1931 MONDAY FEBRUARY 11
Record crowd packs Arms Park, councillor attacks ‘Squander- mania’ and much more made the news 88 years ago this week
Record crowd for Arms Park
A record crowd saw the international match between Wales and Scotland at Cardiff Arms Park, where gates were closed at two o’clock, leaving thousands of fans disappointed outside.
The Scottish invasion of Cardiff commenced at an early hour, and, although Welshmen predominated on the field of play, the “foreign” contingent quickly made their presence felt.
An hour before the game, every conceivable inch of space seemed to have been packed, but still the turnstiles were clicking.
And in Westgate Street, thousands were clamouring around the pay boxes, waiting, hoping in vain, that they would get in.
A last-minute try by RW Boon, which was converted by Jack Bassell, gave Wales the victory over Scotland and, although Wales won and deserved their victory on the run of play, the game on the whole was disappointing, especially from the home country’s point of view.
It transpired after the game that Watcyn Thomas, the leader of the Welsh forwards, had broken a collar bone after 10 minutes’ play.
The fact that he continued to play throughout the match in spite of his injury so remarkably well is extraordinary under the circumstances.
It was a tribute to his pluck and is an accomplishment which only a man of great physique could possibly carry through.
Wasting money
Squandermania – the Cardiff Corporation is wasting ratepayers’ money and asking them to pay money for purposes which it was not required, was the remarkable statement by Mr CH McCabe, which formed the prelude to a heated debate in the Cardiff City Council Chamber.
“Is not the state and condition of the city today sufficient to remind us?” he asked.
“I know where certain capital expenditure has been incurred where it could easily have been done without.”
Living together again
After being separated for seven years, Mr and Mrs James Mort, of Llwydartg Cottages, Maesteg, were able to settle their differences at Maesteg Police Court and agreed to live together again.
Mort was summoned for arrears under a maintenance order which amounted to £244, and when asked by the chairman, Mr Llewellyn Jones, if there were any hope of the parties living together again, Mort said he was quite prepared to provide a home for his wife if she would come back.
The wife said it had taken him seven years to do so.
At the request of the chairman, Superintendent John Davies acted as mediator and later announced they had agreed to go back and live together.
Secret marriage
The secret marriage of Mr Roger Wolfe Kahn, son of millionaire banker Mr Otto Kahn and one of the richest young men in America, to Miss Hannah Williams, daughter of a Welsh coal miner, whose beauty has brought her fame on Broadway, has been revealed.
The marriage took place a fortnight ago at Mr Otto Kahn’s residence at Cold Spring Harbour, New York.
Miss Williams, above, was playing in a Broadway musical comedy called Sweet and Low and she did not wish the news of the marriage to become known until she had left the show, which she did last Saturday.
This is Miss Williams’ second marriage, her first being annulled in 1927. Her father is now working in the mines in Pennsylvania.
Mr Roger Kahn, who is known as the “Boy Jazz King of America”, is only 23 years old. He gave up his studies at the age of 17 to launch a jazz orchestra.
When Mr Kahn came of age his father settled £800,000 on him. By that time, however, the son was earning £500 a week with his orchestra.
Air-gun danger
The dangers of children being allowed to purchase air-guns were referred to at Maesteg Police Court, when a 13-year-old boy was accused of causing grievous bodily harm to a 15-year-old boy, Bertie Edward Hughes, of Godwin Street, Maesteg, who was shot in the right eye by a pellet discharged from an air-gun.
Inspector W Lister said some restrictions should be placed on the sale of these items, and added that it should be necessary to procure a licence.
The chairman said the bench were of the same opinion.
“There is a terrible danger in the use of these guns by children,” he said.
“We do not think they should be sold to boys, particularly of the age of the one before us.”
They did not think, however, the boy had any deliberate intent to shoot the other boy, and they discharged him after he had given his word of honour not to use one of the guns again.