The Brecon Radnor Express Carmarthen and Swansea Valley Gazette and Brynmawr District Advertiser

Births, Marriages, Deaths, In Memoriam, &c. It is our desire that our column of notices under the above heading should be valuable to all our readers. Notices are inserted at the minimum rate of 1/- for 20 words and sixpence for dach additional ten 'words or part of ten words, and must be prepaid. Unless prepaid ther are charged at the rate of 2/6 per insertion. ACKNOWLEDG- MENTS will be charged at same Rate. No notice of this description will be inserted unless authenticated by the name and address of the sender. The latest time for receiving notices for the Radnor Express is Tuesday noon, and for the Brecon and Radnor Express," Wednesday noon. T ISTS of wedding presents and wreaths, sent to us for publication, are now charged for at the rate of 2d per line. Correspondents are requested not to forward lists of wedding presents and wreaths without accom- panying payment. lleatft. LEWIS J oNEs.Killed in action in the Dar- danelles on June 22nd, Bertram Ivor Lewis Jones, second-lieutenant, 3rd Battalion (at- tached 2nd), South Wales Borderers, dearly loved only son of Mr and the late Mrs Lewis Jones, of Llyswen, aged 18. 682

MEMORIALS  To Heroes of the War. n1? Mural Monuments, Cemetery tJ Memorials, special designs, su- j?? perior work. Plans and prices JS?-L !ree from T. A. KING, Monumental and Architectural Sculptor, Victoria Works, HicnEFORD.

i 3Vcknotsile&tgment$ I I The family of the late Mr David Jones, Post I Office, Llyswen, wish to thank all friends for I their kindness and sympathy in their sad bereavement. 681

I A FARMER'S QUESTION. I We have every reason to believe that the very full report which we published of the great patriotic meeting at Green- way Manor has been widely read in Rad- norshire and Breconshire. We have been led to this conclusion by the ex- traordinary demand for extra-parcels from our news-agents, and, from some correspondence,showing that the speeches have "gone home." We dealt, gener- ally, with the tone and spirit of the meet- ing in our last issue. One question, how- ever, as a correspondent points out, cer- tainly demands further consideration, namely, what is the position of the men engaged in skilled farm-work? Probably, one of the speakers at the meeting had this in mind when he referred to the urgent need of a thorough system of or- ganisation. He said that what was wanted was not conscription, but a thorough organisation of the nation from top to bottom, so that everyone could be told what he had to do. He did not care whether men were told that they must be soldiers, farm-labourers, miners, or anything else that was necessary, but every man should be told what his duty was, and the nation should insist upon him doing it. This is good sense and a suggestion with which, at the present time, everyone will agree. A census, taken in the counties, would be extremely valuable in bringing it about. It has been now recognised that it is for the want of such organisation that men, such as skilled mechanics and engineers, who would have been engaged on more im- portant work in munition factories, have been allowed, through their own patriotic zeal, to join the forces, whilst others, of military age, who are engaged in non- productive work—and which could be well suspended for the time-remain at home. The case of the skilled farm- labourer is certainly a difficult question. Farmers have been called upon to make the best use-of their land in order to en- sure a sufficiency of food-stuffs, so that famine and want may be guarded against. Farmers, who, we doubt not, are as pat- riotic as any class, are anxious that this should be done, not from any motive of personal gain, but in the interest of the life of the nation. But the question arises how far can it be done success- fully without the necessary skilled labour, or, how is this minimum amount of skill- ed labour to be equally divided amongst the farms so that one should not have the advantage of the other ? If these labour- ers' places can be filled by older men, or women, or others above the military age, who can readily adapt themselves to farm, work, all will be well, for, there is no ,j class of young men more fitted for mili- tary work in physique and discipline than the men brought up on the land. With the aid of soldiers, roadmen, and women, the garnering of the harvest might pre- $ sent no difficulty, but there is much, j other work which follows, in the plough- ? ing and the sowing, and so forth, which "the old horse in the furrow and the old man at the plough" cannot alone do, to produce the crops for the next harvest. We do not wish to retard, in any way, the increased recruiting for the army which is taking place in the rural dis- tricts, but it certainly raises-a question in Radnorshire a purely agricultural county, and which serves as an instance of many others. For this reason we quote the following letter from a corres- pondent — "According to Mr William Lewis, who is always most careful of his statements, there are at the moment 700 young men from Radnorshire wearing the King's uniform, whilst there are about an equal number, who, for various reasons, have not so far respond- ed to the call to the colours. Amongst the 700 are, doubtless, a large proportion who could not be expected to enlist. They include men who are physically unfit, men who have home responsibilities of a difficult kind, and who, perhaps, have not hitherto felt any, duty in this important matter. Amongst them, too, are farmers' sons and farm-ser- vants. The position in regard to these men has never been made clear, and, as the ropes are being drawn tighter, it is most desirable they should be given clearly to understand what their position is. The question is very properly being asked by Radnorshire farmers whether it is seriously contended that all young life ought to be drawn from the land, and, if so, what is the farmer to do? Is not farm-work really national service, and now more so than ever? Is it to be expected that Radnorshire farmers, who are largely depend- ent on their own families for labour, skilled and otherwise, on the farms are to release their sons, even when to do so will inevitably mean the inability of the farmer to proceed with the cultivation of the farm? These and similar questions must now be faced, and de- finite answers given. It is not fair that the young farmers of Radnorshire should be held up to scorn as cowards if, at the same time, they are rendering the nation, at the moment, the very best service which it is in their power to render. Here and there, undoubtedly, there are instances where, perhaps, men might be released without any very serious inconvenience, but, broadly speaking, the fields of Radnorshire cannot be more tilled and cultivated with less labour than is now employed upon them." We candidly confess we do not know what answer can be given to our corres- pondent. A great deal has been written on the subject. The Labour Exchanges are doing much to provide labour, and their system should be taken full ad- vantage of. Our correspondent certain- ly raises a question of public importance,, and we readily throw open our columns for its thorough ventil- ation. As we pointed out, the lads, brought up on the land, have the material for the making of soldiers-— they have the health, the strength, and the physical qualities for enduring hard- ships, and, as many as possible, must ba spared and pressed to join. Farmers, like everyone else, must, and we believe they will, make great sacrifices, but, on the other hand, at these times, the land must be worked more than ever before it can yield that increase which is de- manded. The life of the nation demands it, and a sufficient number of skilled farm-labourers must be retained to do the work and instruct others. It is for this reason that the organisation and guidance, of which one gentleman spoke, are urgently necessary I

Notes and Notions. Ebbw Vale has a Munition Works bureaux. Quite a large number of visitors are taking the "water-cure" at Llangammarch Wells. Mr Evan T. Powell has bought the Swan Hotel, Hay, from Lord Tredegar by private treaty. Lieut. Gordon Lewis (Rhayader) is now with the 19th Battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers at Bangor. >J< Mrs T. E. Williams, widow of Dr. T. E. Wil- liams, Aberenig, Talgarth, paid a visit to Tal- garth last week. 1 Lieut. Reginald J. Owen (Breconshire Terri- torial Reserves) was home at Builth Wells for a- few days last week. 5jC "Sospan Fach," as stated fully in another col- umn, was composed at Llanwrtyd Wells by a. Bangor student in 1895. Gunner A. Lewis (R.S.F.), of Beulah, has been wounded in the right thigh, and is now in a mili- tary hospital at Chatham. More people are spending their holidays at Llandrindod Wells this year, owing, it is believed, to the dangers on the East coast. Pte. F. Davies (Brecknock Territorial Reserves m >