The Cambria Daily Leader

I VALUE OF A CHILD. I the, com- mand, at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day cf the eleventh month I every loyal citizen of the British j I Empire will stop and think. The I moment .marks the anniversary of I the day on which freedom and right became once again a possi- bility on our tortured earth. A possibility—no more-for justice and righteousness, the sole basis of I peace, have yet to be won, and the prchlems nf peace are infinitely more difficult and more perplexing than those of war. Right, which was found in the ultimate analysis to be one with might, has been vindi- cated in arms. The greatest mili- tary machine the world has ever I known lies broken—crushed by that which it had itself created. rlhe I bloody challenge of Prussianisni was accepted, and has issued in its defeat. They who took the sword have perished by the sword, and once again the world is free. But at what a cost! Of this we will think on Tuesday. Europe yet fies bleeding from her solr-irrflieted wounds. HOT great wealth has been blown into the air, or sunk in the sea, and she is poor. What lies before us is nothing less h 1 .ld"" r than the building up of a. new civi- lisation, the old having been hope- lessly discredited. Our responsi- bilities are man; our debts onerous and gigantic; but one responsibility and one debt stands paramount, presses on the conscience of évery thoughtful man with restless force, and it is that whatever other duty is neglected, we must see to it that something approaching to adequate previses shall be made for brothers yons incapacitated in our ser- vice for the widows left desolate, the fatherless children; and of all j those, that of oaring for the little ones is the most insistent, the most essential. This has been recog- uised in Swansea, by the ladies and genfleroea of the Children's Home Fund Comrmtte*, NNhb arB ndw la.v, ing plans for action which will doubtless have hearty support in the town. What is the value of a child? It is, of course, the oldest of truism* that. the child of to-day is the eui [ zen of to-morrow, and also that without citizens the-ro can be no I state. A great outcry is arising agaiDst wasteful national expendi-1 ture; the Army and Kavy are being reduced, and there is tremendous J afflux of staff frewn all Government (offices and works. J3ut what of the most serious of all .wastes, the waste of child life? Much has been done by means of those mothers and child welfare organisa- tions and institutions of which, in this country, Lady Mond at Swan- sea was one of the earliest pioneers, They bavo done at little towards lightening the burden of expectant mothers, iu case of life newly born, and have effected some slight reduction of t.he appalling rate "Ij infantile mortality. But as yet the surface of our national ills in this) direction has scarcely been J scratched, and the call to active ser-1 vine is impervious. j t Last week at an inquest in Swan- ¡ sea a terrible condition of affairs I was disclosed. A Mariner-street mother said that the child went to sleep on her right arm. It woke up on Sunday morning in alarm. Asked to explain the shrinking and the trembling of tho infant, the father stated that the- house was infested I with rats, and further, ihat during | 1 fl' .c I 1 ¡ the confinement of his wife, a large I rat had jumped at her. It was, be I said, as much as he could do to keep off the rats fron). the door and away from the children at night. 1 J! "It ¡. Allowing for slight exaggeration, ::) V this ??tory is sufficiently horrible t6 '? demand a public notice of it. The j fact is in Swansa young children i are compelled to lin in conditions that render, the development of I healthy minds and bodies impos- sible. Thus we see that the ques- tion of housing is intimately and vitally associated with that of national continuance. Conditions I of this sort mean practically race suicide, not a merciful or painless extinction, but sS ow torture tend- ing to disease and incapacity, and ending in death. I What is the value of a child9 l Take the monetary value, and "let ) us try to appraise it. Let us say that a healthy working citizen adds on an average £ 250 a year to the national tcck. Sow to secure an income of £250 per year, reckoned at 5 per cent., would require a sum d£!iI}OO. Consequently, we are well within the mark in estimating the political force of each citizen at a minimum of £ 5.000. But still arguing on the, very lowest of low material planes, it will at once be recognised that this figure is inade- quate. Physical labour, though, in the present condition of scientific attainments, essential,, is but one of the. factors of production; the agile j brain counts for more. Who knows but that among the infantile host hurried into eternity ere their tasl I on earth had yet begun there were not many another such eminent chemist as Dr. Ludwig Mond or Actoine Laurent Lavoisier; many another Edison, Xewton, or Kepler | demi-gods sent by kind heaven to relieve industry and raise the human ra(?e into Ullci'reamec\ of felicities'? ?hat we lose when the life 01 one infant1 is sacrificed can never be known, even on the lowest grounds. But just as in modern science border lines are broken down and the natural ever merges into the! i super-natural, so it is impossible 'o consider a man or a child merely from the physical aspect. He is a i spark of Divinity an affluence of ths eternal. What is the value of a child?

CLERKS' UNION. Wages Grievances at Swansea. The question of the scale of salaries for colliery commercial staffs at Swansea Docks was considered in detail at a joint conference of colliery eWks, at Cardiff, on Saturday evening, and the represeutn-1 fives on the Joint Wages Board were directed to bring pressure upon t i, c, owners to adopt the scale immediately, and that it should be made operative fmm the original date when the claim was sent in. It was pointed out that a largo number of individual firms nt Swansea were not reco^nisin;; the salary scale of the National Union of Clerks; and efforts are being made to c-auto thru) to effect a re-adjustment. WAGES GRIEVANCFS Tbe confepnet* considered varifiu*: grievances I If at have arisen amongst the i South Wales, clerks throngh the interpre- tation by the owne-s of the new wage agreement, and a resolution was passed asking the branches whether they were prepared to hand in 28 days' notice to withdraw thfeir labour nnless the demand is fully complied with, and a further con- fer-ence is to be called to receive the man- dates. Swansea branches were represented by Messrs. G. W. Beynon and D. A. Roderick.

RENT QUERY.. Aoxion* writes us & letter witfc reference to his rent. Be says it y as 6., 3d. four years ago was raised 3d. us I 3- rats on October 27th and was agø40 raiised'lis*, Sd. fcr repairs. Wéoatt in rssply to this that the bnmord is entit1,d: to an increase to mt the eaofcra amount he pays in rates. ■ Us is however also entitled to "hnrge 6 per cent. on the capital outlay for Ün.. proyeaieot-s etc. In view of this end taking into account that only minor l'ü- pairs have boeii doiie, Is. 3d. is certainly till <->o'-I'!t;>nt increase, which coukl bo • TP-vct!. i

GOD-SPEED. I Farewell to Rev. Beynon 'I  Phimps. ¡ An open meeting k)f the PantygM^ydr I Brotherhood was held at Fantygwydr Chapel, Uplands. Swar.?a, ?n Sunday afternoon, when D'. Collins Lewis {¡CCU-I pied the chair. A fareven addrcbs was yiven by the president of the Brother- hood. HeY. A. Beynon Phillips, who is ?avin? Swansea this week for Coine. Lan- cashire. "A TRUE MAN." I Dr. Collins Lewis, in calling upon Mr. ilhillips, described that gentleman as a true man. 1 can teil you what he has done f(,x sick people in this neighbour- I hood," said the doctor. 1 almost thiuk I they prefer to see him than me." It was rather a pity that it was left untii the parting for them to express all the kind tilings they thought oi Air. Phillips. They aii wished him uod-speed.and ail success in his new spiiere of work. HAPPIEST YEARS. I Mr. Phillips, during the course of his I address, sum he could look back on eight of the happiest years in his life at Panty- •jwydr. Tie luid on many occasions sug- gested that tiie Brotherhood should get fJ, new president, but each year lie had still found himaejf in the happy "position of being president. The Brotiierhood had Uten a great means of levelling up men. Theiti were typical workmen and high- salaried men there as members, but there had been no suggestion of side." and generally the great. work of the moulding of characters had been carried on. Be acd the Brotherhood had always got on very well. Mr. Phillips can sod a laugh by recount- ing how on a previous occasion, when wishing a farewell, he was approached by a man who aaid, Mr. Phillips, I ehail miss every hair of your head." There was R-orue excuse for him. He was iiiy barber," Remarked Mr. Phillips, adding as an afterthought, 1 am beginning to I miss every hair on my head myself." SWANSEA'S COURTESY. I Referring" to his life in Swansea, Mr. Phillips said, I should like to bear testi- mony to tho unfailing courtesy I have experienced among all classes in Swansea. Errand bove, the tramway conductors and drivers, even road sweepers—why, we salute each other up and down. Servants scrubbing the pavements! It id very nice to have a Good roorning: I lift my hat to them. That is what helps one on and makes one think that the world is a I' wonderful pla<. p l 'p/* In an appeal to men for the continua- tion of brotherhood, Mr. Phillips ;oaid it was one of the best things for men. lie I' wished the Pantygwydr Brotherhood con- iimied success Towards the end of the afternoon Mr. J. V. Esmoad, B.Sc., on behalf of the Brotherhood, presented Mr. Phillips w/h a handsomo silver epergne, suitably in- scribed, as a token of appreciation of Mr. Phillips's 'jervics lo them and of the c;>;1eem in w'hi".h he was always held. Mr. Esmond fiaid it was with regret that they contemplated the departure of Mr. Phillips, who had been a man among men. i!c, had always ik-siisted the Brother- hood, and had del:vered innumerable addresses, every one of them quite fresh and imparling n new thought. He would leave a GREAT GAP m their ranks. if had referred to what :1 polite lot there was in Swansea. In Mr. VPhillips-'s car.c this was a personal r-oi;ec,l'c)n. Lnd i,,rbcii he received the courte&y of all the people he mentioned thpy were only returning the invariable greeting they received from him. Mr. Bushel! also .kt, Mr. Bushell also ipoke, and replying to I Mr. Phillips voiced hio tdncerest. thanks i and said that the prM<'nt would con- tinually remind him of his happy years in Swansea. His chief pleasure was that it was one that his wife would be able to fcliaro with him. No man had more reason to he proud of his partner in his ministry as he himself. She had been a real partner throughout tho whole of his ministerial career, and therefore the gift was a most acceptable one. During the afternoon eornc excellent renderings were given by the Bryn United Male Voice Choir. Mr. Phillips is to have a farewell meet- ing of the Pantygwydr Church on Wed- nesday, when a number of local ministers will be present.

FATHER AND SON. Last Act in Landore Tragedy. On Saturday afternoon the mortal re- mains of the" late Mr. Charles Thomas, age (ii, and his son, Mr. David Thomas, Mysydd-road, Landore, were laid to rest at Cwmgelly Cemetery ia the pretence of hundreds of relations and friends. The young married man, David Thomas, was "killed at the Landore Steel Works by a live shell exploding in the furnace, while the father himself, a first hand at the Landore Steel Works, passed away on Wednesday last. A large body of steel smelters were present at the funeral, among them tlK1 manager and chief offi- cials of Mcssr?. Baldwins. The bearers wern men from the Steekmelters' Union. The officiating ministers at the hotise and church were the Rev. W. Watkin Wiiliani? (Central Hall), where -the two men ucra active members, Bev. J. JT. Owen (Alexaadra-road), and Rev. Pryeo I Williams (Philadelphia), llafod. LARGE ATTENDANCE. Hundreds of people were present when tho ead cortege left the residences of tils deceased men. The chief mourners were: Mrs. Charles Thomas (widow), Mrs. David Thomas (widow). Mr anI! Mrs. W. Howell Thomas (son and daughter-in-law), Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Thomas (eon and daughter-iji- If.w), Mr. and Mrs. John Thomas (son «u t k.itughier-in-law), Mr. and Mrs. Bradley (daughter and son-in-law), Mrs. George Ace (daughter), Mr and Mrs. John (daughter and eon-in-lav), Mr. j Mrs. Williams (daughter and son-in- law). Mr. and Mrs. Leyshon Evnis (daughter and ison-in-law), Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Thomas, Portsmouth (brother ana sister-in-law), Mr. and Mro. David Wil- liams (brother and sister-in-law), Mr. and Mrs. Howell Williams, Burryport (brother and sister-in-law), Mr. D. M. Wiiliams, Mr. T. Coldwell, Mr. George Williams, Mr. Howell Williams, R.A.M.C.. Mr. and Mre. J. Thomas (l/oughor), Mrs. D. Williams (Morrieton), Mr. and Ure. George Hughes. Mrs. S. Lewis (LandoreV, Miss May Lewis (Lan dore), Mr. Robt. Price (Swansea), Mr. Evaa John, | BEAUTIFUl. WREATHS. I The coffins w?re covered ?th beautiful wreath eent b? members of flia famLy aad wotk?en at B?Mv'ms. A very p?' h- ehC1US'ht was ?pn at th? pr?vesjdc when about nnlyc ?raDdt?iidr?u thrf?' ?]?c beatiful fiowers on ?he co?n '? their grandfather and uncle. Great «ympathr I is felt for the two widows. The funeral arrangements were carried out by Mr. Evan Davio-o. Peptre ktetyll.

TOWN TALK. It is a strange coincidence that both judges at the Cardiff Assizes are deacons at Baptist Chapels. —: o: — Oxford-street would he crowded with young people on Sunday evenings even if a b)izz;irti wan Or —: o: — Sheffield Corporation has ordered 75 nyw double-decked tramcars at a cost of said: -:0:- A Tokio newspaper rejoices in the name of The Viji Shimpo." This, wo are authoritatively informed, has nothing whatever to do with racing results. — :o:— A eeal came ashore at Newport yester- day. Our staff sailor is wondering if it is a pal of that one which used to uisport itself during the war in the waters of Milford Ifaven? —: o: — "Some peoplewtliink we ought to enter into relations with the Bolsheviks," < writes a Brynmill corresjionrlent. But tue they good enough, with only one Archangel among so utanyr" --0- Our cinema expert got quite "on the sob" this morning when he saw tho picture in a London Daily of a lady weeping for the first time before the erne camera. A certain firm advertises removals by road, rail, or air." Now, if they could only tell us where they would move us to. they would be imparting a bit of really valuable information. —: o: — The correspondent who wrote us this morning that he hoped the investigation by the Government into the cause of the j high price of sewing cotton will be a "reel one is hcrphy warned; Number 6 Scout reports that one of the Swans' directors wa" Keen elbowing his way througV the crowd outside the Post Office on Saturday, possibly to interview the Arabs, with the view of signing 'em on. Fact. o: A report says that 40.0ft<) bales of wool, after lying in a South Wales port for six months, are beins pent inland for dis- tribution. Yet the tailor tell:, us that, cloth is scarce—to explaia the high prices of his suits! — :o: — The beet bit of news for the housewives over the week-end was tho announcement of the reduction in the price of New Zealand mutton, and a probable reduc- tion in the price of other commodities by the end of the year. —see — A London contemporary ,.f6r to the Government's housing schemes as "snail's progress." The snail should not be spoken of disrespectfully these days, rather he should lw enried, because ho carries his house on his own back! — It is stated that th^ Prime Minister has a gord ca5- for reducing the price of j "black diamonds- and is meeting the miners' leaders this week with that obhv-t in view. Householders ar. with the news, hut what have the colliers to say ? o: A sight which attracts attention in the Swansea district is the largo number of bird-catchers that are out enrly in the mornings, despite the cold nip in t-tie air. The art of bird-c«tching is very fascinat- ing, and the wiles practised for decoying the. birds are very ingenious. -'0- The beautiful swords carried by the members of the Arab Mission, which visited Swansea yesterday, were of an or- nate and rare description. They had solid gold heavy hilts, and the weapon the little Prince possessed was jewelled, and he carried it gracefully and proudly as his elders. —: w — Now that the people, have put some amount of enthusiasm into the effort to reduce the rats of the country, it wouldn't be half a bad thing if they handed themwlvm together tud made some attempt to reduce the rates of the country as well.A note from St. Thomas. —: 9 —. Air. Richard J. Lewis, managing director of Messrs. Ben Evans and Co., has with his buyers in different depart- ments, visited the markets at Ixmdon, Manchester, and other places, and thev report that the prices of several lasws of goods, including woollens and furs, still f: how a tendency to rise. The moral is buy now, or pay more, -:0:- A Spanish professor poet was confined on a subtle point of doctrine in the prisons of the Spanish Inquisition for over eleven years. At the end of that period he was released without a stain upon his character. He went hack to his University and his lecture room, and he. gan, "Well, gentlemen, as I was saying in my last lecture!"—"John o* Ixuidon'^ W eekly." — X>■ Se-n.sa tion! A 3tanchestor correspondent to a Sunday contemporary says that in his district a. certain brand of tobacco h.T- dropped a penny an ounce in price. In Swansea, it is usual to be unable to obtain certain brands at any price, but just fancy your tobacCTjnist telling you that pricr". have dropped! I tir, to be hoped that when. if evor, this does happen, great tact will be used by the shopkeeper, because after smoking some of the brands which have made their appearance since the war, many devotees to My Lady Nicotine have not the constitutions thpy used to have! Swansea, it seems, has two notgl-)Ie attributes—the excellence of its public speaking nnd the conrtesy of its inhabit ants. The Kev. A. Beynon Phillips, speakirtg at his farewell meeting at ths i Pantygwydr Brotherhood on Sunday, said that during the eight years ho had been prsident of the Brotherhood he had not heard a eingle poor address, while the court osy of the people—tramway, ser- vants, Corporation workmen and officials, and in fact everybody in every strata of society—could not be surpassed anywhere. That's one for us. — to f. Glimpses of The Passing Show." Somebody ha,3 invented the Talking Film, which, we suppose, ig the diwet descendant of the Speaking Likonefe. # From the amours of comment in the Press one would think that the Nnneaton gip«y who married the wrong woman, wos an isolated Nonplussing Northeliffe. He thought he saim the Government Swamped in a hopeless mæs- Be h> iked again, and found L.-G. at the old address; If T knock him ouit," he sighed, What price tnv great Stunt Pres«r" There ir, a discussion s?oifMT on as to whether the Pictures are bad for the sight. The general experience ;4 that they br!in« a film before the eyes. # Struggling Artist: A-b! yes; I am wed- ded to my Art Funny Fr?end. Well, mind you get a divorce o.d maa- They might giva you the eustodv of the picture! # Ready to Oblige. M?.rt?M: ?.'??, Aria, waj?yoTito.&hcw Ar.,? I Nvaait you tr, ah(,v us what you can do t'••-pjgh't. We b?vs & We bave 9, Cook: Wfclh ffliini, I 'aven': d -nc any ftingin' to f;peak -.n for year.-?, but you insifl" UVOll it you can put d"v. r. for "The 'Oly City j