Llais Llafur

PONTARDAWE ALLTWEH GLEANINGS. On Friday evening the annual festival was enthuia.svtlOal1)" observed at tlie. Public Hull, when a large number congregated to pay tribute to the Wels.li Saint and Welsh ideals and aspirations. S" groat was thE: gather- ing that the aisles and every nook and corner were occupied, while hundreds failed to ga.in admission. The usual custom of fhaving a &pecial speaker to address the gathering was changed, a.nd the programme of tlie 4vening was wholly contributed by children representing the schools of Pontardawe and the outskirts, while a choir compose d of representative children from all" the senior depart- ments, -under the able leadership of Mtr J. D. Jones, attendance officer, veraLered a number of W4& folk songs. The chairman of the meeting was Rev. D. Jenkins, Rhm, the presi- dent of the Welsh Society fox the current year. The programme was as i'v-I lows:— » "Ymdaith Cadbetn Llwyd," by the wi" Choir; recitation and action •% rg, Christina Davies and Neita ^riffitths, representing Alltwen In- fants School- A game by the Ynys- meu-dwy Infants; "Robin Gceh," by the Chair; recitation, Megan Cope, Tresbaraes Infants' School; action song, "Y Cobler," Pontardawe Infant' School; "Migildi Magildi" by the Choir; recitation, "Rhagot Walia," C Edwards, Pontardawe Boys' School, M •Jones Alltwen Mixed School sang "I Bias Gogerddan," after which the choir sang penillion very effectively. "Marged Parri o flaen Ó gwen," a sketch drawn fi-n Enoe Huws was performed by children repj^senti-ng Rhos School. Havard Davitvs, Rhydy- fro School. 5ta,ng "Dmvi Sunt, fol- lowed by Ethel Bibbs rW.ting 'Tihj'vv- 10 yji Ffrainc," A number of child- t'en from Trebanos Mixed School led bv one of thair number, sang 'CvFn'r Geifr" Lilian Griffiths, Rhydyfro School, recited "Nurse Cavell," and L Dermis Ruivland^, ,r;f the Higher Ele- mentary School, sang "Eos La,is." Cecelia W iliiatms, Alltwen Mixed Sohool, recited, "Gwertliu'r Gymraeg" •I'Trd "Y Chwalwr Cerrig." The •Schools Choir sang very effectively tho old Welsh folk ewng. "Yr Hen Wr Mfwyn. Emlyn Walters, of the Higher Elementary School, sang "Di- fvrivch y Brenin." A pleasant, cliP-ractenstac ,vls,h entertainment was brought to a close by the singing of tho Welsh National irai, Jn a?.muic.:) as Inr. failed n -admission, t: repeat perfo! n«'-n<v» Wt-rc the proceeds devot'd to eh>ir:i,». VIr Rhys Will iams, attendance ofifcer, J acted a*. accompanist during the even- ing. Mr Andrew Davies' party, enter- tained Uie. wounded Ht the Infirmary on "Wednesday evening, when, an ex- cellent programme was presented. Corpl. M-.»rgnn proved an efficient chairman, and the following artistes took/ part: -M r Andrew Davi«;, Mr D Jofhai Lewis, Mr Arthur Jones, Mr. Gwyn Jones, Miss Elsie Bibbn (Ehwved -N,!r Syd. Mainwaring Mr. W •il.l Dennis. Mwsrs. M^in waring and Dennis also gave a number of duetts. At tho wnclufiw). a 'hearty vote of thanks to t:«, partv wks n repressed by Sergt. Allsop, and carried with al)- plause. Corpl. Morgan, on-e of the most tropuhtr of the wounded soldiers who I have yet visited Pontardawe, is leav- i"" the Infirmar- rfTrt for fur- ther trent-^eiit. Ke will trcasux-e pleasant recollections of his stay in the Valley, and he has the il>est wishes of bhe many friends he has made in the district. The death took place on Wednesday of Mrs. Phoebe Evans, wife of Mr. John Evans, New road, Ynismeudwy, after a painful illness. Deceased, whose hus band is a foreman on the Midland Ilailway, was highly respected in the locality. The funeral will take place on Saturday at Llanguicke. The two-and-a-half years' old child of Mr and Mrs. Johnny Lewis, Pheasant road, Trebanoa, also died- on Saturday last, and was buried on I Thursday at the Wesleyan burying ground, Pontardawe. Mr and Mrs. Robert Morris, of the Gardens, Graig Trobanos, buried their infant child at Llanguicke on Tues- day. Another infant, the child of Mr and Mrs. Raes Thomas, near Trebanes Church, passed away on Wednesday of laS-t week, and was buried 011 Satur- dAy- Quite an epidemic of diphtheria i* prevalent in the Pontardawe; district, (J).;ldren being the worst suiferei.s. '——' —— Only one billlock was offered for sale cn Monday last at the mart, and tiro boast had to -be divided between aU the buUiluTs in the Pontardawe- dis- trict. Many ioiniik-a .vill liave to fcre- g'O their joint i ext ;mday. was held at A pn-septa:tiüum;-ert.ng was h?ld at Alltwen Ghapel, <M A?onday crcning, Pte. J. Huglies, Gellynudd, being the guest of the evening. The Rev. W. J. Rees presided, an-i the following programme was :—Pianoforte solo, Miss May Jcnkinr1; aolo, Miss Phoebe Watkins; mVration. Miss C. Williams; solo, Mr Dav i-u Davies foYOI" Mr W. Dennis, Swansea; solo, Miss Mary Lewis. Tho presentation was made by Mr J. R.. t-he recip- ient suitobly respfjnding. Speeches were given by Messrs. D. J. Hopkins, W. R. Lewis, acid David Thomas. We are pleased to learn that Mr George Tweedy, of Alltiven, (has been tvuceessful in passing the Board of Trade examination for lus first class engineer's certificate. There was a splendid attendance tt the Pavilion. Pontardawe, cn Sunday eveu. i ng last on the occasion (-if a sacied concert in connection with Dr. Logan Do-hnt. Lodge of the R.A.O.B in order to swell the War Memorial FtirA to provide annui ties, to aged and dis- abled brotihers of the Order, and their wives. The Pavilion was gnuited for the occasion through the kindness of Councillor L. W. Francis and Mr. Steele Parry, who arc afovays- ready in assisting aity charitaible object. The Rev. Joel Davies (vicar), ",110 presided spoke in an appropriate manner upon the good work done by the R.A.O.B., not only in the Swansea. Valley, but all over the country. Touching upon the objeots of the concert, he sa-id it was the wish of the Brothers of the Order, that aged and disabled brothers and their wives should receive annui- an, d their w i -i-es I ties if possible of about 925 each, so that they may live with some degree of comfort. He (the speaker) congratu- lated Hhe Order upon their efforts in provodin? no le? thaji sixteen ambu- lances for the Army since the outbreak of war, end- upno their care of about I seventy children of deceased brothers who were in the orphanage at Aldridgo in Staffordshire. (Applause). The programme was an excellent one. Miss Hannah Williams, national winner, of Clydach, gave fine ren- ditions of "How lovely are Thy Dwellings," and "Ynys y Plant." Miss Olwen Morgan, Pontardawe, gave "Friend of Mine" in her usual good style. Mr D. C. Jones and Mr Erasmus Morgan, Pontardawe, render- ed several solos, and a due-tt witfh mluch effect. Misses Elsie Bibbs was the elocutionist, and again added to her reputation. Mr Joe Morgan, of Alltwen, gave several selections with the violin with splendid effect. The first and second part of the pro- gramme was opened with selections by the Band of the 3rd Glam. Volunteer Regt., under the condactorship of Balldma.ster Llew. Lewis. Mr Hy. Jenkins acquitted himself admirably as accompanist. All the artistes gave their services gratuitously, and were warmly thanked by the committee. Ever si nce the opening of the Higher Higher Elementary School at Pontar- dawe, the Dewi Sant celebrations have always been carried out with much en- thusiasm thanks to the support given by Mr J. W. Thomas, B.A., head teacher. On Friday morning Mr. D. Thomas, B.A.. who is the Welsh and mudic teacher, had arranged a varied programme, consisting of solos, recita- tions, folk songs, "penillion" singing, and a drama, entitled, "Plas Goger- ddan" by the ipupils. Mr J. W. Thomas, B.A., who acted as chairman, gave an address on "The Future of Wales. > The celebrations at the Boys' School Pontardawe, were of the usual charac- ter. Mr J. J. Roberts (headmaster) presided over an attendance of 300 boys assembled in the Central Hall. Songs and chornscs were rendered under the supervision of Messrs. John Jones, and D. M. Williams. Trobanos Council School, the head- master (Mr T. L. Williams), presiding. He was supported by Councillor Win. I Bowen (chairman of the local managers), A.B. Wm. Evans (a former member of the staff, together w'ith a number of local soldiers and sailors home on leave. Folk songs, recita- tions, vocal and instru.mental music, were given by the pupils, and an ad- dress was delivered by the chairman. At Alltwen Mixed School. Mr Urias Salmon (head teacher, addressed the children in the large central hall, and they were subsequently given lessons 001 the life of St. David, in their re- spective classrooms, by the teachers. Competitions followed and prizes were awarded for the best songs and reci- tations. At the Pontardawe Food Control Commi ttee on Monday, Mr D. T. Jones, J.P., presiding, Mr Edmunds and Mr M. Morgan, food inspectors, reported that a number of butchers in the district had faliled to keep proper records of their business, and particu- larly in regard to keeping duplicates j of weight, name of cut and price per lb., etc. It was decided that proceedings be taken.

ONLLWYN. The death has occurred of Mr. Albert Watkins, New-road, after but a few days' illness. The burial took plaoe at Colbren Cemetery on Tuesday, the Rw. Mr. Williams officiating. De- ceased's son, Pt< Leslie Watkins. was home recently from the front. sympathy is W felt with ^he berei-. <"i family. Local children who were successful at the Seven Sisters' Children's Eis- teddfed last Saturday are, Beny Jonee, Willie Jones, and Lizzie Ann Griffiths. Ono of items at the celebration of St. D.i..d's Day at Neath County School w;, an instrumental competi- tion, and among the competitors were Master Willie Jones, the brilliant young locaj pianist, and his sister, Miss Phyllis Jones (who is being taught pianoforte playing by. her brother). After a keen contest the prize was awarded to the sister—a case of pupil beating the teacher, which has caused good natured amusement among their friends. Tho draw game played between On- llwyn and Aberpergwm will be re- played next Saturday at Pontneath- vaughaji. The winners of this match will be the team to enter for tho se- cond round for the cup. Friends were glad to welcome home Pte. Hori Williams ,on his second leave after two years' service at the front. Pte. R. Jones, Front-row, has re- turned to France after a few weeks hospital treatment in this country, on account of trench fever. He has been out since the battle of Mons, and so fa-r as escaped being wounded.

CLYDACH CINEMA. GLOBE UNDERGOES IMPROVE- MENTS. NEXT WEEK'S PROGRAMME. Mr Da,n Thomas, lessee of the Globe Cinema, Clydach, is always ready A^o study the comfort of hiss patrons, and during the past few weeks his staff have been engaged, under the super- visiion of Mr Foy, manager, in uphols- tering the seats with red plush- This improvement will add very materially to the ooziness of the Globe, which is rogarded as one of the most ujwao- date in the Valley. The work will be completed for the re-opening on Mon- day next, and Mr Thomas has ar- ranged ia maanmoth programme for the occasion. At considerable expense j he has engaged Charles Ousltt, the American coloured star, who special- .ises not only as a vocalist, 'but also as a clog dancer. He is worth going many miles to see. In addition there will be the pictures. For Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, "Hidden Scar," a very fine picture, together with the opening serial of the "Grey Ghost," "Caught by the Handle" (Con\ic); "Fable of the Galloping Pil- grim" and History of the War will be thrown on the screen. There will a change for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and the films will include of "A Royal Acrobat, Episode No. 2 of "Patria," Snite the Tailor,' and "Following his Father's Footsteps." There will be the usual matinee for children on Saturday afternoon. With increased comfort and a programme of this description, there should be large audiences during the week.

HEROIC SKIPPER WHO BAFfLED A U BOAT. AMPUTATION WITH A RAZOR. How a Scottish >hipmaste-r with one gUll fought to a standstill one of the biggest U boats was related to the King a few days ago. when the hero (xf the exi-)Ioit--a Leith man-was de- corated by his Majesty, at Bucking- ham Palace. It was in July of last year, and the slupmaster was in command of a steamer, the fight taking place in broad daylight. The sea was dead calm. Suddenly a German submarine •of the latest type was seen in the offing, and as she came nearer the oatp- tain of the merchant vessel saw that she carililed two six iilcli guns. His armament consisted of one gun. He put his vesel about, and in the meantime tho submarine discharged a torpedo wlhch mi;eJ its objective by only a few yards. The vessels were at this time a little over two miles apart. Both vessels opened fire, but after a brisk exchange of sheila the U boat draw astern to get clear of the steamer's lupt and to try to discover its range. At this critical stage the smoke I)ox,ft on the steamer caught fire, and the submarine commander, evidently believing that the fire was due to his attack, got up full speed and over- hauled the steamer. 90 MINUTES FIGHT. A great fight ensued. A third shell from the steamer put the after gun of the submarine out of action. The enemy still managed to rain shells around the steamer, and oome damage was done to her masts. It was not till the fight had l^xted about an hour that anyone was injured. A shell passed through three bulkheads and buried itself in a bunker without ex- ploding. Splinters broke both legs of a passenger and one leg of a steward. Fo.r another 35 minutes the engage- ment proceeded, and then the sub- marine gave up the fight. It did not dive, but simply ceased firing and re- mained on the surface. The surmise is that it had been damaged by the steamer's fire in such a tway that it could not submerge, b7zLt as to this the fÆ":th captain did not wait to inquire hut, getting full speed on his ship, he soon left the U boat far astern. Then he went below and atended to the wounded men. He put the pas- seangcr's legs in splints, but the steward's leg being much mutilated he amputated it w'ith a razor. The pas- senger was afterwards landed at a port n France, where he unfortunately died some days afterwards. The stew- 'I'h e stew ard on the other hand made an excel- lent recovery, and can be seen to-day in the streets of Leith on crutches.

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Ma?namarum'a Colebmted Band ca-iiI BE heard only at the Blue Boys' J concerts.