Pioneer

1: MERTHYR I- I ( MEDAL FOR MERTHYR CONSTABLE-—lhe first ( Member of the Merthyr Borough Police Force -to win a decoration during the war is Private 'William Guernev Jones, of the transport sec- tion at the Welsh Guards, who has been. aw- arded the Military Medal. Private Jones is a native of Builth aad as a nolice-cons table was ■Stationed at Dowlais. NBWEY—EVANS MARRIAGE Miss Maud Ger- trude Evans (daughter of ex-Alderman and Mrs David Evans (Merthyr), was married on Wed- nesday at Penydarren Church to Mr W. Tab- herer Newey (Malvern) the ceremony being 'performed by the Reverend Daniel Evans, Vi- "car of Penydarren. The honeymoon is being spent in Devon and Cornwall. "He was born the month after August; what you call it! said a Russian music hall artiste at Merthyr on Tuesday regarding the age of r ,hIs little son, aged 11, permission for whom I  take part in a performance was asked. — ?P What date?" was the Magistrate's query. — He was born on a Thursday; I can't re- "memoor the date," replied the father.—The application was granted. MERTHYR VALE COLLIER'S OFFENCE.—It is a great pity that a man like you, earning good 'mO"eY, should have stooped to this swindle," remarked money, the Stipendiary (Mr R. A. Griffith) at Merthyr last Friday, when T. Lewis (18), a 'Collier at Messrs. Nixon's Navigation Colliery, Merthyr Vale, pleaded guilty to falsely pretend- sing that a tram of coal worked by William Jones had been worked bv him, and with at- tempting thereby to obtain 5/ Defendant was dined 40/- or 11 days. MERTHYR SEPARATION ORDER—When Owen Waffen, steelworker, Brecon Road, was summ- oned at Merthyr last Friday for cruelly ill- treating his wife, the complainant said that her husband threw knives and cups at her. •— The stipendiary (Mr R. A. Griffith): Have you .beaten your wife at all ?—Defendant: I may have given her a clout sometimes.—The Sti- pendiary Why did you clout her ?-Defendant: Because she's always nagging.—A separation or- der was granted, and the defendant ordered to •Pay 18/- a week towards the maintenance of dus wife and three children. f h CEFN CHASE—The story of an exciting chase waiter a soldier was told by Police-Sergeant Ev- ls at Oefn last Thursday. Private Jonathan 'Beynon' South Wales Borderers, stationed at ,Liverpol, was charged with being an absentee ,from his .regime-nt.-Police. Sei-oaept Evans said i that on Wednesday of the previous week, when je went to arrest the prisoner at his residence in Field Street, he bolted through the back aoor, jumped a wall and escaped through back gardens." Subsequently witness ar- rested him in bed. Beynon was remanded to -await an escort. N.S.P.C.C. AND CHILD NROLEcx--Xbe Na- ,tiqual Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to 'nCshildren investigated 3,824 complaints of neg- ,lt and cruelty in England, Wfeles and Ireland the month of June. Of the 3,745 com- rafise., 3 ^'2 were found true, affecting eqaxe of 1lB6 children, and involving "4>-bo4 offenders. War nuiT?were issued in 3,303 cases; 164 were prosecuted (lsultng in 163 ^convictions), and 165 were deaft with by trans- ,er. or in other ways..From its pundatlOn it In 1884 the Society has dealt with 916,615 j. complaints involving 2,569,434 children. E the Merthyr branch during the same month 23 calos were dealt with, affecting 78 children. GIFTS FOR THOSE WHO NEED THEM—The Mas- of the Merthyr Union Workhouse (Mr D. -IT. Williallir,) desires to express his own and the •inmates' thanks to the following ladies and gen- tlemen for their kindly gifts on behalf of the 1nmates of the Pantyscallog House, Dowlais: Cake from the Pant Church. Dowlais. For t. nmates of this Institution—Flowers from Dow- lal8 Rectory; flowers from Market Sqaure <nurch, per Miss Luoretia Evans; books, papers Da vi *eS, 5 Gray's Place, Merthyr ale (2 lots); Mrs. Evans, Well Street, Cefn; .M,rs. Hoopei*, Union Place, Merthyr (2 lots); Mi.s. Jone. Vulcan House, Merthyr Miss Mor- gans, 2 Morlais Street, Dowlais (2 lots); Mrs. A. G. Skillmg, 35 William Street; Mrs. Wilt- ,13hIre. 2 Primrose Cottages, Thomastown; Mi- 'T it. Brown, Market House; and Mr D. Mit- chel I, Cromwell Street. I 3FERTHY11 RPRO, F3 DEATH—"He died nobly While carrying a wounded man from the tren- ches and you have one consolation that it was while succouring others he met his own death. I-Ilis death was instantaneous and he suffered no pain." In these words an officer of the Welsh Field Ambulance informed Mr and Mrs David Lewis (of Pondside. Merthyr) of the death of son Private W. J. Lewis, of the R.A.M.C. The officer adds He was always so cheerful in -all circumstances. Will 'was always singing and joking, and I used to find that his singing cheered us all up. I always regarded him as a perfectly straight boy, who never shirked his duty, the soul of brightness and lightness of heart." A Sergeant-Major of the same division said: Will was in the act of helping the woun- ded under heavy fire when he was wounded by v shrapnel. It is hard to discriminate when everyone of the boys are heroes, but your son was as good as the best of the boys, and he, with others, worked unceasingly and without sleep for three days and nights succouring the wounded. His comrade, Private T. D. Williams (of Bridgend) was killed at. the same time. It is in the hope that your grief as a mother mAy be lessened by the realisation of the glorious manner of his death and his upholding of the honour of Wales under the most difficult cir- cumstances, that I write." SOLDIER'S WIFE CREATES A SCENE-A distres- sing scene was witnessed at the Merthyr Police Court on Friday at the close of the hearing of a case in which Kate Rear don, the wife of a soldier, of Penyard, was summoned for neg- lecting her 5 children.—Mr C. B. James pro- secuted on behalf of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, and Inspector Starr spoke to keeping the woman under observation since May, 1914. Her husband had been in the Army for two years, and she was in receipt of nearly £ 3 per week. A few ) months ago the woman gave birth to a child, of which her husband was not the father, and since a portion of her allowance had been stopped. On one occasion when he visited the house he found a man—the father of the child —underneath the bed almost naked. One bed- room was like "a marine stores," and the house and children were very dirty and ver- minous.—The Stipendiary (Mr R. A. Griffith): We arc satisfied that this is a very shocking case, You will go to prison for three months with hard labour.—Thereupon the woman burst into tears and exclaimed" Oh. my children; my dear children." Before the police officer could take hold of her she fell down in the dock in a very hysterical condition, and it was on- ly with difficulty that she could be removed be- low. stilll wringing her hands and screaming loudly, amid sobs, Oh, my dear children; my lovely children!" t

Theatre Royal. 1 It is a peculiar thing how a week of really well done Shakespearian repertoire affects a town; and how the (Theatre can, in one week,, become a topic of universal conversation and the background for the exhibition of our cul- tural blandishments. I have this week discov- ered a greater fondness for Shakespeare, and a wider acquaintance with his works, than I had ever suspected in Merthyr. Whether all the quotations, or for that matter, many of the shorter pieces, that have been hurled at me, were written by the Bard of Stratford or Bobbie Bums or not I cannot say, for I have not read anythng of Shakespeare since. I crammed him at school, and I worked up a distaste for him after I had been compelled to review the literature of the "Is Bacon Shakespeare?" con- troversy. But whether, one is able to repeat The Merchant of Venice" through without mixing it up with Barham's Ingoldsby Leg- ends" paraphrase or not does not detract from the pleasure of a visit to the Theatre Royal this week. Shakespeare's plays were written for the stage, and I for one prefer to take the greatest poet of all time as he was meant to be taken, especially if the work is to be done by a company such as Miss Florence Glossop- Harris has been able to bring to the Theatre Royal, even admitting that one or two of the minor parts could be strengthened. There is no work more exacting than this the transcend- ental work of the stage, and none from which the public expect so much. People who will swallow the most nauseous of burlesque are hypercritical over Shakespeare, and correg, pondingly the difficulties in the way of his successful portrayal are increased. It is greatly to the crerit of the company playing here that the only criticism I have heard was levelled against the Elizabethan language of the author by a young mtn who wanted such phrases as Pr'ythee fair maid" Bowdlerised to suit the modern vocabulary; for the rest nothing but the greatest veneration for the poet, and delight with the presentation has come my way. Candidly, I should have been surprised at anything else, for as I pointed out last week the leading characters are almost without exception well known members of Sir .Frank Benson's celebrated company, in which Miss Glossop Harris herself played leading role for three years or so. She herself and Henry Baynton are amongst the few histrions who are capable of playing Shakespeare and with one or two exceptions —for which allowance can be made in the days of masculine rarity-the castes are strong enough to support them in every way desirable. The playing is extraordinarily well done, and what is more unusual in high class companies—who seem tio think that the personnel of the company is everything—Miss Harris has staged, lighted and attended to the thousand and one details of the presentation in a style that is worthy not alone the work of the artistes, but even of the poet himself. That this week is essen- tially Theatre Royal week in Merthyr is now fully recognised quite as fully as it was recognised on the visit of the O'Mara 8pell"a Company, and I know that tonight and Saturday is to 00 crowded. Two or three of my friends who have dropped in the office during the last few hours are under the impression that there is a minstrel show j"?e Theatre Royal next week, because ,?liow,, a tt', Mack CupId's "Throwaway" that of the VIVld advertising "Kisses." As a lie on my desk +I-- newest, brightest matter of fact "Kisses'- is ..a, London. and best played revue that has left > artistes Albert Bruno, who is heading the 40 revue playing "Kisses" is "It" absolutely in of He has the biggest bump of humour of an its our best known artistes, and "Kisses" t, him like a good kid glove. Other names to conjure with in the caste are those of Ernest Hargreaves, the celebrated tenor; Beatie Hall; Irene Hunter; Ethel Thompson; Kathleen Waring; Hal Russ; Nettie Wheeler to say nothing of the Jackson Beauty Flapper Chorus and the Eight Grecian Maids. PLAYGOER.

I ABERCYNON INTERMENT—The funeral of Mr John Grif- fiths, whose death we reported last week, took place at the Abercynon Cemetery on Saturday ercynon, officiated, assieted by the Rev. Morgan ercynon, officiated, assisted bv the Res. Morgan Jenkins. As manager of the Workmen's Hall he was well known and respected, and was a most popular man with every section of the, community. He was always courteous, 'life con- siderate and straightforward. "His life was gentle and the elements so mixed in him that Nature might stand up and say to all the world 'This was a man' AGATHA. A splendid rendering of the cantata "Agatha" was given in the Hall last Wednesday by the Merthyr Vale Welsh Wes- leyan Choir. The performance was one of the best we have seen in Abercynon for a con- siderable time. The conductor (Mi- J. R. Owen) is to be congratulated on the efficient maimer in which the choir acquitted itself. The performance was in aid of Mr Rd. Williams, North Street, who has been unable to follow his employment for some considerable time. Mr E. H. Battram again made an admirable chairman. 08)2 §3x/—We regret to announce the death of Mr Wm. Thomas, Ivy House, Abercynon. Deceased, who for many years has been em- ployed as under-manager at the Dowlais-Cardiff Colliery, will be buried at Pant on Thursday. Our sympathy is extended to his wife and family.

PROPAGANDA, NOT PROFIT," is the motto of the Pioneer Press." If you are alive to the tremendous social improve- ments that the Party the Pioneer represents stands for, then it is your duty to all that all your Trades Union, Co-operative, and General Printing comes to Wil iamsl Square,' Merthvr the Home ofthe 11 Pioneer."

Pit-Head Blaze. I! ALARMING TREHARRIS AFFAIR. I CAGE DROPS TO SUMP. II An alarming shaft fire occurred early to-day (Thursday) at the Ocean Colliery Company's No." 2 Pit, Treharris. The outbreak was discovered about 4.30. and the flames were seen to be spreading about the upcast at the pithead. The bonnets were burnt, and also the woodwork on the surface where the case usually rests, and the fire extended about 50 feet below the fan drift, rapidly spreading upwards to the framework and the sheaves ab- ove the shaft. The flames also burnt through the rope sup- porting the cage, on which were two trams. The cage, however, was only a few feet from the bottom at the time, and when the rope broke it crashed into the sump. To facilitate in the extinguishing of the con flagration the fan was stopped for' a short time, as the leakage of air generally found in all upcasts was causing the fire to spread. The first attempts to cope with the outbreak were made by the colliery staff and the Gelligaer Fire Brigade. About five o'clock the Merthyr Police Fire Brigade were telephoned for, and were at the scene within 20 minutes after re- ceiving the call. Charge of the operations was then taken over by the Chief Constable of Merthyr (Mr J. A. Wilson), and the flames, which on the arrival of the Merthyr Brigade were leaping sky-high, were eventually subdued and extin- guished. There were about 350 men of the night shift down the pit when the fire broke out, but all were brought up safely by the No. 1 Pit shaft. The damage was considerable, and, in con- sequence, the colliery, in which 1,800 men are employed is icfle to-day. The cause of the fire is unknown.

Getting Busy. I DOWLAIS RAILWAYMEN'S IMPORTANT I RESOLUTIONS. At a meeting of the Dowla,is Branch of the I N.U.R., held on the 6th instant, the following I resolutions were unanimously adopted: — (1) That this meeting strongly protests ag- ainst the action of the Great Western Rail- way Company in refusing to reinstate Brother W. Davies (Briton Ferry), and calls upon the Executive Council to take immediate steps to bring about his reinstatement, and pledges our support to any action the E. C. may take to bring about the desired end. (2) That we strongly condemn the action of the Government in allowing the coolowners to further increase the price of coal by 2/6 per ton, and thus further fleece the working classes. (3 That having regard to the serious posi- tion in which the working class movement may find itself as a result of the war, this branch calls for a National Labour Conference to be immediately convened by the National Workers (War Emergency Committee), for the purpose of considering the situation, in order that steps may be taken to safeguard the interests and future developments of the Labour Movement. (4) That this meeting regrets the continued (wait and see) policy of our governing body, seeing that six weeks have elapsed since the annual general meeting decision calling upon the Executive Committee to take immediate action to secure the equivalent in wages to the increased cost of commodities. we call upon the Executive Committee to carry out the decision of the Bath A.G.M. without fur- ther delay; failing which we decide to take drastic action to secure the desired end.

I The Editor's Appeal. Week ending August 5. a. d. Share Capital. Bargoed Pioneer Committee 10 0 Shilling Fund. ,,¡r Dai Jones and Jack Davies (Aber Pi Tmboi Pioneer Committee 5 0 cw oed Pioneer Committee 2 9 Barg., Dovey, par Bargoed Pioneer Frank ittee 2 6 Comni Appeal. Re Welsh. Penywern 2 6 David Davie-. "envwern 2 0 Jack Davies, 'i:r'JJ'ffi 1 6 Dan Davies, Cat  16 3 ————— st 12. Week ending Augu. Share Capital. I 10 0 J, R. Taylor, Abercynon Shilling Fund. 2 6 W. J. Rees, Merthyr g J. M. Williams, Bedlinog Bargoed Pioneer Committee Per T. Thomas and T. Roberts (Dowlais Top):—E. J. Evans 2/6; T. I. Morgan 1b; Walter Jones 6d; Maggie Hopkins 6d; J. H. Hill 6d; Will Hopkins 6d; Mrs Hopkins 6d; James Hopkins 6d; L. A. Thomas is Tom Davies 6d; J. Williams 6d; Tom Edwards Is; Ben Griffiths Is; Stephen Davies Is; Tom, Morgan 6d; D. Beynon Is; D. Smith 6d; James Batertian 6d; W. E. Davies 6d; Tom Evans 6d; Edith Roberts Is; D. W. Sinnett 6d; Sam Griffiths Is; W. J. Howells Is; Evan Jones 6d; Dan Jones 6d; James Roberts 6d; Mrs. Roberts Is; Tom Thomas 2/6; Tom Roberts 2/6; Anon 6d .26 6 42 9

Wr f-fELP THOSE WHO HELP U YOUR PAPER! PLEASE MENTION THE PIONEER WHEN ANSWERING ADVERTS. IIF MENTION THIS PAPER WHEN YOU 8UY! .It I   WHEN REQUIRING j I: SUITS, COSTUMES, or GENERAL DAPEY j IAUN DADD 28 Thomas St., I 5 SEND A POST CARD TO Thomas St'l • j JOHN BARRMerthyr Tydfil, m 2 AND A REPRESENTATIVE WILL CALL. | I Cash or Instalment System. j ( SUITS and COSTUMES to Measure a SpeciaHty S "] j j ATTACKED by assassms ???<.????? ?'-?? hired by the Harbour Trust, ??? iw Stevens steps on a hidden 'k, ???. trap door. He falls into the cellar below PbIbL4 |: JrjgSp ?nd finds himself-an unarmed man- !??B? ??? ? ?, ? \??4. face to face with a bunch of hungry Hons! ■ V Ua In the dim light from the door above, he f?.???St! l ig. In catches the glint of blazing eyes and bared ? ??iJ??W/ ?? ? W fangs. Death in a cruel and terrible form seems ?\??? inevitable. The ferocious animals crouch for the \??/ ? ? ?t fatal spring. Never before has so dramatic an \ilff ??Ma& fatat spr i ng. Never  so dramat i c an  incident been so realistically produced for a cinema film. See the whole gripping story-one of the twenty "J weekly episodes in "GREED," the great moving picture ?????t? serial. Each Episode (complete in itself) reveals the jf t ^1 triumph of right over might-the ultimate success of Bruce « V HR M Larnigan against the fiends ?U? jK ?!' whose career of criminal ras- 'T cality he has sworn to end. See "GREED" at V<|| Electric Theatre CIREATEST OF MERTHYR TYDFIL. Tljlwm LAMNTKFILM PHOTOPLAYS

Tonyrefail Notes. I Wounded Sbldiers. I Private Dick Grother came home last week- end for ten days' furlough. He has been woun- ded, and has been in this country for some time back from the front. He received a fine recep- tion from a crowd of persons meeting him, some of whom went to Llantrisant to meet him. Dick is a fine-built chap, and we hope that the injuries he has received will not in any way per- mnanently affect his health' and welfare. He has to go under an operation shortly, which, we hope, will be successful. Another soldier boy foack wounded is Private Goodwin. He has been wounded in the head. He seemed quite cheerful at the railway station on his return. Goodwin seems quite a young boy, and to our mind it seems rather hard that they should send immature boys to the front. We hope that he will remain now in this country, and that he will fully recover from his wounds. Considerable satisfactiton is felt generally at the recent action of the miners in revising their decision on the. holidays. It is to be hop- ed that the miners will" realise more than ever that they are of prime or first importance to the welfare of the community. That without them things could not very well go on success- fully. It is their duty to see that they get more control of the affairs of the country than they have had hitherto. It is evident that we could do without the middlemen or the employer, be- cause they have no service to render to the State only on their own behalf; that is, the ac- cumulation of profits. It is obvious that he holds the reigns because he can get all he asks for in return for the loan of his money. When our lives and service have to be conscripted in one form or another. It is often said at present, Never mind- the employer; we must forget him; we are at war." We must think of this first. Yes, but keep your eye on him; prepare for him; organise yourselves for the class war when this present commercial war is at an end. Martial all your forces together in organising power, which is the only way to meet •o'anised repression. V.I.. rarade Mainwaring (Clydach Vale) will pay' to the Pioneer" Committee Headquar- n 9°. pretgria Road on Saturday, August 12. a VISIt p? on ? Rhondda and District So- ters at i -+y 5-30 p,? All interested in the He will s heartily invited to hear Mamwanng cialist Un?. speaker. UISLI1UU <11 tJ who is an abL ABERD. Evan ? Om"" dered to tb, .,ities 'bv C™ ONSCIENTIOUS jdnesdav. Parker was finea that Par be handed over to tnt, and the Stipendiary at 6 until ap-- The Recruiting Aut) it Conscien- ke.r was c-alled up to join had reported no in prehended. Parker tious Objector, and the army." he Rev. Geo. MOUD the week. a MOUr. a, who is' serv- GEORGE NEIGHBOTT Walton Gaol Neighoour has rece) Objector. He is letter from his son, naintains a very ing 112 days' hard py in mind. This (Liverpool) as a OG two months. The in the best of health y, cheerful spirit, and is the first letter rece, prison treatment is sal

SMALL PREPAID ADVERTISEMENTS. One In- Three In- Six In- sertion. sertioiDB. sertioMj a. d. a. d. a. d. 20 words 0 6 10 19 •jQ words 0 9 16 2 9 40 words 1 0 2 0 S a 40 words 1 3 2 6 4 6 60 words 1 6 3 0 5 6 In all oaea the Name and Address aro counted as part of the Advertisement. These prices apply only to AdyertiBeoaeitJi ordered for consecutive insertions and which am prepaid. Trade Advertisements are inserted under the Heading Personal at 9d. per line. All Advertisements should be posted to the Office on or before Monday. Medical. 64-PAGE BOOK ABOUT HERBS AND 04- HOW TO USE THEM, post free. Send for one. TRIMNELL, THE HBBBALISI, 144 RICHMOND ROAD, CARDIFF. Established 1879. Literary. TTTiTTARIi*i 10 A.MPHLETS on "The Bible, TTNITARI??MPHLE??"TheBib?_  free.-Miff' MOUIT viumnt. S* Uth MisceHaneMtS A A S^ROLOGYr-l^ife even^'i^^tri-    matn- tumate days, bus1IW8S 8U, d birth XyNook," date, I 1- P.O. PRoP. GouLP e 00, d.a?:, hfi.eld R?ad, Cardiff.

OL,r Appeal for Navvy Pat. iC p' Week ending August 5. s. d.  P 10neer -— 2 6 P-ic n,er 'y 4 0 Barge )e(j pioneer Committee *-4 0 6 6 „ Pionee^eek ending Au^t ?' 3 6 2 Tc Hawkins "eer Committee, Per 3 0  rru t t,??, per J. 3 0 Tc ?? -?eerCommittee; per J. ? ?  Bargoed Pioneer ?A.Hu?? Bargo,ed Piojic.er I.,Imittee 0 9 ? 5

I Penrhiwceiber Charge. At-,ilfotintain Ash on Thursday last William Davies (65), a mason, of Morriel Avenue, Pen- rhiwceiber, was charged with causing grievous bodily harm to Richard Reynolds (66) a collier, of Walsh Street, Matthewstown by str.mg him on the head at Penrhiwceiber on the p. e- vious Monday. When charged accused made a statement t{I.. the effect that when he met Reynolds in the street the latter said to him, "You want your wife one week and you don't the next." With I that Reynolds aimoo a lolow at him, a-nd he retaliated. Ponce-Sergeant Hill said the injured man was still in an unconscious state. On this evid- ence the accused was remanded for a week. He was liberated on his own bail in the sum of;glo.