The London Welshman

Notes of the Week. Another Royal Commission.—Who can number the Commissions appointed by the present Government? As a rule, when a difficult question crops up, instead of tackling it like a man determined to get it out of the way for ever, Mr. Ba!four shunts it to a siding for a while, and appoints a Commission to keep it there. But for once everybody agrees that the Prime Minister has done the right and proper thing in appointing a Royal Commission to enquire into the whole administration of relief under the Poor Law. This is a problem that requires very careful consideration, and whilst there is deep sympathy with the deserving poor and a sincere desire to ease the burden of the unemployed, there is also great uncertainty as to the best means to be adopted. For the last seventy years the guiding principle of British Poor Law has been, no out-door relief for the able-bodied." This principle has been continually violated in prac- tice. The very order which forbids out-door relief to the able-bodied permits it in "all those cases of distress which are of most frequent occurrence—such as sickness, accident, bodily or mental infirmity in themselves or their fami- lies." This order left a very open door, and in a score of ways the principle has been evaded by considerate Guardians. Whether this prin- ciple should be discarded altogether is a question 'that no one, except a very extreme Socialist, will dare answer hurriedly. Has the situation changed so completely from what it was seventy years ago, that the conclusions arrived at then, after careful inquiry, are now untenable ? That, we take it, will be the problem for this fresh Com- mission to solve. The Unemployed Bill.—We are glad that the Unemployed Bill will probably become law before the end of this week. The history of this Bill, or rather Bills, has been most interest- ing. The first Bill was withdrawn, and a second one introduced instead. But the second was declared by the Prime Minister to be dead less than a fortnight ago, or if not absolutely dead, in a state of coma that gave no hope of reviving. But to the surprise of everybody, a breath came from the four quarters of the House of Com- mons and breathed upon the withering corpse, and it revived, and unless a cold (blast blows upon it in the House of Lords, it will live. But only for three years. The act will be an experi- mental one, and the whole question must be reconsidered after the Royal Commission reports. It cannot be said that the present Bill is satis- factory. If the Government ought to provide for those out of work, much more adequate measures than are authorised by this Bill must be taken. On the other hand, if it be not the duty of the Government to make such provision, then the experiment, small as it is, may prove very dangerous. The Commission must watch very very carefully how the Act operates. We are in the heartiest sympathy with the desire to assist those who cannot find work, but we also foresee the dargers associated with every scheme hitherto suggested. Persons who will not work, or who refuse to recognise the law of supply and demand, cannot be relieved. And in all cases relief must be administered in such a manner as will not undermine the feeling of self-reliance that has been such an element of strength to the character of the British worker in the past. The Cotton Industry.-Rather disquieting news comes from Lancashire, and unless the situation there is handled with very great care it may develop into a calamity. The operative spinners and cardroom workers have given notice to cease work on August 19, failing an increase of wages before that date amounting to 5 per cent. On Saturday the Emergency Committee of the Federation of Master Spinners met to consider the situation. It came to the conclusion that there is no justification for an advance at the present time." But apparently the masters are anxious the operatives should strike, and the Emergency Committee of the Bolton branch of the Masters' Association has decided to give a month's notice of a reduction of 5 per cent. This action of the Bolton Local Committee was unanimously endorsed by the General Com- mittee, and the following very significant sen- tence is used in connection with that indorse- ment It is felt that a stoppage of the mills in face of such a demand" (the demand for an increase) would prove of immense advan- tage, and possibly be the means of restoring trade to its former condition." How a strike can "restore trade" is more than we are able to understand, and that the masters should take that view is a very ugly omen. And why should the attacking movement on the masters' side be made in the Bolton district? The operatives there had not de- manded an advance in wages. The Manchester Guardian is probably correct in its surmise that "the action of the Bolton masters may possibly be taken as an indication that in the case of a strike the masters would prefer that the whole industry should be brought to a standstill rather than that a working section of it should be able to support those on strike." A general strike in Lancashire would be nothing short of a national calamity, but we are afraid that the attitude of the masters will tend to hasten rather than avert it

-u Am Gymry Llundain. Y GWYLIAU.—Ar ol y fath dymhor hafaidd siomiant i'r Llundeinwyr oedd cael y fath dywydd cyfnewidiol ddydd Llun. Gan fod y cymylau mor fygythiol bu'n achos i lu mawr aros gartref. GYDA'R TRENs.-Er hyn i gyd caed cynull- iadau mawrion gyda'r gwahanol bleserdeithiau, a gwelid Parc Hatfield yn y prydnawn mor llawn o Gymry ac ar unrhyw adeg. Aeth nifer luosog i ardal Elstree hefyd, gan ymuno a- phleserdaith yr Annibynwyr. YN HATFIELD. Yr oedd y trefniadau yn Hatfield yn bob peth a ellid ddymuno, a digon- edd o fwydydd wedi eu parotoi. Gan fod y parc mor brydferth, a'r wlad oddiamgylch yn dra deniadol, nid rhyfedd fod y cwmpeini mor lluosog erbyn adeg y te brydnawn. TUA'R WLAD.—Yr oedd y gorsafoedd yn llawn iawn o deithwyr nos Wener a boreu Sadwrn, ac addefir na fu'r trens Cymreig yn llawnach ers tro. Aeth nifer dda i ardal Llan- drindod, lie y deallwn y mae torf lled barchus- o'r Cymry dinesig y dyddiau hyn. ABERYSTWYTH.—Daw'r hanes o Aberystwyth fod y dref yn cynwys llu o'r dinasyddion y dyddiau hyn. Da genym weled. eu bod yn cael y fath fwynhad ar heolydd pleserus y dref; ond ar waethaf yr haul y ceir hyn. Pan fo'r haul gryfaf y mae tanbeidrwydd y palmant yn bur boenus i'r llygaid. Rhyfedd i'r awdurdodau osod y fath wynder i balmant lie mor bwysig ag Aberystwyth. PENCERDD GWALIA.-Nid yw iechyd Mr John Thomas (Pencerdd Gwalia) yn dda iawn y dyddiau hyn ac oherwydd hyny nis gwelid ef yn ei fywiogrwydd arferol yn yr Wyl Genedl- aethol yn Aberpennar. Mae Mr. Thomas yn 79 mlwydd oed, ac mor ysgafn ei law ar y delyn ag oedd haner canrif yn ol. Y MEDDYGON.—Nid yw meddygon Llundain yn hollol sicr o'u hachosion bob amser, ac ni& gallant ddweyd i sicrwydd prun a yw person 0 dan dwymyn heintus ai peidio. Yn ol adrodd- iad blynyddol y Cyngor Lleol ynglyn a'r ysbyttai anfonwyd tua 2,000 o bersonau i'r ysbyttai heintus heb fod angen am hyny. Fe gostiodd anwybodaeth y meddygon tua -12, 000 i'r Cyngor yn ystod y flwyddyn ddiweddaf. VINCENT FEL PROPHWYD.—Desgrifia Mr. Vincent Evans yr Athro Anwy], Aberystwyth, fel Prifathro ar raglen cymdeithas yr Eistedd- fod yn Aberpennar yr wythnos hon. Hwyrach mai meddwl y dylasai fod yn brifathro oedd Y Finsent pan ei desgrifiodd fel hyn. YN YR WYL.—Yr oedd torf o Gymry'r ddinas- i'w gweled yn Aberpennar ar ddyddiau cyntaf yr Eisteddfod. Deuai amryw o honynt am dro o ardal Llandrindod, lie y treuliant eu gwyliau> tra y daeth ereill yn uniongyrchol o Lundain 1r wyl. YNG Nghymdeithasfa Methodistiaid Deheudir Cymru gynhaliwyd yn y Porth, Cwm Rhonddar rhoddwyd cryn anrhydedd i'r Parch. J. E. Davies, M.A., New Jewin. Efe a ddarllenodd y rhannau arferol o'r Ysgrythyr, ac a weddiodu yng gwasanaeth yr ordeinio. Gosodwyd e hefyd i bregethu yn yr oedfa ddeg o'r gloch bore y dydd olaf-dydd mawr yr wyl. Bu Machreth yn treulio rhai dyddiau yr wythnos ddiweddaf gyda Watcyn Wyn yn J Gwynfryn, ei balasdy prydferth yn Nyffry^ Aman. Fel yr oedd yn naturiol yn y & aw> rgylch disgynodd ysbryd englynu ar olygy CYMRO LLUNDAIN, ac ebe ef wrth ei westywr un bore Ty tawel, man i'r delyn-diwnio cerdd Dan y coed yw'r Gwynfryn Ty onglog at wau englyn, Ty cain oil, ty Watcyn Wyn. -1