The Cambria Daily Leader

SWAKSEA 5 MERCANTILE C<v. Ltd. ( I Of tg. F' SeA Street, Swansea, f i texte Cash" from £10 to £ 15B £ 0 T« Gwnxaercial &exttiexagox TKrtw- Jr. F and .M}æ Ro\jse&&lstes6 an tbeiT own H-cree of HaasL att & tew KLie of ias^cemw striavy privatil foofetaoUai. Iktr Ssnthm- jKtriiwljs te. H. B. «H)K £ S, I 12, Park Street, Swansea. J

Our Note Book.! .————— o Rational Insurance Day-Some of the Benefits Which the Act will Confer—No more Doctors Bills I The Maternity AlJowance- Bonus for Babies—The than ceiior's Triumph, To-day is a great day. It i& a day I of days in the mstory of the Laicecl Kingdom. It is the day when the hrst benents under the National Insurance Act become available to everyone ",110 jias bç-en injured for the stipulated period, ot six moaths. in s pite or the bos cott organised by Lilf so-called representative body ot the iiri- tish ttic ing tactics of a consider a bio section ot tiie 'lory party and their journalistic j henchmen, the immense benetu-s wmch the Act wiil confer arc being more atic- ijuately appreciated, and as the popu- larity of illr, Lloyd George's scneiue increases the more amazing becomes the opposition of what has not inappropri- ately been described by a former official us the "rump" of the once powenul doctors' organisation. # 4 No Government in putting into opera- tion a great and careruily considered feeftenie tor the amelioration oi the lot ox tie masses of the count ry, has probably ever had to contend with so much malici- ous and malevolent opposition as has been offered to the launching of the national insurance scheme, which has al- ready taken its place as the greatest and Juost beneficient piece of social legisla- tion to which Parliamentary sanction has been obtained either in this or any other country. For the fIrst time m tilt- liistorv ot the United Kingdom, insured persons temporarily incapacitated by sickness will find a helping hand stretched out to them by the State, and v ill in due course be able to resume their place m the ranks of the great industria l army without loss of prcstige, or sacri- ifice of self-respect. They will not oniy receive the best jncdicai treatment by the best doctors, hut the best medicines with certain surgical appliances, without lining to worry themselves concerning the ways and means of meeting the doctor's bills, and will he entitled in addition to sickness benefit which is 1ixcd at 10s. in the case 01 men and 7 s. 6d. in that of women for six months ia any year, O¥C Perhaps, however, the most interest- lr.g—and certainly not the, least import- Rut-ot the provisions in the Act is that Under which the parents of ail children born after midnight on Sunday, January 12th, become entitled immediately to illC maternity benefit of aos. with sickness allowance of 7s. 6d. per week in certain cases in addition. What this means only the poor people whose offspring have 'tyie po<)r peot)if-? in,hose offspl-Lii- bii-(, ?nto the wodd amidst conditions of dire poverty and destitution will be able to  Think of all it means tv bother and children alike. Think how much it will do to lessen the terrible rate of iiifantl le mortality which has" lutherto beeu one of the gravest blots Ij upon our social system. j It is estimated that a million mothers have received the maternity allow- ance within twelve months. The. good fyhich will be accomplished by the mil- lion and a half of money thus paid out tinder the Act is incalculable. The results will represent to the nation many times the value of the expenditure in- volved. It is only as the benefits he- come anilable that the country will ap- preciate what a truly great measure the National Insurance Scheme is. Mr. t Uoyd George has had a hitter up-hill fight, owing to the opposition—much of it unscrupulous opposition—from unex- peeted quarters. But he has persevered j and achieved for Mr. Asquith's Govern- ment, of which ho is so distinguished a, member, one of the greatest triumphs ever attained by any Ministry in the his- tory of British politics. This is evi- denced by the fact that in spite of all, prognostication to the contrary. 75 per cent. of the doctors of the Kingdom arc working the Act, for meeting the bene- fits of which a. sum of £10,000,000 is al- ready available. I To-day's Gossip It is a curious fact that you can T-io?nt)y resist the entry of a bailiff into your bouse, hut, he' bing in b a i ll'-ff an offence to lay hands on him. it is As if to add insult to injury, while Saturday's rain sturiu was at its height ? barr?)-<'rp::m ptay?d, "Sompwhpr? the Sua is ShuuHs." We ?ouder where it I 11- c M-o,,I d c?r W L, I Such is the contrariness of human rature that one even heard complaints on Monday morning of the frost i Some people are never satisfied. "The oniy cheering view we have had so far this morning was when, the train stopped opposite :L brewery," re- marked a passenger to another on Satur- day during a journey through the Khondda Vallev. There is a certain builder, resid- ing not a thousand miles from Sketty"a, who advertises: We will build you a villa, or make you a coffin, on the phortest notK-?. The villa for us, l?otc,,t njt"I (?e.The x,] I la for us, Our newsagents are, of course,' smart and up-to-date. A Sketty agent, in an advertisement in a programme Elates "Our boys are trained not to look at football matches or play marbles!" v Saturday's football experience made one wonder what would really happen if matches were declared "off" every day, for of all the disconsolate crowds in existence that which wandered up and down Oxford-street on Saturday afternoon "took the cake." Is there no love for the lost girl? Is there no love behind that Bill which is now passed into Jaw concerning the White Slave traffic? My brethren v hen those twenty-five lashes fell upon that man s back only three or four days ago it was music to my soul. Let every i),-ast he flogged, and let the innocent not siiffc-r.Rev. A. Beynon Phillips at Swansea. A

CHArCELLOR' S GIFT. i I A GREAT BOOt. — How the National Insurance Act Affacts You. WHAT TO BO. Six months ago the first portion tha benefits to be derived from that great measure, the National Insurance Act, became availabíe-the Sanatorium Benefit. To-day the second portion becomes due—the Maternity Benefit. | For every child born after midnight the parents, provided cither is fully in- sur&d, are iw ntttled to a payment of 30s., while trip, mother is also entitled to sickness benefit during the period of iliness following her confinement. Speaking broadly, the whole of Mr. Lloyd George's great Act may be said to be in operation, for sickness benefit may be claimed trom to-day. I «J»-  A GREAT BOON.  I How it will Affect the Physique ot | the Nation. The pareu ts of every child born after midnight last night, are entitled to re- ceive 30s. m Cttt-h, or oth?['\v:f?, pro- vklcd OItlwr is insured and ?6 cOHtri- butions have been paid. A married woman, whether her husband is insured or not, hat> a right to sicKness benefit also after confinement. Every year in tne rnitcd Kingdom there are some 1,200.000 births, and it is estimated that 1,000,000 of these will bring the 30s. benefit to the I parents. Bow groat a boon this benefit wiil be may be realised from the tact that from one-fourth to one-third of j the 1,200,000 born are born to want. The National Physique. j Until to-day the child and the rnüther j have suffered, and the whole nationa l standard of pnysique has been lowered j because in thousands oi cases it has not 1 been possible to provide the necessities the mother needed, and because she ? was chb-red to return to work before she had fuJiy recovered from her eon- fincment. The maternity benefit will do much towards removing this serious danger to the nation's health. The third great benefit provided by the Act—Sickness Benefit—can also be claimed to-day by those insured persons j who may have been taken ill on Thurs- j day last, or before doing any effective work on Monday, provided they have j been in insurance for 26 weeks to-day, and have 26 full contributions paid up. j THE BENEFITS. I What They Really Mean to You. The benefits which can be claimed by ( The. benefits which can be daimed by 3 U insured persons whose cards show 26 weeks' full payments consist of the fol- j lcwin 1. Sickness benefit. 2. Medical, benefit-medical treatment and attendance. 3. Mcxiicine and medical and surgical appliances. 4. Maternity benefit-30s. for each confinement. 5. Sanatorium benefit-already in operation. As to the actual sick benefits, these are shown in detail in the following ta[Ilo Age on Ent ry. Men. Women. Wfcs. 16 to 21 (1st period) 6s 6a. 13 (2nd period) 5e. <te. 13 i 21 to Sn 10s. ,7s. 6,1 26 50 to 60 7s. 6s. 2i Over 60 (181, period) 68. 68. 13 (2nd period) > 5b. 13 i l? insured persons within the ages of 16 to 21 are married or have depen- dants they "ill bo Bntitkd to the iu?  benefits (10s. men and 7s. 6d. wopieni I for 26 weeks. Under E160 a Year. These benefits apply to all manual vi. oi-koi-s, no matter what their income is. and to other employed persons whose wages do not exceed £ 160 per annum, it should be noted that insured per- I son;, whose cards do nor, s how 26 tull contributions are entitled only to sana- tori urn benefits. They may, however, j make up their contributions hy obtain- rag an arrears card, affixing the neces- I sary stamps and returning it to tbp ap- proved society to which they belong. Twenty-six full contributions entitle to full bC:nefHs, It is- proposed that the first instal- llwnt of sick belJefit should he paid Dot later than the end of the first week after the fourth day of iLln.eE!< and if the need is urgent os. may besent in the middle ot the week. This means that urgent cases should receive their first instal ment on Wednesday, and ordinary cases on Saturday next. Societies are required to pay sickness benefits for fractions of a week, and. I sa. under cxoeptionaf circnm.staaceK a member is not t? have more than a week? <.?Q?nt owi?g ;o him. i Unemployed Benefit. Unemployment benefit affects all workers in the building, construction of works, ship-building, engineering, construction ot vehicles, and lronfound- ing trades. After the first week of any period (JJ: unemployment benefit will be paid at the rate, of 7s. per week up to a maximum of lo weeks in any year. Payments in tnis branch will begin on January 24th. and will cover all bene- fits due for the week ending Januar' y j 22.ud. How to Cet Benefits. If you are ill and wish to daim sick I I I I benefit you must send full particulars to your .sooety, together with your in-  s?r:mco book. current contribution 'Continued on Page 5.) 1

"But Yet I'll Make Assurance Double Sure! i (Macbeth, Act IV., 1.) (" Leader Cartoon.) The second portion cf the benefits to toe derived under Mr. Lloyd Georges great Insurance Scheme is available to- day. Sanatorium benefit has been available for six months. MM—3MWWWII111 >1 m— — M MM

AN ART CRITIC. Somerset Hoase Expert Inspects Swansea Pictures. INTERESTING OPINIONS, I The discovery of valuable pictures m the cellars of the Koyal Institution ot South Walos. at Swansea, described in the "Leader" recently. has elicited groat interest, and our articles have j received the consideration of the most eminent critics, The unearthing of paintings of the Dutch and Italian schools is not merely of local import- ance. and it is but natural that en- enthusiasts should manifest a deep in- terest in the matter. Visitors to the institution have boen I numerous, and among them many: whose names are well-known in the art world. Oil Saturday night Mr. Robert Ross, the art expert to Somerset House, and j perhaps one of the most prominent critics of our time, availed himself of an opportunity of inspecting the picture believed to have been executed j by t list, Hopner, referred to ex- j ciusively by the Leader." j "It is a beautiful pointing," he said J addressing our representative. Air. Boss expressed his admiration of the treatment of the whole work, and sug-1 sested that it could be hung to better advantage. Another visitor to the Institution on Saturday was Mr. Christopher Wil- liams. M.B.A., whoso painting of the Investiture ot tho Prince of Wales was a not able contribution to the Royal j Academy. Mr. Williams admired the whole collection. "th, what a magnificent red:" ho I exclaimed when shown the picture, j "Sara di ii-,ts greatly impressed by the treatment. of the back-ground and the face. He highly valued the painting said to be by Kopner, and was also inter- ested in the signed proof by Benjamin I West, R.A. Mr. Tom Matthews, who accom. panied Mr. Williams, suggested that the works ought to be removed to the Glvn Vivlan Art, Gillory. Principal Grant. Murray, A.R.C.A., told our representative that li* had a high opinion of the work attributed to Hopner, 2,0<1 Dr. de Woo if son is of the same mind.

THE SHORT LIST. 1 no foi l-owtng liave been placed on the short list for ?Jie position of clerk t,) the South Wales Sea Fisheries Dis- trict :—R. A. Wheatley, clerk to the Pc?ihrob?hi)-? County Conncil: F. H. Edward solicitor, Swansea; and A. H. I Deer, solicitor, Peja Talbot. J

I 12 MILLIONS. I _u- I Awad to the National Telephone j Company. I The proceedings between the General I Post Office and the National Telephone Company have at length reached a con- clusion. It will be recollected that. when the G .P.O. took over the Telephone Com- jpany's underta.king, the latter stated their cla-un at the huge sum of twenty millions of money. Arbitration took place, eminent coun- sel being reTained, and the proceedings lasted for a considerable time, ¡ A special message telephoned, from j London to-day to the "Leader" states that an award has now been made of I twelve and a half millions-seven and a half miUions tcss than the original claim. The arbitration proceedings lasted ov«r seventy day:? but the issue had been narrowed by the parties reaching | an agreement. I

'AULD LANG SYNE." I Old Swansea Exchange Used fori the Last Time. I An in?re-stin? scene was witnessed at the Swansea Cham her of C'l to-day, when the old premises were used for the last time. At 11.30 the furniture was put up for auction and sokl by Mr. J. Harron Pascoe. Then Mr. R. L. Sails mounted the rostrum, and after intimating that the daily meeting-; from Tuesday on during the completion of the new premises would be held at the Royal lnstitution. where accommodation hat., been provided, the speaker led the singing of "Auld Lang Syne," in which the whole, of the docksmen pre- sent joined, followed by much cheer- ing.

SWANSEA TRAINER'S FATHER I Mr. Samuel Dowdle Dies at the Ho pitaL The sympathy of all who follow the I fortunes of the All Whites will be ex- tended to Mr. Bob Dowdle, the Club's trainer, in the bereavement ¡ which he has just sustaine dthrough the death of his father. The late Mr. Samuel Dowdle. of 6.3. Brunswick-street, Swansea, had been JJI for some time. He suffered from an in- ternal complaint which necessitated his removal to the Hospital, at which insti- tution he was operated upon. Death took place yesterday. S Mr. Dowdle, who was 63 years of ae, j followed the occupation of a plumber. < A

 "I &? i?Q?ENI." Llent. Clarke Protests That He is G u iltiess. THE SEVENTH MAN. ( Router's Fnreign Special.) Agra, Sunday.—At the resumption yesterday of the trial or Lieutenant Clark, Mrs. Fulham, and four nr-tives, charged with the murder of Mrs, ClarK, who w-Ls attacked in her bungalow at Agra during the night of November 17, the police announced that they had i established the identity of the .seventh aecused, who has not yet been anest-xl. This man, who is named Mohon, is mentioned in Budhu's confession as the actual murderer of Mrs. Clark. Budiiu alleges that the natives concerned in the attack were in the pay of Lieuten- ant Clark. The pmsecution put in a number of letters from Mrs. Fulham to Lieutenant Clark couteimrg references to getting rid of Mrs. Clark. Replying to questions, Mrs. Fulham denied certain statements in her daughter Kathleen's evidence. She stated tliat the men who came tor money all Tuesday after the murder were tailors. Mrs. Fulham finally stated that she reserved her defence for the High Court. Clark's Statement. i Lieutenant Clark, who was Then called, recognised his late wife's hand. writing in a long document purporting to embody her complahu's against h j, treatment. The magistrate aske. whether he wished to make any state- ment. Lieutenant Clark, in reply, ex- j plained that on the day of the murder he left his bungalow at four m the after- noon and went for a drive with Mrs. Fulham. He dined with her, and re- niainod till 10.30 p.m. From there he went to the station on a bicycle, where he met the assistant, statiounia-ster. with whom lie sta-ved till the arrival of the .12.o0 a.m. tram. Proceeding, tle accused said re- turned to his bungalow a few minutes after one o'clock, and found the door through which he usually entered, had been bolted. He knocked, and his da,ug. ter called out Daddy, is tii;tvou and then opened the door. Lieutenant Clark went in and found his daughter in a most excited state. She said. Come and see what thieves have clow to mother." Lieutenant Clark asked What Ira-ve they done?" and then went into his wife's room. He found her }via? in bed covered with blood, her he? bandaged, and the mattress saturated with blood. He bent ov--»- the oee. are" asked his wife what had happened, and who ha.d struck her. He found she WJ. unconscious. I (Continued on Pago s.) j

:V/INTER'SSHARf ????'????"p?*? ??*? | npftJ'I i. .Jt\i. SEVERE BUZZED. I i i Heavy Floods msh Beada. Impassable.  ¡ SWANSEA Fru???T?????ITr L ? fHd' < Ui1 t n a Winter descended on Saturday with dramatic suddemio-ss and severity. A | blizzard swept Scotland and tbo North, causing the stoppage of several trains, j in.the snowdrifts, one having to be dug out, and m North Sea shipping dis- sstca's and loss of life is reported. Locally the severe weaxher was ev- denced by torrential clown-pours of rajn aeeompafied by a violent gaie of wind necessitating the wholesale canccltng of football matches. Work at the Swansea Docks was brought almost t-c, c standstill but no damage- to iocai shipping has yet been reported. From other pafts of the Principality j comes news of liooded roeds ajid swolien rivers. Swansea Luckl&r than Most. There' s not so much in it in Swan- i sea as in some part.- of the country,' said Mr. Webber. The lowest tern- perature recorded during last night was &bout ?2 decrees three feer above tne ground. There's a good deal of frost, j t nd a good deal of surface ice, but not deeply penetrating. On tiie nights of November 28 and 30, the thermometer showed four de- grees colder there's a little comparison ior (Î1. Of course it's cold, but there I is nothing exceptional about it in fewau- sea, and I don't think it will last much j longer than to-day." "What's the reason'—" It' s only j a wedge between a larger Atlantic ¡ cyclonic wave, so far its 1 can see. It shall be surprised if it lasts longer than i to-day; then it will probably develop I into ra.in or snow. I "There is evidence of the break-up of ino wet weather, and finer cor.d•- f llons, -No that wouldn't 0ome. from j America that would he caused by an I anti-cyclonic condition coming ?-i? I Russia, from the north-east. It may be j a bit oold, hut the present deprc's-?on is i likely to bre?k up." Flocds at Aheravon. IT? cor??qu?acF of Uie heavy <\PÙ ".]- most incessant rainfaU china?; the pa2l I few days, the extensive stretches of moor I l,inds AI)c-ravoti and Bag1än | have been c-?v?rc? with water to T:h? ) depth of sevcral feet, ?nd many a.er<? ] lwyc been turned into a huge lake "I jj this locality. i The River Avon ha? a?o been much swol1en, but, ih?nks to the precautions I taken by building embankment wails atong the town course, and aJso in the higher reaches, there was no damage, j caused through overflowing. I Pert Talbot Esoapcs. In the Port Talbot district the Ffrd.,¡ I wyilt Ri .'cr was also much sv-'o?en, but  the embankments aJong "ts course I tMongh Ta.ibach prevented any daieag j j Margam Mcors. j Large portions of land on th? low- lying Margam Moors were covered with 'md? stretches ot ?a?r t? a considerable d'Hc.h, notwithstanding that the pow(-- I fu. pumping station faxed near the Morfa j was working two shifts instead of one to keep the water down. I Tile -,Lii d  K cn fir,, I The and Kenhg river was thrown into a r',agin, torrent, and at Bovcra! parts overhowea its baa ks, corpnn j many acres of pasture land along it? course  Flooded Roads. AU over the country the roads were rendered almost impassable by floods, ) whilst in other district- they oould onh, be traversed after w3àing through Jo? stretches of water. In a funeral prol poies were swept down and carried ovor- i gan, where the floods- wen e?p?ia.ljv bad, a large number of male mOHr 11f' ¡ ?-h? were on foot. had to wade kn<?- dc?p for a considerable distance through the water. (Continued on Page 5)?'

 ¡ 53 0 EDmOR. i ■ REAVY PENALTIES. In connection with London gaming charge. Mackay and Grose wtlrj each fined £ 000 and costs, and the three servants were hound over. BARRY APPEAL. In the Court 01 Appeal on Monday Lords Jus-tices ii Williams dLrl Farwell heard an interlocutory ay- peal in tho case of the Barry Rail- war Co. T-. the Marquis or Bute. Ai»|>c t dismissed with costs. BENGAL ELECTIONS. Calcutta, Monday.—Bengal Council elections have resulted in a crushing ddeat of the Nationalists hy tho Moderates, only one of their candi- dates being returned. v

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