Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

3 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

From the Editor's Chain.

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

From the Editor's Chain. Mr Hardy's preface to his Voeiiis of the Past and Present has words which are very appropriate to use in commenting upon the administration of our Local, Authority in particular, and the legislation the Government is initiating in the present re-birth after the recent foul crime against humanity. The words that particul- arly struck us are that "unadjusted impressions have their value, and the road to a true philosophy of life seems to lie in humbly recording di- verse readings of its phenomena as they are forced upon us by chance or change." It seems to us that such a policy justifies to the full both the existence and the propaganda of the Ratepayers and Property Owners As- sociation of the Rhondda and writing in comment upon one of those meet- ings we must justly recognise that in Messrs. Thomas and Davies of Treorchy are truly very successful exponents of the movement. We must also pay tribute to Mr Mark Harcombe, one of the councillors that he displays great powers of ex- position in defence of the Lcca; Authority. It must be admitted that in thi.j he has a difficult proH very credxiaole powers in giving plausible, if not always convincing, solutions of the increasing administrative financial burdwis which is the lot of the burden-bearers of the Rhondda to carry. The Association repre- sents a body of men and women who, in the first instance, have been among the most thrifty and provi- dent in their vision of life. Many of them have toiled, early and late, in gathering in their name a few, cottages for their prospective period of life when their physical powers, fail. They do not come from the truly capitalist section of the com- munity but, in their degree, they are of no working- class absolutely, 'l :? ?.. 1 I This type has in recent years mul- tiplied greatly in the Rhondda and according to the latest records they number nearly 10,000 house- owners. Councildom will have to take stock of this new infusion into the Elector- al Registers of the Rhondda AVards. The burdens of rates were not tangi-I ble to people who had no kiiowledgei of them but indirectly. The imposi- tion of excess rate payments with their rent obligations, is an added reminder that the public works of the Rliondda must be carried out and that new duties of Councildom are increasing by legislation and that this ovcMMveio-lit of faro is not ended particularly when the verv urgent housing problems are tackled suc- cessfully. Allt hese kinds of movements bring out a deeper seii,e of responsibility. No longer does it suffice to placade the public with platitudes. Phrases do not alter phases. Vigilant bodies^ of all kinds in democra tic states have been the watchmen on the Castle Towers. We must move on and more progressively, but at the. same time it must he tltp (iiitv of the public authorities to see that ilieso new demands are satisfied, but with just, fair and equitable distribution of burden-bearing. The House Pro- perty Owners Association claims that as a class, they have had no relief and no corresponding recognition during the years of the war. Many a widow who depended upon a few cottages has had to face the direst straits and many of the older people who had wisely and well striven to provide for the evening of life have had to experience much degrading beggary staring them in the face. These all are of the working class, but truly to-day, no more, they are at the bottom, indeed, through inci- dents of rates and taxation, it will not be unjust to call them the "bottom dog" of the post-war era.

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