The Cambria Daily Leader

LANGLAND BAY. I Question of Convenience 'I Adjourned a Year. Swansea Health Committee, at their meeting on Tuesday, had to consider the question of erecting a public convenience at Langlaud Bay. Mr. Heath (Borough Surveyor), reported that a temporary structure, which had been proposed, would cost £ 750. Before the war it might have been done for £ 280. He thought it beet to start on a permanent structure. It was stated there was no provision in the estimates for the erection of the con- j venionce, and a similar state of affairs was reported when Mr. Heath submitted plans for an erection in Sway-road, Mor- riston. Mr. Delve said that Sketty needed a public convenience. The chairman (Mr. Dd. Williams), con- sidered they should borrow some money to formulate a scheme for the whole town. The question of the Langland structure was deferred until next year, and on the motion of Mr. John Lewis it was decided to embark on a scheme for the town as own as possible.

LANDORE PASTORATE. I Owing to domestic grounds, the Rev. I W. B. Thomas, Berthlwyd, near Tre- I harris, who was invited to become the pastor at Dmas Welsh Baptist Chapel, Landore, a fortnight back, has replied I declining the call.

THE DAIRIES BILL. I The Swansea Health Committee met on Tuesday, Mr. David Williams in the chair. ¡ The Town Clerk reported on the new Dairies Bill, which will give them cer tain powers over the milk supply, such 'I as inspection of premises, of persons con- cerned in the handling and delivery of milk, etc. He suggested that the Committee write to the Local Government Board and bring the matter before the Municipal Corpo- rations' Association, and also send a reso- lution to the various authorities advocat- ing the need of such legislature.

San Rises G.-4, Sun Sets 9.22. j Li gluing-up Time, 0.52. i High Vtat6rH.l6?.tT! 11.34 p.m. King's Dock, 35ft. 6in. a.m" 35ft. 5in. p.m. I To-morrow, 0,6 a.m., 0.25 p.m.

iTHE PREMIER'S NEXT JOB. A hundred and one tasks await j the Prime Minister upon his return from Paris—labour troubles to solve, questions of domestic policy to settle, grievances of the sailors and soldiers to look into. But possibly the most important of all is the task Sir Robert Horno, Minister of Labour, says he iSfioing to attempt when the business of composing the peace of Europe is finished with. When he returns, according to the Minister, Mr. Lloyd George is going to make a toVir among the local authorities of the country, in order to urge them to the greatest pos- I sible expedition in carrying ourJ their building and-housing schemes. And they want urgingl They stand in need of speeding up 1 In every town there is a faithful rem- nant who never forget the crying need of the day, but they are ill supported, and find it hard work to keep their case in the forefront. Take Swansea as an example. On^ of our contributors wrote yesterday with perfect truth that although housing has long been one of the best-worn subjects in Swansea, "yet those really enthusiastic on the Council, helping to meet the all-too- palpable need, do not seem to be many. At the Council meetings the question rarely arouses much discussion, helpful or critical, prob- ably because, unfortunately, the Housing Committee's minutes are always near the end of the agenda. If it is a matter of salary, even if it is a case of road-making or mend- ing, a debate can be instantly secured. Everybody is interested. But housing is still Cinderella, de- spite the universal acknowledgment that it is the most pressing require- ment of the day. It is important that the town- ships should go on with their hous- ing schemes, first and foremost cause the natural joys of life are being checked by reason of the lack of house room. It is important, also, because the commencement of building schemes will do much to end unemployment. Sir- Robert Home points out that the ramifica- tions of the building problem are almost endless, and he has no doubt that, if we can get these building schemes firmly afoot we shall not need to look back on unemploy- ment. Many trades are expectantly waiting the industry of the builder. Every manufacturer who has to do with household requirements :s I anxious to get to work, for the traders that supply domestic wants will experience the biggest boon in history-when the roofs go on the j new houses. ¡ What we want is a(," wave of national fervour sweeping the land, a realisation that the present happy- go lucky acquiescence in over- crowded houses is unnatural, and a vow to get on with the programme. Sir Robert Home declares that it is as imporant to build houses to- day as it was to make shells In I 1915. When we think of the stat.) I under which thousands are liv- ing in Swansea to-day, we would go further and say that it is even I more important. The house-hunger is the most pitiable thing in our public life. Men are prepared t0 pay any price they can make for I the privilegp of assuring shelter for their families. Were it not for the blessings of the Restriction Act, the I force of competition would have driven men to pay any price in ren I tal; but we have been, mercifully I saved a mad scramble in which the man with the biggest salary or wage was bound to win. And in all parts I oi the town the old sanctities of life I have departed; we mean among these, the happy feeling that your I house is to yourself and your owa kin. Newcomers, or dispossessed i tenants are fortunate if they cal t obtain part of a house; perhaps! share a house with two other fami- lies. There is little pleasure in life, under such conditions, to people who have known the wonder of home, sweet home," and its gracious seclusions. There are, we know, many great, difficulties in the way, and to make exceeding haste may be to add fresh difficulties. Of our own knowledge, the Swansea Housing Committee is I earnestly proceeding as quickly as it dare. What we miss is a driving I power in the Council itself. It is that driving power we pray that the Prime Minister will be able to inv- pœe into the municipal life of the country when he goes on his tour of Quickening.

"WOODBINE 1 WILLIE." I The Working Theology of a Padre. I By M. Watcyn-Williams I (Late Captain, Royal Welsh Fusiliers), j The Na?dest Part." Th? R?ash RBiym?s of a Padxe," More Rouh Rhymes of e j Woodbine Willie." | A modern novelist, in describing one of his characters, Jaones Webb, remarks that it was an epitome of his lilo that no one had ever called him J ini.' it is an epitome of the life of Capt. the Rev. G. | A. Stu<idt Kennedy, M.C., C.F., that the Army knows him by one name only, j" Woodbine Willie." He knew, no one better, the value of a fag to a wounded or a tired" Tommy," and his M.O. was gained by magnificent work among hi.3 be- loved troops. In his three books, The Hardest Part," ltough Rhymes of a Padre," and More Rough Rhymes of a Padre," one is face to face with a man who is a live wire. Here a.re no muddy metaphysics," and above all here is no cant, but the heat of action, and the claalx between good and evil. In general his writings involve a protest and a conviction, a protest against putting God on the shelf as though lie were retired from business, and a conviction that the real God is approachable, friendly, loving-in short, like the Christ of the Christian Cross. The Hardest Part" is a collection of essays, owing their origin to the pointed questionings of a wounded officer in hos- pital. What I want to know, Padre, is what is God like?—that is your real busi- ness, Padre; you ought to know." There you have the approach to Woodbine Willie's theology in a nutshell, and I can think of no stiffer challenge to any teacher or preacher. Over and over again we have heard, during the war, this ques- tion, Why doesn't God stop it all ? Our author refuses to toy with the matter, and simply answers, Because He can't." Now that is very disconcerting to minds accustomed to phrasea and terms like almighty and everlasting," but one thing is clear, we are forced in these days to do one of two things, to define and jus- tify our terms, or to jettison them. Ken- nedy finds the combination of adjectives such as loving and almighty (in the 6ense of doing what you like, where you like, and which you like) an impos- sible one, and in the glow of his writing, faith, so far from being weakened, was for one man, at lea&t, strengthened and given now life. The day has gone when we can write God's wHI" over every catastrophe. Bereavement, the loss of fine, young live*, the butchery of war, these are net God's will; they are the negation of it. Wrong is against God's will, Ho hates it, it thwarts and tortures Him"; that is Ken- nedy's conviction To quote :1" T believe in God the Father, Almighty (the emphasis is mine) is uoi a 'l' uuu-nt of fact, it is a confession of faith; it is not a oold creed to which we resign our- selves, but a warrior's battle-cry." All this is not without its social bearing. Our author sees that much of the appalling failure on the part of the church to kill slums, for instance, is due to false views of God. If the oocial order is God's will, then to attempt to alter it, here and now, is to fight against God, but in that case one comment, Mr. Chesterton's, alone re- mains, He cannot be much of a God." Kennedy's God, the God he finds in the New Testament, is one who is at war with evil in every shape and form, from rack- renting and under-payment to dishonest labour and poison-gas. There are many other fine notes in these essays, a fresh treatment of the place of the Bible in our religion, a beautiful dis- cussion of the Sacta,ment, and a magnifi- cent protest against glorifying war. War is only glorious when you buy it in the 'Daily Mail/ and enjoy it at the break- fast table. It goes splendidly with bacon and eggs." One more point calls for comment, "Woodbine Will ie-'s discussion of prayer We have treated it too long as a kind of magic cheque upon the bank of heaven," until it has become ludicrous- people in London calling for one sort of weather that the Zeppelins might not oome, and people in the country near by praying for another kind altogether, that crops might grow. Prayer isn't an indent upon God for supplies to meet our needs," and nothing more; it is active co- operation with God, and a newsjx^cios o; heroism. Still, if you are squeamish, and don't like facts, if you think the world is a kind of afternoon tea-party with tennis thrown in for luck, you will lmlo, Wood- bine Willie" severely alone. He is as catching and as dangerous—there the parallel endi-as rabies. The Rough Rhymes of a Padre and More Rough are in a similar strain. God throughout is real, near at hand, living, not throned on a shelf, to be looked nt on Sundays. The sorrows o* God must be 'ard to bear, If 'E really 'as Love in 'is And the 'ardent part i' the world to play Mun surely be God'a part." These rhymes are in the main what they aim to bo—rough; though here and there are lines that are real poetry; but they disclose the rare things, a working phil- osophy, and a faith that can remove moun- tains. Kennedy can be realistic, too, as in War": "There's a sold in the Eternal, SfcandinE stiff before the King; There's a little English maiden Sorrowing1. There's a proud and tealrlese woman ijeeiAg pictures in the fire; there's a broken, battered body On the wire." But I have come to the end of my tether. If you want a religion that counts, and not one that doesn't matter, if you want a real laugh, or a real cry, if you are still unconvinced that war is ugly and dam- nable, and not a cinema reel to get thrills over, read "Woodbine Willie:" Like the Psalmist, he has descended into hell, only i to -find that God is there.

WELSH PENSIONS. Major D. Davies and Depart- ment of Staff. Major David Davies is taking up with the Pensions Minister the arrangements for the staffing of the Welsh Department. He understands that it is proposed to transfer the required staff from London. He is urging Sir L. Worthington Evans to avoid such a mistake being made, add- ing Friction may be caused by the im- ported staif's lack of knowledge of the Welsh language and of the local condi- tions peculiar to Wales, whilst this action will be resented by the Welsh people. There are in Wales sufficient discharged Welshmen with the necessary qualifica- tions to fill positions created."

II TOWN TALK. I Coedffranc still says to Neath and Swansea-" liandr, off." W. I You can treat your friend to-day; but you must not ill-treat him! —?o— I Anglers on the e: River have given up until the rain. More drought than trout I -:0:- Port Talbot ooal trimmers say that if there is no more beer brewed there will be trouble brewing. ■ -M:— There is to be a miracle at Neath on Whit-Monday. According to the an- nouncement the SCHOOLS will walk! — I* — Neath Allotmenteers may not be tired. writes a correspondent, but they have, commenced to lie about their "beds I —: — The house.wife will welcome the glad- some news that gooseberries are getting, cheaper. They were sold yesterday at la. a pound, against 2s. last week. —: o. — '1 The ray story on Swansea Sands sounds a bit fishy. At any rate it will re- quire a pinch of salt. This comment h&ils from Neath. There's jealousy I < H No man can rightly use money on pleasure who has not learned to do with- out them. Else they may be but shackles on the soul."—Rev. H. C. Mander. W. When there are two children in the same home, it looks like a sympathetic strike," remarked Mr. J. W. Jones in a school case at Swansea on Tuesday. Time Swansea had a few motor chara- bancs. A trip to Mountain Ash last Satur- day afternoon would have been well pit- ronised. No charge will be made for the adoption oi this idea. — :Ot— Says a Llanelly correspondent:—"I like the way you put it. Pare Howard A beaten at Jersey on the Eastside GREEN. Real grass is surely crushed parsley pink.' And now do we look blue? -:0: — A chorus of dissent from Bench and Bar greeted a comment by Mr. Dan Perkins at Aberavon Court that the price of living was coming down. Mr Perkins, as yet a bachelor, remarked that obviously he knew less about it than those around him. -:0:- There seems to be a great deal in giving hens plenty of light. An authority on poultry claims to have increased egg production by keeping hens in lighted coops until 9 p.m. Why not leave the light on all night and have a double output? -:0:- No I don't think it will rain, ex- claimed a cheerful individual in the car this morning, it will remain like this until about Sunday, and then rain over the holidays." Now a man who talks like this early in the morning deserves to be shot—but perhaps he has got an allotment I It is not often we hear of doctors and divines ending their days in a workhouse. Among the inmates at Bangor Workhouse, North Wales, is a doctor of medicine and one aged minister, and at the conclusion of a concert given in the institution, they respectively proposed and seconded a vote of thanks to the singers. -:0- The Corporation had made pre- parations for the entrance of the tank into the Recreation Ground by taking down a largo portion <xf the wall. It would have added greater interest to the event if the wall had been left alone, so that the tank could have shown its capabilities by surmounting this obstacle. 'o- The furze bushes on the hill overlook ing Bracelet Bay, Mumbles, were set on fire on Tuesday evening, and the blaze lighted up the sky around. We wondered whether it was a sign of rejoicing at the sight of the German submarine which was being towed up the channel by a tug. The submarine was coming to Swansea to be broken up. -10:- Mr. Tom Griffiths (Neath) is v-idevttyy in deadly earnest over his Parliamentary duties. In a letter to a London news- paper correcting a m istatement he gays that he has only been absent one day from the House since Parliament opened, and I have a record in so far as divisions are concerned." He is earning his four hundred, at any rate I — "O :— An Amman Valley traveller, returning from Glyn-Neath to Brynamman on the railway. He declares that he had to change three times, namely, Pontardawe. Ystalyfera and Cwmllynfell, before reach- ing his destination. -He had travelled across America, a distance of 3,700 miles, and changed twice under much pleasanter circumstances. I An indignant correspondent writes pro- testing vigorously against the rowdyism on the Sands. On Monday nilht, he says, I a crowd of young men were playing ° with a ball which, although small, was by no I means soft. And the worst of it was, the said ball at one period carae in con- tact with his body. Consequently, he thinks something ought to be doner-and nt once. -'0'- It's a good iob for Swansea that wo were presented with only one tank; if there had been any more, the rate would go up with another jump to pav for the repair of the roads." Thus a Swansea I business man who walked home last night in the track of the monster, and viewed the impression the catorpillar wheels created in some of our thorough- fares. —: n — Some of the distant places in Gower are in for a bad time from the outings point of view. A party making inquiring for horse conveyances for Porteynon were in- l formed that the brake-owners could not undertake such long journeys, inasmuch. I as the horses were not fit on the fodder at present obtainable. The longest journey they were willing to undertake was either Oxwich or Reynoldston. -:0:- Not a hundred miles from Swansea a vacant church, in its wisdom, has de- clared that whosoever has crossed the miridian of 40 is too advanced in years to occupy its pulpit, "with a view." But should our under 40 fail to turn Alp, it will deign to listen to the sere and yellow leaf men beyond. We have not yet definitely hoard whether the veterans over 40 in the set fawr are to be de- i mohood forthwith. —:<:— A wayfarer entered a "faggot and pea restaurant the other evening, and ordered a meal which was soon put before him. He tarried long before attacking tbo fare. when the landlord asked him what was tlaHer. "Oh," he replied, I or- dered a faggot and peas. I cannot see tho faggot." Here it is," explained the proprietor pointing to the plate. "Well, well," exclaimed the customer, "I thought that was a black pea." — x):— There is no doubt that the great majority of people have got a warm corner in their hearts for ex-soldiers and sailors. The other evening one of the many who have suffered in the war entered a Sketty. car unthinkingly smok- ing a cigarette. A lady immediat?Iy objected, saying he had no right to smoke there. As he was alighting at the Uplands, however, she discovered that he had an artificial leg and bore other cigns of service that had boon active in a very real seme. And she apologised hand- somely, intimating that if she had Known he was a soldier she wnuld not lave dreamt of obiecting to hia 1Uo¡¡i. J t