The South Wales Daily Post

¡ FRfDAV, FEBRUARY 14, 1896. NOTES & COMMENTS I The members of the Swansea Watch Committee have defined their position for the Lenelit of the Home Office, and it remains to be seen how it falls in with the latter's idea of what that position is. i- It is true that the3e two promotions wmre authorised against the recommendations of the chief officer of the force," observe the committee in the letter to the Home Office, and we claim the right to on aider every recommendation of th.» chief- constable upon its merits, and to make such appointments in the force ns are calculated to promote its efficiency." In practice this b;d assertion of the assumed right of the Watch Committee to absolute control of the force has meant that nearly every iecommendation >A the chief-constable has been wrangled over and put to the vote aimost invariably with the res'iit that it has bee.; set aside. The appointments which hj has considered ealcmated to promote the efficiency of the force" have, as a rule, not been made since they hare clashed with the appointments which a b:sri, majority of the committea regard as I, calculated to prosnoio the j fctliciencv of the force." This is the crux of the whole matter. is the control j ..i the police to be in the hands of the chiei-constable, who is res-pon?ib!e 10: its discipline and efficiency, or in the hands of a cot en; (if men who have no p.irticuiar cjuaiilication for the work, and who, iu case of disaster, will he able to evade personal respousibiirty ? Wo take it that the vital points ;.|t issue are not whether the committee have been in the habit, of stultifying tuemselves, making rules one day and ignoring them another. 1;(\1' whether a particular officer is iu good health and able to discharge his duties. These matters are relevant only in so far as they indicate the use the majority may have "uie of their powers. The fact which has probably arrested tho attention of the Home Office autborit.es is that the chiet-coi.stable recommended the appointment of other officers whom Iw considered better fitted for the duties i I'o brief is held for Captain Colquhonn in these columns. Irom nrst to last v.a i have meroty emphas:^ d the coitimoii'.ftiiw view that dual control is bn.d for fcbe force, and, therefore, fov tlie public who uiuintain the force, and that the committee should either tiust the officer placed in author ;y or, if t'n-y can f-iuuv good reason why the tvast should be withheld from Captain C\>)qu':onn, that they secure the services <>f a chicl-consia!>!e in whom trna'. can be p!a.od. 'i'iie li-'me Secretary will do Svvausst a a .> e: vice o £ inesliniabie value l>v o; i tin: upon an oud being pot..me way or h:.other, to tiiis njis'iiievous dual i cotjuoL ¡- i In most other towns Watch Committees, while exercising supervision, subject to the sanction of the Home Secretary, over appointments virtually made by the chief-constabie—since- the recommenda- tions of tho Jafter are almost in- variably acted upon—recognizo that the power to punish and to reward th.:ij vested m him, contributes largely to the tuain- b teriauc. of discipline. Nothing could be more subversive to discipline than the system in vogue at Swansea of encourag- ing subordinate officers to button-hole members of the Watch Committee, and to ptate when- asrirations and grievauces to members, and the friends of members. It is a system that would not be tolerated by any private iirm. The periodical public slighting of the ciiicf-constable in a natural part cf the system. It is in this notorious elevation of wirc- pulling into a serious business in the force i that the demand for a searching inquiry iuuis its origin. The members of the v\ atch Committee responsible Lr tile sys-j tern meet every protest with iu:iuuati<.<ns iniplying that tho power cannot safely be trusted to Captain Coiquhoun. The public want the Home Office, as the tinal court of appeal, to provide the means whereby the point in dispute I' uno.tr,yuig the etirnal conflict between a section of the Watch Committee and the I chief-constable may be put to the test. The letter of the Watch Committee seems to sLow that 1 lie members labour under some misapprehension as to the bruit of their powers. They are not in sole cnarge of the force. The Home Office, representing the Imperial exchequer, from I which the police receive bad their wages, { has a determining voice in these matters, j Captain Coiquhoun is equally as much the j servant of the Crown as be is a servant of the Swansea ratepayers. 11 vviil be a iine outcome oi this misapprehension for the Home Office to refuse to contribute its half. Tuatisa, contingency by no means remote, should the majority of the Watch Committee members persist in their present course. The genuine remedy—the only remedy—is an inquiry into the whole administration of the Swansea Police foi'ce.

-4k. The possible loss to the t"wn of the services of Mr. Hopton, the chief accoun- tant or the Corporation, is, we imagine, not wholly disconnected with the proposal now under consideration of creating a brand now office which will enable some- one tp draw L600 or tT! a year for dignifying rather than filling it. Mr. Hopton, from ali accounts, is one of those useful, scarcely noticed, public servants who do much and important work for very little pay. Ths salary, we are assured, is less than Jt'200 a year, and at the present time, he performs virtually the duties which fall to a borough treasurer. In the opinion of those best able to judge he is quite equal to ail the duties of the higher office; in fact, he, or someone equally qualified, would be indispensable if a ligurehead were selected to cany the responsibility and receive the emoluments of borough treasurer. As aboui li^OO.UOO a year passes through toe hands of the chief official in charge of the financial business of the Corporation— whether he be called accountant or treasurer—it is obvious that the position shouid mean a decent salary. The mischief of it, however, is that the salary is often divorced from the actual work. The Corporation will be doing wrong in per- I mitting Mr. Hopton to go elsewhere. If he bo worth, say, £300 to Leicester, he is I worth at least that sum and a trifle more to Swansea., where ho has laboured for years. There would probably be no difficulty in suitably recognising his acknowledged I value but for the fact that certain members of the Conned, for reasons best known to themselves, are bent upon giving someone a chance of drawing a substantial srdary by uniting the absolutely dissimilar duties of borough treasurer and estate agent. The absurdity of this proposed amalgam ought to lie obvious. At the present time loss than a dozen leases are grantxl I annually oy the Corporation, if a serious eiiort is to be made to develop the public estate, ail agent of exceptional capacity I and large experience is needed. Such a man is unlikely to be equal to the duties of borough treasurer if something more than I the gracing of the office is to bo expected from him. The situation created by the evident desire of lih. Hopton to leave for some town where Ids value is more likely to be appreciated grants the council the chance of giving the linai quietus to the fanciful scheme which a joint committee is now eegaoed in elaborating.

OUlt i OOTBALL COMPETi- TIOJN. FIVE GUINEAS FOR A TIP. On Saturday, February 15:h, the follow- itur mutches are to be piuved: — J Aberavon Swansea LlanoUy v. Neath Morriaiou v. Penarih Newport v. Cardiff Swansta it v. Aberavon II. u'layed oil iln- £ t\- im.l vf L1L: fortner, Three things will be required oi the success.ul tipsier, First, he will have to find Uie winning teanr-i; then, seuondh, be will have to place the winui-rs in the order of merit that is to say, the lean.' that wins \iUl most in hand will have to un put at the top of the list, and the other according to the margin of points, orediU d to them. Draws, of course, will Le at the bottom o' tht: list, Finally the st-orefi of each teaui will nave to be given in points, and the total number for n.IJ the winning teams placed at the looi. Four matches must be played. The following coupon should bf filled up and must tpacii us not later than two o'ciock on Saturday next, in an envelope plainly marred in the left-hand corner Co'tiipciitio/i. COUPON 21. 1 :o..L..n- f! j i M 4 \Vh>mn Pis. j Pis | n q | Team. for | agstJ Pts. £ 1 1 | IF- I It O J I I j J I ;|" Total. i j | jy Name I II f Auurcss 1 I fi L Ji A

FOOTBALL NOTES. [EV '■ THE KELT."] My comments respecting the allegations of rociih play at Aberavon on Sat,urday last have hseu acceptable at neithei Llaoeilynor Aberavcn. I am tempted to leave the matter there, with the conviction that I have alighted on the truth somewhere between the two extreme and wholly irreconcilable opinions. Mr. Butler wholly misapprehends the position taken up by me. I was careful to say that I did not see the match, and my conclusions were based ou the conflicting statements made, which were interpreted in the light of a tolerably C7:tended experience of football. 1 have never belonged to the kid-gloved fraternity who dis- cover a deliberate routrhutss in e,, ery keen tackle. On the contrary, it has repeatedly fallen to mfl to discourage the crv of roughness which some pec.pie are ever-ready to raise. But, considering the spIrit in which the 'Bravou team entered upon the contest—the determina- ticu expressed and doubtlessly felt of winning it --one doe. not require more thau half an eye to see how the complaint of roughness arose. Mr. Butler applies to Aberavcn the general comment as to the inevitable effect oi pitting unequally weighted teams against each other in an excep- tionally keen struggle. He is not justified in do:ag io. f offered it not as a reproach, but as an un- doubted h::t, which is being demonstrated at some place or another every Saturday during the seasou. A striking example oi it was afforded ht the first match played bv Llanelly against Cardiff last seasou, wLen no fewer than three of the Scarlets were disabled in quick succession, while their opponents escaped scathiess. The advice given to 'iiravon to keep their enthusiasm under control was meant in good part, and in acting upon it they need not forego a tittle of their strength i.s a. team. It would be au almost irreparable misfortuue to them if the Sw;;n3ea players and spectators came back from Aberavon on Saturday nest swelling the chorus of roUi'b. play'' already in full voice at Llane.'Jy. A reputation for roughness is so easily acquired and so difficult to cast oh'. Misfortune docs the heels of the Swansea, team, and no mistake. Just as the third line was be-inniug to shape decently we have Richards dropping out. Hence auothtr change. t is all the more deplorable as the presence of the I Jameses in the team trebles the importance elf combination among the threequarters. By the way the Swansea forwards will iia\e the.r work cut out for them on Saturday. They will be severely tested, aud any want of condition will tell its taie, for the Aberavon forwards play every ounce of their weight, and they are of one mind as to what is to happen on Saturday. A Newport friend assures me that Cardiff wili be made to realise to-morrow the extent and reality of the Newport revival. It's going to be a double numbered win he says. Well, one never know.s. Big wins are not the rule when the two Eastern clubs meet, and I've seen ex- pectations disappointed in a disagreeably 'l:1¡Jhll.tJc way. On form Newport ought to waltz around their neighbours, but iorm in the contests of ciose neighbours has a. weakness for geini; contrary. With Cross stationed at Llanellv, and Joe Davies a probable resident, Lianeiiyites will watch the play of these two stars with mixed feelings on Saturday. The weekly meeting of the Swansea and Dis- trict Football League was held at the Central Restaurant Temperance-hall on Wednesday j evening, Mr, W. Rees, Hafod, in the chair. The oilier nv ml>ers present were Messrs. W. i'.ces ,a ami T. Day. Halod J. Evans. Clayton Thomas aad Davies, Troboeth and J. Newton Jones, Ammanford. Final arrangements were made fer the iater-league match on Saturday. The Treboeth Club asked permission to register Ivor Davies, the Morristsn threequarter, but it was refused on the grounds that Davies had assisted Morriston without the sanction of the- League. It was decided to play D. Austin (Clayton) at fuil-kick on Saturday for the Swansea League, J. Williams (Ammanford) being unable to put ia Rockclille want to till Easter Tuesday with a \Velsh fixture. St. Helen's have an open date for Saturday next (home), and would like to play a gocd junior teem. Apply E. Cope, 67, Rodney-street, Swansea. "Talking of h: b-cs," says "Welsh Athlete," the Brothers James seem to have made a terrilic difference to the Swansea team. At the beginning of the season the All Whites, no matter bow weale the team to which they were opposed could not put on a decent score at any price. East Saturday against Gloucester it was all the other way about. Judging by the result, they could not help scoring, and piled on goals and tries galore in the most brPiiant fa-hion, Per- sonally, 1 can oniy put it down to the brilliancy ot the Jameses, for I have a distinct recollection of the way the Swansea quartette got iu each other's way at Llanelly."

CRICKET ITEMS. Mr. W. Davies. Vauxhail, Llanelly, has be- come a professional cricketer, having accented the position of wicket-keeper and groundsman to the Market Harborough Town Club In the Mid- land-. The Llanelly First Eleven have arranged fixtures for the coming season with Cardiff, New- port, and Swansea, nnd there is a. new home and home fixture with Lampeter College. This has been arranged at the request of the Collegiaus. Efforts are being made to -c-t up tour matches with Swansea. The County League formed for Carmarthen- shire promises to give the summer game a. much- needjd lift in the west. A capital set of ofBeers nave been elected in the following •—President. Mr. T. Seymour, Pontyberem; vice-presidents, Messrs. E. Trubshaw, F, N. Poweli, H. Samuel, v. B. Lliimaton, 11. S. Seymour, Vt. N, Jones, John Thomas. W. Y. Neville, J. F. II. Buckley, Dan Williams, T. Jenkins, ami W. O. Brigstocke secretary and treasurer, Mr. R. II. Linn, 22, Murray-street, Llanelly. At a meeting held at the Swansea Y.M.U.A. in connection with the cricket club on Tuesday tue following were elected ofdeers — Captain. T. Fuwcii vice-captar.i. Neville Davies, gymnasium instructor; secretary, H. Dorreli; treasurer, \V. Nicholls. secretary Y. M.C. A. A field has been obtained at Skeity. and it was decided to hiy out a good pitch. 1 oe subscription is a nominal one, being Es. Ad members desirous of joining should communicate wiih the secretary as earlv as possible, who will also be pleased to arrange matches with good local clubs. Address 9, Calveri-terrace, Swansea.

THiil "POST" DiAftY. j Tug Two I'-rtoi Mi.ur>.vs ev»ry evening; 7 ana y o'clock. I Feb. i5.-Third ordinary general meeting pro- prietors of the h n ausea and Mumbles i;ilway. at 'd, KutlaiwI-ilreH. at 12.50 p.m. Feb. 15. — Fifth half-yearly peeeiai meet ing of I Jfulnhks Railway and Pier CUT)JpauYJ at ii, Jini- lamt-streel, tSwall5C'H. at 10.30 ".1)1. i-Vb. — Pr. Ailinsonat the l'nbiic ltall, Tielx.etli. f,A). !6.—Annual weekly meeting of Swansea, 'lot..1 Abui inenee rioeiet.y, at Ha.g¡.{c<Í ::id1¡.,oJ, at ii III 1-Vt>. 17.—Animal banquet of tSvvansea aud piM-ricl. i.i -ensed Victuallers Association at l'.o.yal Hotel Sv.at'ses. Feb. 20. —Sale ..f the Theatre i.'oya!, Svianse.1, at Mackwon ll Hotel, by Mr. %V II. eees. Feb. 20 an<l 21.—1«rami Ba/.aar at, Canaan Congrega- tional Ctu.reii, Foxhole. IV li. Feb. 20 an<l 21.—1«rami Ba/.aar at, Canaan Congrega- tional Ctu.reii, Foxhole. ^wjiiimn «i«nniiiii —r fMiii-iiniinrrimrnw!i>irnii—nirii iniirn~T'iMi>niBTiii—>m

SWANSEA TIDE TALI E. l'l:Jii. ilEIfiPT OK SILLS. 1', inte e.l Vv.iios Kortl.i bouth DoeU. i)t>ek. Peek. | I ll. A.M. I'f. A.M. I».V. I'.M. p.m. j li. ). h. l i. f. 1. v. 1. I". 1. | 14—F. 6 47 1 30 4 :9 c< :tS 6 22 5 15—IS. 1 L'> V yJ 30 8 rJ V !> 7 22 1 H>-So. V <ii V t-d i1- J M I) 2i 6 *3 u 17 H Z0 ?! 6 u k.4 u Yi b -15-1u. 3 G2 8 16 ?.0 11 2,4 4 4 21 10 zl_ 4 iii—W. 9 1 y 113 30 1 Ha t 1'^ 4 20 10 20-T. 9 30 9 4.S 23 6 26 11 20U 19 5 iZi-F. 10 4 10 a »3 8 26 0 lit 0 176

T- THE POST BAG. -+- I It is when yon paze upon the Cardiff and Svvansea town-halls that you feel ii :e joining the dynainstards. There's a deal in common between Hospital Comraitieey and Irish ejections. There at'3 1 spoilt votes at both. The Llunelly Chamber of Connnerceclaitii51 tc have the largest number of meaabers ot any chamber in the Principality. Doctors of medicine and doctore ef divinity are well representod on the Swansea Hospital Committee, What the former gain iu wtiW" bers the latter make up in siza. There was a record attendance at tb- hospital managers' meeting on Wednesday. Those present numbered 67. Everybody turns up when appointments are to be made- Soaao men won't let trifles stand in their way. Un Wednesday evening a geuslemao walked into a Swansea place of worship during the service, handed the door key solemnly to his wife, and walked out. A grocer m the town lias a placard in a prominent position outside his shop announc- ing that lie has the new season's tea at one shilling per !b." The foot-note en the bill, The tea for hard times speaks for itself. A genbamaa kindly lent his hat for the purpose Ell' collecting the ballot papers at Wednesday's Meeting of the Swansea Hospital Committee. He lelt sorry be had doso so when 110 heard it suggested that ttiera was more in then than when it was on his head. J.he late Rev Aifonzo UriSihs, of Skettv, in ins little hand-book of Welsh hynanoiogy, gives the following parody of a weil-known Welsh hymn :— Mi feddy!iais yn y boreu, Buasvvn oriau ruaith eve byn, Wecli dyrnu'r helem wenilh, Ae yn bwyta'r bara gwyn, Siornedigaeth, Se. Yw csel bwyta bara haidd. What price this iTvith apologies to Dr.. Gomer Lewis) :— Doctor amvyl, sut yr yd yell, .jctor. O mor vvyeli eicri gwawr. Doctor, rhodilwch bwys eieh corpws, I3oetor, ar v gadair l'awr; Dynia iiwsigi &c. Owe 11 na thine y delvn aur. A Swansea ratepayer says that Koose weeks :1go ho thought be had a fair idea of the triple scheme, but now, after the asiles of explanations and counter-explanations pub- lished, his head throbs and his bnÜn reels when he tries ts form an intelligible idea concerning it. Two Swansea iadies devoted a whole hour on Wednesday evening to a description of the lunny things said and rtone by George Grossmith, and the only comment offered ity the company who heard the description wis, It tMn-.t have beeu a trifle dreary if you've given us the choice bus," Theo thought they had; but the wit had suffered by dilution. The Society for the Preveniioa of Cruelty to Animals will please pass by on the other side. A l-ligh-strect publican possesses ;i dog which has been ailing la tely. Asking the advice of a irsptui, he was recommended to give it a little excitement. Of what nature ?" queried the man of the refreshments. ¡. G ï It it a meal." The water scene at the New Theatre this week is a very pretty one. To the average theatre-goer it appears as if real water is used, but this is not 8e. TÙ4t contrivance) however, by v. bieh the L[Get is produced is a very ingenious one., and is completely successful. If the Society CJOWI) fares in other towns as lie did in Swansea it is rot surprising that he left the comic opera stage. The Albert Hall was packed, and the gathering wall probably the most brilliant brought together in the borough for many months. Thogeuerai verdici at the close wws ecstatically eutogistie. ""ion don't want no food new, do you, my little beauties?" were the words in which a local gentleman addressed some pet rabbits the other day. His little youngster, hearing the remark, ccrrected his father thusly. "Aon don't want tiny food is the correct thior, to say, dad. "Oh, never mind," said the old gent., "the rabbits don't know the difference." There is a man living in Swansea who every time ho toes out to dine afterwards comes to this office and insists upon paving a year's subscription for the Daily Post in advance. He has already paid up to the end ot 1947. We are endeavouring to ascertain what brand the gentleman uses, to that it may be more generally put on the market. The Mercvry cives this diverting bird's-cve view oZ the programme at last Friday's Chamber of Commerce banquet:—"The neW dock question was, ol course, the staple of the speeches, lima and again it cropped vp, with ail the forward persistence of King Charles' head in Mr Dick's conversation- The programme, therefore, shaped itself in the manner hereunder shown Speoch •. New dock question on general lines. Song: Mr. 1). ljuihcrJoseph. Speech New dock question ill it) relation to the CWIl1:liedi water works, Sons Mr, IS. C. Jenxin*. Speech .New dock question ant1 the forthcoming vote. embodying passionate appeals to the" rate- payers. Recitation-. Mr. K. IV. Spowarf. Speech The new dock proposal as it affects ths question of collateral security. Song: Mr. F. IV. Powell. Speech 'The new dook question in all its bearing8- eonciufbng w:th jinoiiier lerveut aopeai ue rale payer-. And it is all so true, too A school boy with the curiosity appertain' ing tohis kind was intensely operations of some Corporation workm-0 who were repairing some waterpipes lt1 Oxlord-iitrect yesterday, when one of tj:c workmen tapped a pipe and suddenly a jet of water rose a dozen feet in the air, cover.Dj! lne boy, who was bonding over tiio spot, \vit& confusion and cold water. The Rev. Elvet Lewis delivered a lecture onwhathecaiicd Browning's Message °^ Hone." before the Waller-road Literary Society, Swansea, on Tuesday night, ft is an interesting fact that antong the audienCo was Sirs Thomas Jones, widow of the ^a"° 11 Poet Preacher ol Wales. Browning W:1' a frequent attendant at the London ChunMi of which the late Thomas Jones was pastor, and Mrs Jonos recalls with delight her asso- ciation with the poat. Quite an interesting little scarc wrs created up Mount Pleasant on Thursday a.rt¡,rrJoon. An absurd rumour was circulated to «• effect that the children in the infants' dep&r^ ment of Terrace-road Board S< nc were put under chloroform a»d l"1L* vaccinated by two medical men, a step being, it was said, ren"e- necessary by the prevalence of small-p°x the district! Such a report naturally much consternatien iu the fcreasts of ^,U^j U SC¡)OO mothers who had children at 1. e "eJ which was forthwith besieged by escl-^ women, whoso anxious tears in rfi«-!i,rU Iheir offspring were only, in some inst*^ relieved by the teachers producing t,i-*>osea children safe and sound. It |d tUkI that the report originated in the iu^enl° mini of a boTwhs wanted a holiday*