Llais Llafur

PONTARDAWE POLICE COURT. FRIDAY. Before -N l e--irs. H. N. Before Messrs. H. N. Miers (pres-iding) E. G. Benthall, G. H. Strick and J. H. P. Lloyd. TEMPORARY TRANSFER Upon the application of Mr G. Mor- gan, solicitor, the temporary transfer of the license of the Traveller's Well, Rhydy- fro was granted from Hannah Lewis to Mansel Williams. DOG WITHOUT LICENCE John Richards, Trebanos, admitted a' charge of keeping a dog without license, and was fined 10s. and costs. THE DRINK AGAIN For having been, diunk and disorderly at Ynysmeudwy on March 26th, Daniel Jones was fined 10s. inclusive. Wm. Griffiths, Cyfyng road, Ystalyfera, ad- mitted being drunk on April 14th, and ha.d to pay 8s., whilst Stephen James, Pontardawo, vas also fined 10s. inclusive for a similar offence. Afred Confield, G.C.G., failed to attend, and his case was adjourned. Gomer Thomas, Gwilym road, Owmllynfel, pleaded guilty to the offence and a penalty of 10s. including costs was Imposed. REMOVAL OF PIGS. W. J. Davies, Gwauncaegurwen, was charged with having removed nine pigs from G.C.G. contrary to the regulations. A constable stated that on March 28th the man was granted a removal license for nine pigs from Llandilo market to G.C.G. Thursday, later witness called at defendant's premises and found that the pigs were not there, Davies stating that he had scld them to three different places in the district. The license pro- vided that the pigs should be kept in one place for 28 days after removal. Defendant pleaded ignorance, and said that he bought the animals for three different persons according to their re- quest. He was not accustomed to pur- chasing pigs. A fine of 2s.6d. for each pig was im- posed, together with payment of costs. RAILWAY TRESSPASSING. James Norton, Clydach, was summon.ed for trespassing on tlfe Midland Railway near the South Box, Clydach, on April ilth. His father appeared to answer the cha.rge. An officer spoke to seeing defendant going along the line, and said that "hen questioned, Norton admitted that he had no pass. Mr Norton, senr., said his son was merely crossing the line on an errar;ki.- Fined 10s. and costs. John Williams admitted a similar offence on March 11th. A constable spoke to seeing the man walking along the line between Tarreni Colliery and Ynysgeinon Junction on the day named, and in corroborating. Mr Max Franzen said they had considerable trouble in the men in this locality, much damage being done to fences, etc. Fined 10s. an d costs. UNCERTIFICATED LABOUR The West Glamorgan Canister Co. Ltd., Clydach, were summoned in three cases for failing to comply with section 33 of the Factory Act providing that employers must obtain certificates of fit- ness for workers under the age of 16. Mr Hilditch, Superintendent Factory Inspec- tor, prosecuted, and Mr John, manager pleaded guilty on behalf of the Company. Mr Hilditch said the facts were that -on January 27th, the Company had three girls, all aged 14 in their service, all of whom had been employed some months, and in none of the cases had certificates of trtness for work been obtained. They were got on February 6th, but should have been in the Company's ion within seven days of the girls' starting work. Mr Charles Evans, one of H.M. Inspec- tors of Factories, corroborated. Mr John said the omission was due to a. misunderstanding. Fines of 15s. and costs in each case were imposed. ILL TREATMENT OF A PONY David Hughes, hawker, Clydach, was charged with having ill-treated a horse by working it in an unfit condition. A constable stated that at 10.30 a.m. on April 6th, he. saw defendant driving a chestnut pony in Curwen Street, G.C.G. [t was in a very poor condition, and ap- peared to be in great pain. He called to defendant and asked him what was the matter with the poily, and he said the animal ailed nothing. Witness ex- amined it and found several old bruises and sores, and a new one apparently made that morning. He told defendant to lead the pony to the Police Station, where it was examined by Sergt. Shilom. He told the man that he would be reported, and ordered him to take the animal home, and not to work it. The Sergeant corroborated. The Chairman said it was cruel to work an animal in that state. Fined .£1 inr clusive of costs. MOTOR CYCLE OFFENCE. Considerable interest was taken in the case in which Walter James Laming, dentist, Pontardawe, was summoned for having driven a motor cycle without license. It will be remembered that the case was adjourned at the last aitting of the Court, for the purpose of obtaining oertain information from the County Council regarding the. date of the license. Mr Morgan Davies, who again defend- ed, regretted that the Police had gona to the trout le and expense of getting evi- dence from Cardiff in the case in ques- tion. It had been admitted that it did not matter when the license was granted, as he had produced the license covering the date of the alleged offence. The Chairman said the weak point was the failure to produce the correct license. It was not produced wheal requested, and he thought there had been some evasion at the previous hearing. Wilfrid Olark, a clerk in the account- ants' office of the Glamorgan County C-ouncil, Cardiff, said that on March 11 application was received from Laming, along with 5s. for the renewal of his license. It was renewed, and returned, and would be received hack on March 13. framing's license expired on January 19th, but it, was the custom of the officials to renew the licence from the date of ex- piration. Defendant was not licensed op March 9th, the date of the alleged offence. Mr Morgan Davies submitted tl,t in that case tlia license was misleading. De- f^nda.nt- was led to believe by experience that he was licentrd to drive on ti),- "-v ia question. The Chririiian ngreed. but th^ r'V- rviid. it could not be pnt was r-t licensed to driv" on "1T'(' 9th. and thit ° n <- ffence W3." A fir-R of 30s. inclusive of cost- vv> Inflicted. I GURNOS FARMERS' OFFENCE. I Rhys Williams, farmer, Gurnos, Ystaly-j' fera, was summoned for having allowed three ows to stray on the public road. His daughter appeared, and in answer to the clerk said her father had not told heir whether she must admit or deny the offence. The Chairman Did he give you any money with which to pay the fine?- (laughter).—Yes—(reneweded laughter). The police recorded five previous con- victions for a similar offence, and a fine of 4a. and costs for each cow was im- posed I A PAINFUL CASE. I I A painful case was mentioned in which 1 Mary Lewis, Pontardawe, summoned her brother, Benjamin Jeremiah, for assault. The proceedings, however, were not en- tered into, and at the suggestion of the Chairman and the Clerk, defendant agreed to be bound over. NEGLECTFUL HUSBAND'S I Maria Nicholas, Clydach, summoned her husband, Jas. Nicholas for desertion, stating that he had not maintained her for 20 years. Complainant said, thev were married in 1873, and had four daughters, all of whom were married. Defendant was a corpora- tion labourer earning about 28s. per week. They had lived apart for quite 20 years. She had) an order for maintenance from the Bench at Tenby about 14 years ago, but she only received two sums of 5s. from her husband, and as she had teen able to keep herself since, she had not troubled him. Defendant said he had had an opera- tion to his foot and could not work regu- larly. I An order for payment of 8s. per week was made. Thomas Langdon, Pontardawe, was summonoed by his wife Gwen Lang- don for desertion. She said defendant had left her several weeks ago. He had drunk heavily and had not maintained her properly for some time. An order for 10s. per week was made. Mary Rees summoned her husband Del. J. Rees for having deserted her, and asked for a maintenance order. The case had been before the Court previously, and was adjourned because of, defendant's ill- ness. It was stated that he. had recovered but he did not attend. The wife stated that her husband was 38, and she was 21. They were married at St. David's Church, Ystalyfera, nearly two years ago, and he had never worked regularly. He was a labourer and earned 52s. per week when he was employed. Supt. Lethera.n said hie understood that defendant was formerly a schoolmastei, but for some reason he gave that up and had done little work since. He used to go out prepared for work, but rarely did any. He would loiter about instead. An order for payment of 8s. per week was made. I UNATTENDED HORSES Gomer Thomas, Pontardawe, wi;s found guilty of leaving two horses unat- tended in the street, and was fined 2s.6d. and costs. P.C. Baker gave evidence, and Sergt. Woods corroborated. I ASSAULT AT CLYDACH. I "LIFE" IN THE GARDEN CITY. Emily Rogers, of the Garden City, Clydach, summoned Cornelius Govier, who lives next house, for assault. Complainant said she was outside her house on April 3rd, when defendant called her to him and asked her what she had been saying about himself and the woman he lived with. She replied that she did use the remarks he mentioned because they were true, whereupon he struck her with his hand across the face. Defendant said the woman threw a stone flt him before he struck her. Annie Weeks said she was a "deserted wife'' and defendant lodged with her on the occasion of the alleged assault, and said. complainant threw a stone at Govier first. Govier was also charged with having Lehaved in a disorderly manner on the day in question. An officer said he saw defendant outside the house shouting and swearing at the top of his voice. For the first offence a fine of 2s.6d. and costs was imposed, and 10s. inclusive in the second. The chairman added The conduct of some of the people down there is disgraceful. Rhys Thomas, Ystalyfera, summoned David Owen, a neighbour for having used threats towards him. Complainant said Owen went to his house using filthy language, and threatening to fight him if lie went out into the street. Answering the Clerk, Thomas said he was afraid defendant would do him some personal injury. Owen was bound over. INSURANCE ACT PROSECUTIONS. I A CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR! I The Bench were occupied for some little time in a case in which F. H. Neville, cinema, proprietor, of Gorseinon, and until recently of G.C.G., was summoned for failing to stamp the cards of three of his assistants under the National Insurance Act. Mr Haydn Jones prosecuted on behalf of the Welsh Insurance Commissioners, and Mr Neville did not appear. Mr Jones said briefly the facts were that Neville who had been connected with a cinema, show at G.C.G. had employed three men, Edwin Horstead, Frederick Ba-rber, and Trevor Jenkins, for whom he should have paid the employer's contribur tion under the National Insurance Act. Between. January 10th and the issue of the summonses, six visits were paid, or letters forwarded to defendant with the object of the local inspectors obtaining an interview with him, but all had been un- successful. The evidence would show that as was not uncommon in, some quarters. Nevills did not approve. of the Act, and for this reason objected to stamp the cards. The men concerned were not now employed by defendant. who had left the district. The penalty for the offence was a fine not exceeding 210, which really meant the making of an order which would cover all the contributions unpaid, leaving the insured person no worse off as a result of the proceedings. The cards should have been stamped when the wages were paid, whether weekly or monthly. The three men gave evidence bearing out Mr Jones, opening statement. Hor- stiead and Jenkins appearing on supoena. Horstead's arrears were 16 weeks. Bar- ber 31 weeks, and Jenkins five weeks. Evan Evans, district inspector, also gave evidence corroborating previous statements, aild spoke of his ineffectual attempts to get a-n interview with Neville. Defendant was fine,(i El and costs in ench case. YNYSAMMAN WORKERS I SUMMONED. TPOTTHLE ABOUT A FIREMAN I ?he Y'?y un.rnn)? C ? ?ry C?. Ltd., c,vl- li"v propr'eton. B''y;'?'rnt?n. F.-LiTnTr.('Tl"(1I i<'xtvof th,r '(,, f-?r 's-'Mf h d contract. Mr ?for?a"D''vi''s. I P?)?.rc)n.we,prospc'!t?.a.nd Mr Ran-, deH, Swansea, defended. j Mr Davies said he regretted to have I to proceed with the cases. He had hoped they could come to an amicable settle- ment. However, on March 9 last it ap- pe-ared that the workmen at the Ynys- amman Colliery had some grievance against a fireman, who had been appoint- ed. to start work on that day. The man had been emplo ed in that position up to August of last vear, but in the January previous, something had happened, a mis- firø taking plsce, and the men alleged that in view of this, the fireman had not done his duty properly. They endeavoured to get the Inspector of Mines to prosecute, but he replied that the fireman had done the best practical think under the cir- cumstances, and no prosecution took place. The fireman was employed from January 21st up to August, and left then on his own accord, going to work at the coal face. A new manager was appointed about throe weeks prior to March 9th, and knowing the previous fireman, thought, it would be of great assistance to have him back. He was therefore, re- appointed to his old position. The fire- man was to have started on March 9th, but the men hearing this refused to go down. They did not go down either on that day or the next, and the Company wrote a letter to the works committee stating that they had considered the re- port of the stoppage of work, and the men's reply adhering to their refusal to go r. a,ck to work unless the appoint- ment of Lewis as fireman was withdrawn. Under the circumstances they (the Com- pany) had decided to close down the col- liery unless the men withdrew their ob- 1 jection to Lewis, and agreed to pay the cost of keeping thie colliery open, the cost to be agreed upon between the, men's agent and the colliery officials. That, said Mr Davies was not unnreasonable. It was not accepted and tho Company issued summonses against the men who had stopped work, but on March 19, the men wrote offering terms themsel ves. They declared themselves prepared to resume work, withdrawing their objection to Lewis as firema,n (which showed there ha.d been no real objection at all; it was be- cause he came from the Pontardawe dis- trict), and they asked the Company to withdraw the claims for damages, the terms to te agreed upon mutually. By this time the pumps at the colliery were hing withdrawn, and the colliery was I Hooding. It was difficult to see what de- fence thera could be to the summonses. On the question of damages, the dates of the claim were from March 9th to 18th, and the total cost put in by the Company was £ 173 18s. 2d. In addition there were the damages incurred by the Col- lierv being closed down, because it stood to reason that when the colliery was re- open,ed if at all, a great deal of work would have to be done to put it in a safe condition. The sum to be incurred was quite inestimable. The Chiiirman said they covld not take the latter question into conosideration at all. They could fix no estimate. David Jeffrie?, manager of the colliery, corroborated Mr Davies in his opening statement, and give evidence at length on the question of damages. It was hereupon admitted that the men's second offer to meet the damages was made without prejudice. Cross-examined by Mr Randell witness made several admission which would have the effect of reducing the damages claimed He also agreed that the stoppage did rot bind the Company to flood the colliery, and said it would have been kept open if the men had paid the charges, etc. Further answering Mr Randell, witness sa.id he ha-d heard that Richard Williams, when manager, had agreed that Lewis should not be fireman at the Tjt, but he had also heard that the remark had been wrongly constructed. Lewis had com- mitted a technical offence in withdrawing a charge of powder, but it's seriousness, he said depended on the circumstances. He did not know that the Mines In- spector had pressed the Company to prose- cute. Mr Davjes objected to questions on this matter, because the Mines Inspector was not present, and the objection was up- held. He knew that the Company did not prosecute, and that the men did object to Lewis as fireman. He also understood that the manager put Lewis at the coal face because of the men's complaints, and he admitted being told that the men would object if Lewis was given the fireman's post again. Personally he con- sidered Lewis a competent man despite his technical offence. Re-examined by Mr Da-vies. witness said the colliery was flooded because it would hnve cost a, considerable sum to have kept it open, and they did not know when the men would be returing. Mr J. G. Harris, secretary to the Com- panv, gave corroborated evidence. Cross-examined bv Mr Randall, he denied that Lewis, the fireman, was ever dismissed, but admitted that the manager had aereed to find a way of removing Lewis from his post as fireman, also that the men did not obiect to Lewis ea.rning his living at the coalface. He denied on his oath t,hit the Company were requestrd by the Home Office to take proceedings a??ir&t Lewis. t he, ha-d Mr Randell complained that he had h?d no answer to his request for par- ticulars regarding the wages -due to the men from the Company. and Mr Harries said his answer was that the letter was forwarded to the solicitor. Mr Randell reviewed the evidence, and said regarding Lewis' action in with- drawing the powder, the men received such information that they expected that proceedings would be taken against him. I f the offence had been committed by a workman, he would have been summoned at once. His case was that it was a verb- al agreement between the former manager and the men that Lewis should not be fireman; that agreement had been broken by the Company in Lewis' re-appointment and that the men were therefore justified in leaving work without the customary 14 days' notice. It was pointed out, however, that if they had objected to Lewis, the men could have given 14 days notice in the ordinary wav, ard the clnk supported this vipw, but Mr Randell retorted by saving th/it anything might have hap- pened in the course of thoc 14 days the men were w -rking out their notices. Wm. .Nfo.Re; corrborated Mr Rail dell's statements, and said the men had a strong objection to Lewis as fireman, because of his actions and certainly not. because he lived in Pontardawe instead of Bryn- amman. The Chairman said the B^nch did not think the defence had Droved that there was any contract r^gvrd rg tl-e pit;on of r.evns as fireman, brt thev felt that there had been mistakes on both sides. The Bench gave judgment in favour of the Company, the damages to be settled amicably if possible, and failing this course, at the next sitting of the Court. —————