Pioneer

Gardening Notes. I If any reader who is in a difficulty with refer- ence to his garden will write directly to the address given beneath, his questions will all be answered free of charge, in full detail, and 9Y return of post.—Editor. ROSES. I Now is a good time to plant rose trees if the work was not done during November, and planting can oe continued as necessary up to the end of February. When planting them, it should be borne in ii-iind tliai, roses are valu- able for their flowers rather than their foliage, and that they are, therefore, essentially flower- garden plants, not specimen plants for lawns, etc. They give the best results when then can be planted in beds by themselves, and thus pro- perly tilled, manured and cared for generally. The roses most generally suited for ordinary garden culture are the hybrid perpetupls, as they give such good results for so relatively little trouble. The hybrid noisettes 'are more floriferous as a rule, but not quite so hardy. Tea roses, though highly perfumed and richly coloured, are frequently disappointing and I only do excellently in the greenhouse or in specially flavoured localities or positions. All roses do best in moist and rich soil; and a well-drained sub-soil is almost ideal. Pruning is done in spring, tea and noisette roses being left until April, .and other kinds being pruned any time after mid-March. Remove all weakly and dead wood, and cut back the shoots in pro- portion, as the plants are delicate, leaving only two or three eyes on weakly growing plants, while stronger-growing sorts can be cut back to from four to six eyes. It is always best to pi,i,i-ne l an eyc., nt i n" Out w ards. Thin prune back to an eye pointing outwards. Thin out the shoots of climbing; varieties, to pi,e-,rentl overcrowding and take off only the tops of the shoots left, instead of cutting them back. Good, clear liquid manure may be occasion- ally given to well-established, vigorous plants with advantage after a thorough soaking of water. Solid farmyard man-He is of great benefit to tea roses. In general, roses grown on hardv stocks will give better results than those cultivated on their own roots, both the bloom and the quantity of it being superior. Cab- bage or China roses do, however, very well on their own roots, and are easiTy raised from tlieltl oivii roots, anfl ii-e e?,ic? i Tv ra lse d ft-om Insect pests are often very troublesome dur- ing summer, and the simplest way of dealing with them is to knock them off the plants with a forced spray of clear water, applied during parIy morning and again in the cool of the evening. Mr. Humi. in "The Amateur's Practical Garden Book' gives the following simple direc- tions for propagating roses by cuttings. The writer has known wemon who could root roses with the greatest ease. They would simply break off a branch of 'the rose, insert it in the flower-bed, cover it with a bell-jar, and in a few weeks they would have a strong plant. Again they would resort to layering, in which case a branch, notched half way through on the lower side, was bent to the ground and pegged down so that the notched portion was covered with a few inches of soil. The layered spot was watered from time to time. After thro* or four weeks roots were sent forth from the notch and the branch or buds began to grow, when it was known that the layer had formed roots. "Several years ago a friend took a cheese- box, filled it with sharp sand to the brim, sup- ported it in a tub of water, so that the lower half-inch of the box was immersed. The sand was packed down, sprinkled, and single-joint rose cuttings, with a bud and leaf near the top, were inserted almost their whole length in the sand. This was in July, a hot month, when it it. usually difficult to root any kind of cutting moreover, the box stood on a southern slope, facing the hot sun, without a partice of shade. The only attention given the box was to keep the water high enough in the tub to touch the bottom of the cheese-box. In about three weeks he took out three or four dozen of as nicely- rooted cuttings as could have been grown in the greenhouse. The saucer system, in which cut- tkngs are inserted in wet sand contained in a eaucer an inch or two deep, to be exposed at all times to the full sunshine, is of similar na- ture. The essentials are to give the cuttings th( full sun, and to keep the salad saturated with water. Whatever method is used if the utins. arc to be transplanted after rooting, it is as important to pot them off in small pots as soon as they have a cluster of roots one-half inch or an inch long. Leaving them too long in the sand weakens the cutting." THE VEGETABLE GARDEN !N JANUARY Peas. I A warm, sandy soil is necessary for early sow- ings while deeply-worked, medium rich loams and clays are best for later crops. A verl, rich soil induces superfluous foliage growth and de- lays the formation of pods. Dig in a good layer of well-decayed dung* some 10 or 12 inches deep, so that the surface- spit contains no rank manure. Dressings of bonerneal. old. mortar, plaster, lime, etc., are most beneficial. Sow for the earliest crop on a warm, shel- tered, sloping south border, on turves, turned graas-sidr underneath, in frames, or in pots or gra,?;s-sid?e ii tide i-,iei th ui fi?ii-iiies, or Ti lyotc? or Directly the seedlings are visible, dust them over 1 ightlv with lime and soot mixed, as a protection from slugs, and thin them to about 2 inches pare when they are 2 or 3 inches high. Early out-door sowings must be shielded from keen winds, and it is well to support the plants with brushwood when they are 3 or 4 inches high. As the seedlings appear under glass, air must be given whenever possible, to promote a sturdy growth, and it win, of course, be neces- sary to water occasionally. Towards the end of I March or in early April plant them out with as little disturbance of the roots .as possible. Potatoes. Early Crops.—lowards the- end of January pack a number of sets on end closely, one layer deep, in shallow boxes, which must be placed near the glass in a cool conservatory, or in some other light position where they will be safe from frost. The sprouts will thus become from 4 to 6 inches long. Select a dry, warm, and good border, and if it be not sheltered by a wall line it out with ridges 6 inches high, and about 2 feet apart. The addition of mellow, tho- roughly-decayed manure and sand will be bene- ficial. During February sow every 3rd or 4th row with a dwarf, hardy pea that will serve to protect the young shaws, which must be further guarded by being earthed up directly they ap- pear. This process should be continued, leav- ing only the extreme tops visible, until the ridges are 10 to 12 inches high. During severe weather cover with several inches of clean lit- ter. About mid-March will be found the best time to plant the sets rather shallowly in the ridges. If frames can be spared to place over the young plants, there will be much less risk of injury from frost. Radish. Rich, loose mellow loam is best, lumpy or poor soils producing worthless roots. The earliest and latest-sown out-door crops require a warm, dry south border, and it is well to prepare it as a semi-hot-bed by covering a foot of half-decayed manure with some 4 inches of fine earth. As the season advances, select the coolest situations for beds. A proportion of well-decayed mellow dung is essential for rapid growth and good flavour. Sow far the earliest out-door crops quite at the end of January, and continue to intake suc- cess ional sowings, scattering 1 ounce of seed to 2 square yards of ground. Cover with about an inch of fine earth. On light soils make the surface firm with the back of a spade. E. KEMP TOOGOOD, F.L.S., F.R.Met.S., pro Toogood and Sons, The King's Seedsmen, Southampton.

Stipendiary's Straight Talk. MOST OBJECTIONABLE PRACTICE. NO DESIRE TO EARN REPUTATION OF CRANK. A m-v which the Merthyr Stipendiary, in dismissing, described as the weakest he had ever heard in his life was before the Court on Friday last, when Elsie Stephens, a servant giri formerly employed at Bronliafod Farm, Knighton, Radnorshire, and now of Bedlinog, appltecl for a paternity order against Evan Hughes, son of her former employer at Bron- liafod Mr. C. B. James, M,thyr, appeared for the applicant. Respondent was represented by Mr Alexander Graham, barrister, Shrews- bury (instructed by Mr. Martin Woosnam, so- licitor, Newtown). Mr. James, at the outset, explained that ap- plicant had made a similar application before piie Knighton magistrates, but the case was dismissed, and having now come to reside at Bedlinog she renewed the application. The Stipendiary (Mr. R. A. Griffith) said he was of opinion that if the complainant wanted the case re-heard she should apply at Knighton. Mr. A: Graham said the solicitor for the complainant at Knighton gave up the case as a result of certain admissions made by his j client in cross-examination. Mr. James said that lie had fresh evidence, which he proposed calling, and if the applica- tion was not heard, the girl would have no right whatever to take the case further. The Stipendiary: I want to define my atti- tude towards this kind of case. It seems a most objectionable practice for a woman to make an application, and when an order is refused to remove to another district for the expressed purpose of making a second application. It is, in effect, making one Bench of justices a court of appeal from another Bench. Has anybody advised this girl that we are more complacent in this district than the justice are at Knight- on. It seems to me it is quite -enough for us in this large district to adjudicate upon truly local cases. For my own part. I have no desire to earn a reputation as a crank in regard to these applications, and I am sure my bro- ther magistrates have no srich desire either. It is simply reducing the magisterial system to a farce. However, on the spewal grounds that another application cannot be made, you may proceed, Mr. James. Complainant said she was engaged by de- fendant's father at Bronhafod as a servant in May. 1913. On one occasion, her sister's young man, Charles Pritchard, was invited by her to stay at the farm for one night while on his way to his home. This he did, defendant raising no objection. As defendant did not ask him to go to bed when he (defendant) left, Pritchard said he would remain in the kitchen. She also remained, as she did not like to leave him aloae, but nothing improper took place. Mr. Graham: Why did you stop up all night with Pritchard?—It is the custom in that part of the country. What! It is the custom for a girl to stop up with a man she is not courting?—Oh, no. Were you courting Charles ?-No, sir. Why did you stop with him?—Because I did not like to leave him. The Stipendiary: It is the custom, vou say, for sweethearts to stop up together, but you have been extending the custom of the country. Charles Pritchard, collier, Seven Sisters, for- merly a farm hand of Knighton, said at that time he was courting complainant's sister. Mr. Graham: Are you in the habit of sit- ting up all night with young ladies?—Yes. What did you .sit up for that night?—Be- cause I was not welcome, as I thought, to go to bed. In further cross-examination, he denied that misconduct took place. .Mrs. Elizabeth Jones. Knighton, said she saw complainant and defendant together on June 23 at Knighton. She said it was not the custom for young men and women to sit up all night unless they were courting. Ernest Swaint, n farm hand, said he often went to Bronhafod. In March or April he ac- companied complainant to Bronhafod, and they sat up all night; Mr. Graham (addressing the Stipendiary): Do you hold there is any corroboration, sir? The Stipendiary: Certainly not. lam not surprised at the justices at Knighton dismissing the application. I never heard a weaker case in all my life. The case will be dismissed.

 597. 'Phone 597 'Phone 597. WILLIAM TRESEDER? LM. THE NURSERIES, CARDIFF, 8 WREATHS, CROSSES, CUT FLOWERS, &c. BEDDING PLANTS. Asters, Stocks, Dahlias, Marguerites, Lobelia, &c. Tels: "TRESEDEK, FLORIST, CARDIFF.

Ni Phlygaf Byth I (Cyflwynedig i Aelodau v N.C.F.). I Ni phlygaf byth gall deddfau da ear ofyn, I A Hywodraethwyr ddeddfn nos a dydd; Ond y mae enaid yn dirmygu gefyn. A meddwl dyn yn hawlio bod yn rhydd; Beth yw coronau a gorsedclau cedyrn? Beth ydyw deddfau llywodraethwyr gau r Nid yw tywysog balch i mi ond llegyrn, Tra fyddo goleu enaid yn parhau. Nid phlygaf byth; mae dynion ledled ciaear I mi'n gymrodyr yn y dduaf awr Nis gallaf yc-hwanegu swm y galar, Na thafiu cvsgod cledd ar lesni gwawr; (Jaraf fy ngelyn os oes ge,lyn imi, Maddeuaf i droseddwyr ingol gam; Mae Hid dynoliaeth ynof fi yn oeri, Ac yn fy Paw cyll cleddyf dur ei fflam. Ni phlygaf byth; beth yw banerau tyllog 1" Mae gwaed fy mroclyr arnynt hwy yn goch; Mae gelyn brenin gwlad i mi'n gymydog, Aca to byth ni throf y fagnel froch Fy ngelyn ydyw hwnw feiddia sangu Ar ck'othwy enaid gyda'i ddeddfau gau Y bradwr ydyw hwnw sydd yn t-aflu Hualau gormes arnaf i' m pruddhau. Ni phlygaf byth gall Duw a dynion ofyn, Heri-af y nef a'r ddaeat., yn gytun; At- wyneb da-ear nid oes i mi elyn, Pe byddai mi a'i carwn ef fy bun; Bloeddi-ed offeiriaid o'u hallorau tawel. Gweli. carehar byd ua the-ml wag. ddi-dduw; Ki chyff yrdd bys o'm heiddo byth -vr fagnel, Ac ni cha dial dae-ar ynof fyw, Ni phlygaf byth yr wyf yn fwy na, gorsedd, Gall kono blygu, ond ni phlygaf fi; o gymaint yw fy nerth a nerth tangnef-edd, Ac nid ymladdaf dros y teyrn a' i fri; Rhued y megnyl, fflaehied y cleddyfau, Ac eled myrdd o ddynion tua'u ta-ane Ond byth ni rof fy bun i'r "awdurdodau, Ac ni ohaiff Mamon arnaf dori ei wane. T. E. NICHOLAS. PENYLL AMSEROL, Ohwi feehgyn leuainc g'an, Ple'r y'ch chwi'n myned? Aetli plant y byd o'r b-ron I gyd yn ffylied. Yn wir y diafol tad, Yn nghy-d a'i gwmni mad, Sy'n llywodraethu'n gwlad A'i harwaia heb ei weied! Uatl^town, HTJOH EVANS.

Yr Eghvys a'r Rhyfel, I N odau u'istwch ao anvyddion gaJa.rsy'n nod- weddi-anu'r rhan luosocaf o'r ddynoliaetli hedd- yw. Pan yn cerdded yr heolydd, pan yn dilyn djieclsivyddau byw, pan gyda'r hwyrnos yn myned i orthwys, dychmygwn glywed swn y fagnel, a llais dychryncdig eill cyfeillion a'n Ixrwdyr ariAvyl sydd heddyw yn ymiadd mewn estron di.r; mewn ffosydd dyfnion, gwlyb ag oer. Edrychwn ar y de ac ar yr aswy swn cwvnfan a galar a glywir. Lie cawii ymwared i'r fach anfadwait-h, gym- rodyr ahwvl? P\vy sy'n myned i arwain y ddynoliaeth i gyfeiriad heddweh a chyfiawnder? D'(ie;< ond un lie Lie mae? He mae? Clywck his ein bechgyn anwyl. 0! mor o-fnadwy yw eu cyflwr. Clywch lais y gweddwon a'r am- ddifaid a'r mainau torcalonus. sydd heddyw'n gorlenwi ein gwlad. Lie cawn vmwared^ Ar bwy yr ydym yn disgwyl? Onid arweinwyr crefydd lesu Crista Te. Lie maenH lie maent? Lie mae i- atln-awjaeth fawr a bregethent ychy- dig fisoedd yn 01 ( Tybed, eu bod wedi gwerthu eu hargyhoeddiadau or mwyn cael eu gweled gan ddynion. Mae lion yn "Rhyfel gyffawn," meddant. ac yn lie gwneud nnrhyw vmgais ddiffoddi'r erchyll dan disyst-riol. gwnant bob ymgais oddiar lwyfanau a ph.Jp uqau cysseg- redlO' ein haddoldai 1'n anog ni fe) ieuengtyd fyned allan a dadwemio'r cledd a thrywanu milwr o genedl. a rail na fu erioed owervl rhyngom. Clywch edrychwch nid oes na dol, na phant, i na bryn, na- mynydd, nad ydyw man tell drom pryder lieb gyraedd yno gyda'i erchyll, gochlvd neges Beth sy'n cyfrif foid cymaint o'n cynl- roclyr anwyl wedi mynd allan ac wedi aberthu aelwydydd clyd a chynes i ymarferyd ag erchyll- derau rhyfel? Perygl mawr vdyw fod ein gweimdogion wedi chwareu gornwd gyda teim- ladau ein cyd-ieuengtyd, a dim wedi siarad oddiar sane egwyddor ag argyhoeddiad. Cym- mysgent eu pregethau ar ysbwriel ar llysnafedd annuwiol, sef milwriaeth, a go ganlyniad collant on dylanwad fel gallu i arwain yddynoliaeth gyfeiriad heddweh a chyfiawnder. Mae dyn yr hwn a wrthwyneba ei elyn oddiar safie foesol, yr liwn hefyd a broffesa ei fod yn frawcl iddo yn rhwystro i'r ddygseicliaeth a broffesa ddylanwadu ar eraill. DHW yw ein. Tad ni oil, ac o ganlvniad yr ydym yn frodyr i'n gilydd, ac mae yn bechod ar neb felly os yinosoda ar ei frawd. Pe bai ein gweinidogion wedi wneud eu gwai.th yn fwy cywir yn y gorphenol, nid mor hawdd buasai cael yr ysgOirmeS a r gyflafan hon yn ein gwlad. Nid rhyfedd fod yr ysaryd hwn wedi cael ei wrteithio mor trwyadi, oblegid gadawyd y piraidd i bori ar yr anialwch, a gadawyd y porfa fras i handful of diplomats," ys dywed Mac- donald. Gweddiwn, gyfeiHionj os yw ein gweinidogion yn ein gadael, fe ofala, Duw am danom.

Enginemen & Craftsmen's Society. I INCREASE OF MEMBERS ALL OVER I THE COAL FIELD. The 104th quarterly meeting of the Engine- men's and Craftsmen's Association was held at the Y.M.C.A. Buildings, Cardiff, on January 22, Mr H. H. Biggs, Treherbert, presiding. Supporting the President was Mr. Fauk, vice- chairman. Both the Geneeral Secretary (Mr. W. Hopkins) and the new Agent (Mr. D. B. Jones) were present. It was reported that dur- ing the last six months 1,000 members had been enrolled, making a total of 6,021. The General Secretary gave a lengthy report upon the negotiations with the coal owners for increased rate of wages for the men represented by him. Satisfaetion was expressed at the excellent progress made, and the report was adopted. It was left to the General Secretary and Agent to se, that the agreements which were made in November last were carried out. The conference confirmed the action of the Executive Council in electing Mr. D. B. Jones in the first ballot by 107 'votes to 4. II Mr. J. W. Grant (Mountain Ash), who was one of the candidates, and second on the list, paid a fine tribute to the new Agent, and expressed entire satisfaction, both with the successful candidate, and with the conduct of the ballot. Mr. R. J. Griffiths, Ferhdale, who was an- other candidate, expressed himself in similar terms. A hearty vote of thanks to the President ter- minated the meeting.

1915 and 1950. AN ANTHOLOGY OF PATRIOTIC POETRY AND VERSE. I shall be mistaken shortly by Pioneerites for Sir Sidney Lee. the Editor of the "Dictionary of National Biography," if I do not show signs of coming to an end with my quotations from Dr. Homes' Boob on "Poisons that Pre- vent Progress." With such a wealth of ext- racts to quote from, the wonder is that I had come as far as I have done in my alphabetical list of people infected by the patriotic germ— bacillus patrioticoeocous." The next on the list to be exposed js Marie Corei!i, the famous novelist of Stratford-on- Avon, of whom the Doctor says in his book: — Marie Corelli. She appears to have been a writer of great literary gifts, judging from the number and circulation of her novels in pre-war days. She had It wonderful knack of weaving strange and stirring romances around religious and love problems, as shewn in her severely criticised novels, The Sorrows of Satan and 'The Master Christian.' The following poem, which appeals in the novel, The Master Christian,' shows a remark- able insight into the essentials of Christianity, which she strangely enough seems to liav-e en- tirely disregarded and forgotten in the poetical outburst appended latter as Mlexample of the ravages of the patriotic germ on her mind — If thou'rt a Christian in deed and thought, Loving thy neighbour as Jesus taught, Living all days in the sight of heaven, And not one only out of seven Sharing thy wealth with the suffering poor, Helping all sorrow that Hope can cure. Making religion a truth in the heart, And not a cloak to be worn in the mart, Or in high cathedrals and chapels and fanes, Where priests are traders and count the gains All God's angels iwill say We, -t"I done Whenever thy mortal race is run Wh1.te and forgiven. Thou'lt enter heaven, And pass, unchallenged, the Golden Gate, Where welcoming spirits watch and wait, To had thy coming with sweet accord T'o the Holy City of God, the Lord! If Peace is thy prompter, and Love is thy guide, And white-robed Charity walks by thy side, If thou tellest the truth- without oath to bind, Doing thy dutv to all mankind. Raising the lowly, cheering the sad, some goodness e'en in the bad, And ownin wth sadness if badness there be. There might have been badness in thine and in thee, If Corfscietice the warder that keeps thee whole Had utfered no voice to thy slumbering soul, All God's angels will say Well clone!' Whenever thy mortal race is run. White and forgiven, Thou'lt enter heaven, eii Cate And pass, unchallenged, the Golden Gate Whene welcoming spirits watch aiid ivalt To hail thy coming with sweet accord To the Holy City of God, the Lord!" What a contrast there is between, the above and the succeeding poem, written after the out- break of the Great European War, after the bacillus patriotioocoeeus had penetrated and wrought havoc upon this .stalwart lady of letters — "Maker of Heaven and earth, Thou who hast given birth To moving millions of pre-destined spheres. Thou whose restless might Resolves the Wrong to Right. Missing no moment of the measured" yea.rs, Behold, we come to Thee! We lift our swords, unsheath'd, towards Thy throne, Look down on us and see Our sister nation, ruined and undone! Martyred for nobleness, for truth and trust; Help us, 0 God, to raise her from the dust. Be Lhou our witness. Lord! We swear with one accord Swift retribution on her treacherous foe! Her bitter wrong is ours, And Heaven's full armed powers Shall hurl her murderer to his overthrow Upon her broken wall A silver palace of sweet peace shall rise At that high festival When Victory's signal flashes through the skies, But-untál then Welcome the fiercest fray We fight for Fredom! God give us The All the Doctor writes as a comment on the above diametrically opposed extracts is — u Oh. ye songster of Avon, was Peace thy prompter and Love thy guide when you penned those barbaric phrases We swear with one ac- cord swift retribution, God give us The Day' ?" a:y For the readers not to have a surfeit of verse I will next quote prose from one of the Pro- fessorial Prattlers. "Professor Oramb. The author of the book called Germany and England,' a book that glorifies the doctrine of Might is Right, and can be called the English Treitschke. He dupli- cates the mystical and idealistic side of Prus- sianism which he would dearly like to saddle England with. He allows his admiration for the Prussian ideal to blaze out, as the following extract shows: — Let me say with regard to Germany that of ain l England s enemies she is by far the greatest, and by greatness I mean not her millions of in- habitants; I mean grandeur of soul. She is the greatest and most heroic enemy that Eng- land, in the thousand years of her history, has ever confronted. In the sixteenth century we made war upon Spain and the Empire of Spain. But Germany, in the twentieth century, is a. greater power, greater in conception, in thought and in all that makes for human dignity, than was the Spain of Charles V. and Phillip II. In the seventeenth century we fought against Hol- land, but the Germany of Bismarck and the Kaiser is greater than 'the Holland of De Witt. In the eighteenth century we fought against France, and again the Germany of to-day is a higher, more august power than France under Louis XIV. The German Empire and the British Empire are both the descendants of 'the War-God Odin, and yet, because of that, are doomed to this great conflict.' While he out-Bernhardi's Bernhardi in his moral justification of war as an end In ItseH the laws, governing the States and in- dividuals the highest functions transcend utility and transcend even reason itself. In the pre- sent stage of the world's history to end war is not only beyond man's power, but contrary to man's will, since in war there is some secret passion or lingering human glory, to which man clings with an unchangeable persistence; some source of inspiration which he is afraid to lose, uplifting life beyond life itself: some sense I of a redeeming task which, like his efforts to unriddle the universe, for ever baffled, yet for I, ever renewed, gives a meaning to this else meaningless scheme of things.' Pages on pages of similar extracts I could quote from this bloodthirsty war-the-source- of-inspiration prattling professor of a recog- ■ nised English university, but I will leave my readers to read Cramb's book for themselvesy unless they are already fed up or cra«im(b)ea with his piffle. I must, however, give Dr. Homes' parting comment on Orarnb: — This patriotic pedant, in his vapouring, vainglorious and quarrelsome lectures, reprinted in his Germany and England,' reminds one of the empty, meaningless, and querulous blubber- ings of a man suffering from delirium trcihens, or at best the ultra-emotional and inexplicable mutterings of a fanatic Seventh Day Adventist or an infuriated madman. It will be a change for my reasons if we de- scend from the high intellectual plane of the > Campbells, Coretlis, and Crambs to study the I influence of the patriotic germs on simple- j minded folk with no pretensions to intellectual' culture or learning. Such a person, I believe t all will agree, is the inimitable Will Crooks, [ whose chief achievement prior to his infection by the patriotic 'germ was summed up in his epigram, "From Workhouse to Westminster, just as his next achievement, after due infec- tion by the bacillus p,atrioticoeoocus," I will sum up in an epigram. "From Parliatmentarv Candidate to Privy Councillor," or "From Plain Crooks to Privy Councillor." 'The Doctor proceeds with his exposure of this so-called Labour member — "Will Crooks, M.P. The celebrated member for Poplar, the Dick Whittington of the twen- tieth century, who walked into London as a poor workhouse hoy, and ultimately became a r-al live Mayor of Poplar, and lastly, to the honour and glory of Labour, a Privy Councillor. The following is a typical speech (if not the- only speech Crooks had, because he was like a one-record grama-phone, from all the reports I have of him in his speeches during the Great European War) of Crooks when he was in the throes of this pernicious patriotic bacillus; — j The war began in Germany, and it is g¡01Ug to be finished there. Hfe had been t@ Germany, and had seen the military walk in and take [ o session at a peace meeting. At Cologne he (i«ci 1 to propose the Kaiser's health. God forgive j him (Laughter and applause.) He had been j round the British Empire twice—not at his own expense—they could not get away from the HritishKm.pire. What would become of the British Empire but for the man at the village pumi) and Algy from Rotten Row? He knew Algv very well, in those Ion, ago day. Algy used to put his eye-glass on, and look at him and wonder how he earned his living, which was precisely what he was doing about Algv. But lut us follow. Algy He was in the trenches now. There was no talk even' of class hatred now. (Cheers.) This was a, war for victory, or ex termination. There was no half-way house. (Loud applause.).' The a.bove is culled from a speech Crooks j delivered at the Colston Hall in Bristol in Nov- I ember, 1915. The Doctor's comments on the- ] above shall tei-mmate my article this week: V From the above speech it is evident that 'r, Will Crooks' reasoning facility has been reduced to an .alge(y)braic" expression 0 (or zero)." May God forgive him, as Will Crooks is not re- sponsible The' bacillus p-atrioticoooccus' is the true mischief-maker. What more suitable an epitaph could be chosen for him than Rio-ht Hon. William Crooks, Privy Councillor, died of a Paisoned Cerebrum through the ravages of the PatrioticQ Coccus. -R.I.P.' A AC?\ D A BR A,

Anti-Conscription at Aberaman. I I MR. JOWETT'S GREAT RECEPTION. On Sunday evening last, at the Aberaman Publte Hall, a meeting was hold under the aus- pices of the Aberdare Branch of the Indepen- dent Labour Party. The chairman was Mr. D. J. Evans, who was supported on the plat- form by lUr: Jowett. M.P., and a number of the I.L.P. members. The hall was packed, and that the ladies take an interest in the move- ment could be easily gathered by the number that was present. The Chairman, in opening, said that it was a great pleasure to hjon to preside over such a large gathering, and lie felt proud that such a reception had been given to Ill., Jowett. Mr. Jowett, on rising, was received with loud cheenng. In the course of his remarks, he dwelt chiefly on the secret- diplomacy carried on b,) some of our statesmen. Obligations and. undertakings had been made and given btr mem- bers of the British Cabinet ancl the French members Without the knowledge and consent (( of the British people, and even some of the \1 members of Parliament did not know that such, things existed. When a member of the House a.sked a question to one of the Cabinet if such I obligations existed, he was invariably told that no such thing existed. Mr, Jowett quoted, speeches made by Lord Roseibery", Mt-. Lloyd George, Mr. Balfour, and r. Winston Churchill, and the stateinetns made by some of these gentlemen gave the cue that there did exist some kind of undertaking. If (said the hon. member) there was any danger of this country being invaded at any time, it was the duty of our ministers to be frank, and tell the country, and make preparations for defence. One person had said that even if Gorman v had any thought of invading England she would have to send over 70,000 troops, then she re- quired to send food, equipment, ammunition, &c., to these men. He was of opinion that these troops, &c., could n-evrer be brought here without the knowledge of the British Navy, and they were told that the British Navy at the commencement of the war was in such a good condition that it would be impossible for an invasion to take place, He did not-, doubt but that every citizen was prepared to defend their country in the case of invasion. The motto of the persons who were against Con- scription was" De-fene.), and not defiance." He (Mr. Jowett) and his party were against any kind of territorial expansion. The Govern- ment had said a great deal upon economy, and told the working man to economise. Why not take some of the great wealth that was in the- hands of a few and utilise for the benefit of the masses? That was the opinion of their late member The speaker was piled with questions from different parts of the auditorium, and his an- swers were concise and satisfactory. The meeting terminated by singing the "Red Flag.

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