The Rhondda Leader

Rhondda and Swansea Bay I Railway. WHITSUNTIDE HOLIDAY EXCCH- Ij SIONS, 1913. FRIDAY, MAY 9th.—Excursion Tickets will be issued to Newcastle Emlyn, Car- digan, Aberystwyth, and other stations in We?t Wales, via Briton ?'erry, from Taff Vale and Rhondda and Swansea Bay Stations. SATURDAY. MAY 10th.—The Satur- day Service of Trains will be run, and the 11 p.m. Market Train, Swansea to Cwm- avon, will be extended to Treherbert. call- ing at intermediate stations. Excursion Tickets will be issued to Newcastle Emlyn, Cardigan, Aberystwyth and other stations in West Wales, via Court Sart Junction, from Taff Vale and Rhondda and Swansea Bay Stations. A Special Through Train will run from Treherbert to Llanelly. Carmarthen, and stations beyond, with Through Coaches to Aberystwyth and Newcastle Emlyn. In connection with this Train a Rail Auto Car will run from Lampeter to Aberayron, and a Road Motor Car from Llandyssil to New Quay. The G.W.R. Down Train due to leave Briton Serry at 5.1 p.m. will convey pas- songers "for stations between Carmarthen and Newcastle Emlyn. ¡ The G.W .R. Down Train due to leave Port Talbot at 10.11 p.m. will convey pas- sengers for all stations between Swansea and Carmarthen, except Carmarthen Junction. SATURDAY NIGHT (SUNDAY MORN- ING), MAY 10th.—For the convenience of Shop Assistants and others, a Special Train will leave Treherbert at 12.30 a.m. (Sunday morning) after the arrival of the I'l'aff Vale train due at Treherbert at 12.19 a.m. for all Stations to Port Talbot (Aber- avon Station). This train will form a connection with the G.W.R. Ordinary Train due to leave Port Talbot at 3.27 a.m. Special Trains will run in connection with the lattor from Llanelly to Uall- dovery, Pantyffynon to Brynamman, Car- marthen to Newcastle Emlyn. Aberayron and Aberystwyth, Whitland to Tenby. Pembroke Dock and Cardigan, Clyndervven to Fishguard .and Goodwick via Rosebush, Johnston to Milford Haven. A Road Motor Oar wiU- also run from Llandyssil to New Quay. WHIT-MONDAY, MAY 12th.Excur- sion Tickets will be issued to:—Swansea, Port Talbot (Aberavon Station), Ponty- pridd and Cardiff. I In addition to the Ordinary Service, Special Passenger Trains will leave Swan- sea at 7.25, 8.40, and 10.55 p.m. for Tre- herbert, calling at intermediate stations. WHIT-TUESDAY, MAY 13th.—Excur- sion Tickets will be issued to —Swansea and Port Talbot (Aberavon Station). In addition to the Ordinary Service. Special Passenger Trains will leave Swan- sea at 7.25 and 10.55 p.m. for Treherbert, calling at intermediate stations. Excursion Tickets (available on the day of issue only) are issued by certain Ordi- nary Trains each week-day to Seaside Station (Aberavon), Jersey Marine. Mumbles (via Swansea), and Porthcawl (via Cymmer and via Port Talbot). For Times of Trains, Fares, and further particulars, see Bills and Pamphlets, which may be obtained at the Company's Stations and Offices. JOHN DAVID, I Swansea, General Manager. I May, 1913. 21G9 -?_- ?? -?

Eisteddfod Fixtures- I May 12th (Whit-Monday).;—Aberdare. May 13th (Whit-Tuesday).—Llanharrau. 'I August 4th (Bank-Holiday).—Maesteg. Nov. 2fyth.-Westminster, London.

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Editorial. I The last hare" which has been start; d by the Opposition in Parliament, whose shifting schemes Tor return to power are painful to observe, is the one for Compulsory Military Service. They did tlieir best to make the InsuranccAct a failure, and have quite as assiduous in their efforts to throw a wet blanket upou the Territorial* movement. We used to glory in tho old song, Britannia, TuleS the waves," but these so-called patriots by their action would mako us believe that the Navy is no longer sufficient to maintain that traditional position, and nothing will do but we must have a universal military service to fight on the shore. They are seemingly, by no means, holding the traditional confidence that the Navy can adequately defend us from the enemy. We still have a preponderant Navy. We must have it, and strange its strength is maintained by the principle of voluntary service. If our Navy was over- whelmed in time of war, our soldiers and all would be brought to quick submission by starvation. The strong Navy secures for us the free passage of food from all parts of the world. Our best speculation is to plank our money on the Navy. If we fail there, we fail absolutely, no mat- how large may be our land forces. For the last hundred years we have obtained the men for the Navy by voluntary enlist- ment. It is our best plan, and wo mean tu continue it, let the scaremongers scare and the croakers crook. It it almost certain now that the plural voter is going. The rejection of the Bill was moved by Mr. F. E. Smith. His arguments were very. to say the least, puerile. He invited the House of Com- mons to say it was not prepared to accept a Bill which professes to remove one only of the anomalies affecting elec- toral laws." We thank him for the ad- mission that the plural voter is an anomaly." It is very unkind of Mr. Smith to say that of a pal who has helped his party in many a tight corner. The question is, that if you cannot remove all the anomalies of our electoral system at once, surely, it is a good thing to remove them by instalments. The case against plural voting is overwhelming. For one thing the Unionists should not be against it they disarmed themselves when, in sotting up County and District Councils in 1888, they enacted that a voter must not vote more, than once in the election of a County or District Council, no mat- ter how many qualifications he might pos- sess. If the plural voter is wrong in principle when applied to our Local Par- liaments, surely it is wrong in the Imperial Parliament. All of us have a life stake in the country, and all should have equal voicing in its management. The Miners' Federation have everj reason to be proud of the success of their May Day campaign for solidarity of Unionism. Every true democrat must support tllls congratulatioln, for it is only right, and truly for the best, that Labour should be solid in order to uphold its industrial rights. The position in the Rhondda stands well to the fore, and it is a pity that in the Rhondda Fach we have lacked the unity of spirit which has realised in the Mid-Rhondda. The great Combine authority in this district have in good spirit helped the Unionism cam- paign, and the fredom throughout the coalfield of disturbances, and the peaceful picketing which has prevailed, indicate that a firmer spirit is now ruling the Federation, and that enlightened convic- tions are healthy, and happily lees boisterous, have come to stay. We have always been strong believers in organised Labour, and un- broken progress can only 00 restarded by turbulence and mistaken ideals of leadership. W e know the position of generalship in every mass movement is very responsible and very delicate to sus- tain. but wo are glad that in this cam- paign it has been not of the forcible as much as the persuasive kind. Its suc- cess, therefore, is well deserved, and will leave a permanency of benefit which bear the best fruit in the future. Democracy in general polity must realise its triumphs, but it must not degenerate into an oligarchic management. It means the mass deciding by individualism in its units, otherwise we will develop a stato of tyrannical sovereignty quite as un- desirable and repulsive as the tyranny associated with the landlord and the plutocrat.

I Ynyshir Collier's Thefts. At the Pontypridd Police Court on Wednesday, before the Stipendiary (Air. D. Lleufcr Thomas), Thomas Isaacs, a youthful-looking collier, of Y nyshir, ap- peared to answer three summonses charg- ing him with thefts of five shirts, a pair of and a pair of boots at Ponty- pnud on May 3rd, the property of local tradespeople. Evidence was given that the police pur- sued Isaacs after receiving information, and arrested him in a gulley at Hopkins- town, where he dropped a parcel contain- ing the shirts and boots. He was subse- quently arrested and taken to the Ponty- pridd Police Station, the trousers being in his possession. Prisoner said he bought the things from a man witn whom he had been drinking, and that man first asked him 4s. (id. for them, and subsequently 2s. 60.. Supt. John Williams said defendant was of very respectable parentage. Prisoner was sent to prison for three months. Remarking upon the case, the Stipen- diary said prisoner had not shown the frankness of confessing his guilt, and had added to the prime ianIt by telling a story which the Bench could not accept. He must have known he was aoing wrong even if his story about buying the articles was correct.

The Missing Pendant. Thomas Roberts, a Blaenclydach ool- lier, was charged at Pontypridd on Wed- nesday with stealing a gold pendant, value £ _•, from Mr. Edwin Thomas, land- lord of the Bush Hotel, Blaenclydach. Prosecutor said that on May 3rd he had occasion to eject the prisoner and another man from the hotel, and a struggle en- sued, in the course of which witness missed his watch, chain, and pendant. Ha subsequently recovered the watch and chain in the hotel, but not the pendant. John Thomas, timekeeper, Clydaeu Vale, said prisoner offered him the gold pendant for sale. Witness recognised it as being the missing property, and at once gave information to the police. Prisoner was arrested by P.C. David Williams, and in reply to the charge he said, I don't know how I got it. X found it in my pocket last Sunday." Prisoner pleaded that he was drunk on. the night in question and denied theft. A we oi 40s., or fourteen days, was imposed.

Singing Festivals. ine annual singing festival of the Mid- Rhondda Independents, consisting of the following churches —Ebenezer, JLony- pandy; Tabor, Penygraig; Bethania, Dinas; Tabernarle, Trealaw and Salem, Llwynypia, was held at ebenezer, Tony- pandy, on Monday. Mr. John Phillips, leader of the Pittsburgh party, conducted, .alid I'rCr. W. T. David presided at the organ. A feature of the festival was the rendering of tunes composed by members in the festival district, these being sung with great fervour. Among the com- posers were Mr. Morgan Jttees, the secre- tary, Mr. Phil. Llewellyn, and Mr. W. T. David. Several certificates were issued for Tonic Sol-f S- passes. "Trewen" and "Trefhedyn" were sung in niemory of the late Mr. Emlyn Evans. co-editor of the "Caniedydd" with Mr. M. O. Jones, and as a tribute to the latter the elegiac anthem, fjTwrando fy nyeiriau," was sung by the choir, the composer being Mr. D. T. Evans, Dowlais. The festival was the best held tor many years past. Mr. Morgan Rees won the prize for the children's tune, Mr. Tom Stephens for the hvmn-tune, and Messrs. J. Rees and Ellis Hughes the prize hymns.