Llais Llafur

CORRESPONDENCE. To the Editor. Sir,—With regard to the remarks in your last week's issue concerning the balance sheet of the Swansea Valley Patriotic Concerts, I shall be obliged if you will give me space for the following (1) The accounts from which the Girl Guides' share of the expenditure were taken, were with one exception, given to me by Miss Jessie Williams. (2) The said accounts were checked, audited and duly authorised by a com- mittee of repiesentatives from YstalyfeTa, Cwmllynfell, and Brynamman. Represen- tation from Clydach was invited but none came. (3) The balance sheet was checked and found correct by John Griffiths, Esq., London City and Midland Bank. All cheques, accounts and correspon- dence and the minutes of the meeting can be examined at my office at any time. I should be very glad if some public gentleman came forward and inspected all details and would make a report on same.—Yours faithfully, ALBERT J. WOODMAN, Wernfawr, Ystalyfera. -00

PONTARDAWE AND DIS TRICT DISTRESS FUND. A meeting of the executive committee of the local distress fund was held at Pontardawe on Monday last. There were present Messrs. G. H. Strick, J.P., Percy Player, J.P., H. J. Powell, J.P., John M. Davies, J.P., John Edwards, Tom Williams (Ystradgynlais), Rev. Joel Davies, and Mr. Wyndham Lewis (clerk). The chair was taken by Mr. G. H. Strick in the absence of Mr. Morgan Davie? There was very little business of im- portance to be done. The statement of ac- counts to the end of November was Pas-,? d a.nd it was dee, passed, and it was decided that matters should remain as they a.re for the present. Mr. T. R. Williams, schoolmaster, Ys- talyfera Mr. Edwards, Pontardawe, and Councillor Herbert Gibbon, Clydach, were appointed auditors. None of the oentres are paying out re- lief ■pn-nit, except Ystradgynlais, and this centre ig making up the difference between the French and British scale of eeparation allowance in the case of several F-cli families residing in the 4d I stxict.

¡< i johnsxgn ) j FOR | ] NEW VEGETABLE and FLOWER SEEDS j } AND EV ERYTMNG FOR | THE GAft&liN. I I i Catalogues Gratis and Po&t Free. | 27 OXFOR1 ?T. SWANSEA ? ? TELEPHONE: 567 CENTRAL. ? TELEPHONE: 567 CENTRAL.

YNYS. TANT PRIODAS, Ar uniad Mr. Stephen Moses a Miss Annie Powell, merch Mr. a Mrs. T. Powell, Ynys. Ystradgynlais. Annie aeth a Stephen wit—Lddi'n wr, Addien un a berchir; Am hyny, lion ddymunir Hyd eu serch briodas hir. Llawcnydd i'r gall Annie—a Stephen, A 'stafell priodi; Dcwisont hwy gyd oesi Yn wr a gwraig bur o gri. O'r Ynys y cyfrennir-idd eu lwc Fydd o les ddynranir; Ac annwyl iawn y cennir, Annie aeth a Stephen wir. —CREUNANTYDD. Annie fwyn, canaf finau-don Awen I dy newydd lwybrau; Mae nod fy nymuniadau Yn haeddu hyn yn ddiau. Wyneb byw Annie Powell-a ddenodd Anian Stephen dawel; Ei oes mwy fydd yn fis mel-ar ei hyd, Yn lan ei fywyd fel heinif awel. Annie oedd Efa'r Ynys-i unig Enaid Stephen Moses; O'i gariad gwresog, erys Ei oreu berl ar ei bys. Am "e-isen" Stephen Moses chwiliodd A'i Iwydd sydd yn hysbys; [Serch Ac i'w gloi, ei Thoi ar frys Wnaeth yr eneth o'r Ynys. Annie dlos a Stephen Moses—yw'r par Puraf ar yr Ynys; Freiniol lw y Cyfrin Lys. Daw i'r aelwyd aur heulwen—o wyneb Annie i'w gwr cymen; A Iliwio 'i fyd yn llawen Wna 'i wraig hoff a'i heurog wen. Haul i'w llwybr fo'n Ilon-liaf o hyd Fo'u hoes, heb drallodion; Brwd eu hwyl, heb arw don Yn torri eu hynt dirion. Cwmtwrch. GWELEDYDD, I Cwmtwrch. I

SCARCITY OF SUGAR. I IMPORTS DOWN 25 PER CENT.; NO INCREASE IN PRICE. The Royal Commission on Sugar Supply state that the supplies avail- able for the current year will probably fall t-iiort of those imported in the year 1!1,15 by from 20 to 25 por cent. An equivalent reduction in consumption will, therefore, be necessary and, it is the hope of the Commission that all consumers alike will aim at restricting their use of sugar in that proportion. No increase has been made in the present scale of prices at which sugars are issued by the Commission, and no increase in retail prices are, therefore, justified over those that have pre- vailed since January 24 last. Where it is proved that a retailer has taken advantage of the scarcity to obtain for himself an undue profit on sugars issued by commissions, he will not be allowed to receive further supplies from that source. | •

I Dulais Valley Water I Supply. At the last meeting of the Neath Rural District Council, Mr W. B. Trick, J.P., presiding, a discussion was raised by Mr Prosser in regard to the completion of the Dulais Vallev water connections, and it was decided to give the Chairman and Mr O. L. David plenary powers to settle the dispute and so expedite the comple- tion of the work which was stated to be a burning question in the valley. A letter was read from the Clerk of the Dulais Lower Parish Council stating that at a representative meet- ing of the parishioners a resolution was passed asking the Council to co- opt Mr John Morgan, Woodfield House Aberdulais, as successor to Mr Mor- a-in Morgan, who resigned his seat on the Council owing to business pressure and family bereavement. Mr Jestyn Jeffreys said he did not regard parish meetings as a general expression of feeling. Whilst ap- preciating the suggestion contained in the letter, he pointed out that the political views of Mr Morgan were en- tirely opposite to those cherished by the late member, and for that reason aJone he opposed the nomination. Up to « present they had adhered to the political truce. It was Mr Morgan's desire that his successor should be Mr Ernest Pegg, a gentJeman well known to them all, and who was at present serving his King and country in France. ALL LABOURITES! I Mr Thomas: That speech ought to have been made at the parish meeting, not here. The nominee of the parish is 'a. pronounced Labourite, and as to the political views held by Mr Morgan he once declared he was as much a Labour member as I was. Mr Jestyn Jeffreys: So am I. (Laughter). Mr Prosser: At the parish meeting I am told that there was not one Cry- nant man present. They preferred to leave the decision with the District Council. Mr Harris (Skewen) entered a pro- test against the statement that a re- tiring member should nominate his successor. It was not democratic. They had not yet heard what the political colour of Mr Pegg was. When vacancies on the Council had occurred since the war they had always listened to the voice of the parish which sent the representative, and he intended to support that policy now. A VOTE CHALLENGED. I The Chairman: We are only beating about the bu&h. Both are decent men and you have already made up your minds who to vote for. On a division, the two nominees ob- tained :'n equal vote, and the chair- man giv,. hi, casting vote in favour of Mr PC "g. The vote challeneged and it was found that 25 votes had been cast in- stead of 2t. Mr E. J. Hopkins (Glyn. Neath), who abstained from votiifg, now supported the nomination of Mr Pegg, who was thereupon declared the future member for Dulais Lower.

I GERMANY'S IDLE SHIPS. All kinds of rumours axe now cur- rent respecting the irt-entions of the German steamship lines in the early future, savs a. London correspondent. By some it is said that their vessels arc being overhauled mld repaired in view of the declaration of peace, and I' it is also stated that their agents in New York have been placed on full par. As regards the Norddeutscher Lloyd in particular, one report is to the effect. that preparations are now being made at Galveston and other Gulf of Mexico ports for the resump- tion .f business on a big scale. How- ever this may be, there is no getting away from the fact that the cost of layilng up German ships in neutral ports is already enormous, and, in- deed, in well-informed quarters the opinion is held that many of them will have to be sold in order to pay the charges incurred. As a matter of fact, it is known that negotiations on the subject have been opened with a number of American concerns. When as much as £ 15 a day is being paid or incurred for the bert,hage of two Hamburg-American boats at Boston, or E5,500 a year, the extent of the cost for all the ships is not difficult to estimate. It is, in short, ruinous, and unless war cornes to an end soon I H enr Ballin and his colleagues will have to face a situation that will tax their ingenuity and courage to the utmost. ♦«»>«

STRANGE ADVENTURES OF A BRITISH SOLDIER The new British Army includes men drawn from, every class and clime within our far-flung Empire, but few have had a more varigd experience than the saldier whom an Exchange Telegraph Company's representative met at a soldier's tea gathering the other dav. A small orchs- tra was composed of soldiers, and the fir.>t violinist attracted attention by the indifference with which he regarded the snapping of his E string and the easy manner in which he went calmly on play- ing the solo part on the second string, but the man's history, though perfectly authentic, sounds stranger than fiction. He was a Manchester lad at King Ed- ward's Grammar School, which he left in order to complete his violin course at Stuttgart under a German professpr who, in common with other students, cordially hated him. whilst he returned the cam- [ pliment with interest. He was expelled fr smashing the violin over the head of the professor, and return to his home. His father give him L20 and a. ticket to Canada, and there a delightful series of adventures befel him in the many capacities in wl-ii-h lie was engaged, which included that of Actor, Tr;ck-rider. Lion-tamer's assis- tant, Buffalo Bill's cowboy. Chauffeur, Vslet, Canadian Mounted Police, Big game hunter, A G.uide. He was with Stefanmscn's last expedi- tion in 1914. Now that he is a member of the new British Armv he is anxious to have "a go" at the Hmls. Being expert gunner, although he joined the forces only about a month ago, he expects to go to the front shortly as a sharpshooter. He heard of the war TOT the firpt time when he got to Fort Norman, and immediat.elv set out on a two months' track, quite alone, to get to the railway station, where he spent £ 38 on a ticket for England.

'RAIDITIS." A school attendance officer at Woolwich Police Court s:id that a. certain mother made various excuses for not sending her child to school, among them being "no boots, wet clothes, not well, raiditis. and colds." Mr. Svmmons What is raiditis? Witness They say they've been ex- pecting a Zeppelin raid, and the children have stayed up all night and have been too tired to go to school. It's a favourite excuse, and I always call it raiditis. Mr. Symmons A very good term, too.

SPRING-TIME is insect-time and egg-time. Make Winter-time egg- time too by giving your birds Kars- wood Poultry Spice, contadning ground insets. Thousands delighted? 'nw '?1w shouldn't you be? Packets 2d., 6d.. and Is. Griffiths and Co.. Chemists, Commercial Street Y stalyfera. 3F19—M4pd. George Scale, Crown Stores, PONT ARDA WE, FOR WREATHS, CROSSES and SPRAYS. Made at Short Notice. Also a Large Stock of — SLOWER PLANTS. Nat. Tel: 028 £ 4,800 FROM JUMBLE SALE. Fakenliam (Norfolk) jumble sale in aid of the British Farmers' Red Cross Fund made over £ 4,058. which is a re- cord for England. -op W. A. WILLIAMS, Phrenologist, mn be consulted daily at the Viotoris Arcade (near the Market), Swansea

A VERY SERIOUS ACCUSA- TION." APOLOGY TO MR LLOYD GEORGE. Mr. Lloyd George in the House of Commons called Mr. Gibson Bowles's at tention to a phrase in his speech in the City on Monday: hIr. Lloyd George perorated about silver bullets for the enemy, and provided golden billets for his friends." Mr. Lloyd George said this was "a very serious accusation." Mr. Gibson Bowles at once replied "What I had in mv mind was the great number of new employments to offices under your control and the consequent expenditure which will diminish the sil- ver bullets. I did not intend to suggest anything dishonourable on your part, but I see that my language does admit of the meaning you place upon it, and I there- fore at once withdraw it. and express my regret at having used it." Mr. Lloyd George, accepting the apolo- gy, adds "As to the new appointments to offices under my control, the high- placed positions almost without exception are in the hands of business men who have offered their services gratituously to the State, and as for the rest they are almost entirely given to Civil Servants, who are 1 already in receipt of Govern- ment pay in other office. "I may add that I have appointed, as far as I am aware, no acquaintance, let alone friend, ef mine to any salaried posi- tion in or around the Ministry, although there are a few friends of mine who are giving their services free."

-GERMANS ? "We are inundated with applica- tions for employment from Switerland. hut we take no notice of them. The Government cannot be certain that applicants are really Swi, and we take no risks," said a firm's repre- sentative a £ the London Munitions Tribunal.

BANK CLERK CHARGED. I A sensation was caused in Pem- brokeshire when an employee of the Good wick branch of Lloyds Bank was arrested on Wednesday. He was ivon.crln up before the Haverfordwest magistrates in the afternoon and charged with embezzling £ 50 while in coarse of Goodwick Bank. The ac- cused. George Arthur Christopher Mynett. was in uniform, having re- cently enlisted in the Welsh Regiment. He was remanded till Wednesday next. bail being allowed.

"Penar" tells an interestiiig story in W, a-teyn Wyn's" biography of how "Dyfed," the Archdruid, who is an in- veterate smoker. left his tobacco poush in Gwynfryn, a«d sent for it by means of an "englyn." Ti, Wat, a wyddost ett,-Poad ad das I '?' brydyddion smygli*; Mae Dyfed dros ei gp-eds—yn gofyn Ble'r est a'i becyn a'i bwrs dybaco ? Watcyn wittily replied in four stanzas, concluding with the following invitation Os deui at ITat-ti set dy, Ti gei dan i dwvmo Tyred ond paid anturio-dod, Dyfed Heb dy booed—d.. bib-a dybaco! Hyderaf it' ymdilTu-heb na phib Na phouch y nos hom., A'th fod yn rhodio—fel Arab, Dyfed, A dwy boced yn llawn o dybaoo. — —

Prepaid Rates for the following Classes of Advertisements. WANTED, TO LET, TO SELL, PEl. SONAL, SALES. SITUATION; VACANT, etc. No. of Once. l'hrv;-i Words. lawrtioHt. 20 6d Is 30 9d Is 6ri 40 la 2s Tht-oe rates do not appiy to Tradt- Advertisements or those from Pi:-Lil Bodies. GOOD SERVANT. Good Strong Girl wanted immediately. Wages. 25s. and insurance paid. Apply, Post Office, Ystalyfera. F5- FOR SALE.—Incubator, guaranteed in good condition. Capacity 53 eggs. Cost £ 7 10s. when new.-Apply.. Hy. Holmes, Rhandir House, Station-road, Ystradgyn- lais. 2fl9-26 BOULTRY.—Messrs Price and Son, have shown their Celebrated Whites at Eighteen Shows this season, including London Dairy Show, Manchester, Hay- wards Heath, Alderly. Wombell, Port- madoc, Neath, Swansea, etc., and have won 28 prizes. 8 specials, 1 cup, probably a record for any Welsh exhibitors with Whites alone. We have mated some grand birds in White Runners and White Wyan- dottes, and are booking eggs at 10ib per sitting. Utility Wyanclottes 3'- Barron and American imported 250 egg strains.— The Stud Farm, Ystradgvnlais. 6jl5fl9. Re JOHN PHILLIPS. deceased, late of Glanyraron Villa, Cwmtwrch. Glamorganshire. FOR SALE EIGHT LEASEHOLD COTTAGES and premises known as Tainewydd, Lower Cwmtwrch, forming part of the estate of the above-named. Low ground rent. Unexpired term of lease 80 years. The cottages will be sold either separately or in such numbers as will suit purchasers. For further -particulars apply to the Executor. Mr John D. Phillips, Glan- yrafon Villa, Lower Cwmtwrch. or to Mr Morgan Davies, Solicitor. Pontar- dawe and Ystradgynlais. —1F19 .c .c.:ç.(\Ç () .(£ .c .(5J.:< *Z* Å I EARLY SHOW OF I v y r SPRING MilliNERY ? ——  ?——  ? £ ?  ? '?BB w?? m -? <sBK? Kaaa ME! <m sa& tsa ?s? ? s J. W. EVANS I ❖ >4) S'.w. 0J S Ihe SWANSEA MILLINERr S "11te;S lr7AV E.L4 JfT L LI -rE1,R. G; ? h cj t.) v ?* ? We are Now Showing our New Mininery ( (1. ÇJ) from Paris and LJndon. We cordlatlv invite you to Call and See them, when ,) our best services will be always at i.) your disposal. ❖ ? --=-=-=== j •»*» $40, 41, CASTLE ST.? SWANSEA '? ?j ) ?  ??.-??:*C?€? €. ?C?C?? .c <5<???3<:?? 0 ?3<3< -? -_#"  R he u Inoto id-Arlrltisl SENSATIONAL DISCOVERY OF SIMPLE HOME TREATMENT BY MANUFACTURING CHEMIST. Pain Relieved immediately and 9 in every 10 Cases cf Rheumatism, Rheuina toid. Arthritis. Gout, Lumbsgo, and Sciatica quickly and successfully treated without Nauseous Drugs. RICH AND F003 ALIKE TO BENEFIT BY THIS REMARKABLE DISCOVERY Write to-day for Free- Book. A fascinating book has now been published telling tho romantic story of the discovery of a voiiderful remedy for all Uric Acid Troubles. In order that the numberless sufferers mm these complaints, may Learn of tiiia am hope to clxtnge their pains and suffering into lives of case and good health, a copy of this book will be sent free and without any obHgatioti whatever to uN applicants. 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No such reme dy for these ailments has ever been 00tain, abie before, and you aTe suffering needless pain and worry if you fai 1 to test this new power which is now placed within yo ur reach. To prove our faith in this remedy we may mention • — .hai: w?? have alraady ?iven aw ay, under Medical "? you can tell ih.e nasi | directiow n over 2'000 ?ee treatments to de;;rvlng cses change in the weather by i l There are no nauaeoua drugs to t2J.w no liniments to ti?e p.i.? in your jctnis   no ma?eape. no drastic e l ectri c treatment, no- and muse!>, the/yet' ;'oo/¡; 1'è;) iIi, no a.88aé, no rast1c eetnc trea,t.ment, no- ,uuliyou hc-Jic cure long and tedious ?Lirne?-s to Contin?tal spM— imply ??M'-? //? sma.U pUíe gelatUJe capsu" c?Ied Cm-tOM?s, which con- tain an entirely new combination of medicines approved bv the British..Pharmaceutical. Authorities and the Frencii Medical Council. "CuriGones"' are sold at a price which is with- in the reach of ail. Do not fail to write to-day for the book, and loam without frrva-er delay how you can relieve your painful condition in a few hours. Curicones do not contain narcotics or poisons of any sort. They are quite harmless, and easier to take than a small pill. Thz-y will not affect the heart nor upset the stomach. .Repeated instances prove that in even tl wcrrst causes they Rapidly Stop pains. Dissolve Uric Acid. Eliminate it from the blood. Reduce Swellings. Renew Vitality. Such consistent and certain success in the- home treatment of these peisistenit disease has never been attained before SEND COUPON TO-UAY. S If you are suffering frOIn ai-,y troruble of a Rheumatic nature, from P, iiis or swell-j ings fill in coupon and post it to-day to Messrs. jj tenhAn Matthews & Co., Ltd.. Manufacturing x   ? '?  ?'\ j ?'   -??! \-??   Chists (Dept. No V), 19. 20, 21, FarringdoD Ir s ike p^ ain m your muscles ar.d ;n;. nts I ib. y .j?'f????tcMr?M???, ????.??.?t? 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PRESERVING THE NATION'S AN- TIQUITIES. in succession to the late Sir John Rhys, the King has approved the ap- pointment of Sir E. Vincent Evans to be chairman of the Royal Corn mis- sion on Ancient Monmuments in Wales, and of Col. J. A. Bradney to be a mem ber of the Commission in place of Sir V. Evans.

I PIANOFORTE AND ORGAX" TUNING. REPAIRS of EVERY DESCRIPTION First Class Work, Moderate Charges. PIANOS TUNED FROM %.6& JAMES TAltR, Compton Terrace, Y stalyfera