South Wales Weekly Post

SWANSEA MER- CHANTS • YEAR'S WORK ON EXCHANGE. COAL SUPPLIES AND LABOUR. The annual report of the Swansea Cham- ber of Commerce, presented at the annual meeting on Friday, detailed in extenso the work that had ben accomplished during the pear under the various heads. The follow- to g is a resume — Trade After, the War. This subject hat; occupied a good deal of Ola attention of the Clianiber during t'he year. It was also the principal question con- sidered at the annual. meeting of the associa- tion. The op'.niou was almost unanimous that measures should be concerted between the Allies to prevent enemy countries ex- ploiting our markets after the war, even to the extent of introducing protective import duties should these be found desirable. Technical College. I It has for many years beo"J1 the desire of all classes in the town to advance the stand- ing of the Technical College and to increase its usefulness. With a view to this end a Development Committee was formed, on which the Chamber appointed Messrs. H. Goldberg, J.P., and E. P..Jones as its re- presentatives. The committee has been very ':t active in bringing the claims of the college before the Education Authorities with the object of getting it recognised as a Con- stituent College of the University of Wales, with powers to qualify student for degrees and to place the college on a sound financial basis an Endowment Fund of nearly L100,000 has been guaranteed by the prin- cipal manufacturers and merchants of the town and district. Much cf the credit for this magnificent fund is due to his Worship the Mayor (Aid. David Davies) who has thrown himself hea-rt and soul into the work, which it is hoped will very shortly be crowned with success. Coal SuDDltes to France and Italy. The names of Messrs. T. P. Cook (chair- man). C. E. Cleeve6 (vice chairman), and A. W. E. Wynne are mentioned in connection with the French coal exports limitation scheme. Owing to the shortage of tonnage in recent months the district has only shipped about 50 per cent, of the quantity alloted to it. It is interesting to state that of the vessels employed in the coal trade about 85 per cent. are neutral-owned. The secretary of the Chamber (Mr. H. J. Mar- shall) is secretary of the local committee. The system of control and limitation of i.es and freights wa3 extended to Italy, to this has been far from successful, as since the limitation of freights came into force on October 30th chartering by usual exporters has been practically non-existent, and the scheme can hardly continue on the present basis. Labour. The shipping section, referring to the re- cent labour disputes, states: "It has been granted representation on the Board of the Swansea Employers' Association (which deals with inward cargoes, etc.), in co- operation with which disputes are now dealt with under more reasonable conditions through a Disputes Board, and the risks of sudden sta-ikes have been reduced to a minimum. If labour could be brought to recognise that its leaders' signature to an agreement carries with it the responsibility of honourably carrying out that agreement then a great stride forward would have been made, and it ok gratifying at the close of 1916 to say this seems to be in a fair -way of being realised. A general carp section has grown out of this section, and the two work in co-operation. "There U a looseness about the costs of discharging deals, etc., which necessitates a proper agreement defining tariff rates, and tjlis is receiving attention."

I COULD HARDLY BE- 1;h LIEVE HIS EYES." -SWANSEA DETECTIVE AND I THE FIREMAN. For mdecent exposure in De-]a.Bhe.1 street on Tnursday afternoon, with intenti to insult females, Edward Riley, fireman, vvaa sent to prison for three months at owarasea Police Court on Fridav B?ecttTe-Inepector HaySe gave e\;dence of defendant's conduct, which he witnessed £ ov z£ n hui? s (witness's) front bedroom window, his house being opposite. It was eo dis- graceful that he could hardly believe his own eyes. Defendant appeared "like a madman. ,Writf?tDCe was also given by P'°* (56) ,Wright. Chairman said the case was a very bad one indeed, and one they would not like to pass any remarks on. Sppt. Roberts said that D?erou, com- plaints had been received from this district in regard to this kind of offence.

CROWDED AUDIENCE I ENJOY ENTERTAINMENT AT I CLYDACH. The crowded audience at the Church RaJl, Cljdaeh. were gnven a rare treat on Thurs- day night, when the Swansea Naval Brigade bonder Oommodon* Lieut. Rodgens) and the Second bwanf>ea Valley Boy Soout, Troon fScoutmaster C. C. Leopold) gave an excel- lent miøcellaneous entertainment,. The obair was occupied by Commissioner Henry N. Mlers, who extended a hearty welcome to the young patriots. The programme was most interesting and varied, the boys performing the drills and exercises with the precision of veterans. The vocal and instrumental items were well received. The brigade band. consisting ? 36 mstrumentalist?, delighted the MMUenoe with their excellent selections, Mdm'Km credit is due to Bandmaster Riddiford. The Boy 800m bu?Iera also dis- 'tini8J1ed themllel, The tit-bit of the evening was the production of a dramatio I ekptob, entitled A Brother's Devotion," written and produced under the personal j' supervision of Mr. W. A. Mines. The sketch was well acted, and the various camp scenes were shown with remarkable realism. The following artistes contributedOomio song, Mr. Barry: song, Master Savage; signal iii. structor. Mr Botcher. The proceeds were divided between the fnnds of the Naval Brigade and the Scout Troop.

LICHTS ON MOTOR-CARS. 1 Bernard Thornect, commercial traveller, and Edward Bromley Hall Bassett, were at Swansea on Thursday suntmoiled for driving motor-oars withc.ut properly obscur- ing lights in acetylene la*npe.—Evidence •was given by Inspector Bowen. -Thornet'. said he took the lamps on the car to be fixed according to the Act. The space of clear glass was only an inch, but when the in- spector told him it wasn't right he went and had it rectified again.—Case dismissed on payment of costs.—Bassett admitted the offence, and said he thought the lamps i were in order.—This case was also dismissed I on payment of costs.

BELCIANS AT LLANELLY. I The B-lgiari Relief Committee at Llaneily have presented the hon. secretary (Mr. Woolley) with a lilver cigarette boy, the presentation being made by Lady Howard. Regret was expressed at the fact that Mr. Woolley was relinquishing the office.

LOOK TO YOUR • FIRE PROTECTION I AJTD TO MERRYWEATHERS' POB FIRE EXTINGUISHING SUPPLIES. Inspections carried out by thoroughly drilled and trained Fire Inspectors. "London Made" Fire Hose, Hand Fire Pumps, Chemical Extractors, and Fire Sseapes, ready for immediate delivery. MERRYWEATHER & SONS, <8, Loys AcitN, (;xxjiymcjl <

I POTATO POINTS. I HINTS TO SWANSEA ALLOTMENT MEN. -i I USEFUL WRINKLES FOR PLANTERS. Allotment holders turned up in force at Friday evening's iectare at the Swansea Public Library by Mr. A. K. Drummoiid, who for over an hour dilated on the cultiva- tion of the 'homely spud" in a practical way, And even then admitted that he had not- exhausted his subject. Counci lor J. H. Lee .(chairman of the Parks and Open Spa.cea Committee) presided. Mr. Drummond said that the war, hor- rible as it was, would leave behind it many useful lessons. especially in regard to the cultivation of the land. and so they would get back to the land they had &o long neglected. ?Hear, hear.) The potato .could be grown and made productive by any person who had a small garden or allot- ment. There were 7C0 known varieties of the potato family, but only six were tuber bearing. Pot itoes from seed and from seed potatoes wert; quite distinct, and the iec- turer by means of lantern slides explained the difference. Practic-al men recom- mended seed potatoes of about the si ée of an egg as the best, and Mr. Dnmmoad em- pha,s,ed the importance of careful selection. As a rule the round potato belonged to the late variety, and the kidney or oval ones to t,he earlier ort. Large seed potatoes oouid be sliced, but care should be taiken that sufficient bodv M left to protect the eye. He recommended cutting such i>otatoes lengthwise. The strongest growth of the tuber was from the nose, and as to cutting out the eyes lor planting, Mr. Dru-niioiid said that it was possible, but unless people had the facilities in the shape of hot-beds, greenhouses, frames, etc., it was impracticable, and the best, plan was to leave the practice alone. Generally speaking, the best quality pota- toes were grown in the open field, and he felt that at the present time the farmer who could grow sufficient for the needs of a nation needed much more encouragement than he got. (Hear, hear.) The Swansea Corporation had, however, provided nu- merous allotments, and they were under the splendid supervision of the Allotments Com- mittee. whilst he DID NOT THTNK THERE WAS BETTER LAND. I iA the country for potato growing Si pos- sible permanent allotments should be se- cured. so that the work might be continued from year to year with increasing satisfac- tion. Holders should provide tnemselves with a pair of clogs and a mackin- tosh, as personal health was the first consideration and the chief tool was the spade. The provision of fchooi gardens needed encouragement in Swansea, as practical gardening wAs as useful as physical culture or scientific botany. Orgnnie manures were the best when ob- tainable, and he suggested three loads with 3cwts. of superphosphates, or basic slilg to escii 10 perch piot, whilst the quantity jf lime should be from two to four bushels if the land was sleepy" or heavy. Potato*? should be planted about 2ft. apart, arId if the drills were made 21ft. apart cabbage could be interplanted, and thus provide an additional crop -after the potatoes 'Cre I dug. Disease needed wat-chuig an? treat- ment. These were amongst many practical sugge"tions made, and in the course of the lecture Mr. Diummond paid Mr. James Harris, of the Blackpill Nurseries, the com- pliment of saying that he had produced the Sir John and Lady Llewelyn varieties, which were remarkable for their cropping properties, and ranked amongst the readiest sought n fter in commerce. Mr. Drummond was heartily thanked for his timely lecture. ——————————————

THE VOLUNTEERS. I TERRITORIAL A. SSOCIATION'S, TASK. TO PEYELQP .IfEE., NEW I I. FORCE. Important announcements regarding the future of the Territorial Force were made on Friday by Lord Derby, Secretary for War, at a. meeting of chairmen and secretaries of the Territorial Force Associations at the Middlesex Guildhall. He stated that :— It is to be made easier for Territorial officers, to reach the higher commands. The Director-G eneral is not to be abol- ished, and the Territorial privileges and rights will be maintained. The Territorial Force will be reorganised and strengthened after the war. Associations will play an important part in demobilisation. Lord Derby, on the Volunteers, said — "The Territorial Force has fulfilled its obligation to defend these shores by sending aji army across the water," he said, but it idees snot follow that we do not require a large force at home for the purpose of re- sisting any invasion that the enemy may con- template. We will not discuss the likeli- hood or unlikelihood of such an invasio.n, but I am sure you will agree with me that we would be nearly as ill-advised as we were before the war if we did not prepare for such an emergency. In the Volunteer Force I .believe we have the nucleus of a force that will ad- mirablv fulfil this duty. We Want every avattabte man who Can stand lighting overseas to take part in that fighting but there are men at home who. for reasons of age and infirmity, are una.ble to do this, but who are only too ready to play their part in the defence bf this country in case of invasion. I want you, just as you created the Territorial Force as a home defence force and handed it over to the nation as part and parcel of the Expeditionary Force, to assist in every way in your power in creating a new force to j take its place at home and to keep your I organisation in working order, so that when j peace comes thea? Volunteers wiU disappear, and back to yon will come the Territorial Force for you to reorganise, strengthen, and support on an extended basis."

ALL AVAILABLE LAND Being Taken Up at Briton Ferry. Briton Ferry District Council met on Thursday evening, Mr. J. Thomas presid- ing. The Surveyor reported/that 230 applica- tions had been received for allotments in the town, and everything for the letting and pegging out of the spots was nearly com- 1 pleted. All available land was being taken up, and the Surveyor was authorised to order from the County Council 20 tons of seed potatoes, and the gas manager the artificial manures and white lime, which holders of allotments will be able to obtain at easy prices. The Surveyor reported that great diffi- culty had been experienced in obtaining sup- plies of road materials even at a consider- ably increased cost. The quotation of Messrs. Merryweather and Co. of JE280 for a new boiler with tubes for the fire engine was accepted. Labour Bureau Wanted. Mr. Hill, in proposing that the Council apply to the authorities for a Labour Bureau to be established in the tovn, said that the nearest bureau at present was at Neath, and he considered that, as Briton Ferry was a big centre of industry, they should have a Labour Bureau in the town. COUJl. Gethin seconded, and it was de- cided that the application be made.

PROPERTY DAMAGED." I A correspondent of the Eastern Daily Press" (Norwich) says :—The Suffolk coast was bombarded between eleveil and twelve o'clock on Thursday night. Seven or eight shots were fired 'and some property was daan aged-

There are aJreadv over one hundred appli- cations for allotments under the Cultivation of Lands Order at Resolven. There is a possibility of the local oricket ground being handed over for allotment purposes. Barcla.y's Bank are opening a branch at Swansea.

EAT SPRATS! I H PARTICULARLY SUITABLE FOR WINTER." PRESS BUREAU, Thursday, 7.15 p.m. ,h,? Board of Agri'u?u-e nnd Fisheries direct attention to the fact that large? catche.' of sprats are af present being ?'id?i ) by British R?hin? vessels. Although the price of sprats has risen in sympathy with the general rise in the price of food commo- dities, they are still relatively cheap. The most recent prices at Billingsgate Market ranged from 341. to 4Ad. per lb. Sprat.i have a high nutritive value, and are ri 'h in oil. and ,'I'C therefore particularly suitable for a winter food. It is desirable, therefore, that consumers should take ad- vantage of the present u bunonnce. (Note.—Priccs of sprats in Swansea and district range frcm 2!d. to 4d., according to supplies.)

TO DRAW LOTS FOR PLOTS. i LLANELLY. ALLOTMENT ACTIVITY AT I At LlaneHv TowD'Hall a meeting took 1 pla?e of those whc, pave taken allotments at Capel. Mr. H. S. Fdley in the chair. Mr. Hill, the Corporation expert, was present. The members decided to form themselves into a society to be known as the Capel Allotment Society, which would, with 'the expert advice available, work the plots and control the interests of the holders, Mr. Alec Hayward was appointed secre- tary and f1. committee struck to draft rules. etc., so that a workmanlike start has been made. j The meeting decided to ask the Corpora- tion to give-the society a g-uaraiitee that the land should be available for a period of the years, with the option of a further renewal at the end of such period. I It was agreed to hold another meeting at the Town Hall at 7 o'clock on Thursday, 1st February, when the members would draw lots for their plots and decide the question of ploughing' or trenching the land. The j members present are very anxious to get to work, and have- arranged to meet Mr. Hill at Capel at i o'cic-cl-. ().,i Saturday afternoon.

WAS POPULAR AT PONTARDULAIS. After a short illness, the death took place of one of the most highly respected, popular and best-known inhabitants of Pontardulais in the person of Mr. John Bevan, Wernbwll, at the advanced age of 76. He had served, for 27 vears as stationmaster at Bynea Sta- tion. G.W.R. After being pensioned off Leo acted for several years as outside manager at the Mountain Colliery, Gbrseinon. He leaves a widow, one eon (Mr. T. J Bevan, signalman), two manned daughters, one bro- ther (who is the proprietor of the Halfway, Llaneily), and Mrs. Thomas, Brvnesi, Hendy. The funeral took place on Thurs- day at Trinity (Wesleyan) graveyard. The cortege was very large, and many ministers i took part in the service. Many wreaths) were sent. )

=. I Reply to "Jvtcko (Bryinnill).—The couple aweared as Griff and Maurice."

w "SWADDIES." I ANOTHER FINE SPECIMEN. HOW HE "RAISED THE WIND." (By Cycliste. ") The next occasion upon which I met a real bona fide swaddy was also at a rest citinp-but one of a totally different kind to that at Le Havre. This camp was situated at M——, Dot so many kilometres from the line-at any rate, you could trace the windings of the iine by the faint ribbon of green light glowing on the horizon of a n:ght, Another sigti of proximity to the front was tha,t a British "super-heavy" was mounted on the outskirts of the town. The rest camp of M—-— was certainly more cpmfortable looking than the mud- iiat we were so glad to vacate at the base, and resembicd in appearance a Kaffir kraal, except that the huts were very solidly built, although not over warm. It was one day in February, colder than usual, when I sucked patiently at a pipcluJ" of tea leaves (funds were low, and one has to do some- thing when in that heartrending, state of impecunlosity-generally described as "dead broke") thaifc I again confronted a real, genuine specimen of the genus swaddy. I was still pulling desperately at my pipe (the gift cf a paternal Corporation), when the figure presented itself before me, and with a mock serious expression gave me an elabor- ate salute. I hastily returned the salute with a? equally graceful "D and sat myself down to await the newcomer's busi- ness. The Swaddy is Broke. "Did it ever strike you 'ow nice it would be to 'ave a general's, billet when you're 'ard up, kid?'' he slild at length. I ignored the last expression and replied that no doubt it must be pleasant never to have to experience tfrfe hardship of being minus the filthy lucre in any shape. The sWaddy sat himself down alongside of me and stroked hisehin reflectively. He gazed at me inquiringly and said: "What you come down with. sonny?" "Bronchitis." I replied laconically. It's a curious thing, but when you are without the necessary you do not feel very much inclined to conversation. The swaddy, however, disregarded my uninterested air and determined on another course of cross- examination. "Like France, yc ngster ?" I stared at him despairingly and out of sheer perversity replied that I did. This gave the veteran the opportunity'he was waiting for, and he unhesitatingly termed me in a three-minute harangue, practically devoid of repetition" fourteen different kinds of liar. I quailed beneath his forceful rhetoric and suggested that I had only replied in the affirmative to hear wluit he would say. Thus mollified, the swaddy extracted a cigarette of half-smoked brand, known v, niiser, and requested the loan of a match. Having smoked the weed from an inch and a half to an inch, he replaced it in hill field dressing pocket and essayed at conversation once more. An Idea. I "Are you absolutely.ard up, chum?" he inquired. I nodded resignedly and gave up all hope of a peaceful evening beside the nic-,sroom fire. The awaddy's lace assumed a rapt expression and he meditated a space j before inviting me to make a suggestion for raising t)i c wind..1 repudiated any idea ot "tapping" anybody in the camp for the loan of a franc or .'10 because I knew, full well that everybody Kar»:probably as fnan- dally embarrassed as we were. Then the iva,s -,t.r -k by a brilliant idea. I know," he said, we'll ask the padre to stick Us a couple of francs! The audacity of the announcement com- pletely floored .me and it was some time be- fore I could bring myself to favour the old one with a contemptuous stare. The idea of "touching" a padre! I he very thought rendered me breathless, and seeing his sug- gestion ignominiously dismissed my friend once again composed himself to think of some other means whereby he could purchase Wood bines and. take a hand, at pontoon without trouble to himself. 1 knocked, the ashes from my pipe and stared moodily across t,h( camp square wishing I was back with my own lot again—anywhere from the i confounded monotony of the camp. It was a "Rest Camp." indeed, hut there was one fault I had to find with it—you had too much rest there, so much, indeed, that it made you long for a working party or a cookhouse fatigue. Think of it—nothing to do and fagless and without any prospect 01 getting any until returned for duty! My musings were disturbed by the swaddy going through his pockets madly, "i'va got it! he yelled. Got what?" I asked innocently. "The D.T.'s or hydrophobia?" The swaddy stopped his Highland ttmg to glance at me pityingly, and unfolded his wheeze for obtaining the "dibs," as he ex- pressed it, with great relish. The Climax. Why should I hesitate to bring this talc to a conclusion? Suffice it that when I WAS returned to duty some days later. I rejoined my unit bereft oi several articles of small kit, to wit, one razor, one tooth- brush, one shaving ditto, and a, tube of good shaving soap I had received in a parcel some time before. The swaddy, by a method known only to his genus, had deposed of this promiscuous collection to some guileless person just come over the Channel for the sum of three francs fifty centimes, of which sum he retained one franc seventy-five cen- j times, presumably as "auctioneer's fee." Did I mention that the swaddy succeeded in winning my hard-obtained cash from me at "brag" afterwards? He called it "brag," but to my misfortune I found that the game consisted of his always capping my king with an ace i Thereby hangs a tale. for as the days went by I grew older and wiser, and incidentally suspicious of all "swaddies."

"—'—————" CHURCH AND CHAPEL. j Joint Skewen Treat for the II Wounded. The wounded soldiers at The Laurels, Neath, were entertained by the church and chapel-fojk of Skewen on Thursday with an excellent programme which was. thoroughly enjoyed by "the heroes in blue." All admitted that it ranked asi one of the best heard at the hospital, a pleasing feature being the rendering of: pleasing '?'t'Jsh airs, composed by Mr. Tom i Jones, or better known as "Qymro Bach." Rev. J. C. Baynon, curate of Skewen, who presided, kept the audience in good humour throughout. i The following contributed to the even-: ing's treat:—Miss M. Evans, Miss May! Owen, Mrs. Bronwen Bowen, Mrs. M. A. i Lewis? Messrs. R. Evans, I). W. John, J. Wedlake, and the wel l-known Neath Abbey artiste, Mr. Lewis Jones.

■■ »' PROMINENT NEATH SHEPHERD. Councillor John Morris, one of the oldest! Shepherds in the Neath district, has been appointed Deputy Chief Shepherd of the Swansea District of the A OjS. For over 30 years Councillor Morrie has rendered valu- able services to the Ancient Order.

r.; The death has taken place of Mrs. Michael, wife of Mr. John Michael, insurance agent, I Glanyrafon-street, Pontardulais. Deceased was 61 yeirs of age and had resided there sipco 1877. The family was one ot the manv who migrated from Cwniavon to start, the Cambriaji Tinplate Works. She was a faith- I ful member of Li ban us Chapel (C.M.) where her mortal remains will be laid to rest cn Monday next. She leaves two grown up J married sons and a daughter to mourn the'r loss.

I POOLING LABOUR IN LOCAL TINPLATE WORKS. SUGGESTION AT MUNITIONS! TRIBUNAL. Sout!h West Wales Munitions Tribunal met at Swansea. Labour Exchange Oil Thursday, under the presidency of Mr. J. Vaughan Edwards. Mr. J. VV. Thorpe \\aa clerk oi the Court. A oold-roll worker in a oontrolled e8tb- lishment applied tor a leaving certificate. Evidence was given by applicant to the effect that he had to lose nine days' work in about six weeks. He had been offered em- ployment in anotlier controllerl establish- ment, and. would work six days a week there. The case was contested by line employers on the ground of shortage of labour, but the representative at this stage said he did not object to give the certificate. Chairman said that men came to that Court from the tinpiaie industry particularly owing to the irregularity of work, due to insufficient supplies oi certain material. Some tinplats works were able to give lull employment for periods, and that in order to obviate irregularity of Surplus waste of labour, 'L- I he thought it would 00 wen n I'-ie nnpidw Association oould consider some means of pooling labour, so that where one works had a full suppiy of material, liell who were net employed tully in aa adjacent works eoutd bo lent to fnlly cnjployiii works during this period. It was unfair (ce said) to prevent men, who were working irregularly and only able to earn small money, obtaining full employment elsewhere in the national in- terest. Both assessors and the representatives of the works from which applicants came fully appreciated the Chaiman s suggest ion. Another applicant applied for a certificate on similar grounds as the tlrst, and a certifi- cate was also granted.

I WIFE PAID HIM. I EASTSIDE GROCER'S ASSIST- ANT'S AFFAIRS. I SWANSEA BANKRUPTCY EXAMINATION. At Swansea Bankruptcy Court en Friday, Wm. Morris, groc«r.s assistant, of 14, Thomas-street, St. Thomas, and lately car- rying on business as a grooer under the style of Wm. Iorris ana Co., at the same addiess, came up on his first public ex- amination. Examined by Mr. Hy. Rees (Official Re- ceiver), debtor snid his grotw* liabilities were £71495. 4d., expected to rank JB528 lis lid, assets £ 4C 12.s. 7d., and deficiency C437 19s. 4d. Tn 1897 he also failed. the lia- bilities amounting to E-497 8s. 9d.. and a dividend was paid of Is. lid. in the £ He had not obtained his discharge from that bankruptcy. His brother, however, bought back the business, and later on debtor started again under the ityle of yrilliam Morris and Co., when he paid most of his old creditors in full. Debtor further said that his brother-in- law for a time joined him as a, pztrtner, putting JBlaO into the Wfliiie.ss, wiiich debtor afterwards paid back, though the result of the partnership was that lie was worse off. The first failure lie attributed to his late wife, who carried on the busi- ness, and the present difficulty v,as mainly Due to sugar shortage. The Official Receiver: But that only meant that) on cuuld not get the goods.' Dbteor: but tiif, if they could not get sugar, would -go out. Debtor admitted that his accounts put ,in were mere guesswork, and also said that his present wife now Paid him Ú1 per week as assistant.. The Official Receiver She actually pays you the £1 per week?—Yes. The Registrar Do you pay her for your keep?—No, sir. In May last debtor transferred the bu-i- ne-ss to his wife for £1.4, the value of the stock, and the money was used pay off two executions. The reason be did it was not to ruin "the little hit of trade I had." The Official Raceivcr-: Tipt the hardship of it is that tfe Atfrei; creditors got nothing th-r, Ofh(,i-al Ilece- -er it, 4, I- d 0 for goods. supplied "since May.and ,K3,<)ibs^ved that in one case debtor had dealt in a most slip-shod way of keeping his affairs. i Debtor Admitted he had been negligent in the conduct of hi? business, and further stated that Mr. David Jones, the financier, held a bill of sale on the shop fixtures, etc., and a mortgage on some cottage property debtor owned at Foxhole. The Registrar said the accounts were very uns<1tisfa.ckry. The hearing was conditionally closed.

I PONTARDAWE PARS. The annual meeting the Churchpeople of the Parish of Llan^uicke wa? held at thtft Schoolroom. The Rev. Joel J. Davies (vicar) presided over a largo gathering, when the councils for the ensuing year were elected The committer of the Public Hall and Institute have decided to hold their annual eisteddfod this y&ar on June 23rd, when a substantial sum is anticipated. This is badly needed, as there is still a heavy debt on Pcntardawe's tine hall and institute. i The Parish of Llauguicke has the honour of being at the head of the list oi sub- scribers to the St. David's Diocesan Board: of Finance for the past year. Stoker T. J. Davies has been home on leave from H.M.S. and before re- turning was the recipient of a snim of money from the members of Alltwen Chapel.-—Gunner George Jones, of one of H.M. transports, has a lso been home for a few day, when he was the recipient of a sum of money from the members of Taber- nacle Chapel. Serfrt. Gwilym Williams, of the R.W.F., has arrived homa from France on a month's furlough, he hnving been recom- mended for a commission. Sergt. Williams, whose home is at Alltwen. was prior to en- listing employed at Messrs. Gilbertson's offices as a clerk. Private HarrN- Jacobs, of the Marine Light Infantry, is spending a few days at his home after a most adventurous neriod of two years and five months on sea. He was called up as a reservist, and was on beard a transport which, bad to be to- doiied. He was transferred to H, M.S. | Kent, and was aboard her when she formed part of late Admiral Cradock's squadron, which was trapped off the Falkland IFla-iids. He was one of those that had the pleasure of taking part in the destruction of Von Spec's commerce raider.

ROYAL AUTOMOBILE CLUB I Commandeered for War Work. It was officially announced on Friday that in order to meet the demands for aecom- modation for the constantly expanding war staffs the newly-appointed Committee on Accommodation, at its first meeting on Fri- day, decided to requisition the Royal Auto- mobile Club. The Committee also dealt with some of the other most pressing demands for ac- commodation for the various departments. One of those which claime d immediate at- i tention was that for the Shipyard Labour Department, which, in consequence of the' ) vital urgency of the subject, the Committee had no option but to house in a hotel. "The' decision was arrived at reluctantly, and after J careful consideration of all alternatives Horrex's Hotel, Norfolk-street, Strand, was decided upon, azid -it will accordingly be taken over at once."

I Thé death has occurred of Mr. Edward I Bowen, of 40, Robert-street, Manselton, at the a.go of 68. Deceased was a well-known and popular copper worker. The funeral- a. public on-takefo1 place on Monday next, ¡ for Sketty Welsh Congregational Cemetery. Most of the cases in Llaneily, including those of the marHed men granted exemption, I are coming up for review on the appeal of the military. <

I "GIRL liE LEFT BEHIND 1  MM." ■ THE WORK SHE DOES. VIVID STORY OF WAR TIME. The Task of the Y.W.C.A. The Minister of Munittonp. 1)r, Add-on. M.P., speaking at the Mansion House this week on the employment cf women and the improvement of their conditions, asked for full support for the Y.W.C.A., to whom the Government had appealed and allotted the task of providing recreation, etc., which the Government were unable to do. The Lord Mayor mentioned that the Y. W.C.A. was maintaining huts, e tc., for women war workers in 130 centres. 1* dealt with 1,000 members, and 6,000 workers in clubs, hostels, and canteens- It provided 3,000 meals weekly in canteens and hostels. The Government 'could only do ?' much, and this does not include, any recreation, for the solving of this and mr.ry problems. Much has been done, but much remains un- done. It us new a national thing. Hugh Martin, writing some time ago, vividly portrays the claims of the worker, viz. This is very "largely the story of The Girl I He Left Behind Him, It is not so easy to tell, perhaps, as <he story of The- Man Be- hind the GUll, nr even of The Man ..lm Stayed at Home. because the facts ire,iiot, so generally known, or at any rate so gene- rally imagined. But that dc-es not mean that it is a story not worth telling, or th?t if it were rightlv told it would not prove as arresting as either of the other two. The Girl He Left Behind Him is an army, and if the army has no banners, so that very few people realise its splendour, or even that it is there at all. that is rather it-s misfor- tune than its fault..The fighting armies of the world are getting1 an unparalleled amount cf advertisement nowadays, but the army of the women, that has been left be- hind to help carry on the,world s work and to keep the fighting armies in the field, is very little heard of. It is apt to be re- garded, poigisibly, as something necessary but unromantie. That is a mistake. In all this great world Romance of the battle be- tween two ideals, with its passages of the sublime and its episodes of the unspeak- able, there is no chapter which is at bottom more, wonderful than that which deals with the Coming of the Women. They have come, in the first place, in their hundreds of thousands to make the arm, the ammunition, the clothes and the equipment of the men at the front. I spent a day in a great Midland munition factory recently, inquiring into all those complicated processes that go to the making of shells ancf guns. The place was full of marvel. It is a fascinating experience to b" present at the birth of a giant howitzer -a bigger gun than we ever thought it pos- sible to take jut., the field less than two yeArS ago—and to follow its development and education through all the agonising stages of youth and immaturity up to the goal of an almost unbelievable perfection and pftkicncy, AJJ this was unforgetabJe, But the best of the day's experience was in a long low building where hundreds of curiously formed machines were ranged ill I a quadruple row. At the control levers of ) every machine stood A girl. She was work- ing swiftly and eagerly, never stopping for «. ntom«nt>- to look <st "I it Athe I ? days one \twuId have «aid that '? was wcrkin.c as .though 3-.er life dp??pdpd nn it, Nb??QMO kn?w.t.ha.tri'h? life ?as ?othcTown but somebody else's—somebody who sleeps under thenpe11 sky hundreds of miles away. "Amazing" Outputs. The machines were of the type known as semi-automatic, which means that their out- put is dependent as much on the skill and energy of the human controlling agent as oil tho perfect working of the steel parts. The foreman told me that the output of the machines under the control of these girls had been "quite mazing." They had proved the iiiacllliiet, to be capable of per- torming tasks never before thought possible. And the girls "stuck it" for eleven hours a day. lie said, with a certain tone of respect in h is voice that one is not accus- tomed to hear in the voice of a foreman when he is talking about his" hands." The place was clean and well ventilated, but the noise was exceedingly trying, and most of the labour had to be done standing. As I glanced up and down the lines at the earnest young faces, with the roses in only ten many ca-ses already beginning to Í1hd'3 under the long-drawn-out and iiii- natural strain, I felt that there was some driving power here beyond the ordinary causes that operate in industrial life. I had itfn h eard it said that they were earning good money" this had been strangely exaggerated ot the vast majority it was certainly not true It Was no thought of m .nev that constrained them! through long and weary hours day after day to stick to their new and heavy task. No; these girls were using their deft fingers to turn our shrapnel fuses at a pace never before known in the industry, because they believed (though they m.ght not have been able to put it into words) that each fuse, if well and truly made. might save an English life, perhaps even the life of some specially dear one. One of th,) most won- derfnt things in the world had happened Love had got into the factory and was di-iv-, i;,g the machines. And every o,e of these girls wants a little help, a little love, in return. Pale, But Cheery. Again, the other night I was standing j when the clock struck eleven at. the gates of what is probably the largest »mun.tion works in the South of England. The night was as black as pitch, and the mud rather blacker. Through the night and the mud came The Girl He Left Behind Him. She was multitudinous i,,q ever; and, as ever, laughing, pale, gay and not a little weary. Her face (uot so unlike the good-humoured fa.ce of her brother, Thomas Atkins) gleamed white, in the light of the gate-lamp as she passed. In the background some- thing rose dim and huge, like the cliffs of an iron-bound coast, lit here and there with the glow of molten metal as though some race of giant blacksmiths was at work in its caves. The air was a.a full of sounds from axdistance as the sky ablive was full of the light of the stars. Toil never ceases in this vast smithy. All day and all night men and women labour at the means of destruction as they have freely laboured in the world's history at auy other task. It was hajf-pa^t one in the! morning when I met the girls again. They came pouring like a river in spate into the big "hut" which is being run by the Y. W.C.A. as a canteen. There were eleven of us to get them fed in half an hour with a hot supper (if supper is the right name for a haH-past-one-in-the-morning meal), and as there were nearly. three hundred of them it meant brisk work while the rush lasted. In the intervals of selling oranges and serviug out sausage-and-mashed, I took the opportunity of chatting with some of the workers. Do you manage to sleep well when you're on the night shift?" I asked one particu- larly weary-eyed girl. "How can yiju," she replied, "when there's such a noise in the house, and the wagons go bumping past all day? I take a bit of a lie down, and then I go to the pictures, and then I take another bit of a lie down. It ain't good for one, but I suppose it all helps to beat them Germans." At half-past four crmie the second inva- Irion of the night. It lasted for just twelve minutes, and even thus it was five minutes longer than the time officially allowed by th- l works management. The three hundred giris came in this time with such a rush that f ltad to bolt for the trenches behind the para- pet of cukes, meat pies and tea urns. Th attacking party poured in a hot fire of copr per:" and wífhía three minutes had rcti,ef to the tables with all the spoils of war. it was a short and sharp engagement in which both sides acquitted themselves honourably. For ten minutes the hut hummed with teni- ininc chatter and the tumultuous sounds of hasty feeding. Then it emptied itself al/nost as quickly as it had filled. There are seventeen Y. W.C.A. volunteers actually living inside the works to carry on this particular canteen. They pass what might almost be described as a cloistered existence between the bungalow, where eccli has a tinv cubicle hot unlike a ship's cabin, and the "hut," where they do twelve-hour shifts of duty. It is a hard life, without much chance of honour and glory. As one of them remarked, You fpel rather like a squirrel in a cage, always going round and ) round and never getting anv further." I 2,000 Meals in 24 Hours. I Three long meals of half an hour each, and tnree "short" meals of (officially) seven minutes each, have to be supplied everv twenty-four hours, besides a certain number of meals for workers just going on duty. Al- together the number of meals served in a day and a night cannot fall far short of two thousand. And then there is the washing up-enough of it to appal nil but the stoutest hearts--and the swabbing of the tables and sweeping of the floor after each invasion. All this six times a day! And vet I think it would be hard to find a more cheerful set of women thin these Y. W.C.A. volunteers. Here again that wonderful thing has hap- pened which I noticed in the Midland work- shop Lo\'c has come in and taken charge. I have tried to paint two pictures one of the way in which the girls are working for tiie nation, the other or the way in which the Association is working for thJ gids, But it would need a Royal Aciideniy-ful of pictures to give an adequate idea of the nroblems pre- sented by "The Cirl He Left Behind H)m." and the way in which they are being met. All one can really hope to do is to convince people that theroi is a problem. We have heard .a, great deal lately about) the lonely soldier, but at any rate the lonelv soldier will find his soldiers' dub or his "hut" at almost any busy point to which he may drift. It may be a poor substitute for I home, but it will be warm and companion- able, and, when it comes to the matter of food, economical as well. The Rest Rooms aim, as I understand it. at providing much the saine sort of comfort for young women, although it is odvious that as women are not yet included in the Services different regula- tions have to be enforced. The idea is to provide a social centre with a wholesome at- mosphere, and it is wide enough to admit among the people whom a girl may meet there the young man whose companv she would otherwise have to enjoy, on even a wet night, during a. dreary promenade up and down some public thoroughfare Old Landmarks Being Wiped Out. But don t let it be supposed for a moment that the new problems with which we are girl munition worker. omsn are stream- ing into every sphere of national endeavour. They at-o wiping out the old landmarks. 1 J'hpy are creatingJn every direction demand* -H that, if not ind^d novel m character, are almost overwhelming in extent. The SOCIa.! organism adapts itself but slowly to the floods that are consequent upon great earth, quakes such as the world war. it tries des- » peratciy to hold on to the old methods and pjt up with the old conveniences, hoping that things will finally settle down again into the old rut. So weee women in manv quar. ters trying to make shift with the social machinery of :sti- era'that is passing aw;iv 1 with rath-r lamentable results-to themselves and civilisation. For example, the old question of suitably living and sleeping accommodation for giii city workers is cropping up jn a highh gran- litjs-, is* not only *so in munition areas.. increasingly difficult in atl onr I.irg^'citie^ for girls to tnic rOu ni,s where they c^u liy^decently and 115 4 reasonable comfort. So {he Y. W.C.A. 7 is making a great effort to increase the number of its hosteW, where girl workers can live together iu bright surround* ings at a small cost. Its headquarters are 2b, George-street, Hanover-square, W. r Lord Sydenham at that address is treasurer. Ii We pour out work and morey like watef to supply our army in the-field* with eveiy thing that it mav need. Its health is tiU first consideration ot a host of doctors. Its clothing must I)o (;f the best. It, iiiist armed to the teojh. Its chaplains must) provide it with the best of food for the I soul, and its commissariat department, with I the best of food for the body. Everythiug I that can be dOl." for providing comfort and amusement at the front we demand shad be done. And all this is quite right. Tommy is worthV of it, every bit. But behind the line of battle there is ) this other army—an army <;f women. We have only just begun to think about it, in j th-3 sense of it being an army that needs j looking after. Yet it is a hard, cold fapfc i that without the work of the women wp f could not hope to xvitt tl-,e First, let me repeat, there are the women who are engaged in the direct manufacture of munitions of war and these no doubt we freely recognise in our thoughtful moments as part of the fighting force of the nation, though we are apt to feel that thty are on quite a different level from the forces that are in immediate contact with ■ the enemy. This munition army must be cared for if it is to continue its vitally iin- I portant work with unabated zeal and effi- ciency. It canXjio more be left to look after f itself tb,-t!i can the army at the front. There are forces continually at work to l harm and lii.ider it--the force of inertia and carelessness in factory management and the social forces that prey upon it out- side the factory. To leave it to itself is to leave it only too often to the dfvil. And there is ;>lso that other army of j women which is doing the ordinary, dud, iil-paid work of the world while the men are away fighting. It is a very leal, though a very modest, part of the great main army of victory. We know that every woman who is doing a man's job has released a man j for the front. We know it, hut do we realise the responsibility that the know- ledge carries with it? 1't menus that the nation has a duty to those who are tilling up the gaps no less tlvlH to those who have gone cut to fight its battles. ,It means that here, too. to let things alone is to let tliirgs go wrong. It means that if we do not find a way of adapting the machinery of social effort to meet these new conditions, society will revenge itself upon us iiy a slower I healing of its wounds when the war i ended. We shall he depreciating the national stock. We shall be refusing to give a fair chance to the mothers of Eng- land that is to hp, We shall he iding ia this battle with the wrong army. Finally, there is our duty to the MatJ Behind the Gun. It is of little use giving him so much if we give Her nothing. Hd would not wish it. When he thinks of England he thinks of the women of Erg- land-of the Girl He Left Behind liini. What we de for her we are doing in equal measure for him. We are helping England still more a land worth dying for to-day and living for to-monow. £ 700 will provide a rest room and can- teen ?20 wiH prodde i fnrni&hcd cnbic!e; L5 W il furnish a cubicie £ 1 w-UI provid a bed. Will yon pivc one of these. and sond ?;j, ,Iieqtie to Illis Picton-T:rhernll, Ewenn? Priory. Obnmrganshire?

HE If you enclose one penny stamp to Mr. Agar; Kaputine, Ltd., Manchester, vou will receive by return FREE SAM PLES of KAPUTINE for HEADACHE or NEURALGIA, which all sufferers say are worth a "OROWN" each DOSE.

I BAPTIST WELL'S "BIT." Enjoyabla Concert at Waucwen. The children of Swansea are also out to do their "bit" in this war, and on Thurs- day evening tho&e attending Baptist Well Council School, Waunwen, did much to help to swell the Mayor"s Comforts for Swansea .Goys' Fund by giving a delightful corcert at Tabernacle Chapel Schoolroom on Thurs- day evening. Coun. P. Molvneux, sup- ported by Mr. R. J. Joner (headmaster of the school), a.nd Coun. T. W. Howells, pre- sided. Mr. Jones explained that Aid. Evan Evans and Coun. W. H. Morris, who took a great interest in the school, were unable to be present owing to illness. Coun. Molvneux, in a lew remarks, said the training of the children was a great credit to those who had taken such care over them, and also to the parents. Con- c-erts like these were a great help to the children and the means of bri-nging out their talent. The programme arranged was an excellent oil(, -one which reilects the greatest credit on Mr. W. Mitchell, senior assistant-master, who was the conductor. It contained choruses, duets, songs, etc., and the princi- pal parts were taken by the following I Girls: Misses Beatrice Gale, Queenie Goa- man, Edith Roberts, Lena Heath, Nellie Richards, Doris Re-e, Alice Melville, Gladys Thomas, Marjory Dix, Brenda Morgan, Eva Moggridge, Ruth Robbins, Rcsie Codd, Minnie Pickard, Eileen Rees, Jenny Jones. Boys Masters Harold Johnson, Harold Thomas, William A. Thomas, Stanley Albert Go-igh. Horace Williams. The singing throughout was of a very high standard, whilst the acting could' Dot have been. bettered. Each of the items won loud applause from the large audience present. Mr. Knapp proved a most able accompanist, and a vote of thanks to the chairman, etc., brought an enjoyable evening to a close.