Herald of Wales and Monmouthshire Recorder

RURAL district council. Jl meeting of the Rural District Council I yiv? held afterwards. The chairman, Mr. I D. Powell, presided. Mr, Matthews said Ully one plan had been received by the committee that morning, end as it didn't come in time its consideration was de- referred. In two Sanitary Committee they ad before them the subject of streams jmd brooks which were polluted by coal lust, and the committee recommended to "be council for adoption the following measures: That, all the coal-owners be asked to make reservoirs or pits or some- lbitg of that kind for the water to settle, bo that th* sediment might be precipitated I betore going into the brooks. Sore com- pltiiLts came from farmere. Some com- bined of loss of milk, others of illness of little, attributed to coal dust. Some far- .ere had gone eo far as to have the eatU. examined, and those qualified to give..8 opinion eaid the cause of death wlw at. Iributable to coal dust. The council, it vas believed, ww liable to the farmers for the loss of the co-,s, and :the colliery pro- prietors to the council. The oouncil should t least insist on getting the brooks and the reservoirs as nearly &6 possible free from this pollution of coal dust. It was Recommended that the sanitary inspector thould eend notices to the colliery p.ro- prietora to abate the nuisance. Two OU5C6 had been visited by the inspector, lad he wished authority from the Oouncil to serve notices on the owners to have them put in a sanitary condition. He pro- poied the adoption of the report, and Mr. Go-aer Harries seconding, said be was very glad that they were moving in the direction, of enforcing the adoption cf remedial measures in regard to the pollution rivers. He wished to 4call the attention cf ?he inspector to the emptying of the sewer- age to the stream at Tycornel, BTynamman. mediat?c steps should be taken to avoid [is. otherwise MtMe was a d"ger of &a? epidemic breaking out in the direction of Tin iiian'&-row.-iqr. J. Richards submitted the report of the Roads and Highways Com- mittee. The committee recommended that the application of the Brechfa Chemical Works to place a small cistern or tank near Velingwm, at the side of tlxe road, to store water for their engine be allowed.—Mr. EYana ,ice said that whilst they as a Council had accom- modated the chemical works in regard to various matters, yet they would not meet them to any extent in respect to the cost of maintaining the road, and he understood that in future the road would be still more used. There would be heavier traffic. If that was the case, they certainly should consider something.—Mr. Richards said that the fixing of the cistern at the place pro- posed woull be to the Council's advantage. They got their supply from a .little brook at present, and tore a lot of the road in getting their engine there. 'This would then be obviated.—Mr. Roberts said that the traffic would be the same as at present. They would lose nothing. In fact, they would gain something. In building the tank, they would have to 8trengthell the roadside. At present there was a deep de- pression in the road where they got their water from The spct was "S"-shaped and difficult to get at. and if existing conditions were allowed to continue something very awkward might occur some day. The carrying out of the proposal would tend to the safeguarding of the public.—Mr. Mat- thews seconded the adoption of the report, which was carried.—The question of a water supply for Milo Llanfihangel, Aber by thick, was under consideration. The Clerk said they had not attempted to borrow the money for the purpose, and at the present moment Li was perfectly certain they could notw borrow it. The idea, he presumed, was to charge it on the parish, lie did not think the people quite understood the posi- tion. lie explained that if it was proposed to carry it out that the other parishes would have to lend money.—A member said that in Lower Bettws they had to defer a similar application, and he believed the same should apply here.—Mr. R. Matthews said the parish of Aberbythick knew of this, and they had made no objection. The school at Milo was now ready to he opetitS, and it would not be opened unless a water supply was attached. Llanfihangel, Aber- bythick, people made no complaint in re- spect to the proposal.—The Surveyor said that the intention was to borrow the money from the local rates—Mr. E. Davies: The parish has no other fund.—The Surveyor said that in the first 'instance they would have to get it from the common fund of the whole district. They would get the interest repaid by the consumers every year and the Education Committee. He had put the whole matter clearly before them -it the last meeting—Mr. Evan Davies mentioned several parishes, including Llandilo, which paid for their own water, and ho regarded the present suggestion as very unfair. Llan- debie had had that privilege, he knew but he did rot think it should be extended to other I)-arishes.-Lord Dynevor referred to the recent speeches of Mr. Asquith and Mr. Bonar Law urging individuals to curtail their expenses. The same applied to local authorities, and he did not think it would be right for them to incur expenses like these at the moment. The L.G.B. would ab- solutely refuse to sanction the borrowing of money for the purpose, and even if they were ready to lend it, he did not think they would be justified during the war to go into this expenditure.—Mr. Evan Davies: I quite agree with your lordship. We ought to postpone it for the present.—Mr. J. L- Williams proposed that they defer it until after the war.—Lord Dynevor seconded.— This was carried, and the consideration of the tenders was not proceeded with.-Mr. Matthews said the Education Committee could and must supply the school with water, but, at the expense of the parish, It was a capital expense, and they would be doing it now at less expense than if the Education Committee did it.—The Surveyor said that supposing the Education Commit- tee went to the expense of sinking a fell, and failed to get water, they would then have to get it from some other place at the expense of the parish—Mr. Evan Davies: How have they been doing without it up to the present?—The Chairman explained that the school had not been opened—Mr. J Bevan suggested that the opening of the school be deferred until after the war.- Mr. Evan Davies: They ought to have thought about a water supply before open- ing the school.-The subject of a contribu- tion towards Abergwili Ford from this Council was also discussed. It was ex- plained that the ford wae in the Cwmam. man urban area, but that was bounded cn both sides by the Llandilo Rural District Council.—Mr Gomer Harries supported the proposal, pointing out that the ford was h.t present impassable, and the state of the I road very bad.—The subject eventually dropped.

A Sparkling; Cooling Drink. i Coatains the Properties of English and Foreigs Mineral Waters. ■ » HIS preparation produces a 5ne SparkJln /? and Hea)thgiviBKDrmk,andiseEpecia,]!y V' beneficial in Cleansing the system from accumulated impurities. It Purltlas the Blood (the Life Fluidi. and imparts a vigour to the Entire System. Be careful what you drink t This Salt acts by Natural Means; it has a disinfecting action on the Bowels, and removes toxic material, the cause of Headache, Biliousness, Sourness of the Stomach, and Flatulence; it Strengthens the Digestive Organs, and aids the Vital elements of Nutrition in the formation of pnre and more Vitalited Blood, thus stimulating the very springs of life. As a simple drink, a tea-spooDlul in a tumbler of water is very Exhilarating • as a medicine, two tea-spoonfuls should be taWaa fasting. Its value will be known by the use of one Tin. rr not obtainable from your Chemirt, Grocer, Stores, five penny stamps will bring it. 4-oz. Tins, 4d.; 8-oz. Tins, 8d.

NO MOURNING IN CANADA. The suggestion made to the people of Canada not to clothe in sombre black mourning for the brave men who have fallen on the field of battle is being widely ac-ted on. Naturally the near relatives and friends of the fallen do Dot feel in the mood to dress in gay or bright colours, but a widespread array -of crape and heavy black mourning is not consisten-t with the blue skies, the purple hills, the green fields, the pure white snows-and the sen- timents of Canada. When the Canadian soldiers departed for the war, the people did not work themselves into a frenzy of flag-waving .patriotism. They bade their fighting men God-speed to victory. Some have fallen, and the Empire mourns their passing, but they died in the cause of freedom, civilisation, and humanity, and their friends and relatives are called upon to share the willing sacrifice. J

THE REGISTER. I DEBATE ON THE SECOND READING. After an important debate the National Registration Bill was road a second time 0.1 Tuesday night in the House of Commons An amendment moved by Sir Thomas Whittaker, declining to proceed with the Bill, was overwhelmingly de- feated, the figures being as follows:— For the amendment 30 Against 253 Majority against 223 Mr. Walter Long's Assurance. I Mr. Long, in moving the second read- ing of the Bill, denied that in it was con- cealed the Dolicv of Conscription. The Bill left the question of compulsory ser- vice in the Army exactly where it was. He pointed out, however, that should the need for conscription arise the Register will afford the necessary information of the manhood resources of the country. He was convinced that the vast majority of the people were ready and anxious to do what the Government asked them to do within their capacities and experience. But as everyone knew, there was a min- ority. The Bill," said Mr. Long, "does not propose to compel any of those people to serve either in the field of battle or in I the factory; but it will compel them to declare that they are doing nothing to help their country in her hour of crisis. Mr. Long, anticipating an argument which loomed large in the subsequent de- bate, appealed to Liberal members who found it difficult to reconcile themselves to the Coalition Government not to sus- pect that the Bill embodied some fell design on the part of the Unionist Min- isters who had got the better of their Liberal colleagues. That," eaid he, is a poor compliment to pay to their right hon. friends on the Treasury bench." I No one had given him wiser counsel or greater support in the preparation of the I Bill than the President of the Board of Education (Mr. A. Henderson). Surely if anybody was in a position to say the Bill was not required because of the Munitions I Act it was his right hon. friend, and he was not likely to have failed to say so if he held that view. Sir T. Whittaker's Views. Sir T. Whittaker (Yorks. W.R., Spen Vallqf, L.) said lie would stick at nothing and submit to anything necessary to smash the foe and to assist our Allies. Anything that was necessary, that was the whole point. If it was neces- sary he would not object to conscription. (Cries of Oh," and hear, hear.) But the objections to compulsion and conscription -and this was the preliminary—(hear, hear )—were so serious, the after conse- quences were so serious, and so hateful, that he did not wish to embark on it until it was shown to be necessary. The other day at the Guildhall the Secretary of State for the Colonies had spoken of the neces- sity of currying the people with the Govern- ment. The people would, however, want to know where they were going. The people did not need to be tabulated to bo compelled to do their duty. They needed simply to be told what to do, and that was the Government's job. "Orgy of Intemperance." I Major-General Sir 1. Herbert (Mon- mouthshire. L.) said his right hon. friend who had just spoken had always im- pressed upon the House thu need of tem- perance; but he supposed they must all have their orgy of intempei-aneo-(Iaugh- ter)—and his right hon. friend had had his to-day, and in his case intemperance Aas mingled with irrelevance. He wel- comed the recognition that we could nut continue to carry on war with a Great Power by mere haphazard methods. (Cheers). Mr. S. M. Robertson (Northumberland, Tyneside, L.) expressed considerable doubts as to whether, if there had been such a registration as this at the outset, the mistakes in recruiting would have been avoided. Mr. H. E. Duke (Exeter, TT.) said that it would be the greatest reproach if, with a new Ministry formed by unprecedented abnegation on the part of its members, one of the earliest acts of the House of Commons should be to flout its sense of proportion and tear up a measure of this kind, of which the worst that could be said against it was that it would not do the good its promoters desired. (Cheers). 11 The Idea of Compulsion." Mr. Snowden (Blackburn, Lab.) de- scribed the Bill as an interference with the liberties of the people unparalleled in tlv- histo y of the country. Behind the speech of the Minister there was the idea of compulsion, and, indeed, the Bill, when it became an Act, would be ab- solutely useless unless there was compul- sion. The idea of compulsion ran through every speech, too. in support of the Bill. If there was no motive behind the measure otlier than that shown in the Bill, such a proposal could have emanated from no other source than Bedlam. Did the Government think this inquisition was going to make the war more popular? This would not be the las': demand. There was no doubt that f the Bill became an Act at once a violent Press agitation would be begun to use the register for the purpose of enforcing compulsory military service. If Compulsion BeAtme Necessary. I Sir Alfred Mond followed Mr. Snow- den. He said: The hou. member who has just addressed the House oon- eluded his speech with the remark that lie, like all others, wished success to our army in this war. I must honestly con- fess that the first part of his speech would not have led me to that belief. And what was the first part of the lengthy speech the hon. member made in opposi- tion to this Bill: An attack on the Gov- ernment for introducing a Bill not whicsh they consider unnecessary for the safety oi the country, not which they consider unnecessary for better organisation, but merely because Lord Northcliffe, whom the hon. member ee-ems to have on th? brain, and extracts from whose paper he read at tedious length, has demanded such a Bill. His opposition was based on che fact that Lord NortliclifFe and the National Service League had stated that if the Bill passed it might lead to com- pulsory service. Does he think that when words of this charactelr go out to the country, and he represents that the Gov- ernment of the day is under the thumb of Lord Northcliffe and the National Ser- vice League, and that the Prime Mini- ster's word is worth nothing, that is going to conduce to the success of our arms at the front? or inspire confidence ir. our people. (Hear, hear). Does lie think that they wish to hear language oi that kind? And that was the main hulk of his speech, and a great many more of those who opposed this Bill. The Opposition is inspire# by the fear that it might aid compulsory service. This is not the occasion on which to enter into the question of compulsory service or not, but I will say this: Is there a man I in this House who, if the responsible Gov- ernment of the day came down to the House and said that in order to save the Empire compulsory service was necessary, he would have the courage, or wickedness —(cheers)—to vote against such a pro- posal. (Renewed cheers.) If there is not  such a man, what is the object in oppos- ing a Bill which, if such a demand be- came necessary, would facilitate its I salsfadion. It seems to me absolutely I futile to argue at one moment, I ain- not opposed to compulsory service if neces- sary, and then, I am opposed to a step which may at some future date facilitate something for which I will vote. (Cheers.) That is what we have heard in the speeches this afternoon. The hon. member went on in the latter part oi Jmii. speech to make some amusing remarks about men over 7u and 75, but that is only a very small committee point to raise on j an occasion like this. (Hear, hear.) You can always raise them at any time, at whatever age you fix, and can be always equally humorous and equally unsuccess- 1 ful. Then we have heard of the penalty clause. How often we have heard the £5. i remember when we sat on the other side, and the Land Taxes were introduced, we were always told hy the Opposition tlit, enormous penalties that would be imposed on people who did not fill in the form. But they knew this £ 5 penalty could not be imposed by any reasonable people in I any just circumstances. I do not think that argument is worth a moment's con- sideration. (Hear, hear.) I do not be- lieve the people oi this country are so little ready to follow the Government, or that the war will become unpopular be- cause you ask them to fill up a very simple form. (Hear, hear.) What is the good of all this wild train of argument as to what are war purposes and what are not? You can argue with dislocated skill like the hon. member for Carlisle (Mr. Dennmn) as to what is and what is not a war pur- pose. Surely simple-minded people would not find the difficulty so great that they would not consider working for an arma- ment firm or a Government department a, war purpose and not working for a civi- lian purpose, and they would not set up an elaborate house like that which Jack built and say that if I grow hay and it goes to feed a horse that pulls a milk- cart, and that the milk goes to iccd somebody to work at Woolwich Arsenal, that therefore that is for a war purpose. (Laughter and cheers). If we are living with people who think like that we had better abandon the war and any other in- telligent enterprise. (Hear, hear). The Bill, the idea of which I have sup- ported publicly before it was introduced, and the introduction of which I welcome, will I think assist very greatly in the future. It ought to have been introduced long ago. The hon. member of Tyneside (Mr. J. M. Robertson) in a very able speech said that the military system of conscription in France had not saved them from the trouble of taking men away from industries where they were wanted for the ranks. No, but the French military system has never had a register of industry at all. It ignores civil life altogether How about th Ger man military system? Will he tell me that a single man has been enlisted from Krupps and sent to the front? Mr. J. M. Robertson: No, but from I other firms. I do not sneak from personal knowledge, but I have een it stated that they have, brought back men from the front who had gone from munition areas. Sir A. Mond: I believe they did do that, but it was because they wanted more men afterwards than they 'had thought at the beginning would be the ease. But they did not enlist men who were actually engaged in making munitions when the war broke out. (Hear, hear.) Therefore, it does not follow that your compulsory system is bad because it is uninteliigently applied, and that consequently a volun- tary system, haphazard system, is good. A register of this kind will not necessarilv achieve a great deal, but it will achieve something. It will at any rate tell us what we have and where we have it, and I do not see it is any use referring to an old census or a census of production now many years old. I agree with the hoxu member for Car- lisle that we ought to have in addition to a register of men, a register of industry. One is complimentary to the other. You want a register of industry so that you can tell what industries shall be con- tinued or not. You must have a register of people to know where the people are. You want both to achieve a useful object. Let me point out—and we do not yet seem to apprehend the seriousness of the position we are in—(hear, hear)—that we shall arrive at a stage when we cannot carry on the whole of our indus-1 tries as we have in the past. (Hear, hear). Indeed, everybody engaged in in- dustry kaows that stage is arriving with! every 100,000 men taken away from in-1 drstry and sent to the front. The Government must make up their mind, and theirs must be the responsi-1 bility of saying what industries are necessary to be carried on through the war for trade purposes, and which in- dustries can be best discontinued. They cannot ask any private individuals to do l that. (Ilear, hear). They cannot ask anybody, however patriotic they may be, to close their works. The -decision is tin most serious thing the Government can I undertake. I think myself that this Bill; will assist in this matter. I think it will II give a great deal of help if intelligently ) applied. (Cheers). It is no use telling ux"- that because up to now we have not been able to utilise people who have offered themselves, that in the future oiganisation will not be useful. (Hear, hear). We all have dozens of applica- tions fro n people who want to be useful to the Government in one capacity cr,l ano ther, and I an* glad to sPy I have been more successful than the kon. member for Blackburn (Mr. Snowden). as I have brought together some willing workers and willing employers in Govern-! ment work. (Hear, hear). We know aj great number of people are applying now vho are unsuitable for the job on which they want to he employed. An hon. member: You win bav that under the register. Sir Alfred Mond: The register will un- doubtedly enable you to ascertain what they can do, and will enable you un- doubtedly to avoid people from all over the country wanting to be employed in another place when there is employment for them at their doors. I do not think th3 register, int?lligpntly handled, ough,I to take an enormous time to compile. (I-It-ar, hear). With the mganisation to bo used and with a canvas made such as at an election it ought not to take at all long to get all these particulars filled up. (Hear, hear). It any rate, it can do no harm, and in some cases it can d ) good. We have passed a good deal of legislation through this House which has I done a great deal of harm. (La tighter and hear, hear) I say the Bill will do no harm, and it may do good. The Government are re- sponsible to the House and the nation for this Bill, and that seems to me a sufficiently good reason for supporting it. (Cheers). I think it is a very grave re- sponsibility which is threatening this House by members who cannot possibly have—I have not got—the full data of our needs or of the requirements and con- siderations on which this Bill is based— criticising: and shaking the confidence of ,the people outside in the wisdom of those who arc guiding them. ( Cheers.) It is a very grave responsibility. They suggest .that such a Bill could only be introduced in Bedlam. Remarks of that kind are entirely futile and1 useless. Remarks of itha>t kind in ordinary times do not do much harm. We are all used to them. But at a time like this I submit it is almost criminal—(loud cheers)—to use language of that kind which encourages our enemies, which disgusts our Allies— (loud cheers)—unsettles our neutrals, ami disheartens our own people. (Loud cheers.) Mr. Llewelyn Williams (L., Carmar- then Boroughs) said Sir A. Mond was a great admiror of German methods and an ardent supporter of conscription or com- pulsory military service, and it was not surprising that lie was a supporter of the Bill. He (Mr. Willin,nis" ivould like to support tho measure if he could believe there was nothing more in it than appeared upon its face, but it was per- fectly obvious from every speech made and every article written in support of it that there was an ulterior motive -behind it, and the Bill was only a step towards that unavowed object. This was a. Prussian method of mobilising our national life. He opposed it. because he believed it would hamper the prosecution of the war. Mr. Arthur Henderson made an inter- esting disclosure regarding the household canvass recently conducted by the Parlia- mentary Recruiting Committee. Of the 8,213,505 forms sent to heads of families less than half were returned. That un- satisfactory result was, he contended, an unanswerable argument for making com- pulsory the replies to the registration forms. The Bill was "a great measure of precaution." It was necessary in order to make the fullest use of the voluntary sys- tem of national service. Mr. Chaplin vigorously denounced the assailants of the Bill, several of whom he said had tried to induce the PrÏm-e Minis- ter a few months before the war to reduce the Navy. Angry Protests. I A storm of indignation was aroused by some of the uatterancas of Mr. R. Lam- bert. Having dedared that Great Britain would never defeat Prussianism by adopting Prussianism itself, he prophesied that if the Bill went through we shoull i have passive resistance in an aggravated form in this country. Loud and angry cries of Shame" were at once raised, these being followed by shouts of Sit down and Divide." One indignant member cried You are not fit to be heard." Towards the end of the debate an ap- peal was made by Mr. Iftabli-ouse to the Government to remove the necessity for a division by making some substantial con- cession. Mr. McKenna's reply was that he would be only too glad to make a con- cession if he knew of any that could be made on the principle of the Bill without destroying its utility, but he really thought the scheme was misunderstood. It had been brought forward by a united Government, and should be looked at for what it did, and nothing more. The closure was moved at eleven o'clock, and carried by 259 votes to 16, a majority of 243. Then came the di\ision on Sir Thomas Whittaker's amendment.

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SWANSEA LADS' THEFTS. At the Swansea Juvenile Police Court on Tuesday, George Thomas, William lies Hughes, and H. James, all of St. Thomas, were charged with stealing a ten- shilling note and silver amounting to about £ 3, from the shop of Mr. Rees, chemist, Fabian-street, on June 26th. Detective Barry said that when he saw the boy Thomas, and charged him with stealing the money, Thomas replied, There were four of us, and we shared the money." Asked what he had done with his share, Thoma's replied that he had spent some of it. and hidden the rest at the back of his house. In the house the boy gave up a handkerchief with 16s. 6d. in it. Witness afterward saw the boy James, who told him he had 8s. 6d., and spent it. Of the other boys, Hughes handed to witness 10s. 6d. and a ten- shilling note, and llos handed him Is., saying they had spent the rest of the money in ice-cream shops. This miserable Sunday trading has a great dral to do with these offences," ,aid the Chairman. Last week they had before them ten or twelve boys, and when they were asked whether they went to Sunday-school, only two replied in the I affirmative. Detective Barry, continuing, said that I when the boys were charged, Hughes re- I plied, Three of us got in through the window, and one kept watch. I got through the fanlight and broke the win- dow. I cut my hand. I took all the money out of the cash register, and put it in my pocket. We shared the money. I had about ti. 5s. We spent a lot of money in ice-cream shops." The Chairman said he had a doctor's certificate that one of the boys was ill. Had it not been for that, they would have had them whipped. But they must place the responsibility on the parents, who must look after their children. The parents were fined f2 each. The parents of George Morgan and W. Merriman (two very small boys sum- moned for stealing a bicycle, which they had run off with from near a stall in the Swansea Market) were fined 20s. each.

FIRE AT SWANSEA GASWORKS. What might easily have proved a very serious lire occurred "at Swansea Gas- works on Tuesday morning. At about 10 a.m., in a large shed run- ning parallel to Wellington-street, a breakage occurred and ilalfs burst out. The staff got to work, and the Fire Brigade arrived promptly with the motor engine, but used only a single hose from a hydrant at the corner of Wellingtoli- st reet. In a short time all danger was at un end. The damage is insignificant.

The s.s. Ruperra, 2,093 tons has arrived in the King's Dock, Swansea, with 3,0(1.1 to is of wheat for Ltd.

MINERS' MEETINGS. THE PROBLEM OF NON-UNIONISM. Saturday's meeting of the delegates oli the Western Miners' A<S'ieiation was on-j; of the most important held for several1 months. The executive commiUee reported that' they had given serious consideration to the que. rion of non-unionism in the ctalfield, and that circulars inviting par- j ticulars of the situation had been sent out to the lodges. As far as the returns lilluai come to hand, thev indicated thai the position at a number of the collieries wa, very satisfactory, but at Grovesend (which lodge introduced the matter), tJv number was very high. The executive therefore, recommended that the colliery should be given permission to tender notices, and that the agent should write to Cardiff as won as possible explaining th jiosiirion to the central executive. The point as to whether the central executive would give their support to striking, in case such action was taken, arose, and Mr W. E. Morgan said that the decision of the Cardiff conference re- garding financial assistance applied as from May 1st. A delegate said lie felt quite eure that in view of the present position in the coalfield, and the demand for their pro- duct, the employee would not alkiv their collieries to be idle because of 15 o" 20 non-unionists, In the end a resolution was passed that a simultaneous "show cards" day be held on or before July 19th. Mr. W. E. Morgan presented a report on the progress of negotiations for th" tew agreement. There was some com- plaint as to the manner in which cirell- I lars calling the -conference were sent out, and a resolution was carried asking that tlie exact business should be briefly stated thereon Mr. Moses (Caeduke) noted that the! federated area had got their agreement' to date to HIlS, and felt that the South; Wales Executive should prees for the. same period. This was put in a motion and carried. Mr. Morgan reported on the Cape (Lijs-, pute, "Fforestfach, and it was agreed to ask the men to return to work pending negotiations. Mr. D. Rh.-ys Grenfell, Mountain Col- liery, Gorseinon, was appointed auditor, j .————— ————-

AFAN VALLEY. Mr. W. Davies, Cwmavon, preewted over the usual monthly meeting of the Afan Valley District, which was held on Satur- day at Aberavon. when Messrs. F. B. Smith, Lemuel JnØ8, Alf. Coombes, and W. H. Thomas (secretary) attended as a deputation to make an appeal to the miners of the district on behalf of the Port Talbot and District Hospital, and, it was agreed to recommend the lodges to; support the hospital, each lodge to make its own arrangements. Mr. James Barford was elected auditor, and Mr. Tom John was nominated one of the auditors of the central funds of the South Wales and Monmouthshire Federal tion. A notice of motion from the Cvnon Lodge to consider the advisability of ap- pointing a permanent solicitor for the district was defeated by 25 votes to four It ra reported that in consequence of the hauliers at Oakwood Colliery refusing to work on a certain day last month, pro- ceedings were to be instituted against three of them on Monday for ^amages. The remaining nine were to be proceeded j against afterwards, and it was stated that these nine men would refuse to work on Monday, but would accompany the other three to the Police Court, thus again ren- dering the colliery idle. The meeting strongly advised those unaffected, men to go to work, and appointed the Chairman and Treasurer to accompany the check- weigher to meet the men,tlw same evening and advise them accordingly.

ADVANCE FOR SCOTCH MINERS. Sir George Askwith, as arbiter in the claim of the Scottish miners for an ad*' vance in was. telegraphed his decision last night to the Scottish Coal Owners' Association. His decision advances the wages of the underground workman six- pence a day.

—■ THE ONLY WAY TO STOP FOOD FERMENTATION. NEUTRALISE ACIDITY BY TAKING AI LITTLE MAGNESIA. It's the gas generated by fermenting food that distends your stomach and causes you to have a flushed face aftor eating, with headaches, heartburn, flatulence, &c., and th3 reason why drugs, patent medi- cines and artificial digestants do not give you relief is that they have little or no effect upon the acidity which ha,ve proved to be the root, cause of prac- tically all forms of stomach trouble. An absolutely pin-e antacid or neutralising ageni must be employed to neutralise this harmful acid, and the preparation in- variably used in hospitals and prescribed by physicians and specialists is bistbatt/t* jjnagnesia. This you can obtain from all high-class chemists in either powder or tahlet form, and in the majority of ca.ses halt'-a-teaspoonfu] of the powder or two tablets taken with a little water artier meals will be found quite sufficient to instantly neutralise excessive acidity of the stomach and thus prevent all possi- bility of the food fermenting.

THE VEXED DUST-BIN. At a meeting of the Highways Com- mittee of the Swansea Corporation, on Tuesday, the Town Clerk reported that the Borough Surveyor had asked the position of the Corporation in regard to the en- forcement of the provision of back lanes for new houses. Houses were still being erected, he said, the refuse of which would have to be carried through in con- sequence of ther" being no back entrance, I and lie thought this most objectionable. The Town Clerk reported that there was no clause in operation, but they had power: to get one. He suggested that he take I st't'}S to do so, or to revise the building bye-laws, winch were not up to date. It wag stated that the present difficulties would be obviated by the provision of refuse receptacles, but the surveyor said he was afraid they would never have per- fect receptacle? and perfect covers. Mr. W. H. Morris said on the hill they had had experience of children taking the covers to roll them down the road! Mr. Williams believed they should start a campaign for proper receptacles.

MOVABLE LIGHTS. I The authorities are instituting several prosecutions against car and nio-, or I cycle owners in connection with lamps so fixed as to be capa ble of movement inde- pendent of the direction of travel of the vehicles, and extremely heavy fines-up to £ 25 have resulted. It is, therefore necessary to remind Automobile 4<socia^ tion members that the regulations now in force state that No lamp shall without I lawTui authority be carried on any such vehicle unless it is so constructed, fitted. and attached (a) as not to be capable of movement independent of the movement of the vehicle; and (b) as not to throw light in any direction other than that in which the vehicle is proceeding or is inte-nded to proceed, except in the case of lamps required by any law or reg-ulation for the time being in force to throw its light in some other direction.-v*

Wasting and Weak Chest Boy's Health Restored by Dr. Cassell's Tab!ets. Mrs. r.us&ell, 8, Far- ringford-road. West Raui-Liue. Stratford, London. E., says: "My son, Harry, had in- fluenza about two years ago, and after that he was always ailing. Then a nasty eough came on and he began to lose flesh badly. He had had rheumatism, too, and his heart was affected. We had good advice for Harry, but there was no improve- ment, 50 we got him into hospital. He i^eemed better when he came out; but soon all the oM eyitiptoms returned. Then we sent him intc the country, but when he came home he v.n. soon ar ill as ever, if not worse. It was then we tried Dr. Cassell's Tablets, and they helped Harry from the first. He crew strong and cotive. and now he is better than ever before. He has no oough, and his heart eeems quite sound," Dr. Cassell's Tablets. Dr. CaaselTs Tablets are a genuine and tested Mmedy foT ",II forms of nerve or bodily veakneaB rn old or young. Compounded of nerve-nutrients and tonics of indisputably proved efficacy, they axe the recognised modern lioine treatment for NERVOUS BREAKDOWN NERVE PARALYSIS SPINAL PARALYSIS INFANTILE PARALYSIS NEURASTHENIA NERVOUS DEBILITY SLEEPLESSNESS AN/EMIA KIDNEY DISEASE INDIGESTION STOMACH DISORDER MAL-NUTRITION WASTING DIIEASES PALPITATION VITAL EXHAUSTION o PREMATURE DECAY Sneciallv valuable for Nursinp Mothers, and during the Critical Periods of Life. Chemists and rtoree in all parts of the world sen Dr. Caasell's TabWX* Prices: and 21g-tbe 2*3 siae being fbe most economical. A Free Trial Supply wiT. œ sent, to von on reoeipt of name and address and two penny stamps for e and packing. Address: Dr. Chmmx's Oo., Ltd., 418, tweeter-road. -Manebetter

WOMEN AT COLLIERIES NO LIKELIHOOD OF THEIR RE- EMPLOYMENT IN WALES. (By Our Mining Correspondent.) To those of us who remember the rathet extensive employment of women for cer- tain work on pit tops, and at the tips, in South Wales, the announcement made in several Cardiff aud other Welsiq news- papers that the Home Office Departmental Committee recommended reverting to that practice was surprising. Still more surprising was it to fiad that such a re- commendation was supposed to have emanated from a committee of which Mr. Vernon Hartshorn is a member. It is as well, however, to clear up any misconception that may prevail on the point, by explaining that the report issued merely states that the subject ww under consideration; but that, after careful deliberation of all the facts and -evidence before them, they do not recommend the more extensive employment of women on -the surface of coal mines. The false notion spread by. slipshod perusal of summarised versions of the Departmental Committee's report, is without the slightest foundation, and, notwithstanding the depletion of the mines by the extensive and continued re- cruiting of young men, it is certainly not desirable that there should be, in South Wales at any rate, a reversion to n state of things which was abandoned because the labour was hard and unsuitable to women and girls, and because the =ur- roundingr- were considered degrading, III Page 21 of the official White Paper, j [ issued by the Departmental Committee, states: The number of women employed on the surface of mines under the Coal Mines Act of 1911 was, at the end of the year 1913. 6,554: of these 2.933 were employed in Scotland and 2.829 in Lanca- Rhiro. Mr. Mitchell (a Scottish oonl- owner) informed us that since the com- menceanent of the war there has been a considerable increase in the number of wome-n employed at Scottish coaI mines, but. was enable to indicate what was th« oxtewt of iiie increase. There is no doubt that, women could be still further fnil- nloyed in the performance of licrhrt wwk such, for instance, as the sorting and cleaning of coal on the. surface of the mine, and so liberate some oid men and boys for work underground. Bnt after careful deliberation of all tlie facts and evidence before us we do not. recommend that any aotion should be taken at the present time with a view to the more ex- tensive employment of women on the sur- face of coal mines." I

HAULIER'S WAR TROUBLES. At Swansea, on Tuesday. Joseph Sann- ders was summoned for cruelty to a mare by working it in an unfit condition. Inspector Pember said he had seen de- fendant nt-ar Swansea .Market in cha.rge of a horse and cart. He found a sore on the animal's had. evidently of loog- j standing, extending for two or three inches on either side of the back bone. The fore part of the saddle was just at the back part of the sore. He touched round about the sore, and the poor pony winced with pain. There was anotier large sore near the tail-a fresh wound. Witness told defendant he ought to he ashamed of himself to work the mare in that condition, and that he had better get. it home as quiekly as he could. P.C. Wri,-ht corroborated. Injector Lindsay, of the R.S.P.C.A., gave evidence- Answering defendant, witness denied he had told defendant he had done all that a man could do; what he said was that he had done something. Defendant said that when the war brok a out some of his horsef were taken by the Government, and he had to work with any horses he could. He bought this one in jipril, and afterwards found on it an old wound. He had never allowed the harness to rest on the wound. The case was dismissed on defendant paving costs, as' was also another sum- mons against George Davies, who admitted the offence. Here the Inspector had found a sore three inches by one inch. suppurating and inflamed. The hoj-se was not fit for work. When the see was pointed out to defend- ant. he said he was very sorry, and took it away to have it rested.

WHAT SWANSEA WATER COSTS. Mr. W. H. Ash mole (Borough Treasurer > has submitted to the Swansea Water- works Committee the accounts of the water works undertaking for the year ended March 31th last. The gross pr-ofit i £ 27,119, compared with £2ï,499 the previous year, but the loan charges are • £ 52.215, ag-inst £51. 50:}. Th<>re i, there- fore, a net loss of compared with < £ 24.004 for the previous year. Tha sum of < £ 500 is added TO the transfer to renewals fund. TLe charge on ra-t.es is £5,.596 against £ 24.501 the previous year. While the income slightly advanced, the large increase which has been taking place for some years stayed. This was entirely due to the war. The expenditure has only increased by 9. whie £ 752 was expended in police watching the reservoirs. The net 10-s.s has increased by £ 1,092. The total expenditure fHltlay of the undertaking is now £ 1,284,8>><^ of which £ 302,007 has been repaid or pro- vided foce