The Glamorgan Gazette

THE MARRIED TEACHERS' QUESTION I ONCE MORE. | INTERESTING DISCUSSION. j A NARROW DIVISION. ——— A meeting of the Llandyfodwg School Board was held at Nantymoel, on Monday. There was j a full Board, viz., Mr J. Owen (chairman), Messrs J. Hodgson, J. Baker, E. Griffiths, J. Coslett, W. j Jones, J, Williams, T. Rees, and W. Griffiths. Tlse large attendance was attributable to the in. tere»fc that centered rMInd the notice of m«tio*' given by Mr Hodgson to thp. effect" that married women engaged as teachers by the Board be asked to resign, and that in future no married I women be engaged by the Board." Mr Hodgson, in laying his motion before the ¡' Board, said the best course to take would be for the Board to ask the married women teachers to send in their notices, or if they did not do that J for the Board to give them notice. This was a 1 burning question, and had occupied the public mind in the district for a long time. Ratepayers were continually stopping him on the road and urging him to btintr the matter before the Board. Many ratepayers did that in different parts of the district, and he had promised them that if it was their desire he should do so. In his opinion married women ought to be in the house instead of in the school. As time was limited he would not go further into details, but if the members wished to debate the question he was quite willing to discuss it out. He thought, however, that every member's mind was settled on the question one way or the other. The whole Board was pre- sent and, therefore, this was an opportune moment to test the Board's feeling. He had more than one reason to advance. Perhaps the Board would not wish to hear any more. The Chairman I should like to hear your reasons. Mr Hodgson Then you'll have them. There are the Ten Commandments for the guidance of all people (laughter). The Chairman Don't drift into rhetoric now j (laughter). Mr Hodgson Well, I daresay I aould give yow twenty reasons. The Chairman Aro yon going to deal with them like the curates under the Disestablishment and Disendowment Bill ? (laughter). Mr Hodggon Let it be the parson or the curates or the priests—that's no matter of mine. What I say is this—we are being handicapped in this matter, and I think it is full time for us as a Board, to have a look in. Proceeding to advance reasons against married women continuing to act as teachers, Mr Hodgson said, first came the question of efficiency, ",hen a married teacher was in the school, and at the same time living with her ¡ husband, the laws of nature was bound to take its course —(laughter)—and they all knew the diffi- ¡ culties which they had experienced in the past. Who could stop their recurrence? The duty of I every married woman was to look after household duties. The Chairman A bit of rhetoric again (laughter). Mr Hodgson, continuing, said he brought forward his motion also in the interest of economy. Sometimes the married female tencher had to go into the houso and sit by the fire. Who was ¡ teaching the classes then V (hear, hear). If you wi«h me to drive it on," said the speaker, I am quite prepared to stand here and talk on the question for a full hour and a half." He added that the notice that would have to be given was three months. Mr Evan Griffiths, in seconding the motion, said he was convinced long ago—before he entered the Board in fact—of the justice of it. Some people would go so far as to accuse tho members who advocated the dismissal of married women teachers of ill-feeling, considering that they were doing so well. But that was not tho case. It was a matter of principle with him (hear, hear). He I respected the married women teachers in every I way. but ho remembered that they had the cares of a home to attend to, which were numerous, and it was proper that they should devote themselves to domestic duties. By doing that they could not be expected to give full time to the services of the Board. There was another point. The Board must look after tho young girls that they trained in the colleges. It was surely unfair that married women should monopolise these educational ap- pointments. Married women would have to move on The Chairman deprecated a sudden dismissal of old servants, and said it was not for the Board to interfere with their domestic arrangements, for if they wished they could employ servants. He was not in favour of dismissing them, and another thing they should have quiet now until they saw the report. Mr Evan Griffiths said it would not be a sudden dismissal, as they would be given three months notice. The Chairman Well, I think it will be very hard. Mr Wm. Jones thought the best thing would be to act on a compromise. It was a sin to turn away a good servant if she did her duty, and the f married women teachers under the Board had done their duty. He instanced the case of the Ystradyfodwg School Board where a similar motion found only a mover and seconder. It was not the Board's duty to look after the domestic J aftairs of their teachers. They should look after that themselves. He believed they obtained as good results as any other schools under the pre- sent system. As to the young girls that were trained at the colleges, if e\'cry Boird were like theirs they could never get any girls entering college because they would see their prospects t would be damped (laughter). If they were pretty girls they would soon be gone (renewed laughter). He referred to the long and faithful services given by the married women teachers under the Board. One of them had been working in an over-crowded room for years but now a new room was being built and were they going to turn her adrift when in sight of the "promised land." He thought it was wrong himself. Mr Baker (with emphasis) Come to the point, and not deal with one person. Mr Jones: Well, see how unfair it is to that one now. It would do her a great wrong. He did not think there was any respectable School Board in existence that did away with married women teachers. They preferred married ladies to single ones; and every member of the Board who had had experience of them were in favour of them, except Mr Evan Griffiths. And those who were against them were not so in their hearts but only at the bidding of their supporters (hear, hear). Well, now (continued the speaker), we are not delegates hero; we are not sent hereto carry out the whims and hobbies of the neigh- bourhood, but we are representative men and are supposed to understand more about, schools than the rest. We are not sent here as delegates to carry out the notions" and hobbies of certain people (laughter). Mr Hodgson said Mr Jones was rather personal, and there must be something behind the scenes. Mr Jones said he only alluded to Mrs Jones in connection with the new schoolroom; he thought so much of one as of the other. <'> Mr Hodgson, speaking after the Chairman had sternly bade him to "sit down," said he based his interpretation of Mr Jones bearing on the word old and faithful servant." Mr W. Griffiths, supporting the motion, said the continual cry raised when new monitresses were being appointed will their parents send them to College?" what inducement did the Board bold out to them, to send them to College by their present policy ? The important appointments were held by married women. He instanced school board's under which married women teachers could not hold appointments, including Cardiff, Newport, and Lkngeinor. Mr Baker said the argument the married women advocates put foward was that married wemen were more in touch with the children. Did they think that a teacher as soon as she got married at I once got to be a better teacher than when she was single ? Mr Jones That argument has not been brought forward to-day. Mr Baker: Half a minute; I am on my feet. Mr Jones You are asking a question. Mr Baker went on to point out that the young ladies who passed through college at the present time were far superior to those who passed through 15 years ago, because the standard laid down by the Education Department had risen. It was the same in every department of life. He dealt with the question as a principle. No married women were employed by the Post Office, and all the substantial School Boards, including the London Board, had doneaway with them; sohad Glyncorrwg and Neath. Mr Jones said the members were not to listen to those who elected them, 1 hope (said 1 WJ. | 1"" Mr Baker) it is to the service of the public that I am here. I am here fee satisfy the waats nwt exacbly of those who elected me but of the locality. Another thing—I believe we are insulting the rate- payers at large. The last election was sufficent proof that it was because of the married teachers question that some of the members were so low on the poll. Mr Jones And some high. Mr Baker: Morality teaches that married women ought to be at home. The rates ought to be distributed indiscriminately and not through one channel alone. TheChainnan: I think we shall have to refer the question to the public again. Mr Williams thought there were several reasons to be urged pro ai.d conira. He suggested there- fore that the Clerk should write the Education Department and ask their view. The Clerk replied that the Department would give it. Mr Evan (jnfnths It is our duty to decide. Mr Williams would like to know what they as a Board had to do but try and get the best results and the highest possible grants, regardless of the teachers being married or unmarried. He did not see what com plain fes the public could have if the Boat d dtl that. Ou a show of hands Mr Hodgson's motion was lost by 5 to 4, the voting being, for—Messrs Hodgson, Baker, E. Griffiths, W. Griffiths. Against— Messrs Owen, Rees, Coslett, Jones, and Williams,

A BLESSING IN DISGUISE? [BY MISS WAELOW, LONDON, WJ. About 15 years ago I was st&ying near a small J town in the north of Scotland, in which small-pox was raging. I was taken out in a boat rowed by four men whose faces were covered with pustules. I When my aunt knew of this she wae so un- easy that she sent at once for a physi- cian hoping he would prescribe something to ¡ prevent my taking the disease. As soon as Dr Allardyce knew the cause of her anxiety he laughed heartily, and said—' The young lady is not in the least danger, unless she is so weak in mind as to let herself be frightened into an illness.' I asked in surprise if small-pox was not catching, and he } explained the matter to me, thus: 1 Disease is God's I judgment upon filth; it is filth's natural con- sequence. Wherever filth is disease of some sort or other mast come, and it is a mercy when the disease is one which clears the system by throwing the poisonous matter out through the skin. Of all the diseases caused by dirt small-pox is tho one which does its work most thoroughly, and leaves least change of evil consequences. I may say that properly treated it leaves the patient in bettor health than it found him. Cromarne is a fishing village, and, through no fault of their own, the inhabitants live in dirt and destitution good health is for them an impossibility. At this moment I have ¡ among them more thaa 300 small-pox students, but I as I keep them in the open air, give them no physic and encourage them to go about their usual avocations I have no doubt they will all do well." I subsequently heard thac the outbreak of small-pox at Cromartie had done no harm to anyone. At the present time some medical men have expressed the same opinion iu even stronger language. Mr G. Curdwent, M.D., F.R.C.S., deputy coroner for ¡ West Somerset, who has been for more than 20 years a public vaccina.tor, wrote last December in the Jl'enton Gazette as follows An active experience of 53 years both in official and private practice, con- vinces me that vaccination is not only aotpreventative of small-pox, but that it often induces evils of its own much worse than emall-pox, by being ir. some cases more persistent and iu others more acutely injurious In my experience vaccination is operativo agaiust small-pox only when substituting the worse evils of eczema (of the inveterate) or blind degeneration. Such is the opinion of an increasing cumber of other medical men not officially bound to vaccination In the three epidemics of small-pox which I have witnessed I have seen dozens of eases, probably 200, of confluent small- pox after typirwil vaccination Penal acta to support such a proceeding as vaccination and no compensation for its evil results where proved, is a disgrace to English legislature." When examined by the Royal Com- mission Dr Cordwent stated that he had seen at Taunton (his town) during the epidemics of 1848, 1858, and 1871-2, between 300 and 400 cases of small-pox aftar vaccination, with probably two or three dozen cases after re-vaccination (12,791). These extracts only mention small-pox as a less evil than vaccination, the positive benefits of small-pox are thus explained by Dr Joseph Wallace (.Lex et Lux) in hi'1 article on ulcers. Inoculated pus may be of any degree of mildness or virulence, from the slightly degraded or heaithy pus,' as above described, to the syphilitic, cancerous, phagedenic (corrosive or eating) gangrenous, or putrefactive, I for there is no guarantee against the very worst of these being inflicted on us and our children through I vaccination, but on the contrary, many proofs that such is the case Vaccination sows disease, and can any crop arise but disease, and consequent I' premature death This result in any other parallel caso would be stigmatised as manslaughter.' Nature docs not as a rule remove all the foul matter pent up in a body at ome and by one disease the same chili often has measles, scarletina, whooping cough, or croup, or diphtheria, or quiusy, or one of those fevers of various kinds never heard of outside oi vaccination or inoculation. Small-pox alone winds up and demolishes the lot, giving a great incre ase of vital power and a fresh lease of life. This result was very markedly demonstrated in the great small pox epidemic of 1871-2, when nearly 60,000 persons died from small-pox alone, though vaccinated, and a large percentage re- vaccinated, but what was the effect upon the I national mortality ? Not only was there not one death over tho average per centage for the nine previous years, but during that year when nearly 50,000 persons died of small-pox ten permit kss of the people died during that same year, including the deaths from small-pox." What Dr Wallace means us to learn from this fact is, I believe, that though small-pox (or the epidemical state of the atmos- phere which produced it) caused the deaths of nearly 50,000 persons, it more than made amends by so greatly improving the health of others, that of the whole population only 9 died for every 10 that would otherwise have died. I do not myself think it just to say that sinall-pox killed the 50,000, for we do not know how many were killed by ignorant or careless nursing at home,or by chills taken during their removal to a hospital, or by the vitiated air of the hospital itself, or by the mental depression caused by lying idle in the mid at of sick and dying persons, and hearing their groans day and night. I think that no one quite free from prej udice could study the subject and not be con- vinced that cmall-pox « a blessing to maukind, but it is surely better to be independent of such dis- agreeable blessings. It is a blessing to be saved from a wreck or a fire, but still one would rather not find oneself in a wreck or a conflagration. We need not require the assistance of such a severe friend as small-pox. If we would all live wisely I and not too well; if we all used our utmost efforts to keep not only ourselves but the world around us clean, there could be no doubt that sooner or later zymotic diseases would be as complete strangers in our country as the plague itself.

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Bank bills have been made of aluminum. The Egyptians kneaded their bread with their feet. A French chemist makes wine out of pota- toes. New Orleans has the first rice elevator ever built. Photographs have been taken 5,000 feet under water. The ordinary railway locomotive is made up of 5,41(5 parts. A palm cool, soft to the taucli, shows a I healthy condition of the system. China has an academy of manners that pre- scribes etiquette fur the whole empire. The Romans had saucepans, gridirons, colan- ders, dripping pans, and toasting forks. In jealous people the heart line of the palm is long and runs up on the Mount of Saturn. There are almost four times as many Americans living in England as there are in France. 0 In the days of Columbus only seven metals were known to exist. Now there are fifty-one. The entire Church membership of the United States is put by tho census statistics at 20,643,000. Natural gas is now used by more than 27,000 families and offices in and near Indianapolis alone. "Rice paper" is not made from rice, but! from the pith of a small tree that grows on the island of Formosa. The daily capacity of the eighteen shingle mills in British Columbia is 1,380,000 shingles, with a kiln capacity 985,000. Eskimo dogs thrive better on raw frozen meat, and without shelter, than they do on cooked food and housed in a kennel. It would take 12,000,000 years to pump the I sea dry at the rate of 1,000 gallons per second, so some man of figures has calculated." Itl"44.1;1 One of the Czar's amusements when be visits Denmark is to spend the early morning in the green meadows gathering mushrooms. x C5 It takes very cold weather to kill growiug wheat. The plant is hardy and thrives when the temperature is at the freezing point. The aggregate capital stock of the railways of the United States is 1,803,119,073 dollars with bonded indebtedness amounting to 1,000,000,000 dollars more. The story of King Arthur and his round table is a myth, although what is purported to be the round table is still to bo seen in a South England town. The statistics of desertions from the army I seem to indicate that the service is not very popular. Last year the desertions cost the nation £ 50,000. Fifteen dollars a day represents the average amount paid into every saloon in the United States. Americans spend 1,308,750,090 dollars a year for intoxicants. President Harris, of the Maine State College, is one ef the youngest men in charge of great educational institution in the country, being only thirty years of age. Herbert Spencer says that 30 per cent. of the people who receive gratuitous medical atten- dance at the London hospitals and dispensaries are able to pay their doctors. I A Mexican circus showing in Arizona takes produce of almost anything of value for admission. A man who brought a fat hen got a ticket and a chicken as change. The sect of Jains in India are the champion fasters. Fasts of from thirty to forty days are very common, and once a year they abstain from food for seventy-five days. At least 500 years before the Christian era the Egyptians had axes of various styles,chisels, mallets, planes and saws, together with levels, rules, rollers, wheels and pulleys. In the Island of St Helena's total revenue for 1892 of £ 7,691 is included the old item of £ 139 received from dealers throughout the world for postage stamps The population of the island is but about 4,000 and is steadily decreasing. Oliver Ames, jun., of Boston, has built what is said to be the finest dog kennel in the United States. It cost 2,000 dollars, is thirty-five feet j long, is lighted by ten windows, and the interior is finished in hard wood,polished and shellacked. long, is lighted by ten windows, and the interior is finished in hard wood,polished and shellacked. Joseph Baker, a white-haired man of seventy, I' who has spent nearly all his life in prison, says he wants to end his days in the state prison at Waupun, Wis., which he declares to be the most • comfortable institution of its kind in the j country. Oklahoma is destined to become a great fruit growing country. The young territory now has 683,000 growing apple trees, 648.000 peach trees, 69,000 cherry trees, 51,000 pear trees, and a great variety of other fruit trees and vines of every description. Australia is sending large supplies of poultry and game to the English markets, several ex- perimental consignments of chickens, ducks, wild ducks, teal and curlews have made a success, and there is promise of the development of a considerable trade. Gail Hamilton regrets to see women engaged in an effort to secure the ballot for themselves. She looks upon it as a movement backward toward rneu and mastodons, the miocene hipparion and eocene anchtherium,' whatever that may signify. Nicholas Van Pelt, who lives on Sycamore- street. Cincinnatti, has a genuine curiosity. It is half chicken, half duck, with three legs, all of which it uses in walking. The back, neck and wings are those of a chicken; two of its legs are also chicken, but the third leg and body are those of a duck. The two chicken legs work in unison again°t the duck leg. The creature is lively and healthy, and is nearly a. month old. According to a decree just issued by the I French Minister of War, the following defects, among others, will no longer exempt a man from the obligation of military service: Toothlessness, dwarfish stature, hair-lip, squint eyes, superflous or deficient fingers or toes, varicose veins, hernia, stuttering and baldness. Men thus afflicted will not be drafted into regiments, but will be attached to the army workshops, hospitals, etc.

FIRST AND LAST. First puff, Sick enough. First beer, Feels queer. First whiskey, Feels frisky. j First rum, Very glum. Brandy smash, Mental crash. All combined, Shattered mind. All done, Hearse for one. PRESENTATION MEETING j AT LALESTON. ) On Friday evening, May 18th, a pte?re ) ceremony took place at the Schoolroom, t./E ¡ occasion being the presentation of'testimonials to the Rev George Griffiths on his departure for Nantyglo, after eight years of faithful and appreciated services rendered to the parishioners. The chair was occupied by the Vicar, the Rev David Davies. The first part of the programme consisted of glees aJad solos which were rendered by the school children. Master Bertie Jones ¡ elicited roars of laughter by the rendering of his part of Who killed Cock Robin.' Much praise is due to Mr Ll Brooks, the master, for the able manner he had taught the children both in Welsh and English several hearty encores were accorded them. The Chairman, after complitnennng the master and children on their sl» ess, !-poke in high terms of the sterling qualities of .Mr Griffiths, whose departure he regretted very much, feeling extremely sorry to part with such a good man. lie was pleased to be able to introduce as his successor, another equally as good, the Rev Thomas Harris, who bore an excellent reputation. He afterwards asked the genial lady, Miss Head Deacon, to make the presentation, which consisted of a circular desk, of American oak, with a suitable inscription. Miss Deacon on coming forward was greeted in a most enthusiastic manner, and said she had never been called upon to perform a more pleasing duty than that of recognising in some slight degree the conscientious dis- charge of duties for so many years. Yet the pleasure was mingled with the regret of parting. Mr R. K. Prichard afterwards came forward, and in an appropriate speech made the presen- tution of a handsome mscriled marble time- piece to Mr and Mrs Griffiths. Mr Griffiths, in responding on behalf of himself and Mrs Griffiths, said that the handsome and valuable presents had taken him by surprise words failed him to express his appreciation of them, but he thanked them from his heart, and that during the eight years' stay at Laleston he had made many friends, and to part from these was very trying to him. He implored their prayers on his lehalf, and hoped that the same kindness as was shown to him wouiu be extended to his successor and friend, Mr Harris.—The presents were spontaneously subscribed to by the in- habitants of Laleston and Tytheyston.

A SUCCESSFUL LOCAL GARDENER. Mr George Hawkins (for so many years head gardener to the late lamented Colonel T- Picton Turbervill, and now serving in the same capacity to Mrs Turbervill) has been very successful in com- petition. His fioricnltural abilities brought him iu over 500 prizes, besides certificates and medal frora the Royal Horticultural Society, London. Out of tiiese he has taken 227 first prizes, and 150 seconds. Mr Hawkins has hung 500 prize cards in tue fruit room at Hendrefoilan gardens.

OPENING OF SKEWEN BOARD SCHOOLS- The new schools which have been erected by the Clwdfranc School Board were opened for the recep- tion of scholars on Monday morning. Over 50# scholars presented themselves and were received. The schools were built by Mr Henry David, from, plans prepared bo Mr Wakeliug, architect, of Merthyr and Neath, and cost about £ 5,000.

NEATH AND THE INDEPEN- DENT LABOUR PARTY. A meeting for the promulgation of the tenets of the Independent Labour party of Wales and Mon- mouthshire was held in the Corporation Field, Neath, on Saturday evening. There was a fairly good attendance, but the interest in the proceedings was of a feeble character. Mr Anderson, Melin- orythan was voted to the ohair. Mr Main waring, Swansea, said the working clashes had nothing to expect from either the Liberals or the Conservatives, as the men sent to Parliament went there to look after their own interests before anything else. Instead of labour being represented by only two in the House of Commons it should have (i00 representatives. Mr Henry Davies, Cwmavon, followed in the Sime strain. Mr S T Hobson, Cardiff, sketched the scheme of the Independent Labour party, and showed what it was intended to accomplish. The Government were deilinj; with Welsh Disestablishment and Registra- tion, which were all very well in their way, but why had they so utterly neglected to bring in a bill to improve the social condition of the people. At the close of these remarks an earnest appeal was made to the meeting to join the Labour party. most discouraging response was mada to the invi- tation

WEDDING AT COWBRIDGE o. Monday at St Mary's Church, Cowbridga, the marriage too, place of the Rev S. Rees, Cwm- avon, and Miss Harding, eldest daughter of the late Mr W. Harding, town Mills. The Revs D Bankes Williams and T C Davies officiated. The bride was given away by her step-father, Mr W D Alexander, borough surveyor. he bridesmaids were the Misses Daisy and May Thomas, Miss Edith Harding (sister), and Miss Lottie Alexander, and were all attired in fawn drexses and straw hats, trimmed with pink roses and lace, and carried bouquets, the gifts of the bridegroom. A largo number of the friends attended at the church. After the ceremony all adjourned to the residence of the bride's parents, where luncheon was provided, the happy couple leaving by the three p.m. train for London, where the honeymoon is to be spent. The bride was attired in French grey, trimsied with steel passementerie and bonnet to match.

CHURCH LAD'S BRIGADE AT BRIDGEND. A company of the C.L.B. was farmed at Bridgend on Thursday evening, when an address, was given by Mr Howe, hon. gee. for the Llandaff Diocesan Regiment. The following officers were appointed: Rev F W Edmondes, M.A., chaplain; Mr T. Beynon Thomas, captain Mr Wilfred Bradshaw, first lieutenant Mr Edward Walters, second lieutenant; Sergt Major Pratt, drill instructor. This makes the nineteenth com- pany formed since Christmas last. The first drill was held at the Drill Hall on Monday evening, when there was a good muster.

THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS. The weather of the past week has not been propitious to English agriculture, the wind remaining persistently in the north-east even ou days when a high solar heat has been registered The result has been to injure the blade of both wheat and spring corn. With regard to trade, the English wheat is in a dull state. London quotes 5d improvement on the week in wheat of home growth, but Is decline in top price flour, so that the pontion of Metropolitan business is seen for the moment to be controlled by purely local considera- tions of how much of this or that particular sort of wheat or flour is in hand. No sign of interest for the future is afforded. Out of 60 country markets, 53 have been a trifle cheaper on the weaV .£211 only seven have been firm. Foreign whea'„ 1-f equally depressed, the price taken at the end of the week being 6d lower than that asked on Tuesday. Flour is Gd lower for Ameriean sorts. The spring corn trade was active for maize, but only at 3d decline in price, both flat and round. We quote no change from a week ago in barley, oats. beans, or peas, but rye advanced Is per quarter —iUniny » Mark La/i Express,