Rhondda Leader Maesteg Garw and Ogmore Telegraph

Football. H. Prichard, of the St. Cynon's Res., is a fine custodian, and will take some beating. D. Collyer, centre forward of the Reserves, is a tricky player, and should make a name for himself. W. H. Simpson, hon. secretary of the Reserves, is the right man in the right place. Ton did very well on Saturday last in making a draw with Salisbury City on their own ground. The homesters were at full strength, and to draw with them was no mean feat. The return match at Ton on Saturday week should prove interesting. I Hugh Williams was the best man on the field at Salisbury. HughIe feeds his for- wards with tact and defends his charges with equal success. The citizens did not know what to make of him; for a time they hooted, and then immediately cheered him.

Killed on Line at Ynyshir. Whilst proceeding to work on Wednes- day morning, John Cor field (4=5), plate- layers in the employ of the Taff Vale Railway Company was killed on the line at Ynyshir. It appears that the unfor- tunate man was in the act of stepping off the metals to avoid a passing goods train, when he was caught by the work- men's train coming in an opposite direc- off the metals to avoid a passing goods train, when he was caught by the work- men's train coming in an opposite direc- tion, and leceived such injuries to his head that he expired almost immediately. Deceased resided at Syphon Street, Porth.

Licensing: Sessions. At Pontypridd Licensing Sessions on Wednesday, Mr. Ivor Bowen (instructed by Mr. T. W. Lewis) applied for a music and dancing license for the Pavilioii Skating Rink, Tonypandy. The appli- cation Was opposed by Mr. W. P. Nicholas, representing the Empire Music Mall Co., and Mr. Sam Duckworth, Theatre Royal, Tonypandy. Mr. Nicholas pointed out that he wished to avoid the place being used later on as a music hall. Mr. Ivor Bowen having given an undertaking that this would not be the case, the applica- tion was granted. A music license was granted to the Judge's Hall, Trealaw, on the application of Mr. W. P. Nicholas, chairman of the committee of that institution. Mr. John S. Davies (magistrates' clerk) asked the Press to note that the Sessions would be adjourned until March 2nd, and Special Sessions for transfers, &c.. would be held on April 6th, May 18th, June 29th, August 10th, September 28th, November 9th, and December 28th.

Opera, at Mardy. Revival of "Owan Glyndwr," Two splendid performances, before crowded and appreciative audiences, of the late Eos Bradwen's opera, "Owen Glyndwr," were given bv the Siloah Choral Society at the Workmen's Hall on Thursday and Saturday evenings last. The choir was accompanied by a highly ) EOS DAR, I ^apahle orchestra, consisting of the fol- .\fWlUg well-known players —First violins. Davies, Ferndale. (leader), and J- Harries, Mardy: seconds, Messrs. J\J' Prancombe and Willie Howells, J liv■' violas, Messrs. Howell David and fc-0,Wllfcins, Mardy; 'cello, Mr. T. E. \V M-E., Mardy; double bass, Mr. ees> Ynyshir: trumpet, Mr. T. erndale; clarionet, Mr. Tom Ruthin Castle), Mr. Ted Smith, -'r Mills, Mardy; flute, Mr. W. T. Maddock, Ferndale; pianoforte, Mr. Jos. Griffiths, Mardy; organ, Mrs. A. M. Richards, Mardy. The chief parts were: — Owen Glvndwr," Mr. Harry Leivis, Nelson; Margaret (his wife), Mrs. M. A. Lewis, Ynyshir; "Joanna" (his daugh- ter). Miss Tegwen Connelly, Mar.dy lolo Goeh" (his bard\ Mr. W. Trevor Lewis, Ferndale; "Reginald De Grev Treharris; "Henry IV." (King of Eng- land). Mr. W. D. Evans, Mardy. Most of the above are well-known con- cert artistes who need no praise other than to mention that they were in their usual form and knew their work well. The two local artistes did exceedingly well also. Miss Connelly has a charming top register. Should she determine on a course of study with the object of making the higher and lower registers of her voice uniform in resonance, she would surely make a name for herself as an artiste. We are convinced that she has the intelligence. Whether- she would make a painstaking student or not remains to be seen. Mr. Evans acted the part of the daunted Henry IV. most creditably. From the acting standpoint we were agreeably surprised all round. We hardly expected such natural stage movement from amateurs. It used to be thought that the WeIfh were no good at acting. Happily, thirtgs are changing for the good. These performances were free from the usual mechanical-doll gestures which have been so common in our midst. A word of praise is also due to the gentlemen who were entrusted with the minor parts. These were:—^Mr. T. J. Jones ("Sentinel"), and Messrs. D. Harris and Idwal Evans (" Messengers "). It is not generally known that our bril- liant countryman, Owen Glyndwr, is one of the finest characters in Shakespeare's works. The more acquainted we get with Glyndwr's life, all the more will we rejoice in our nationality. It used to be thought that he was a rebel pure and simple but as the late patriot, Mr. Tom E. Ellis, M.P., said: "He was not a mere robber chieftain, this student of Dante and the. associate of kings. His ideals, described in a letter to the King i>f France, were those of a statesman of the times at his best—the independence of Wales, a Welsh archbishopric, and two Welsh Universities. In that iron age of rapacity and cruelty and treachery, Owen Glyndwr stands out from the degenerating nobles as a Prince of kingly generosity nobles as a Prince of kingly generosity and statesmanlike views, as the defender of the labourer, and as the i-epresentitive of culture and of philanthropy." We had never heard of, let alone seen, Bradwen's Owen Glyndwr before last week, but we admit the work as a musi- I cal and poetical composition impressed us very favourably. Nevertheless, to com- pare it with the works of the masters, either ancient or modern, would be to write nonsense.. But musically it is infi- nitely superior to the Sankey and Moody style of cantatas that have of late years become almost a pest in our midst. It is painful to think that some who in their younger days conducted classical works, should waste the energy of their. later days in conducting such wind-baggy stuff. Were it not that most of these so-called cantatas have Biblical titles, one would often be justified in calling the music and poetry rot. Now that" Glyndwr" has been revived, we hope it will have a long and success- ful run loallv- We thank Eos Dar (the conductor) and his choir heartily for their high-class performances. Lack of space, unfortu- nately, forbids us to make any detailed observations of the singing. We cannot close without extending our heartiest thanks to the presidents, Drs. Morris and Grant, for their brief but exceedingly appropriate speeches, the former on Thursday and the latter on Saturday evening. Mr. Tom Thomas, A.R.C.M. (baritone), Ynyshir, was the stage manager.

-Obitvary. With deep regret we record the death of Mrs. Enos George, Danyrallt, Porth, which took place on Wednesday last at her residence. The deceased, who was a very active member of Bethania (W.B.) Chapel, leaves a husband and several children to lament her premature death. The funeral took place on Monday after- noon, when a large number of relatives and friends followed, the corpse to its last resting place at Llethrddu. A brief service was held at the house and grave- side by the Rev. J. Edwards..

OJ Ist W ARCH ER«C9nH kOLDEMREFURHS | REGISTEREP Facsimile oj One-Otuta JHuckrt. Archer's Golden Returns j fh« fMtwiUwi •» *<*••••' Ooot. A*» '■'JUWUf*" Y W«" ■—J Jaw-wrfT

I Honouring fyiefthyi^s I' VictcfP. Mr. Edgar Jones, M P 's Homecoming. With a. swift, almost meteoric, flight Mr.. Edgar R. Jones, M.A., M.P., has traversed the distance from mining vil- lage lad to member of Parliament. It is J not so very many years ago that, as a yo-ungster, he taught other youngsters to speak, and incidentally became himself more accomplished in the art of speak- ing. It is yet more recent that he obtained his B.A. degree with honours at the Welsh University, Cardiff, and later Mr. EDGAR JONES. M.A., M.P. his M.A. degree with a thesis on poli- tical history. The news of his great vic- tory in the Merthyr Boroughs was re- ceived with keen pleasure everywhere in the Valleys, and this delight found its outlet on Monday evening last in the grand welcome home accorded the new M.P. The reception, of course, originated at and was engineered from Wattstown, but people from all parts joined in the great ovation. Porth was selected as the starting point of the reception. Here an immense crowd awaited the arrival of the 6.40 train, and when the new member al yhted on the platform, he was greeted b, a number of intimate friends. Out- side the station Mr. Jones' appearance w&a the signal for a great outburst of cheering. Cries of Speech, speech" immediately went up, and Mr. Jones mounted the carriage seat, and in a char- acteristic address thanked the people for their touching welcome. At the con- clusion of his speech, the member for Mexthyr called for three cheers for Mr. Lloyd George, which were heartily given. A Triumphal Progress. Controlled by the police, under Inspec- tor Williams, the procession then wended its way towards Wattstown, the home of My. Jones. The Ynyshir Brass Band, under Mr. Dey, playing appropriate music, See the Conquering Hero comes" being oft repeated, headed the proces- sion. The Wattstown Ambulance Bri- gads, of which Mr. Jones is a vice-presi- dent, under Supt. Huxham, came next. The other brigades were the Tylorstown Brigade, under Sergt. Cbn Richards, and the Ynyshir Brigade acted as a kind of bodyguard. Figuring in the procession were the Federation officials, including Mr. E. T. Woods (secretary), Mr. John Jones (checkweigher), Mr. W. J. Parry, Mr. Thomas Bowen, and others, and also Mr. John Hughes (checkweigher, Cymmer) and Mr. Cyril Thomas (treasurer, Cymmer Lodge). In the carriage were Mr. Edgar Jones, M.P., Mr. and Mrs. M. H. Jones (the father and mother of the young member). Mr. W. H. Jones (brother), Dr. Chalke (Porth), and Inspector Williams (Porth). The night was damp and drizzly, but the torches borne by members of the pro- cession lit up the gloom and lent the pro- cession a picturesque aspect. All along the route the plaudits of the people rang out again and again, and at Ynyshir Mr. Jones had to make another speech, which was delivered in his well-known style. A huge gathering of people awaited the arrival of the procession at Wattstown, and almost as soon as the doors of Cal- faria Chapel were opened, the sacred i edifice was filled to overflowing. The meeting was remarkable for the number of speeches and for the spontaneous ex- pression of feeling evident on all hands. The Rev. Christmas Jones, supported bv Mr. Tom John, M.A. (Llwynypia), Dr. Chalke (Porth), Mr. J. Kane, M.E.. and Mr. T. A. Lewis, B.Sc. "(Porth), presided, and in a speech worthy of note spoke of Mr. Jones' great fight in Merthyr, his magnificent victory, and this magnificent culmination to the whole event. Hero worship, he said, was evidently not dead in Wales. Mr. Jones had been referred to as the Lloyd George of the Rhondda." It was a title well deserved, and the Lords temporal and spiritual would soon find that they had another brilliant Welshman to contend with (cheers). Mr. James Rosser then sang some verses suitable to the occasion, the audi- ence heartilv joining in the chorus. The following speakers respectively pro- posed and seconded votes of congratula- tion on behalf of the several bodies named:-The Wattstown Institute Com- mittee (of which Mr.. Jones is a trusteed, Messrs. Frank Horwood and Geo. Cross the Surface Craftsmen, Messrs. Oliver Draisey and John Vaughan; the Star of -Wattstown Lodge of True Ivorites, Messrs. William May and David Evans: the Wattstown Ambulance Brigade, Messrs. B. H. Huxham and John Evans Sick and Accident Fund, Messrs. W. J. Parry and Thomas Bowen. On behalf of the inhabitants of Watts- town, Mr. E. T. Woods sooke in a happy vein, and Mr. J. Kane, M.E., seconding, said that in Mr. Jones they had a cham- pion for all that was right and a member who would not only represent Merthyr, but every movement that had the in- +,ATAsts of the neonle at stake (cheers). Mr. David Thomas, the. accomplished tenor, gave a fine rendering of "Gwlad fy Ngenedigaeth." On th- Win.# Mr. Tom John, M.A. (Llwynypia), to whom, so it is freely said, can be attri- buted most of the present success of Mr. Edgar Jones and to whom the member for Merthyr himself paid a glowing tribute, was particularly felicitous, and on rising to speak was accorded a fine ovation. Merthyr, he said, was no dif- ferent to Wattstown. They were all fond of the bov there (loud apolause). In humorous terms which created roars of laughter Mr. John played on Watts- town's nickname, Cwtch." Let him hear anyone refer to Cwtch again, and he would have something to say (laugh- ter). People did not generally keep valu- ables in Cwtches," but in Mr. Jones they had a precious stone of the first water (applause). Mr. John then happily produced. a football simile. Mr. Jones and Mr. Roch, he declared amidst great enthusiasm, he would put as wing three- quarters, being the youngest and swiftest of the Welsh team. He further pointed out tllat Mr. Jones had falsified the Bible tradition of a prophet being without honour in his own country. He himself knew Mr. Jones knew, and the people of Merthyr knew, of what great value the assistance given by Wattstown had been in the fight. He compared the men of Wattstown with Blucher's men at the battle of Waterloo (loud applause). With impressive words the speaker continued to give words of encouragement to the young men of the place, and impressed on the older ones the necessity, if they had a. brilliant or promising young man amongst them, to give him a chance. The world was glad of a place that could turn out such men, and they were doing a service to their country and to the Empire (applause). It appeared to him that only young men would do in Watts- town. They had another instance in Mr. Kane. It had taken him a long time to understand that this young man was the manager of the collieries. Mr. Jones had, lie. said, a great gift of eloquence and the power to move audiences. Further than that, he spoke not only with his lips, but lips and heart spoke at the same time (applause). He looked forward to the day when the people of Wattstown would meet together to give Mr. Edgar Jones another reception when he took a Govern- ment office (cheers). Dr. Chalke's Tribute. Dr. Chalke, of Porth, was also given an enthusiastic reception. He stood second to none in his appreciation of his late colleague and distinguished friend, Mr. Edgar Jones. The parting to him had been a painful one. It would be diffi- cult to find anyone to take his place. Some 600 or 700 teachers had passed through his hands, and he had left the mark of his personalitv on them. They were proud of him in the Pupil Teachers' Centre. They knew it would come to this some day, but it was not expected so soon. Mr. Jones was destined for greater things, and for political fame especially. Wales had produced Tom Ellis, and in the cheeky words of the Duke of Marl- borough, the demi-god from Criccieth" —Mr. Lloyd George—(loud applause)— and they would yet live to be proud of Mr. Jones. He possessed all the ability and all the characteristics that made for success (hear, hear). He ventured to pre- dict that when Mr. Edgar Jones got up in the House of Commons to make one of his inspiring speeches, he would make a name for himself in a flash (hear, hear). Dr. Chalke wound up a speech remark- able for its clearness of diction and good utterance with an expression of his pride at the reception given Mr. Edgar Jones, and his best wishes and hopes for the con- 1\ tinuance of what promised to be an un- usually brilliant career. I Mr. Edgar, Jones, M P. Mr. Edgar Jones, M.P., on rising, was accorded a rousing reception, the whole audience rising and singmg. His speech was not couched or delivered in that style which has won such high eulogiums, but rather in a comparatively quiet and talkative manner that still commanded deep interest, and that was really deeply eloquent of a glad feeling and appecia- tion of a flattering reception. This was the only time, he said, he had been ner- vous. He only wanted to come home and leave all the glory and reflected glory behind him. He felt more like getting up in a parlour to speak to a number of friends than if he was addressing a public meeting. He thanked them from his heart for coming out on such a night. He never expected it. Personally, he felt that the reception they had given him previous to this was good enough for him. He was glad to see the old faces, the kind faces, around him. He wished to pay a tribute to Mr. Tom John, M.A., who had helped him in Merthyr, and who had many and many a time previously helped him with sound advice and mature and restraining counsels (applause). He was also deeply indebted to Dr. Chalke. Mr. Jones then proceeded to quote some reminiscences of his early life, showing how his early associations had a bearing on his present success. His shop life in his father's business, all his early experi- ence had a bearing on his present life. Wattstown was always linked up in his life. It would have been better for him in the past twelve months to have lived in Mid-Wales, but every week-end he gravitated back to the place, of his boy- hood days. He only asked them to re- member him when he was in London facing big things, and he would be grate- ful. It was a source of inspiration to him to know that they thought of him. and knowing that, he would face and do battle with anything (loud anolause). His early training had taught him to know and handle men and handle details, and he often thought of these good honest chaps who, although the worse for drink, came to him in those days, shook his hands, and preached him little sermons. Further, he had seen into the homes of the-people; he knew what a struggle to live meant, and it was only one who knew these things that could speak with any authority on the wants of the people (cheers). Mr. Jones afterwards 'referred to the great public meeting held in the Market Hall, Aberdare, during his- elec- tion campaign. He desired to publicly thank Mr. E, T. Woods and his friends for their most timely aid in the election (applause). The young M.P. then spoke in fine phrases of the Wattstown Temper- ance and Mutual Improvement Society, where a little band of them learnt to speak. He further -aid a deep and eloquent tribute to the old Rhondda School Hoard, which had dealt so kindly with him when he was working for his examination. Providence had always somehow been good to him. He had never gone to any trouble and sown no seed that had not come back to him a hundred-fold (hear, hear). Continuing, Mr. Jones said that he and Mr. Tom John had been at the National Liberal Club together, and he had been intro- duced by Mr. John to famous people as the member with the greatest Progressive majority in the country. They looked him up and down from head to toe, and back and front, in fact, all ways, as if not understanding how so insignificant looking a man had managed it (laughter and applause). The audience had osten- sibly come out to hear a. political speech, but Mr. Jones spoke in an unusual and a. new strain, and the whole of his deliver- ances were delightful rambles through the fields of early reminiscences, touching here and there as they came, to mind little incidents, the venue or scene of which everyone knew. again naming friends of his boyhood days, many of whom were present, paying a graceful tribute to those older men who had guided his early foot- I steps. Those who had taught him the Welsh alphabet in Sunday School had more to do with his success than the col- lege professors under whom he afterwards sat (anplause). The speakers had' rightly said that he would not only represent Merthyr. He would renresent everything that had to do with the welfare of the I people (anolause). He would, he said, see everything with the eyes of Watts- town (loud applause). Mr. James Rosser led the singing of Hen Wlad fv Nhadau," which ended a memorable gathering.

Performance cf "King Giaf at Oymmer. [By Our Musical Critic.] It was with great pleasure that one accepted the cordial invitation of the Cymmer Choral Society to attend the performances of Sir Edward Elgar's King Olaf" on Thursday and Saturday at Cymmer congregational Chapel. The sorry fact must be admitted that it is but seldom that our choral (societies in the hills have the courage to invite criticism of their concerts by a non- partisan; they evidently prefer to wallow in the superlatives of their immediate friends, whose criticism is. without ex- ception, self-praise. They have yet to learn that criticism can only be honestly given by one who is in no way interested in the performing society. The Cymmer Society are to be congratulated for their courage, for it really amounts to that, in seeking and inviting criticism by an in- dependent scribe. This was the first opportunity afforded Rhondda music-lovers of hearing Elgar's j" dramatic oratorio," and they were not backward in taking advantage of it. The chanel was crowded on Thursday evening, and there was a good audience on Satur- day. One was pleased to note the evident interest taken in the performance by those present, the several numbers of the work being followed with the closest attention, in spite of the fact that much of the solo work was very uninteresting. The artistes were: —Madame Mill&- Reynolds, Pontypridd Mr. Cynlais Gibbs and Mr. Frederick Ranalow. London, and a very capable trio they proved to be; yet it must not be denied that their exacting portions, taken altogether, failed to appeal to the audience. The one ROlo that illumined the performance was that allotted to Mr. Gibbs, describing King Olaf's return to avenge his father slain." The soloist was here given ample oppor- tunity to display his excellent voice and dramatic insight, and the opportunity was used to splendid advantage. Mr. Ranalow was not so fortunate. His assistance was mainly evoked in recita- tive, but even in this limitation one soon formed the opinion that in him we have a first-class artiste, the possessor of a fine bass voice under splendid control (especially so in the second concert). Madame Reynolds' ability had a severe test, and her complete success must be all the more satisfactory to her. In performances of this nature the chorus, naturally, commands a great deal of attention. Indeed, to some, the sing- ing of the choir is of paramount import- ance, and the success of the concert is accordingly judged by the choir's per- formance. Even if judged from this standpoint, success must be written largely as the result of the efforts of Mr. Joseph Bowen, the conductor. One Eas I but to look through the work, and then the amount of energy expended by him and his singers to master the difficulties contained therein can be surmised. It was only in one number where one thought the singers were not treading on sure ground, but with this exception the read- ing was very well done. The best portion of the choir was the bass. After attend- ing performances in all parts of the Valley, one can unhesitatingly say that it is here that the bass voices have pleased one most. The tone produced was never harsh, and there was never that approxi- mation to shouting that one sometimes notices. The tenors, on the other hand, were. weak and were far behind their brethren in point of merit. They were the chief cause of the uncertainty men- tioned above. The ladies, who, by the way, looked very nice with the different coloured rosettes, did very well, and are to be congratulated for their rendering of the ladies' chorus, a by no means easy one. Some of the, effects produced by the choir were excellent. Especially was this so in the competitive chorus, I am the God Thor, and the ballad chorus in The Wraith of Odin." One missed, however, the, many varieties of expression indicated in the copy; but this seems to be the chief failing point of most of our societies. Much of the beauty of a work is sometimes Ipst by failure to carry out the intentions of the composer in this respect. The orchestra, under the leadership of Mr. John Williams, was moderately suc- cessful. Valuable assistance was given by Miss Greatorex. and Mr. John Llewellyn on the piano and organ respectively. On Saturday evening, a very enjovable miscellaneous programme was contributed by the artistes, s follows" Sergeant of the Line," Mr. Ranalow: My Dearest Heart." Madame Reynolds: and "0 na byddai'n haf o hyd," Mr. Gibbs. The concerts were presided over bv Mr. William Evans and the Rev. Mr. Salmon. It is to be hoped tlol the finan- cial result will equal the musical; if it will, then the efforts of all cor:rerned will be crowned with success.

Our Library Tables, Theology. f" Gwel"si Esboniadol ar JBpistolac loan Gan y Parch. T. E. Davies. Bkser,elvdach E. W. Evans, Dolgellau. Is.J This is, we believe, Mr. second contribution to the literature, vt theo- logical exposition, and as its titie implies, the volume deals with that portion of hcripture adopted by the C.M. Sunday Schools for the present year. It is a. more comprehensive and ambitions work than the. author's Sermon on the Mount," and the subject matter is treated with that breadth of view and i-aciuese of stvlo which so happily characterised his first successful effort. The preserri Wrk is a reprint in handy form of artk-las which have already appeared in that excellent Welsh periodical. Y Lladmervdd," and which have received so ^vouraWe a notice at the hands of manv of t •> leading divines of the Principality. We commend it to the notice of Sun- day School teachers and scholars, and prust; that it will receive the v, ide res 1- mg it so worthily deserve* Liberal Publicationg. We hare pleasure in directing atten- tion to the various ways in. which ti e Liberal Publication Department is of service to the Liberal Party. The "Liberal Magazine" is issued1 tii, 7Th of every month and deals with all the politics of the preeedins: month A number costs 6d. post free. the ya)'-v subscription is 5s. post free.4. mw volume (the eighteenth) begins with the February number. Another fea ture which deserves to be known is the Annual Guinea Subscription." in return for which <iuhscribers" get (a1* monthly issues of the Literal" Maea- zine." (h) at the end of the vear a specially bound copy of Magazine" on superior paper, km eom»s of a!! Pamphlets r £ lssu"ed- Pamphlets and Leaflets bound m a volume, printed on superior paper and indexed, (e) th.p. monthly issues of the Libera! Monthly." and (f) the Liberal Year Book nn superior paper and specially bound. For turthe,- information as to'the "Liberal Magazine." the Guinea Subscription." and jarious other «e'vices, apnlicatinn should be made to the Liberal P'jblieation Department. 42, Parliament minster. S.W.