The Brecon Radnor Express Carmarthen and Swansea Valley Gazette and Brynmawr District Advertiser

Brecon and Radnor Lighting. I Lighting up. Subdue Lights. Thursday, March 8th 6-34 p.m.. 8-4 p.m. Friday. 9th 6-36 8-6 Saturday 11 10th 6-38 8-8 Sunday., 11th.. 6-40 8 10 Moiaday I I 12th.. 6-41 8-11 Tuesday 13th 6-43 11 '1, 8-13 Wednesday, 14th.. 6-44 8-14 Thursday 15th 6-46 p.m. 8-16 p.m. Ti mes given include the allowance of 14 minutes I later than Greenwich for March. I

THE PERVADING TOPIC. I Whilst the al.1 pervading topic of an increased home grown food supply occupies everyone's at- tention, not sufficient regard is being had, in our opinion, to the important retention of labour on the farms. At the Radnorshire War Agricultural Committee on Saturday ia serious compla.int was made by several of the County's leading fanners of the heavy drain made by the recruiting authorit- ies on farm labour. It was pointed out that the promises of increaisied cultivation of grain and roots were made on condition that fanners were allowed to keep the labour which they then had. Since then, however, it was stated, more men had been taken off the land, and that some farmers were actually left without a single man. An instance was cited where horses were in the stables with no man available to take them out ilbr urgent work. The sea.son owing to tihle jn. clement weather is a kite one, and the spring ploughing land sowing is already behindhand. We agree with Mr Thomas Davies that if this drain continues and the land is consequently left un- cultivated it is-certainly not in the national inter- est. Is it not time .that some very definite measures were taken ? There has been, it ap- pears, aJI along, a regrettable lack of co-ordination between the War Office and the Board of Agricul- ture in this particular matter, and why the same powers have not been conferred oft the latter Board for "badging" men as have been given to other departments passes comprehension. As Mr Bache pointed out, Mr Prothero had made suggestions, which were veTy good, but he lacked the necessary power to enforce them. There is a very sensible suggestion made, and we think it is likely to be accepted, that the military will release some prac- t-icail men if only for the seeding season. This ap- pears more practicable than depending upon the doubtful success of the substitution scheme or women labour. The fanner must know where he stands, and a definite and authoritative statement in regard to labour is necessary in order to give him that feeling of security and certainty which is absolutely essential. We are, glad that meet- ings are being held at various centres in the county. lit is well that farmers should thoroughly understand the .situation and what their duty at this crisis in the nation's history really is. Mr MKler at Glasbury said it was difficult to ima-ke the people realise the danger we were in,- and iui- less every ounce of energy farmers possessed were put into the work of the cultivation of cereal food stufl's, we shall find ourselves in "Queer Street" by the end of the year. This being so, we hope there wiill be a. full Attendance of farmers at Bre- con Town Hall next Friday, when amongst others I the County Member will speak. As we said last week, it would be well if they did, in order that they may know what is expected of them in these trying days. The Prime Minister lias stated that the plough is our hope, and in order to encourage more corn growing, which is a matter of urgent importance, the Government has guaranteed mini- mum prices for cereals for five years. The meet- ing is held undea- the auspices of the Executive. Committee of the Breconshire War Agricultural Committee, which is the body appointed to carry out. the wishes of the Government in the matter of tillage. It has tremendous powers, but rather than exercising them immediately, meetings arc arranged in the oounty to enable farmers to obtain full iiiformation as to its constitution and powers. We have every rea.son to think, provided, as we have said, that the labour question is immediately and definitely dealt with by the authorities, that Breconshire will rise to the occasion in this vital work. That the county is capable of doing GO there can be no doubt. A century ago, the his- torian tolls us, "the progress of the science of ag- riculture has advaneed further in Breconshire than in the neighbouring counties of the Principality." Ever tbus in the van let us not be found elsewhere in these days, when the did country is passing through its hardest amd darkest trial.

Welsh Troops Flag Day I h"" BUILTH WELLS EFFORT. I .1?- -? Builth Weils Flag Day, on hehalf of the Welsh Troops, on Monday, resulted as follows:—Misses Patrice Thomas, Minnie Pugh and Freda Hammond, R3 2s 41d; Misses Marjorie Abery and Carrie Wickens, RI 5A lOd: Kat-c Griiffths, RI 2s 2d; Misses Elsie .Tones and Dolly Tulk, 14/0}; Miss Beatrice Price, 10/6 £ Mrs .Smiles and Miss F. Bradley. R2 Os 3d; Miss Nellie Tur- ford, £2 5s 6d; Miss M. Hyde, 16/10; Miss W. Turford, 12/ and Miss N. Williams, R2 10s 31d; total, £15. The flag day was considerably marred by the snow- storm, which kept on for nearly the whole day. Many more people would have been in town had the weather lwt,n more favourable. Flag-day collections, together with the proceeds of the concert at the Kino on Friday (given hy pupils of the Intermediate School) made a grand total of over R40 for the Welsh troops—a very credit-able amount.

TO CORRESPONDENTS. I A Reiitleilt.-Your letter will appear next week. t

Cray F-liteddt)ti ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL GATHERING. The above was held at the Council School on the 2nd inst. The chair was occupied by Mr D. W. Price, and Rev. Ogwen Davies acted as: conductor. The music was adjudicated by Mr T. Davies. Brynderwen. Abererave, while Rev. R. Beynon, B.A., Abererave, adjudicated on tiitt recitations, etc., and Miss E. A. Williams on the knitting. The principal prize-winiier-, were:Nlusic: Party. "Mordaith Bwyd," Trecastle Party: male quartette, Mr Tom Evans and friends; basis solo, Mr Lewis Evans: tenor solo, Mr E. J. Price and Mr Tom Evans; soprano solo, Mrs H. Davies and Miss Watkins; under 14. Eluned Davies; under 10, Aneurin Davies. Recitation, Open, Mr David Lewis; under 14, Wm. John Price: un- der 10. Aneurin Davies; answering six questions. Mr D. Evans: esfcay, Mr J. Price and Mr 1). Evans; best pair of mittens. Miss E. G. Price. Tanyfedw. There were very full competitions on each item, and the meeting was undoubtedly the best hdd in th, neighbourhood for some years. <

Breconshire Constable. I FUNERAL AT TALGARTH. I On Wednesday afternoon the funeral of P.c. Lewis Williams, a member of the Breconshire Police Force, stationed at Ystradgynlais, took place at the Talgarth Churchyard, the vicar (Rev. 1). Williams) officiating. A large number of the police force, under Supt. Steven Jones, was present. The remains were broiigii4 by motor from Ystradgynlais, and was met by the police, who acted as bearers. The chief mourners were the widow, Mr and Mrs Williams (cousins), and several brothers- in-law and sisters-in-law. There were a number of floral tributes.

1870 and Now. I FARMERS AND THEIR ASSESSMENTS. I A number of interesting appeals against the revalu- ation of land in the Penderyn and Vaynor parishes of the Merthyr Union were heard at a meeting of the local Assessment Committee on Saturday, the Rec- tor of Dowlais (the Rev. Ll. M. Williams) presiding. Mr. Thos. Evans, Blaenglaes Farm, Vaynor, appeal- ing against an increase in the rateable value of his two holdings of £ 16, pleaded that his rent was only t30 per annum. The Chairman The committee don't always follow the rent.. Applicant: Well, is this a stepping-stone for the landlord to raise his rent r He added that the land was not worth more than 10s. per acre, and one-half of it was heather and peat. Mr T. T. Jenkins (a member of the committee) Is there any grouse there The Chairman Yes but he would not live long on the grouse that he could get there. (Laughter.) Applicant further stated that he could not grow corn on his land, as it would not ripen there. At the time of the Franco-Prussian war they only had to pay 2s.6d. per head for "tacking" in the winter now it was 7s. per head. The assessment was confirmed. Mr William Evans appealed against an increased rateable value of £35 10s in respect of Bodwigaid, Nantmoel Uchaf and Nantyderi. Of 1,300 acres, he said, 1,100 was mountain land. Scores of acres of it he would not pay 3d for, and 50 acres were not worth Id per acre in fact, it was of no value. The assessment was confirmed, subject to adjust- ment with regard to a portion of the land taken over for the waterworks undertakings.

MR SIDNE Y ROBINSON, M.P. I FRESH FISH AN,) FOOD SUPPLY. i QUESTION IN THE HOUSE. I In the House of Comiiion,,g, In the House of Commons, on Tuesday, Mr Sidney Robinson asked the President of the Board of Agri- culture if he would say what steps were being taken to make the fullest use of the fish in our lakes and rivers as food supply in view of the national emergency. Sir Richard "Winfrey The Board have had this question under careful consideration for some time. There are obvious difficulties in the way of the pro- vision of the necessary labour and machinery for catch- ing the fish, the collection of supplies from remote districts, and the packing and rapid transit of them to the markets. Fresh water fish are, moreover, for the most part out of condition between March 15th and June 15th, and a great deal of it would never be a very palatable and acceptable food. On the whole, the Board douht very much whether the organisation of a fresh water fish industry would pay Jits expenses, but in the present position of the nation's food supply they are proposing to ask the advice of a small expert committee on the subject.

Overwork and Worry Drive a I Hard Bargian. [ It doesm pay to defy nature's laws. We all need peace of mind, rest, outdoor exercise and eiglit hours sleep to keep well. We must not overeat, nor drink much, unless it be milk or water. These are both good and should be i'reely used. Anything bad leads to trouble. Bad habits are no exception. Careless living and overeating are among the worst-they help load the blood with Uric Acid poisons. The kidneys act as safety valves, filtering the blood and passing off the poisons, but they are bound to weaken under any Jong continued strain, lailld once they falter, vou feel dull, tired and nervous. Your back aches, you lose weight, you have headaches, dizzy spells and urinary disorders. The first thing to do is to get back to simple, sensible habits. Eat less, FIeep more and be care- ful what you drink. But you must also help the weakened kidneys. You can rely on Doan's Backache Kidney Pills for this help. They are a special medicine for the kidneys and bladder only. That is why so many in Brecon recom- mend Doan's. All dea, or 2 9 a box, from Foster McClellan Co., 8, If ell* Street, Oxford Street, London, W. I — —

A Sad Case. I IXQUEST AT TALGARTH. Mr Jones Williams held on inquest at the H. and R Asylum, Talgarth, on the 28th ult., touching the death of Reuhen Sheen (a shepherd by occupation), which took place on Tuesday, February 27th. who on the J week previous had been admitter a patient to the in- stitution suffering from epilepsy. It transpired at the inquiry that the deceased had been certified for military service, and had been granted by the tribunal a month's exemption, and, in the mean- j time, he was brought to the above institution. Every I cure was shown, but, as the result of acute epilepsy, lIP passed away on the date named. The jury, of which Mr E. T). Weaver was foreman, returned a verdict of "death from natural cau,;es." I

I Farmers and Food. I MEETING AT BUILTH WELLS. p-, EPEXDEXCE. ON THE PLOUGH. timer i-ne auspices oi ine nreconsture war !5 ,r: .j,- ture Committee, a well represented co of farmers was held at Builth Wells o*>- -vIo..u<t.v. The chair was occupied by Mr H. EVfI iloma.s, and the speakers were Messrs. Owen Price vA'antvrharn), W. S. Miller (Foreefc Lodge), and Walter Williams (Brecon). The chairman in his opening remarks pointed out the great necessity of increasing tin1 food production, as the supply in this country at present was the lowest on re- cord. Mr Owen Price advocated ploughing up fresh land suit- -able for corn growing, but not to break up good pasture, stating that at present this country only produced about one-fifth of the food required. He asked them to in- crease th eacreage in cultivation from five to ten per cent. It was his sincere hope that they would do as much as possible. When referring to the labour ques- tion he observed that there was a scarcity of labour on the land before the war, and on account of the great demand for men for the Army, there was a shortage of labour in many places. Mr Price went on to explain the work of the various tribunals, remarking that the members knew the requirements of the various district-. Mr Thomas Davies r By whom was the County Tribunal of Radnorshire appointed'/ Mr Owen Price I am only dealing with Breconshire. In his opinion Breconshire had tried to be reasonable, hut he.did not wish to say that they had been perfect. (Applause). Mr W. S. 3filler said he was delighted to set o many present to discuss such an important question. They had not come there that afternoon to dictate to them what they would have to do, as the farmers were the best judges of what could be done on their own farms. He appealed to them at present not to tbink of the profit, but.to think of the need of the nation. With the same bravery and coolness that the men at the front faced the enemies, so those who were left at home would face any difficulty which they would be called upon to face. He asked them to take upon their shoulders the great responsibility which awaited them, and to throw themselves into the work, for, they could depend on good results. He appealed to their spirit- of patriotism and asked for their sacrifice* at present. Mr Walter Williams spoke of the question Of in- creasing the food supply as one of life and death to this country. Wheat was the urgent necessity he said. but some districts were more suitable for oats, therefore oats could be used for food for man and beast. They were called upon to work in the national interest at present, and they should do that with the same spirit as was, displayed by the men at the front. The speaker pointed out the great decrease which had taken place in the acreage under cultivation in Breconshire during the past 40 years. The hope of England to-day. he said, was in the plough, and England expected that every man that day would do his duty. Mr David Thomas next spoke, and observed during the past 30 years Radnorshire had kept to the cultiva- tion of the land better than Breconshire, and pointed out that the Government were going to send Army men to the two counties to supplement labour and not ae substitutes. On the motion of the chairman, seconded by Mr C. W. Woosnam, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded the speakers. Mr David "ftomas proposed a vote of thanks to the chairman, and to those who assisted in the organisation of the meeting, and this was ably seconded by Mr Thomas Davies (Vronolau). and heartily accorded.

Erwood Competitions. SUCCESSFUL ANNUAL GATHERING. The annual competitive meeting under the auspiots of Crickadarn Congregational Sunday School was held at Erwood Market Hall, on the 28th ult. Professor Joh* Evans, B.A., Brecon, presided, and the adjudicatorp were: Music, Principal T. Lewis, M.A., B.D., Brecon; literature, Professor John Evans, B.A., Brecon; accom- panist, Miss Thirza Maude Stephens, Erwood. Mr Joba Evans, Victoria House, performed with his usual effi- ciency the secretarial work. Programme: Solo for boys under 15, "The Minstrel Boy," no competition; recitation, boy or girl under 15, "To the cuckoo," 1, Marjory Bufton; 2, Caradog Jonee; solo for girls under 15, "In a garden," 1, Avril Wil- liams 2, Mary Davies; duet for children under 15. "Spring's delights," Marjory Bufton and Gladys Button; open recitation, Shakespeare's Hamlet, act iii, scene 2, 1, Miss Stephens. Trcdurn; 2, Mr Aaron Hargest; open solo for gentlemen, "The tournament," Mr Charlee Richards; best action song by school children, Gwenddwr school children, conducted by Miss Hatfield; open solo for ladies, "The children's home," Miss Gladys Jonet; unpunctuated reading, Miss Gladys Jones; quartette, own selection, Llew Cle-ttwr and party: best story not exceeding 3 minutes, divided between Messrs. J, Jonee. Alltmawr, and P. King, Gwenddwr; exttmpore speech, Mr Aaron Hargest; extempore debate. Miss Gladys Jones and Mr A. Hargest party of not less than 10. "Andalusia," Llew Clettwr's party. Principal Lewis finely rendered three solos. A vote of thanks to "the adjudicators was proposed by Aid. T. Williams, seconded by Mr Rees Powell. Llanfrynach Irquest. SEPTUAGENARIAN'S SUDDEN DEATH. HEART SEIZURE IN FIELD. An inquest was new, by Dr. w. K. Jones (district coroner}, at Llanfrynach on Saturday, touching the death of John Prytherch (79), Bridgend House, whose body was found in a field near the village on Thursday. Rev. Hilary Lewis (rector) was foreman of the jury. Annie Prytherch said deceased was her uncie. He was 79 years of age. About 10.30 a.m. on the 1st March he went out for a walk. He was then in his usual health and did not complain of being ill. Of late his health had been very good, but about 12 months ago he complained of a difficulty in breathing. Thomas Perry, Brecon, said about 12 noon on the 1st March, as he was pushing through Llanfrynach he noticed a man lying down in a field close to the village, and thinking It an unusual thing for a man to lay on the ground this time of the year he went to see what was the matter. He found deceased dead but the body was warm. The body was removed to the house. Dr. T. P. Thomas. Brecon, said he examined the body some few hours after death and found no marks of violence. Deceased had also been medically attended by him some time ago, he then suffered from,heart disease. The coroner said that Dr. Thomas was prepared to give a certificate of death, but he (the coroner) thought it was best to hold an inquest on account of deceased being found dead in a field. The jury returned a verdict of death from natural causes, namely, heart disease.

Alien's Deportation APPLICATION AT TALGARIH. At. iaigartn police court on Friday, before Messrs. Williams Vaughan, E. Butler. J. Mills and J. T. Boucher, an application was made by Mr J. L. Wheat- ley, town clerk of Cardiff, for the deportation of Jose Vera Fernandez, a" Spaniard, who at present is an ÍIJ- mate of the B. & R. A-sylum, and, as such, is charge- able to the Cardiff Union. Mr Ensor, solicitor, Ca.rdiff. appeared in support of the application, which was granted, Without Lights, P. J. Thomas, Caeharris, Dowlais, was summoned for failing to produce his motor driving licence. P.c Morris said that he met the defendant near Llanflhan- driving a motor and side-car, and, in consequence of having no lights at 10 p.m. on February 1st, he stopped him. Failing to produce his licence, be re- ported the case. Defendant was also charged with hav ing no lights. Defendant wa.; filled 6!. in each ease-. Ejectment Order. An application by Mr Jones Powell, acting on behalf of Capt. D. Huglk,, Morgan, was made for an ejectment order in respevt to Mrs M. J. Jones, tenant of 1, Beacon Villa, Talgarth. Mr Pritchard Williams, agent, gave evidence in support of the application. to the effect that the tenant had never paid any rent, nor would she give up possession. The bench issued an order for possession to be given up on April 2nd.

I f Llanyworn Funeral- I THE LATE :"fR. LEWIS. ROCK COTTAGE. I We legret to record the death of Mr John Lew. Rock Cottage. Llanywern. which took lilace after a long illness on Thursday last. March 1st, Deceased ,Nfarcli I s t was very well known and highlv respected. For the  21 -vJars h.V had been in the employ of tbe Rural Dist.rict Council, and was at the ti" of his death in charge of the roads in the parish. The late Mr Lewis was a loyal Churchman, and for many years held the office of sexton. The funeral, a public one, took place on Monday, the place of interment being Llanvwern Churchyard. The Ree-tor. Rev. T. C. Richards, conduct- ed the service both at the house and church, the usual ¡ well-known funeral hymns being sung. Mr John Thoma. presided at the organ. Following were the chief mourners: Mr and Mrp Lewis (son-in-law and daugh- ter), Miss Ethel Lewis (grand-daughter). Miss Butb Evans (sister-in-law), Mr and Mrs Lewis. Ynvsbwl (bro- ther and sister-in-law) Mr and Mrs Evans. Abercvnon (sister and brother-in-law), Mr Davies, Clvdach Vale (nephew) Mr Davies, Treharh? (nephew) 'Mr Léwi. I PontypMdd (nephew). Mr LcwL.s Merthvr Vale (nep hew). Th(, coffin waA of olid ?' ?PP''? by Mr ??.?Ho?bb.T' a?nd Tb. ore ?? the ? fonowtn? inscription on breast I W. HobIbk y, and arch 1st, 1917, a??d 63 plate: John Lewis, died March 1st, lf>17, a^ed 63 | Floral tributes were sent bv the family ^r\  Gatehouse, ?- '?- Moses, John Thomas and W. J. ^Pn.ee acted as bearers. Miss Evans and family wish to thank all the friends for their token of sympathy in their sad bereave* ment, 154P

Notes and Notions. The curlew was first. seen in Radnorshire on the 27th ult. Pte. J. Morgan (Garth) is now on active service in France. Pte. G. Price, Beguildy's rate-collector, has just been home on leave. Gilwern children recently collected over il5 and 176 eggs for wounded soldiers. Pte. J. Davies (Royal Welsh Fusiliers), of Llan. gynidr, is officially reported killed. Sgt. F. Price, A.S.C. (son of Mr Dd. Price, Garth Post Office) recently left for service in Egypt. Our Glasbury correspondent writes:—During 10 rainy days in February there fell 1.13 inches of rain. Rhayader water-supply, considerably damaged by the recent frost, has just been put in order again. Sewing classes for war work have been established under the direction of Mrs Partridge, Pantybeilau, Gil- wern. Miss A. Davies (daughter of the late Sgt. Davies, Cefn-Coed) has just passed a shorthand examination successfully. Among Hay boys, recently home on furlough, were Pte. Frank Adams (Heolydwr), Pte. Edw. Davies (Black Lion Green) aqd Pte. Chas. Jones (Nelson). Pte. A. Micklewright (North Staffordshire Regiment), of Knighton, previously reported missing, is now re- ported prisoner of war in German hands. ? ? Mr Arthur Beckwith, \Ior Park, Crickhowdl, has made a gift to the Treasury of the dividends on his French National Loan Stock (60,000 francs) for the duration of the war. Mr Thos. Price (son of Mr Hugh Price, Llachdolt, near Glasbury), who emigrated to Australia three years, ago, is home on furlough. He joined the Aus- tralian Light Horse, and is in training on Salisbury Plain. R Aporshire and West Herefordshire Hounds met at HOCKI Hurst on Monday. They also meet at New. church on Friday (11.15 a.m.). Teme Valley Hounds met at Lloiney on Tuesday, and are due to turn out again at Stanage on Saturday (10.45 a.m.). In our list of officers "mentioned" for valuable ser- vice. published in last week's issue, we inadvertently omitted to name Lieut.-Col. H. R. Jones Williams, 3rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers. We regret the omission, for the gallant officer is not only one of our est sol- diers, but. before the war, one of our leading county public men. Presiding over the annual meeting of the Newspaper Press Fund, in London, recently, Lord Burnham said one could not get away from the fact that the cutting down of the size of papers meant lesser employment for those who earn their bread by following the pro- fession of the pen, and he feared it would be a hard job for some newspapers to keep going at all during the time of stress that was before us. They had been the biggest sufferers from Government regulations, more than any other trade in the country. It sounded a surprising statement, but he believed it was literally true. It had been recognised that newspapers were as much part and parcel of the Imperial machine for running the war as any Department of State, new or old, no matter how high-sounding its duties may he. They were not going to make themselves ridiculous by complaining in the street. He did not think that would do any good, and he was. sure it would not up- hfionld d their dignity. They must take things as they <tnd them.

Fell on the Fire. 4p LLAXGATTOCK IXQUEST. An inquest was. held by Mr R. H. A. Davies at the Six Inn, Llangattock, on Thursday, on the body of Mary Ann James, of Swan Terrace, Llangattock, uidow, aged 52. Irene James, a daughter of deceased, said her mother met with an accident on February 26th. At about 4 a.m. she missed her out of bed, having heard a noise which awoke lit-r. ilit went downstairs and found de- ceased lying on the mat all in flames. The fire had been freshly lit. Assistance was immediately obtain- ed and the flames put out. The mother died on the 28th ult. She had had several strokes and suffered from fits. Dr. C. J. Evans, Crickhowell, said he was called to deceased and found her unconscious. She was suffering from the effects of shock and burns. Everything pos- sible was done for the woman. Mrs James had been under his care for about two years. She had a weak heart and was subject to hysteriod epilepsy. A verdict of death from shock, following burns, caused by misadventure by falling on the fire while suffering from hysteriod epilepsy was returned.

T, e War and our Food Supplies I FRIDAYS MEETING AT BRECON. I Sir,—May I call the attention of farmers and food producers to the. meeting to be held next Friday at 2 p.iii. at the Town Hall, Brecon. Amongst the speakers i the County Member. The question of our own food supplies is a very ur- gent one, and the sooner the better we realise the fact. This meeting is one of a series held throughout the county, in order to bring home to farmers especially that they have' a most important part to play in the struggle that goes on at present. Moreover, all those who have gardens have their duties to perform, and not a square yard of available ground should be left un- filled. The wishes of the Government will be made known at this meeting, and it is hoped there will be a good attendance of farmers and food producers, large and small, in town and country. Yours, &c.. Brecon. WALTER WILLIAMS. I

Our Food Supply. MEETING AT GLASBURY. On Thursday evening a public meeting was held at the St. Peter's Hall, to urge upon the people on be- half of the Breconshire War Agricultural Committee, the need of producing more home-grown food this year, and possibly in future years. The chair was taken by the Hon. R. C. Devereux, who said that on account of the crisis whidl had arisen owing to the submarine, whose crews respected neither God nor man, more land must be put under the plough. We were producing plenty of beef, butter and cheese; but we must- have more wheat, barley, oats and potatoes. We should be no losers by doing this as the Government had guaran- teed minimum prices for 5 years. Mr W. S. Miller, C.C., the next speaker, remarked he had only to enlarge upon the sentiments expressed by the chairman. He would impress upon the people the responsibility placed upon them to put every ounce of energy they possessed into the work of extra cultivation of cereal food stuffs, in order to win the war. It was difficult to make the people realise the danger we were in. Should the submarine menace be successful we should starve next winter; let us keep off German slavery and put some slavery into this work which they were there to advocate—extra food product-ion. (Ap- plause.) The Government quite realised the difficulty of farmers in getting labour, and probably no more skil- led men would be taken from the farms. The next speaker, Mr Walter Williams, secretary Agri- cultural Organisation Society, in a vigorous and lucid speech, drove home to the consciousness of every farmer and even gardener to do "his bit" to win this horrible war so ruthlessly thrust upon us. The usual votes of thanks concluded the proceedings.

Fire at Hay. ] Alarming Conflagration. BRIDGEXD HOUSE GUTTED OUT. An alarming fire broke out at Bridgend House, Hay, in the early hours of Sunday morning-probably about one o'clock, the origin of which was believed to be due to a beam in the chimney becoming alighted. The occupier, Mr Tong, and his wife and children were promptly aroused, and all saved from the flames unhurt. The occupants failed to get out through the door and escape was effected by getting down into the cellar and thence up through the street grating. The property, belonging to Mr Chambers (fishmonger), was, unfortunately, not insured. Hay Fire Brigade was called out, and, after spraying the building well with water, succeeded in extinguishing the blaze, but not before everything inside was burnt to cinders. The roof, windows, etc., were also burnt out, leaving just the bare walls and chimneys. The oc- cupier also lost his household belongings.

Llanwrtyd Wells Council. I ——— Llanwrtyd Wells Council met on Friday. Present Messrs T. C. Davies (chairman), E. Price, J. Carey, D. I. Williams, R. P. Jones, E. S. Morgan, Nathaniel Evans, and J. A. Davies, M. S. Griffith (clerk), and it. Williams. The Clerk explained the steps that had been taken by the joint committee to procure plots for potatoe growing. He had received a large number of applica- tions for these plots already. Dr. Tarbet introduced Dr. lIosegood, who has agreed to act as M.O.H. The Clerk and Mr Carey reported on their visit to Brecon to attend the conference on National Service, and the Council agreed to appoint the Clerk and Mr Carey on the County Committee and the local com- mittee to consist of three members of the council and the County Councillor. The surveyor presented his report. There had been some difficulty with the water supply owing to the frost, but on the whole Llanwrtyd saved wonderfully well. A leakage on the Irfon Road was being re- paired. The rate collector reported three cases of defaulting ratepayers, and the Council unanimously decided to take proceediugs in the mattei. The Clerk, producing the financial balance sheet, which was very satisfactory. Afterwards the council decided to pay off the balance of short loan due to the National Provincial Bank of England, viz., £100.

Distinguished Borderer. I NEW BRIGADE MAJOR. I Captain M. C. Morgan, South Wales Borderers,who, as announced in the 61 London Gazette of Friday, has been given a staff appointment as brigade-major attached to headquarter units, is a son of the late Mr David Morgan, of Henllys, Carmarthenshire, and a brother of Captain D. Hughes Morgan, J.P., of Pen- ally, near Tenby, and formerly of Brecon Captain M. C. Morgan has seen much active service, and was n warded the Military Cross in the earlier stages of the war.