The Cardiff Times

PLEASE TRY J the only household JOH olive oil soap JHUa Ihsritmi i Am- m Soap g^gi Cannot hart bands or clothes. 2d 3!d. f BrtstOt

SU N C LA D SrtAG. IS TRY IT.

WORKMEN'S TOPICS. THE UPWARD CURVE OF TRADE By MABON, M.P. Export Increase. pXhosc who like the Tariff Reform and other frofcertionist agitation delight in proving that nation we are decaying in commercial im- portance, and that we are not far from bank- j^Ptey by reason of the loss of our great Industries, etc., will find nothing to their in the Board of Trade statistics for last tnonth. Indeed, it is, so muct the other j ay that we have a great deal to be thankful once more. The indications are wholly Satisfactory that in every department of trade one—coal—we are still in the times of rational prosperity, and one cannot help pity- 7*8 those-who are forced to forge the facts that £ perversely prove their contentions foolishly •^accurate. The national turnover, to commence shows excellent increase. We have 12^158,357 from imports, which is better than February last year, *jthough not quite up to the boom Months of the year 1908, but coming that way r.at. Exports also stand at E31,691,870, or £ 3,167,415 better than for the same j^ontb of last year. And, finally, re-exports foreign and colonial) total £ 10,184,560, as Jompared with £ 8,473,634,an increase of no less £ 1,710,926. Really, the prophets of evil ?*Q8t be sympathised with as having fallen ?Pon evil times. The sad condition of the j^aelites of old, who were compelled to make J^icks without straw, is the only fitting parallel to me in face of the returns. Bigger Purchase of Food. One likes the look of these figures when ItbOWJl in such splendid large totals. The com- parison is one to inspire optimism even among whom Mr John Burns described as the Weeping Jeremiahs of Finance." For the Period dealt with by the returns the total vol- fefre has increased by £ 6,068,558, the figures for month, including imports, exports, and reexports, being £ 93,034,787. Here are the ^creases for the month :— Increase over Feb., 1910. Feb., 1909. Imports £ 51,158,357 EM,214 Exports £ 31,691,870 £ 3,667,418 fce-exports: £ 10,184,560 JEl.710,926 -long the imports of food stuffs, grain and 8howan increase of £ 1,020,511, as com- with the same period o £ last year, meat <l&.Ting decreased by £ 590,416. The total in- case in food, drink, and tobacco is £ 1,555,295, *hich is only £ 320,146 less than in 1908 which **so was the fat year. Imports of raw jjjaterials and partly manufactured goods do make so favourable a showing, being less in 1909 by £ 1,472,090. This, after all, is due tO the shortage of cotton, which is 22,969,054 than in February of last year. On the j^her hand iron has increased by £ 139,771, *^des and undressed skins £ and mis- cellaneous items of raw materials and other required for oar manufacturers by 41-076,959. JSxports are altogether good, -with two of ships, which are £ 191,065, and Py, which has dropped 9160,930. Boom in Cotton Goods. The chief items of increased export trade are to follows Cotton Goods. £ 1J02,467 Wool mo.648 OtherTexile Fabrics and Yarns E138,487 Chemicals, Dargs, etc. E247,935 Iron and Steel £ 377,487 Leather (not including Boots and Shoes) XK556 Electrical Goods £61,229 Cutlery and Hardware 162,814 ^Comment is almost superfluous on these ^ures and the facte they express. It is obvious 8. glance that all our great manufacturing es are sharing in the returned prosperity, that in the chief industries on which we rely are more than holding our own. The ship- Pjtig returns are not quite so satisfactory as Jgoee of trade, the totals of tons entered being £ *370 less, and the number cleared 178,808 **8 than for Rehruary, 1909. The Free Trade Union. I"ais organisation is about to enter upon a 2*^ and still more vigorous campaign in its r*tack upon Tariff Reocm. It means busi- 2|Ss undoubtedly. This much is clear from the j^Jtexnents made, the other day to an inter- by Mr Alfred Mond, MJ\ ,who with Earl vjj&uchamp shares the responsibility of the of the Union. The campaign is to maagrcrated without delay, and no other ject but Frfee Trade will be mentioned by lecturers and speakers. We invite all," Mr Mond, to come and join us. We do want their help merely to catch vtjtea for ?*dicaJ candidates. We want them to help us '^arouse public opinion to such an extent that J^Vmjst members and candidates who have jjar really accepted Tariff Reform will.be to proclaim their belief in Free Trade Itee aakIL" I am of the opinion that once Unionist party are convinced that they no chance to return in sufficient numbers office because the great industrial JP^stituencies 'will not accept Tariff Reform, Tjtoy willl soon be glad to cast off that mill- 5**he which Mr Chamberlain has tied round necks. He says that the interest in the g*tter is greatly on the increase, and he holds gutter is greatly on the increase, and he holds view that the people are beginning to feel Tariff Reform is a real change, and it is '\>ioas to me that it is more than real. The Tfeal debate in the House of Commons on the gWteg a month ago, copviucedtne that the ^ttgerwas imminent. A Free Trade Government. Ite Govenunent are slowly, but surely, raging on their way to increase employment, j>d gradually solving the question of non-em- wPyment in the way nearest to their hand. jr*jght hundred thousands pounds have recently spent upon new factories, and work found rj^eight thousand people in direct consc- ience of the passing of Mr Lloyd George's f?teofc and Designs Act of1907. Sometime after passing of that Act a well-known Man- manufacturer estimated that before end of the year 1910 quite 10,000 British rjlmoi would be employed as a direct conse- £ of the passing of the Act. And like 2**ty other prophecies of the kind respecting present Government this one has been ful- though not to the letter yet, but it is JJfcdly coming that -'Way. At the present j~7*Oi€snfc 8,000 men and women workers hasve employment in factories established in jjjs country by foreign manufacturers. These have been obliged to adopt this course in to preserve patent rights which they had (Jj^Uired in Britain, but were not working to jjf required extent. v^ocae firms of ■surveyorsand auctioneers, who been engaged since the introduction of the in negotiating with foreign manufacturers jjjf the purchase of sites and buildings, supply gT**e interesting results. These cover the whole fc?*U»d,and present in succinct order thebene- wjal operations of Mr Lloyd George's ^ct. following are the figures they have sup- S^d to the Board of Trade e of Land and Premises acquired I in England „ £ 188,650 nt expended and being ex- pended in the erection of Build- ingB, Housing of Workpeople &c £ 290,750 ^Hount expended and being ex- pended on Plant, Machinery, \t and Equipment L410,972 44ue of annual assessment on which Local Authorities will receive w Bates. L50,000 ber of Workpeople of both sexes employed. 8,000 unt paid in Wages per week. X8,700 A^he nationality of these firms is German, ^•fcTican, Dutch, and Swiss. The trades in V'°h they are engaged are engineering in its k^ous branches, including electrical, chemical ^^ufactures, pottery, pencil-making, cotton Ms, musical instruments, and rubber goods, is hereby evident that Mr Lloyd George's Ct has the effect of widening the market and e'king down the monopoly enjoyed under It Patents Act unless the patented article jwJ^nufactured in this country. But the l'adoxical part of the matter is that many of Of Tfal.se Ficsal Reformers under the guise Jleformers claim that this Act has t)0^V passed on some principle of Protec- tbey advocate. And yet though the DL)i onii st Government ruled this country upon twenty years prior to the present ernment coming .into power, they abso- tytfs refused to reform the Patents Acts of tjj c°untry. Of what value, therefore, are lr Present pretentions ? State of Employment Generally. *ca;mPioymcnt, though slack, is better than it o a month ago, and much better than a year J»t0* *n South Wales and Bristol Districts em- ^'an 's nn^ *°° rather better fet'tss a mouth ngo. From ent Board of Trade statistics *il ^6Hr^°n nows t<"> all that employment .throughout the United Kingdom if- h better than it was a year ago." This position of unemployment one must admi needs speedy solution if it is possible to do so" There cannot be the slightest doubt but that the workmen of the country, who are ready, willing, and waiting to be employed, have a right to expect from the State tbe right to work. The feeling is that there is always work to do and wants doing, and that if things were properly organised there would be, generally speaking, employment for all.

Man With a Gun. PENAL SERVITUDE FOR RISOA POACHER At Monmouth Assizes on Wednesday, before Mr Justice Grantham, the case was re-tried o Joseph Wallace, 35, collier, charged with night poaching, armed with a gun, with others, on July 26, 1909. The hearing was postponed from the last Assizes, when the jury disagreed. Mr Leslie and Mr Geoffrey Lawrence (in- structed by Messrs Davis, Lloyds and Wilson, Newport) prosecuted, and Mr Sherwood (in- structed by Messrs Harold Lloyd and Cross, Cardiff) again defended. Prisoner pleaded not guilty. George Chappie, keeper in the employ of Lord Tredegar, living at Lower Machen, said he was in the Park Wood about 1.30 at night on July 26th, with others. He saw the figure of a man near a gate twenty yards away. He communicated with the watchers and went towards the gate. The figure then moved to the left under the wood. There was a great shoot of 11 stand back," accompanied by a volley of stones, when witness and his companion got near the gate. Witness lit a flare, and saw four men disap- pearing over the brow of the field. He also saw prisoner standing with a gun, pointing at* witness. He recognised the prisoner.at once by the light of the flare, for he had known Wallace tor 15 years. Gnashing Teeth. A watcher named Greenway then lit a flare and witness said to the prisoner, None of your nonsense, Joe. I know you." Prisoner then ran away. Witness ran after him. Prisoner again pointed the gun at him and also at another watcher. Near the wood prisoner made a final stand, saying Stand back, you or I will blow your brains out." His teeth were gnashing. Other witnesses gave evidence respecting the identity of the man with the gun. P.C. Charles Woods, who arrested the prisoner, said the latter replied, I don't know why they should have me and not others, as it was me before." Prisoner gave evidence with the object of proving an alibi. The jury returned a verdict of guilty. Prisoner admitted two previous convictions for night poaching and other convictions for game trespass, and was sentenced to three years' penal servitude.

A NOTABLE LORD CHANCELLOR. Lord Halsbury, who has been presiding at the Court of Appeal in the absence of Lord Justice Vaughan Williams, is in his 85th year. He has been appointed on three separate occasions to the Woolsack, and has occupied the office of Lord Chancellor for sixteen and a half years. This period has onlv been twice exceeded in the history of England, by Lord Eldon, who was Lord Chancellor for twenty- five years, and by Lord Hardwick, who held the post for over nineteen years. Lord Hals- bury's grandfather was Mr John Giflard, Lord Halsbury. I proprietor of the "Dublin Journal, a paper which had been started and which was edited by George Faulkner, Dean Swift's publisher. His father, Mr Stanley Lees Giffard, was first editor of the Standard." The future Lord Chancellor, however, resisted the afcractions of journalism, and was called to the Bar in 1850. He passed from the Solicitor-Generalship to the Woolsack, as did Lord Herschefl, without taking the Attorney-Generalship. As a bar- rister he set the seal to his fame by his cross- examination of Arthur Orton in the Tichborne trial. He also defended Governor Eyre, of Jamaica, against John Stuart Mill, when hisr counsersoquence mowed the lat £ er-t»<tears.

MARRIED YET DEPENDENT. Curious Mountain Ash Case. Is a manned woman dependent upon her father t This was a point which arose at Moun- tam Ash County Court on, Wednesday during the hearing of a case in which Sophia A. Brad- beer, of Pontypridd, who was represented by Mr H. Leonard Porcher, Pontypridd, claimed compensation from the Came Park Colliery Co., Came Town, Abercytion, in respect of the death of her father, Henry William Small- combe. « Mr Porcher said that applicant, although she was a married woman living with her husband, was partially dependent on her father's earn- ings. The applicant's story was to the effect that although her father lived away from her he called every pay Saturday and gave her some money, varying in amount from 7s a fortnight to iEl. She gave numerous dates on which she received moneys, naming specific sums, but in cross-examination admitted that she could not fix the amounts for any specific date, but adhered to her story in the main. This was corroborated by her husband, a lodger, and a neighbonr. His Honour, after hearing speeches from Mr St. John Williams and Mr Porcher, said that although he could not accept the story of the applicant as to the amounts given her by her father, he believed that he did give her some- thing practically every fortnight, and awarded her E12, with costs on that amount.

INCRIMINATING DOCUMENT. Indian Murder Trial. Bombay, Wednesday.—At to-day's hearing of the trial of Kanhere, who is charged with the murder of Mr Jackson, the collector at Nasik, the police produced a document found on Kanhere headed, Murder for murder," and explaining that he had killed Mr Jackson for acquitting a European charged with murder and for deceiving the people and for oppressing the poor. He concluded, Unless we make the work of administration impossible the evils will continne unchecked therefore I am doing this holy deed."—Renter.

BIG RAILWAY STRIKE. To Tie Up Every Train." Chicago, Tuesday.—A strike of firemen on practically all the Western railroads was called at midnight. Mr Carter, president of the Union, says that the time to walk out will be decided to-day, when every member of the Union, from Chicago to the Pacific Coast, will be instructed by telegraph to, quit work. Mr Carter declares that the order will mean that 25,000 Union firemen will go oat on strike. The railroads refused," he said, to arbi- trate on anything except wages. We therefore decided it was useless to parley further. Owing to the lateness of the hour I decided to wait until to-day before telegraphing the strike order." Both sides previously stated that if a strike were called it would tie up every freight and passenger trian from Chicago to thepacific Coast. Government Mediation. Washington, Tuesday.—The railways opera- ting to the west of Chicago have requested the Federal Government to act as mediator in the dispute with firemen, in accordance with the provisions of the Erdman Act. The request will be granted.—Renter. Chicago, Tuesday, 4 p.m.—Mediation under the Erdman Act has been formatly accepted by the committee of the locomotive firemen.- Reuter.

SHOTS ON TURKS' FRONTIER. Athens, Wednesday.—Considerable sensa- tion was caused in official circles to-day by a despatch 'received at the Ministry for War, "tating that on the Turkish frontier this morn- a party of Greek soldiers were fired upon by a Turkish frontier patrol, one of them being slightly wounded.—Central News.

WELSH COUNTRY HOMES. XXII.-Dunraven Castle. (CONTINUED.) ANCESTRY OF THE PRESENT EARL. POINTS ABOUT THE MODERN HOUSE. Some Interesting Welsh Tapestry. Last week we told the story of Dunraven I Castle from the days of Caradog to the early I part of the last century, when the heiress of the Wyndliam family married Mr Wyndham Henr-N, Quin, who became the second Earl of I Dunraven. The Quins (now Wyndham-Quin) are one of the few families in the Irish peerage who can lay undoubted claim to Celtic ancestry, for in very early days they wore seated in A CORNER OF THE MORNING BOOM. County Clare, where they were possessors of a barony. A very interesting letter, written in the time of James 11. by Thady Quin and giving many facts regarding his Irish ances- tors, is still one of the Earl of Dunraven's most treasured possessions. The third Earl of Dunraven, the father of the present Earl, was a man of fine character and great culture. He was enthusiastically devoted to literature and archeeology, especi- ally relating to Ireland, and his reputation in the latter respect may be regarded as having extended far beyond the confines of the British Isles. Evidence of fhis is supplied by the fact that Montalembert, the distin- guished politician, theologian and historian, dedicated to the late Earl one of his volumes on Monks of the West," in a Latin inscrip- tion in which he pays well deserved tribute to his erudition. The Present Earl. The present Earl succeeded to the title on the death of his father in 1871. Although at the time only thirty -years of age, he had already done more than most men. He had served while at Oxford University in the volunteer force, and subsequently in the Life Guards. In 1867 he acted as war corres- pondent for the Daily Telegraph through the Abyssinian campaign, and in the following year was aide de camp to the Lord Lieutenant -u- DUNRAVEN: THE WEST FRONT. I of Ireland. Oince his succession to the Earl- dom, he has shown much activity in many spheres. both as politician, yachtsman, and author, and in the latter capacity has written upon subjects as diverse in character as the History of the Soudan and the Irish Ques- tion. Lord Dunraven has inherited his father's love of architecture and archaeology. As a yachtsman he has twice been the centre of an Empire's hopes when he made unsuccess- ful but plucky attempts to restore the Ameri- ca Cup to the Old World. He is a keen golfer. and when you see him, as you often may do. upon the breezy links of the Royal Porthcawl Club, it is hard to believe, as you watch his active movements and the free swing of his golfing irons, that lie is in his seventieth year. The Earl and Countess spend a considerable portion of their time at Dunraven. The Coun- tess is sometimes there almost continaously I — WELSH TAPESTRY REPRESENTING KING AHAS UERUS & ESTHER. from June to October, and during this time his lordship is frequently there as well. They almost invariably leave Southerndown before Christmas, however, as they always like to spend Yule-tide at Adare Manor, the ancient estate of the family in County Limerick. Lord Dunraven is the possessor of high ideals re- garding the duties of a landlord, and the problem of the future of Ireland has always been very near his heart. The Castle and its Surroundings. The present Glamorganshire home of Lord r Dunraven was erected about a century ago, upon the site of the old Tudor House, and al- though an external view reveals no trace of the older building, a visit to the interior soon reveals how much of the ancient fabric re- mains, for the walls are amazingly thick. The general arrangement of the passages in the basement reveals the handiwork of Tudor if not of still earlier builders,and one recalls the remark of Grose," that portions .are of great antiquity more resembling a religious house than a castle. The line of the main front to- day is practically identical with that of the old Tudor House, for it faces south-east, and has two projecting wings, the space between which is filled up in rather unusual style by a lofty conservatory through which flights of stone steps lead upwards to the saloon or en- trance hall. This conservatory was originally erected about eighty years ago, but it has been recently renovated. About twenty years ago Lord Dunraven added a new north-west wing ¡ to the castle, thereby greatly increasing its accommodation. This wing, which extends nearer the sea, provides from its windows magnificent views across Southerndown and the Ogmore mouth to Newton Nottage and Porthcawl. The angle formed between, the new wing and the western side of the older portion of the building is occupied by a well trimmed lawn, level as a bow- ling green, where the family play croquet in summer days. On the southern side of the mansion the ground ascends steeply to Witches Point. The trees which cover this eminence, though fairly thick, are of no height oviag to their bleak situation. The Gardens and Deer Park. On the north-eastern side the ground slopes away to the walled gardens. The old stone wall seen in the illustration, taken in 1776, which we published last week, still stands and at its north-eastern extremity there is a picturesque angle tower. Beyond this- the ground rises and falls in graceful undulations across the park where herds of sleek deer live happy uneventful lives. The main entrance is at the western end of the park, which is reached from Southerndown along a steep and winding hill leading almost to the sea level, From this point, at which the lodge gates are situate, it is a stiff pull up the drive, which passes the stables and winds round the north- I eastern side of the castle to the main entrance. The Interior. We referred just now to the big conservatory and the steps leading therefrom to the saloon. The latter is panneled half way up the wails, on which are hung the portraits of several members of the Wyndham family. Place is also found here for some fine horned heads of moose and other animals—trophies which have fallen to the Earl's gun 'in time past, for he has been a mighty hunter. The in- terior of the house has been altered on several occasions, and the space formerly occupied by the staircase is now the morning room which is more of an adjunct to the saloon than anything else. It is pannelled from floor to ceiling, and a pretty balustrading at one end adds greatly to the beauty of the room. A suit of ancient armour occupies on3 corner. Above the 03antelpiere are trophies of ancient pistols, and to the right hand is an old mirror of French design. The dining room and drawing room occupy the western side of the castle and have spacious windows looking across the bay towards Newton Nottage. In the dining room are several old portraits of members of the Wyndham family of former days. ¡ The drawing room, which adjoins it, is the most beautiful apartment in the building. Nobly proportioned It has mural decorations of a bluish grey tint, which are well set off by a finely moulded cream freize. The pictures here again are mostly of members of the family, notable among them being portraits of Caroline, Countess of Dunraven, of Thomas Wyndham, who lived from 1762 to 1814, and of a member of the family who was killed when quite young in the hunting field. The furniture of the drawing room is in the Louis Quinze and Queen Anne styles,and of these there are some chaste examples. Some Fine Old Tapestry. The staircase, which occupies the southern corner of the castle, is of oak and along the walls forming the gallery at the top are, some interesting pieces of tapestry which I were brought from Llanvihangel, an old home of the Wyndham family. There are in all three large pieces and they are stated to be Welsh. The book of Esther has supplied both the subjects for the tapestries at the top of the staircase, one being of King Ahasuerus and Queen Esther and the other of Haman and Mordecai. The long corridor on the first floor, though somewhat narrow, is very effective, the groined roof, as viewed from the ends being particularly graceful. Memory of a Famous Wreck. On the floor at the extremity of this corridor there stands a big ship's bell, which has a story attached to it. It IS practicaUy all that remains of the full-rigged ship Ben-y-Gloe, of Glasgow. a fine boat of her time, for she was of 2,000 tons burthen. About a quarter of a century ago she was driven to her doom below the cliffs near the Nash Lighthouses. Happily, the captain and crew, save one man. were rescued, and in their plight found shelter and a kindly hospitality at the hands of the Lord of Dunraven Castle, who preserves the ship's bell as a memorial of the event. I The New Wing. The new wing which was added by the present Earl about two decades ago, consists of suites of rooms occupied by the Earl and Countess, the latter's being the upper flooi;. Over the mantelpiece in one of the Countess's apartments, hang photographs of his Lord- ship's famous yachts, the Valkyries, and also a portrait of their noble owner. In another of this suite of rooms, which is exquisitely decorated in cream, a notable feature is the arcading over the mantelpiece. In each recess there is a picture of a scene at Adare Manor and each is lit by an incandescent electric lamp which is hidden from sight under the canopy of the arcading. Other mural decor- ations in this pretty room are photographs of hunting scenes in Texas, in all of which the Earl is a prominent figure. The Earl's Apartments. The suite of rooms occupied by Lord Dun- raven when in residence occupies the ground floor of the new wing. The greater part of the walls of the cosy sitting room is panelled in oak but the deep frieze is in a large and some- what daring though remarkably effective scheme of colour. In one corner stands an ancient oak chest bearing upon it the name of Tbady Quin, Adare," a famous ancestor of the Dunraven family, who was a-Justice of the Peace in the timeof the Stuarts, and the writer of the letter referred to previously in this article. This chest, by some means or other, got out of the possession of the family many years ago, but it was sent to the present Earl by some un- known person near Fejlbrig who stated that it came into their possession while in Norfolk. Here, as in other parts of the castle, are many very fine engraving? of scenes from Shakespeare. In a prominent position on the wall near one of the windows hangs an illumi- nated address which was presented to his FIREPLACE IN THE DINING ROOM. Lordship in 1895 by the rah abitants of Cardiff in appreciation of his determined efforts to bring back the America Cup. There are other indications of the Earl's passion for yachting. In every truth Dunraven is an ideal home for one who loves the sea in its many moods. Beneath the rock walls on which it is perched the breakers beat relentlessly, while half a mile away across the intervening blue the billows are away across the intervening blue the billows are churned to snow-white foam where the strong tide boils round the Tuska r Rock. Beyond this to tne luxuriant sea cliffs of Devon, stretches the broad, strong-tided waterway covered with its argosy of collier tramps and world end steamers." What changes the centuries have brought! The false lights of old Walter Vaughan no longer lure the storm-tossed mariner to lys doom, but in our kindlier, if less romantic, age, the twin light; that flash from the Nash Cliffs hard by, now guide him safely between the rocks and shoals and give him safe passage to his desired haven. Next week-PONTYPOOL PARK.

For being drunk in the Hope and Anchor Inn, and also drutfk and disorderly in the Isca Inn, Newport, James Gallagher, a marine fire man, was fined 10s 6d. Wm. Daley, a marine fireman, was mulcted in the sum of 30s for being drunk and refusing to quit the King's Head bar.

FLOCK OF SHEEP RUN DOWN. I Monmonth Motor Car Accident. On Tuesday a motor car atMitchel Troy, near Monmouth, driven by Mr George Williams, of Monnow-street, Monmouth, dashed into some sheep and lambs. Six ewes and six lambs were killed. The flosk belonged to Mr J. W. Davies, of Red House, near Monmouth. The occupants of the car were jurymen attending the Monmouth Assizes.

ANGLO PORTUGUESE FIGHTS. Lisbon, Wednesday.—The Diario Popular to-day publishes a despatch from Tete, situ- ated on the bank of the River Zambesi, at the boundary of Portuguese East Africa, stating serious conflicts have occurred there between Portuguese and British officials The despatch, however, specifies no reason for the conflicts. The news is confirmed by the Mundo," which learns officially I hat notes on the sub- ject are being exchanged by the Portuguese and British Governments.-CenU-al Ne4.

NOVA SCOTIAN PIT FIRE. Halifax, Wednesday.—The Arcadia Coal Company's mine at Stellarton is on fire, in a back slope. The tlames brolte through from the overlying slope where a fire existed pre- viously. The outlook is serious. Efforts will be made to wall in the slope as far down as the flames will permit. Equipment for fighting the flames is coming from Cape Breton by special train. If the tire is not overcome the greater part of the colliery will be rendered Idle.—Reuter.

PWLL FAMILY DISPUTE. Children and Father's Estate. At Llanelly County Court on Wednesday, be- fore Judge Bishop, George Thomas, Black Rock House, Pwu. made an application against his son, Benjamin Thomas, for the can- cellation of the voluntary .conveyance of the house, Black Rock, to him. Mr T. R. Lndford appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr G. Clarke Williams (instructed by Mr Gwilym R. Price) defended. Plaintiff's evidence was that he built Black Rock House, which was the only property he had, at a cost of £140, and some time ago his son Benjamin and one of his daughters— Betsy—asked him to make a will. After having been worried by them he agreed to leave the house to his son upon his death, and he gave the loan of the lease to his daughter, Betsy, to make his will. Subsequently Mr Gwilym R. Price, solicitor, and Mr J. Bowen called to see him. He had not asked them to do so. Mr Price asked him to make a will with regard to hi& furniture, but he did not do so. Subsequently he saw Mr Price at his office, and signed two documents, which he thought were his will. They were not ex- plained to him, and he could not read. Mr Williams I submit that you ordered the solicitor to prepare two documents—one assigning over the house to your son Benjamin and another giving you a lease on it for your life at Js a year f—No nothing of the kind. That was an underhand trick of theirs, and I am asking his Honour to undo it. Who do you say did this underhand trick ? —My son and others. Mr Gwilym R. Price said that on plaintiff's instructions he prepared a deed of assignment of the house from plaintiff to his son Benjamin, and a lease from Benjamin to his fattier. These documents were signed by the plaintiff after they had been explained to him. Plaintiff did not sign the will dealing with the furniture, which he had also ordered him to prepare. His Honour gave judgment in favour of the defendant with costs.

EMBEZZLEMENT CHARGES. T.V.R. Clerk's Arrest There was a packed court at Pontypridd on Wednesday.when charges of embezzlementand one of falsification of accounts were preferred against Henry Frank lyn, ex-chief clerk at the Taff Vale Railway Goods Station, Pontypridd, who was arrested on a warrant at Queenstown. Mr Charles Matthews represented th e defendant. Mr Thompson (Messrs Ingledew and Sons, Cardiff), who prosecuted, stated that it was alleged that m some cases defendant would enter less sums on the counterfoils than he actually received, and in other instances would omit to account for any receipts at all. Three charges of embezzlement were entered into. In the first, evidence was given that de- fendant was paid JE8 3s 8d by Mr Allen Scuda- more, butcher, and on the counterfoil was entered £2 Is paid by a Mr Hayman, leaving a balance of t6 2s 8d unaccounted for. The second charge was that defendant received jE6 0s 2d from Mr Morgan Phillips, butcher, and accounted for only 7d paid by a Mr Jones. The third count was that the defendant had received, from-Mr Allen Scudamore, which was not accounted for in the cash book. On the charge of falsification the same evidence was given as that in the first charge of embezzlement. P.C. Wm. Evans spoke to receiving defend- ant in custody from the Quecnstown police. He made no reply when charged. I Witness was handing in various papers which were alleged to have been found on the defendant, when The Stipendiary remarked Do they show that he was travelling under an assumed name t Mr Thompson Yes, sir and show also tha he was travelling to America. Mr Matthews raised the point of the admis- sibility of this evidence. The Stipendiary I will leave the ultimate admissibility to another court, but will take it for what it is Vorth now. When charged, defendaat replied, I re- serve my defence." The Stipendiary remanded him for a week for the depositions of the witnesses to be signed prior to his formal committal for trial. Bail was refused.

The Swansea District of, the Independent Order of Oddfellows have presented P.P.G.M I Evan Williams with an enlarged photograph of kif and hila wif,

WELSH GLEANINGS, News and Views in Lighter Vein. The Local Government Board will on Wed- nesday inquire into an application to have Llysfaen, which is completely surrounded by Denbighshire, added to that county. It is suggested in the" Tyst" that steps should be taken at the forthcoming meetings ot the Welsh Congregational Union to elect Sit S. T. Evans, the late Solicitor-General, at chairman of the Union. Reports presented to the National Free Church Council at Hull last week showed con* siderable activity on tfce part of the Welsh Councils, not only in the ordinary work of organisation, but in establishing series of lec- tures and in the formation of reading circles. The of sorRe chapels is pathetic. Two or three in Swansea h3- been converted into hotels, one in Cardiff has become a Masonic Temple, and one in Wrexham was on Friday sold to be converted into shops and a non- political club. Mr Percy Player, th new sheriff of the county of Glamorgan, is an enthusiastic naturalist, and is the best friend of wild bird protection on the Glamorgan County Council. The comprehensive Wild Bird Order which is in force in the county is largely due to his por sonal interest. At Dunraven Castle there are several pieces of fine tapestry which are said to be of Welsh manufacture. It would be interesting to know at what period and in what portion of tbe Principality tapestry making was practised. The Welsh national spirit is awakening wherever Welshmen are located in any nam* bers. A meeting was held in Sheffield on Fri- day night to establish at Welsh Society for the city, and judging from the fact that 50 Wefah people were present there seems to be a peoa pect of success. Mr C. P. Hughes is acting secretary for the movement. The divisions between some Wefeh couutfcas are curiously placed. At Moehdre. on the North Wales coast, the cottage of a signalman is built on the boundary between Carnat wo- shire and Denbighshire, and the occupant wed to sleep with his head in one county and his feet in the other. A few miles further east, the division between these two counties through a chapel at Llysfaen. The new member for Radnorshire rons serious risk of losing his identity, and the in which a double-barrelled name exposes a member to risks when he addrseses the Hocaa on the question of rifle ranges is shown by some reports which attribute a speech to me Llewelyn-Venables. Sir J. T. D. Llewelyn's son and Lord St. Aldwyn's nephew, is. of course, Mr Venables-Llewelyn. Mr James Venmore, the new High Sheriff of Anglesey, commenced his career as a pupil teacher in his native village of Llanerchymed. He went to Liverpool in 1865, and joined his brother in business as an estate agent, valuerv and accountant. For over 40 yeacs V^ent more has been a prominent figure in reogiotM, educational, and political work in Liverpool < He has been for 23 years a deacon of a Wefatr Cahvinistic Methodist church, and is moderator* elect of the Liverpool Presbytery. As treasuref., in Liverpool for the University College of. North Wales he has assisted in collecting £10,000 for the funds of that institution. One of the schemes advocated by British Red Cross Society organiser in their missionary work in the valleys of Glamorgan is that the wounded from the battles that are fought oib the slopes of the Brecon Beacons and on Dowlais Top should be conveyed along the canal to the base hospital at Cardiff. It might surprise many of them to know that the, Glamorganshire canal is not-now navigable it the Merthyr Valley. The town of Leek, in Staffordshire, whew, Edward Jones, the founder of Welsh Wesleyan Methodism died and was buried in 1837, is in a line due east of Rutben, where the famous preacher was born in 1777. Leek is a delight' fully clean little town, and in the days whev ladies wore silk dresses it was very prosperous f but the vagaries of fashion and the importa- tion of Japanese and other silk has hit the industries hard, and it now chiefly depenCÙl upon the manufacture of silk ribbon mohair braid. A correspondent, referring to the-sketch ot the career of Sir John Josiah Guest published in the South Wales Daily News on Sator- day, suggests that it may not be generally re- membered that Sir John's widow, Lady Char- lotte Guest, the translator of the Mahin- ogion," married again three years after the great ironmaster's death. Her second hnøbao6 was Mr Charles Schrieber, M.P. Lady 0b8it- lotte was a daughter of the Earl of Lindsey. The Y.M.C.A. movement is becoming mon and more to be recognised as a commas, ground of effort for people of all shades of political and religious opinion. In Merthyi Tydfil the work is regarded as a town's move- ment, and the Mayor (Mr Frank James) is enlisting the assistance of a large number of influential residents in an effort tu. raise as much as possible towards the required to complete a building nowm conc of erection. Welsh members of Parfooneut and RIf.I6.' men who sought election to the House bl Commons have been much in evidence Cardiff during the past week, and all of have been lawyers. Among those who may b* mentioned are Mr Abel Thomas, K.fLt mF.1> Mr Lloyd Morgan, K.C., MJ> Mr BUis Joam Griffith, M.P., Mr Llewelyn Williams, HLP. Mr Dltvid Rhys, Mr Roland Vaughan wnHn^ Alderman Lewis Morgan, Mr Ilarold Tinjrf Mr John Sankey, K.C„ seems to be well rnm tent with having been elected to the Llanyblodwel, although it has such tinctively Welsh name, is in Shropshire. '!hi vicar of the parish, the Rev. J. Alhin JdOSB, is a clergyman with a broad miDd. Writing is his Parish Magazine," he san:— Ibmm been asked by several if it is rtcbt to pfay bridge during Lent, and I answer that It is not only right but may be a very healthy Lcofeaa exercise.. There are people who øboaId asvo* play bridge, viz., those who play merely far win money, and those wlncaaosnrtakM beating without being soured in. temper. Bid hysbys i bawb o vonbedrfigiou redin von Eisteddfod ar wyr wrth gerdd t mu! a thant o vewn tref Gaerwys yn_ar y Pfflnty* ail ddydd o vis Gorffenhajf, Ac." This is tbI first sentence in an ancient parchmset, ftw yards in length, which has been damuvemd in the British Museum, and transcribed 8Dd printed with a preamble by Mr J. H. Davies. The roll is that of the Caerwys Eisteddfod at 1523, and Mr Davies says that it ia prohehiy the oldest genuine rehc of the Eisteddfod. He points out that the way in which the nod Eisteddfod is used dearly denotes a formal sitting or session for the consideration at rfwipes concerned with bards and nanattets. The Hon. Mrs Bulkeley-Owen and the Boa. Mrs Herbett, of Llanover, are the prrridnnti of the Red Dragon Society, which is entirely run by ladies having for its object the WeJshi- tying of Wales. The proclamation of Undeb y Ddraig Goch sets forth its objects to be (1) The recognition of the literary language by the gentry (2) the cultivation of a patriotic spirit by our women (3) the extension of tha bi-lingual programme in the elementary and secondary schools throughout the country; (4) the foundation of a Cymric Academy on the basis of the Hungarian Academy, which did so much for the national language, or s Cymric League on the lines of the Gaelia League of Ireland. Mr Charles V. Maybery, a native of Llanelly. is eulogised in the Cycle and Motor Trade. Mr Maybery, who is a nephew of Mr Joseph Maybery, J.P. (formerly managing director ot the Old Castle Tinplate Company, Llanelly), was, after leaving Llanelly, appointed assistant manager to Messrs Horsfall and Bickham, the makers of the Horbick car, subsequently be- coming manager of the Fiat business in Deans- gate, Manchester. Mr Maybery is in the front rank of Manchester motor drivers, and has put up many fine performances. Possibly his best effort was the non-stop run which he and his brother made. Driving a 12 h.p. 2-cylindet Darracq they covered 219 miles in 12 hours. The March number of Cap and Gown," the magazine of the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire, contains interest* ing reading to those who are in any way con- nected with the College. Some of the article# have a good literary flavour, whilst th< humorous and social side of College life is well described by various writers. The poetical effusions of the students are witty, the deea cription of the Degree Day ceremony, which was awarded the prize at the College Eistedd. fod, gives a vivid picture of that memocabk day of disorder. The ancient laws of the Welsh regarding chastity were peculiarly severe, and will not always bear repeating in these polita times. They called a bal a pal it those old days, pal" being the Welsh fa spade. Very curious were some of thi marriage laws of Howell Dda. In case of i separation of man and wife, the belongings of the couple were divided between them with minuteness of detail that covered every con 1 ceivable property, from the children down t1 the bed clothes. The poultry were his, aD the cats were hers.