The Cardiff Times

C G SA tH. 3 E S *s TRY IT.

WORKMEN'S TOPICS. I (By MABON, M.P.) i I; REPORT ON SWEATED INDUSTRIES. Important Recommendations, The Select Committee on Home-work—in Plain English,the committee on Sweated In- dustries—have presented so importanta report, and which must have a source of deep interest Jo all social reformers, that I have ventured to offer for the information and consideration of our readers a second contribution on the Blatter. With regard to the legislation urged by them Jo deal with the evils of sweated home-work they make the three following recommenda- tions 1. That there should be legislation with regard to the rates of payment made to home workers who are employed in the production or preparation of articles for sale to other Persons. 2. That this legislation should at first be tentative and experimental, and be limited in scope to home workers engaged in the tailor- |pg> shirt-making, underclothing, and baby l«ien trades, and in the finishing process of Machine-made lace. The Home Secretary Should be empowered, after inquiry, to estab- 43h wages boards for other trades. 3. That wages boards should be established selected trades—trades to fix minimum loae and piece rates of payment for home Workers. Collection of HomQ Wark. The committee urge that it should be an offence either to pay or to offer lower rates than the minimum fixed for the district by the Wages board. The delivery and collection of home work, they urge, should be done by persons in the direct employ and pay of the employer or, where that is not done, the amount which a Worker should earn in a specific time should be calculated on a basis which included the time spent in fetching and returning the work as time in doing the work. The committee also made the important sug- gestion that the home workers employed by other people in preparing or producing articles Or sale should be registered with the local authority, and that the keeping of accurate Out-workers' list by employers should be Strictly enforced with a penalty upon every Person employing a home worker in work of any kind unless the home worker produced a Certificate of registration. Finally, the committee recommended that Section 2 of the Public Health Act, 1875, with Regard to factories and workshops which are not kept clean, or are ill-ventilated or over- crowded, should be extended to rooms in J^hich home work is done, and power should be given to sanitary and factory inspectors to jQspect them and secure the enforcement of the law, and that the full protection of the Truck" should be secured to home workers. Enough has been said now, I think, to give ^onae idea of the problem to be faced. Evi- dently the real evil to be cured is not, as already Pointed out, the grinding of the face of the Poor," by the employer, but the system which Pernaits a worker to be paid at a rate which not feed and clothe the individual. For his the employer is not wholly responsible, it simply the result of unbridled compe- cion. it is> in fact, the most complicated of £ 5°blems, and to attack it with any hope of will mean breaking through soma DorfClples that have long been regarded as v sacred. Naturally enough the com- »!ttee|s recommendations are of a tentative J&aracttt,, involving early legislation with fegard to the rate of payment in certain indus- tries, and the creation of wages boards in others. The Committee's Scheme, if we may call it so, is largely following the experiment conducted in Australia and New Zealand, but applying them only to sweated home workers instead of aiming to govern the whole industrial field. In Victoria representatives of employed and employers, With an impartial, or what we generally call independent chairman, constitute a wage Jjoard for a certain industry. Their aim is to decide prices and hours of iabour suited to the trade, and the final decisions of the Board are Compulsory. Wages there have undoubtedly risen since the inauguration of this policy but they have not yet solved the difficulty associated J^th the aged, the infirm, and the slow worker. Nor has it been possible to restrain employers **om substituting women for men or children *or adults. wit is not proposed to adopt this policy in **ngland even with the sweated industries; the paction of the Board would be rather to give ■^formation on the rates of wages, etc. and hy securing publicity to bring moral pressure j** bear. It would not be long, of course, "^fore the idea of fixing the rate of pay was accepted, though here again many difficulties Would have to be overcome. in deciding piece j>tes, say, there would be no guapsrfitee that a hvixxg wage would be securpdT In our chief 4-nd well-organised trades that stage has been Practically reached and there, of course, by j^eans of organisation. In these sweated in- dustries it would seem impossible to secure jhat labour organisation necessary to give them due protection, and it seems but natural, therefore, that the State should provide the Machinery to do, if possible, that which organ- nation has done elsewhere. But the number of Probable difficulties increases as we move in that direction, so that at is rea ily understood Why the committee ask only for legislation of an experimental character. law Relating to Employment of Women and Children in Argentine Republic. The new law that regulates the conditions ^tiderwhich women and children are employed the Argentine Republic was passed at the end of September of last year. The minimum 4ge at which children are allowed to be em- ployed is ten years, but those over ten who are school age, and who have not completed the course of instruction made obligatory by the laws of education, can only be employed \1v-here such work is made necessary for the ^eans of their existenoe or for that of their Parents or brothers and sisters, and in which Cases authorisation must be obtained. Children j^der 16 years of age are not compelled to V^°rk night work, or work likely to be preju- ^cal to their hf^lth or to their instruction or Morals. The local authority may order the d Medical examination of children employed in S or industrial establishments, and the withdrawal of those who they may have tOOd reasons for believing that their health or formal development is affected by the work Pursued. The local authority is also required t° regulate the work done by women and chil- dren in the interest of their health, safety, lt»structions, and morals and it is made obli- gatory on owners and directors of factories f'Hd workshops, machinery, &c., &c„ to organ- ic the work in such a manner that the women -nd children in their employ may be safe- j^arde 1 as far as possible from all Angers to health and morals. Special regulations which only came into »orce on the 1st of August are laid down for ^Jienos Ay res, the capital of the Republic, in ?"hieh town no children of 12 or under may employed in industrial establishments, and rather children under 16 years of age, nor v'otrieri of any age are allowed to work at J^lgerous or unhealthy trades that are desig- j^ted as such by the executive, or even do ^8ht work from 9 p.m. to 6 a»m. next tnorn- |Tlae maximum number of hours per day /hat children are allowed to work are eight^and f ^idf-day rest of two hours must be allowed j?5" them, as well as for women, in cases ''sre they are-required to work on both trlc.rnings and afternoons. Moreover, seats r*Ust be provided for women wherever the opk done permits their use. Women workers. °rking in factories are permitted to be absent their work for 30 days after child-birth, their employment is to be kept open for for that period. 50 Penalties for infraction of the law are from to 500 dollars, or imprisonment in default. jg*d any person even causing children under years of age to/go through dangerous exor- of feats of strength, &c., is lia-ble to a fine *00 to l,000 dollars, r an equivalent term IlXlPrisonment. a^eful consideration of the law explained shows that great interest is taken in Reneral welfare of women and children y rkers in this comparatively small republic— and that greater attention is paid, so that theu>social and moral interests are notaffected by ine occupations they fpllow than there is even tha"1^ °Wn country. One cannot help feeling that so much attention and care is to the industrial welfare of working men w°men in some, other parts of the world, t}0 w'°uld be more grateful were the applica- tive Of the same practice more general p ughout the universe. ^Ployers' Liability in the United Statss. w D, lar-N establishing the liability of rail- bj0^. ^mij^anies in case of accidents to em- Vas approved for the first time in the States of America in the present year, it ejjactp eomply that railway companies shall he liable fordamages to any person suffer- ing injury employed by them, or in the case of death to the personal representative or next of kin of such employee for such injury or death resulting from theh negligence of any of the officers, agents or employees of such compa- nies, or by reason of any defect or insufficiency due to their negligence of cars, engines, appli- ances, machinery, track, permanent way, works boats, wharves, or other equipment. The fact that the employee has been guilty of contributory negligence shall not be a bar to the recovery of damages, but these shall be diminished by the jury in proportion to the amount of negligence attributable to such employee. The ordinary risky nature of the employ- ment is not to be allowed as a plea for the mitigation of damages by the company when an action is taken against them but account shall be taken of any sum already paid by the company as idemnity or as insurance contri button—contracting out of the liability under the law is in no manner of way to be allowed. This is something similar to the Employers' Liability Law of this country. With the ele- ment of cbntributory negligence partially abolished—or in other words, while the contri butory negligence of a workman as a fact is not to be a bar to his recovering damages from the company, but it is to a factor to be used in mitigation of the damages to be received. They may be large or small, according to the ability of the great company lawyers of the States, to prove, or pretend to prove, contributory negli- gence or the part of the applicant injured workman. Many people in this country will be greatly surprised to find that this is the first time this law, which is yet so meagre and partial, is passed in the land of justice and liberty. Pre- sident Roosevelt, in his last Presidential Address, advocated a Workman's Compensa- tion Act to the workers of America but as I pointed out at the time the corrupt interest of the railway companies there would prove too much for him during his term of office, and it has been so.

HARRY THAW A BANKRUPT. New York, Saturday.—An Official' Receiver has been appointed to wind up the estate of Harry Thaw in bankruptcy. The action has been taken on the voluntary petition of Ttfew, who declares that he has been ruined owing to the expenses of his trials, and that a number of the claims made upon him are exorbitant. The assets have been sworn at 128,002 dollars and the liabilities at 453,140 dollars. The chief claim on the estate is that of Harry Thaw's mother for 191,000 dollars. This claim is ad- mitted by the debtor, but a very large propor- tion of the others, consisting mostly of lawyers' costs and fees of mental experts, are disputed. The question of: their validity will be fought out in cowrt.—Central News. New York, Sunday.—Commenting on Harry Thaw's action in filing a bankruptcy petition, the f' American expresses the opinion that the petition is a new move to secure his free- dom, and points out that if the Court accepts the petition it will be tantamount to acknow- ledgment of his sanity. The World states the defence expenses in the two trials amounted to over a million dollars, and that the fortunes of Thaw's three sisters as well as his own have been swept away.—Central News.

SNOWDON RECORD. A mountaineering feat has just been accom- plished by Mr and Mrs Stansfteld, aged respec- tively 68and62 years, of Rochdale-road, Bacup. They have climbed to the summit of Snowdon under a scorching sun in the short space of three hours. The time generally allowed for the ascent is five hours. The guide states that this is a record for a married couple both over 60 years.

WOULD-BE SUICIDES. Plucky Cardiff Cripple. Minnie Derris (24) was charged at Cardiff on Wednesday with attempting to commit suicide in the Glamorgan Canal, near the Custom House Bridge, on Tuesday. The prisoner pleaded guilty, and said. 1 hadn't anywhere to go I want to go back to service again." This is the case in which Walter James Per- kins. a tailor, of 245, Moorland-road, who is partially crippled and uses a crutch, saw the girl get over the wall and jump into the water. He promptly went to the canal-side and pluckily sprang in- and rescued her. The magis- trates discharged her With a caution, and (on the application of Inspector Burke) awarded her rescuer, Perkins, 10s from the poor-box for his gallantry. Upset by a Love Affair. Ernest Clements (18) was brought up on reo mand on Wednesday at Cardiff, charged with attempted suicide on Friday last at the rear of a shop in Bridge-street. The cause of prisoner's rash act, it was alleged, was trouble over a love affair. On promising not to attempt any such act in the future, and to behave him- self, prisoner was discharged with a caution.

YACHT CAPSIZED. A small river yacht, the Wave, with a party of nine visitors on board, capsized in a sudden squall yesterday afternoon in the river Ore at Orford Quay, near Aldeburg. The boatman in charge, an experienced yachtsman named George Kersey, was drowned, but all the visitors were saved. The yacht was being brought to and the anchor lowered when a sudden squall struck the boat. On seeing the boat upset boatmen on Orford Quay rowed two hundred yards to the scene of the disaster, and a boy named Pooley, aged 16, of Aldeburgh, also pulled to the spot and saved one lady who fainted when taken into the boat. George Kersey, the skipper, was seen swimming some time, but disappeared before a boatman named Cham- bers could get near enough to rescue him.

LORD WOLSELEY. Rather a pathetic interest attaches to the announcement that Lord Wolseley is giving up his residence, The Farmhouse, Glynde, Sussex, owing to the expiration of his lease, and that the furniture and contents of the » modest little mansion are to be disposed of by auction this week. The distmguishecreoldier, who used to be known as "our only general," has received in his time several liberal grants > from a grateful country for services rendered to it, but it is understood that his lot has now fallen on rather evil titaes—the more so as his state of health has 'prevented him from completing his Life of Marlborough. Stin. the suite of apartments that were granted him and Lady Wolseley at Hampton Court Palace remain at their disposal.—" Chronicle.,

BOY HOUSEBREAKER. At a special sitting of the Aberavon County Police Court on Wednesday (before Mr J. M. Smith) Albert Leonard Grange, a young lad living at Margam-terrace, Port Talbot, was charged with breaking and entering a house in Oakwood-street, Port Talbot, the residence of Mr James Watkins, on Tuesday afternoon. P.C. William Phillips said that he arrested prisoner at his home. Prisoner was identified by three other TSoys, named Fred G. Ogden, William Henry Gulliver, and Arthur Evans. When charged, prisoner replied, Yes, sir, I did do it, but I couldn't get in." At this stage Superintendent Menhermiek applied for a remand until Friday as he wished to make several inquiries. The lad was accordingly remanded to the cells.

MOUNTAIN FARM FIRE. Considerable damage was done by fire at Crost-yr-haidd Farm, Castella, on Monday, the cow house and barns being totally destroyed, together with a large quantity of hay stored on the premises. The farm, which is tenanted by Mr Yllliam Evans, is situate on the mountain about three miles from IJantrisant, and owing to the isolated spot, the water supply was very small. The efforts of the owner and some of his neighbours were confined to preventing the spread of the fire to the dwelling portion of the farm buildings, and in this they were suc- cessful. The damage, which is covered by in- surance, is estimated at £200. The whole of Mr Evans's hay crop for thiá year was destroyed.

» TERRITORIAL" ACCUSED. I' At Roes, Thomas Morris, collier, of Landore, near Swansea, was brought up in custody, charged with stealing a bicycle of the value of £3, the property of Thomas Brewer, Duxmere, Ross, on July 29th. It appears that prisoner, who was camping with the 3rd Welsh Batta- lion at Ross, borrowed the bicycle and did not return it. P.C. Thomas stated that he arres- ted the prisoner at Swansea and brought him to Ross. The police asked for a remand for a week in order that they might make inquiries into the prisoner's character. This was granted

BOMB BURST TOO SOON. Novogrudek (Government of Minsk), Tues- day.—This morning a band of about 25 bri- gands attacked a pqssenger train in a station here, the luggage van of which contained a sum of 100,000 roubles. One of the brigands was about to hurl a bomb when it exploded in his hands, killing him and wounding two station officials and a lady. After subjecting the luggage van to a useless fusilade the bri- gands made off, seized 10 horses >#i;~h were standing in the station yard, and escaped.— Rev £ er. t Some Officers of the South Wales Infantry Brigade at Porthcawl. Left to Right—Captain and Adjutant J. C. F. Richards, Colonel A. P. James (O.C. 5th Welsh), Lieutenant A. P. Robatham, Colonel J. Rees Banfield (the Brigadier), Lieutenant Broome (Transport Officer), and Lieutenant Evans.

Mountain Ash Male Voice Party. i Top Row.—J. M. Bennett, T. Davies, W. S. Jones, T. Jones, H. Evans, Godfrey Price, G. Hitchings. Second Row.—T. Thomas, T. Morgan, W. Walters, W. Cuckson, W. Ireland, D. Williams, D. Webber, S. Deveril. Third Row.-D. C. Evans, S. Cobley, J. Webber (pianist), D. J. Morgan (treasurer), T. G. Richards (conductor), W. Badha.m (chairman), B. Davies, W. Rowlands, E. R. McGregor (secretary). Bottom Row.—Harry Griffiths and Anthony Jones.—Photo by J. R. Reynolds, Mountain Ash. The Mountain Ash Male Voice Party, under Mr T. Griyiwiwr Richbrds, will start on their four months' tour through the' United States on the 23rd of September. On the 5th of October tpe party will sing at the White House in Washington before the President of the United States. Mr Glyndwr Richards has been engaged to act as adjudicator at the Gwents Eisteddfod, at Wilkesbarre, towards the end of October, and the party, too, is under contract to sing there. Its Eisteddfodic record consists of nine first prizes and three seconds.

TROUVILLE WOOING SEQUEL Double Robbery and Recovdry. y' Havre, Saturday.—The police last night arrested oh the Boulevard JMaritiine a, young man Who, describing himself as a Portuguese stuedent, gained the confidence of a family spending a holiday at Trouville, and became engaged to one of the daughters. Soon afterwards he disappeared, and with him money and shares to the value of 50,000f. The fiancee's sister pursued the alleged student, and on finding him made him restore almost the whole of the stolen property. The young man entered the train with her to return to Trouville. In the compartment he is alleged to have attacked the lady with a knuckleduster and revolver, once more took possession of the money and shares, and made off. When arrested, the products of the theft were found on his person. He says he is a student of law, and was born in Brazil. He had come to Havre with the intention of sailing for Brazil by the British steamer Hilarus on the 12th. He had already booked a passage.— Reuter.

A GREAT ITALIAN STATE6MAN, Twice Prime Minister of Italy, the late Marquess di Rudini was born at Palermo, Sicily, in 1839. He belonged to a wealthy aristocratic family, and became syndic of his native town in 1866, when the Bourbon troubles broke out. He suppressed the tumults with remarkable vigour. In 1868 he was made Prefect of Naples, and the following year he became Minister of the Interior in the Mena- brea Cabinet. In 1886 the Marquess de Rudini Marquess di Rudini. became leader of the Right, and in 1891 he suc- ceeded Crispi in the Premiership and Ministry of Foreign Affairs by forming a coalition Cabi net. Instead of provoking France as Crispi had done, he sought French sympathy, and succeeded for a time in dispelling the doubts and suspicions of the French people. He, however, renewed the Triple Alliance, which again alienated the French. Starting with a policy of retrenchment, Italy under Rudini was dragged by the Triple Alliance into a huge expenditure on the army and navy, which ultimately led to the, fall of the Ministry. Crispi returned to power, but the Italian disaster in Abyssinia again brought about the swing of the pendulum.

ANTARCTIC^ RESEARCH. Br. Charcet's Second Venture. Paris, Monday.—The departure of Dr. Jean Charcot's second Antarctic expedition has been fixed for Saturday next, when the Pourquoi Pas will sail at noon on her ad- venturous voyage. The Pourquoi Pas is a stout timber-built, three-masted barque of 800 tons. She has been specially 6onstracted for Dr. Charcot's expedition at St. Malo, the port from which Jacques Cartier sailed to dis- cover Canada three and a half centuries ago. She carries provisions for nearly three years. This'is Dr. Charcot's second Antarctic venture in quest of the mysterious Continent, twice the size of Europe, which is supposed to exist in that portion of the globe. Cinematograph records will be taken. Madame Charcot will accompany her husband as far as Buenos Ayres.—Reuter.

LATEST IN SUBMARINES.* It is reported at Chatham that the Mystery Ship," as the new subopu'me boat is :termed locally, owing to the strict secrecy observed in bulding the craft, is to be launched at high water at an early hour on Friday morning. The submarine is not to be allowed to lie in the River Medway, bat is to be immediately towed round before daylight to one of the docks, where she will be engined and equipped for sea. Three other submarines are to be completed at Chatham this year. The dimen-, sions of the new boat which is to be equipped for sea areLength, 135ft. ))readth, 13ft. 6in. displacement at load draught when submerged, 303 tons. Her surface" speed will be 13. knots.

SPOKE IN SLEEP. DRAMATIC TURN MYSTERY Evidence before the^Falittouth magistrates on'Monday gave a dramatic torn to the Terri- torial camp mystery at Falmouth. It seems that the three gunners, Black, Clancy, and Whelan, stand arraigned on the grave charge of robbing and firing the officers' mess quar- ters, in consequence of a confession made un- consciously in a nightmare by Clancy. It was stated that after helping themselves liberally and unwisely to the liquors they found in the mesa-room the gunners returned to their dormitory at Pendennis Castle in a maud- llin, condition, and sank into restless sleep, whilst the fire they are alleged to have left behind them blazed. Suddenly Clancy sat up in bed and began to mutter suchstrange things that another soldier sleeping near, awakening, listened in astonishment. In his muttering, Clancy told the whole, of the story of the night's exploits. In a frenzied way he described how he, with two others, had wrenched the door of the officers' mess from its hinges, gone inside,found whsky and beer, and secured the silver. It must have been worth a thousand pounds," he ex- claimed, still in sleep. Oh, what fine pictures on the walls." This tell-tale talk the sleeper followed with incoherent remarks about smoke and a hurried exit from a burning building. All the story was heard by Bombardier Banham, who hap- pened to be awake, and the due thus conveyed resulted in the men's kit being searched, and the stolen property found therein. Then the three were arrested. So the tale was retold in the Police Court on Monday, and the men were committed for trial on a charge of, burglary. Black and Clancy were also committed on a charge of having maliciously set fire to the building, Whelan having turned King's evidence. It will be remembered that on the night of the firework display in honour of the visit of Mr HaWane to the camp the building used as the officers' mess, and about to be taken pos- session of by the London Electrical Engineers, was found to be on fire. The conflagration was at first attributed to sparks from the fireworks display, which had taken place in a field adjoining. Damage to the extent of JM50 was done by the fire, and in addition. many interesting military relies were destroyed.

SISTERS DftOWNED. 8RIEF-8TRICKEN OVER DEAD MOTHER. A suicide epidemic, in which the victims are mostly youngs women, is sweeping over London, and-day after day the London coroners are called upon to inquire into tragedies of girls who find life unbearable. On Monday two London girl friends, after writing. Our feet are weary and tired and dreary." drowned themselves. On Tuesday came news that two London sisters, grief stricken over the death of their aged mother, have ended their lives in the Thames. The story id as pathetic as any in London's long list of tragedies. The two sisters. Jane ,and Elizabeth Wallac6, lived with their mother, who was blind, in humble quarters in Ber- mondsey. Because of their mother's love they were happy. Then the old lady died, and ever since the two girls have discovered no pleasure in existence. On the 27th of last month both women dis- appeared from their home, and despite the inquiries of their friends no trace could be found of their whereabouts. They had said no good-byes, they had walked into the street, and then disappeared. A body was seen floating in the Thames off Fenning's Wharf, Berpoondsey. It was brought ashore, and it was then found to be that of one of the missing women, J#ne. Then the body of the other sister was found near Waterloo Bridge. At the inquest a relative said he had made inquiries in several directions, but he could not find that the sisters were in any diffi- culty. All the trouble they had was their grief at the death of their mother. A verdict of Found drowned" was re. turned. ■

AMUSING BUftOLARY. Ex-Cardiff Official's House. A burglary of somewhat amusing description is reported from St. Helen's, where ip the early hours of Tuesday a constable noticed a window broken at the residence of the Town Clerk, Mr W. Andrew, who is away on holiday, and has left his house untenanted. Going in- side the constable saw the place had been ran- sacked, and upstairs was astonished to find three men in bed intoxicated. Help was pro- cured, and they were arrested, and later re- manded charged with housebreaking. Mr Andrew lived for some years in Cardiff, where he was Prosecuting Solicitor for the Corporation and latterly Deputy Town Clerk.

REMARKABLE FATALITY. At an inquest at Cardiff on Tuesday on Hy. Parker (52), dock labourer, Newport-street, Grange town, the widow said deceased fell out of bed during the night of 31st July, and later complained of an awful pain in his side. He thought that in falling out of bed he must have knocked against a box at the bedside. Dr. James Kelland said deceased complained of pain in the back and ribs, but there was no mark. Pneumonia set in and caused death. The pneumonia had supervened upon injuries sus- j tained to the chests A verdict accordingly was r returned.

TERRIBLE ERROR. WIFE WISTAKEpFOR BUR6LAR. A shocking accident is repotted from Glas- gow. Shortly after midnight Superintendent Charles Dunn, of the Working Boys' Shelter, Market-street, thought he heard burglars in the institution. Procuring a six-chambered revolver, he pro- ceeded to search the premises, but in vain. On ascending the stairs, however, he saw a figure on the landing and fired, and his wife, who, mjknown to him, had joined in the search, was shot in the stomach. She was conveyed to the Royjil Infirmary. Dunn has been formally arrested. He is much distressed at the tragic mistake. Mrs Dunn, who was shot by her husband by mistake for a burglar late on Sunday night, in the Boys' Home, Market-street, Glasgow, succumbed to her injuries in the Royal Inflr mary early on Tuesday. She died before her husband could be brought from the prison to the infirmary to receive her forgiveness.

A DISTINGUISHED CAREER, Count Ferdinard von Zeppelin, whose air- ship was wrecked the other day, celebrated his 70th birthday last month at Constance, on whose lake he has for so long conducted his experiments. Before he attacked the problem of aerial navigation he had a distinguished military career. Daring the American Civil War he fought on the side of the North, and carried away the reputation of a daring caval- ryman. In the Franco-German war he had a chapter of successful adventures, and rose steadily afterwards until, in 1930, he was made Count Zeppelin. I Lieutenant-General. The Count comefe of a fighting family, one of whose members, a fl, nephew of the inventor, fell at Elandslaagte on the Boer side, and the name is one held in great respect in South Germany. Count Zep- pelin first set his mind upon the problem of the airship in 1873, and one failure after an- other was courageously met. In 1898 an Impe- rial Commission reported that his project was no use whatever. The Count having exhausted all his private resources, new money was found, and in January, 1906, the second model was launched only to be destroyed in a storm. On October 9th, 1906, the third Zeppelin appeared. The German Government then voted a sum of £ 25,000 towards the costs of further experiments, and the fourth model followed.

PLAGUE OUTBREAKS. Port Said, Monday.-A case of plague has been notified here.—Reuter. St. Petersburg, Monday.-On July 23 a fatal' case.of plague occurred among the nomad Kingises on the Steppe in the Government of Astrakhan. The tribesmen left the plague- striekettspot, but eight of them developed the disease between July 29 and August 6th, three cases ending fatally. The infected places and r cople were threupo* isolated by the authori- ties. In the Government of Astrakhan 77 cases of cholera and 22 deaths occurred on the 8th and 9th.—Reutei\ r

HYDROPHOBIA HORROR: St. Petersburg, Monday.—Accordmg to a newspaper report, an extraordinary affair has occurred in a village of the Yenisseisk district of Siberia. Several dogs in the village went mad and bit numbers of domestic animals and poultry. The ignorant peasantry used the bitten animals and birds as food, with the result that they contracted hydrophobia. Twenty-seven families were affected, and over a hundred persons are said to have died in terrible agony, medical assistance arriving too late to be of any use.-Central News.

FINED TWO THOUSAND ROUBLES. St. Petersburg, Monday.-The Sloyo has been fined 2,000 roubles for publishing an article by Count Tolstoy in which he demands that he personallv, and not the propagators of his ideas, should be visited with punishsaMtir— Beuter.

PIT DISASTER. 13 German Miners Killed MANY SEVERELY INJURED. Saarbrucken, Tuesday.—A terrible explosion of fire damp has. occurred in the Dudweiler Mine, 13 men being killed and eight seriously and five slightly injured. The disaster occurred at 11 last night in the third gallery while the shifts were being changed. It is believed that t.he explosion was caused by a stone becoming loosened and freeing a flow of gas, which was set on fire by a lamp. Rescue parties were at work until 8 this morning. The dead bodies have been recovered and the injured have been conveyed to hospital. -Reuter. Berlin, Tuesday.—The Dudweiler Colliery is near Saarbruecken, in the Rhenish Province, Happily the majority of the workers em- ployed in the mine had left half an hour pre- viously, or the death roll would inevitably have been much heavier, Eight of the men have sustained such shocking injuries that their recovery is stated to be impossible. The Dudweiler Mine is owned by theState.— Central News, Saarbruecken, Tuesday Evening.—An official accountof the explosion states that the-disaster occurred in a passage connecting two main galleries. The passage had been in use for seventeen years, and fire damp had never been detected there. Probably the fall of a stone made a gap through which gas passed into the passage where it was ignited by coming in con- tact with a lamp. At the moment of the explosion the passage was full of miners leav- ing their work, hence the larg^ number of the victims.—Reuter.

Labour Conflicts. AMERICAN MINERS AND TROOPS A Serious Collision. New York, Monday.—A general strike of miners took place on Saturday at Birmingham, Alabama, over the wages question. The mine owners immediately telegraphed for strike- | breakers, and these began to arrive in the town on Saturday and yesterday. Yesterday a train full of blacklegs, under the protection of soldiers, was heM up by ^he strikers, who fired several volleys, killing åpree and wound- ing 11 others. Two of the injured will not recover, and several soldiers are among the victims. A number of arrests have been made.—Central News. DANISH PRINTERS' lQCK-OUT. Copenhagen, Monday.—In consequence of a strike of compositors and other printing office employees throughout the country the em- ployers this morning have declared a general lockouts, as a result of which 40,00p printing office workers are thrown out of employment. Great inconvenience is being caused, and the newspapers are unable to appear. Hopes are entertained, however, that a settlement will be effected before the end of the week.—Central News. FRENCH DISPUTES. Paris, Monday.—As a result of a plebiscite the Paris bakers have decided not to strike by a majority of 200. Nearly 2,000 men voted. The labourers' lockout is taking effect very gradually. Four thousand six hundred were still at work on Saturday. To-day that num- ber was reduced by nearly <00. The seers W* of the National Federation of Miners of tl« latre to-day declared that that organisation will never consent to become a tool of anv political movement, but will con. tinue to devote itself to economic interests.— Reuter. WEDNE8BURY WA660N MAKERS. Of twelve hundred strikers at the works of the Amalgamated Waggon Company, at Old Park, Wednesbury, only one presented himself for work, when the premises were re-opened after the holidays on Monday, and he was loudly jeered as he left on a tram car. Mr Dudley Docker, chairman* and Mr Percys Wheeler, one of the managing directors of the compafcy, in the afternoon met a deputaition of seven workmen, and informed them that it would be impossible to consider any grievance until the men had returned towork^Ls they had put themselves out of court by laying down their tools and ceasing work. Mr Docker pro- mised that if the men returned to work he would give full consideration to their repre- sentationsr and also consider a request made by the deputation, that a works committee should be formed to deal in future with matters in dispute. After the interview a crowded meeting of strikers was held in Wednesbury Theatre, at which Mr Docker's statement was reported, and a resolution was unanimously passed to continue the strike. It was stated that Mr Docker was willing that the men should be medically examined singly in future, but no proInise was given on other matters, be needless to observe that there is no weak spot in the whole company, and those antici- pating a visit to the New Theatre this week may rely upon witnessing a splendid per- formance of a very charming piece.

£ 10 FOR A KICK. At Pontypool County Court on Wednesday (before his Honour Judge Owen) David Davies, a collier,"»f Llanhilleth, claimed £10 damages from James Worthing, farmer, of Cefn-y-crib, for assault on June 10th. Mr A. E. Bowen was for the applicant, and Mr W. J Everett defen- ded. Davies said on the 10th June defendant com- plained that his boys had interfered with his (defendant's) sheep, and with tha,t kicked him in the abdomen. His Honour And did you hit him back ?— No, sir. His Honour Then why didn't you ? Applicant said he was unable to do any work for 10 days. Dr. Jones was called and proved the injury. Defendant denied having kicked the applicant at all, and said it was he who had been kicked. The Judge A man who can kick a man like that can also tell a lie. I give judgment for the JE10 claimed, with costs.

LOSS OF A SON. At Pontypool County Court on Wednesday J. Simms, Bryn Ith^l -terrace, Aberbeeg, labourer, brought a compensation claim for £ 100 against Messrs Partridge, Jones and Co., Llanhilleth, colliery proprietors, in respect of the death of his son Gilbert Hy. Simms, who was killed by a fall of roof at tfie respondent's colliery on April 15th last. Mr Ivor Bowen appeared for the applicant, and Mr Parsons for the respon- dent company. The evidence showed that father and deceased lodged with a brother of deceased, and paid 248 in board and lodge between them. Mr Parsons denied even par- tial dependence, and -the claim was dismissed with costs, judgment being for JEIO funeral ex- penses..

ABER MAN'S SUICIDE. An inquest was held on Tuesday evening at AbertridwT on the body of Evan Protheroe (43), a mason, High-street, Aber, who was found ,in the early hours of Monday morning hanging from a beam in a coal-house. Evi- dence of identification was given by Harry Protheroe, deceased's brother whilst Joseph Lee deposed to finding the body in the posi- tion stated, ancl P.S. Sam Evans to cutting it down. A verdict of Suicide whilst tem- porarily insane," was returned.

FARMER AND HIS CARRIAGE. At Colwyn (Radnorshire) Petty Sessions on Monday W. P. and J. L. Davies, of Forest Farm, Llansantfraid-in-Elvel, farmers, were fined 2s 6d and 5s 6d costs for keeping a car- riage without a licence on June 10th. last. R. T. Hawkins, officer of Inland Revenue, deposed to seeing Mr J. L. Davies driving into a concert at Bullth Wells, on the date stated. He was accompanied by a young lady who was not a member of the family there was no name on the vehicle, and it was not being used for trade or husbandry.

IMITATIVE SUICIDE. An AbtrtrWwr Coincidence. Evan Protheroe (43), mason, of High-street, Abertridwr, was found hanging in a coal-house early on Monday. P.C. Evans cut the body down. Deceased was a married man with two children, and had only been in the district a week, having come from Merthyr. The coal- house is close to the scene of the suicide of a week ago, and at the funeral of the previous victim the deceased is said to have expressed the wish that it had been him.

SALUTED BY LORD TREBEGAR. A pleasant feature of the church parade on Sunday to Bassaleg Church of the Newport Naval Lads' Brigade was the salute the brigade received from Viscount Tredegar, As they entered the church his Lordship saluted the brigade, and again on leaving he stood to one aide and watched them. The brigade waa •yilfor t&» conmoad of Captain J. 3> jfrator.

WELSH GLEANINGS. News and Views in Lighter Vein. A scheme is now under consideration for deepening the river Dee so that ocean-going steamers may go up the estuary. It is esti- mated that the cost will be about half a million sterling. A movement has been set on foot in the Denbigh Boroughs to perpetuate the memory of the late Hon. G. T. Kenvon, who for so many years represented the division^ in Parlia- ment. The tmotor dust ntiisance is causing such trouble in North Wales that the County Coun- cils are seriously considering the advisability of tarring the roads, but the ratepayers in the rural districts are in revolt, and object to be taxed, for what they will derive no benefit from." It is a surprising fact that the curriculum o j the elementary and county schools at Bryn. mawr does not include the teaching of Welsh. This.is not as it should be in such a town as Brynmawr, where Welsh, 20 years ago, was essentially the business language of the towns- people. A correspondent, commenting -upon the jealousy felt in Bristol years ago towards Cardiff, says :—Bristol watched the growth of the little creek of Cardiff with interest-, and regularly sent over small vessels to trade for Welsh produce, wool,' corn, and iron bant when the works began to be made. And long before that, which was commendable trading, there were other activities not so commend. able. Glamorgan men were seized as they worked in the fields and sent to Barbary and Jamaica. That great highway of waters coold tell many a tale of depleted farms on the Glamorgan coast. An Eisteddfod was recently held at Too- woomba in Queensland, and some of the choirs travelled L500 miles to compete. The-same complaint seemed to be prevalent at this Eisteddfod as at many in Wales, the accom- panists did not turn up, and the proceedings were late in starting so late indeed was one meeting, that it did not finish until half-past 11 at night. Dr. T. Witton writes from the International Congress of History now in session at Berlin Yesterday by a unanimous and enthusiastic vote Sir John Rhys was elected honorary presi- dent of the International Congress of History now in session in Berlin. It was to me an un- speakable privilege to vote for so honouring our most distinguished Welsh scholar and writer, one who is as much honoured abroad as he is admired and loved at Home. No other British scholar was so elected, but a few scholars from other countries were also elected." I. On Saturday at the International Congress of History (Oriental Section), now in session at Berlin, Dr. J. Witton Davies, of Bangor, read a paper on Judahism and Jewish institu- tions in the centuries immediately after the Exile." Professor de Groob,V>f Leiden, pre- sided. The thanks of the meeting were ex- pressed to Dr. Davies by Professor Sachan, head of the Oriental Seminary, Berlin. A correspondent writes:—" There were borne upon the midnight air on Sunday night the chimes of Llandaff Cathedral clock, in the hymn, We love the place, 0 God. The time is apparently a fa- vourite one with the clock, for it roled off 10 verses, whereas the hymn itself only contains seven Besides, midnight is hardly an appro. priate time to proclaim the particular senti- ment of the hymn." Trwy India'r Gorllewin is the title of a Tery readable book from the pen of the Rev. D. Conllo Davies. It is tbt description of a holiday trip through the West Indies, beautifully written in choice, strong, rich Welsh. So far few books of travel have been written in Welsh, and those who confine them- selves to reading in the vernacular have fittla information relative to the matters "dealt with in the book. The volume is nicely illustrated with photographs taken by the atithor and others. A gentleman in Glamorgan having four front false teeth suddenly missed them, and concluded that he must have swal- lowed them. A doctor was summoned, and found him writhing with pain. Fomentations were ordered and a strong emetic was ad- ministered. The patient was also ordered a good dosing of Lucia oil, and he appeased in- clined to make his will forthwith. Just before the doctor left the maid-of-all-work picked up from the windowsill some funny things which she said looked like teeth, and the patient at once identified them as the missing articles. The pains immediately ceased. The poor patient begged all concerned not to mention the incident, but the amusing story is out. The milk question is just now receiving, a good deal of attention at the hands of Welsh authorities, and Colonel Cornwallis West, speaking at the Denbigh County Council, declared that some of the farmers, even when dairies were built for them, did not know how they should be used. He went into one dairy and found it was being used as a pantry for the food of the household. The dairies had not always a very satisfactory water supply, and he was not quite sure that the water supply at the Denbigh county dairy at Lleweni was above suspicion. He would, however, reserve his remarks upon that matter until another occasion. There is a tendency, and it is not a credit- able one," writes a corres pondent, to pass away too quickly the memory of men who have been good friends to the people and the district. Two such men as Dr. Greenway and Dr. Davies, of Llandrindod, deserve far better treatment. Let this truth strike the attention of the crowds now at Llandrindod, and before the season is over if nothing more substantial can be done let a sculptured shaft or memoria brasses be arranged to be placed in the grounds of the Pump on the Rock. How well they both worked. I shall never forget being at Greenway's one Sunday evening. After a quiet supper the doctor came around the room with an armful of hymn books. These he dis- tributed one by one a lady took the seat at the piano, and we had a great treat. How different to the usual relaxations of the evenings at the Wells." Morien writes :—It is difficult to read with patience when M.Julius Pkovony, Vienna, states that the Celts and Britons were not the same people, that Druidism was in Britain before the Celts arrived there. It is simply astounding to find that writers are ignorant of the fact that Celt is from Cedi (an active verb useJ as a noun), the name of the Supreme Being in bard ism, otherwise Druidism, the universal creed of the Britons when Oaasar invaded this country in 88 B.C. Greek writers refer to the Britons as Cimmrii, and Plutarch states they they were Cimbrii. Recent discoveries in the Royal libraries of Nineveh reveal that the Britons were known throughout Asia by the namelGimirrai (plural) and Gimir (singular) and, states Sir Henry Rawlinson, it was from this last name that Moses obtained the namtr Gomer indeed Moses wrote Gimir, but trans- lators inserted the incorrect vowels, and there- by induced readers of the Bible to read the name "■ Gomer instead of the original Gimir -The same people, states Professor Ragozin, in the national series, were also called in Asia Minor, Arians. They were the inventors of coins for the purposes of commerce. To this* day the Cimmerians of Wales when speaking their own tongue refer to £ s. d. as Arian. It appears the original coined money was silver, therefore that metal is still called Arian too in Wales. Ragozin states that the Assyrian name Adrian signifies the Noble People.

BROADHAVEN LIBERALS. An enthusiastic Liberal meeting in the poll* ing district of' Talbeny (pem.) was held at. Broadhaven on Monday evening. It was unanimously decided to set up a permanent organisation in the district on the lines laid down in a recent article which appeared in the South Wales Daily News," the new organisation to be called the Talbeny District Liberal Association. The following omceM were appointed President, Miss Ada E. Thomas vice-president, Mr Gwilym Davies, B.A. treasurer, Mr W. E. Evans, J.P., Robeston Hall, Milford Haven secretary, Mr T. W. George. Sir Alfred Thomas, M.P., who is the guest of Mr Joseph Thomas, J.P., was present at the meeting, and delivered a short address, in which be laid emphasis on effective organisation.

SALISBURY STATUE. The plaster model of the full-length statue of the late Marquis of Salisbury, to be erected in the Foreign Office, with which he was asso- ciated for so long, has been completed, and the final work is now being executed in marble. This last stage has onty recently been com- menced, so that some time will elapse before the statue will be ready for unveiling. The memorial is to occupy the vacant pedestal at the foot of the grand staircase, immediately. opposite the statue of one of the deceased statesman's pred$ceators—the Earl of Claren- don- 4:0..