The Cambria Daily Leader

Sun Ries 3.51, Sun Sets 8.17. High Water at King's Dock, 6.19. Lighting-up Time, 9.19.

:A CRITIC OF WALES. The spectacle of young Viscount Wolmer, one of the Cecil family, re- proving the wicked people who make mis-statements at elections is scream- ingly funny. Viscount Wolmet- is so very guarded in the use of his own tongue! Wo recollect his speech on the Welsh Bill last year, when he also reproved t'ic people opposite who had shocked his sensitive soul br making statements that did not forward the cause of Christian brotherhood." But this was at the end of a long tirade in which his lordship had accused disestablishes of Kimplv hoping to injure a rival; of pro- posing to steal three-fourths of the property of the C'hurch; and of the dreadful crime of sacrilege. But it is generally the Viscount Wolners who profess themselves most concerned for the niceties of political life. The pity of it is that their prac- tice does not always square with pre- cept.

A WEEK'S SUNSHINE. On the day upon which commences that great institution which engrosses the uttention (,f the women of Swansea, tbe summer sales, it is worth putting on record the fact that we have had a week of sunshine to parallel which we have to go back to the annals of 1911. Last year's disappointments will occur to the mind of the reader as he dwells I upon the figures supplied from the Cor- poration Observing Station at Victoria I Park. They are made up to Tuesday last: Hours cf Sunshine. Wednesday, June 2<5 10.8 Thursday, June 26 6.2 Friday, June 27 13.0 Saturday, June 28 7.9 Sunday. Juno 29 13.7 Monday, Juno 30 11.0 Tuesday, July 1 10.3 One week-a week in early July—was the only consolation of the summer of 1912, which opened and closed in tears, and meant heavy losses to the farmer. This year the hay harvest is already weU in hand—in some counties it was over a fortnight ago-and agricul- turists are looking forward to a corn harvest which will to some extent com- pensate them for the miseries of last August and September. Meantime in tho towns we are mak- ing the most of our good fortune, and enjoying the "hour of Fate's serejiest weather" that strikes through our changeful sky. The Sands have nightly been the promenading ground of thousands, and the parks—now at their prettiest—have been fully used. May the fair days of ending June and open- ing July be but an earnest of our treat- ment throuvhota the 5U:

PITY THE POOR RAILWAY I COMPANIES! The revolt of the traders against the now rates imposed by the railway com- panies, in order to meet the extra ex- penditure incurred as a result of the increased wage bills—with a bit, a good bit, say the traders, over—is likely to bo intensified as a result of tha informa- tion published in yesterday's Times." The first half of 1913, we are told, has been a remarkable one for railway in- terests genera lly in several respects. Thankr, to comparison with the national coal ptrik^ period of 1912, and to con- tinued activity in trade, the aggregate gross increases have exceeded those of any similar period in the history of the railways. The fiist half of 1913 will also bo noteworthy because for the first time the rai lways of the United King- dom will he relieved of the necessity of I preparing and publishing half-yearly accounts and holding half-yearly meet- ing. Thus change was made by the Railway Companies (Accounts and Re- turns) Act, 1911, which has substituted annual reports and meetings for the half-yearly system hitherto prevailing. The comparison or 1913 is, of course, with a troubled half-year when trade was upset by a. coal stt-ike, but the "Times" publishes figures which show that the gross increases dre, as I a rule, very hand-some, and represent much more than the reduction in profits sustained in the corresponding period. On the average the reduction in the dividends paid by the English companies for the first half of 1912 was about 1 per cent. If the additions to working expenses and other outgoings for the past ",ix months have been no greater than the figures accepted by Time's," then e ?'Time,? t h eii the companies could fully restore the loss in dividends sustained in the first half of last year. In some few causes the margin is so large that it is prob- able that the profits have exceeded those oi the first half of 1911, and that therefore the losses of the first half of Fil2 have been more than regained. This is particularly the ca.se with the Great Central, Great Northern, Great Y\ estern, London and North-Western Midland, and North Eastern Coin- prunes, and the whole of the Scottish group. As we have said, such details fls these will not make the trader, who leels. caUed upon to pay an unfair addi- t'on, more charitabiy-minded towards the great railway companies. — «g> —

THE SCHCOL SPORTS. I The Cricket Field was animated enough yesterday afternoon, but we are convinced that, had tho grown-ups of Swansea realised more fully what admirable sport there is at the schools' athletic meeting, they would have at- tended in far greater numbers. The progi-aiiiiiie. was a full one., it was not wearisome, and everything went with a swing that showed the work of some uncommonly fine organisers be- hind the scenes. It would have paid those responsible for sports meetings on a more serious scale, had they been there, to study their methods to have 1 seen how admirably event followed event without delay. And this could not have been an easy task when five hundred young and frisky competitors had to be sorted out. The races were productive of terrific excitement. It was good to note with what eagerness the hoys and girls fought for the honour of their respec- tive schools; how anxiously their fellow-scholars among the on-lookers watched the heats and finals; and how koen was the rivalry between the schools. One promising runner, who was relied upon to add to the points gained by Terrace-road, injured his head whilst wriggling through the barrel in the obstacle race. It was thought that his hurt had put him out of further contests, but he pleaded so hard and tearfully to be allowed to run again that be started in the 220 yards—coming in second, but collaps- ing after he had breasted tho tape. It was a plucky performance, and the lad was generally commiserated with when, in the final, he had to give up with the race half run. And his was the spirit of all the competitors. In recent years-for it did not seem to exist "in the days of our youth" there appears to have grown a strong pride of school. The Dyfatty boy, the Brynmill boy, and the rest, seem to have a love of their school as strongly developed as that of the public school boy. Something should be said, too, of the enthusiasm wibh which the teachers labour among lads and lassies in the organisation of such events as these. It is all very well for thø critic to de- clare that they ought to do this kind of work, but it we look at home we will realise that, when we are outside tho direct obligations of our avocations, it is little enough time we devote to their "sideshows." That the teachers could put upon the fieid all these young competitors, who took victory or defeat with such excellent grace, is a. feather in their cap. They are often pulled up for imaginary faults; let the praisfe be unstinted when their good deeds shine forth as they did at the Cricket Field yesterday.

THE MbMBLEs BRAKES. I To the Editor. I Sir,—I take the liberty, through the medium of your paper. of protesting on behalf of a large number of workers against the action of the police in re- gard to the prosecution of Moses Lee, and more so against the Corporation of Swansea in not granting a license to I/ee for his brakes. I say that the Corporation ought to grant the licenses to this man. The brakes serve a very useful purpose. and, besides, there are hundreds who prefer to ride by brake than on the train The Mumbles Council granted four and refused four. Why ? Why not allow those ratepayers who desire a brake ride to have it, and give them facilities for such by grant- Ing the licenses to Moses Leer* The working men of Swansea must take note of those members who are refus- ing to grant these licenses, because by so doing, they will be able to get the council to study the wishes of its rate- payers.—Yours, etc., Dackite. [Certain statements have been deleted I from the above letter which we feel ought not to apnlear under a nom- de-plume.—Ed. j

At Christ's Tomb. j A Welsh Cyfeillach at the I Sepulchre. I I I (By EFELL TREFOR.) I AFTER twelve days of a most inter- A esting tour we arrived safely at Jerusalem, the Holy City, much fatigued after the long journey over fea and land, but with cheerful hearts. Wo had come to The City of the Great King." The prerogative wa.s so great that it was uoc without a little doubt the first night, that we could realise it to he true. Our first trip was to the Jaffa Gate, the main entrance to the city, on the west side, to see the various types of Oriental characters passing in and out. One peculiar type that soon drew our attention was the fur-caped and long- marstled Jews, the Modern Pharisees, pressing through the crowd, with bent s houlders, and downcast eyes. But the most striking character in the multitude was "The proud swell of the Fellah," the peasant of the country. Jr, it, to the Fellahin we must go to see the real Oriental manners and customs of the East, and not to the Jews. They are probably, to a. great extent, the descendants of the various Gentile tribes, who were never exter- iniria-zed by the Israelites. At Jaffa Gate. I Inside Jaffa Gate the scene was very I striking. Quickly, after a faint sound of a. bell, the peculiar head a.nd long neck of a cr.rael appeared through the gJSieway, with its caretaker walking boldly by its ide, and followed hy another, and another, up to half-a- dozen or more, head to tail, sometimes tied together, and heavily burdened with domestic and agricultural goods. They moved .slowly and silently through the narrow bazaar streets, especially David's--street, very often nibbing the sides with their extraordinary loads, and causing no little confusion. Wo were at breakfast when the dragoman was announced to be ready to take us into the city. We entered through Jana, Gate. Where David Lived. Turning to our right, we immediately found ourselves in front- of the well- known "Tower of David." Probably the residence of King David at Jeru- salem, it now serves as the headquar- ters of th« Turkish garrison in the city. With the exception of a little modern alteration in the upper stories of the tower, the massive masonry work is that of King Herod's time, with the rough rocky remains of the ancient moat, very likely here since the days of David. We proceeded down through the roughly constructed David-street to "The Church of the Holy Sepulchre," the most interesting and attractive building in Jerusalem, if not in the whole world. The prosent church is the modern re- I i i6 the m(-) d ern re- presentative „ of the churches erected in 326-335 by the Emperor Constan- tine, in honour of the placcs which were believed at the time to have been the scenes of the Crucifixion and Resur- rection. The buildings from that date has .suffered a great deal, according to history, having been burnt by the Persians in 614, greatly damaged again by fire in 936, and partly de.stroyed in 1001, a.nd &ince frequently injured by fire and fanatics. Calvary. Entering the church, we saw on our right costiy structures—chapels sup- posed to be connected with Calvary. ?,riie Dra?oma,n caiicd our attention to the one in front of us as The Calvary, Although a very ornamental and mas- sive structure, yet I was. very much disr'-cpointed. it was not according to by lite-long imagination of Mount Cal-I vary—the Calvary of which the Arch- druid Dyfed wrote I Galfaria tro'f fy wvneb A Galfaria gwyn fy myd, Y mac gras ac anfnrwoldeb Yn diferu drosto'i gyd." I would rather have seen a baby of a. mountain, or even an eminence of less elevation than a mole's tump in nature's green mantle, with a grain of certainty of the real spot where the Cross stood, than scores of costly ornamented structures. Yet, for an example we shall go over a flight of steps, about fifteen feet high, to the chapel of the "Haisinrr of the Cross on Calvary." In a space beneath the altar, is shown the hole, where the cross was fixed, now lined with silver. Close by was shown "The cleft in the Rock," mentioned in Matthew. The chapel is richly decorated with paint- ings and mosaics. Tn another apartment of the Greek chapel, an altar is to he seen, accord- ing to tradition, erected on the place where Mary received the body of Jesus. A little further on is The Altar of Adam." with an opening, closed by an iron giating, through which can be seen "The rock of Calvary, and the cleft in the rock." At the Sppulchre. I Naturally the Hoiy Sepulchre must he closo by. The chapel is in the centre of the Rotunda, a small cham- ber with, space for only four or five persons to stand or kneel in front of the tomb. The tomb as it appears is a marble bench, about two feet h Igb, 6 feet 4 inches long, and 3 feet wide. The existence of natura l rock beneath the marble slab, which is used as an altar, has not been verified. The sepulchre in the garden tomb, is much larger. We were nine in this at thf same time. with room for a few more; and we bad a very impressive society ("Cyfeillach" ) and prayer meeting, in front of the tomb, which will not be forgotten this side of Jordan. As the solemn service in the church of the Holy Sepulchre was carried on in a. language that we could not under- stand—although we enjoyed the sing- ing very much, the best singing that we had heard so far in Jerusalem. We left this wonderful church in time for the English service at Christ Church., Mount Zion English Church, belonging to the London Jews Society. The Bishop of the Holy City preached a, very fine appropriate sermon. and the service WM xery devotional; but not as effec- tive and powerful as we expected from an English Bishop in the Holy Oity- on Mount Zion, and at such a season of the year—Easter (Gwyl y Pasg). Still we were glad to have the honour of being present O! Salem hynod, y Suliau-mor wag t Am air Ion yw'th demlau; A lethwyd bias dy lwythau Am y gwir, gan rym y gan.

ARE SERMONS 100 LONG. I To the Editor. I Sir,—In one of your contemporaries the statement was made that the aver- age length of the sermon in the Church of England is 11 minutes. It is through the power of preaching that. Wales has attained its present eminence in morality and religion.— lours, etc., .3- A Layman, 1

News & Views I Bonar Up Again. I Mr Bonar Law will more the re- I jection of the Home Rule Bill on the I motion for third reading next Monday. Reproving Sin. I Except on two occasions (says the I Times" Rochefort, like Satan, was I always the accuser. A Pack of Wolves. I J he .hideous iniquity of it all needs no emphasis (says the "Daily NeW on tho new Balkan outbreak. It turns to deri-si-on all the fine humanit.arian claims of the war of liberation" a.nd exhibit-s the deliverers as a pack of wolves who have turned in the pursuit to rend each other. A Book Trade Story. One of the best stories in the book trade (says Mr. Herbert Jenkins) is concerned with "The Lonely Lady of Grosvenor Square." Some copies were returned to the binders to have the covers stripped off. When the account was jtont in to the publisher there appeared the astonishing entry} "To Stripping 12 Lonely Ladies" I The Rand Gold Output. The gold mines of the Rand, where the strike of miners is now causing much anxiety, contribute more than a third of the total annual output of gold in the world. In 188.3, when the Wit- watersrand reef was discovered, the value ot the year's output of gold was just over £ 6,000. Last year the total value, including a few mines outeide the Rand area, was L38,757,5601 An Anagranf of John Bright. Bright was once walking with one of his sons past the Guards' Monu- ment in Waterloo-place. The boy asked the meaning of the single word in- scribed on the base—Crimea. Bright was silent for a moment, and then said-A crime. He offered no further explanation, and the boy. a little frightened by something in his father's voice, asked no more, but always remembered what ho did rot then understand.— Told In tho" Contemporary," by Mr. G. W. E. Russell. A Big Parliamentary Week. A distinct improvement in the spirit a.nd temper of tho Government sup- porters is discernible this week. Throughout the all-night sitting the attendance of Liberals was excellem, and they received with enthusiasm the Prime Minister's announcement that next week will be taken the last stages of the four Bills—Home Rule, Welsh Disestablishment, Plural Voting anr, Scottish Teruperame-which arc to be protected from destruction in the House of Lords by the ample shield of the Parliament Act. An Effective Speech. Mr. j anies Bryre, in his new book, discusses the art, of puhlic speaking, says that one of the most successful speeches he ever heard was at a public dinner of the British Association. The speaker was the last on the list, and )t was after midnight when he arose. Hs toast was "Applied Science," and ie spoke as follows: "Ladies and gentl»- men,—At this late hour I advise y<1t to illustrate the Application of Science by applying a lucifer match to ÜI3 wick of your bedroom candle. Let tg go to bed." Conscription and Hunger Strike. Conscriptionists here have quoted the adoption of cnmpulsorysenricein Australia-si a as evidence of its demo- cratic quality and its smooth working. A telogra-m from Christchurc-h an- noanee.s that many y-ouths sentenced to imprisonment tor refusing to train. have commenced the hunger strike. Here is evidence that in New Zea- land there is widespread hatred of Conscription, and that those who op- pose it are prepared to undergo heavy sufferings rather than submit to it. Our Conscriptionists (says the "Daily News and Leader" may be assured that the Britih people will not add tho military hunger trike to their other troubles. Russia's Methods in Finland. The Russification of Finland pro- ceeds apace, little noticed by Europe or by the world. Russian bureaucracy has been guilty of many deeds that are dark, but (&ays the "Daily Chronicle") not of very many which, in sordid in- justice can be regarded as surpassing its campaign of oppression in the land of the Finns. Tho independence and the constitu- tion of Finland are based upon funda- mental laws which cannot justly be altered without the consent of the Fin- nish people and which all the rulers of Russia, including the present Tear, have taken most solemn oaths to pre- serve. These oaths and laws have, during the last few years, been violated in a very outrageous fashion. Mr. Alfred Austin and Bismarck. The importance of Mr. Alfred Austin to himself has been the subject of many a jest. The latest story is told by Mr. T. H. S. Escott in the new number of the "Contemporary R. view. During the peace negotiations after the fall of Paris, Austin was the "Standard" correspondent at Ver- sailles and Laurence Oiiphant repre- senterl "The Times." One morning Oliphant, replying to a remark by Austin, said he had. heard of no hitch in the relations between tho Courts of St. James's and Berlin. "Nevertheless," replied Austin, "1 fear there must be, because only an hour or two ago I met Bismarck, and saw great coldness in his how to me."

E.C.U AND THE WELSH BILL. To the Editor. Sir,—I saw in your columns a few days ago an article which attempted to show that members of the English Church Union who wish for freedom for the church will not be very keen on demonstrations against the Welsh Church Bill, which you say "will bring freedom to the Church in Wales." The reason why the E.C.U., backed up by its members, is fighting this Bill is precisely because this bill will not "bring fio»dom to the Church in Wa les." A body is to be set up which wiU have power to do many important things, and the constitution of which is to be approved of by the State, and so virtu- ally determined by the State. On this body are to be representatives of the "laity," a phrase left so vague bv the bill that strong anti-church Nonconformists will have power to ciaim, as baptised persons to be members of this body. Many of them have already threatened that they will be. It is hardly to be wondered at therefore that the E.C.U. is very strongly opposed to .this bill, for the very reason that it de6ires freedom and not re-establishment for the chiirch.- Yours etc., MEMBER OF E.C.U. July 2, 191:3,. [Does our correspondent seriously be, lieve that Nonconformists will want to be members of the representative body, when the church is disestablished! He is needlessly distressin g himself. Non- oouformists wish nothing but well to the chureh.as a churth.-Ed. (XD.L.jk