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u TIPYN O BOB PBTHt" ]
u TIPYN O BOB PBTHt" ] (mi DO BOX NZCZMAMM SHABE DJI OPINION B RXPRnaaim BY WBCTBBS IN TEn CoLlijux.) A War Victim. I A Llangollen correspondent, who prefaces his letter with the question What has be. come of Jini Jones?" includes in a singularly interesting communication ideas and sugges- tions, that are well worth following up. "Jini Jones," Welsh readers will remember, was accustomed to chatter" garrulously in your columns in the vernacular, regarding what we have come to look upon as matters of minor importance now-a-days, and to com- ment, at times with considerable wit and in- dicated knowledge of Welsh mentality,, how what the journalist is accustomed to describe as matters of outstanding importance ap- pear to well-rubbed eyes in rural Wales. Pre- cluded by unforgivable) ignorance from enjoy- ing these contributions in the language in which they were couched the writer, by sympathetic and appreciative assistance, was able, with something of completeness, to view matters as Jini viewed them, and to de- rive much real enjoyment, and be it added, not a little instruction, in the process. Per- haps right here and at the outset it may be well to inform the anxious enquirer that "Jini" is one of the victims of the war; for when that great upheaval came, there was no place in literary economy, any more, than in the public mind, for the smaller things of life." We all, somehow or other, fell into the habit the great Cecilian advised us to cultivate, of thinking in continents," and matters we are accustomed to describe as of minor moment were ruthlessly swept away before the swift onrush of world-shaking events. Thus "Jini was conscripted to the great army of Othellos whose admirable if relatively feeble tootling, was futile in the face of the thunderblast. I < Thrums and Llangollen. I A good .deal of water must pass under the I bridges before it may be possible to come back to the old order of things, if this is ever to happen. It may prove an easier task for Bombardier Wells, who, after a period of vigorous active service contemplates a serious attempt to come back to pqgilising to succeed than for rural communities to re- vert to pre-war conditions, even were they desirable; and, until this reversion happens, writers of the class to which "Jini Jones belongs, must lack opportunities for contrib- uting to the gaiety of rural life. May not the somewhat arrogant attitude superior critics v of the past assumed towards the virtues, aye and the failings and foibles also of the country- side, towards those- "short and simple annals which Gray warned-gr an d e u r against hearing with "a disdainful smile," be tap roots of some of the unrest disturbing the seething social cauldron of to-day? It was left for Barrie and the Kailyard school to demonstrate how, viewed through observant eyes, even the dour grey surroundings of Scot- tish rural life, awash with lfatness to the out- ward seeming, are full of quiet humour. From the Window in Thrums one looks out upon another side of village life and although the witty Scotsman, has broken ground in richer fields, his pictures of humble life in Thrums are not eclipsed to-day. Ho showed us that the every-day life, even of the humblest, ;s full of quiet humour; played up to the note Burns sounds in his Cotters' Saturday night," and touched life at a much neglected angle. Some such influence as inspired the Window in Thrums" inspired Jini Jones and although Barrie may have seen further and deeper, and polished his message ;with the culture of a master-craftsman, the Llangollen writer trod the same road. « Jini's Welsh. I Nothing, the writer is assured, illustrates more completly the adaptibility and flex- ibility of the Welsh language to meet all re- quirements than the effectiveness with which it lends itself to the description 'of unaccus- tomed trains of thought; and, coming from the high source that it does, I am prepared to take this for granted. As the late Hwfa M6n once assured me there are more than a dozen styles of Welsh, ranging between classical and colloquial. There is for ex- ample, the Welsh of the pulpit and the big pew, the Welsh of the mart, the Welsh of the wayside tsvern-with a display of which and f with Johnsonian dogmatism Borrow was prone, on slight provocation, to bombard Welsh rustics—and there is the Welsh of the ingle nook." It is this latter that Jini made especially her own and by whose aid she held forth to the .amusement of a select circle of admirers weekly. Her pic- tures were well drawn; often grotesque, fre- quently pathetic, but true to life; causing the faces of reader and hearer besidlthe fire- side to light up as in the pictures of old Dutch masters. They were, so to speak, the real goods. One critic states, adopting the phrase- ology of the mining expert, Jini's writing was distinctly" patchy" and" pocketty. Many tons of poor stuff, the tailings of which it would not please a Chinaman to overhaul would be encountered, but, at times there were specimens of the richest quartz ten ounce to the ton rock that sometimes persist- ed for a week or two together. The point the writer desires especially to emphasise in all, this is that only by means such as "Jmi" adopted is it possible for phases of national life that, lowly, are nevertheless in- fluences of exceeding, power to be placed be. fore the public; and no one, in these day, cares to think of any section of social life re- maining in the shade because it lacks a worthy, chronicler. The Dograologry," Having written a good deal as to the adapt- ability of the Welsh language in certain direc- tions may I urge that it is only fair to recog- nize its limitations. We are all acquainted with the oft-quoted advice: Cast pfcysie to tb e dogs!" From-the proceedings at Ponty- pridd County Court the other day it would appear that the legal mind is dispbsed to act on this ininnetio but-to vitry the practise by substituting Welsh for physic." But a. report, as given in a contemporglry, may b& allowed to speali for:ifAeTf; x Albert Ewart Edmunds, Ty Isaf Farm, Zenyrllaol, i applied to Judge Rowlands at the Pontypridd County Court last week for. damages in respect of two sheep dogs he had purchased from Lloyd Roberts, Allteelyn, Glyndyfrdwy, Llangollen. He said he paid B2 15s. for the dogs, which were guaranteed willing, all-round workers," and "could work road and aetd." <?B& of the dogs would not do anything at all, and the other would rush into the middle of a. flock of sheep and then run away for half-ajj-hour. The dogs were subse- queptly sold at public auction for 10s. and 2s. 6d. respectively. He also claimed for their keep while they were with him. Plaintiff was examined at length as to what language lie used to hese Welsh dogs, and replied that he tried them in English, Welsh, whistling and other means, but all in vain. —He was awarded £ 6. There is something decidedly humorous in the suggestion as to trying the dogs in English, Welsh and then whistling to them; thus indi- cating a. further school of Welsh, for the language of the shepherd at sheep-dog trials is a fearful and wonderful combination of terms of endearment and strange swear words in the vernacular that might well baffle even the most astute linguist. Hwfa Man," who discussed the language nuestion assisted by Welsh fervour and a fine flow of Sootchspirit, left this branch of philology outside his cata- logue but it is there all the same. North Wales sheep dogs, as I have gathered from observation, at memorable meetings at Vivod, understand the vernacular remarkably well; but, and this is a point the Pontypridd people may have overlooked—there is all the differ- ence in the world between the lingo of the North and the South Waliart. It is a far cry from Anglesey even to the Rhondda, and the language changes a good deal in trlsnsit, and, presumably, the same may appiv, to whistling. Â, North Wales dog. can scarcely be blamed if it fails to understand a South Wales whistle. We wonder what Jini Jones might have said to all this! MVVi G'LYTT
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In response to numerous requests from our Llangollen readers, we have decided to revert to THURSDAY JB. J????Jt??,??? f??. H Trntii??t?Av ? ? as ?  PUBLISHING DAY for the "Liangollen Advertiser." I I — 11 '< '1he new Arrangement will begin in THE FIRST WEEK IN DECEMBER. Will Readers, Correspondents and Agents please note that the "Llangollen Advertiser" will be published On THURSDAY AFTERNOON. DEC. 4th. ) and thereafter on Thursdays instead of Fridays. 1 I
I II , CORRESPONDENCE.
I II CORRESPONDENCE. [WB DO HOT NECE8SABILX 8HABB THE OPIOTONS EIPEESaBD BX WBITKH8 IN THXS3 COMMNB.) LAND NATIONALISATION. Sir,—I very much regret the delay in replying to Mr. T. Simpson's letter which appeared in your issue of Nov. 7. I am afraid i*. Simpson has not quite grasped the point I wished to make, or my manner of putting the case was "foggy." In a plain state- ment I say that private ownership of the coal mines"is-from a national standpoint—wrong in principle and costly in fact, and if'allowed to go on, means the rapid impoverishing of the nation's natural resources for the enriching of the comparative few. This question of mine ownership, Sir, is I consider of vital importance to the country, and should be seriously thought, out by the people in view of the troublous times ahead, possibly in the near future. The present Government Control undoubtedly has its drawbacks,, if only for the fact that colliery owners refuse to spend money in i new developments, or in pushing the work of the mine with ordinary zest because of the limitation of their profits. On. the other hand they are spending I mon$yfreely on buildings, machinery, and other things, which, under ordinary conditions, they would never dream of doing, and which in fact they have dome without for many years, with the deliberate object of reducing the excess profit tax. thereby with characteristic selfishness allowing the burden of taxation to remain a heavier one in consequence, upon the shoulders of the Tropic. The coal-owners are stubborn and irreconcil- able to any change, for which the whole country is lookinga and which must ultimately come. if not peaceably, then through turbulent channels. The lives of the workers of the country must be made infinitely better than in prMV2,r days- that ii; iiidiariitnblp,- -and the sooner this is ac- cepted in a practical manner by the capitalists of all industries, the better for the hainniness of all. -I am, etc. WATCHMAN.
LATEST NEWS IN BRIEF,
LATEST NEWS IN BRIEF, Restrictions on the release of whiskey from bond have been removed. Rhyl Urban Council are seeking powers t4 borrow C28,850 for improving the promenade The National Free Church Council is en gaging in a campaign against the issue o( Premium Bonds. Mr. Pussyfoot Johnson proposes to visii six centres in North Wales in connection with his prohibition campaign. 1 Gertrude Lady Decies has been fineclf,2 and coster for giving rice pudding to her dogs. It was an offence against the Cereals Order of which she pleaded ignorance. Frongoch Camp, Bala, which has been used as an internment camp for German prisoners of war since 1914, is now empty. The last batch of 2,800 prisoners have started for home. Sir R. J. Thomas, M.P., has commissioned Mr. Christopher Williams, the well-known Welsh artist, to paint the portrait of Sir Henry Jones, of Glasgow University, which, when completed, will be presented to the Welsh nation. It is expected that it will hang in one of the Welsh University colleges, most probably Bangor, with which city Sir Henry is associated.. Mr. L. J. Roberts, H.M.I., formerly of Rhyi and Llandudno, lectured on Wednesday nigh to the Mabinogion Society of Swansea on Brinley Richards, who was born 100 years ago at Carmarthen. Mr. Roberts incidentally pointed out that Wales should take an interest in the centenary this week of George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans), whose grandfather migrated from Northop (Flintshire) to Derbyshire. She was born on November 22, 1819. A comprehensive general committee liai been formed to further the scheme for con- verting the Colwyn Bay and District Cottaga Hospital into a general hospital for the western end of the county. Lord Colwyn ig chairman, Lord Clwyd and Mr. Jones-Morti. mer, of Bryn Eisteddfod, vice-chairman, and Mr. Francis Nunn, Colwyn Bay, hon. secre- tary, and it is decided to invite the Prince of Wales to open the hospital when completed.
II Mr. John Again. --.I
I Mr. John Again. I CORRESPONDENCE WITH WELSH FREE CHURCH COUNCIL. Correspondence has passed between Mr. E. T. John, late M.P. for East Denbighshire and Labour candidate for the Denbigh Division at the last general election, and Sir. John lRoberts, secretary of the National Free Church Council of Wales, on the Peace Treaty and the policy of the Government. MT., John submitted: the following resolution for the considera- tion of the Executive, with a view to its being dis- cussed at the annual conferences of the council at Rhyl next week:- That this conference, while rejoicing in the cos Mo- tion of hostilities as between the A-Ilies and the Central Powers, deplores the participation of Great Britain in the struggle proceeding in Russia, regrets profoundly the vindictive natuse of many of the pro- visions of the Treaty of "Peace, so effectively sowing the seeds of future wars, condemns* unreservedly the protracted! maintenance of the blockade during the period of negotiation, and its present application alike to Germany and to Russia, and is most stren- uously opposed to the continued lavish expenditure by Great Britain upon its military, naval and aerial 1 forces. It further cordially recognism in the project-, ed League of Nations, in spite of its many defects, the nucleus of effective machinery for the perman- ent; maintenance of peace, supports the .action at the French Chamber in declaring for general digmma- ment, and urges that Wales, fully convinced of the practicability of the doctrines of human fraternity and Divine governance to which it has long professed adhesion, should, as a national entity, absrantely de. cline to contribute in any way to further orpead-iture upon armaments. Mr. Roberts replied that Ms Council were of opin. ion that the resolution is not writable for discussion at the annual Assembly. They regard it as amounting to a vote of censure 00 the Government, and! felt that to pass either a vote of censure or confidence was not a matter lor the Assembly. A resolution in support of the League- would be, sub- mitted at the meeting. In a reply to this lettr Mr. John says he fails to perceive a:y great utility in an organisation of Free ChuTches which declines to express any opinion upon the promotion by Great Britain of civil strife in Russia) clearly against the better judgment and desire of. the Prime Minister himself, which has no word of disapproval of the many inequitable and, indeed, iniquitous, provisions in the Paris treaty, dictated by the ruthless Chauvinism of viMictiva French statesmen, and, above all, elects to regard the I acquiescence, if not approval, the systematic starva. tion of the women and! children of Germany after the Ii collapse of its military and naval forces in order to ) secure the unqualified triumph of force. He equally regretted that the Council should decline to trans. late merely academic approval of the League of Nations into a virile refusal to facilitate future wars by continued contributions to tli, e,)rt, of armaraeatf which should forthwith become wholly superfluous. I
I... I I'PERSONAL.''
I I' PERSONAL. Mr. T. Arthur Acton, of Wrexham, has been elected a member of the Court of Governors of the Welsh National Museum. The engagement, is announced- between Major Guy M. Atkinson. D.S.O., 60th Rifles, elder son of the late Lieut.-Colonel Guy N. Atkinson, Shropshire Light Infantry, of Can- gort, King's County, and Mre. Atkinson, and Bertha Beatrice, daughter of the late Lord Wynford and the Dowager Lady Wynford. The Duke of Westminster has offered the important living of Bangor Is-y-coed or Bangor Monachorum, near Wrexham, vacant through the resignation of Rev. R. J. B. Paterson- Morgan, owing to ill-health, to Rev. J. O'l -Ull, senior curate of Sheffield, by whom it has been accepted. The living is worth about 95M per annuuil and the fine parish church is probably, the oldest in the country.
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Fish is again controlled." The King has purchased a herd of WelsH black cattle from Carmarthenshire breeders. A movement is on foot to form a Welsh Uni- versity Club in London. An interesting ceremony will take place at the quarterly meeting of the Montgomery County Council, at Welshpool, on Friday, when the chairman of the Council, Mr. Rd. Jones, will be presented by his colleagues with a liandsome piece of plate on the occasion 01 his recent .mar;ri&gN