Rhondda Leader Maesteg Garw and Ogmore Telegraph

Welsh Topics. The Age of Owain Gwynedd (1135-1170). The above is the title of a volume written by Paul Barbier, fils (Einil Ddu o Lydaw), Professor of Romance Philology at the University of Leeds. The work is a prize essay of the Newport National Eisteddfod, and is published exactly as it was written eleven years ago. The author holdisij and rightly, too, that a com- plete history of Wales is impossible until each particular period has been traversed, and until each successive age has found its true interpreter. Much of Welsh his- tory, as yet, is a tangled maze full of legends, and traditions—accretions which have to be removed and passed through the sieve of historical criticism. The author has subjected the authorities of the time to the minutest searching, and has given us an undiluted account of the grandest period of Welsh history. WHO WAS OWAIN GWYNEDD P This prince of Gwynedd flourished between 1135 (or 1137) to 1170, and forms the greatest Welsh figure of the middle of the twelfth century. He was the son of Gruffydd ap Cynan, a. prince who did so much to consolidate Wales against the steady, ever-increasing Norman power. His skill and policy he bequeathed to Owain, who steadfastly pursued the course planned out by his. aged father., Owain, and he alone., forms the central figure of the times. There were other leaders but Owain, by his diplomacy, his skilful generalship, his tact, his scholar- ship, served to unite all classes against the greedy, cruel Norman foe. A FEW PASSAGES. The writer has concentrated the chrono- logical entries of the chief manuscripts and chronicles, and has given us ai con- nected and continuous history of the period. Though the work is, in one sense, by a foreigner, there is here and there a. dash and brilliancy worthy of a Celt. The book is marked with clear passages, especially so where he summarises the characteristics of Owain Gwynedd. For example: —" If Gruffydd ap Cynan was the hero of Welsh defensive warfare, Owain was the hero of victory. The son he left was worthy to guide his nation. Had not the inherent weaknesses of the Welsh system of hereditary succession prevented him from uniting the whole race under his banner and leading the C'ymry in peace and war. the work which he did would have had more scope and been more lasting" (p. 15). And again :—" But Owain Gwynedd had all the characteristics of a great ruler. He was a brilliant soldier, and there is no record of his having been defeated in battle. He was a sagacious diplomat, and knew well how, by negotiation, to gather together all his resources in the hour of danger, and to conciliate the opposing interests of the many chiefs against a. common foe. He was a, prudent governor, working for his people. His policy, was one of peace within and union with Deheubarth without, and its success is well seen in the fact that outsiders looked ulpon him as king of all Wales, as the prince of the whole Welsh people. He was the greatest patron of the bards, and thus, like all the members of his family, identified himself with the encouragement of purity of language and excellency of literature. The succeeding gene- ration called him the Great; either in memory of his mighty deeds, or- startled by the contrast his single fame presented to the comparative nonentity of hisi many sons.' Professor Barbier does not affect to write a detailed history of this pregnant period, knowing! full well that the materials for such an undertaking are inadequate. His treatment is conspicuous for its broadness, and a capacity to generalise the salient features of the period. Notably so is the sixth chapter —perhaps the best in the book—wherein he, deals with the literary activity and social condition of the people. And the wish to give a clear, broad outline may account for the paucity of the poetical .quotations, though references to the chief poets and their works are abundant in the footnotes, indicating that the author is well acquainted with our literature in the vernacular. The sixth chapter embodies the follow- ing points: —The political1 literature of Wales, the social standing of the bards, the chief bards of the twelfth century, the tendency towards the production of a drama, the Mabinogion, the historians of the time, the musical proclivities of the Welsh people, their religious feeling, and life in all the varied forms incidental to a people in the midst of a great mili- tary and literary activity. The book, on the whole.. is marked by good arrangement, clear, scholarly, and a praiseworthy attempt at a scientific historical treatise of this period. It is moderate in tone, cilitical and well- balanced in its judgment. It is pre- eminently a student's book, and is well worthy of a. thorough perusal. The printing, binding:, paper, together with its general appearance, reflect ranch credit on Mr. Southall, a publisher who has done so much for Wales. "The Age of Owain Gwynedd." By Paul Barbier, Fife, University, Leeds, pp. 182. Cloth, 5/6; 'Gilt Tops, 6/ Students' Edition, 3/6. J. E'. Southall, Newport, Mon.

Y Parch. O. R. Owen, Lerpwl. (Cyfarfod a'i angladcl yn Nyffryn Tywv). Hydref a'i bwyntil llawdrwm Daniai y coed yn y cwm; A'i gain ddwylaw gwnai ddeilios Cbed yr allt mal cawod rôs; Ar ol oer awel erwin, Mae'u brig oil yn ambr a, gwin Lleddf yw si y Dywi deg,— Eira g:wyn ar ei gwaneg; Ao ar don yr afon rydd Hir y glyn rhosliw'r glenydd: A swynir plasau henoed Gan donau gwin o dan goed; Ni, oheisiiwn uwch ei swn hi Sain llinos yn y llwyni,— Yn ucha'r llwyn ni cheir llef Drwy odrist goed yr Hydref. Trwy ddistawrwydd ystyriol, A'r Hydre'n oer, adre'n ol Wele ddwyn Ulll hawliodd lor- Athrylith ar ei helor Wele olaf wael helynt Un fu'n ymdaith ganAvaith gyut; Hwyli,au di-ail ei delyn Chwyddai or lleehweddau hyn; Eu meini hen fu'n mwynhau Try dan y tarawiadau Mal rliyAV swynol nefol nabl Rhoddai'n ber ddawn ei barabl,- Hyd heno ar dwyni hen Y ceir eco yr acen. Ond, daeth ymdaith ei anido,- Du yw'r Avlad ar ei ol o; Wele yntau, ei phlentyn, Ar ei daith yn hyfryd Avyn. Erys y tir i dristhau,-—- Dywysog, gwelAvn d'eisiau! Y Parch. J. J. Williams', Pentre, yn Ngheninen Gwyl Dewi. Books to be reviewed, and accounts of Welsh movements and societies, should be addressed —" Welsh Correspondent, e/o 'Rhondda Leader,' Tonypandy."

Corney Lewis FOR PERFECT FITTING Dainty Teeth Sets from jEt is. od. GUARANTEED. jE2 25. including Extractions. t, Only Address— 85, TAFF STREET, PONTYPRIDD. Hours—10 to 8. 4371 Thursdays, 10 to 1.

AN ARMY MARCHES ON ITS STOMACH. This is (ne of the great- Napoleon's picturesque sayings. He meant that a soldier, to be effective, reliable, must be fed properly, and able to digest his rations. His remark applies1 to every man, woman and child in every-day life. If the organs, nerves, muscles, of your body are to work properly they must be fully nourished. And it is not merely what you eat that nourishes, but what you digest. Indigestion weakens your system, fills: your blood with impurities, and renders you liable to all iii,-Awiier of diseases. You grow dull, weak, and ailing, work of any kind becomes a, task, and life itself a burden. Take Mother Seigel's Syrup. It restores stomach, liver and bowels tOI natural activity,enSlutres perfect digestion, per- fect nourishment, and therefore perfect health. Mr. J. S. Morton, of 233, Lymington Avenue, Lordship Lane, N., writing; on June 17th, 1908, says 'ilie, pain I suffered after eating was unbearable, and the bilious attacks increased so much, and were so bad while they lasted, that my sight was affected, and things became blurred and confused. I was advised to try Mother Seigel's Syrup, and before I had taken half of the second bottle, the pain after eating had left me. The con- tinued use of this medicine- steadily im- proved my health until my ailments com- pletely left me. Indigestion is now no more to me than a painful memory." Mother Seigel's Syrup is now also prepared in Tablet form, and sold under the name of Mother Seigel's Syrup Tablets. Price 2/9 per bottle. One Size only.

Blaengwynfi. With the G.W.R. Pit idle for ten weeks, and Oorrwg Rhondda. Collieries stopped last Saturday, the outlook at this place is very gloomy, but we trust the darkest hour is nearest to the dawn. The First Aiders and Debating Society had a, sumptuous dinner on St. David's Day at the Tunnel Hotel.

Musical Success at Tonypandy. Our heartiest congratulations are ex- tended to Mr. Isidore Gold, violinist, of Dunraven Street, Tonypandy, for not only passing the A.C.V. examination with honours, gaining 93 marks out of a, u I possible ICO, but also for succeeding in gaining the "Strad" Prize for passing the A.C.Y., top in the whole of South Wales, and coming third in the United Kingdom. This is a very creditable posi- tion for a, Rhonddaite to hold, and we wish Mr. Gold every success in the future.

■■in ^HYARCHERACSlfl yGOLDEff RETURNS I Facsimile of One-Ounce Packet. Archer's Golden Returns who Fwrtoetloii o. En" Ircbama. L 0>Q1,. 01TZST, A!J» FjUkifBjUTC,,

Letters to the Editor. Letters on any subject of public interest are cordially invited. The insertion of a letter does not necessarily' mean that the Editor agrees with the views tx. pressed therein. Correspondents should write on one side of the paper [only, and no letter will be published unless; the writer sends his name and address, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. The Housing Problem* To the Editor of the "Rhondda Leader. Sir,—The letter of your correspondent, "Rover," in your last week's issue, opens- a door to the discussion of a great and growing evil, which presents itself ilL ,ov&y industjiiaT Community. In your "Editorial Notes" youi say that "The housing problem must be ever present in any area which partakes the very grow- ing characteristics of the Rhondda." I am prepared, Mr. Editor, to admit that, under prevailing conditions, A is, unfor- tunately, ever present, but I cannot agree with you that it must be so. I don't ee why it should be a difficult problem, even in a rapidly growing district, to provide the people of that district with decent homes. The reason why it has always been such a difficult problem to provide the people of a rapidly growing, district with decent homes is that there has never been any attempt made to do so. That statement may appear to be rather contradictory and illogical, but it explains my meaning, nevertheless. What. I mean, sir, is that the legislative and administrative authorities of this coun- try have never seriously faced the prob- lem f providing the Avorking classes with sufficient housing accommodation of a suitable nature. That task lias always been left to the speculative builder and the financial shark, whose interests are, of course, but served by understocking, rather than overstocking the market. It is true that various acts for facilitating improvements in the dwellings of the Avorking classes have been passed, and we have even had a Royal Commission sitting on the question in 1884-5, result- ing in the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1885; this was also followed by fur- ther acts in 1890J 1900, and 1903; but in every case, the administration of these Acts is purely optional. By those Acts, certain powers are given to local govern- ing bodies, whereby they are enabled, among other things, to borrow money for the purpose of building workmen's dwellings in places where such dwellings may be necessary but alas, these Acts, and the powers they confer are only per- missive and optional. The District Coun- cil may (if they choose) put these Acts in- to operation, but they are in no way compelled to do so. Will they, constitu- ted as they are at present, ever choose to do so? The Urban District Council is usually composed of a large proportion of landlords, shop-keepers, lawyers, publicans- and people generally who manage to make a very successful living on the backs of the workers. The existing con- ditions of the Housing Problem, -which we regard as evil conditions are in themselves, a source of profit to these- people, as they live upon the needs of the workers. Can we expect these para- sites of labour to recognise the need for an artistic, hygienic, or even adequate housing accommodation for the workers? The only possible way for the workers ta- secure the benefits conferred by these' permissive or adoptive Acts is for them to elect a sufficiently large number of J direct labour representatives on these 3 local governing bodies to make their 9 demand effective. i You say, We have few slums in the- H district," but yet we have other evils. The jerry-builder is rife. We have heard tales in the Rhondda, of newly- built houses, which have to be propped- up until other houses could be built up against them to prevent them falling. We have seen the water bubbling up through the floors of the kitchen after & heavy shower. We have cracks in the" walls, through which the rain soaks and the wind blows, before the houses have been built a twelve-month. We have windows that won't open, and doors that won't shut, and roofs that won't keep out the rain, and chimneys that wont carry off the smoke. We have every evil that can be thought of in our cheap, badly designed, and Avorse con- structed cottages, "houses made to sell." They ought to be good, they cost enough. The District Council could put up decent houses if they liked, at less than two- thirds of the price. The rest of the money goes into the pockets of the jerry builder, or those of the money shark who finances him. I trust, sir, that this matter will have the attention it richly deserves at the approaching Dis- trict Council elections, and that the people who are compelled to live in those; houses, will see that they are represented on the next Council. FABIUS. To the Editor of the "Rhondda Leader." Sir, -Aii.otliet-, exhibition of brutality wa,4 given on Monday on the Mid-Rlionddll Athletic Grounds, a rabbit coursing match taking place there. I had hoped that this diabolical form of sport ivaS going down, but it seems, in this part of the country, to have had quite a. revival, as there have been lately qU1tØ' a number of these coursing matches upon this ground. Apart from the cruelty which is bound to attend sport of thi^; kind, I believe it has a demoralising ail"* brutal, effect o-n those who participate if it and upon those Avho Avatch it. Rabbi* coursers, in my opinion, are not inte'' lectually or morally one bit above the greyhounds who follow them. I don v knowhow the law stands in relation to' this sport, but I know how it ought be; and until the law forbids this hlood thirsty form of amusement, under a lieavf penalty, we have no right, to consider 0011 couintry a Christian or a civilised one. A FRIEND OF DUMB ANIMALS.

ITOWach^E Mg Ipow51RS13S18 Promptly Arrests Quinsv .0 cold9

South Wales Women's Temperance Union. Local Union Meeting at Ton. The Upper Rhondda branches of the South Wales Women's Temperance Union held their quarterly local union meeting on Tuesday, February 23rd, at Jerusalem Chapel, Ton. The conference in the afternoon was presided over! by Mrs. Thomas, Glell View, Pentre, and a, fair number of faithful sisters represented the different branches. The reports of the delegates were encouraging, each one speaking hopefully and bravely of the future of the work. A recitation was given and a paper was read on The Duty of Mothers to look after the Moral Training of their Daughters." It was evident that the responsibility of mother- hood was deeply felt by the sisters pre- sent. The Ton sisters spared no trouble to provide tea for all members who wished to partake, and their kindness was duly appreciated. In the evening, a public meeting was held, under the presidency of the Rev. Ei W. Da vies, Hebron, Ton. The speakers were Mrs. S. M. Saunders, Pencoed, and Dr. William- C'wmavon. The former emphasised the importance of being whole- liearted in the ieause of 'temperance, remarking that a number of persons are drawn to the public arena by a feeling of fellowslJip and a, love of excitement. To do real and lasting good, much quiet .sacrifice was necessary. She was a firm believer that conversion of the heart was the true cure for intemperance. Dr. Williams spoke from the point of view of the Christian medical man, and clearly pointed out the destructive effects of alcohol on the physical and moral nature. Two solos were rendered by local ladies. The meeting passed a, resolution of con- demnation of the House of Lordis for throwing out the Incensing Bill. The secretary of the local Union is the indefatigable Miss Rosina, Phillips, Blaen- rhondda, and Mrs. E1. H. Dayies, Pentre, is the worthy treasurer.