts cannot be opened for ptav at. once at Swansea in other towns. If they were it would prove & big source of revenue, besides affording con- siderable pleasure and exercise to thousands of devotees of the poptilai, summer pa»tiine&. But Mr. Biiss says it can't be done, 80-