Herald of Wales and Monmouthshire Recorder

CURRENT COMMENTS. I The news seat from Athens recording the passage of the Straits of the Dar- danelles by two cruisers of the Allies is, 80 far, uncorroborated by any official arLnouncemeo-t, but it wears an air of probability, and we trust it presages iurfcber gratifying intelligence from this sanguinary b of war, where so much of the beat blood of our land has already been shed. But if we are doomed to further disappointment of expectations-- and truly the Dardaauellee has been the gTave of many a fair promisc--ive must bear it with fortitude, .ta.king to ourselves the advice given by Edmond Dantes when he sailed out of ken: Wait and hope." On Wednesday morning, the publication of Mr. Aahmead-Bartiatt's account of the reeesnt landing at Sulva Bay compelled us regretfully to put aside the stories which the Censor allowed to be circulated earlier in the week. In the afternoon came the Athens message. In the evening came the British official communique, which warned the public against suppos- ing that the true objectives have been gained or that further serious and oostly efforts will not be required before a i&ecisive victory is woo." A good many hard things have been, tad are atill being said with regard to certain of the loaders in the Wielsh Coal- field, and therefore it is with some grati- fication we note that the most influential tti the quarterlies, The Round Table," attempts a saner and more moderate judgment than some other English com- mentaries have offered. It ondeavours to explain the psychology of the recent trouble, declaring that the atmosphere of the Welsh coalfield is somewhat different from that of the colliery districts of Eng- .Le is less settled and land and Scotland. Life is less settled and homely and dignified than in such old- established centres, for instance, as Dur- ham and Staffordshire. There is not the game traditional basis of good feeling and common life, and more of an almost American sense of bitterness, especially among the younger generation, against the masters. Nor are the bleak, raw, straggling villages along the Welsh valleys, peopled by comparatively recent immigrants from the rural districts of Wales and South-West England, calcu- lated to foster the love of country. The leaders who were responsible for the stop- page of work are not selfish or grasping, or even ambitious, as this world goes; they are fanatics who cannot, and will not, see anything beyond the little world in which they live and for those improve- ment so obviously needed and so much neglected by those who had the power and position to effect it, they are working with a devotion worthy not of a better but of a more comprehensive ideal. Their disastrous narrowness of vision is itself the product of the conditions which they are so determined to remove. Those who know the Welsh colliery valleys will understand the mood of the writer. We remember how some English visitors, visiting a village stricken by terrible disaster some time ago, expressed vmazement when they saw the "shanties,' near the scene of the calamity, in which t. number of the workmen lived, wonder- ing how life could be found tolerable under such conditions. It is things such as these which have put the iron into the very souls ot men who aspire to be, Hke Moees, leaders of their people out of Egypt, which have made them self- centred in a world big enough at ordi- nary times, but too small for this day of universal ordeal. We have, in times like the present, to renounce many ideals. The "bousing reformer finds his path barred, although conditions were never worse. The land campaigner has to cease his crying, although he sees that never were the matters he advocated more necessary. The vision of a socially-reformed Great Britain has become dim. It has not faded away, nor will it. But there is a more fierce task now upon the nation, a greater duty. And this task, this duty, will we hope, appeal to those leaders who lave kept their sight confined within the high horizons of the cheerless valleys where the hand of man has worked such devastation. Views expressed in these columns about the harvest yield of this summer find corroboration in a letter sent by an English agriculturist to the Pall Mall Gazette." We emphasised the necessity for early action if the wheat production of 1916 is to be increased; and we note that the correspondent warns his readers that while the Government are considering the wealth of suggestions con- tained in the reports of the English, Scottish and Irish Committee on Food Production and the minority report drafted by Sir Horace Plunkett, time, the most important factor in this subject, is passing, and very soon we shall have reached the weeks after which it will be impossible for u-s to do anything towards increasing our production in 1916. The farmers last autumn were faced with a great uncertainty, and many authorities on agriculture are inclined to the opinion that they deserved, at the hands of the Government, something like a guarantee that, if they laid extra land under wheat, they should not run too large a risk. The English farmer whom we are quoting emphasises the fact that the first thing to realise is that food pro- duction is an industry in which we en- gage, not ior sentimental reasons, but for what we can make by it. The area under wheat indicates the extent to which it pays farmers'to grow wheat. If now the public wants the farmers to grow more wheat- i.e., to alter their. existing form of produc- tion—it ie only fair that it should protect the farmer against any loss that might result from complying with the public's wi-sh. for more home-grown wheat. The best way of doing this and bringing about an enormous increase in the area under wheat, he contends, would be an under- taking by the State to buy during the next five years the farmers' wheat at 40s. the quarter, and to provide cheap State credit for the purchase of any article required for increasing the productive capacity of the soil. Another point forcibly urgedne that should oomnutftd attention in this district because of the effect it would heve upon our local market supplies-i6 that food production is carried on by two main sections: By those who produce for profit, and those who produce for maintenance. This latter section, the "spare time" producers, comprises the vast army of allotment-holders, cottagers (farm o lab- ourers, etc.), the man with a pig or two," the backyard poultry-keeper, the rarbbit, goat, and bee keepers, etc., and numbers about 5,000,000 men, women and boys. The aggregate of man-power and skill represented by this sect ion, vast as it is, has never been utilised, for the reason that, as in the case of the pro- fessional food producer (the farmer), we have no organisation for making the fullest use of it. The Gower and the Carmarthenshire cottager, under a pro- perly organised cooperative scheme, could create a great deal of new wealth for the country; and we hope that the farmer who contributes his views on the situation is unduly doubtful when he declarer that it is an open question whether the powers that be are even aware of the existence of our enormous volunteer force of food producers. Yet no one in a position to know denies nowadays that with the right organisation the two great sections be- tween them could double our present output of food with the greatest ease and to the utmost advantage of producer, con- sumer, and the State. 0 All this, however, is fine talk. What we want now is action. The correspon- dent, coming to practical affairs, suggests that the Board of Agriculture be rein- forced by a new division, to be called the Development Division. The present mixing in five divisions of the Board's work, which is to nine-tenths merely routine and much red tape, and to one- tenth what we may call creativi?, docs not make for the effective discharge of the creative functions; and it is therefore suggested that the present divisions shall go on administering the different Acts of Parliament dealing with diseases of animals and plants, tithes, enclosures, small holdings, etc., but that the creative functions shall be given to the new De- velopment Division, which would then deal with: 1, agricultural education and research; 2, improvement of live stock; 3, distribution, transport, marketing; 4, credit; 5. ILwQo settlement as distinguished from the administration of the Small Holdings Act; 6, reclamation and drainage; and 7, afforestation. The De- velopment Division, it is further pro- posed, would work through special County Development Committees, formed out of the present agricultural committees of county councils, and would in that way establish direct contact between tfte Board and the men on the land, from the 1,000- acre man down to the cottager and back- yarder. Two trite appeals were made to the mining students of the Glamorgan Summer School at Swansea at the end of last week. Mr. C. E. Cleeves, in pre- senting the Sir W. J. Thomas gold medals to the brothers James, of Skewen, urged all the students to double their efforts to obtain more coal from the pits, and this was imperative to our success as a nation. Lieutenant Henry Davies urged all students to do a little more than was asked of them," and so aid those who were sacrificing their all for their country. Such forcible appeals in a nutshell" will doubtless lead to a rati-siactory response. A letter on the Welsh Guards by Mr. T. Leason Thomas (the well known hon. sec. of the Glamorgan Society in London) has brought a rejoinder by Mr. J. M. Bullock. Referring to the fact that a Col. Mathias once commanded the Gor- dons, the letter says" Perhaps in re- turn a Gordon heir presumptive to the Marquisate of Huntly is adjutant of the Welsh Guards, while his aunt (Lady Margaret Ethel Gordon) is the wife of the honorary colofael, Lord Harlech. I may add that there is a group of Welsh Gordons, to whom the well known bac- teriologist, Dr. Mervyn Gordon, belongs. They were associated with Llwyn-y-bwcli, Glamorgan, and are said to lie descended from a member of the suite of IJHdy Katherine Gordon. She belonged to the same race as Lady Harlech, who first married Perkin Warbeck and afterwards became the wife of Sir Mathew Cradock, of Swansea." Lord Esher has just made one of the most interesting revelations of the war. Kitchener is a silent man. When he has to speak in the House of Lords, his utter- ances are precise and always a model of military discretion, and there is only one popular saying—that in which he is sup- posed to have said that the war would commence" in May—associated with his name. Lord Esher has now added to the unofficial sayings of Kitchener. I remember the first day I saw him, imme- diately after the declaration of war," he says. He then said that he was about to prepare for a three years war. The Germans may get to Paris/ he added; ç but this is not the war of 1870. It must be fought to a long finish. If the Ger- mans get to Paris the French armies will retreat beyond the Loire, and we shall retreat with them, and two years hence we, Great Britain, shall thrftw the last million men into the scale and win the war. war: U It must be fought to a long finish." With 'such a sentence as this firmly fixed in our mind, we shall have a counter to the spirit of depression which now and then assails the country. Upon the anni- versary of the entrance of Great Britain into the war, we recalled statements made by our leading statesmen and military leaders during the early days of contest. Our blindness in those days was passing strange. Every leader of authority was warning us that the war would be very long, that its fortunes might fluctuate considerably. But we were obsessed by the idea of advancing Russia, and inter- preted the warnings as the words of men cautious to excess. To-day we see that. they were literal prophets, and we would do wrjl to take the lesson to heart, renew- ing ocr stock of fortitude with remem- brance of Kitchener's words twelve months ago. He was able, then, to look beyond such a disaster as the capture of Paris, and speak of hvo years hence." Here is a corrective for that depressed state of mind which seems to have afflicted a laxge number of people last week—as Wd Esher says, "an objective, a military policy based on clear-sighted courage and high resolve." What can be done to make Gower more productive ? We will venture the view that many people will answer that its vast commons and hill moorlands are waste spaces which could be utilised for the benefit of mankind. How many, walking or riding over Fairwood Common, or striding over the heathery slopes of Cefn Bryn or Khosdlly Downs, have lamented the supposed unproductivity of these wide stretches ? Whereas it is a moot point whether that noble hill range which runs from Penmaen to Burry could be put under greater service to the country were it under corn cultivation (or under grass, with the balance adjusted elsewhere) than it is to-day when it is a sheep-run for large flocks and a centre for pony-rearing. The writer put the question to a gentleman who possessed a life-time acquaintance with the hill, and has become an authority upon and a director of agricul- ture but he would not make a dogmatic answer without first entering into careful consideration of a number of questions involved. There are stretches of the moun- tain-side, notably in the neighbourhood of IVeedown (upon the Llalirhidian side), which could be and ought to be drained and brought under cultivation. The growth of furze is a small matter; not half as serious as the growth of ferns, which will be harder to eradicate from the soil. These, however, are emergency mea- si. i €«—the measures which could be re- sorted to were the need very great. Let us stick to a more practical, and an im- mediate matter. It is undoubtedly the fact that, although Gower is in posses- sion of at least twenty thousand ltrep- the figure is probably an under-estimation -i could raise very many thousands more L than it. dww. and "flsrtira trouble. It could rear inofe beef. And, dtaling with the enclosed farms alone, it is certainly the case that they could pro- duce a far larger yield than they will this year. At the time of great agricul- tural depression in Gower, acres of good land were allowed to become practically derelict, and much of that land remains in the same state to-day. It only re- quires to be drained, and with very little other atte'rr&on it will be ready for seed. The impulse, however, has to be found! Someone is required to take the lead. Co-operati jn may probably be found ixcessary or desirable. And, although Gower has taken the first step in co- operation, it has a long way to go before it reaches the stage attained even by Carmarthenshire. There is a society with its headquarters at Reynoldston, which is of benefit to the farmer, but the system can scarcely be said to have been given a real trial yet. Efforts are now being made to induce the agriculturists to send more produce into Swansea market; if those behind the attempt pay most attention to the cottagers, they will be doing wisely. What is wanted, in view of the fact that next year's liarvest-,will be of more importance than this year's, is that similar steps should be taken to in duce the big farmers to put their holdings to their highest degree of fruitfulness. The question of the commons, and the spaces upon them which could be put to more useful service, forms part of a problem which must be considered in its :elation to the whole kingdom. There are many points mixed up in it which will not be easily overcome: such points as the wisdom or the unwisdom of reviving the policy of enclosures, ownership, and rental. But, putting that aside as a matter for national determination, Gower presents other and more immediately practical opportunities. It was suggested to us that real and effective service would lie done were a few of the leading men in the peninsula to take upon themselves the burden of calling together the agriculturists within the next month or two, and discussing with them ways and means of increasing Gower's yield. The county director of agriculture might also be asked to regard Gower as a separate proposition because of its characteristics, and its nearness to a big centre of demand. It will be de- plorable, at this time when Britain is urged to produce to the last degree of its power, if no attempt iti made to obtain the most from every acre from Killay to Llangenydd, and from Llanrhidiau. to Penrice. In this review we have avoided the fundamental land question," not be-Ii cause it is co-itroversial-for on both sides of politics there is agreement that altera- tion ot land laws and customs is essential i to a thoroughly effective reform—but because it is impossible, at this stage in our history to revise those laws and customs. We muet make the best of things as they are; and all who know the agricultural conditions of West Wales will admit that we are still far from making the best of tilings as they are.

I LOCAL NOTES. ABERAVON & PORT TALBOT. The inhabitants of Aberavon and Port Talbot can congratulate themselves upon the resulta of their efforts in regard to the War Fund. The most recent achievement was the Flag Day on Saturday last in sup- port of the Voluntary Aid Detachment of the Red Croes Society, the object being to equip themselves with uniform and neces- sary acquirements for rendering prompt and effective aid in the removal of wounded soldiers and any other cates needing atten- tion in the distri.tc A point 1Iet generally understood over thi? worthy movement is that, independent of the exigencies of the war, the detachment after all war require- ments are over, will remain a permanent organisation, the members being well dis- tributed and always ready to render prompt attention in oases of accidents at works, collieries, etc. The members number nearly 100, and are well trained in ambulance and first-aid work, each of them in addition to giving their services free have also agreed to make a weekly contribution towards the upkeep of the detachment. So satisfactorily was Saturday's event organised by the working committee, of which Councillor Edward Iiowther was I the L chairman, the substantial amount of S,140 was realised, and this, notwithstanding the numerous demands which have rapidly fol- lowed each' other in the district. The total amount realised for the various flag day collections and patriotic concerts exceed £ 1,000, independent of what has been sub- scribed towards the Prince of Wales' Fund. The French Flag Day, held three weeks ago, resulted in the magnificent sum of L363 being realised. This included a number of substantial donations given by the various works and colliery proprietors in the neigh- bourhood. Great credit is due for this splen- did .achievement to the organising commit- tee, consisting of Councillor Percy Jacob, chairman; Messrs. Dd. Jenkins, George O'Sullivan, Ernest Tennant, Councillor Hop- kin Jones, and Mr. E. Merchant Jenkins, who efficiently performed the hon. secre- tarial duties. In connection with th-e egg day collec- tions organised by the Aberavon St. Mary's Parish Church, numerous letters of thanks have been received from wounded soldiers by the donors of eggs who put their names and addresses on the eggs. In several in- stances interesting correspondence have been established between the collectors and recipients. The recruiting in the district during the past, few weeks has been very satisfactory. In aid of the National Society for the Pre- vention of Cruelty to Children, a garden fete will be held on Thursday, September 2nd, in the grounds of Grangafon, kindly lent by Councillor and W. B. Hallows. The event will include a number of interest- ing and enjoyable festuree and will be opened by Mr. Sydney H. Byass, J.P. The Aberavon St. Mary's Band will play in the grounds during the afternoon and evening. It is a pity the residences of the Aber- avon Fire Brigade are not connected wi'th the telephone, the result being that in get- ting the members together, the captain has. to rush round to give each member the alarm. Equipped with a fine contraily- situated fire station and all ",he necessary implements, t.h<B brigade lacks this vital necessity. Councillor Hopkin B. Jones makes the suggestion that arrangemeti,tes should be made for each of the members of the brigade to live in the row of houses in Water-street, opposite the Fire Brigade Station. If this could be arranged it would be an excellent idea. Over his misfortune in having his premises burnt down this week, sympathy ig felt for Mr. Walsh, who is one of the oldest, tradesman in the town. He is an ex- Mayor and a Justice of the Peace for the borough. Matters are assuming acute gravity in connection with burial facilities for Aber- avon, as the capacity of the Parish Ceme- tery does not permit of only a few more graves being made. The fault is net the Town Council's, as that body has for a con- siderable time made every effort to procure a Suitable aite for a public cemetery, but have been hampered by geographical diffi- culties, objections, and extortionate de- mands for land. There are ZOO entriea for the 18 events which will be brought off at the Boy Scouts' sports, to be held this (Saturday) afternoon on the Port Talbot Central Athletic Ground. The object of the sports is worthy and de- serving of every patronage. Two well-known local singerg departed from the district on Sunday laet for London, where they join the famous M-oody Manners' Grand Opera Company, which in a fort- night' time commences an externlivea pro- vincial tour. They were Mr. Bert Jones, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Jones, Dovey House, Port Talbot, and Miss Evelyn JBailey, eldest daughter cf 'Mm. Bailey. TaTi;street, both of whom are popular %ingera. Previous ? batls. wsrft. t.h& Veejpijeuts, of presents, given by the pupils of Mr. Moody's School of Music. Mr. Jones was also presented with a handsome travelling trunk by the members of the Primitive Methodist Sunday School, Aberavon, where he carried out the secretarial duties. r The many friends of Mr. John Lake, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Lake, contractor, Port Talbot, who his sance the outbreak of war acted as clerk at the local recruiting office, will be pleaded to learn that he has been ap- pointed to a position in the paymaster's office of the Eastern Command, London. Mr. Lake, who is an extremely popular member of the Y.M.C.A., was presented by the members of the institution with a purse of cold on the occasion-of his departure. Lucifer. I

AMMANFORD. I The effects of the war are brought homo to us in Ammanford by the inclusion of local names in the casualty list. While it seems almost out of place to offer con- dolences, one cannot help refer ring to families of those who were well known in the town and district. Williams, whose death is reported, I did not know per- sonally, but from what 1 gather he had a large circle of friends in Ammanford, and it is said that fears are entertained that other sad news of a siinilar kind is anti- cipated, as the local men are now, and have for a while been, in the fighting line. Young Joe Carruthers was one of a group of young men who promptly re- sponded to the call to the Colours at the very beginning of the war, and he and his parents are well-known, not only in Am- manford and Llanelly, but also in Mon- mouthshire, where they resided some years ago. I had a chat with Mr. and Mrs. Carruthers on Saturday night, when they had just been sending off a letter to the son. The official intimation of the wounding of their son did not arrive until Monday morning, and spread very rapidly throughout the town, where everybody expressed hope that the injuries sustained might prove to be not serious. The official notice was non-committal on the point. Mr. W. L. Smith, secretary of the Chamber of Trade, has at last received the expected reply from the War Office upon the question of the application to have troops billetted in Ammanford. He had pointed out that billetting men in the town, which is an excellent centre, would have stimulated recruiting. The reply, however, is that arrangements of the kind suggested are not open at present, but that the offer of the enterprising Chamber of Trade and of the hospitable people of Ammanford will be borne in mind. Now that the sewerage scheme is "hung up" there is all the more reason for taking effective steps to cope with the flooding of the premises at the upper end of Quay-street when heavy rains play havoc with the shop of Mr. Walters, tobacconist, and others in the vicinity. Surely, a nine-inch main from the Square to the river is insufficient for a principal street in 'a place which has, in recent years, grown as Ammanford has grown. Of course, I am aware that some pro- vision is being made for diverting the street surface water before it enters the drain, and the channelling is being deepened and widened; but something more is needed to meet the exigencies of torrential rains and the enormous floods concerning which the London papers occasionally furnish us with interesting and sensational news. It is fortunate that the people who wrote elaborate accounts of the floods were not drowned, or carried down the nine-inch pipe, for, if they had, the tale would never have been told. A crowd of Brighton visitors recently toured South Wales in search of an inland watering-place, and were keenly disap- pointed when they discovered that Ammanford had neither lake nor park, nor much more than a dry river-bed, and that even water-spouts and cloud- bursts were expected to pass through a street grating into a nine-inch drain, on their way. to a parched river-course. The only consolation offered them was that the supply of drinking water from Llygad Llwchwr was as clear as crystal and as refreshing as nectar; and that was not 'what they wanted. They preferred their Scotch" neat. Awstin. I I

SIR E. GREY'S ANSWER TO GERMANI CHANCELLOR'S ALLEGATIONS. Sir Edward Grey, in the letter issued on Wednesday evening from the Foreign Office, and printed below, makes a crush- ing reply to the statements of the German Chancellor last week charging the British Government with blood-guiltiness and at- tacking him for his speech in the House of Commons on August 3 last year. As to the allegation that Belgium had trarncked her neutrality with us. Sir Ed- ward points out that despite any informal conversations is 1906 (which were never reported to the Foreign Office) no conven- tion or agreement existed between the British and Belgian Governments. On July 29, 1914, the German Chancellor tried to bribe us by a promise of future Belgian independence to become a party to the vio- lation of Belgian neutrality by Germany.. When war broke out he described the Belgian treaty as "a scrap of paper." In the Rcichstag, too, on August 4, 1911, the German Chancellor stated, in referring to the violation of the neutrality of Belgium and Luxembourg: The wrong-I speak openly-the wrong we thereby commit we will try to make good as soon as our military aims have been attained. Inexpressibly Mean." I Sir Edward describes the effort to jus- tify the violation of Belgium ex-poet-facto as inexpressibly mean. Is it withdrawn? And. if so, will Germany make repara- tion ? Point by point Sir Edward Grey de- stroys the arguments of the German Chan- cellor. He shows the impossibility of Germany's demands prior to the war, the untruth of the statement that he (Sir Edward) spoke lightly of war's suffering for us, and points out how the Teuton Government only stood out against a con- ference, in which alone lay the hope of peace. He asks, Is there one candid soul in Germany and Austria-Hungary who, looking back on the past year, does not regret that neither the British nor Russian proposal was accepted P" Germany's Aim. I Germany's self-confessed aim, he shows, is to be supreme; to constitute herself the shield of peace and freedom of *big and small nations-an iron peace under a German shield and German supremacy. Germany-free to break international treaties, free to crush when it pleased her; free to refuse all mediation; free to go to war when it suited her; free, when l she did go to war, to break again all rules of civilisation and humanity on land and at sea; and, while she may act thus, all her commerce at sea is to remain as free in time of war as all commerce is in time of peace. Not on such terms can peace be con- cluded or the life of other nations than Germany be free or even tolerable," con- cludes Sir Edward Gicy. "Tho speeches of the German Chancellor and Finance Minister make it appear that Germany is fighting for supremacy and tribute. If that is so, and so long as it is so, our Allies and we are fighting and must fight for the right to live, not under German supremacy, but in real freedom and safety."

The Speaker of the House of Commons took part on Wednesday at Carlisle in the ceremony of unveiling a portrait to the late Mr. Henry Howard, of Grey.stoke,who its' KSS political opponent in early days.

LOCAL STATION- I MASTER CHARGED WITH ALLEGED I EMBEZZLEMENT. At a special sitting of the Aberavon County Justices on Thursdayt before Mr. S H. Byass (chairman), and Ald. J. N. Smith, John Evans, stationmaster at Blaengwynfi, on the Rhondda and Swan- sea Bay Railway, surrendered to his bail on a charge of alleged embezzlement of sums amounting to £ 335 moneys of the Railway Company. Prisoner was well-known in the Avon Valley, and widespread interest was taken in the case. Mr. Trevor Hunter, barrister-at-law (instructed by Mr. Arthur Deere) appeared to prosec-ute, and Mr. Lewis M. Thomas defended. Mr. Ilunter, in opening the case, said that the items of eanbezzlement covered a series of different charges. Mr. Evans had been stationmaster at Blaengwynfi for 11 years, but had been employed on the Rhondda ;• nd Swansea Bay Railway a matter of 24 years. At the several sta- tions on the line various books were kept, one being the train book, which showed all tickets issued to stations and the amounts, and the total passenger re- ceipts for the day. It was usual for the booking clerk to enter these particulars, but for some time this was done by Mi. Evans. The correct method of treating this book was for the booking clerk at the end of each day to hand it to the station- master—the book the check and the initial. On the following day it was usual to send the money to the head offices at Swansea and with the cash sent down a daily cash account showing the daily receipts. The book was kept at the railway station, and there was a counterfoil of the amount. Next to the counterfoil was a duplicate. These were sent down to Swansea to be checked and the duplicate returned. In one charge on the original which was sent to Swansea the amount entered "as S6, whereas the actual amount was 99. Evanss,- it was alleged, had pocketed £3 himself, so that when the amounts were checked the amounts entered on the Blaengwynfi book did not show the actual amount taken, but only the amount sent to Swansea. By this method it was im- possible to detect the difference, unless the audit clerk saw the original receipts. Under theso circumstances the first charge was embezzlement of the ott.ly trade account by making false entries therein on January 21st last. Defendant showed takings as £6 whereas the actual takings were R9. On another day the takings were entered as £7 5s. 2d., while the actual takings were E10 5s. 2d., showing a defici- ency of 93. There were several other such instances, and Evans was charged with embezzling these amounts, and convert- ing them to his own use. The second charge referred to making false, entries in the proof book. This book showed the number of tickets issued to each station from Blaengwynfi. This proof book should have been entered up daily by the booking clerk, but here again Evans entered it up. There were also monthly returns which should agree with the proof book, and the proof book should show the actual tak- ings. Evans here again covered the monthly returns in this manner on the proof book, which showed 200 tickets sold, for one month, but the monthly return only showed 100 tickets sold, and he would enter this number and the amount to cover his embezzlement. Evans was also charged with falsification in this case. His method was to manipulate the workmen's tickets because the former were not collected daily when the amounts were checked. He did not send o. the tickets at all. Two other sets of charges were that Evans, not content with covering his day's accounts, also altered a receipt of £1 3s. 5d. sent back from Swansea to S4 3s. 5d. A further charge was one of larceny of certain books. In July last, an audit clerk visited Blaengwynfi Station. Evans was absent on the day the auditor went through the books with the extracts which he had brought from Swansea. He then discovered discrepancies in the workmen's ticket book and Evans was asked for an explanation. The audit clerk returned to Swansea that evening, leaving the books in the Blaengwynfi booking office. When he returned there the following day the books had disappeared, and, it was alleged that Evans had burnt them, so as make it difficult to ascertain the figures. The Evidence. The first witness was Fred Greene, book- ing clerk at Blaengwynfi Station, who was taken at length through the various ac- counts, and he identified the signature of Evans, to the numerous amounts in the books produced. Witness explained the system of enter- ing the train book and proof book. If there was any difference between the tickets sold and the cash there was a special column to enter it. In reply to questions by Mr. Lewis M. Thomas, witness stated that lie never interfered with the books. Workmen's tickets were sometimts missing, but not often. A shortage of money would have to be made up, but he did not know who would have to make up the deficiency. Frederick Richard Grey, cashier for the Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway for the past 20 years, explained his duties. On going through accused's books he dis- covered several deficiencies extending over a period from January 25 to July 22, amounting in all to about £ 30. Witness deposed to the alteration of the receipt already referred to in the opening of the case by Mr. Trevor Hunter. The writing, in witness's opinion, was similar to Mr. Evans's. The case was again adjourned. _r- -J

SWANSEA BOARD OF GUARDIANS. Mr. G. S. Mitchell presided over a meet- ing of th>? SwanscaP43oara of Guardians on Thursday. The Clerk (Mr. I Jew. Jenkins) read a let- ter from the Local Government Board giv- ing sanction for the expenditure of X150 on the proposed alterations to the laundry at Cookett. A further letter was read to the effect that the supply of cube sugar was short, and it was suggested that the Board should use granulated sugar where possible. The matter was referred to the Provisions Committee. Dog in the Manger Game. There waj a long discussion on a letter which the clerk read from the clerk of the Pontardawo Guardians enclosing a copy of a resolution passed by that authority. The resolution read: "That the Glamorganshire Poor Law Establishment Committee be urg'ed to suspend, until after the war, ex- penditure on the Drymma Estate, particu- larly in view of the urgent mandate from the Government to economise in all pos- eible directions, and the fact that it pro- posed to defray the cost of altering the mansion out of curren, rates." Mr. Wm. Owen expressed the hope that the Board would decide not to take any notice of the letter or resolution, but would persevere in their decision to go on with the work they had decided to carry out. Ho was of opinion that the two gentlemen re- sponsible for the resolution were playing the dog-m-tbe-manger game." The Rev. E. O. Evans agreed, and said the authors of the resolution had taken up the attitude of obstructionists. The Board, us a matter of fact, could read into the resolu- tion's meaning personal interests cr reasons, but he did not think it was neces- sary for the Guardians to dwell on that aspect of the case. Mr. Owen would, no doubt, take up the matter when he had the opportunity of meeting the gentlemen face to face. They wero already committed io the payment of certain officials..

WELSH CYCLISTS* LUCK. SIR. ALFRED MOND'S GIFTS. On Thursday, Sir Alfred Mond, Bart., M.P., made a valuable and model presentation to the 38th (Cyclists) Divi- sion Welsh Army Corps. Sir Alfred was desirous of making a contribution to the equipment of the corps, and in consultation with Major General Philipps, decided to present a motor-office-a complete office on wheels which can follow the division either in its manoeuvres at home or its more serious work abroad. Its object is to facilitate and expedite the despatch of all clerical work involved in the efficient command of a division to receive and issue orders, either printed or by telephone, and to serve as a central depot for the exchange of messages and instructions from all parts of the field, i A Compact Office. It embolies quite a new departure. The office comprises two compartments, a private office for three officers, and aj general office for three clerks, each ade- quately equipped with desks, drawers, shelves, seats and apparatus. A speaking tube passes from the private office to the driver. In the near side of the rear corner of! the general office telephone switchboards are fixed, consisting of three panels, each with four switchboards and a rcceiver,i with an extension tor private In the inner office fifteen miles of steel cable ara provided, and lines can be taken in twelve different directions. Messages by the portable telephone can be trans- mitted either by telephoning or by the Morse code signals. The operator in the field, by communicating with the clerks in charge, can speak direct to any line on the panel. A Printing Outfit. In addition Sir Alfred Mond has pre- sented a complete printing outfit to the division as part of,the office equipment. This consists of a platen machine, treadle action, and all essential sundries. The body is fitted to a British Ensign three toil chassis, fitted with a Dormer Commer- cial four-cylinder engine, with four speeds, driver's seat, offside sleeping accommodation for driver, and assistant. The car has an elaborate and compre- hensive system of electric light, the accumulators having a capacity equal to supplying all lights continuously for six hours. Underneath the body are two dust-proof luggage boxes of large dimen- sions. A brass plate on the side of the car bears the inscription: Presented by Sir Alfred Mond, P.C., M.P., to the 38th Welsh Division. Welsh Army Corps, August.. 1915." I Presentation of the Car. I The presentation car was driven, soon a.fter mid-day, to the Office of Munitions, Whitehall-gardens, where it was the object of great interest. During the brief informal proceedings, Sir Alfred Mond handed the car over to Major-General Philipps, saying he hoped it would prove of service to the division. Major-General Philipps, on behalf of the officers and men of the division, and of the men of Wales, ,thanked Sir Alfred for his splendid gift, which would be of the utmost service. The General said the Minister of Munitions, Mr. Lloyd Gdirge, especially regretted he was unable to be present, but hoped to inspect the car on a future occasion. Mr. Leonard Llewelyn, of the Munitions Department, and many Army and Navy officers, inspected the car with much in- terest, and all alike expressed great ap- preciation. During the afternoon, the car was driven to join the 38th Division. Sir Alfred Mond's only son, Lieutenant Henry Mond, is attached to the 38th Bat- talion (Cyclists') Welsh Regiment, his platoon consisting almost entirely of Britonferry men. He is an extremely efficient officer and is extremely popular with the men, and with the other officers. A large proportion of the battalion con- sists of Swansea and district men and officers.

A QUESTION OF BUNKERS. j An action over the bunkering of a Swan- sea trader came before his Honour Judge Bryn Roberts at Swansea County Court on Wednesday. Messrs. R. H. Penney and Sons, of Brigton, sued the owners of the s.s. Envermen, of Glasgow, for £79 lis. 2d. for bunker coals supplied and Y,10 monies advanced to the captain of the ship, in January, 1915. There was a counter-claim for £178, made up of £ 12 paid to plaintiffs for the coal and S136 in respect of four days' loss of time by the vessel owing to the alleged inferior coal supplied which only admitted, it was stated, of a speed of three knots an hour. The Envermen was bound for Swansea, but she had to put back to Shoreham and get a fregh supply. The vessel is at present at the Prince of Wales Dock. Swansea. Mr. Trevor Hunter (instructed by Messrs. Strick and Billingliam) appearerl for plaintiffs, and Mr. Villiers Meager (instructed by Messrs. Ingiedew and Sons) represented the defendants. The coal in dispute was alleged to be Cwmamman coal, and it was stated that at one time the steamship was raised from the bottom of the Thames. It was stated on behalf of the owners that they h«l been offered L900 per month to run the ship on charter time, but they could do better by running it themselves, and could get to-day over £1,000 for it. Judgment was entered for plaintiffs on the claim, which was admitted, and for defendants for £5-t on the counter-claim.

LOCAL SLANDER CASE. I Detectives to Pay £10 Damages. I The Swansea. Under-Sheriff's Court sat on Thursday afternoon to assess damagos in a slander action in which the plaintiff was Norah Bream, of Oak-terrace, and the defendants Detectives R. Tucker and J. Barry, of the Borough Force. Mr. St. John Francis Williams (who appealed on behalf of the plaintiff) said that the defendants admitted uttering the slander. The plaintiff was a single woman and aged 26. She was engaged in Septem- ber, 1914, as aervant-by Mr. and Mrs. Williams, of the South Wales Hotel, High-street, with a good character. In October, the landlord missed a hat, coat, and umbrella, but he did not accuse the plaintiff at any time, said counsel. On November 14th plaintiff sustained a -poisoned finger and went for a holiday. Not knowing how long she would be away, Mr. Williams engaged another servant, and when plaintiff returned on the 26th, she was. told this, but given a month'6 wages and an excellent character. On December 10th defendant, at the address of plaintiff's sister at 123, Oak-terrace, confronted plaintiff and aid (stated coun- sel) that Mrs. Wiliams accused her of taking umbrella, hat and coat. This, said counsel, was quite untrue, as Mr. Wil- liams and never made any such accusa- tion. Detective Tucker and Detective Barry reached the house without a war- rant and found nothing. They asked plaintiff to come to the station, and the chdarge was repeated, shde being put into a cell from 9.30 a.m. until 8.30 p.m. Plaintiff was awarded £10 damages in each case.

The Press Association telegraphs: The Right Hon. Sir Alfred Mond, Bart'?. F M.P., has rc-signg his directorship <? the Westminster Gazette, Ltd. Mr. Austin Harrison has now become the principal shareholder in the English Premier (1911) Limited, the proprietors and publishers of "The English Review," Sir Alfred Mond, Bart., M.P., having dis- posed o-f all his shares in that coanpany.

I STAFF REDUCTIONS. I COUNCIL WORK AT SWANSEA. I A meeting of the Swansea Parliament I tary and General Purposes Committee was held on Thursday afternoon, Mx. David Matthews (chairman) presiding. ( The Town Clerk reported that the local work in connection with the National < Register was proceeding very well, but < there w;?s an enormous amount yet to be done. A large munber of teachers wero doing excellent work, but he found they could not possibly get through the whole of the work within the recognised timo unless he had the assistance of tM teachers for another week or fortnight- The difficulty now was that the schools would re-open on Monday next. He sug- gested that the staffing sub-committee ot the Education Committee, who meet to- morrow, should be approached to see if they could formulate a scheme to 'deal with the situation. There were about 6D o" 70 teachers assisting at present. I No Elections This Year. t The Town Clerk reported .tha.t the Gov- A ernment had decided to postpone the ? annual municipal elections for a year. I and the term of office of the present coun- I cillors would accordingly be extended by I one year. Temple-street Widening. I In regard .to. Tomple-s.t.rep;t widening, the Town Clerk reported that the com- pletion of the purchase of 15 and 15.1., Temple-street, would be effected in a day or two's time, subject to -Air. Ashmol-o finding the money, and lIfr. David Thomas would move to his new premises in Nov- ember. He now wished to take ateps for the acquisition of part of the Photo Sup- plies Company's premises. The committee gave the necessary eano tion. Staffing Economies. } The Town Clerk presented reports of the heads of the various departments upon the staffs of their respective departments" and the work in hand and in preparation. The Borough Architect's was the first to be considered. The resolution of the com- mittee which called for these reports con- tained a recommendation that the heads of departments should see if their staff's I could be curtailed. r Replying to questions, Mr. Broadhead, acting Borough Architect, aid they had A instructions from the Board of Educa* tion to get plansand specifications ready for new schools so as to be ready to start ■ the work at the proper time. With regard to the proposed Central Store6, the Chairman said that the Archi- tect had not prepared plans because thflt Council had not sanctioned the scheme. Mr. David Williams said most of the members of the Council were in favour of it. This was not one of the obsolete schemes of the Council. Mr. Powlesland: Is the Town Hill housing scheme among the works in hand ? The Town Clerk: It is among the sus- pended schemes. Mr. Powlesland; The whole development is hung up ? ( The Town Clerk: Yes, the whole thing. Mr. Powlesland: Is the swimming bath at Llewelyn Park being suspended. The Chairman: There has been nothing done for the past month. Mr. Powlesland said Cardiff had found a way of providing for a reduction of rates without curtailing their staffs; surely the Swansea officials could find out how they had managed, and adopt some- thing similar. Twelve Months' Work. I I Mr. Broadhead reported on the plans he was authorised to prepare, and said it 1 would take twelve months to do the work Alderman Morgan Tutton remarked I that after the war things would be J. changed materially and he was of opinion that the Council could dispense with a lot of work they had in contem- plation. Mr. Broadhead said there were 49 work- men employed by the department, one superintendent, and three foremen. Ald. Corker washed to know what these 49 men were doing. He was told, he said, by a military officer that the charges of Mr. Broadhead's department for aiterak tions to the old Training College were eX-l orbitant. What did Mr. Broadhead say | to that? 9 Mr. Powlealand: Surely that is out of order! ■M r. Corker: I am asking the architect. Mr. Powlesland: The question is whether we have enough work to keep the work- men employed. I protest that this is out of order. Mr. Broadhead, continuing, said Mf men hud been dispensed with at present, but there were two men who, owing to the falling-off of work, could be dispensed I with-a clerk of works and a temporary assistant engaged about 12 months ago., Apart from this the staff was at the irre- duceable minimum. The workmen wer* engaged on repair work. It was agreed to accept as read the re- ports on the Town Clerk's and Borough Treasurer's departments, as they were en. gaged in administrative work. 1, The staff of the Eduction Committee, jfjij it was reported, were fully occupied on routine work and were frequently w4yrk- 'I ing overtime. I!- It was reported that there was no over- staffing in -4.e departments of the Estats Agent, Librarian, Health, Markets* Public Health, and Parks and Cemeteries. Mr. Heath stated they were shutting down the whole of the private st.reect. im- provements. He could reduce one of too engineering staff, and could withhold an appointment which had been sanctioned, effecting a saving of S350 a year. Mr. Wyrill stated two of his staff and 18 workmen had joined thei Forces. It was decided the five men who could be dispensed with be given notice. — —B I

JEALOUSY AND DEATH. I After having dressed herself in whitt clothes ready for her coffin, Elizabeth Mary Evans, aged 31, a Hackney woman, took her life by placing a piece of tubing attached to a, gas bracket in her mouth and turning on the gas. She put a wad of cotton-wool round the tube and over her mouth. Her ordinary clothes were carefully folded up. Albert Alfred Moody, the husband, said he was employed at Netley, and his wife had been alone for the past year. He last saw her six weeks ago. A sister of Mrs. Evans said that de- ceased told her life was not worth living without her husband, to whom she was 1'- greatly attached. She was shortly to have visited him. Her sister had imagined her husband's letter's were different in tone. hut subsequently remarked, After all X think everyone is all right; I have been brooding." While describing how she found her sister dead in bed, witness fainted and had to be carried out of court. The Coroner said that it was a very de- liberate suicide, brought about, appar- ently, by jealousy. The jury returned a verdict of suicidt while of unsound mind.

FACTORY GUTTED. A disastrous fire occurred at Tunloidge w Wells during Wednesday night, inYolvmg ? th? loss of a whole block of buildings. The premises belonged to Messrs. Bocir4 Thorpe and Chatfield, a well-known ftp*1' of motor-car and carriage buildets AltT?ough the fire brigade promjSfl^flk&j tended, the building was ablaze be" their arrival. Soldiers armed with scaff poles battered in the door and iiroughtil seven cars. The whole of the factory wag completely burnt out.

l The Prince of Wales has Ijeen apmatfutg part of his leave of absence aotik the Sung on the Scottish mooxa.