The Cambria Daily Leader

I' SWANSEA | MERCANTILE Co. Ltd. I' I of ic Park Street, Swansea, J Mau CaØ Advances from zi 0 to Rl gow 1 To CO=mxmial GoIIn. Tratiw- ]I men. Farmers. and Ke^pec t-ao. 1 Hoa?botdera on th?r ovrii :Sot.(' (' Hand, a low mte of Inwast. StrioUy Privat& OM?Me??t??. Pot farther paxtwmlar, »i»ply~- |I H. B- JONES, | IS, Park Street, Swansea. j

Our Note Book: G.W.R, and Swansea—The Great j G. W.R, and Swansea— The Great j Congestion 1roblem-y ester- day's Conference—Company's! "New Year Gift' to the Port •— £ 100,000 Expenditure on New Sidings—Has the Diffi-j culty been Solved? j We congratulate the representatives j Of the Swansea Harbour Trust and Chamber of Commerce upon the success- ful outcome of their negotiations with the Great Western Railway Company with a view of relieving the congestion of traffic at the docks. The problem j which the general manager of the com- lwany came down to assist in solving was one of peculiar difficulty. But the port been handicapped to such an extent that it was obvious the situation could not exist indefinitely. Nor is it ill tho best interests of the company that it should. We expressed the view in this column yesterday that .\1r. Potter's visit, might be regarded "an indication both of the realisation on the part of the railway people of the gravity of the position locally, and of their obligation to leave no stone unturned to provide a satisfactory solut-ion unless Swansea was to roeedc, from her present commercial position." t:, n- ? ? Th? opinion has been un- expectedly confirmed in th most gratifyn)? man nor by the intimatin "h:ch Mr. Potter was able to make to the lolitt committee of f-he decision arrived at by the board of his company to sanction an expenditure i of £ 100,000 on the provision of addi- tionai siding accommodation in the neighbourhood of Brit on ferry-road for the reception and marshalling of colliery empties and goods traffic for the docks. The problem, as was pointed out in the facial article which appeared in Mon- day's L&.a.der on the subject, is one, The solution of which is not to be found iii any one particular direction. There are many directions in which improve- ments might be effected, perhaps seem- "igly of little importance individually, j but cogether tending to reheve the con- j '<?-?r'n of which there has been so much Complaint. The most important of the sugges- t ions put forward for coping more sat- isfactorily with the accumulation of 1 raftif was of course that relating to tll(' provision ot extra sidings, and it is gratifying to find that on this point the commercial community have been liot only frankly but handsomely met. It was in itself an achievement to have ) induced the chief executive officer of thp. company to accept the invitation extended to him to make personal in- I fiuiries on the spot. It is an even iiroator achievement to secure the ex- penditure of so large a sum as that in- dicated with a view of improving the facilities of the port of Swansea, which has natural advantages second to no other plate in the Bristol Channel. T :¥: The new sidings, which are to be laid Cown in due cour&e, may not ahoget hor obviate the delays in local shipments. That. it will go a long way, however, in j that direction is undeniable. The Great Western Company, it has been said, have already expended a. large amount on the provision of facilities for dealing with traffic to and from the Swansea docks That is true. It is true also that the revenue which the company has derived as a result-of its interest, in the port has shown a steady and continuous increase. Apart alto- i gether from this, tho decision of the j directors which the general manager was able to announce, constitutes what may be described as a very acceptable -N C, IV lear's gift to the port. Mr. I otter went, very thoroughly into the whole matter at yesterday's meeting, and the intimation which he was able l to officially convey with We arc sure, be received a very welcome indication that whatever may be done in the case of competing ports, the interests of Swansea are at any rate not likely to differ. In other ways -Air. PotterJs visit, one may confidently hope, will be productive of good alike to the company and the port. To-day's Gossip. It is sug?esLcd that Swansea's trade is "in the hands of the Potter. i.,i III tilf, hall(",i of tll(' llotter. "I'm a empty as a*Welsh public-, nouso on Sunday/' says a character in oil rays a cliarauter III No bot-ough cases at the. Swansea 1 ouce ( ourt again, to-day. Jjoeai lawyers Understood to be growing uneasy *• # It is well for doctors to take note of cases that come under their notice nowadays. Proof of this e a-, given in a conipensai ion case which came before His Honour Judge Bryn Roberts at Swansea on Tuesday. Mr. H. R. Wakefield, Swansea schools,' science instructor, has a very line and lairly complete collection of land and sea snail shells. The cabinets titat contain them are also his own work- manship, and, for an amateur joiner, very good work they arc. =& £ America will always beat us. Whereas the most serious incident: in a recent "scene" in the House of Com- mons was that in which an honourable member struck Mr Winston Churchill with a book, a sitting of the Lower House of the Wyoming Legislature, during whreh several black eyes were given and collars torn, was only brought to a close when, one of the most respec- ted members was laid out with a kick in the stomach. Rabbi Dr. Joseph Hertz, whose election to the English Chief Rabbinate has now been virtually decided upon by the 11011 oiffcers of the United Syna- gogue, is a llölÏve (If Hungary, where lit: was bom in 1S72. At the age of 2. kt i, i i(,, of twelve be migrated to New York. In 1898 he received a "call" to the Hebrew Congregation in Johannes- burg. where lie acted as Rabbi for thirteen years. Some ten years ago he was expelled from the Transvaal by the Boer Government for advocating the removal of religious disabilities. In the beginnng of last year he returned to New York. The Rabbi has cer- tainly seen something oi the world I

AT THE DOSKS. G.W.R. Manager's Visit. SIDING ACCOMMODATION. Railway Company to Spend More Than f,100,000, As reported yesterday, there was an important conference at Swansea, at wbich were represented the Harbour Trust, the Chamber of Commerce and the Groat Western Railway. We have already reported the earlier proceedings, and the following is an official report oi the afternoon con f er- ence, which was private :— Mr. Potter, the general manager of tho G-V.. Railway Cc.. paid a visit to Swansea to-day and was aeompanied hy Mr. Aldington, Superintendent of the Line, Mr. Roberts, Chief Goods' Manager, Mr. Wright. Assistant Loco | Superintendent, and the local officials of the Clompanv. The party met at the Harbour Offices, where they were joined by the rel sentatives of the Chamber of Commerce and of the Swansea Harbour Trust, and together itiade a tour of tho King's and Prince of Wales Docks, examining | particularly the coaling arrangements, and afterwards visiting the Gra'gola- Merthyr Fuel Works, and the Tinplate j sheds provided by the Trustees. j After luncheon they met the repre- sentatives of the Chamber of Commerce and the Harbour Trust at the Harbour J offices, when a number, of points affect- ing the mutual interests of the parties j vveic discussed and a rrank and friendly exchange of views took piace. Of chief importance to the develop- meat oi the trade of Swansea was the jI jiovision of Adequate Siding Accommodation, and Mr. i otter was good enough to in- timate that his Board had authorised the expenditure oi £ '100,000 for the purpose of providing siding near Briton- < ferry Road Station, for the purpose of the reception and the marshalling of colliery empties and goods traffic on the docks. The question of the availability of movable tips for" the larger vessels coming to the port was discussed, and i it was agreed that such arrangements would be made as would ensure that these movable, tips were also available for the purpose they were provided. It was manifest throughout that Mr. Potter was fully alive to the trade of Swansea, and in sympathy with the wishes of the Trustees, and it was felt thr,t just treatment would be rendered and additional facilities would be pro- vided, as far as was reasonable and praericable. Mr. Potter went through the ware- houses of the Harbour Trust, and ex- pressed appreciation not only with re- gard to what was being done, but what he had been told was in contemplation by he Ha rblr Trust in the way of pro- viding additional facilities for the general cargo trade. THE CONFERENCE. How the Result is Viewed at Swansea. There was a tacit understanding arrived at, it appeals, that no lnlonna- tiou as to what actuary transpired at the conference should be furnished to the Press beyond the official statement issued at the close which appears a hove. Tho "Loader, however, is able to state that Mr. Potter's intimation re- specting the expenditure decided upon by the directorate of the Great Western Company was made in the early part of j j the proceedings, and was in response to the main question respecting the in- adequacy ot the existing siding accom- motion raised by the joint committee. Tho amount in the official report is put at £ 100,000. The actual amount to bo spent, however, is £ 108,000. The work of construction wiU neces- sarily occupy some little time, but the matter is to be taken in hand, we understand, at the earliest possible moment. An Excellent Impression. j i he proceedings throughout were COll- ducted in excellent spirit on both sides. Mr Potter showed a practical business- like grasp of the whole oi the matters under consideration, and produced an excellent impression by the broad- j minded manner in which he dealt with them for the railway company's side. ( I lioiv is the outcome ot the conference | viewed at the (kcks:- The result of j inquiries made in representative com- mercial circles shews that while it would bo an exaggeration to /"y i that the traders of the port j are eonvincod thni the pro- 1 j vision of the extra siding aocommoda- j t ion decided upon by the company will entirely obviate the deiavs arising from the congestion at the docks, it j should—and it is believed will—go a j k>ng way in that direction. It is recognised, m<?pov€'r, that tho general manager of the Great Western Company could not ha"' come down a1 I | a more opportune t)mp, inasmuch as the state of affairs which exist at present is declared to be tar more than it has been at any previous period in the his- torv of the port. When Mr. Potter went round to Prince. of I'N'alts' and the King's Dock yesterday, he was able to satisfied himself from personal observa- tion on the spot of the gravity of the I position. At that time there were no 1 less than twenty vessels waiting for tips, while during the early hours of j the morning work at several 0 fthe tips j at the Prince of Wales' Dock had to he suspended for some time owing to the tip roads being blocked with empties. 1 (Continued on Page t

THE OLD MAN OF THE SEA (New Style!) S (iC Leader Cartoon.) As stated in our columns yesterday, the great ,iifiL..¡Hy with which the Swansea fish merchants have to contend is the high freight charges obtaining ideally as compared with other centres. -:&

TRAWLER ASHJRE, I Possible Connection with Swansea, Sands Mystery. j __0_ ]] .d" I.> '1'" "1" 1' t t 't 1 .'t II AJ?oyd & i?y'kjavik cabLe states that j !the steam trawiN' V aronii, oi Uruu&?y, Went ashore at Grenda\ ik ?u January  :ml.  I Three of the crew were drowned. It is not yet known whether this has any connection with the message signed "John Westwood, Grimsby," which was found in a bottle washed ashore at Swansea recently.

THE FRENCH CABINET. I Men who Will Administer .he  Attatrs. Country s Aifa?s. On Tuesday evening M. Briaud an- nounced officially that his Ministry was I complete, and he went to die Ely see to introduce his new colleagues to the Pre- j sident of the Republic. The new Government is formed as follows:- Prime Minister and Minister of the inte- rior: M. Aristiue iiriand. Minister of Justice: .\1. Louis Barthou. kiuiater of i?'oerign Affairs, M Junnart. Minister oi War: M. ivugene Elieiiiie. Am sLCL' of Marine: M. Pierre Baudin. Mn s'er of Fiuaoce: M. Klotz. Minister of Public Instruction: M. Steeg. Mii Hter of Public Works: M. Jean Dupuy. Muister of Commerce: M. Uuimimu. Minister of Agriculture: M. David. Minister ?f Colonies; Al. Jean Morel. I Mimeter of Labour: Al. Besmirch There are only live who did not iigure ifi the last Cabinet—-MM. Barthou, Jonuart, Etienne, Bauditi and Bourely. The latter is making his debut as a I Minister.

 MR. E. J. PRITCHARD. | MR E. J. PRITCHARD. I Well-known Swansea Man's Death I in London. The death occurred at his residence at Baling, London, ot Mr. Edgar James Pritehard, formerly of Swansea. The deceased gentleman, who was about 50 years of age, was the younger son of the late Mr. «J. D. Pritehard, a former proprietor of Pritchard's Chemi- cal Works on Crumiyn Burrows, known as the founder of the oxalic acid trade. Jlr. Pritehard, Sen., died some thir- teen vears ago at an advanced age. Air* Edgar Pritehard carried on the business lor a couple of years after- wards, when the works were taken over by a company. Deceased had been a great, sufferer for several years past, and from time to time had undergone a number of operations. He married a Swansea lady (Miss Carlyle) and up to the time of his removal to London some ten years ago, resided at North Hill. St. James's-gardens. He leaves to mourn his demise a widow and two chiJ- di-eii.

!71!7-=- LONDONDERRY. I Nomination and Pollirag Dates Fixed. 1 i The new Writ arrived at Londonderry to-day. and the nominations have been hxed for the 27th aud polling for the 30th inst. The result will be declared the lollow- ing day.

THE CABINET. r" I 1 ho usual veeKiy meeting or tne I I Cabinet was held at W, Downing-street, at 11.30 this morning.

George Grasser, the man who threw his consumptive wife from the window of their dw elling in the Rue de Samhre- et-Meu?c, Paris, because, as he said. "she was too long in dying," has been condemned to pena l servitude for life. The woman's skull was fractured as the result of her fall. George McCarthy, a taxieab driver, was prosecuted by the police at Brent- ford yesterday for taking niue pas- sengers in his cab. The magistiates t ordered pavmeut of costs. i

?'E?'?'n'nTir 'MfY?rir  "FREDDIE-MIKE." I Remarkable Development in II the Eastbourne Case. I NEW. INQUIRY POSSIBLE j i It has transpired that a prisoner on remand in Brixton Prison has made a statement with respect to the murder ul i Inspector Walls at Eastbourne-- for I which John George Williams, the young j sculptor, is under sentence of death— j and as a consequence questions are to be j asked in Parliament, and a new inquiry is being pressed lor.. After Williams had been convicted he reooived in Lewes Jail the following letter addressed iroixi a library in Shaltesburv-avenue :— "Sunday afternoon, loth December. "Dear George.—1 am sorry, hut 1 can- not admit that you get sentenced to death tor this crime at Eastbourne. You are iunocent as far as I know. 1 shaii give myself up to Scotland Yard. I will repay you my debts 1 had trom you at Bournemouth early in the spring. Sincerely yours, Freddie Mike." Efforts to trace Mike vv-re unavail- ing. A few days ago, however, a man resembling him and with a similar sur- name was arrested for an offence and remanded to Brixton. An Extraordinary Story. .1 "1 applied to the Home Otiiee ror per- 1 mission to see this prisoner," said Jlr. Speed, illiams's solicitor, yesterday, "and on Monday my representative, in company with Bower, visited him in the prison and obtained a state- ment from him. He confessed to writ- ing the letter which Williams received in Lewes Jail, and he said he did it at the dictation of his twin brother. "His brother, he said, had told bin, that he was at Eastbourne with Wil- liams and another'man and knew AVit- liams was jnnoceht. The brother thought that tuich a letter as he sent to the jail >vou!d exonerate Williams, and further stated that he gave Williams the parcel which Miss Seymour threw away. Ho also handed to him (the remanded prisoner) a revolver and car- tridges to take care of. "Mike's Gang." I "My t:lieJJ.t, William.j," added Mr. Speed, "is supported in material facte by tllO sta tcment made by the prisoner at Brixton. Williams's remark when, after leaving the picture palace, he saw the announcement of the murder of In- spector Walls was that it must be the work of 'Mike's gang.' and he got rid of the revolver because he thought he might have been observed with 'Mike' and his companion. The parcel con- toiined the rupe. which was so important I a link in the evidence of the prosecu- tion, and which wp say was thrown away ou the ulht before the murder. I Marriage Refused. The second request which Williams sent last week for sanction to marry Mili: Seymour was refused yesterday by the Home Secretary, m Iio stated that he was "unable to depa rt from the decision already communicated."

THE WELSH TEAM. THE SELECTION OF THE WELSH TEAM TO OPPOSE SCOTLAND AT LNYERLEITH NEXT SATURDAY WEEK, TAKES PLACE AT CAHDIFF THIS EVENINC. A SPECIAL EDITION OF THE "LEADER" WILL BE PUBLISHED CIVING THE NAMES OF THE PLAYERS PICKED.

MISS GOULD MARRIED. j Wedding Presents Valued at a. Quarter of a Million. j The w edding oi }1.is Helen Gould. uuaghter of the late railway magnate, j and Air. Finley A. Shepard, a St. Louis j rauway man ,took p:ace at noon at the home of the bride at Lyndhurst, near TarrytoVvn, New York. ) The bride is quite the inost popular I member of her family, and her many j charitable, works have endeared her to the masses, w ho have not lorgotten to send beany greetings to t-heir Lady Beautiful." Tito most, costly gifts (says the Chrou;dc ") have been showered on the happy couple by friends and rela- j tives, anti the value of the presents is [ 0 0 Fitty detectives havo been employto guard them at She Gould mansion. It was anuounced that tLe bride wouki provide dinners and musical entertainment*, for 1,000 j poor families in New York to-night, in recognition of the gifts sue has re- ij craved from many numiDie friends. j

TURKS y. GREEKS. The Turkish Version of Saturday's! Naval Engagement. (Press Association FOTelgn Special.) ) Constantinople, Tuesday (by indirect route).-—The engagement between the Turkish and Greek its last Saturday was tne severest which has yet taken place. Encouraged by reports of the success or the cruiser Haoiidieh, Lhe Turkish Commander ventured south of the island of Tenedos, hut began to retire slowly immediately the Greek fleet was 1 sighted. For :H hours there was a vigor- ous exchange of shots. The Turkish I' vessels fired over K00 shells, and claim to have inflicted important damage on the Greek ships, but the Turks also, suffered severely. The battleship: Assaic Tewiik was badly knocked about and The Torgut Peis was &truck by several sheUs. One explosion in one of ¡ her turrets had killed or disabled every man inside it, and put both guns out of action. II The Turkish losses are stated as four officers, and 35 men killed, and one ] officer and til men wounded.

I GUILLOTINED. i Child's Murderer Pays the Las Penalty. Naiu y, Wednesday.—A man called j Gerard, sentenced i-o deatb for murder- ing a litth girl, was guillotined to- day.—Renter. t

I II LITTLE MISS LLEWELYN." I Local People in the Touring: Company. i Amongst the members of the com- pHny which ?iH produce Littic Miss | Uewclyu" at tb'? Grand Theatre, | Swansea, next woek are Mr. VVvun. I Thomas, of S?<tUM'a,aud Mth? Eleanor i Daniel, of Llanelly. Miss Daniel is a well-known eistedd- fod winner.

I Italian troops dispersed, with fixed bayonets, a demonstration which the I villagers of Rhodes had proposed to hold in favour of union with Greece. The authorities also refnsed to allow the people to proceed to the shore for the ceremony of the immersion of the Cross and the benediction of the waters. 1h. Edward Davis, a Glasgow jewel- ler, who died recently at Cheltenham. has left £ .30,000 for Glasgow charities. Three infirmaries will receive £ 40,000. j

IN THE SKY. A Mystery of the i Air. I i i IS IT AN AIRSHIP? ) A Suggestion Possibly ani Advertising Scheme! Tiie airship mystery deepen-. Si no:' i (.apt. Lindsay saw it- Hym? west warn w aids over Cardiff on Friday, another ?itn<?, Mr. _)r,ran, oi Merthyr, has come forward to say taat! he saw it from his bedroom window— half an hour later than the time, given oy Capt. Lindsay—Hying from Mertnyr j over a mountain summit into the Aber- dare Valley. Then Mr Marshall states! that he saw a light from the Uplands, Swansea, on Saturday evening. The first two witnesses agree that it was an airship carrying a peculiar light j (described by Capt. Lindsay a¿, being of! reddsh warm colour) and trailing dense volumes of smoke, whilst Mr. Mar- | shall only sa.w a light, but no one has seen any airship rising or alighting, or ever seen the mysterious visitant by day. Seen at Sketty. A fresh local aspect been gfven to the mystery now by the reported sighting of it in Sketty. The hrst to see the supposed airship was a post- man, named Mr. J. Bo wen. ot Sketty. He was Koi"g towards the Clyne CJ- J lien' about s?ven c'ciock last evening, j when he s?w ? lar?. bright liin j hanging over Clyne Woods. He had j been i-eaililig about the airship only an hour or so before, and. noticing the brilliancy and unsteadiness of the light, he was convinced that he had at last seen it. Arnvi'tg home at No. 2, Harry- j street, Sketty, about a.n hour Liter, he could still sec the iigi"" which had moved very little, it at all. He called out his brother and his next-door neigh- bOHr", hut. they were at first sceptical, xa,ytn? it was only a star.  Theu, a? they were gazing at the light, it began to bob about,, and finally j went cut. It re-appeared idiortiy in a j slightly altered position, and was seen ] to be considerably larger than the j brightest star. ) Twice as Large as Venus. Spoken to by a "Leader represen- j tative this morning. Mr. J. Iknven said j Lr. looked twice as large a.s Venns. I Do you think it was a searchlight?" jj "I-)o-, -ou iiiiiik it M7all? ?l seii-chiiglit?" No/' said Mr. Bowm, )t iooked I like a head-light. A very bright one and It when it went out it died out slowly, [t looked as if they put the light out. I flew a bit, then lighted it again." The latter remark was in answer to a i suggestion that perltaps the disappear- j aiice of the light wa-s caused by t-he Lacking of the ai:?')ip, which would have put Lhe stern towards the ob- f>ervCl". I 01, these details an the w-itnesses ?o. 1. H.i.ry- agreed. Airs. James, oi No. ]. Harry- ?treet dextH'ibinn the light as ha.viu? a bluish centre tbrowins off spi,rk-.s. c?y t?ing lacking In the airship theory I of tho ii?ut is, zl-,a.t. ill 01 the. c-?- ccptlOnal ciearnes Of the atlaasphere and the bright moon, no one saw the body cf the ship neither did they hear the propellers, which latter fad œuld I bo explained by the fact that the, locate the p(>lÚ()n Gf tile "mystery" a? I being OYC'T ?tyne C<munon—a distance of a cou,p?c or nuies from their po?nt ol observation. Towards Tenby. -f: l. 1.:11 Mr. iJowen went to cne top oi uie um I and once more saw the iigln, which ap- peared to have moved considerably m the direction of Tenby; then it slowly | died down a yd disappeared,as on the previous occasion. After he had men- tioned the light, he said, several other people said they had seen lights during the last few nights, but had thought them to be onlv stars. Mr. Marshall, a. ship-broker residing in the Uplands, informed a "Leader" re- presentative that, he could not say with certainty whether the object which he saw at eight o'clock on Saturday even- ing was an airship or anything else. He observed what, he' at first took to be a star. The light, however was diffuSE-d, and he watched it for some time. observ- ing that it appeared to bo moving at a fauly good speed. Ho went into the house to eall the members of the family to see it, ajid when they came out it had disappeared. In consequence of all these reports cither stating that the alleged airship was going Lo Llanelly or coming from thence, the "Leader" instituted in-j quiries, but no one seemed to have seen the ship or the light. A SUCCESTION. Why Not an Advertising Scheme? i — A i?euUeman who requests us not to puhhsh his name suggests that the mysterious light may be but the hfr.dd of some ingenious advertising scheme. "Absurd: he said, when a "Leader" 'A rc i -n i? man snr:led at the idea. Why? Look at some of the clever things one done every day, and remombei that we live in an age of great enter- prise. "Perhaps this airship—it such it hc-- will presently commence to scatter pamphlets urging you to buv a aw | tooth-paste or a special brand of s "Whiskyr" said the. "Leader" man. "Certainly not!" said the "other man,' laughingly. "I was going to say I lemonade!

| Among the measures proposed in eele- J bration of the tercentenary of tb", Rom: no ff (Russian) dynasty, the Govern- meut Committee recommend s the pro- clamation of an amnesty which, accord- ing to the "Rech," would include all j literary and minor political offences and j the majority of offences punished by ad- | ministrativc proeeess.

5.30 EDITION. PARLIAMENT. ¡ L vo ev •t-l!y induce d uvniV.Hv to resume seat, and the S^eakf" said 1' h.,J SENT TO PRISON. At Neath iii't.-rnocn, DrvH l*'ranci> Reynolds no fixed abode. ua-- >ent J) pi i».oji tor nine ■ nonth t' with 1:: d iabonr on two L j, .s, 'oJ. L'I °. LADY ACROBAT'S -TORY. Defendant Henry iiaggar was com- mit; for trial at r« A"es. bail allowed himself in L lo. and 1\.0 sureties of