The Rhondda Leader

Editorial Notes. The Socialist wing of the Labour Party in Mid-Rhondda have little confidence in the soundness of the principles they avow, otherwise they would Resist from the hysterical jnterruptions which now rules all their conduct when meetings under auspices other than their own are held. If we are to analyse in detail the moral of their conduct, we are bound to come to the conclusion that "Freedom of speech is to be confined to their own publicly recognised apostles. The meet- ing at the Judge's Hall last Saturday was, to put it mildly, a disgrace to any intelligent community. It seems that what a few of them desire is a complete "shut up of every medium of political explanation but their own. It is evident that this method of political propaganda cannot prevail for all time. Already the more serious-thinking Socialists detach themselves from sympathy with the brutal intolerance which was so pro- minently displayed at the two last meet- ings held under the auspices of the Young Liberals' League of the district. We are sorry that Mr. Clem. Edwards did not maintain a more perfect self-oantrol, and that he brought into play the expert powers of physical force which dismissed from the platform with such effective neatness the blackguardly intrusion of words and action of a Socialist inter- rupter. No doubt, it was an appreciated act with all who think that donkey actions can only he properly dealt with by donkey forms of punishment. Still, we must not forget, despite all temp- tation to give back change in the same coin, that in the long run the better way is the Christian one of treating foolish actions by forbearing tolerance, and charity. We cannot commend also Mr. John Hughes' methods of aspiring to local dictatorship, and certainly we can- not harmonise them with his just claims to be recognised as an intelligent citizen, which no one should deny him. What our "young men in a hurry" forget is, that the game of bluff and bluster has a very awkward fashion of reactiÍIg, and that deeds of irregularity in one period of life have an unpleasant habit of resurrection when the trump cards are in other hands. Mr. John Hughes has in him many promises of achieving pro- minence in the leadership of the future. His speech is easy, ready and flippant, and we wish to credit him also with every honesty of intention. But to play the gagger as he does now whenever con- trary views and convictions to his own are being expounded, and to exercise the coercion and tyranny of gag, evidences, an intolerance begotten of the ignorance of the rules of the game of controversy. Mr. Hughes must not ''play offside for the sake of the gallery. The older heads understand these tactics, and though they may lead to positions, they do not main- tain healthy reputations. There were other folks at the meeting whose conduct harm, more than they advance, the prin- ciples which they have embraced. We regret very much that these scenes are so frequently enacted in this district. They are 110 credit to the lending per- formers, while they disgrace Mid-Rhondda. Let our friends evangelise as much as possible, and it is the duty of all to give fair hearing, for the conversion won by fair argumentation will stand far more en during trials than conversions forced at the point of the bayonet. We regret that criticisms of this nature are a neces- sity. It is possible to have a great deal of knowledge but little wisdom. The former comes through the channel of books, while the latter can come only through the experience of life. Theory and practice are. properly separated in the sciences, and we look upon the ac- quisition of knowledge as so much theory gained, but the right application of it depends upon the wisdom which one pos- sesses in himself. We have known very learned men without wisdom, and, on the contrary, very many Aviso men without deep learning. The blend of the two makes the perfect man. We sorely need them these days.

Furniture on Hire. Rhondda Striker's Plea of Starvation. Thomas Griffiths. a Mid Rhondda. striker, appeared before the Pontypridd magistrates on Wednetsday on a charge of converting to his own use various house- hold articles which were in his possession under a. hire purchase system. Mr. T. W. Lewis (of Messrs. Lewis and Crockett), who appeared for the prose- cution. explained that the goods in ques- tion were purchased from Mr. Morris Fine, trading as the London Furnishing and Drapery Company, Coliseum, Tony- pandy, for £ 13 5s. 9d., and there was a balance of t,9 6s. 9d. owing at the time the defendant was alleged to have absconded to Lincoln on the 13tli of March. Mr. Lewis further explained that this was not a solitary case, as the firm had lost no end of furniture since the strike, and if the impression was given that this sort of thing could be done with impfinity, the. result would be that the firm might he ruined, as they had thousands of pounds of furniture out on the hire system. Evidence was given that the firm had made no collections of the instalments <ince the Mid-Rhondda strike. It was. however, discovered that defendant had left his residence at Douglas House, Dinas. and after working at the Coedcae Colliery he left for Lincoln, where he was apprehended. He had in the meantime disposed of a number of the articles for t4 5s. 6d. to a Thomas Gould, labourer, Porth. When arrested, and in reply to the charge, defendant remarked, "I had to do something my wife and myself were starving." Defendant, who now reserved his defence, was committed to take his trial at the Assizes.

-?- Every Mother should keep MILLS'S GRIPE WATER in the I/ouae. A word of cheer to them. 4, Clifton Road, Trrorky, Dec. 4sh, D2.1.1" Sir,—It ifives me much pleasure to testify to the merit of Mills's Gripe Water for Infants, f may pay that I have tried several preparations but found nothing to equal Mills's. It speedily allays griping pains, which naturally fed infants are subject to, and it also promotes 3leep. In fact it is second to none. Henceforth 1 shall consider it a doty to recommend this preparation to all niy'friends, as it is without doubt, to say the least, a boon to mothers and infants alike.I r1.D1, Sir, gratefully yams ^Irs.) Elizabeth M. Slade. To be obtained from the Proprietor, in bottles, 10'd Post Free, 1 H.—W. E. WILLIAMS, M.Ph.S., Chemist 7 High Street, TREORCHY. tl

Association Football at Pontypridd. I In another column of our paper may be seen printed the prospectus of the new company which is being floated to run a professional Soccer team at Pontypridd during the ensuing season. The club has been admitted to the Second Division of the Southern League, and a strong combination is being brought together in order that the team may try for admission to the First Divi- sion in the following season. The prospectus appears to us to be a very attractive one. The club has arranged to play its matches at the Taff Vale Park Pontypridd, a ground capable of accommodating 25,000 spectators, and as there will be practically no expense incurred in laying out the ground the directors will be able to devote their energies to team building. It has been decided that the number of directors shall be no less than five or more than twelve, and anyone holding L19 worth of shares in the company will be eligible to become a director; only the first five up to now have been ap- pointed. It is hoped that several influen- tial gentlemen of the neighbourhood will take the qualification shares this week. The club has already signed on several good players, and one of the directors is at present in the North of England look- ing for likely men. According to our information the shares are being very readily applied for, and there now seems to be no doubt but that next season Pontypridd will be well served with a first-class team. The list of applications for shares closes on Wednesday next, or earlier if neces- sary, and we certainly advise anyone who desires to have an interest in this club to make their application as soon as pos- sible.

The Week at Westminster. [By Mr. EDGAR JONES, M.P.] Dramatic interest now centres around the Gilded Chamber. Meanwhile, the weeK is occupied with a round of bril- liant receptions accorded to our Colonial Premiers, and with the high Imperial problems they have crossed the seas to discuss. As to i he Lords, I hear on good autho- rity that a division, in which many Tory Peers would have gone against the Lansdowne Bill, was only shunted at the last- minute. It was, so I am informed. shunted after a definite promise that they should hear no more about the Bill. The tactics of the Tory leaders have been pitiful from their point of view. The- latest long-considered official attempt to relorm the composition of the House of Lords has brought home forcibly to the backwoodsmen the virtues of the Government's'Parliament Bill. The back- woodsman is, properly speaking, a peer who took no real or frequent interest in the proceedings of the House of Lords. He only came, occasionally as on a Home Rule or Licensing Bill in response to the cry of robbery raised by the Tory Party and the Vested Interests. He boldly voted down the robbery, and then returned to his pleasures and business. rl his peer would under the Government Bill be deprived, of no more than those rare occasional assertions of the authority of privilege. But under the Lansdowne Bill he would be excluded as an inferior person from any effective assertion of his rank. He might be a Duke, and be ex- cluded by a mere A-iscount because the latter lias attended to the boredom of State affairs fairly frequently. Then again, thirty horrible Radicals in Wales would select a dozen noble titles from the crowd that would have to wait humbly on the pleasures of these plebeians. The next inevitable automatic result of the Lansdowne Act Mould be the omission oi these backwoods Dukes and Earls from Coronation and Court cere- monies. in order to make way for the aut horitative new Lords of Parliament. On the other hand, they are getting to see that they may make the Government. Bill such an effective destroyer of legis- lation, of innocent and minor Bills, as well as large, that the. people may get to dislike it. and then, during that un- popularity. they will try to carry a Tory Government back to power in order to repeal the Veto proposals. Thus they would keep all their titular privileges, and live in hopes of getting hack their legislative functions. Once they have submitted to the Lansdowne proposals, then they are lost for ever. For such reasons as Those, T am told that the backwoodsmen will not force the eieaiion of pet-rs by a stubborn attitude on the A eto Bill, the backwoodsmen, who lose so-little, will abstain when pressed There is a suggestion that the official section will lorce the Government to create about seventy peers in order to | cast the odium upon t h em. But this I cast the odiuJI] 11p011 them. But this latest invention of Norman subtlety is really childish: and there seems no likelihood that such a contingency will arise. However, they are well out of hand, and anything may happen. For the present, members of the House of Commons take it for granted that the Bill is yoing through.

I Consumption Crusade. ) Mr. Tom John, M.A., Lectures to County School Students. Mr. Tom John, M.A-, Tonypandy, I ()rga?i:s'er to the Welsh National Memo? T)al. lectured to the scholars of the County School, Porth, on Tuesday after- Illioon last on Tuberculosis. Mr. John dealt with the breeding of tubercuJosis and the remedy. There -bad been, he sard, 40,000 deaths dur!n? the last ten years in Wales ?mp! tion of the l»n^ and 20,000 C through other forms )f consumption. Th? wis v°S sPrn? e,lt ,of ? *»»»* during o?r? ? ? P??' diseases had been con- qiter.  l, b I i quenxl, hut tuherculosis had been allowed  glow Its chief cure was fresh air. and to this purpose sanatoria were to be erected. Open-air schools had been founded in many places with good effect. but as yet they had none of them in Glamorgan. The lecturer also explained the different germs, &c. Artificial germicides were, he said, dry heat and boiling; while the natural germicides were fresh air, sunshine and cleanliness.

HEALO Jl vou nave n BAI) I.hG, Tic- ?/E ó?:?;i??????!;??:?I??':?:f1? Cuts, Burns, Scurf?y .\l;:¡"c? ?°-) t.S.M.C. y MlVtion sen d bmun,rn.v. i^.b.ALC < nniusu- for a free s niple <?t .HEAI.0 Gintmen\ # 1 t (,nr" you nothing, ?nd you w'H not regret ?t. Try it. \U need not send for a large box. Sbifnal Ladj" it is worth ^5 a box. HHALO allays al] 1 rritatirr., n. -i»!!rcs inflammation, prevents ie.-renng, soothes and heaU ltjjs. Don't s^y your case is hopeless without trvinf HLALO. Boxes i/ii& s LOCAL AGEmTa- Richards, Pandy Square, Tonypandy W. Llewellyn. Clyd ach Vale; Lewis, Mardy; Oliver Daviea, Pontypridd Davies, Treorchy; Williams, Tylorstown; Evans Ynvt ybwl Lewis, Ynyshir. All Chemists

Killed by Fall of Roof. John Stephens a haulier, of Ponty- gwaith, was killed on Tuesday afternoon by a fall of roof which took place at the No. 8 Pit (D. Davis and Sons), Tylors- town. Deceased was following his em- ployment when the fall" covered him. He was 48 years of age, and leaves a widow and family.