The Aberdare Leader

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The Education Bill. Meeting at Cwmbach. The Rev. J. Solon Ress organized a very successful end well-attended meeting at Bethania Chapel, Cwmbach, on Thursday evening, to protest against the Education Bill. The Rev. D. M. Davies, a member of the Aberdare School Board, occupied the chair whilst supporting him on the platform were Mr. D. A. Thomas, M.P., Mr. J. Keir Hardie, M.P., Mr. W. J. Heppell, chairman of the Aberdare School Board, and the Rev. John Thomas, Soar, Merthyr. The first speaker was the Rev. J. Thomas, who move- the following resolution:— That this meeting, representing the Liberals, the Evangelical Free Churches, and the Labour Organizations of Cwm- bach, condemn the Education Bill now before Parliament as an entire reversal of the leading principles of the settlement [of 1870 and as a violation of public justice, seeing that it destroys the direct popular management, and the unsectarian character, of schools, wholly maintained by the rate- payers. Further, the meeting declares that the revolutionary changes of this Bill were not submitted to the country for approval at the last General Election, and that con- sequently present Government holds no mandate jfrom the people either to destroy School Boards, or to charge upon the rates the costs of schools, whether Primary or Secondary, that are sectarian in manage- ment, instruction and staff appointment." The speaker in a Welsh speech said that it had been a tradition in this country that if a great change were to be made in the law of the land. an opportunity should be first given the country to decide on the question before anything conclusive was come to. But here Y.&s a Government taking advan- tage of a large majority got on another issue to create a revolution in the education sys- tem of the people. Was that honourable ? (" No.") The Transvaal question was ex- tremely important, but the question of education was far more important. (Ap- plause). MR. D. A. THOMAS, M.P. Mr. D. A. Thor?as in seconding the reo solution, first of all congratulated the Cwm- baeli peo^'o upon thep laudable efforts in endeavouring w establish a Frue Library in their midst, particularly the workmen of the Llety Shankin Colliery in voting in favour of contributing towards such a splen- did institution. Mr. Thomas hoped that the prediction he made a few weeks ago that the Education Bill would be passed despite all opposition, would prove to be wrong; but he feared the worse. The prestige of Mr. Balfour was rather involved in the matter. He had already been com- pelled to withdraw two Bills, and if he were to do so with this Bill again, it would cer- tainly minimise his chances in the competi- tion with Mr. Chamberlain for the premier-, ship. He (the speaker) Iiad had the honour of representing this constituency for 14 years, and lie would say without hesitation that the present Bill was by far the most important that had been introduced during that time, Except in the excitement of election time, he did not remember such a spontaneous outburst of public feeling against any Bill. Was it likely asked the speaker, that the cause of education would be advanced by putting it into the hands of councils elected mainly for other purposes, than by School Boards elected directly for the specific purpose of education ? In 8,000 parishes throughout the country there was only one school, and that a Church School, where all the teachers belonged to the Church of England, and where no noncon- formist teacher could be appointed. To these 8,003 schools nonconformists were compelled by the law to send their children, and they would under this Bill be compelled to contribute towards the maintenance of the schools. It was not the duty of he State to provide any dogmatic teaching (applause) and it was grossly unjust that the rate, payers should be put to pay for it. (Ap- plausa.) MR. KEIR HARDIE, M.P. Mr. Keir Hardie supported the resolution. He entirely agreed as to the importance of the question they were discussing. It was important pff everj* pjap, especially gq the working classes •" Given an equal' education for all sections and classes of the community so far as conditions permitted, and it would be impossible for one section to tyrranise over, or hold the othor in subjection. The question of education had a strong and an abiding personal interest to him. He (Mr. Keir Hardie) had never had the privelege'of attending any school, and was 16 before he learned to sign his name. He well remem- bered flf,t; feeling pf inferiority when lIe stood in company"" wj £ Ji who liad received education, What were the points of agreement on education They were all agreed, outside the nix Cecilians, as to the importance of education, not ^merely that education which enabled young people to read and write, but the education which developed their thinking and moral faculties. It was universally aib that the business of the State was to make goojl' cjti^ntj. %hey also ag^d ti+ai there was a moral relationship which must exist between man and man, which it was the duty of the State to cultivate and de- velope. (Applause). Thus far they were agreed. But when they entered the realm of speculation, one class of men would inter- pret certain parts of Scripture one way, and another class of men would give a totally di^r^at construction to it, an^' hera wwfa would seek to limit freedom of opinion. It was good and well for those differences to exist. What was wanted was that citizens should come together and work in finding an educational system concerning those things they were agreed, and make the best possible shift concerning those things upon which they were disagreed, it would seem impossible, were it not for the unquestioned stupidity of some of the members of the Government, that any proposal so fatuous as the present could ever have been intro- duced in the House of Commons. (Applause). The Vicar of Aberdare had said that some scheme should be devised whereby justice should be done all round and the religious education of the children safe-guarded. Quite true; but the present Bill under which it was proposed to teach a particular religious doctrine was not the way to safe- guard religion, nor was it the way to do jus- tice all round. (Applause). MR. HEPPELL. Mr. W. J. Heppell, chairman of the Aber- dare School Board, in further supporting the resolution, said he had been well repaid in coming all the way to Cwmbach. Mr. Keir Hardie's speech was the best he had heard on this Education Bill. The present Bill was only a conspiracy between Lord Salisbury and the Bishops to capture the School Boards. Lord Hugh Cecil was in it, and Lord Robert Cecil, and the son-in-law of the Home Secretary, and there they had a family and Government conspiracy. (Laughter and applause). After briefly reviewing the history of education from 1807 upwards, Mr. Heppell went on to show the fallacy of the provision which proposed to establish one authority over all grades of education. It would only make confusion worse confounded. It was ridiculous to mix up education with roads, sewers, etc. A person might know a good deal about sanitary matters but absolutely nothing about educating children, and vice versa. Before the Chairman put the resolution to the meeting, Mr. Jenkins, the head-master of the Cwmbach National School, ascended the pulpit. He was commencing to speak when the Chairman interposed 11 that that meeting had been called to protest against the Bill and not to discuss its pros, and cons. Mr. Jenkins could, however, put questions. Mr. Jenkins thereupon put several ques- tions which were answered. The resolution was then put and carried with four dissentients. The Rev. J. Solon Rees, the secretary of the meeting, moved that copies of the re- solution be sent to the leading members of the Government and to the local members. Mr. Sam. Hawkins seconded, and the motion was carried.

Mouutain Ash Meeting. A large number of persons attended the meeting at the Workmen's Institute on Saturday evening. The chair was occupied in an efficient manner by the Rev. T. Anthony, who was supporied on the plat- form by Mr, Keir Hardie, M.P., Mr. W. J. Heppell, Alderman Jones, and others. Mr. Keir Hardie was the first to address the meeting, and he was given a rousing reception. He said lie admired the in- nocence of a big ratepayer who told him that he welcomed the Bill because it would lessen his burden. But this person would, find that not only would he have to keep up the Board Schools, but lie would be extra taxed to help to maintain Church Schools. Instead, therefore, of the rates going down, under this Bill the rates would certainly go up, because more money would be required, and the means of fiuding it would be more restricted. The School Board Rate was now levied on the poor law basis of assess- ment. Under the Poor Law basis of assess- ment every railway company, landowner11 and big colliery concerns were b&^ad their full assessable value. If the Education Bill beoame law, the education rate would then be levied on the County Rate Assess. ment, and thus the big works referred to would only require to pay about one-fourth of their value. This money would have to be found somewhere, and the working-men. small tradesmen, and professional in en would have to make it up. The Chairman H upon Alderman Jnngs fq propose a voe of thanks to Mr. Keir Hardie, who was obliged to leave to address another meeting at Penrhiwceiber, Alderman Jones said they would be waut. ing in respect and in gratitude if they de- parted without tendering to the hon.member their most heartfelt thanks for the able and lucid address they had been listening to. Mr. I. Edwards seconded. thai if a dozen men of the f oi Ke;r HaivVt? Welit up and down the country and point out its unjust provisions, the Bill would never become law.' The Hon. Member having replied, lie left for Penrhiwceiber. The Rev. Bowen Davies. Abercwmboi. then moved a resolution condemning the Bill. He said lie sincerely wished well to the Voluntary Schools, but it was entirpljt1 their own fault that they di.<\ succeed! |- It would be a d&y. ior. the country ^:l^n the priest was' allowed to go. between the chdd and its education. The$ill was a insult to common Henge, It was time for the people to proclaim that the vov- populi was to rule, and not the Cecil family. (Applause). Mr. Qweil Jones seconded. He read the Jial11:.Ll of a Board School and showed how its teaching did not come within the limit, of sectarianism. Some churchmrii said that noncoiifoniii^tte (1()li establish nectar tan f-,cUoi>U if they so desired, but the Free Churches did not want to do this. (Hear, hear). The resolution was supported by Mr. W. J. Heppell. He said he never met Mr. Keir Hardie until Thursday evening. AJ what lie had heard and read of h\ it was not without some fear ),Ù trembling that he thQ^&hV m occupying the same platform as their junior member. But instead of meeting a man fiercely demanding the blood of wicked the capitalist, lie saw a courteous and a thorough gentleman. A good many stories told and circulate^ &,b.o.ut Mr. Keir Hardie were, doub^ anjâseless' as they could W- tie (Mr. Heppell) felt p>raud that in Mr. Keir Hardie they had a representative that could 'efficiently and effectively speak and debate upon such an important question as the Education Bill. After pointing out to him, Mr. Keir Hardie had asked him (the speaker ') to correct one mistake he had made; and that was that colliery concerns were relieved under the Bill 75 per cent. Railways, agricultural land, and the tithes would be relieved, but the works would pay just tha same. In reply to the Archbishop of Canterbury. Dr. Parker had said he would like to see a round table conference between noncon- formists and churchmen. He (the speaker) thought that six laymen from each side could do better work than ecclesiastics. He had advocated this in the Cardiff papers and some of the London Dailies weeks ago. A compromise could then be arrived at. °A compromise would be to put the whole of the denominational schools under public control; and that certain hours be set apart for Church people and Catholic people to give their own children religious instruc- tion. (Applause). Alderman Jones moved and Mr. Pritchard seconded a motion of thanks to Mr. Heppell for his masterly and eloquent address.

Six Ways of looking at the World. A Lecture at Aberdare. On Monday evening a lecture on the above subject was given at Highland Place Vnnaxian Church, by the Rev. W. Tudor Jones, F.R.G.S.. Swansea. Owing to the peace celebrations, which were such an attractive feature on the night in question. the attendance was rather sparse. The chair was taken by Mr. R. Walter Williams- B.Sc., who, after a few brief words, intro- duced Mr. Jones to the audieaee.. The sub- ject of the lecture was, "Psychology." Con- sidering th the %>pi,c was a rather abstruse one awd necessarily dry, it must be said that Mr. Jones dealt with it successfully and succeeded in investing the subject with a fair amount- of interest and charm. The various ways of looking at the world he enumerated as the perceptional, the scienti- fic, the ethical, the aesthethiosJ^ the re- ligious, and the speculative. A vote of thanks to Mr. Jones wm proposed by the Chairman in a V^m.oifou^ speech. Mr. Williams is idiuself a facile princcps iu the fetady of psychology. He related 1m. had received tuition on the subject fooin Dr. Robertson, who at one time expressed his opinion on the progress matfe bv hiB pupil by calling him an Thy vote of thanks was seconded by Mr. P. T. Rhys, who said that he. ,().Üd not boast that be had sat at the feet of Dr. Robertson, neither- had 1W called an idiot by a teaoher in psychology. Still, lie said it muss be ad- mitted that his knowledge of tlw. subject was very limited. Rev. R, J;, Jones, M.A., Hen Dy Cwrdd, supported the motion. A vote of thanks to the Chairman was proposed? by the lectu^x- and seconded by CoWnel' Phillips, Both motions were enthrteiastic- ally earned.

Aberdare Market Hall Meeting. Address by Mr. Keir Hardie, M.P. Mr. John Davies. president of the Trades and Labour Council, presided at a meeting in the Market Hall. Aberdare, on Friday evening. He said that the School Boards had done excellent work throughout the country, and had endeared themselves to the hearts of the people more than any of the other local boards or councils. Mr. P. D. Rees, in the absence of the Rev. J. Solon Rees. moved the following resolu- tion:That inasmuch as the Education Bill now before Parliament and the Corn Tax are both unjust in principle and unfair in action, this meeting calls upon Parlia. ment to refuse to pass these measure unto law." The speaker called the Bill a re- actionary, retrogressive, and a mischeivious one. It had two great evils. It aimed a blow at the Free Churches and Nonconform- ity generally, and it aimed a deadly blow at the School Boards, who had done so umch for the education of the country for the last ö2 years. The present Government wanted to throw the working cla.-ses of the country into the same mental darkness as existed previous to 1870. Mr. E. Stonelake seconded the resolution, adding that it would be far more righteous were the landtaxed instead of the bread of the people. Mr. Keir Hardie supported. After speak- ing on the Education Bill the hon. member proceeded to condemn the Corn Tax. The Chancellor of the Exchequer had said that the people would not have to pay this tax. The experience of the past few weeks had belied that statement, for the price of bread had gone up halfpenny per 41b. loaf. This would mean that the burden of life of the poorer people would become heavier, I-, c ferring to the withdrawal of the cheque tax the speaker said that there w78ts no incon- venience whatever in its operation. But the bankers and commercial classes gener- ally were powerfully organised and were able to make their will felt. These met together and then interviewed the Chan- cellor of the Exchequer. It was as a result of this that the cheque tax was withdrawn and not because of its inconvenience. P. T. Rhys No, no. The Hon. Member concluded lu -s address by expressieg the hope that, the people throughout the country WQuld raise their voices with no uncertain konnd against the Bill and tl) Corn Imposition. b T:ïè resolution was then put and carried unanimously.. Caui^lloi- Thomas Lewis proposed a vote t"¡ shanks, to the speakers, seconded by Mr. E. Parker.

At Ein Gohefewyr* Y Gwlithyu a Gwylau y Mor y. ein uesaf,