Llais Llafur

The Week at Home and Abroad NEW MINING SCHOOL "H'- _1 The South Wales School 01 I -Treforest was formally opened in the pres- ence of an influential gathering. The first term commenced in October last, and at present there are 138 students in attend- ance. The school has been established to provide instruction of an advanced and practical character for the purpose of trai-ning all grades of colliery officials. The expense of the scheme is being bore by the coalowners, who are subscribing a tonnage levy of a tenth of a. penny on their declared output. WELSH LITERARY SOCIETIES I Mr D. Lleufer Thomas presided over a meeting of the members of the Eastern section of the Glamorganshire and Mon- mouthshire branch of the National Un- ion of Welsh Literary Societies, held under the auspices of the Cardiff Union of Welsh Societies, at the Tabernacle, 'The Haves, on Saturday afternoon. The Chairman said he was delighted that such a union had been formed, and he was sure that by it a great work could be done to foster the Welsh spirit among -the people of South Wales. Discussion followed, and suggestions were made as to increasing the activities -of the various societies. The suggestions included those of forming new societies, forming classes .o study Welsh literature, and the advisability of issuing short Welsh stories in book form. It was also thought that the publication of original Welsh stories by Welsh graduates should be encouraged. CABINET MINISTER ON RATE- I PAYERS' CLAIMS. Speaking at Maidstone on Saturday, Mr J. A. Pease, President of the Board of Education, said the Government, re- cognised that the claims on the ratepayer had been very considerable since the passing of the 1902 Bill, and they thought -the time had come when further assist- .ance ought to be given from the National Fund in order to assist the great work which had been done very largely out of the pockets of the ratepayer in recent years. Addressing an assembly of nearly 700 teachers in the afternoon, Mr Pease said he waS sure that so far as elementary education was concerned, ours was second to ncne in the world. "SWANSEA WOMEN'S SHELTER I Speaking on Saturday at the annual meeting of the Cwmdonkin Shelter at Swansea, Sir John- Llewelyn said the very terrible inequality between the sexes that they saw around them everywhere was undoubtedly against the woman. It was hard upon the woman, and it. was their duty, if they thought that was the verdict of man and not. the verdict of <5od, to put the remedy in thehighest possible light. They had formed a shelter which must be maintained, and it was the duty cf man to see that the funds should net be lacking when it was so necessary for a-rii institution to hold out the helping hand of fellowship to their sisterhood HEREFORDSHIRE TEACHERS' I STRIKE I -1 1 'I The Herefordshire teaeners will come out on strike next month, negotiations on. Saturday having again broken down. The teachers demanded a scale of salaries so that their remun-eistion can rise from a minimu.m to a maximum, but the Educa- tion Committee have definitely refused this request, although they have offered increases amounting to £ 1,30-0 per annum and an annual revision of the salaries as an alternative. This offer, however, the teachers have unanimously decl ined. The matter has been fully discussed, but th. committee intimate that they are resolved not to depart from their original decision, and are not prepared to grant a scale. THE KING AND MR THOS. BURT, 1 M.P. -1 r "D m1 n- "I..f n The conditon ot iMr inos..duii-, tj-.j- has greatly improved during the week. On Sunday Mr Burt received a tetter in the following terms from King George "The Right Hon. Thomas Burt. The King is very sorry to hear of your severe indisposition, and hopes you are now making satisfactory recovery.—STAM- FORDHAM." In reply his Majesty was thanked for his inquiry and informed of the improved condition of the invalid. WELSH COMPOSER'S NEW WORK I Mr Cyril Jenkins, the young Welsh, •composer, produced his latest work "Lewellvn," at the Alexandra Palace, London,* on Saturday evening before a large and critical audience. The recep- tion of the work, which took premier place* in the programme, was eminently .satisfactory, and at the close the young ■■composer had a unanimous call. With some diffidence he came forward and bowed his acknowledgments. "Llew- ellyn" is written for mixed choirs, tenor and bass solos, and orchestra. The tenor on Saturday was Mr John Watkin (a Welshman) and the bass Mr Stewart Gardner. Mr Watkin is a very fine singer of greater promise. To Mr Gard- ner credit is due for a very fine rendering of the bass solos. Chorus and orchestra were equally god, and were ably conduc- ted by Mr Allen Gill. It was, taken al- together, a really fine and successful per- formance. Mr Cyril Jenkins dedicates his work to his "Sincere friend, Dr. D. Vaughan Thomas, Swansea." PRINCIPAL GRIFFITHS RETIRING I Principal Griffiths, of the boutti Wales and Monmouthshire University College, who was one of the chief speakers at the inaugural ceremony of the South Wales School of Mines, Treforest, on Saturday, ma,de observations which indicated com-, parativcly early retirement from the position of principal. HVl said HivS time in South Wales, for reasons which he neod not enter into, was com- paratively short, but before leaving he wished to see established a Research Fellowship in Mining. This reference, we are given to under- stand, is to the fact that under the pen- sion --lie-n- established in 1910 Principal Griffiths will be due to retire in 1916. ■GREAT NOVELIST'S NEW WORK I M"=crs. Cabell have this woek bir Rider Hngsurd's fortieth novel. His. literary life extends just over thirty years, and his most famous story, "King Solomon's Mines," was published in 1886. Sir Rider Haggard declares that nature meant him to be a farmer, and that he is a. novelist by accident. But the yearn- ing to write seems to be a family pos- session, as three of his brothers and a sister are also authors. His eldest brother is the British Minister to Brazil, and the author of "The Standard Book for the Study of Persian." ANOTHER FLYING FATALITY The Hendon Aerodrome was on Sun- day afternoon the scene of another shock- ing fatality, when the well-known Englishman, Mr G. Lee Temple, was killed while flying his Bleriot monoplane. The precise cause of the accident is, as almost invariably in such cases, difficult to ascertain. Mr Temple had ascended a.t about a quarter past four, and. was at- tempting a spiral dive, in which he had recently specialised, when a sharp gust of wind appeared to catch the tail of his machine, driving it perpendicularly down- wards. The monoplane, fell suddenly, and from an examination which was was made sub- sequently, when assistance arrived, it ap- peared that the unfortunate airman's head must have come into violent collision with some part of the machine, so that death was instantaneous. ELECTRICTY SUPERSEDES STEAM I I umcago is entering upon a railway re- form of gigantic for the 40 railways entering this city have joined in planning a vast co-operative system of electric motive power for both passenger and freight transportation in the city and in the industrial zones surrounding it. ;Undør the new arrangements no coal engine will comia nearer Chicago than ten miles, and within a radius of that dis- tance all motive power will be electric. EXPLOSION ON A GREAT LINER I inree men were killed and eight in- jured in a serious explosion that accurred on the Cuna.rd liner, Mauretania, 0:1 Monday evening. The great liner is lying in the Canada Dock for a com- plete overhauling of her machinery. At about 9.30 on Monday night the members of the Cunard shore. engineering staff were at work when an oxygen gas cylin- der burst. Three men were instantly killed and badly mutilated, while eight 1: others were injured. The injured were: at once taken in ambulances to the Bootle and Stanley Hospitals. LORD STRATHCONA BURIED I i he remains of the late Lord Strath- cona, Canada's veteran High Commis- sioner, who died last week-end at the age of 90, were interred on Monday at Highgate Cemetery in the presence of a large and influential gathering. Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral were equally at the disposal of his family, but the High Commissioner of Canada chose to be buried with the simplest honours in the grave at High- gate where his wife, the devoted com- panion of many long years, was laid only a few weeks ago. BETTER CONDITIONS FOR RAIL- WAYMEN This week, the Hull and Barnsley Railway Company have agreed to a general reduction of hours of labour, abolishing eleven and twelve hours and introducing eight and nine hours per day, and have granted an increase of wages of 2s. per week for signalman and pointsmen, and Is. per week in other cases, with a furthed advance next year for porters, ticket collectors and gangers. LABOUR LEADER RELEASED A Capetown message on Monday stated The Government has remitted the sen- tence. of imprisonment passed on Mr Cres- well, the Labour Member of the Union Assembly, in view of the approaching opening of Parliament, as the Govern- ment does not desire to deprive the Lab- our party of one of its principal mouth- pieces in Parliament during the dis- cussion of martial law and the industrial situation generally. THREE NEW BISHOPRICS FOUNDED Order in Council founding the new bishoprics of Sheffield, St. Edmundsbury and Ipswich, and Chelmsford, appeared in Saturday's "London Gazette." The first Bishop of Chelmsford, according to the "Essex County Chronicle," will be the Archbishop of Brisbane, the Most Rev. St. Clair Georgr, Donaldson, whose father, Sir Stuart A. Donaldson, was first Premier of New South Wales. MEMORIAL TO THOMAS CARLYLE I Professor Glaister, presiding over the committee for the erection of a memor- ial at Glasgow to Thomas Carlyle, said subscriptions already amounted to' £ 400. He suggested that the memorial should take the form of a large block of Dum- friesshire granite, bearing a profile medallion and the inscription "Thomas Carlyle," with the titles of his most celebrated books. The suggestion was adopted. GREAT MEAT COMBINE I Negotiations are in progress for the amalgamation of two of the leading British firms engaged in the meat trade-- Messrs. James Nelson and Sons, Ltd., and the River Plate Meat Co. The capital of each is stated to be about £ 500,000, and both have head offices in London. To the shareholders, up to the present, some 4,000 circulars have been issued, stating the terms of the proposed amalgamation. The object of the combine, it is stated, is more effectively to fight the American invasion of the British meat market. The amalgamation now affected had been foreshadowed for some time. The two companies monopolised the frozen meat trade in this country and it appeared that the fight for the control of the British market was to be keener than ever. A CANADIAN SENSATION I Sensational charges of graft (legis- lative corruption) in which three mem- bers of the Quebec Legislature are in- volved are published by the Montreal "Mail. It is alleged that the three members concerned received £ 1.900 to promote a measure called the Montreal Fair Bill, backed by a private corporation. The Bill passed into law last week. The "Mail" adds that, the scandal was discovered by the Burns Detective Agency througb;, conversations overheard by means of the detectaphone. All the accused are French Canadians. It is asserted that disclosures will in- volve the biggest scandal 'of the kind which has occurred in the Dominion. WOMEN STRIKERS' VICTORY Nuneaton factory girls have won a notable victory. One hundred and fifty of them who ha.ve -been on strike re- sumed work on Monday at Messrs. Hart and Levy's tailoring factory, having re- ceived definite assurance from Sir Maurice Levy that their grievances will be re- dressed within a fortnight, their Union fully recognised, and that no one shall be victimised. The strike was ended at an interview between a deputation of four of the strikers, together with Miss Tate, the or- ganiser of the Clothiers' Union, and Sir Maurice Levy at the Leicester Works. Sir Maurice at once recognised the Un- ion by receiving the deputation and the terms were arranged as tated. On these being communicated to the girls at Nun- eaton it was unanimously decided to ac- cepe the settlement. 1 MISSING WELSH LADY Some sensation has been caused ini Porthcawl, by the disappearance of Miss Annie Mary Rees, a visitor to the Bun- galow Hotel. Miss Rees had been stay- ing at the hotel with her sister-in-law, Mrs. Rees, who on Saturday informed a press representative that it was supposed when Miss Rees was missed that. she had gone to visit friends elsewhere, but that no tidings had been received regarding her. The Bridgend police have been communicated with. Miss Rees is about 50 years of age, of somewhat stoutish build, and 5ft. 5in. in height. She has brown hair, a fresh complexion, and when last seen she was wearing a brown skirt under a mackintosh. OPIOUM SMOKER'S DELUSION After voluntarily confessing to the murder of a girl by throwing her last September into the river Avon at Bristol Robert Sheppard (24), a drummer in the Gloucestershire Regiment, told the magis>- trate at Bristol that it was all a dream. He said that he had been drinking and smoking to excess. He could not sleep, and made up some which had been given him with tobacco in a cigarette. This he smoked. He afterwards remembered giving away his watch, cha,in, and money. His next conscious memory was his waking in the police cells on Thurs- day. i ANOTHER NAPOLEON A Centra! News Agency message re- Ceived "n Satuiday from Brussels stated that Princess Victor Napoleon (formerly Princess Clementine of Belgium) gave birth to a son yesterday morning. Mother and son are both doing well. The only other child. of the marriage is a. daughter, The little Prince will receive the names of Louis Napoleon. TRADE UNIONISTS AND MR BUXTON Mr Sydney B gxton wil be interviewed on February 13th by the Parliamentary Committee of the T-ade Union Congress, who will lay befOTe im reolutions passed at the Manchester Congress in Septem- i ber on matters concerning the Board of Trade. There are 13 resolutions and the first four suggest amendments to the National Insurance Act and to the regulations under which that Act is administered. One of the most emphatic resolutions de- clares the strong object if* of the con- gress "to the inquisitorial methods adopted by the labour exchanges in the administration of Part II. of the Act." —

I GREATER SAFETYIX MINESi1 I • J MINERS' AGENT AND UNNECESSARY DANGERS In his monthly report to the delegate meeting of the Rhonda District of the S.W.M. Federation on Monday, Mr D. Watts Morgan, agent, outlined the re- commendations the Federation would probably place before the Government in respect of greater safety in mines. Mr Morgan stated that a great deal of time had been taken up in dealing with ways and means for securing greater safety, and a list of suggestions had been drawn up for submission to a conference of miners of the South Wales Coalfield to be held in Cardiff on Monday next. The proposals included the question of the construction of trams and main haul- age roads, stowing old workings and dis- used roads, the method* of timbering, and other safety precautions dealing with the roof. A very important matter for dis- cussion wa, the advisabality of changing, if possible, the safety lamps now in use for portable electrict lamps. He would welcome such a change, at least for the men engaged in main haul f;e roads and those who were continually in contact with trams, and that as far as possible the use, of the safety lamp should be dis- couraged. There might be a division of opinion on that point, but they would probably get an interesting discussion on the question of prohibiting altogether the use of {he present safety lamp under- ground. A good deal could be said on both sides, and strong reasons advanced in favour of the retention of the safety lamp for investigation and examination purpose6. "They were going to ask for legislation, making it compulsory that there should be a cessation of work in all working places and roads for at least six hours out ofevøry twenty-four." They all knew how necessary it was that there should be a period of total cessation so as to allow a. mine to cool down. The other suggestions were—haulage of coal to be entirely prohibited in return airways; endless rope haulage to be introduced wherever possible, and the speed of jour- neys to be limited between four and six miles an hour. They knew the speed some of them travelled, and heard them called "Flying Dutchman." It would also be necessary to find'out the cause of fire after an explosion. Commenting upon what he termed the failure of the national conference to establish a central fund for the purpose of maintaining the dependents cf those men killed at the collieries, he remarked that for some reason or other the coal- owners, not only of South Wales, but generally, had killed the idea. He did not knew whether they feared legislation would be sought to place the -mainten- ance of the widows and orphans as a burden upon the industry. The average number of deaths in the coal mining in- dustry for the last ten years wast 1,420, and the majority of these were the re- sult of single accidents. If the royalty owners were taxed to the extent of a half-penny per ton it would give them an income of 16600,000 a year. That would enable them to give in respect of single men £ 20 for burial a.nd other expenses, and for married men £10, and 5s. a week for the widow and 2s.6d. for each child. The amounts paid under the Com- pensation Act were by no means adequate to meet the requirements in the majority of cases, and he, therefore, thought the proper maintenance of the widows and orphans ought to be made a charge upon the industry. The delegates decided to bring the mat- ter before the notice of Parliament.

CANADIAN NEWS ITEMS I CANADIAN ASBESTOS. The export of asbestos from Canada- to Great Britain, which for some time has been at a standstill, owing to an increase in the import of that commodity from Russia, has received a considerable im- petus and is growing again. Sentimer-L grows strongly in Great Britain in fav- our of the inter-empire products. DEVELOPING THE FARMER I In a crop competition recently organ- isedi by the Ontario Department of Agri- culture, 26 young tillers of the soil won free courses in seed and stock judging at the provincial agricultural college. The contest consisted of obtaining the highest net profit out of an acre of ground from any crop selected by the competitor. By such means as this do the Dominion and Provircial Government of Canada e-D courage the settled to become an expert and proficient farmer. CANADIAN ARCHIVES By a series of manuscripts, maps and various documents which have acquired by the Canadian Dominion Archives De- partment owing largely to the researches mad o by Dr. A. G. Doughty, Deputy Minister and Dominion Archivist, new light has been thrown on the early times of Canada. A complete set of journals cf the Nova Scotia Assembly from 1794. the date of English occupation, until 1800 are among the number. They constitute the first records of the Government in Canada under the British regime and, are considered to be the most important documents in the archivist's possession. Written in a neat, clerical hand on faded vellum, they contain all the acts and ordinances passed by early legislators, and illustrate the foundation of the Canadian j Judicial System. Another collection con- tains the journals of the House of As- sembly of Lower Canada in 70 volumes, dating back to the year 1636. One of them, the work of Hexham, Royal Geo- grapher, shows the North American con- tinent as known at that time fairly ac- curately defined as regards its eastern and southern coasts, but very uncertain otherwise. The "Great West" is not shown at all because no one dreamed of its existence in those days. Although wanting in accuracy in a few respects, however, the atlases are, beautiful ex- amples of Work which was regarded at that period rather as an art than a science. OPENING UP THE LAND I 1-tailway construction in Canada for 1913 far exceeded anything in the past his- tory of the country. The three trans- continental railways have been making stupdenous efforts for the extension of their systems, and the result has been a big stop in the development of trans- portation facilities cf East4 and West. During the year, at least 2,250 miles of new roads were approved by the Railway Board, and came into regular operation. In addition construction work was car- ried out on several thousand more miles. The Canadian Pacific Railway alone had work progressing on 2,472 miles of new track-ige west of Fort William (Ontario). The rails have all been laid on the National Trams-continental between Winnipeg and Moncton (New Brunswick) and the Grand Trunk Pacific promises to drive tha last spike of the British Colum- bia Section, of the Main line next suni- mer. The Canadian Northern Railway has recently laid the last steel for the connection of Toronto and Winnipeg, and is working on the Mountain Section. At least tweinty millions sterling were ex- pended on capital account by Canadian railways last year. PROTECTING THE POTATO I The Hon. E. E. Martin Burrel I, Canadian Minister of Agriculture, has appointed Professor John Adams, of the Royal College of Science, Dublin, to take over the investigations in connection with the outbreak of potato disease in the Maritime Provinces. The professor will also be in charge of the experimental and laboratory work that is to be carried on. He is a Cambridge graduate, and has had a wide experience in potato cultivation. The Maritime Provinces have been attracting ma,ny settlers from the Old Country, and this action by the Do- minion Minister of Agriculture for the protection of the potato crop will be ap- preciated and doubtless beneficial. FROM FARM TO TABLE I Judging from the preparations which are being made by the Post Office De- partment at Ottawa, the Canadian par- cel post system will play an important part in reducing the cost of living in the Dominion. The possibilities of the parcel post as a means of inexpensive aiid-speedy transportation of certain food commodities have been long foreseen. The Canadian Post Office Department has procured various sample cases for the carriage of eggs through the post, and is investigating their respective merits. The transportation of butter through the post will be, in winter at least, not a difficult problem,, when the despatch with which the department expects to be able to handle the parcels is taken into consideration, but in summer there will be difficulties. In the United States enterprising farmers have secured the ad- dressee of people living in the cities, and have made arrangements, by the simple method of sending circulars, for the dis- posal of their eggs and butter direct.

"DO MIRACLES HAPPEN?" I A full report of the. debate "Do Miracles Happen?" at the Little Theatre is being published as a sixpenny book- let by the "Christian Commonwealth," Salisbury Square, London. I

I. QAIN TO, ORDER. I FAMOUS SCIENTISTS SUGGESTION. I BOON FOR THE SWANSEA VALLEY The abnormal rainfall which resi- dents in the Swansea Valley are com- pelled to tolerate with as good a grace as they can muster under such circum- stances, will probably in the days to come be a thing of the past. A great authority in the person of Sir Oliver j Lodge has just made the revolutionary suggestion that it is no doubt possible to have rain to order—and to stop the I' supply when it is not required! His proposal almost makes one gasp with astonishment, for speaking the other day on the natural and artificial j electrification of the atmosphere, said that if the clearing of the weather was due to electricity, they might imagine that they could acquire some control over the electrification of the atmos- phere, and that would seem to be a possible method of beginning the con- trol of the atmosphere. If they wanted to produce rain he took- it that by ascending a mountain and sending up a kite,' or even by send- up a kite alone, to reach the clouds, and by discharging sufficient electricity into the clouds the drops would behave there as they did in the laboratory; that they would coalesce, and that once that had been done it might spread and they would get a real rain shower. If the weather were influenced by the electrification of the air then electrifica- tion ought to be taken in hand. If they wanted rain they should re- verse the electricity of the earth and send up negative electricity, and if they wanted fine weather they should send up positive electricity. He felt that there were parts of the earth—and parts belonging to the British Crown- which would be better for some weather control.

The Rev. H. J. Sandheim, the Jewish rabbi at Swansea, will be leaving Swan. sea in a few weeks. Mr Sandheim, whe has been in Swansea seven years, is a native of Glasgow, and belongs to one of the oldest. Jewish families in the country. He will probably go out to Canada. At the weekly dinner of the- Hermes Club on Friday, Mr Catchpole, the secre- tary, was in the chair. He announced that rapid progress was being made in the membership, and that it was hoped shortly after the meeting of Parliament to entertain the officers of the Parlia- mentary Labour Party at dinner.

..i MASTERS I '] I !i I II" it Ð I ,.f' J'<¡ W W. I It orm Inter d Ong ,pis Style — Comfort — Satisfaction All Assured. The Largest Variety in the Dis- trict to Select from. ^p—gga—Be—— ii mm,u UML I n. MASTERS u, a (CLOTHIERS), Ltd., 18 & 19 Castle Street 282 Oxford Street Swansea 3 Green Street, Ncatil 17 Stepney Street, Llanelly, etc. DO YOU REQUIRE A fVlEMORIAL STONE Mr J. "Williams has a large assortment in most artistic designs, kept in stock at Ystalyfera and Ystra&gynlais and Brynamman Afcjv ';F.?? ??.?C?T&'J? TO >■ *■ .?'?!-?S P).?'? T "? ?:?=?:.f'' 't." A.?'?;? W* J.Williams. •"WSSSS* W. J. Wiiiiams s;? ?r?nam?an Pianoforte & Organ Tuning REPAIRS OF EVERY DESCRIPTION i First Class Work, Moderate Charges I PIANOS TUNED FROM 56.6d. JAMES TARR Compton Terrace, Ystalyfera Clearanc iu Winter Goods All inter Goods must be Cleared to make room for Spring Goods. < t I During January a discount of 5 per cent. will be allowed off all purchases of over 10/ Bradford & Manchester Warehouse Co. 12 Gower-st., SWANSEA Opposite Mount Pleasant Baptist Chapel, tat*. 22, Waterloo Street..

MINERS AND THE PREMIER Mr. Asquith will receive a deputation from the Miners' Federation of Great Britain on Feb. 3, on the subject of a continuation of the Minimum Wage Act. The Act was passed for a period of three years, which will expire in April, 1915, and miners will now ask that the Act be continued either as a permanent measure or for a further period, and that its provisions be ex- tended to wages of surface workers. Mr. Buxton will receive a deputation from the Miners' Federation on Feb. 4 on the question of amendment to the Workmen's Compensation Act and other matters.

——————  WELSH CO:L'LOR'S FALL While discharging his duties as sur- face foreman at Groesfan Colliery, near Aberbargoed (Mon.), Councillor John Jones fell down the shaft, a distance of 1,500 feet, and was killed. At the in- quest Police-sergeant Stead said he spoke to Mr. Jones just before the ac- cident. Mr. Jones then turned towards the pit. "In the cage," said the wit- ness, "was a tram loaded with timber, and he reached out and put his hand on it. At that instant the cage dropped and Mr. Jones pitched head first down the shaft after the cage. I saw his heels disappearing." A verdic of Accidental Death was returned. —————————— » »♦»«

OUT OF WORK TRAGEDY A shocking tragedy has occurred in Ipswich, resulting in the deaths of a butcher named William Wright and his 2-year-old daughter Grace. Wright lived with his wife and five young children. He had been out of work for 16 weeks, and this seems to have weighed heavily on his mind. On Thurs- day morning he got up at his usual hour and took his wife a cup of tea to her bedroom, where she was resting with a sick child. Coming downstairs shortly after 10 o'clflock. the wife found the lifeless bodies of her husband and little girl lying on the floor in the living room in a pool of blood. A blood, stained razor lay on the floor.

m1 AMERICAN HUMOUR. I Ine rojiowmg curious criticism ap- peared in the St. Louis (U.S.A.) "Post- Dispatch" on the morning after the recital recently given in that city by Paderewski:— "Jan Ignace Paderewski, of Poland, revived an old art in St. Louis last night, when he played the piano by hand before a local audience. Every- body was very' much interested, and the performer was frequently urged to do it again. "Most of those present had heard their parents and grandchildren tell of the time when pianos were played by hand. but few of .the younger genera- tion had seen it done, and it interested them as much as it would interest any- one now to see a spinning-wheel run or a rag carpet made. M. Paderewski, who is known as the last of the piano i players, is making his farewell tour of the country."

"IN CAMERA I NEATH COUNCIL AND GAS UNDER- TAKING A special meeting of the Neath Town Council was held on Monday afternoon further to consider matters regarding the gas undertaking, which, is corporation property, and in connection with which various rumours ha.ve been in circulation since Councillor John Morris stated at a public meeting of the council some weeks ago that- it was in a deplorable condition. Members of the press presented them- selves at the Gwyn Hall, where the meet- ing was held, but were refused admis- sion by two stalwart policemen stationed at the door. AUDIT CLERK APPOINTMENT I The report of the gas committee, which. sat for nearly three hours at the works on Thursday last,, was read. It em- bodied a recommendation that the Coun- cil appoint an audit clerk to investigate the affairs of the gas undertaking and put the accounts in order. An amount of acrimony was introduced into the discussion which followed, and which lasted a.bout two hours. Eventually, however, it was decided to adopt the recommendation of the com- mittee, and applications will be invited by the ga committee from firms of ac- countants of recognised standing from Cardiff to London in connection with the appointment. Meantime Mr R. A. Williams, the as- sista-nt overseer at Neath, will be ap- pointed to assist in the collection of out- standing accounts in connection with the gas undertaking. ——————

W. A. WILLIAMS, Phrenologist, can be-tons-ulted daily at the Victoria Arcade (near the Market), Swan/sea. r 1 tl W'J   ?. '? ? 1 Witat MS? i i:J b' ie Jio; H Wi ê: Zyestralii? j ''?.F??'?'?'?'?P?  The eye has certain tiny muscles. When objects we E look at do not came to a sharp B focus in the eye, these muscles H I exert themselves uatiuly aed enable us to see clearly in B spite of the defeat. This means the eyes are in j a more or less state 1 of straia. NIi) taaxsles ef the body can staaa a continual strain without iejary. It is the same with iho ocular mu,cla& Tbs? )0?e tNeir e!as- ttc?y ajad serious cJ\.1:Ñt¡uences will cf',en fol]Gw. Th methodscí exumiRatioD we U:"e are uch as to fnbseSnttJy CD- hfc the correct g, .lsses. In H1Ïs v.ry ???????? all strain is remov- ????? ?? ed ?? defects of ?????,? ?Mon remedied. If your head ache", Icr .¡ l", -st your -.ight. Dcfective visiop- ???? ?' ???? be ?? cause. F???? S???attf!CR!y- I ¡ i¡u Glasses I ?.%? remove | ? ??.? EYESTBA!?;. fI {■ J; 'J ? -V ?? ? ó1nd aaow Q ??s'??? us m explain. ?8 ,l-. ::ii.'i'" (ss? J1;tjÿ: t C. F. WALTERS 1 fc F.S.M.C., g t QUALIFIED OPTICIAN, 1 I Oxford St., Swan sea (Nearly apposite National School) ft JOHNSTON I. t. t, r l. JOHNSTON Garden Seeds i Garden Seeds Finest Quality at Moderate Prices. ►' Catalogues Gratis an d J'ost Frt. 27, Oxford Street, Swansea Tekpbonc: 567 CcntraJ «' M