The Cambria Daily Leader

Sun Rises 5.3, Sun Sets 6.57. Lighting-up Time, 8.3. High Water, 3.8.

THE SHADOWS OF THE 1st The oldillat y member of the S-.vausfta Council is very t-mall fry to-day. He attends a Count;:] meeting, four printed piigcs of report is put before him at haif-past two, and at half-past three he is called upon to give his assent to a schcrne cf which he knows practically nothing, and which involves the gravest of considerations. The Town Hill tramways question is not oiie that should be hurriedly discussed. A pro- posal to extend the overhead system to Mount Piea&ant and the steeps gradi- ents beyond must carry the approval not only of the six members who were fortunate enough-or should we say, in the light of after events, unfortunate enough?—to see similar tram- ways at work on Yorkshire hills, but of all the members called upon to share a serious responsi- biiity. There is need of expedition if application is to be made in May for an Older, but it was a little too much to expect a Council, many members of which did not know of the journey undertaken by the deputation until they saw it reported in the Press, to de- finitely accept the principle of an over- he.3d tramway with such Limited oppor- tunities of looking all round the ques- tion., and without a single public dis- cussion. Councillor Milbourne Wil- liams confessed yesterday his ignorance upon many of the points involved. Councillor Colwill. who knows some- thing of practical tramways construc- tion, and would have made a more use- jfnl member of the deputation than some upon it, v at- in a like case. Under the ctaJlOOõ the Council did a J wise thing in accepting the report with the full understanding that it was com- mitted to no definite proposal. Urgent as may be the position if Town Hill is to be immediately developed, the mem- bers who are not privileged with the full knowledge posseted by the cjoni- mittee could not be expected to givo blind absent to the scheme brought for- ward. The shadow of November does not usually fall over the Council Chamber in April, but yesterday one election campaign was opened with an appeal to the gallery. Councillor D. Davies questioned the legality of the pro- cedure, and received no definite answer to the query he PUt regarding the General Purposes Committee's right to send away a deputation of thirteen without first submitting the recom- mendation to the Council. He was in a fine and large mood. The borough electrical engineer was of the p-trty. As well, he exclaimed send the Market Inspector What bunkum! He might have turned his cnticism more effee- tively upon other members of the deputation—say upon Aid. Corker who during the debate confessed that he sunpoiied he h/ul been sent because he had strongly opposed the overhead system! Or, as effectively, upon Aid. Meirells or Councillor Po-tvleslaii-cl, who would be the Last men in the world to claim that they viewed the Yorkshire systems with the eyes of tramway c-x- ports. But, for the purposes ol November, the condemnatory policy e ust be sweeping, no matter what assistance a trained electrical engineer could give the paity upon the gravest problem they were called upon to solve --the problem of brake power. As well send the Market Inspector 1 says the electioneering councillor, already think- ing of the audiences v. ho will gather next October. We hope the ratepayers of St. Helen's will note the helpful criticism one of their representatives serves out at the Council. We think they will agree that, outside the Tram- way Company representatives and Mr. Sell on, the consulting engineer, Mi. PrusMnan was one of the most useful members of the deputation. At any rate, among the direct representatives of the Council he was the one man who could examine the braking systems— and these were the important things the party set out to see—with expert knowledge. Members of the deputation were at pains to point out the exceptional nature of the occasion. Here was a proposal to construct a tramways upon one of the steepest gradients in the town, and it was essential, they con- tended, that the minds of Swansea people should ho absolutely set at rest as to the safety of the line. Therefore it was desirable that some members should see for themselves the systems already in operation and their number must be large enough to impress not only the Council, but the public as well, that their conclusions were right. A fairly reasonable point of view. But the common-sense application of that theory would have been to have ap- pointed two or three—not seven or eight—councillors who could have viewed the Yorkshire systems with trained eyes; to have invited the ser- vice of members with some understand- tlW of engineering. It cannot be said that they did this and the whole argu- ment that numbers were necessary to fortify the public falls to the ground when it is remembered that the Council generally was reluctant to accept the report until it had a great deal more information. Upon the wider question oi the desirability of a closed committee sending away at its own responsibility a big party for a five days' journey, and without the cognisance of many Council members, the town has now had an instructive object lesson as to the folly of a secret regime. Some- thing was said yesterday about wasteful expenditure upon deputations, but it is hard to understand the policy of the Council. The other day, at the invita- tion of Councillor D. Da vies, it refused to send a representative to an import- ant educational conferenceJ although the chairman of the committee pleaded that Swansea had definite interests to watch. At one of the last meetings of the secret, or closed, or private—we do not know which is the correct title— Parliamentary and General Purposes Committee, a resolution was passed, and yesterday it went through without comment sending an Alderman to a conference upon—crown and public lands. An odd selective process pre- vails in these matters. The unedifying spectacle of the Coun- cil trying to End a scapegoat for its own sins was witnessed during the stormy discussion upon the Brynmill drainage question and the tipping revelation. One result stood out clearly; there must be greater co-ordination not only between officials, but between committees. The Health Committee is responsible for so much work, and no more. The High- ways Committee seems to have its severely-defined functions. The Hous-, ing Committee has a circle around its particular tasks. The Water and Sewers Committee looks after certain business, and is not at home to other business. A little interlocking of the parts will speed up the municipal machinery. It is impossible, however, for councillors to play the role of horrified discoverers of new things when the state of western drainage is brought prominently to the front; to affect surprise when they are retold the state of things at the edges of the borough. Nor is it an imposing or convincing attitude to lift hands to heaven and say that they are shocked at the manner in which refuse is tipped about Swansea. Councillors with eyes open, and with ordinary noses must have observed nuisances aydeplorable as that at Brynmill all over the town. Why, close to their door at the Guild- hall, an intolerable tipping nuisance was allowed to proceed without any of the melodramatic denunciations the coming of November now brings about. How- ever, the wards have now their repre- sentative on the committee of inquiry, and we hope the residents wili note they: A-a;k" And suppjj them with the informatioll necessary. In how many other parts of Swansea does an ancent sanitary method still endanger the lives cf people without need ? Where else are there these dumping grounds for refuse close to the home-s? If instead of endeavouring to find scapegoats for common sins of neglect, the Committee can establish a more workable arrange- ment between the committees and official departments it will do a good day's wotk for Swansea. ————— .—————

I A NOBLE TALE, And sometimes through the haunted, lonely mine, Sudden there rolls a dreadful noise, And the strong father, working with his boys, Knows that his life and theirs are done; They shall not greet again the rising sun— The low roof thunders down, and is their tomb, They pine, they die in rayless gloom. Lewis Morris has written in lines that are as poignant as' anything in poetry, the story of the pit. We feared it would have been the story of the Ystalv- fera Pit. "There is apparently no hope of finding the entombed men alive," ran the dreadful message printed yesterday. But heroism had its reward The two men, after eight hours' en tombment, were safely brought out of the mine. These did not die in rayless gloom. Let us picture faintly, for the benefit of those who have little concep- tion of underground toil—and no pic- tiira can approach reality in painting its Dantesque surroundings—something of the seen* at this pit where the heading became a living tomb. Think of men working with tigerish energy, attack- ing with pick and shovel the debris that blocks the way to their comrades. They labour with ferocious zeal. Heedless of the dangers they. too, a.re running. They never stop. They hack and shovel until the, body can no more stand the strain. Others take their place. The work of rescue never stops. Rubbish falls from the roof, and check s thew. They go on with redoubeld energy. How good it is this morning to read the joyful termination of the tale, to read "The rescuers worked with a will, and about 5.30. after &even hours' inces.sant labour, they were able to get a response to their call which conveyed the joyful intelligence that both men were alive." The collier gets our hard words. We are alive to all his faults. We think little of his virtues—and less of the risks he daily runs in order that the wheels of commerce may run full speed. These last few days, the price paid in lives has been heavy over South Wales. Thinking of these things should make us wonderfully charitable in our estimation of the man who works in "the haunted lonely mine." The story of the rescue party at Ystalyfera is one of the great deeds we must put in the scales when we are apt to speak of the collier's ways.

IA PARENTS CONPLAINT I To the Editor. '1 Sir,—AUpw me through the medium of your valuable paper to contradict the statement made by a parent about the Boy Scouts' Brigade beating drums and blowing bugles while marching up Walter-road at 10 o*cioek at night. Might 1 ask if the parent would make certain what brigade caused this uproar, because the brigade which marched up Walter-road was not the Boy Scouts, but the Boys' Life Brigade, which is quite a dilferent organisation. The boys attended a service at Mount Pleasant Chapel and the service was Dot over until 0.30; so that accounts for them being out so late. But I must agree with the parent that they ought not to be allowed to play hiiedes: at that hour or the nl,bt i Yours, etc., Yours, etc., Mozart Evans 1st Swansea Troop. (Assistant Scout- master).

THE G P-, A N T S YS TEV, I Mr. Pease presumably lifted a corner of the curtain upon the labours of the Government on the subject of edu- cation when ho used these words in opening some elementary schools at Derby: I do not approve of our grant sys- tem. I think it is upon a wrong basis, and I hope that before long we shall i be able to alter it in such a way as will; meet with the approval of the IOL'\1 authorities of the country. Undoubtedly there are many possible improvements in the grant system, but (says the "Westminster Gazette") do not let us forget that under one form or another it is and must remain the pivot, of our Educational System. The pay- ment of grants by the Central Authority on condition that a certain standard oi attendance and instruction is main- tained is an essential guarantee of effici- ency on the part of the local authorities. The particular method adopted may always be capable of improvement, but; the principle is of the utmost import-! ance, and our own regret, js that it llax not been adopted for other purposes bit- sides education. i

W ELSHMEMBERS'RE CORD I A correspondent has made an analysis of the divisions on the Welsh Bill last session. There were 93 divisions on this! Bill. The records of the Welsh members j are as follows :— L. William Jones 9J I L R. McKenna  93 L. E. J. Grinith 92 L. Sir D. Brynmor Jones 92 L W. Ll. Willia.ms 92 ) L. Eliis Davies 91 L. Sir Ivor Herbert 91 L John Hinda 91 U. Col. Pryce Jones 91 L Haydn Jones 90 L. Sydney Robinson 89 L. Sir Alfred Mond 88 L. Sir J. R Roberts 88 L. Major Guest. Bï L. Towyn Jones 86 L J Herbert Lewis 85 L. E. T. John 84 U. W. Ormsby Gore 84 La. W. Brace 83 La. T. Richards 83 L. W. F. Rach 23 L Edgar Jones 82 L. J. Hugh Edwards 77 La. J. Keir Hardie 71 L. Lewis Halam 71 La. John Williams 69 U. Lord Crichton Stuart 67 L. Sir T. Edwards. 67 L. A Clem. Edwards 66 L. Vaughan Davies 63 L D. Lloyd George 45 La. W. Abraham 41 L. David Da Ties 31 L T. H. Parry (new member) 12 j This list doe6 aot iacludo jz*irk

"To Thy Tents!" Welsh Veteran's Clarion Call I (By the Rev. EVAN JONES.) I The Rev. Evan Jones, the veteran of the Disesiabiisnment Campaign, de. fines, in the Coleuad tfws week, in an article hi the vernacular, the Weisrt position. The Bishop of St. Asaph's speecn has cleared the air I o compromise! This is the unani- mous and enthusiastic resolution of the Bishops and the laymen, after meeting last week at the Church conference at Llandudno. No surrender! No com- promise We receive the challenge with joy and gratitude—with joy because we know where we now stand; with grati- tude because the sooner the fight is ended the better. The Bishop of St. Asaph, in the course of his speech, was good enough to refer to me. One thing is clear to-day," said he. The pietence that this measure is being brought in for the good of the church is at last finished. Read the articles and the addresses of the Rev. Evan Jones, a. typical minister with the Methcdists. Mr. Jones is a fairly old man, and one would naturally expect the peace and love of the other world, at whose portals he stands, to have some influence with. him. But the one thing that weighs upon the soul of this Christian minister is that the Church should be deprived of eveiy fay of hope." According to the report, the reference was received with great applause. During the last fortv years I have written ana spoken a greàt. deal in and out of sk,ason on this matter. I did this because a Churchman not un- known, who was made a doctor of divinity by the Archbishop of Canter-, bury challenged me to tight. He was Goliath and L was David. But in writ- ing and in speaking 1 never remember even once to have emphasised, directlv or indiiectly, that Disestablishment would be to the good of the Church. I am thoroughly convinced that it will be and probably I suggested it at times But purposely I avoided this cry, and for this reiison Whatever I think of the Church as a State establishment, I have never said anything about it as a reli- gious establislimen-nor of its minis- ters as such. 1 sincerely believe it would be for the good of the Church but as a mdtter ot tact 1 never remember sayin.- so. There are plenty of arguments for disestablishment and disendowment without it. < The Bishop refers to me also as a topical -Methodist minister. I am not quite sure what his Lordship means by this reference. I have never tried to drag in the Methodists with me. Dllr ing the last forty years I have had tho privilege and honour not only of being present at the chief Meth.od.st gather- ings, but of occupying the chief posi- tions. But I do not recollect that I ever spoke there on this matter except when 1 was called upon. I did not feel quite sure that all were in favour, and I never attempted to convince them otherwise. In this matter 1 have fought the battle on my own account. lhe Methodists ought not to be held re- sponsible for what I have done. J the In the course of the speech, the Bishop refers to the Association, of winch h? spok? thus: The meeting of the Methodist Assembly last spring passed extreme resolutions against any compromise. in the whole of their dis- cussion there is not a single noble senti- ment, not one expression of sym- pathy or kindness with the Church that they retired from. What) a change from the days of John Elias and Charles of Bala" 1 was at the As- sociation referred to. His lordship asks the question what accounts for the changei" No one can deny its cor- rectness. 1 very well remember a day when no one spoke of it in the Associa- tion. It was outside its Courts that I and others pleaded the cause; and there were Methodists who looked upon us ith sour faces. What has caused the change—so that the Wesieyans and the Caivinists to-day are as much in favour of Disestablishment and Disen- dowment as the Congre^ationaiists and the Baptists? Something must have caused this, and would it not be worth the bishop's while to look for the reason. Has the Bishop never heard of the Churchman who charged John Elias and Kichard Lloyd, of Beaumaris with going to Dublin to in- cite the Welsh soldiers to rise up in revolt-.when they went there simply to preach to their fellow-ocuntry- men? A ad because he charged them, that they were imprisoned for nine days:' And has he not hoard of Charles of Bala who arranged the firsfc ordination in 1811, when the separa- tion from the Church was effected? And was not Charles of Bala com- pelled to write a book defending Methodism? The bishops these oays are erecting tombstones of the prophets and are trying to kill the prophets themselves, though their power to dq so has gone by. One thing must clearly be said," stated the Bishop. "After this measure fat.,es, Churchmen will of necessity bind themselves together, a strong army and determined against every co-operatioji with ists, One great and deep gulf will ever re- main throughout the Principa-ôty l Very Since [ remember. Church- men have always been one in bond de- termined against every effort for liberty. When the British Schools were commenced t he. Church of Eng land had to commence a missionary society to tea.ch their children m their own principals—the most cruel society that ever existed in Wales. Whea Sir Hugh Owen tried to establish a University College for Wales, and went to Lord Londonderry in his palace at Machynlleth to seek his support, the reply of his lordship was that he would gladly zive it when the Bisnops t hem- selves would do the work! This, he knew, would never come to pass! Who built the intermediate schools? And who are now liliing Wales with ele- mentary and higher grade schools? Not the Church of England The Bishop's references to the last Lord Penrhyn conies in for scathing criticism. The writer recalls the late nobleman's attitude towards Noncon- formist chapels dn his estate. The bishoD has struck a rich vein here, and it would not be bad to work a bit of it. The late Lord Penrhyn's alti- tude towards Nonconformists was piti- ful and degrading. After this meeting at Llandudno, I sincerely hope we have heard the last. of further concessions on the measure. It is war now—spiritual war, it is true, but war! There is to be ho more lay- insr aside of arms in this fight. It is better to lose the Bill and better to lose the Government than for us to give wav one inch-more. Now we know I tbe worst, and wp Are arming aganisi if, To tftí tents, 0 Wales! I'th bebvi4 o Gjmru,)