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][.r" EDITORIAL. ...-...........-....-.........-.....-..........................-....--......................-.......,.......-....'-........-.................................................----…

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][.r EDITORIAL. No ono, who has watched the progress of events at Llanboitiy during the last geiiora- tion, and has observed how closely the prosperity of that" model village is bound up in the maintenance of the traditions of the Maecgwynno iarniiy, CHU experience any other foiling thau that of tho most genuine satisfactton at the announcement; that Mr G. P. lloeh has accepted tho secretaryship of tilE; local Agricultural Society. Mr W. R. H. Poweli, the c>nroiy member, kept the society in the foiefront by the manner jiJ which he supported ir. On his death, his daughkr Miss Caroline M. PuweH- stepped into his place, and until she was suddenly snatched from the scene proved herself worthy to wear the mantle which had fallen on her. When she died, those who knew not the bfÏ of which i I; Maos>wyune family is made, thought that the L'anbouly Agricultural Society was dead also. But they were mistaken. Mr G. P. Roch —the grandson of tho iate Mr W. 1? H. Powell— only attained his majority a few weeks ago, but he has shown such a readiness to follow in the footsteps ot hf-i predecessors that the inhabitants of Lbnboidy and neighbourhood d, may with confidence look forward to the best traditions of tho family being steadily maintained—and, indeed, receiving a fresh access of life and vigour at the hands of tho present representative of him, whose name is stiil uttered with the deepest respect in West Curmai theiisliire. TiiE Rating Amendment Bill, which the Whit'and 11:> v.ii Distr ict Council will con- sider at tlie:i* next mooting, is a most beneficent piece of legislation. To whom, however, t'ie benelifc will g) is a matter which requires very careful consideration. There are two parties to be considered—the poor farmer and the very poor Iandiord. Half tho ra-e, will bo remitted on land and it t::kes a profound ignorance of the methods of some landlords to make anyone imagine that the proprietor is going to stand by and see the farmer consume the legislative loaf, without his making an elfort to get a pretty good slice for himself. la most cases—in spite of the hard times—tho tenants have not had their rents reduced. They have only had temporary "abatements." If a landlord is of such a generous character that he will continue to give the same abatements after tho pas-,ing of this Bill, it will un- doubtedly be a very good measure fur his tenants. If, however, the landlord is a man who will say Oh, 3Tou are well off now, and need no abatement," it will bo a very good Bill—f<;v the landlord. In fact, it lies entirely in the discretion of tho landlords as to whether the Bill will be of benefit to them or to the tenants. Human nature requires to be pretty strong to decide against one's self. And even landownei's are human. AN "INTOLERABLE STRAIN"—"WITH A VENGEANCE. M'lt. THOMAS ELLTS, in his recent speech at Penartli, very forcibly drew atten- tion to the character of the Education Bill, which is now engaging the attention of the House of Commons. The Bili does nothing less than place a premium upon educational inefficiency. Political economists tell us that indiscriminate almsgiving is the best method of encouraging pauperism and if there is anything calculated to encourage managers to keep their schools in a hope- lessly wretched condition, it is the conviction that as long as tho school is kept in a necessitous state, that it will receive an extra grant of 4s per head. Here is a line incentive to clerical pauperism Become efficient and your are fined 4s per head! Then again—whatever may have been the faults of School Boards—the local administration of the Education Act will be handed over to a body of men who will have no qualifications whatever for the work. In a country district there is no doubt that, at times, it is a matter of difficulty to find men who will make good useful members of the School Board. But what is the position of affairs proposed by the Bill ? The Town Council or the County Council—as the case may be—will be entrusted with the adminis- tration of the Elementary Education Act. Now Town Councillors and County Councillors are fleeted because they are— supposed to bo—able to deal with water schemes, sanitation, and matters of a similar character. lite know what wretched failures many of them are Well, the electors will in future—if the Biil is pnssp.Il-have to find men who are experts 0:1 water and hygiene L' and in addition capable of wrestling with the educational difficulty. If it is difficult to fin(I a good Town Council candidate and difficult to obtain a good Schod Board candidate, what shall we say of the chance of the electors obtaining the services of a class of men in whom are combiued tho essential qualifications of both ? Any stick, however, is good enough to beat a dog %til and any cord is good enough for a priest- hood to strangle popular liberties with. So much for the blows dealt at Board Schoe-ls and let it bo remembered that any argu- ment used against the authority of the popularly elected School Boards can just as well be used against the popularly elected Town Councils, the popularly elected County Councils, or the popularly-elected House of Commons. Let those who cavil at repre- sentative government waste no words in beating about tho bush but tell us at once that they wish to return to a reign of autocratic Priestisin. But, on the other hand, the 11 voluntary schooh" will be bolstered up in fine style. The 17s Gd limit will be abolished; they will receive exactly the same grants as the schools which are the property of the rate- t, payers. Tit y will get. the 4s outdoor relief tor being necessitous and—although they are p;irate propetty—they will be exempted from rate. Now let us see where tho <l intolerable Etrnin" somes in. The school which is supported by public money is the property of the vicar. He uses it for Primroso League meetings, Church Dotence meetings, and various little parochial gatherings. If it were under the control of the public who pay for it, the the good vicar would have to build or rent a Parish Hail. Jf Non-churchmen wish to hold a meeting, they cannot use the build- ing for the support of which they are taxed. There certainly is an "intolerable strain" here. Can any "conscience clause" reconcile the minds of Nonconformist parents to sending their children to be educated in in such a depot of Toryism? Then again, the Vicar has similarly full control over the teacher. In how many parish es in England and Wales bus the teacher to act as organist, as choir-master, as Sundaj'-School Superintendent, as Secretary of the Church This-and-that Society: and as general parochial whipper-in. The officials of the National Union of Teachers can tell. For doing ail this the teacher is paid ont of public money The Vicar has the scrvie s of a general factotum and the use of a public hall and with true sacerdotal meanness thinks it an intolerable strain" that he should have to find a fractional port of their cost The Compromise of 1870 has t'ücn repudiated by tho anti-educationalists and let the present Bill be pa-sed and the ever- open mouth of the Establishment will still for "more." No compromise is possible with a gieedy and needy Clericalism. A compromise in such a case is merely a postponement of the attempt at the realisation of their hopes.

carmarijien Borough Police…

!Carmarthen Volunteer Company.

I" THE PRESIDENT."

. The Bishop of St. Asaph…

[No title]

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