The Rhondda Leader

Young Men's Christian Association. Opening of New Branch at Porth* Address by the Bishop of Hereford. In the early part of the year a local branch of the Y.M.C.A. was formed at Porth and meetings held at local vestries. Recently rooms were secured in a central position near the Town Hall, comprising a commodious hall and three or four smaller rooms, and to inaugurate the opening of the new premises, an interest- ing meeting was held on Tuesday evening last. The Lord Bishop of Hereford being the principal speaker for the evening, it was natural that great interest was dis- played in the district, and a very repre- sentative attendance resulted. The chair was occupied by the hon. member for East Glamorgan (Sir Alfred Thomas, M.P.), who was supported by Mr. E. Samuel, B.A. (the president of the Porth Y.M.C.A.), the Rev. W. Thomas (vicar of Porth), the Revs. B. Davies, R. B. Jones, and R. H. Jones, Dr. Ivor H. Davies, J.P., Mr. W. G. Howell (clerk of the Rhondda School Board), and others. In his introductory address, the Chair- man (Sir Alfred Thomas, M.P.) said the question had been often asked, Is the world getting better ? A few pessimis- tic people said, "No," but at the lowest ebb of his faith he believed the world was getting better. They had now a great many agencies for good, and the Y.M.C.A. was one. Though its object was not, to. abstract any young person from the churches, this institution could do what the churches could not do. All members of the Christian churches should unite together upon one common pla^" form, and in this institution they couM meet on neutral ground (applause). The Y.M.C.A. was doing good in many places. He never knew one branch that had a failure. He was also there that nigW to do honour to the great man they had with them—(applause)—who in the House of Lords stood up to protest against the terrible evil of betting,, which had been the beginning of the moral degradation of scores of thousands (applause). The Secretary, in giving a report of the progress of the branch, said this was the first of the three institutions in the Val- leys to secure proper rooms for the open- ing. They had not existed for more than three months, but their membership al- ready exceeded 200 (hear, hear).. Mr. John Cory had promised to contribute CzO on condition that they raised the re- mainder of the £ 200 necessary to furn^ the rooms, and they were short of tnat> amount by about £ 60 or £ 70. The Bishop of Hereford, who was cor* dially received, said a pamphlet he heio in his hand told of the work done by Y.M.C.A. last year in South Wales, <

The Rhondda was Bishop of honoured on Tues- Hereford. day by the visit of this popular prelate to the district. The occasion was also most gratifying to all who earnestly seek a better community of young people in these busy hives of industry. We, ven- ture to say that the more branches of the grand movement of the, Young Men's Christian Association we have planted in the district, the brighter and more hope- ful the prospect for the society of sturdy Christian manhood. The branch in Porth is happy in its infant career. It has local men of sound characters and capable powers intellectually to lead and sustain it. The sight at Tuesday's meeting was most exhilarating. The teachers, clergy and ministers of all denominations of the Porth district were present in strong force. Success in material and financial necessities to maintain the outward form of the institution is certain. The coming winter's programme is printed and dis- tributed, and there is good food and en- tertainment in it. The general secretary of the Y.M.C.A. in the Rhonddas—Mr. Edgar Jones-gave a stirring description of the aims and objects of the institution. We heartily congratulate Mr. Jones upon his vigorous and convincing exposition. It went home. The Chairman-Sir Alfred Thomas—in his opening remarks per- tinently asked whether the people, are im- proving, and we are glad that the de- cision was an optimistic affirmative. The Rhondda, we have no hesitation in say- ing, is very greatly improved. The dis- play of silly boisterousness is getting less frequent, our streets are less and less the scenes of rowdy idiotcy, and our women have little fear of being insulted and stared at as it is often their common ex- perience in towns. The religious and school agencies of the Rhondda have made noble progress, and with the multiplica- tion of the institutions such as this in- augurated at Porth a greater prospect is assured. Man is a recreative creature. The churches have too long neglected to recognise this element in the human nature of the community, and the funda- mental principle of the Y.M.C.A. is the provision of recreation in a circle of rational and Christian limitation. The good Bishop's Christian address was suffused Standard with a beautiful of Life. Christian tone. Christ was the cen- tral example, and His life in its purity and sacrifice was the Alpha and Omega of his memorable address. There were several regrets expressed in it. One was that it is too frequently the practice that those whose wealth accumulates by the labour of the masses live remote and apart from the social circumstances of the employees. This is too true of the Rhon- dda. Indeed, it is not uncommon to find people of less wealth exaltation, once "the pile" has been made, withdrawing from the district and leaving the efforts of amelioration to those that remain. Wealth has its responsibility and its duty to the people. The movement of the Y.M.C.A. lags progress in the Rhondda to-day, be- cause the financial start is absent. When we contemplate! this fact of segregation of the wealthy plutocrat to suburbs we should honour the more the few men who spend their money where they make it. The great coal merchants of the past who had their life amongst the people are a vanishing race, and socially the result is calamity and a difficulty to the efforts of Christian endeavour to a nobler rising generation. We hope that the remarks of the Bishop of Hereford will not be lost upon the errant wealthy folks who are commercially connected with the Rhon- dda. This more truly still applies to the landlords whose royalties and ground rents are such a painless acquisition. If the individual rich would heartily join hands with .the collectivist effort of the many, then institutions for ennobling conduct and character in this great mining region would be an assured undeniable success. The observations of the Bishop also on the gambling, the drinking, and -the brutal sports were punctuated with the applause of the audience. There is no. doubt the remedy lies in the moulding of public opinion among the people that will revolt against, and resent brutal and bestial practices. Public opinion is the great restraint and the chastener. Let all the good agencies join hands. Let us have vigorous, outspoken denunciations from the pulpits and let the schools distil the same sense of horror for a life so un- worthy and degrading. Monday was a Federation great day in the Day. Rhondda. The great Federation held one of its field days, and there should be among the leaders the utmost gratifica- tion for the success enjoyed. The Labour movement is at last gravitating to its right objective. Westminster is the posi- tion for securing the goal of industrial aspiration,. We have no dismay that Lab.-Lib. and not "Lib.-Lab. is the pre- ference order of the progressive move- ment. The history of the present Govern- ment has made the reversion of Mabon's contractions inevitable, and a. Liberal who is not directly a Labour can easily fall into line. Mabon gave resounding reasons for the campaign of political labour. The Imperialist reaction and mad Khaki have kept the tide of grievances too long walled up. As Mabon epigrammatically put, it, Progress slept whilst the spirit of war was abroad." Ten or twenty years ago a free breakfast table was within our grasp. The most brilliant Chancellor of the Exchequer of the last century—Wil- liam Ewart Gladstone—held it within our grasp, but it was dissipated by silly ig- norant discontent of reforms flowing in a great tide. To-day, the Trade Union laws that stood intact for 30 years have been made legal futilities by Judge-made law, and, as Sir Alfred Thomas urged, legis- lation of this character should be raised to such a clear lucid standard of inter- pretation as to make it impossible for conflicting opinions. We are glad to find Mabon rubbing it into the anachronism of the South Glamorgan representation. Times without number we have pointed out it is about time that nolltical intelli- gence should be able to discriminate be- tween the rival claims of amiability of character and the political creed of a member of Parliament. Mabon also silenced the imputation that the Fede- ration was charioteered for Liberalism only. Last year Colonel Quin was invited to the demonstration, but did not come. The Coal Tax was too much for him. Colonel Quin is the delegate of a, party, and because of servitude to party he gave a, vote hostile to the miners of his con- stituency. His political day is doomed, if wisdom sits at the helm when South Glamorgan Lab.-Libs. and Lib.-Labs. are confering. Mabon is doing good service in standing loyal to the traditions of his early convictions. The representatives of Liberalism can put Labour first. It is a family connection. Liberalism has been the godfather of labour. It has sincerely helped Labour when it was not popular. Labour would be ungrateful and unintelli- gent if it did in its hour of ascendancy spurn it from its doors. It is here where we part company with men of Keir Hardie type. We have always respected their sincerity, but their selfishness we abhor. Mr. T. Richards, Toe-Line. the secretary of the Federation, gave some solid food for the reflection of non- Unionists. If combination is good for one class, is it not good for the otmosite? What would the workers have done with- out their trade combination? They would have been in a sorry plight, deny it who can. Combination is the sine qua non of acknowledgment of rights. Christian charity in money-making and in wealthy accumulating are not strikingly prominent virtues. Show us a man who is not "soft" to the temptation of making a little extra" by a blind forgetfulness of the principles of almighty self. It is a deep- rooted human weakness to be on the make at the expense of others. It is a law that is with us, ruling us and all- pervading amongst. The workman who enjoys benefits that result from the fede- ration and the funds of his fellows is an ungrateful creature who skulks behind a platitude called the liberty to sell his labour for what he likes. The progress of the worker would have stopped long ago if this species were dominant. We will leave him to ponder over Mr. Rich- ards' arguments. Can the non-Unionist refute the fact that the Federation pre- vented a 10 per cent. reduction, and that this would mean half-a-million less money in circulation? To the Federationists this meant contributions for many years to come. This is the £ s. d. argument, but there are still higher and nobler ob- jects, political, social and labour, which should commend themselves to every un- selfish man in the land. Floreat Fede- ration. The note of fight The Fiscal was resonant in Policy. every speech, and Mr. Chamberlain was much the objective of hostile criticism. Germany has of late for controversial pur- poses been depicted as such an industrial Paradise that it comes as quite a shock to find that in Saxony the miners are actually agitating for higher wages. It is a Social Democratic leader who has urged them on to this surprising course— surprising, that is to say, to those who really believe that the English workman has reason for envying his German fellow. The minimum of inquiry, however, shows that wages in Protectionist Germany are considerably lower than they are, in Free Trading England. Possibly these Saxon miners have got hold of a Free Trade leaf- let showing what. Anglo-Saxon miners get. In which case agitation is of the inevit- able.