The Cambria Daily Leader

SWANSEA'S BURDEN. I Yesteray nominatioiis were re- ceived for the Borough elections. In a week's time the serious and re- smmsible duty will rest1 on the bvir- gesses cf Swansea of choosing the men to represent them on the Council. The democratic ideal is I far from realisation, and yet. we so far approximate to it in this highly I' favoured country as to enable, us to say positively that for all the good or ill of municipal administration, for all the excellence of the service rendered by councillors, for their derel-ection of duty and very largely for the mistakes made by council- lol's, those on whom (he ultimate re- sponsibility rests are the individual ratepayers. Centuries of social de- velopment, of earnest, long coai- ■tinued effort, of stern, often san- guinary conflicts with autocracy and vested interest, have built up in Britain a democratic edifice which, though it has no Suggestion nf completeness or of finality about it, is yet the best thfet has hitherto been found possible, it is estab- lished that to count heads is. on the" whofe more a. satisfactory proposi- tion than breaking them, and what the majority ot the people can be got to agree upon, to that we sub- m't. S In a rough and tumble, illogical, haphazard. ficunderingly British sort of way, there have arisen in this country methods of govern- ment and administration which have gained the admiration of the I world, and what is more, the ¡ suprem e flattery of imitation. And I if, to us, its defects are often more apparent than its excellencies, that I is all to the good, because the re- cognition of .faulty conditions is a c(i,gnition. o?f cf)tlditions is ,i form. Beform is ever a difficult task. The reformer at every point I is up against a dea d, wall of natural and national conservatism whicH has to be blown up by the dyna- mite of hard reason and unceasing I agitation. The electorate never takes kindly to the conception thai it is itself responsible for all the ills ¡ from which the body politic suffers. The bitter pill is evaded. It is so much easier to grouse about the tyrannies of the "governing class I which, in the heated imagination of II the grouser, is supposed to be some other than his own, than to net about devising a remedy for eVil-s that are seen to exist. I But. in times like these in which I' our lot is cast, filled as they are with present perplexity, and ominous of future peril, it, grows increasingly necessary that every citizen, what- ever his class, whatever hi& capacity real or assumed, should take a due share in the excessively difficult task of government. The first and greatest—possibly, if all w-ere known, the only difficulty which I has to b6 surmounted, is that of I selecting the right men to act as executors of the popular will. Thi!tj is the immediate problem which < now .faces us in Swansea. Honour, indeed, accompanies responsibility, for our work is a great one., none other than deciding on the future destiny of the town we- love so well. What matters is men. How are we to get the right rneB:¡ For they are in fact not mere delegates; theyi are, or should and might be, re- presents; ives. The crude method of | ^rierely carrying out of the decisions of any association or executive will not do. We want on the council, not grama phones, or automata, but men. t i i,,it tiloso This is not to say that those whon; we elect shall. the election once made, act entirely on their ()]I(le iliflid(? P,t ei-itirej-,7 ?iii their he in accord with the will of those who sent them to the council. In the bad-old days councillors were left entirely unsupported, left to do j or net to do as they chose, until j their term oi' omce having expired, they perforce came again '■'before their fellows to give an account of their stewardship." By that time, such was the general apathy of the electorate, most of their doings, most of their delinquencies, had been forgotten. The time has now I come when all this lackadaisical go- as-you-please business be stepped. It cannot be allowed to continue. The issues "ivre~too grave. This leads us to a suggestion which might have far-reaching .effect. on the good government of the town. Kxcellent results all round might be produced if it were a recognised thing that every coun- cillor, say once in every 11IOUtll. at a period as near the first of the I month1 a.s convenient, should meet and confer with tllCSo to whom he owes his position. Tins gathering would be primarily of those who had actually vctecl hii-n, but the whole of the constituency, even the minority which had, opposed, should be free of this conclave, 'be- cause they too are in the same boat, ind whether they like it or no, the I member for the ward is t sentative. At this meeting, thcre I would, be the opportunity for free exchange of ideas, suggestions and plans, and the councillor would go back to his work feeling not only that the eye of the community was Uporl; him, but that he waa, in all ho did, upheld by its support. I

MAWR RATES. R F.. e Report on Friction I With Overseer. I At the PontArdawe Guardians' meeting on Thursday the foFwving appeared in th* '{■port of the Finance Oomj33itt.ee— In accordance with the decision of the «uardians some time ago, your committee .called before them Mr. Rees Rice, collector, 'nd the overseers of Af#wr Parish. The accounts for the half-year ended 50th Sep- tember, 3919. were scrutinized by tho elerh, a-nd the same appeared to him to be correct and in order. Mr. David Jonep, 0110 of the overseers, complained that lfe had been summoned for non-payment of ratflf; on the 6th Sep- tember, at tho naii he alleged tbbt the rates ha,d not been demanded of him, s.nd at the time of his being summoned there were Quite* a. number of other ratepayer* who bad not then paid their rates, but were not summoned. He also complained that he had net boeii consulted as to making the poor rate. Your committee consider that the coPector should be reminded by the clerk as to his dutie-s with respect, to making of a rate tt-nd proceedings for the recovery thereof. The committee consider that if the collector would adhere strictly to his duties much of the friction which eyisted would be avoided. Your ooinmittee consider that at the end of sis months they might again see the ooHMtor with the overseers. & £ d if, after the further wa?nin? the 111.1%1,?'t.?: does not adhere to his duties, the com- mittee will not heedtato to make a more drastic recommendation."• Mr. David Jones now said that the Guar- dians could see why he hart not ya;,cl the rates, in faot, he had been summoned by the collector's wife. The report was adopted.

j ROAD TRANSPORT. I Tncrease Home Fuel Supplies. I it i« urged by the .\íotor Legislation Committee that amendments should be made to the Electricity Supply Bill, now before Parliament, with the object of in- creasing the production of home motor spirit and other valuabl e by-products. In 1914 some 21,000.<MH) gallons of benzole were produced in Great Britain, princi- pally from coke-oven works. The pres- t'ure of war requirements increased this til-tire to 32,000,000 gailous in 191". Another 10,000,000 gallons were recovered from gas producing plant, making a total production of 12,000,000 gallons. This figure represents barely 15 per oent. of the probahle requirements of the niotol- in- dustry in the immediate future. A ton of coal carbonised either by high or low temperature process in coke-ovens, ga« »retorts, or ofh4 suitable receptacles will produce:—(a) 12,500 cubic feet of gas; (b) 2-n gallons of benzole; (c) 10. cwt. coke; (d) 34) lbs. ammonium sulphate; (e) 100 ll>s. tar, from which can be'extracted the heavier oils and innumerable by- products of commercial value. In the opinion of the Motor Legislation Com- mittee the eiedrical industry, uroperly developed, oan materially assist towards self-dependencci for a very large propor- tion of the motor spirit requirements of the country. New super-power stations should include the plant necessary for the production of liquid fiie.1 and other coal by-products.

THE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT. I -<a Income and Spendings♦ By J. Hugh Edwards, M.P. By a coincidence, Parliament has re- assembled for its autumn session in the very week which has been specially set apart hy the Board of .Agriculture for a national campaign for the destruction of rats in our country. It is officially e:-ii- mated that there are no less than million rats in Great Britain, And that the nation's loss in food, as the rltit. of i heir dt'-structivenr?ss, repre.sents a nf fnrt-r ill ilhon pounds a year..Hence the reason for the hold, drastic and united effort; which is being made this week throughout the country at lafs-e lor cop- ing winl so gigantic a loss. The skill of chemists in their laboratories in the creation of deadly devices, with the full fruition of the results of their researches, is being utilised on tho fullest scale in ol der to encompaiw.a widespread destruc- tion of rodent 5 in, town and country, in warehouses and in farmhouse;. i I A Common Purpose. But, although it is only the accident cf circumstance that. brings both the rat campaign, and the re-assembling of Par- liament; within the eompa:") of the very same week, it must he said that they are neverthele-s linked together by one com- mon purpose. That purpose may be described as the paramount need of rescuing the material resources of tho country from being lost through waste which can and ought to iie prevented. In fpite d all the apparent flush of money and of the reckl-eFis ej:t.r:Y[1::mce in shop- ping, which are so discernible throughout the land in these tunes, the fact remains in all its sinister sienifiear.ee that the ytato j, at the present time, spending at the rate of sis hundred mi11iOn pounds a year more Unul it receives, and, as a re- sult, is incurring an additional per- manent' charge, by way of interest, 01 j JSl20,000 every day throngliout the year, j The Duty cfPar?am?nt. I'nder -1 res?> of war. when a nation finds itself con fronted with the alternatives of life or death, freedom <:r «>rrit;id<\ it ta not surprising that it s-hould spend Hun- dreds, and even thousands <. its rr-oiute detenniiiation to beat hock fI, ni foe. But what can be "aid in justification cf a, reckless sqiumaermg <>i millions at a time when the dire, demand;* and terrors of the and when tho Angel of Pence finds herself j back on her throne0 It must purely be obvious that nt"h a ?atr; of things ca?. not last long before the country finds itself in a mo-raps, of bankruptcy. It is a sp-lcn- did thing to chase out of their lurking places the rodents who air filching every yix-ir forty million pounds' worth of til.; people's food, but the value of the nit week eatnpaign will bo enormously dis- counted unless it is forthwith supple- mented by the moet rigorous Economy an -every sphere of the national life. T li f-, State must pet the example by a ruthless redaction in the daily expenditure. For that reason, the whole country is now looking in the direction of Westminster in a feverisjh expectation th-at Parliament will, on its re-afiseixxbling this week, forth- with turn its attention, to the paramount duty lJf effecting an immediate and a sub- stantial reduction in our national ex- penditure. The First Move. It is gratifying to learn that already one Government Department has em- barked upon s*o necessary and benoficiaj. an example. The Office of Work-, over which Sir Alfred presides with such manifest ability and efficiency, has, just j issued instructions that in future no building operations in connection with any of the Government l>epartmerits aie to be proceeded with unless the iormrd sanction of the Treasury has in the mean- time been secured. In other words, the Office of Works lias called a Halt" to the heads of the various Government Departments in their fren.^i^d efvgornoss to secure expensive Bites for the construc- tion of costly building*?- It is a. notorious fact that not only in London, but in every large town in the country where premise* Me required for Labour Exchanges. Pen- Offices, Agricultural Departments, the, most expensive sites are invariably «ccu4'ed and the most costly buildings erected, with an absolute disregard of the substantial difference between their value and the cost of purchase. Sir Alfrsd Word's Record. Tt: is against this reckless squandering of tho public money that Sir Alfred Moad has so resolutely set his face, and he de- serves the wholehearted gratitude of the country at large for such timely and beneficent action. But this is only one 01 many services which he has, in his official role as tho First Commissioner of "Works, rendered the nati-o#. It is common know- ledge in Government circles that, ever since the conclusion of Peace, and the passing away of the gri-M perils which j threatened 11s an a people, Sir Alfred MOnd has be?n. unceasing in his resolute efforts to reduce the personnel and th,e area of the various Government Departments to their normal dimensions. He is evacuat- ing one hotel after another in the tem- porary possession of the Government. He is ridding Government offices of their bar- by clearing out men who hpive oat- stayed their efficiency, and he is making it impossible for subordinate Government officials to maintain their war-time legions of flappers. And there is not a dug-out at Whitehall that has not already been made to foal the ruthless impact of his cleansing broom. Already it is foaing said at the Office of Works that Sir Alfred Mond has proved himself to be the most efficient and zealous administrator that the Depart- ment has ever known.

[TOWN TALK. German prisoners are being sent home at tho rate of a thousand a day. And we've no doubt most of tliom deserve it! I wish I knew my Bible a.s well as the clerks know the Poor Law Journal." —"Rev. Evan Davies at Pontardawe Guardians. Of course it was perfectly in keeping with the usual order of thinsrs that the fine weather spell should be broken on a Thursday! —: o: — If the policeman says so it must be so.A defendant at th« local court on Thursday, who was making a revelation of the obvious. By general consent the Mayor's a ad- dress on receiving the 0th Welsh Colours was exceedingly appropriate in matter and excellent in tone. Wo have received several inquiries to the. publishers and price of Stephen Graham's new book, A Private in l'hê Guards." It is isued by Messrs. Mae- tllÍlIan at 10s. fid. — :o How could you hear me when I hare gor rubbers on my boots? asked a de- fendant. at the Swansea Police Court on. Thursday, who thought he could go about.-like a yotmj if liOit. —" :0:-t A Swansea tailor displays caps for tha Discharged Soldiers' band that are "not guaranteed to fit on the morning afhr- the night—before. It is news to up that soldier.s ever needed such caps. cwg, and (It& great extent of their business, Dr. Saleeby; said he bad been told in America that they were now making the cars a little, shorter, so as to got more on tho roads. -:0;- Another increase in price. The Liver- pool local authority have determined to offer sixpence (¡;: "h for rats instead of a penny each. There is no demand, at Swansea just now for this special article. There were many visitors fl,OT tilo Valley at the opera last night. During the carnival scone in "The Three Masks" one was heaui to remark*'to his friend; "Oh! Dai, there:s Kesolvcn carnival, mlll1. p mun. A Mount Pleasant lady says she trill not at present buy sausages. They ftro always more or less mysterious. Eac week, according to her, is one of tho weeks when the sausage is even more my?tclio?. 31y -:0:- "My kingdom for a car! My king dom for a car!" cried a man as ho emerged from the Albert Hail last night. But as he had no kingdom to offer ha had no car to take him home, and he had to pad it in the torrential rain. A district correspondent says ttjat a local tram in which he travelled tho other morning covered th ree miles ia: 35 minutes. That's nothing, though.: We have heard ot trains covering a* similar distance much quicker than that.; -:0:- i Tho I?cv. John Williams, D.D., Bryn-I eiencyn, the famous Welsh preacher J made a confession while preaching at thei Aberavon Sessions. He said he went to] the pictures occasionally, and would got again, if there was Something worth see-; ing. -:0;- 1 Those in the know say that nillk, and butter will be more plentiful and. much cheaper next wiuter. Though, next winter is a long way off, it is cheer- ful if only to ],.ear of things being better in these dreadful days oft high prices. _:0:- What dainty weapons some of the for- eign tailors carry about; their persons. A complainant at the, Swansea Police Court on Thursday produced something which, looked like a. chopper or a two-handed sword .but- which the man merely etaieu was a knife I — :o:— Dr. C. W. S alee by told a Swansea audience that he felt certain some of Canada would be, with. Prohibition, much safer for the marriageable girl and: that there would be less (talk of exile when it came to a decision between a dry Canadian town and wet Swansea. — :o—- A well-known Swansea man is con- gratulating himself on the realisation of a remarkable prophecy w hich lie made a few days ago. He told his friends he was willing to wager that when the weather broke np. as it was bound to do sooner or later, it would break up on a Thursday. And he was right. v With reference to a paragraph in this column recently, a correspondent, writes: Wliat the Rev. D. Pry so Williams said, when referring to the Welsh societies, in ,his iact-uro art Jac Glan-v-Gors," an Sk.ewen was t'llat Jac took a leading hand in establishing the Cymreigyddion Society (nor the Cymrodorion as re- ported) in 17(Jj." a r— At the Albert. J-Iali last night (writes a correspondent) it was pathetic to see pre'-ichor, who is as fond of his pipe as ))a is of poetry, struggling with the tempta- tion to have a surreptitious whiff. Hut: it is satisfactory to record that with jv; splendid exhibition of that wonderful pluà which has made Britain great, lie resisted the tempter and won through. The ovstcr industry of Mumbles pro- mises to be (i 1 1 feature in the near future. The fishing trade is to be ,vastiv improved, the Board of Agricul- ture is about to coxi-Tdcya grant w hereby increased dredging facilities will liir.ko it possible to land over .120,000 oysters avery year. The oyster 's more "e!?- every than some people gives it credit for. — :0 When, at the Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Stanley Cook wished to move his im- portant resolution on anthracite supplies, he was ruled out of order after making; his explanatory speech, the matter not having been on the agenda. The meeting was thereupon closed and an informal ope field. Mr. Cook promptly resumed) with As I have already 6aid at a pre- vious meeting which most of you at- tended — :0v The unloading of two very large panoa of glass in Castle-street on Wednesday drew a large crowd. M valuable plate-glass unloaded t there is in it the element of risk. There is always, the possibility—.mischance of the ^uanipulators and the owners of the glass, but chance for the spectator* of view ing the smash up, iii. a second, of, say, £100 worth of goods. It's wo rIA waiting -around for. -'0'- Now that Constitution Hill has 11 n firm, strong handrail akmg the pavemeSs to its summit, some people are asking whether it is not on the wrong side of I theftrt, since it is ne(Ide?l me-tly f.?r the depcent. and m?t people are ri?ht- handed. Then, again, it; is said to spoil the look of the famous thoroughfare, and then" is. further, unusual complaint that surely it was not talked of. and argued altout for a sufficiently long time by the Council. t