Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

2 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

WILTON SQUARE.

<( though ^)eac £ yet SpQaketh,"

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

<( though ^)eac £ yet SpQaketh," In a lecture delivered at the Royal Institution of South Wales, in Jan., 1866, the late Dr. Rees of Swansea, uttered these pregnant sentences as an appeal to the youth of his country and they are as significant in their imports to us to-day as they were when spoken 29 years ago. It cannot fail to strike the mind of every thought- ful person that the working men of Wales are doomed to hard labour—to dangerous and exhaus- tive employments in mining, smelting, and preparing the metal-while the lighter and more remunerative labour of converting those metals into an endless variety of marketable articles is monopolised by the more skilful artisans and mechanics of England. This is not as it should be. There is no reason in the world why the poor Welsh workman, more than others, should expose himself to fatal explosions and accidents in mines, or roast himself at the smelting furnace, to prepare materials for the comparatively light and remuner- ative employments of cutlers, gold, silver and copper smiths, in England. Some, of course, must perform the hard and dangerous work, but light and heavy work should be carried on in the same localities, and divided, as far as possible, among the members of the same families. 11 How then, is this inequality to be rectified ? Not of course, by Acts of Parliament, nor by any scheme set on foot by the employers of labour, but by the working men themselves. Young men, if you wish to rise in the world, to be the honour of your families and your country, and to have light work and high wages, you must abstain from those gross and grovelling pleasures which the beer-shop offers you, and also from the effimate and time-killing amusements of concerts, theatres, and frivolous parties, and apply yourselves with diligence and determination to study the arts and sciences, and to cultivate a refined taste in mechanics. Drudgery and heavy labour are proper punish- ments for those who have talent for higher employ- ments, but neglect to cultivate it."