Llais Llafur

CLYDACH We regret to announce the death of Mrs. Rachel Richards, wife of "Per- llanog, and mother of Alfa, which occurred on Thursday, the 6th inst., at j her home at, Clydach, at the age of 66. On the previous Sunday evening, when leaving her daughter's house, she fell and received a slight wound on her leg. This developed into blood- poisoning, which, as stated, ended fatally. The funeral, which was largely at- tended, took plaoo Monday, the burial being at C'lydach Churchyard previous to which a service was held at Hcr- mon Chapel, where the deceased was a faithful member. The Rev. Eiddig Jones paid a touching and eloquent tribute to the worth of the departed, at Hermon, and at the graveside the Rev. T. Valentine Evans offered up prayer. The deceased leaves an up- grown family of one daughter and three eons, and numerous e-randchild- ren. The following pathetic verse was Alfa's lament at the death of his mother, who, latterly had also been a mother to his motherless children:— Hafan dies wedi nosi-rhvthrwynt Ha.fa.n dies wedi nos i —r h yt h rwynt Ar ei thraeth sv'n tori; Yn y tywydd rhaid tewi, Marw mam, Mara i mi,

The body of a coloured seaman was picked tip on the Gower coast on Tues- day. Lord Selborne, Minister of Agri- culture, suggests that to encourage cottagers to keep pigs local authori- ties should relax bylaws which at pro- sent may prevent pig-keeping. Amongst the patients of the Western General Hospital at Newport. Mon., is Private Stamps, of the 18th London Regiment, whose card is marked "under age." He is 16 years old, and is to be sent home this week, though I he says he is anxious to fight. Owing to injuries received in a col- lision between a London County Coun- cil tram and a van he was driving, ex- plained Robert J. Cooper, a robust- looking man, in Westminster County Court, he could only do light work, and he had ,felt that people whom he ap- proached regarded him as a "slacker." He was awarded C50 damages.

SOUTH WALES MINERS AND COMPULSION. I Strike Threat. BALLOT OF COALFIELDS ADVOCATED As was anticipated, the delegates re- presenting the South Wales miners, who met at Cardiff on Wednesday, passed a resolution of protest against the Govern- ment Military Service Bill. They went further, and declared in favour of a national strike if the Govern- ment persisted in placing the measure on the Statute Book. These two resolutions were carried by decisive majorities. The last resolution, however, was modi- fied very materially by another resolut- tion, which was to the effect that no strike should be reported to until a ballot had been taken of the miners of all the coalfields. This means that no strike can be declared unless a two-thirds majority has been secured Though the action of the delegates may appear somewhat disconcerting, the safe- guard thus provided qualifies very materially the "down tools" policy which was advocated in the first instance, and which seemed to appeal to the great maiolity of those present. As a result the representatives of the South Wales coalfield attending the Miners' Federation of Great Britain Con- ference at London on Thursday will vote in favour of a ballot being taken on the question of a national strike. Even though the resolution may be carried, the pcssibility of a two-thirds majority being cast im favour of a strike is a remote contingency, especially in view of the fact that in several coal- fields the voting has been very close. Even in South Wales 35 of the delegates had been given maindates to support the Government, while in regard to several of the others the majorities obtained at the lodges against the Bill were by no means decisive.

THE VOTING. The way in which the delegates voted ia interesting. On the general principle as to whether the Gevernmant Bill should be opposed a resolution was carried by a decisive majority, the voting on the resolution of pretest against the Bill be- ing as follows :— In favour. 211 Against 35 Majority 176 It was than proposed that in order to give effect to that resolution the con- ference should declare in favour of a "down tools" policy. On this issue the voting was as fcllows In favour 163 Against. 83 1\1ajori!y. 80 Incn came the voting on the question of whether a strike policy should be im- mediately resorted to, and a ?colution was propos"d that the declaration of a strike shouJd be subject to a ballot being taken of the whole of the coalfields in the Lnited Kingdom. On this matter the vot- ing was :— J In favour 127 Against. 109 Majority 18 THE M.F.G.B. AGAINST THE COM- PULSION BILL. The Miners' Conference on Thursday in London decided to accept the dis- tricts report which shows an overwhelm- ing majority against the Military Service Bill, and to call a further conference to consider future action in the event of the Bill being passed. .-———— 410

ARMLET EASHIONS. Now that the '-Derby" a.rmJet is part of many Englishmen's everyday dress, distinct fash'ons in the wearing of it have been created. The official recommendation is that it shall be worn on the left arm. Recruits have followed this somewhat elastic advice according to their inclina- tion. The men of the younger groups con- sider it the correct thing to wear the armlet just over the cuff of the left sleeve with the scarlet crown slightly to the left. The more staid members of later groups wear it above the left elbow with the crown squarely to the front. j

Nothing pleases the boys at the Front so much as news of home. Send them the "Llais" every week.

I PREMIERS' APPEAL. LABOUR RESIGNATIONS WITH- DRAWN. The Prime Minister met on Wednes- day in his private room at the House of Commons the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party and the Parliamentary members of the party to discuss certain aspects of the Military Service Bill. Mr Arthur Henderson was present. Subsequently a meeting of the Parliamentary Lab- our Party and the National Labour Executive was held, and the following statement was issued at the close:— At the meeting of the Parliament- ary Labour Party and the National Executive the statement of the Prime Minister was considered, and as the party's conference is to be held in Bristol at the end of the month, when the whole subject- will be under discussion, it was decided to withdraw the resignations in the meanwhile. This applies to the three Ministerial offices held by Labour members, namely:— Mr A. Henderson, President of the Board of Education. I Mr William Brace, Under-Secretary I of the Home Office. Mr G. H. Roberts Junior Lord of I the Treasury. THE PREMIER'S APPEAL. I The Central News learns that at the meeting of the Labour Party the Prime Minister made a general appeal to the National Executive to support the Bill, and indicated that the measure would be 60 modified as to meet the wishes of Labour in every possible way to safeguard it from any suspicion of compulsion or industrial conscription. The meeting is stated to have been impressed with Mr Asquith's assur- ance. A meeting of the Parliament- ary members was, in view of the de- cision of the National Executive, held to consider how the party should vote on the second reading of the Military Service Bill.

I RAT HUNTING IN THE TRENCHES. In a dispatch, from tile French Army Headquarters, Mr. H. Warner Allen speaks of the efforts now being made by our Ally to lDOlko the winter lot of the men in the trenches a little more toler- able. Not the least worrying of the smaller trenth annoyances, says Mr. Allen, is the matter of rats. "Shelters and trenches n« matter where they axe made, whether in woods, or open fields. or on the main- tain side, become immediately infested with the objectionable creatures. In one case within my own personal knowledge they drove a French officer out of a dug- out into a damp and melancholy shelter which was to some extent protected from them bv sheets of corrugated iren. The plague had attained considerable dimen- sions before a really organised attempt was made to deal with it. and there were many cases of ra,ts actually biting men who werc, chasing them down the trench- es. ''Terriers have proved of considerable assistance. Trains full of dogs have been despatched to the front, and poison has been fairly effective. Lately a reward has been offered for every dead rat brought in by the men in the trenches, and regu- lar battues have been organised. In a single fortnight one army ccTps alone has disposed of no fewer tha.n 8.000 rats. At a halfpenny a rat this has involved an expense of £16, a,rd it was c-ertafnly money well spent. The sport of rat-catch- ing on such very advantageous terms has proved very popular among the men, who now suggest that the standing re- ward offered for the more dangerous and more exciting form of sport involved in the capture of a German machine-gun should be raised to a higher figure

Joseph Rudlin, aged 14, told the [ Willesdon magistrate that be could i enrn over £ 3 weekly a.t his situation in a. munition factory. Over £ 30.000 has been received to- wards the £ 70.000 needed to carry out the scheme to strengthen the supports of the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral. At Newport Bankruptcy Court, Phil- lip Sansome, general shopkeeper, said that bad trade owing to the war and the enlistment of customers were given as the causes of failure.

r ONLLWYN PROPERTY SALE. Mr W. Burrows Trick, Neath, on Tues- day evening conducted a sale by public auction at the Pantyddrainen Hotel. Banwen, Onllwyn. A leasehold shop and dwelling house stuated in the main road from Onllwvn to Glynneath, held under a lease for 99 years from 1912 at a ground rental of JS1 15s. per annum, and let on a monthly tenajicy of 28s. landlord pay- ing rates and taxes. Withdrawn at £220. An engine, mortar mill, and shed were sold to Mr. Daniel Thomas, Am- manford, for j557 10s. The solicitors were Messrs. Ilandell and Co., Bridgend.

NEATH WATERWORKS SCHEME. The Neath District Council met on Wednesday, Mr. W. B. Trick, J.P., pre- siding. Arising out of the report of the Waterworks Committee, Mr. D. Daniel severely criticised the unnecessary expen- diture incurred in the administration of of this department, and pointed out that the original scheme adopted by the com- mittee was not being carried out. This view was supported by Mr. John Thomas (Glynneath) and other members of the Couneil, and the whole matter was even- tually referred back to the committee

LIGHTS FOR PERAMBULATORS. The perambulator is recognised as a I vehicle and must after dark carry a white light in front and a red light in j all parts of the country other than the 1 London district. This new dignity has been conferred by the Home Office order which came into force on Monday. The question was dis- cussed by the Hitch in. Herts, police re- cently, a.nd the Home Oflice reply was "The word 'vehicle' includes perambu- lators." When does a perambulator become a "vehicle"" is an interesting conundrum, because, as everyone knows, all vehicles when under proper control use the road and not the pavement. Recent police cases show that the police think t.hat the perambulator remains, in spite of this, a pavement-using vehicle, which' is an anomaly. The further question arises—which is the front aaid which the rear of a pram ? Perhaps the Home Office will oblige with a ruling. The Head Constable of Cardiff stated to a press representative that strictly speaking the pram was not legally en- titled to be on the footway, and was therefore defined as a vehicle. But as it ha.d been permitted to use the footways —on sufferance—for BO long, and was not a vehicle which regularly used the road, he (the Head Constable') did not inter- pret the lighting order as applying to prams, and would not enforce it against them.

THE IIYSTERY OF LONDON LIGHTS. I For a long time past (says a correspon- dent) Londoners have been puzzling over a phenomenon which is to be seen any night. Mysterious flashes appear in the sky, especially over certain districts. They seem to have an electric origin, of which the sceptic says it is oirl vthe District Railway or the trains with overhead wires. More credulous neople believe that the anti-aircraft stations are signalling to one -another, and stil] more cred ulous persons have dark tales of German spies and flash lamps. The scpptic cannot ex- plain why the trains and the trams have suddenly taken to giving off this new illumination, but he is right nevertheless. The explanation is that the air is charged with electricity, and so what in normal times would be an unnoticed spark becomes a powerful flash. The con- stant use of wireless and the multiplica- tion of wireless stations are responsible for the increased amount of electricity in the atmosphere, which magnifies every spark.

SCULPTOR'S TRAGIC DEATH. 1 Signor Rembrandt Bugatti, the i Italian sculptor, was found unconscious in his studio suffering from gas poison- ing, says the "Petit Parisien. He died some hours later in hospital. ————— ———

POSING AS AN AIRMAN. Having signed the al iens' register at I HR'-ing signe4 the aliens' rest eT at his hotel in the name of Mr Sop?vith. I the airman. Robert Wm. Gunter t.ra- j velli ng motor-engineer, representing 'a I I-ondon firm, was at Nottingham fined Ii J62. .00 —————

FUNERAL OF SIR HEREWALD I WAKE. In accordance with his wishes, the body of Sir Herewal? Wake, whose funeral took place at CourteenhaH, Northampton, wa? conveyed to the I church on a farw wagon drawn bv s h ire horses. Addressing the de fendant in a rciiool 3ttnd3.nee case at Ammanford. Mr. J. Lew i s, J. P  "Jt is .no  o<x. rnmin? Lewj, J.P., saii: "It is no x. running = to the doctor ior a certificate after the attendance offi, er has summoned you. Other tidv people who send their child- len regularly to school have to p"y for your children, who are absent. It is a great loss to the ratepayers of the eoun- ty. Everv time you lose you ar..e adding 2iu. to the rate. The reports cf Austria's incTèa,.<il1 need The L* Austr i a's Ld of reserves is (onfirmed by a prot-la-oa- tion published in Switzerland or dering Austnans from 41 to 50 years of L.-e to present themselves for service on the 10ill inst. Th;e orf'er n es to &I! t,!<: ps inst. The ore'er arm lies to all uuiles whether they have previously done tary service or not. Mr. M-ixdonaid. M.P., speaking at a Cowdenbeath mee^'rig. AVBS ac ked if he would be in favour of tjio Avorkers laying down tools should the Compulsion Bill become law, Mr. Mac- Donald srJd he should prefer not to an- wer that q'Ulfti011. He recommended alt to think for themselves and come their own conclusions. Tho rebate of 15 per cent, off rep.t. which has been allowed to all agricultural tenants on Lord Tredegar's eslite for 25- years, ceases this year. Through the efforts. n Mr Stanton, a captured German field gun is expoo- tÆ\i to arrive at V rthyr cn Saturday, and will be placed in jxtsition neal" the Town Hall.

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