Rhondda Leader Maesteg Garw and Ogmore Telegraph

Pontrhondda. A very successful competitive meeting was held at Penuel (C.M.) on Saturday evening, 9th inst. Mr. Stephen Ivins, Sher- wood, presided over the meeting. The adjudicators were Mr. Griffith James, Penygraig, on the musical part; Rev. John Morgan, Bethania, Llwynypia, on the written part; and the Rev. T. G. Jenkyn, Salem, LIwynypia, on the elocu- tionary part of the programme. Mr. D. M. Hammond, Trealaw, presided at the piano in his usual able and efficient man- ner. The secretaries were Messrs. Stephen Protheroe, Sherwood, 'and William Evans, Tyntyla Road. List of awards: —Solo for children under 12, 1st and 2nd prizes divided between Masters Wm. J. Lewis, Pontrhondda, and Morgan Pugh, Pentre, and Miss Nancy Walters, Pontrhondda, 3rd Miss Mary Bessie Davies. Sherwood; solo for children under 16, 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes divided between Masters Mor- gan Pugh, Pentre, and Edgar Walters, Pontrhondda; Scriptural examination for children under 12, 1st Master William- J. Lewis, Pontrhondda, 2nd Miss Ruth V. Davies, Oakfield, 3rd Master Eddie Y. Davies, Oakfield; recitation for children under 12, Miss Nancy Walters, Pont- rhondda recitation for children under 16, Master Edgar Walters. Pontrhondda; any eolo, open for members of Penuel only, Mr. Daniel A. Powell, Sherwood; Scriptural examination for those under 21, 1st Miss Mary J. Davies, Pontrhondda, 2nd Miss Beatrice May, Ystrad-Rhondda; time and tune test, Miss Nellie Rowlands, Sherwood; solo for those over 45, prize divided between Mrs. A. Powell, Sher- wood, and Mr. Nathaniel Walters, Pont- rhondda: open recitation, prize awarded to Miss Gwladys May Davies,, Pentre, the smallest of the four competitors; essay upon A sin unto death and a sin not unto death," the winner was one answer- ing to the pseudonym Willie cham- pion solo, Mr. T. J. Roberts, Tonyrefail, captured the trophy; impromptu read- ing, Miss Nellie Rowlands, Sherwood; quartet, Y Bwthyn ar y Bryn," Mr. Hugh Hughes, Tonypandy, and friends.

Ferndale. A sensation was caused on Tuesday evening last in High Street, just outside the Ferndale Industrial Co-operative grocery department, when a little boy I about 4 or 5 years of age was being pulled along by a passing car. Luckily, the vehicle was not going at its usual rate, and thus the little boy escaped from injuries. This is only one case out of many, and which proves a recreation ground is required at Ferndale. A full rehearsal of the oratorio, Rejoice in the Lord," took place on Wednesday last at Salem Newydd Chapel by the Ferndale Choral Union. Mr. Dd. Evans. Mus. Bac., Cardiff, the composer and the conductor of the choir, was pre- sent, and complimented the choir upon their excellent efforts of this difficult book. He also stated that he had re- 1 ceived from them more than what he ex- pected, especially in the double choruees.

Correspondence. Unemployed Teachers. N.U.T. President's Warning. To the Editor of the Rhondda Leader. Sir,—The Board of Education, in their Annual Report just issued, when dealing with the question of the supply of teachers, say that at the present moment an idea is being disseminated that a large proportion of young persons newly trained and qualified for teaching posts will find themselves permanently unable to obtain employment." The Board try to show that this statement is fallacious and that in a few years' time there wili fce a shortage of qualified adult teachers for elementary schools. The reference to the dissemination of the statement with regard to the glut of teachers is evidently aimed at the action taken by the National Union of Teachers at the Plymouth Conference, and also to a circular which the Executive of the Union sent out to parents warning them respecting the attitude of the Board of Education with regard to the supply of qualified teachers in elementary, schools. Let me say at once tlíat we have never said the young persons newly trained would find themselves permanently unable to obtain employment. What we have said, and what we are prepared to prove, is that under the present conditions of staffing in our schools many newly quali- fied teachers, trained at considerable ex- pense to the public, in addition to private expenditure, find themselves unable to obtain employment for many months, or even a year or more, after leaving: col- lege, while tens of thousands of classes in the schools are being; taught by un- qualified teachers. It is not sufficient for the Board of Education, in order to prove that there is no dearth at the pre- sent time, to give figures for 1908; they are in a better position than we are to find out the latest figures, as all teachers, directly they commence work, have to notify the Board of Education to that effect, for the purpose of recording ser- vice. Let me. give the figures for the present year. In July, 1909. 4,836 newly qualified trained teachers left the Train- ing Colleges to seek employment in the elementary schools of this country. On October 1st, only 2,860 had secured per- manent employment, 192 had obtained temporary employment as certificated teachers, 144 had accepted posts as un- certificated teachers, although they were trained and certificated, and no less than 1,528 were without employment at all. In London, the' glut of teachers is even more serious than for the country as a whole. Out of 494 students who left the L.C.C. Training Colleges in July, 1908, nearly 20 per cent. had failed to obtain places by the end of the year, and of 525 students who left the L.C.C. Training Colleges in July, 1909, 352 were reported as being unemployed in October of last year. As the staffing arrangements for London are made at the beginning of the educational year, which commences in August, there is very little prospect of many of those teachers securing employ- ment in London during the present year. These figures, at any rate, I think, will convince parents that at the present time there is a large amount of un- employment in the teaching profession. It might be well for those whose young people are awaiting appointment to write directly, or through their Parliamentary representative, to the Board of' Educa- tion, giving information as to unemploy- ment. The matter is entirely one for that Board. They have full powers to end all difficulties satisfactorily. I quite agree that unless steps are taken to deal with this matter of supply, there will be a very serious shortage of properly qualified teachers in a few years' time. Parents are not likely to make years of sacrifice in order to pre- pare their children for the teaching pro fession, only to find that at the end of their college career, just as they are entering on manhood and womanhood, no suitable places open for them. More- over, the Board of Education, by a recent Act of Parliament, have secured powers to obtain reimbursements of the amounts spent by the State on the train- ing of these young people if they do not take up service in a recognised efficient school. These young people are placed on the horns of a dilemma. There is no place for them in the schools for which they have been trained, and they must not seek employment outside, or the Board of Education will insist on the. re- payment of the cost of their training. Yet there is absolutely no need for one of these young people to be out of a place if the Board of Education insisted on the employment of properly qualified teachers. In the schools of England and Wales there are more than 18,000 supple- mentary teachers employed, that is, teachers who have absolutely no qualifi- cation, either academic or professional, for the work in which they are engaged. The Board are allowing new teachers of this class to be appointed, while fully qualified trained teachers are idle. An- other very strong reason why there is likely to be a dearth in the near future is that many Education Authorities, oppressed with the heavy rate burden, endeavour to secure relief by breaking contract with the teachers with regard to their scales of salaries. It has only been by continued efforts that the TTn|on has been able to prevent this disastrous policy from being carried out, and a grave conflict averted. At the present moment the Union is dealing with two such cases. If the Board of Education secured greater financial aid from the Treasury, they would be able to relieve the strain on the localities and at the same time insist, as they do in Secondary Schools, that the children should be taught by fully qualified teachers. I enclose a copy of the circular we have issued to parents with regard to the work of entering the teaching profession, to which I referred above.—Yours faithfully, MARSHALL JACKMAN, President National Union oFTeachers. Bolton Jttouse, Russell Square, London, W.C., 18th April, 1910. Proposed New Hall at Tylorstown To the Editor of the Rhondda Leader. Sir,—Would you kindly allow me a little space in your valuable paper to emphasise the need of a hall at Tylors- town? A few months ago, a ballot took place amongst the workmen of Nos. 6, 7 and 8 Collieries, which resulted in a small majority in favour of a hall. As the Com- 1 y mittee thought the majority insufficient, the matter was allowed to drop, and since then, at almost every concert held in the place, reference has been made for the need of a hall. Concerts, operettas and oratorios have to be held in chapels and churches, some of which are in charac- ter, which makes the church or cliapel more like a theatre than a place of wor- ship. Quite recently a syndicate has been formed with the sole object of promoting a hall which will be* a credit to the place, in fact to the Rhondda. On Sunday last, a well-known minister in the place took the promoters in hand, and criticised the movement as an object of personal gain. Surely, every hall in the Valley has been built for gain and as a counter-attraction to the public-house. The rev. gentleman has himself advocated the necessity of a hall to hold concerts. If I remember well, he said, There ought to be a hall in Tylorstown," and now, just when this syndicate has started the movement, he condemns them. The time has surely arrived for the workmen of Tylorstown to have a place to hold their meetings, instead of having to hold their meetings on the mountain side (weather permitting; if not, to be packed like sardines in a box in a club- room of a public-house). The spot selected is opposite the Jubilee Hotel, which is central for Tylorstown, Stanley town and PontygiN-a Ith. If the rev. gentleman thinks that the building in that parti- cular spot will be a temptation for young people, I feel sure the promoters would feel grateful if the rev. gentleman would suggest another spot less tempting which maybe they will accept. Reference has been made scores of times from platforms in various churches on the need of a hall to hold concerts, &c. Let us unite together and not be a stumbling block in the hour of iieecl.-Yours, &c., SYMPATHISER. A Valuable Art Find. To the Editor of the Rhondda Leader- Sir,The readers of the Rhondda Leader will be pleased to hear that Mr. Haydn Gunter, the famous Welsh violinist, has made a valuable find in the realm of Art. At a recent sale of the effects of an old house in a. suburb of Bristol, Mr. Gunter purchased for a mere song an old picture. This picture from its grimy appearance looked as though it had been lying about in a cellar or a lumber room for some considerable time. The process of oiling the canvas has served' to reveal the delightfully delicate colouring of the potrrait and its fine technique. It is a life size bust of an old lady portrayed in the act of threading a needle, and bears the inscription: — "Mother of Frans Hals, 1645." There seems little doubt, so it is reported, that this picture is from the brush of Frans Hals, the famous Dutch master. Its value can best be seen from an announce- ment in the press of the day preceding this find that a picture by this artist was sold in New York for £ 27,400. As the Morning Leader points out, the picture will prove to be worth as many hundreds of sovereigns as the lucky pos- sessor gave shillings for it." Mr. Gunter takes a keen interest in Art, and I am sure his admirers in the domain of music will wish him luck in finding a wealthy connoisseur as purebasei.Yours, T. W. BERRY.

Prince and the Pedler" by the Sion Choral Society. Ynyshir. A most successful performance of the popular operetta, entitled u Prince and Pedlar," was given on Thursday and Friday, 7th and 8th inst., at the Work- men's Hall, Ynyshir, by the Seion Choral Society, under the conductorship of Mr. Thomas Williams. The appointed presi- dents were Mr. T. Griffiths, J.P., Maes- gwyn, and Dr. Chalke; but through un- avoidable circumstances Mr. Griffiths was unable to attend on Thursday evening, and in his absence the chair was occu- pied by Mr. D. James (Defynnog), Tre- herbert. The Chairman remarked + hat- it was a source of joy that there was now every probability that the next five years would be a period of industrial prosperity for South Wales; and in that case we might look forward to a period of intel- lectual progress and development. The latter always ran concurrently with the former. Since the strike, of 1898 there had been a period of great industrial prosperity, and during the same time it had been estimated that more Welsh literature had been produced than at any similar period in the history of Wales. A great advancement in the domains of literature, art and music might be ex- pected in the near future; and he hoped the young people of Seion would take their full share in this onward march. In the Prince and the Pedlar," the performance opened with a rustic dance and chorus, Oh come to the village green," introducing" Flora," the wood- man's daughter, as Queen of May (Miss Mattie Edwards, Treorchy), whose ren- dering won hearty encores, the Pedlar (whose part was admirably filled by Mr. D. J. Anthony), the Prince (who was faithfully impersonated by Mr. D. J. Jones, Cilfynydd), and Elgiva (Flora's sister), who repeated Old Oscar's rhyme, containing the riddle to be solved, couched in the following terms, and beautifully sung by Miss Emma Gough:— "A prince and a peasant, A marriage in May, A sorrow and sadness, A sigh to be free, There will be many weddings In fair Ardenlea." The Chief of the Robbers'' was im personated by Mr. W. D. Lloyd, a favourite Rhondda baritone. ICElsie" was splendidly performed by Miss Maggie Edwards, Treorchy. "Dame Margaret of the Inn was done full justice to by Mrs. Lizzie Thomas. The Imp's character was most effectively represented by Mr. Brinley Williams, who is a chip of the old block. Two sweet characters, Ina and Dorothy," found faithful exponents in the persons of Miss Louisa Thomas and Miss M. A. Lloyd. The onerous duties of accompanist were discharged in a praiseworthy manner by, Mrs. Anthony. Great credit is due to the stage manager, Mr. Edward Griffiths, and especially to the conductor, Mr. T. Williams, who was described by the chairman as a champion conductor of children." Short appreciatory addresses were delivered by Messrs. W. Rees (Cymmer and J. Wil- liams. and also by Messrs. W. Thomas and D. Powell, the senior deacons of il'Yt I

"-I"L'LA. Your clothes iSMHSg would last longer, H^HNS ■J Your linen 52 would be whiter, K >j!IS S* if you use | Puritan js sono .11 r I.

National League of Young Liberals. Mr. Fred Maddison at Tonypandy A public meeting in c-omiectioji with the Tonypandy branch of the above League was held at Old Bethania Chapel on Thursday evening, the 14th inst., at 7 o'clock, when Mr. Fred Maddison, ex- M.P., delivered a very lucid and inspiring address on The Supremacy of the House of Commons." Mr. Tom John, M.A., presided in his usual able manner. Owing to counter-attractions, the attendance was not very large. Mr. Maddison, who spoke upon The Supremacy of the House of Commons," said that licensing, electoral and land reforms would never be placed on the Statute Book while the House, of Lords as at present constituted stood in the way. The present House of Lords was every- thing it should not be. with the result that a Liberal Government was never really in power. He (the speaker) believed in a Second Chamber, but it should be devoid of all hereditary principles. The speaker also quoted Lord Rosebery to demonstrate that a large percentage of the peers were unable and unfit to take any part in legislation, and the Liberals were aiming at the. true interests of the people when they aimed at curtailing the veto of the House of Lords. At the conclusion of 3Ir. Maddison's eloquent address, a vote of thanks to the speaker was proposed by Mr. T.. James, seconded by Mr. R. J. Whittington, sup- ported by Mr. J. T. Lewis, and carried unanimously. The following officers and committee were then appointed:—President, Mr. Tom John, M.A. vice-president. Rev. E. Richards; chairman of Executive Com- mittee, Mr. T. James, Clydach Vale; vice-chairman, Mr. R. J. Whittington Berw Road, Llwynypia; treasurer, Mr. Richard Hughes, 33, Ely Street; general secretary, Mr. J. Owen Thomas, Maindee House, Kenry Street; financial secretary, Mr. David Hopkins, 50, Primrose Street; executive committee, Messrs. W., D. Thomas, J. T. Lewis, E. Vaughan Davies, T. Williams, W. H. Davies, Dd. Davies, J. E. Williams. Llew. James, B. Evans, Ben Harries, J. W. Jones, and Danl. Hughes. The object of the League is to stimu- late the study of questions of national importance, social and industrial, and to promote Liberal principles among young men and women. All young men and women over 16 in sympathy with Liberal and Progressive principles are eligible for membership, and those who are desirous of becoming members are asked to apply to the secretary, who will supply them with membership forms.

I LADIES! Send at Once. MRS. STAFFORD BROOKES, The Eminent Lacty Specialist, has much pleasure in announ-ing that her remedy tor Restoring: Health WITHOUT MEDICINE the only certain and speedy oiie known. 1 Guarantee Evecy Case. Send at once stamped addressed envelope for full particulars and testimonials (guaranteed genuine under a penalty o! £ 1,000). A Lady writes—"Dr. Douglas bas recommended rue, for which I thank him." WRITE NOW. me, for which I thank him." WRITE NOW. MRS. STAFFORD BROOKES, (Dept. 309),CATFORD, LONDON. 165

I "The Great Light." I Performance at Trealaw. At the Judge's Hall. Trealaw, on Thursday last, a performance of Finlay Lyon's cantata, The Great Light," was rendered by the Bethel Choral Society, under the conductorship of Mr. Willie Thomas. The following artistes were engaged for the occasion: —Soprano, Miss Annie Gibbon, Pontypridd contralto, Miss May Jones, Ynysybwl; tenor, Mr. Saunders Jones, Pontypridd; bass, Mr. R. O. Jones, Tonypandy. The book was preceded by a miscel- laneous programme, which was opened by a selection on the pianoforte played by Master D. Morgan Hammond, followed by a bass solo by Mr. R. O. Jones. Miss Annie Gibbon sang" I will extol Thee," and Mr. Saunders Jones rendered "My Dreams" (Tosti); song, "My Ain Folk," Miss May Jones; solo, Mr. Robert Jones. The duet. A Night in Venice," sung by Miss Gibbon and Mr. S. Jones, concluded the miscellaneous programme. The choir then proceeded with The Great Light. The work, which con- tained many descriptive choruses, was treated in an excellent manner, the work of the conductor, Mr. Willie Thomas, being most effective. Messrs. A. Thomas and D. M. Hammond played the accom- paniments in a very satisfactory manner. In the absence of Mr. L. W. Llewelyn,

Cambrian Combine. Absorbs Another Colliery. The Cambrian T rust have acquired a controlling interest in the Britannic Merthyr Colliery, Gilfach Goch. The Britannic Company's property adjoins the Cambrian Collieries, and covers an area of about 1,400 acres. It has an output of about 200,000 and 300,000 tons per annum.

Treorchy. A social tea was held at the vestry of Ramah Chapel on Tuesday evening, under the auspices of the Ramah Sewing Class. The proceeds were devoted to a movement which soon will end in the holding of a bazaar at Ramah Chapel, the proceeds of which will be devoted to the church funds.

Uchtnlns WEMOS COUGH "CURE Vba psml an* mat MM# lie ACUTE EOLDS INFLUENZA OHRONIG COUGHS WHOOPINQ OOUQH BRONCHITIS NASAL CATARRH CHRONIC ASTHMA WEAK LUNGS JkJMma SJon. MJjh. watyat, T iimw OMM On la ■ompnaart of pure ipyitdlwi*. aa* la • ■wtjaaBa^ vii

HEADACHE. TERRIBLE SUFFERING RELIEVED, COULD NOT SLEEP-LIFE UNBEARABLE. A WOMAN'S EXPERIENCE. I was a great sufferer from Nervous Headache and Insomnia, says Mrs. Agnes Woods, of 20t Earl Street, off Church Street, Pendleton, 2.11d could get no relief. I consulted doctors, who gave me bottles of medicine wjaich did me no good whatever. The pains in mv head were fear- ful, and having to attend to little girl who was ill. made life unbearable. I could get no sleep, and seemed to go fro--li I)ad to worse. resource I gave Dr. Morse's Indian Root Pills a trial and found them exactly what I wanted. The pains in my head disappeared and I obtained refreshing and healthy rest. I am now in perfect health and can confidently affirm that it is simply through taking Dr. Morse's Indian Root Pills that this end has been attained. I recommend them to all my friends, who have received the same benefit as I have, and I would under no circumstances be without them. Dr. Morse's Indian Root Pills get at the cause by cleansing the stomach, purifying the blood and aiding the digestion and assimilation of food, and are a positive and permanent cure for Indigestion, Biliousness, Constipation, Impure Blood, and Female Ailments. Sold by Chemists and Stores, price 1/1! per bottle, < r The W. II. Comstock Co., Ltd., 21, Farringdon Avenue, Loudon, E C.

Undeb Ysgoliiion Sabbothol y ftfiettv odistiaid, Dosbarth Uchaf Rhondda. Arholiad ar Lafar dydd Sa-dwra, Ebrili 2il, 1910 Arliohvr.—Parch. J. Ernlyri Jones, Porth. SAFOK RHAGBARATOAWL. 1 Irene Peters. Gosen, wobr eyntaf. 2 Wm. Tcjlui Edwards, Bethlehem, ail wobr. 3 Annetta May Williams, Bethlehem. 4 Margaret Olivia Davies, Bethlehem. 5 Tommy Rees, Goeen. 6 Johnny Davies, Bethlehem, « 7 Nellie Lewis, Jerusalem. A1 8 Evan Morgan Jones, Gosen. 9 Lizzie Davies, Gosen. 10 David F. Williams, Bethlehem, 11 Maggie Evans, Gosen. 12 Ilettie Evans, Jerusalem. 13 Evan P. Peters, Gosen. 14 Jane Annie Edwards, Gooen,, 15 Elizabeth Hopkins. Gosen. 16 Evan Gilbert Wright, Bethlehem. 17 Maggie Harris, Gosen. 18 Tommy Enoch, Gosen. Evan Rowland Owen, Gosen, William Jones, Gosen. Johnny Jones, Gosen. Thomas D. Lewis, Gosen. Daeth 4 o rai bychain o Gosen a 2 0 Jerusalem i gynyg pasio y safon hon cyfl bod yn ddigon hen, &c. S-A-FON 1, 1 Robert Bassett, Gosen, wobr cyntaf. 2 David Emlyn Pugh, Gosen, ail w.obr. 3 Catherine M. Jones, Gosen. 4 Addy Williams, Jerusalem. 5 Willie Evans, Bethlehem.. 6 Ieug Lewis Jones, Bethlehem. 7 Willie Bonner, Gosen. Kate Morgan, Jerusalem. 8 Ida Williams, Jerusalem. 9 Stephen Evans, Gosen. William James, Gosen. Gething Morgan, Jerusalem. 10 Arthur Devonald, Jerusalem. Jenny Lloyd Morris, Gosen. 11 Jenny Bonner, Gosen. 12 Deborah Williams, Jerusalem. 13 Lilian Morgan, Jerusalem. Maggie Morgan, Jerusalem. 14 Nancy Morgan, Jerusalem. 15 Willie Mantle, Jerusalem. Methodd un. SAFON II. 1 Annie Davies, Gosen, wobr eyntaf. 2 Edgar Hughes, Jerusalem, ail wobr. 3 Maggie Jones, Bethlehem. 4 Nellie Thomas, Gosen. 5 David Richard Edwards, Bethlehem. Nancy Evans, Bethlehem. Bessie Morgan, Jerusalem. Maggie May Evans, Gosen. 6 Evan Thomas James, Gosen. David Phillips, Bethlehem. Jane Ann Wright, Bethlehem. 7 Katie Pugh, Gosen. Nellie Smith, Gosen. 8 Harold Morgan, Goeen. Evan David Hughes, Bethlehem. David James Mills, Bethlehem. 9 May Lewis, Jerusalem. Eliz. Jane Owen, Gosen. David Emrys Evans, Goeen. 10 Daniel Elwyn Evans. Gosen. Lizzae Jane Jones, Gosen. David John Davies, Bethlehem. 11 Brynfor Griffiths, Jerusalem. Wm. Thomas Davies, Jerusalem. 12 Clifford Jones, Jerusalem. 13 Tommy Jones, Gosen. Willie Williams, Jerusalem. Caiff y gweddill ymddangos yr wythnoS nesaf. HUGH WILLIAMS, Ysg. u

Trealaw On Saturday. Sunday and Monday lasjk the annual preaching services were at Seion (C.M.) Chapel, Trealaw, wbeo the Revs. T. Charles Williams, M., Borthaethwy, and W. E. Piythercl" Swansea, preached to large congregation The annual meetings of Carmel (E.:B. Trealaw, were also held on Sunday alJ Monday last, the Rev. E. Lewis, r^t'er forest, officiating. The Revs. W. J. Rees, Porth, and £ C. Jones, Tynewydd,' preached at the ha*, yearly meetings of Tabernacle Trealaw, on Sunday and Monday last.

Drink more CIDElt tot —you will be the better for it— in health, better in pocket. Splendid Cider xod. per gal}., bottling at if- per £ W all carriage paid.—N. P. HUNT & ULji Cider Growers aid Merc^