The Cambria Daily Leader

THE "Cambria Daiiy Leader" § Has a I Guaranteed Circulation tetter than that of any I 1 other paper published I In the district of J SWANSEA & SOUTH-WEST WALES

The Corner Column I -440. Spring daisies art) in bloom in Nor- folk-street. « Something big must always happen at Pontardawe before the authorities move. We may expect fire appliances shortly. Mr. J. H. Rosser is fast developing the J. W. Jones touch in the school cases when asking Well Mrs. A—- why don't yon send R-ufus to school ij." 0;(, "Step this way," quoth the cinema attendant- "Garn!" scornfully re- marked the small boy, "yer not the Empire, onJy a talessed sheet lighter." A barometer is an instrument credited with the powers of determining the weather. It must be-a hard job for it to determine Swansea weather. From "Punch" (At the boy and girl dance): Look here, old chap, 111 dance twice with your ugly little sister if you'll take my mater down to grub. ♦ When von clap, clap well. Even if it is not for applause, clap for the circulation." —So said a well-known gentleman speaking at Swansea last night. Solicitor: Read? Witness: No. Solicitor: \Vritn? Is it possible to write without being able to read? # A policeman at the police court c«ii»-d that he went to a certain place ()\ier an affair of the heart. "Police- man do have such affairs sometimes," men ted a solicitor. "Spelling Reform" is to be dis- en&sed at the Authors' Club dinner. A loc ksman who has had some experience of schoolboys' orthography thinks it will be an indigestible subject. Miss Margaret Macmillan struck Otlit-e a sympathic cord in her audience she said that the equipment of the schools was being starved to pay the salaries of officials. A Pontardawe wag stated that tllere wa6 plenty of light on Gellyonen *'ountam on Monday night during the Htwen fire to search for the golf balls e had lost on the mountain. In refusing to allow a letter to be I)Ilt in evxionce at the Swansea County ("'Owt his Hniiotii- Jtidge. Bryn Roberts id "the difficulty is vou cannot cross- t:.miDe a letter, and you cannot send a «**fcec to gaol for perjuTv." to gaot for PeTjIITV. To be, or not to be, may have been \In Question at one time, but the ranks ?_??? are being &ejiously discos- ???? at the present moment as to ?er ? ?11 be a "tLn-aor" or a "bob. JI a *< < c-ontinually shows 9.10, and Castle Buildings clock is this tooriling. to use the vulgar term, up the pole. Swansea clocks certainly tend to add excitement to the chase ltfter a train. :I niaii IT) ;11 The resourcf? of fhe man in a *&rner i? reaUv wonderfu l. The ex- planation. of a young gentleman who tool. home some of the mimosa ftratuitorcsly distributed at the Empire qu'to an artistic performance- < # A Swansea County Conrt jury on "Tuesday wanted to award a plaintiff 1nore damages than were asked for in :tiie claim, and the foreman, when asked tor the verdict .astonished the Court bY making a speech. m 9 A well-known Swansea tailor has ?o-?omed forth with a pair of Tango trousers. His friends have waxed ??oquent on the matter, and he is now ^riously considering whether or not Ike should Give it to —— # In the Labour Party's conference at Glasgow, Mr. Ram&ay Macdonald jjsked the question, why turn out Tw<<=xl'edum in order that Tweedledee *^igjht j^ign? Our smart man ways that the (nnil-Igio-n of dum only makes a deo of a difference. It was the lai43 Alderman Spring ^ho dubbed the members of the Swan- 8ea Corporation the "Forty Thieves," 11d. the name has fttuck to them ever Rince. Mr. Molyneux was observing the loth-er evening at a local gathering, that was the only one present of the forty when the "voice" supplied the hissing word. Some people have a queer idea of frumour. Recently some local "knuts," ,aild stage-dcor hangers-cn went to a Pantomime not a hundred miles from Swansea, and from the front row of the 'stalls" handed up to the leading lady II. large and magnificent chocolate box. he lady, being a "sport," collected ail tlie girls of the shew in her dressing- "oom and proceeded to distribute the chocolates. Judge then of her mortifi- cation to find that the box was full of ^thing but cinders! And the caddish Perpetrator* of this action are chuck- ling over the "joke." TO-DAY'S STORY. 1 The Bishop of I><>ntlon is very fond tpjl I-g -stori es of his life in the East! End. Recently, says a writer in flicl Daily Citizen," lie told me a yarn of certain woman who fuJl from a third- Jtovey window and was picked up dead. He added that he went to her neiglh bour and remarked: "I am af i-,), (I Mrs. "onos was not prepared?" "Oh, yer;, )h.. was," replied the neighbour. be- ue as she passed my window in her [&H I heard her say, I Now for the »nrnp.' fcB~

JUDGE AND THE CO\ ERNENT. CRITICISM or SOUTH AFRICAN DERORTATION. LABOUR PROTEST, The deportation by the South African authorities of the ten Laboiu1 leaders has created a great sensation. As our readerr; know, the Labour men wer taken under armed escort to Dur- ban where, at midnight, they were placed on board the steamer Usageni, which is expected to reach England I about February 21. The whole thing was carried out with profound secrecy, which was much assisted by the strict censorship exist- ing under the martial law which is still operative in the Transvaal. The Supreme Court. We reported yesterday an application made to the Supreme Court at Pretoria to restrain the deportation of the labour leaders. When the application was re- newed yesterday, Juclge Wessels made an important statement. Referring to the previous day's application he said the Court could not assume from the a.ffidavits that the Government was going to do anything illegal—that it was going to kidnap citizens and send them away except by virtue of an Act of Pari iament. After Colonel Truter, Commissioner of Police, had assured the Court that the Labour leaders had been already de- ported application was made to a.ttach the officials concerned for contempt of court. Would Have Acceded. Judge Wessels regretted that he had not the information on the previous day, as he would certainly have granted an order restraining the Government from deporting the men.. If a Government wanted to use force to do an illegal act, declared Judge Wessels, no Court could stop it. Labour Protest. At the Labour Conference in Glasgow yesterday speeches were made condemn- ing the aotiou of the Union CrovprnnitliTI. A resolution of protest was carried unanimously, and it was agreed that a full inauiry be pres-sed for. The Labour Members intend to raise the whole question in the House of Commons.* and if necessary, the recall of Lord Gladstone will be demanded. It was stated that Mr. Harcourt (Secretary of State for the Colonies) has refused to receive a deputation on the subject. Only Ten Deported. A Renter Cape Town message de- mo-; thai La-ltour loaders have been deported from t here on board the Galatea. The only deportens are the original ten.

WAS COLONIAL SECRETARY. WELL-KNOWN STATESMAN'S DEATH IN LONDON. Viscount Knutsford parsed away at his London residence this morning, after a brief illness, in his eighty- ninth year. The deceased nobleman w as raised to the peerage in 1886 while Secretary of State for the Colonies, an office which he held fro ml887 till 1892. In 1895 he was made a viscount. He was a trustee of the National Portrait Gallery. He is succeeded in title by his old-mt son, the Hon. Sydney Holland, chair- man of the Ixjndon Hospital.

CHARRED BODY FOUND. ——- LONDON SHOP FIRE CLAIMS TWO VICTIMS. A fire which, unhappily, was attended with fatal results, broke out about one o'clock this morning in a .general shop in St. Mark's-road, West Brompton, London. The property comprised a shop and six rooms, all of which were severely damaged, and when the flames had been extinguished the charred body of Emily HasJett, aged between sixty and seventy, was found, fully dressed. Another inmate, James Smith, was severely burned and was removed to hospital, where he died shortly after- wards.

MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION. I COMMITTEE'S APPEAL TO OWNERS Of «euh t-aruar. As has been announced, the Museums Association will this year hold it& annual conference at, Swansea. The object of this association is the promotion of the better and more systematic working of Museums and Art Galleries throughout the Kingdom. This, will be the ,15th annua) Confer- ence and t-heirnnst, visit to Wales. In connection with the visit a comprehen- sive loan exhibition of Welsh pottery and porcelain (.particularly Swansea) which will be tilv largest yet brought together, will he held in the Glyn Vivian Art Gallery. The promoters are anxious to secure on loan any examples of in- terest in this direction, and the oom- mittee estate that every pas-sible care will be taken of exhibits.

INDIAN PREDICTIONS. I The forecast of Pundit T. P. Jyotishi, the Indian Zadkiel, contains the fol- lowing prediction* for 1914 :— The thirst for blood caused by wars and revolutions will not be s6 very wide- sprea d or terrible this year." By the favour of the stars and deities Turkey will gradually emerge into freedom." This Zadkiel adds The death of two of the most prominent personages of Asia. and Europe is ob&erved. Be- sides, three of the most popular men, rnown ed, respectively, for charities, heroism, and capacity for work, are likely to make their exit from the world thf".1'

STORIES CF THE SEA I ■ii 11 .i I MANY MISHAPS DUE TO THE HEAVY  Foa  NO LOSS OF LIFE I To-day's telegrams report a number of mishaps at sea, chiefly due, it would appear, to the thick fog which has pre- vailed in the Channel for some time. Lloyd's Ostend agent cables to-day: The Belgian mail steamer V ille de Liege reporus having: collided lalt night in a dense fog with the British steamer Cosfield, of Newcastle. The former vessel is badly damaged. Dover Report. I The Exchange Telegraph Company s DOver coiiespoindejit, telephoning at 11.30 this morning, says: As far fib can be ascertained here up to the present, the cross Channel mail boat which was in collision with the Cosiieid during the xiight was the Ville de Liege, the newest turbine on the Ostend service, which made her ma,iden voyage a few weeks ago. She left Dover yes.terday even- ing in a fog. It is understood that. the I vessel's bows have been damaged. The fog in the Channel continued I throughout the night. Masts Sticking Up. I The Exchange Telegraph Company's; Eastbourne correspondent states that the Eastbourne lifeboat went out shortly after midnight. The lifeboat found the masts of a schooner sticking up in the water. There was no sign of any bodies in the water, nor was the vessel—pre- sumed to bA a steamer—which had col-j lided with the se hooner seen. There as a possibility that the crew were taken off by the steamer. I Captain and Crew Landed. I The captain and crew of the schooner I Gordon, of Chester, were landed at Cow-es this morning. Their vessel wasi on a voyage from Penzance to London, I with china clay, and came into collision, just before midnight, seven miles east by north of the lioyal Southern Light, off Dungeness, with the steamer Web- burn, owned at Torquay. A later message from Cowes says that the Webbiji-n was a steam collier' hound for Plymouth, and she landed I Captain Jones and the crew of four of the schooner Gordon, sunk in collision last night. Caotain Jones stated that about 10 p.m. the Webburn struck the schooner on the starboard bow, cutting a big hole. She filled and sank almost, I immediately. Four of the crew found themselves in the sea, and were picked up by the Webburn. The weather was I clear at the time. Hastings Lifeboat Out. I A Hastings message reports that the I lifeboat went out from there today to the assistance of a schooner which had! sunk about six miles off St. Leonards, Ii after collisio. with a. steamer. I Ma1 Boat's Mishap. Paris, Thursday.—Owing to the fhickl fog a collision occurred between the Ostend mail-boat Princess Louise and a Newcastle collier. The latter's crew has: transferred. The Princess Louise, despite sevexe, damage; continued her joui,nej,Retitei-. I Steamer Sunk. Last night, the Belfast steamer Park-I more sank in Belfast Lough, twenty minutes after coIUsion with the Belfa-st steamer Eveleen. The Eveleen was in- ward bound from Ayr, with coal, and I the Parkmore wart bound for Trcon in ballast. Eight of the Parkmore's crew scrambled aboard the ether vessel, and the remaining two were taken off by the: Mveleen'? bt?at. The Warrior, ) A cable from Loyd's agent at Santa Marta, received to-day, states that the yacht Warrior's passengers have been transferre d to the passenger steamer Ulmirante. The captain and crew re- main on board. Salvage 6team?r& are leaving Kingston for the scene of the casualty to render necessary assist- ance. Lifeboat Not Wanted! Hay ling Inland lifeboat had a fruit- less journey of six hours yesterday. Sounds of guns heard during a thick fog were -supposed to oome from a ship in distress, and the lire boatmen went out to the rescue, having to row as there was a calm. On reaching the Nab Lightship that learned that the guns had boen fired as a .signal to sub- marines at exercise to rise to the sur- face. Cylinder Burst. A Lloyd's Copenhagen message says the Danish steamer United States, from Christiansand for New York, with 234 passengers, is two hundred miles west of Scotland with a low-pressure cylinder burst. The vessel will put into Glasgow, and the passengers will be forwarded by another steamer. Lloyd's adds that the United States is owned'^ by the United Steamship Co., of Copenhagen.

"A U.S. AND MEXICO I PROBABLE PERMISSION FOR REBELS I TO PuRCtiASc AflirS (Rcuier's Foreign Spccial.) J New York, Thursday.—The appeal oi the Mexican rebels for permission to • purchase .arms in America on an equal footing with the 'Federals may soon be granted, although President Wilson and Mr. Brvan have reached no final deter- mination in the matter. The Government is strongly inclined to such a course as the next step in the I Mexican policy.

SWANSEA SHOP STAFF. I A meeting was held last night of thel staff of Messrs. David Evans and Co. Swansea, and the following resolution was passed :— "That this staff meeting, having heard the terms of settlement arrived at at the firm's establishment in Cardiff, congratulates their comrades there on the magnificent victory, and disassoci- ates itself with the letter which ap- peared in last Saturday's Western Mail," the said letter being un- authorised by the Swansea staff and never placed before them for approval or otherwise; and, further, adheres to the decision of la-sir Friday's staff meet- ing to, if necessary, withdraw their labour in Swansea, in support of the ctriko- >. Cardiff"—Official ra- k

LOCAL POLICE FORCE. MORE MEN ASXED FOR. CHIEF CONSTABLE'S REASONS FOR INCREASE, COMPREHENSIVE REPORT. I I The Chief Constable of Swansea (Captain Alfred Thomas) has sub- mitted to the Watch Committee the fol- lowing report, in which he ges his reasons for advocating an increase in the police force of the Borough:— 1.—Sic-ness and annual leave. 2.—The Weekly Rest Act having come into operation. 3.—The forming into beats of areas, tucb a.& Brynmill, Sketty, Manselton, Morriston, and St. Thomas, which are only worked as patrols owing to the want of sufficient, mea. 4.—Again, the increased traffic in the centre of the town owing to the traanweys, motor lorries, and taxi-cabs, taking so many men for point duties, leaving the beats insufficiently worked. I may odd here that the number of street, a.cei- uenta caused by vehicles during the year 1913 was 200, being 73 more than the pre- vious year. 5.—We are under-policed compared with other towns. (See return). TOWN DIVISION—Acreage, 540. The town division it at present composed of:- 3 Inspectors. 8 Sergeants. 58 Constables There a.re 16 beats worked by day snd night, and to have each beat filled and to give each man his weeky rest day, in ac- cordance with the Act, there are not suffi- cient men to patrol the day beats, and dur- ing the night time—which is the most im- portant. when valuable property such as jewellers' shops, banks, and pawnbrokers' shops are left locked up—the present num- ber of men arc not sufficient to give the at- tention required. To furnish each relief with each beat properly filled it, takes 48 men, thus leaving 10 to do point duty. of which there are 10 points to be regulated; therefore, there is not a spare man left to relieve for days off. tdcknesp, and annual leave. Several beats have at present to be left unpoliced. Swansea being a large seaport town, ther" are, T find, according to our Criminal liegisterri of this Bomugh. viz., The Con- viet. and Police Supervision." a number of firemen and sailors who are either convicts or police supervisees. visiting this port from time to time. and therefore tlÎ0 super- j vision of the police must, be greater. Swansea has rather a unique position, being a terjninus and off the main lint. thus affording burglars, shop-breakers, and others of the criminal fraternity less oppor- tunity of getting away, otherwise I am I afraid we should be very badly treated by this class and have numerous and serioua robberies, which, fortunately, we are loot troubled with. At the present time there are sergeants doing 12 hours at a stretch at various Sta- tions, and by the addition of another fer- geant at these stations the duties would be distributed to their each doing eight hours. I require for thA town division proper a increase of 25 Constables, 1 Sergeant. WESTERN DIVISION.—Acreage, 1,162. (St. Helen's, UPtinds, Sketty, Brynmill, Town Hill, Gibbet Hill, Mount Pleasant, and Cockett). This division is at present composed ot the following, viz. 1 Sergeant. 11 Constables. The principal police station is situated at Uplands, and is in charge of Sergt. Price, who works the whole 24 hours, and has to take his reet as opportunity affords. j I suggest that this division be increased i a6 follows, viz.:— 1 Inspector. 2 isergeants. 9 Constables. Thie is a very important division on ac- count of it forming the residential portion of the borough, where many of our largest i ratepayers reside, and is very inadequately policed. The patrols are extremely long, taking a constable as long as three hours to get round, therefore offering great facility for house-breakers to effect their actions com- pletely; although fortunately not of a serious nature, there has, during the last few months, been many breakings in this district. This district hS3 been built upon very considerably those laet few years, and the number cf residents in this division are daily increasing. EASTERN DIVI8ION.-Acre-dge 1,364. (St. Thomas, Danygraig, Port Tennant, Fox- hole. Bonymaen, and Pentrechwyth). This, division is at present composed of the following, viz. Z Sergeant s. 12 Constables. This division cousists of a very large and floating population, eiieh as seafaring men. labourers at the docke and other works in the St. Thomas district- The vehicular traffic from the various wQrke within the borough to the docks is very great. The beats in this district are very large and takes the officer two hours to get round, thus offering every opportunity to the criminal. I suggest that, this division be increased as followr- viz. 1 Inspector.. 1 Sorgeant. 4 Constables. NORTHERN DIVISION.—Acreage, 2,084. (T&anselton, Brynhytfryd. -Cwmbwrla, Tre- booth. Landore, Flos marl, Morriston, and Llangyfelach). The Northern Division is at present com- posed of the following, ,-iz. 1 Inspector. 2 8ergeant. 20 Constables. This division, which is comprised as above, is a thickly-populated district owing to it being a large industrial centre. Several large works in Morriston, such as tinplate works, Mannesmann Tube Works. Messrs. Baldwin's, Dillwyn Spelter Works, Meseers. Vivian's, and otners. In this division the inspector has also to be on the alert and at the call of any of qu f w* 13k

FLAT CASE. I SURGEON SAYS BULLET MIGHT HAVE CAUSED DEATH. A FURTHER REMAND. I At the West London Police Court to- day Julia Decies, 26, West Kensing- ton IansjQns, was charged on remand with attempting to murder Basal Piffard by shooting him with a revolver, and cutting his tnroat with a knife. Formal evidence was given of the issue of a gun licence to accused, who gave the name of Elsie Boden. A house surgeon at the West London Hospital described. Piffard's injuries, and said the bullet must have been either fired obliquely or .have been de- flected. 4** It might have proved fatal, for if the bullet had gone straight across it would have gone through the brain- Counsel said he hoped Piffard would be able to attend the court in a fort- night. Prisoner was remanded for seven days, with a view to a further remand.

AFTER BEYNON. I NORTHERN UNION AGENTS IN I SWANSEA AGAiN. Wre understand that a couple of Northern Union emis-saries have been in Swansea during the last day or i60. They are, it is understood, after B. Beynon, th6 new Swansea, outside-half.

I NEW POSTMASTER I MR. E. J. W. ARMAN SAID TO PREFER I READING A. Reading message states that Mr. E. J. \V. Arman, who, as was reported in yesterday's Leader," has been offered the postmastership of Swansea, is understood to prefer to remain at Read- ing, where he has been in charge for five years. Mr. Arman, who is a native of Berk- shire, joined the Civil Service as a lad in the savings bank department, and has been a postmaster for 21 years, serving at Chelmsford and Tunbridge Wells. He takes a keen interest in local affairs, and is very popular in Reading. The principal reasons for his desire to remain at Reading are that a new post office is being built there. The salary at Swansea is practically similar to that at Reading. Enquiries made locally elicited the statement "Nothing is known here.

NOT DEAD THEN. STRANGE MURDER CHARGE MISTAKE AT WOLiEtiitAiiPlON. By a strange mistake a man was yesterday charged at Wolverhampton Police Court with the murder of a man who was not then dead. Thomas Careless, a labourer, was arrested on Tuesday for an alleged assault on Robert Young, a travelling, cooper. During a quarrel Careless was said to have struck Young and knocked liim down, inflicting serious injuries to his head. Late on Tuesday night the police were told that Young was dead, and when Careless appeared before the magistrates yesterday the charge against him was altered to one of wil- ful murder. Careless, who was much affected, was remanded for eight days. Later a hurried message was sent to the police court that there bad been a mistake. A man died in hospital, but it was not Young. Careless was brought back into court and the charge of murder was withdrawn. The injured man died in Wolver- hampton Hospital last night.

I WEST BIRMINGHAM. I Mr. Austen Chamberlain has decided to accept the invitation of the West Birmingham Unionists to stand for the division at the next election in plaoe of his father. He announced yesterday that he accepted the invitation, not only be- cause it was heartily and unanimously extended to him, but 'because it was the desire of his father that he should hold the position which Mr. Joseph Chamberlain had held for twenty-eight years. It it understood Lord Windsor, son of the Earl of Plymouth, will be asked to come forward U n ion is-Lcan did a t e for East Worcestershire, wmkh is now represented by Mr. Austen Chamber- lain.

THE CABINET. The Cabinet met this morning for the third successive day; extra police precautions were taken, but there was 110 Suffragette demonstration. Mr. Runciman could not attend owing to influenza. He has cancelled all immediate engagements. I The meeting of the Cabinet lasted ,jti,st over two hours, and it is under- stood that the discussion on the N avaIl Estimates was concluded.

SENCHENYOD INQUIRY. I We reported yestei-day, the evidence given at the resumed Home Office in- quiry at Cardiff into the Senghenydd disaster. The Court did not sit to-day, as ex- periments are being carried out at New Tredegar. The Court wil] f;it to-morrow and on Saturday, and will then adjourn until the following Thursday.

AFTER ZABERN INCIDENTS. I Baron Zorn von Bulach. Secretary of I State, speaking in the Committee of the, Alsace-Lorraine Diet, used language (says Renter) which, implied the impend- ing resignation of the whole Govern- ment of Alsace-Lorraine. The phrase used was to the effect that the Govern- ment had drawn the only possible con- clusion from the Zabern incidents, al- though, he added, a decision ha.r1 yet been, taken. (i

FRANCO-RUSSIAN SENSATION. U_- I KRUPP'S BELIEVED TO HAVE BOUGHT ST. PElERsBURC WORKS. EFFECT ON ALLIANCE. A .sensa-tion has been caused by the report, first published in a St. Peters- burg telegram to the Echo de Paris," that the great St. Petersburg arms <uid munitions factory known ais the Putiloff works ha? been bought ?" T't ? gl't Get'man firm of Krupp. -.y- The alliance between ami France 'has meant the communication to the former by the latter of import- ant French processes, and a? most of the Ru&sj?n Field Artillery is made at the Putiloff works, with the assistance of French plails and under French supervision,, if Krupp's have acquired the works it is obvious that the French processes must faU into German hands. It is this that has caused such anxiety. The official Havas Agency published a telegram from Rusaia denying the truth of the statement and asserting that it was due to oonfusion with the organisation by the R<ussdan Govern- ment of a new private arms factory at Tsa-ritsin, in which the -English firm of Vickers, Ltd., was co-operating. Since then, however, the "Temps" and the Ldberte"—both journals of note— confirm the report. It is feared tliat the affair may have a very grave effect on the Franco- Kuesian Alliance. Caiffaux's Hint. I Paris, Thursday.—Rumours concern- ing the purchase of the Putiloff works in St. Petersburg by Messrs. Vickers and Messrs. Krupp are reproduced in the papers, which. wm-,aent on the affair with evident emotion. M. Caillaux states that he fully recognises the gravity of the circum- &ta-nces.-R-euter. London inquiries. I Inquiries in London (says the Times") have not resulted in any confirmation of the original statement, the accuracy of which is doubted.

NO BLACK PLAGUE. I STORY FROM MARSEILLES PROVES TO I f BE UNFUNDED. I (Reuter's Foreign Special.) Marseilles, Wednesday.—Dr. Livon, Director of the Pasteur Institute here, describes as completely unfounded the published reports regarding the dis- covery of dogs at Marseilles with symp- toms of Indian black plague, and adiis that no experiment on the subject has f>een made at the Institute.

FATALLY INJURED. I GLYN NEATH COLLIER RUN OVER BY TRAMS. A collier named Thomas Conness, re- siding at 11, New-street, Glyn Neath, was fatally injured at the British Rhondda Colliery last evening. ? He was engaged with a journey of trams when the rope snapped, and he was knocked down and cruehed to death. I

CONFESSED TO THEFT. I SWANSEA LABOUR.RS REKANilED I' AT 5IHIANScA FuLltiE COunT At the Swansea Police jOourt to-day, two labourers. William Williams (19), and John Hiscock (23), were charged with stealing and receiving a quantity of lead, value not known, from the Hafod Phosphate Works, the1 property of Messrs. Vivian and Sons. P.C. 71 Harris said that early this morning the men came up to him in the Strand and told him that they had stolen the lead. They took him to the works. On the application of the police the men were remanded until Tuesday.

EXPLOSION IN A SHOP I uaBfr SIX PEOPLE INJUR ID IN VARTEC iiisaap. A violent explosion occurred yester- day at the Co-operative Stores of the little mountain mining village of Var- teg, near Pontypool. What actually happened is at present unknown, but a girl called for some "compressed powder," and whilst the manager was tetching it from a safe a terrific concussion was heard. The manager, whose clothing caught fire, rushed into the street. The large pla te-glass windows of the shop were shattered, and the etock and shop damaged to the extent of about £200. The injured, who are all from Varteg, -tre:-Thoinis Brown, manager of the stores; Gordon Evans, assistant, Lion- street Thomas Dady, assistant; Lilly I/loyd, assistant; Maud Badman, assist- ant; Gladys Knox, The House.

A VOLTAIRE NOTEBOOK. I The February number of the "English Review'' contain a contribution of great interest—"An English Notebook of Voltaire" (written in English), which was discovered at St. Peters- burg. Mr. Austin Harqson is con- vinced of the notebook's authenticity.

OLD MOORE." I On January 29, 1657, was born in I; Bridgnorth in the county of Salop, one Francis Moore, the original genuine "Old Moore." He was a quack doctor, and first issued his "Vox Stellarum" in 1692 to advertise his pails and potions,

< Final Score: Swans-2 goals. Oswestry—1 goat. LONDON TRAIN MURDER. Inquest oil Willie Starclifield was re. !till bhoreditch to-day. P CilNTRY BEAT VICTOR FELICITAS. Betting; 11 to 10 agst Sentry. # Swansea Mercantile C hJ Ltd. 18, PARK STREET, SWANSEA, MAK3 3ASH ADVANCES DAILY from &is t* itilft(L No OLiptrgo Vmless Business Sate. 13ille Discounted. Strictly Prfvatw pd 3os5* dential. For further particular*. £ fly H. B. JONES, :Managin Director.

DOWN ACAIN. BANK RATE REDUCES TO THREE PER CENT. Our London agents wire us that the Bank rate of discount has been reduced from four per cent. to three per cent. The last reduction was made of January 22, when the rate was reduced from four-and-a-half to four per cent.

BANCS AT BBACFJRP. -—— —— MYSTERIOUS EXPLO IONS IERRIF) HOJSE OLOEnS. The Lumb Lane district of Manning- ham, Bradford, was the iyoene of a series of remarkable explosions last night and early this morning which terrorised the inhabitants, and did con- siderable damage. In one house in Laburnam-street i loud report was accompanied by a blii4 flame, which scorched the food on th< table. In another caN. drawing-room flooi was blown up, and the house set oi fire. There were similar experiences a other houses. The authorities were baffled as to th cause of the explosions. There was n smell of coal or sewer gas, and it i, surmised that local excavations dis- turbed an accumulation of natural gas which became ignited at the househok fires.

LINDOH BJlLDNi DISPUTE No change was reported to-day in tb, general situation in the London build. ing dispute. It is understood that in the event of at general stoppage of electricians, the Association of Central Station Engi- neers, members of which virtually con- trol the lower stations throughout London, will probably support them in their action.

THE BEHAVIOUR OF BOYZ. Boys are at their best behaviour at 10 a.m., and naughtiest between 3 and 4 p.m., according to Dr. Frank E. Lakey, of the English High School, at Boston, U.S.A.

PEAT V. COAL One result of the coal strike, pointed out by the Pall Mall Gazette," is the reappearance of peat in London. Many people are burning peat with pleasure in the perfume, which does not altogether vanish up the chimney. But it must be confessed that peat, though leas expen- sive in the bulk than coal, is yet not a cheap fuel as burned in our usual grates. 1