Llais Llafur

I S88SSSSSSSSSSSSS8S8SSSSSS88SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS3 SSSS88SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS888SSSSSS8S8SS?SSSSSS^ RANK'S I PAN Koo o« § ss •o *o ( ANNUAL SALE ) iBKaca^BEKaiBaBgnBBaennm^agBSBBaanxBemBBaKaiaBnaBigaBiimBBaBBaBBBBsaBi *• •o Jninn*iiriiiOTBttaa^B^KSiraB in rfiAmnmrniimnBft o« SS o. 52 *o «• 2c °* £ SK 2 *° i LAST 2 DAYS; iBBS' g 82 S§ ss 0* S2 *• 1 02 *•  Further Reductions. £ & 3 s «• o && °* So #° 11, High Street, Swansea J is .0 g* 88 !o -o- o o SSSSSS8SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS83SSSSS&SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS3S8SSSSSSSSSSSSS8SSSSS8SS8S8SSSSSS88S8S8SS8SSSSSS o..Dooo*ooooooooooo o o oo

NEWS FROM ALL I QUARTERS ————— I The Week at Home and Abroad SWANSEA MERCHANT CHARGED William Evans, furnaceman, Pentre- ffynon, Skewen, was at Neath on Friday sentenced to four months' imprisonment on a charge of stealing a quantity of copper value JB15, the property of the Cape Copper Works. John E. Jones, marine store dealer, Miers-street, St. Thomas, and Samuel Jones, his son, were committed for trial on a charge of re- ceiving the copper, knowing it to have I been stolen. Mr Edward Powell, ap- peared for Evans, and Mr Trevor Hunter B.A. L., for the other defendants. POPULARITY TO PENURY I ?, ? ?- -1 I Anox-ner painiui story ot an old theatrical favourite was told in the "Stage" last week. It is that Witty WóLtty Walton, the one-time music-hall and pantomime star, who also played for years as the American millionaire in "The Lady Slavery," is suffering from cancer and phthisis, and that his doctor has told him he cannot recover. He is practically penniless, and living in Disraeli-gardens, Putney. A member of the famous Hem- ming-Walton family, which included George Walton, Fred Walton, and Ivetta Walton. Walton Hemming, which is "Witty Watty Walton's" real name, went through the bankruptcy-court about three years ago. He is about 62. -C13,000 HIDDEN IN A COTTAGE I GE I Over £ lo,UUU has been found secreted in a sniall cottage in the eastern portion of Glasgow. The heard, which is in cur- rency ajrd notes, belonged to an old woman who lived alone and was never suspected of being wealthy. A feW days a.go she died, and it was while an inventory of her estate was being compiled that the treasure-trove was discovered. Her brother was a well-known com- mercial man and was reputed to have be- haved liberally towards his sister when making his will. THE MERTHYR STIPENDIARY I Sir Marchant Williams, stipendiary magistrate, looked in at Merthyr Police- court on Fridav for the first time since his illness, and took a seat for a few miniutes at the left side of Mr Plews, who is acting for his deputy. His wor- ship received a hearty handshake from all his colleagues on the bench. Mr T. Aneuryn Rees, town-clerk, addressing Sir Marchant, said that on behalf of the mayor, aldermen, and burgeSses of the county borough, he asked to be allowed to congratulate him upon his recovery. When they heard that he was stricken down with illness they were all truly grieved, but, on the other hand, when they heard of his recovery, they were overjoyed. He trusted Sir Marchant would be spared for many years to fill the the position he so ably occupied as sti- pendiary to the district. Sir Marchant will return to his duties in the course of a few days. ENORMOUS AMERICAN COAL- I FIELD The Province of Alberta, says an Ameri- can Consular report, has a coal area of 16,218 miles, with an estimated quantity available for consumption of 90,000,000,000 tons. This coal provides assurance that the fuel, lighting, and power problems of the future can be confidently faced and solved. Natural gas was struck in large quanti- ties on Bow Island, in the southern part of the province, several years ago, and is now being used for domestic and power purposes by the residents of all towns within 175 miles of the wells. The gas is sold to consumers for 30 cents, per 1,000 feet for domestic purposes, and 15 cents per 1,000 for power and manufac- turing purposes. BURGLARIES IN CARDIFF I I I Two more robberies--tiiis tamo in orua dayli,ght--have been reported to the Cardiff police. On arriving home after only a short absence two Canton founl that, as in the other cases, the front doors of their houses had been forced open and marks of a jemmy were plainly discernible on the paint of the door. Jewellery had been taken, and that the intruders had gone thoroughly about their work was obvious from the litter covering all the dors. Drawers and chests had been forced open ?d their contents strewn about. -BROTHERHOODS AND CRIME I I I The annual report of the onwi cull stable for Worcestershire contains a very ratifying testimonial to the moral work and infl^noes of the Brotherhood mo- ment. The returns for the county for the past year show a verY substantial de- Smse in the number o(oases of drunken- ST In the case of Stourbridge, Super- tate-danl Hinde has reported It t Bmaller numb- of )ffences is due to "'Picture shows, and the influeneos of the Brotherhood movement," and he adds That hü knows of several cases where that trouble to tl« police. bt,ve come under the inlfu,'nc-- of ? Brotherhood ???":?d? foTmed. This ?tement 'Ya3 reported to the Worcestershire S?d?? Jo'? ? mitt?e on &aturchy_a.n.d  I?d by Mr Wil? Bund ? extremeiy eatis factory. THE SENSATIONAL DIVORCE CASE I The hearing of the case in which a wealthy man, Charles Edward Grant Gor- don, sued his wife on the ground of al- leged misconduct, with a young man, 20 years of age, was concluded on Friday, before Mr Justice Horridge, who dis- missed the suit. The wife's petition for restitution of conj ugal rights was granted. Air Gordon married his wife secretly in 1903. He first met her at the Empire Music-hall, and before their marriage it was admitted Mrs. Gordon told her hus- band of her past life, and that she had, a child and an income of £ 250' a year. The co-respondent was Mr Arthur Jocelyn Luce. In cross-examination. Mrs. Gordon denied intimacy with the co-respondent, but admitted he called her "Cissie." She never wished to leave her husband, and was not making the petition to get a settlement out of his property. THE MURDERED LONDON BOY. I ror tho fourth time J no. Starchfield (35) newsvendor, Long Acre, stood in the dock at Old-street Police Court on Fri- day, charged with the wilful murder of his five-year-old son, Willie Starchfield, in a North London train on January 8. There was a; wave of excitement when Mrs. Clara Wood, of Kentish Town, went into the box. Mrs. Wood repeated her statement made before the coroner that she saw a. man, whom she recognised as Starchfield, holding a boy by the hand near Angia-n-lane on the day of the crime. She was positive tha,t Starchfield was the man. Prisoner was again remanded. RAILWAY CLERKS IN REVOLT I An important compact has been ar- ranged between the National Union of Railwavmen and the Railway Clerks' As- sociation regarding the policy of clerks in future disputes on the railway. It was officially announced during the week-end that if any clerks refuses to do other than his ordinary work in the case of a. dispute, and is afterward s penalised, action will be taken on his, behalf by the National Union. Considering the manner in which salar- ied railway staffs have been utilised in recent disputes, the agreement is of great public interest. MUSICAL FESTIVAL ANTICIPA- I TIONS The South Wales Musical Festival of 1913 was a gratifying success, and the executive will enter upon the second season with the encouragement bom of the experiences of a year ago. During recent weeks that body has been busily engaged with the arrangemont of the pre- liminary details, as has also a sub-com- mittee. The Queen's Hall combination will be again, engaged for each of the four concerts. More than one scheme has been submitted for the consideration of the committee, and among these is a pro- posal to offer 100 guineas for the best Welsh musical composition, with the ob- ject of promoting creative work among Welsh musicians. But this has only reached the suggestion Stage, and will be further considered at a miecting of the executive to be held later at Mountain Ash. "CODDLING" CONDEMNED I bir Vviliam Ramsay, in a. speech on Friday at the annual dinner of the Insti- tute of Sanitary Engineers in London, ased whether it was right that people should be so coddled as they were? Were they not doing something to pro- long the lives of the unfit? Would it not be better to let some of them die out ? They insisted on the children getting education, and they came to school starved. They had to gfve them break- fast, and .they had to find them boots. Ultimately they would, have to take over the children entirely. Where was that Fort. of thing going to stop? The solution, he though, was to be found in the happy mean, and the prob- lem required judicious handling, or they' would go too far. He would rather people did things for themselves. MILITANTS' "SPLIT." j The following statement was issued by the Women's Social and Political Union on Saturday evening "The movement in the East End of London, of which Miss Sylvia Pankhurst is honorary secretary, hitherto named the Eaet London Federa- tion of the W.S.P.U., has now become a separata organisation, entirely independ- ent of the W.S.P.U." "THE COTTAGE WAS A THATCHED I ONE." k I "Little Jims cottage, the scene of Edward Farmer's well-known versus, was some time a.go ordered to be closed by the Atherstone District Council, on the ground that it was not fit for habitation. The condemned house was purchased by a member of the Council, who has since put it into habitable repair, and the closing order has now been revoked. This old-world thatched cottage stands on land purchased by the Warwickshire County Council for allotments. MR REDMOND ON "AGREEMENTS" I Mr Redmond, speaking on iriday night at a dinner given in his honour at the National Liberal Club, said Ireland would be absolutely ungovernable under the old regime. If no agreement ciould be arrived at the Home Rule Bill must go through as it stood. If any concession was made to the fears of any section of the people it must be made in return for assent and agreement to the Bill. To make an agreement on any other basis would be futile and mischievous. He wanted no triumph over any section of his countrymen. MODERN CRUSOES. Terribly exhausted after 18 days of the direst privation a.nd exposure, the four fishermen, who became storm-bound on the rockly islet of Roaninish, off the Donegal coast, have yet succeeded in winning to shore. There had come at length some subsidence in the fury of the sea, and the men at the last desperate end of their resources resolved on the perilous attempt to make. the mainland. As it was, great waves broke. repeatedly over their small sraft. Originally pro- visioned for five days, the men each saw the necessity of husbanding their re- som'ces and placed themselves on short rations. There w.ere gradually reduced and provisions had reached almost vanish- ing point when the Arranmore lifeboat succeeded in floating a barrel with eat- ables to them. I CENTRAL WELSH BOARD DEFICIT Intimation given on Friday "to the effect that recent disclosures have revealed grave irregularities in connection with the affairs of the Central Welsh Board proved so unexpected as to create quite a sensation in educa-tional circles through- out Wales. A pressman who called at the oftices of the Board at Charles street, Cardiff, with the object of obtaining in- formation saw Mr Owen Owen, the chief- inspector, and Mr Myrddin Evans. Both these gentlemen, however, declined to make any statement, intimating that they were not authorised to do so. It is since stated that the irregularities alleged have been on the financial side, and that the sum of money involved is about £ 2,500. ANGLO-FRENCH RELATIONS I 11 -1 iieierence was made at me Mansion House on Saturday by M. Cambon, the French Ambassador, at the annual prize distribution in connection with the National Society of French Masters, to the excellent relations which existed be- tween England and France. The young French people, he said, were taking up more and more the study of English letters, and this was a token of a more intimate rapprochment be- tween the two countries. Anglo-French relations were not only good, but quite affectionate, and to-day the countries were united by feelings of cordial sympathy. They must not forget, remarked M. Cambon, that the tendency to the rap- prochmcnt had its origin in London, a.nd this was not forgotten in France. A DUCAL CHALLENGE I 11 I Lord Derby has sent a letter to Baron de Forest in a:y)s-%ver to the. la,t-ter's, letter agreeing to purchase Lord Derby's Boot-le estate for £ 1,500,000. Baron de Forest stated in his memo- randum attached to the report of the Liberal Land Committee that, the Derby estate in Bootle, purchased in 1724 for about E7,000, was to-day worth between £ 3,000 and £ 4,000,000. Lord Derby thereupon offered to sell the estate to Baron de Forest for £ 1,500,000. In his offer of acceptance Baron de Forest stipulated that such capital value of the estate as had already been realised should be deducted from the: purchase price. CATTLE MAIMING IN NORTH I WALES Cattle maiming was alleged at Welsh- pool Police Court on Saturday against Annie Evans (15), a servant in the, em- ploy of Mr Owen, a fanner of Groesphian. Mr Owen has lost 10 beasts and one more is seriously injured. The girl, it was stated in evidence, had been in Mr Owen's employ since May. The animals died one by one in regular succession. At last suspicion rested on the girl, and she was watched. On Friday last, it was deposed, she confessed to her employer that she had maimed them all with a sharp stick in such a manner as to present no exterior marks of violence. Mr Owen said that in October last there was a. fire at his farm, and the girl had confessed that she was tha author of it. The girl was remanded, in custody. LABOUR IN BIRMINGHAM I Prior to a meeting on Tuesday of the national executive of the Labour Party to consider the application for the en- dorsement of the candidature of Coun- cillor George Shann for East Birmingham the executive of the Birmingham La.bour Representation. Council met on Monday to consider the undertaking of the necessary financial guarantees. The party in East Birmingham have already commenced the building-up of a strong organisation and are rallying many willing helpers in the cause. THE MEXICAN WAY I A message from New York on Satur- day says :-Dispatches from Mexico City state that a. fresh conspiracy, having for its object the owerthrow of President Huerta, was discovered a few days ago. Drastic measures were immediately re- solved upon, and on Monday a body of Federal troops swept down upon the village of Santa Clara, which is situated a. few miles north of the capital, and ar- rested the leaders of the plot, whose whereabouts had been divulged.A drum- head court martial was held, after which the leading conspirators were placed against the wall and shot. It is under- stood that a number of army officers were involved. ROYAL EMPLOYEES I Further details are to hand of the at- tention their Majesties and Queen Alex- andra have given to the subject of the wages paid to the workmen on the Sand- ringham estates. In view of the increased cost of living, it was decided that an all- round advance of pay should be given., not only to the men who may be de- scribed as agricultural laboruers, but to woodmen, roadmen, and others. The number of men affected is about 300, and the increase which they receive amounts to Is. or ls.6d. a. week, according to the class of work in which they are engaged. This decision was conveyed at the audit dinner. Simultaneously with the in- crease of wages, it has been arranged that in all cases in which the nature of the employment permits work shall cease at one o'clock on Saturdays instead of three o'clock as heretofore. THE BOOM IN CINEMAS 1 It is difficult to gauge the exact amount of money invested irr the cine- matograph business, but the amount of capital registered has already reached £ 8,000,000, and there are in addition many private concerns. Recent forma- tions of important concerns indicate that the industry is still expanding. At the same time there is a tendency towards over-crowding in ma.ny districts, and those who a-re asked to provide new funds should closely weigh existing com- petition and the class of the new ven- ture. A good many of the older halls must go to the wall owing to the ever-increas- ing competition. YOUNG LIBERALS AND SOCIAL- I ISM At a. meeting at Bradford Liberal Club on Saturday night, Mr A. Mombert, a leading member of the League of Young Liberals, said the land proposals were getting very near Socialism, especially those in regard to building of houses, which he did not think came within th3 province of the Government. Mr J. K. M us grove said it was a, distressing thai?: to him to note how ardently leading Lib-r.Is had taken up Mr Lloyd George's land proposals. It seemed to him most extraordinary tfiat the great Liberal party should have pinned its faith to a minimum wage. No man in a lifetime. could say what was a reasonable mini- mum. I ENGINE DRIVER'S FORTUNE Mr Thomas Reynolds, Carr House-road, Doticastier, engine driver, who died on April 5, 1912, left estate of the gross value of CI,374, of which C120 is net personalty. His executors are his widow, Mrs. Annie Reynolds, his son, Walter Thomas Reynolds, engine fitter, and Mr George Kitchen, police sergeant, all of Doncaster. MR CHURCHILL IN THE CLOUDS Much int-erest was aroused at thei tire float station, Charing Cross, at 10 o'clock oil Saturday morning, when the First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr Winston Churchill, and a party embarked in a small steamer, in which they proceeded down the Thames to Sheerness. The First Lord embarked in the Admiralty yacht at Sheerness, and during the morning two seaplanes, one of them commanded by Captain Siddons, put off from Grain air station, alighting subsequently in the Thames off the Tilbury Fort. Commander Siddons then picked up Mr Churchill from an Admiralty launch, and at about two o'clock in the afternoon they flew back to the Isle of Grain through driving rain and a 40-mile wind: The First Lord himself started the propeller. BROTHER'S TERRIBLE DEED. I At Portsmouth on Saturday George Challis, aged ten years, was committed for trial on a coroner's warrant charged with the man-slaughter of his seven-year- old sister Beatrice. The two children were left at home, while their mother went to work, and, it was alleged that the boy put his sister on fire, burning her the tebrory ibfv that she died. To Mrs. John- son, who found the girl burning, the boy sa.id he pushed his sister's head into the fire first. As that would not burn he then put her whole body on it. He was dancing about shoutin, "Our Beaty's on fire," while the flames in which the girl's clothe-s were enveloped were being extinguished. Evidence was given that the boy was of weak intellect and vicious. LABOUR PARTY OFFICIALS I The initial meeting for the session of the Parliamentary Labour Party was held on Monday. The members of the national executive were also present. Mr J. Ramsay Macdonald, M.P., was elected to the chair; Mr A. H. Gill was elected vice-chairman; Mr. Charles Duncan secretary; Mr G. H. Roberts chief whip, and Messrs. Pointer, Goldstone, and Parker junior whips. It was decided that the party's official amendment to the Address should be on the recent developments in South Africa. BISHOP AND FORCIBLE FEEDING I The Bishop of London, in a communica- tion to Miss Dunlop, of the Women's Social and Political Union, giving the result of a surprise visit he, has paid to Holloway Prison to see Miss Marion and Miss Brady, says he found both prisoners well aaid kindly and considerately treated by the prison officials. His permit did not allow him to witness forcible feeding, but, apparently, the only effects were sickness and indigestion. Miss Marion said she always screamed as a prelim- inary protest against the feeding, and these were, no doubt, the sounds heard by Miss Ansell. Both declined to fc- aalea acts of militancy as a condition of release. The bishop ha& forwarded a private memorandum to the Home Office on the after-effects of forcible feed- ing, and he reiterates that the women's methods are a mistaken policy. SERIOUS COTTON TRADE OUT- I LOOK. On the Manchester Exchange on 'lues- day the calculation was made that 100,000 looms and 40,000 workpeople would be affected by the decision of the Burnley cotton manufacturers to stop their mills during four of the next sixteen weeks. The loss of wages during thei four weeks will amount to over £ 300,000. A ballot of manufacturers showed 90 per cent, in favour of curtailing their output. THE IRON SUPPLY I Statistical tables showing the produc- tion of iron ore, pig iron and steel in the United Kingdom and the principal foreign countries in recent years were issued on Monday evening by the Board of Trade as a White Paper. It ia estimated that the output of iron ore in 1912 was about 152 million tons. The total resouroes of ore existing in de- posits that can at present be worked at an economic profit amount) to 22,408 mil- lion tons, representing 10,192 million tons of iron, and) at the present rate of output this would supply the requirements of the world for considerably less than two centuries* SEARCH FOR GUY FAWKES. i I Shortly after ten o'clocK on iuesuay morning a small body of Yeomen of the Guard from the Tower, carrying lanterns and accompanied by police, doorkeepers, and othelr officials, entered the debating Chamber, and passed up the floor to the rear of the Speaker's Chair. Here a trap-door was raised, and the party descended the steep flight of stone steps to search the underground passages a.nd vaults of both Houses in perpetuation of a custom observed without interrup- tion since Guy Fawkes* malignant a.t. tempt to blow up the King and Parlia- ment 300 years ago. The search proved quite uneventful. MISS MARIE LLOYD IN AMERICA I A despatch to New York trom Van- couver (B.C.) on Saturday reports that Miss Marie Lloyd horsewhipped a local editor, one time mayor of the city, follow- ing on his criticism of her act and songs in the local theatre. Miss Marie Lloyd and a' companion found the editor in his office, and when he smilingly admitted that he was1 the editor the actress drew a thick leather strap from her muff- and struck him several times over'the head. The "Tedegraph" New York corres- pondent states that Miss Marie Lloyd has won her fight for readmission to the United States after crossing the Canad- ian border; but she is required to renew the bond exacted from her in New York to the effect that she will leave the country on March 1st at the end of her music hall engagements. FLEET PAYMASTER SENTENCED I The charges against John Moffat Lowry, whose disappearance in November last excited a great deal of comment, were investigated on Tuesday at Chatham by a court martial held aboard H.M. S. Vengeance. Three charges were preferred, the first being one of desertion from H.M.S. Ganges on 19th November. The socond count aUeged that defendant having been entrusted during the months of Novem- (Continuea at bottom of next column.)

DRYM MOUNTAIN CONTRO- VERSY. I I COUNCILLOR Dd. LEWIS'S CON TRIBUTION. I To the Editor. Sir,.—I notice in a recent issue of your widely read paper that the few remarks made by me at a meeting of the newly-formed Crown and Common I Land Society on Jan. 17, 1914, do not I suit the critical eye of Councillor S. J. Thomas, and he disputes the truth of the statements I made. firstly, that the rent of the Halfway House was paid in the Vestry Fawr at Yniscechvyn Arms; and secondly, that the rent was paid to the Rector of Ystradgynlais. Concerning the first, I had the facts from an honourable and reliable person who is still alive, and is about 20 years older than Councillor Thomas and who, I think, will be of great service to the new society. My informant in respect of the second fact was the late Thomas Jones, Tyny- pant Farm, Abercrave. the hero of many lights, and there are many who could verify this statement if they wished to do so. There is very little real difference between Mr. Thomas and myself. He admits that the rent was paid, and the only thing that puzzles me is, if the vicar or the warden obtained the money, what did they do with it ? Concerning Mr. Thomas's question as to who are the Commoners, my answer to that is from the standpoint of the majority of the Commoners. The Commoners are those farmers who are living in the farms on the same side of the river Tawe as Drym Mountain, in the parishes of Ystradgynlais Higher and Lower. I am in entire agreement with Councillor Thomas that the Drym Common and every other Common should be under the control of a public authority, and I hope that Councillor Thomas will put his shoulder to the wheel and become a member of the society. In vour last issue "Observer" at- tempts to answer Councillor Thomas' question re the Commoners. "Observer" appears to think that the Commoners are those farmers who live close to the Common, but this a very conservative opinion. Personally, I prefer to be guided by the majority of the Com- moners than by "Observer." Again, the ratepayers do not agree with the opinion of "Observer," nor do they agree with the majority of the Commoners. They are of the opinion that the real Commoners are the rate- payers of the two parishes of Ystrad- gynlais, and that is my opinion, also. If I possess different views to those held by the majority of the Commoners, that will not preclude me from working shoulder to shoulder with them, as I have done in the past, to stop any encrouchment on Drym Common. The Drym Commoners are not the fools that "Observer" 6eems to think they are. Since I have been one of the Com- moners, the business has been carried on in a proper manner. We have A chairman, secretary and treasurer, and the minutes of every meeting are kept. Further we possess an account book in which we can show every penny re- ceived and expended. We can show by means of this book that we have re- ceived the rent of the Halfway House for years, in addition to the reiut of Dulais Colliery, and for the telegraph poles. I trust that in the near future we will overcome the difficulty between the ratepayers and the Commoners and that the ratepayers will obtain an in- sight to the books of the Commoners. In the interests of Liberty, Colbren Farm, Feb. 9, 1914. —————— < Dd. LEWIS. I

AUSTRALIAN STATE DAIRY FARM I Mr Estell, Minister of Labour and In- dustry, has decided to establish a State dairy farm for the supply of milk to Government institutions of New South Wales. The dairy will be run in conjunction with the Bunnerong State farm near Syd- ney. The Minister states that he does not at present intend to compete with private vendors. M|M

VVlHk J ???r???l(  j* S*Y VfltH "b "Pine "§$Ta&et$ I orab tf?e gbeaxt of wan." -93ut 't.¿OU must caCf at I e rbe i$tne f?oppe O. 10 Swansea I to prose if THE OLD WIVES AT TEA Mrs. JONES IDdeed you must excuse me for being so long with the tea. The fire had gone low, you see, and I couldn't get the kettle to boil. Mrs. EVANS Why don't you get the gas in, Mrs. Jones; it would save you heaps of work, and be a big comfort too, with your weak eyes. Mrs. JONES: Merch fach i, I have lived to go without it, and bring up a family of tea, and I am too old now to bother about things like that. Mrs. EVANS: Yes, my dear, but you don't know how much easier it is to do your cooking, without making a mess of the fireplace. Mrs. THOMAS And so clean it is. Before the Tawe Gas Co. put in a stove for us, I had to clean my fireirons and fende: every day, and blacklead the fireplace twice a week. Now I have only to wipe them over. It is so much nicer. Mrs. EVANS And it is so cheap. We can cook a dinner for seven, and it only costs a penny. Mrs. THOMAS: They put in a penny-in-the-slot meter for us, a stove and three lights, for nothing. The gas is much better than the messy old lamps and candles. Mrs. JONES Will they put it in for nothing ? Mrs. EVANS: Yes, merch i; just send a post-card to the Gas Works, Pontardawe, or to the Office at Ystalyfera, and they will send a man up at once, and the stove and lights will be fixed up in no time. Mrs. JONES Then indeed I think I will do it as soon as we have finished tea. Because I do believe my eyes would be better if we had gas instead of the old-fashion lamps. .+. For particulars, drop a Post Card to the MANAGER, GAS WORKS, PONTARDAWE. AUCKLAND'S Ltd., The Largest Boot Ii Shoe Merchants in Wales. 8/6 The Best Value in Wales Stocked in Box Calf and Chrome Leather. Small, Medium, and Square Toe stock- ed, Guaranteed Waterproof. Scad for a pair now. Mention which leather, shape and size. On receipt of P.O.O. for 816, we will send by return of post carriage paid. Auckland's Ltd., HIGH STREET, SOWVVAANilSOEDfAl ST. HELEN'S RD., SWANSEA

(Continued from preceding column). ber, and October, with a sum of L24 600 fr&dulently converted to his own use £ 13,061. Defendant was further charged with having stolen 100 £ 5 Bank of Eng- land notes, received by him in virtue of his employment. Accused, who pleaded guilty to all the charges, was sentenced to three years penal servitude. RAILWAY DEVELOPMENTS IN I SOUTH WALES In compliance with the Standing Ordors of Parlianient estimates have been deposited on behalf of the Great Western Railway Company showing the capital that will have to be expended in the event of sanction being obtained during the ensuing Session of Parliament to the Omnibus Bill which is being promoted by that company The toil number of district works con- templated by the company in this Bill is no less than 48, and the total cost of all these works is estimated at £ 789,671. Of about 21 miles of contemplated new railways just over 19 miles are proposed to be constructed in South Wales, at an estimated cost of £ 364,419. Air J. W. Guise, the coroner for the Forest of Dean division, a.t Littledean. j opened the inquiry into the deaths of Henry Thomas Gwillim (43) and Hubert Leyshon (27), who were killed by a fall of r oof at the Eastern. United Colliery, I Forest of Dean, on Thursday last. The inquest was adjourned till Eebruary 20. I < An award of S125 was made at the Bow County Court in favour of Michael Dromey, of North Woolwich, fr the loss of the right eye, through an accident at the place whe he was working. Dromey decided to draw the whole amount, to enable him to proceed to Ireland and start agricultural farming.