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Merthyr. Te State a Case. Mir. D. W. Jones, chairman of the Merthyr Watch Committee, who was fined 20s. for ke-ep- iag a manservant without a license, asked the Merthyr Stipendiary (Mr. R. A. Griffith) on Fri- j day to state a for High Court. The points .submitted were that the Chie-Oon-j stable (Mr. J. A. Wilson) was not, as local taxa- tion officer, authorised to prosecute by the Town Council, to whom the powers of Inland Revenue Commissioners were transferred by the Finance Act, 1908; and that there was no evidence that the man, employed (said Mir..Tones) as a labourer, was taxable as a manservant. His Worship agreed to state a case. Late-Comers in Welsh Churches. Speaking at a Free Charon Council Oonfer- enoe at Merthyr on Thursday, Professor D. Miall Edwards, M.A., Brecon, said unpunctual-1 ity in Welsh churches was deplorable and heart- rending. Iany a Sunday night the problems of late-comers weighed upon his soul. When were the people of Wales going to get out of this kabit r It was a wicked and slovenly feature in the religious life of Wales and was not to be found to anything like such an extent in Eng- land. Rev. Jacob Jones presided. New Pentreba-ch Pastor. Recognition services to the now pastor, .Rev. W. P. Stonier, were held at Jerusalem Baptist I Church, Abercanaid, on Thursday. Fire. A fire at the :le!rthYT Hide and Skin Com- pany's Store* in Dynevor-street. Merthyr, on Sunday, resulted in the wool-drying house being burnt out. I Miners' Agent. I Mr. -Noah Ablet*. Mardy, I* the new agent ?14 r l ie, ii?-, i- il-c-nt for the Merthyr District of Miners, the result of the final ballot being: Mr. A'biett, 2,721; Mr. B. J. William", Merthyr, 1 ,3.)8. Boxing. I Phil. Dayies. M?rlhyr, nut-pointed Dai Wil- liams. Rhymney, in a tif?on-rottnd contest at Penydairen (?inetua on Saturday. Young Hughes, Penydarren, retired in the second of a six-round bout with Young Beynon, also of Peny- darren. Mike CaJtill, Ebbw Yale, and Sam Jen- nings, Dowlais, fought an eight-round no-decision contest. Steelworkers' Support Technical School. In connection w'Lli the Merthyr Trades Coun- cil scheme for the establishment of open scholar- ships in connection with the proposed Berry Technical School, Councillor Enoch Morrell, J.P., and Mr. Jno. Williams attended a mass meeting of the Blastfuriiaeemen's Union of Cy- fairthfa Steelworks and fully expounded the Trades Council's scheme. Some interesting tpiestdons were put to the deputation, after which it was unanimously deckled by the men to ally themselves with the rest of organised La- bour in this effort. Merthyr V.C. I A Merthyr man, Coiporal John Collins, R.W.F., a son of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Collins, 54 High-street, Penydarren, won the V.C. in the advance on Jerusalem. What he got it for, ac- cording to the" London Gazette," was: For most conspicuous bravery, resource, and leadership, when, after deployment, prior to an attack, his battalion was forced to lie out in the open under heavy shell and machine-gun ifre, which caused many casualties. This gallant non- commissioned officer repeatedly went out under heavy fire and brought wounded back to cover, thus saving many lives. In subsequent opera- tions throughout the day Corporal Collins was conspicuous in rallying and leading his command. He led the final assault with the utmost skill, in .-ipite of heavy fire at close range and uncut wire. He bayonetted 15 of the enemy, and with a Lewis gun section pressed on beyond the ob- jective and eovered the. reorganisa.tion and con- solidation most effectively, although isolated and under fire from snipers and guns. He showed throughout a magnificent example of initiative and fearlessness. The Oollinses" are known as the Fighting Family of Penydarren" because of their mili- tacy record. Oowtais Boys' Escapade. I Two ten-year-old Dowlais lads broke into the Wesleyan Chapel Schoolroom and St. Luke's Church, Dowlais, and stole 10! in coppers from a missionary collection-box in the schoolroom. They were given six stroke.s of the birch at Mer- thyr on Tuesday. Abercanaid Lieutenant Resigns. Lieut. W. D. Jenkins (son of Mr. T. T. Jen- kins, Abercanaid, a Labour member of the Mer- thyr Board of Guardians) after two years of active service in the East and several months in hospital, has resigned his commission on account of illness, retiring with the honorary rank of Lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery. I Street Lighting. I Merthyr Town Council on Monday appointed a deputation to wait upon the Home Secretary to arrange for street lights at more frequent in- tervals in the town. A resolution from the Merthyr Trades and Labour Council advocating greatei- sti-ect. lighting facilities was read.

» ■■■■ Briton Ferry Notes. I "George Borrow." I A lecture was given at the English Congrega- tional Chapel on Monday, December 10th, by Mr. John Esmond. B.Sc. (Swansea), the subject being George Borrow." A Distribution Protest. Under the auspices of the Trades and Labour JI Council a great Demonstration was held last Sunday afternoon to protest against the unequal distribution of food, which compels the wives of the workers, as one speaker remarked, to stand for hours in the queue. The Public Hall was applied for, but refused. The sanctity of the Sabbath must not be desecrated by the people forslIDh worldly matters as butter, sugar and -other bodily necessities. There is a good per- centage of working men on 'the committee, but I' it appears that the decision was arrived at by ",ix members over the 'phone. Working-men do not possess the « speaking trumpet," so the in- ference is palpable. Nevertheless the meeting was held. The public gathered outside the Public Hall under the -[^residency of Coun. E. Hutchinson. Speeches were given by Coun. Jos. Branrh and Mr. Taylor, local manager of the Co-op. A resolution protesting against the present system of food distribution was moved by Mr. Attwood, and seconded by Mr. S. Soxith- eott. The resolution was earned without dissen- tients.

I Buying Butter Above Price I I MERTHYR GROCER FINED £16. j I. IJfrinh)1Üln.eI)ts of the food prices orders are being drastically dealt with by the Merthyr Stipendiary (Mr. R. A. Grimtb) and on Tuesday he imposed fines amounting to £ 70 upon a grocer, James Evans, Carmarthen Stores, for buying butter at rates above the maximum wholesale prices scheduled by. the Food Controller. The summonses were- for offences on two separ- ate occasions. W i l.ci-, i-rose- Mr. J. (chief-constable) who prose- cuted, stated that invoices from the Lakelands Dairy Company, Cork, showed that in one con- signment of butter weighing 4 cwt. and invoiced for December 8th defendant was overcharged t3 18s. 6d. (in addition to an obvious clerical error of £10 too much also on the bill), and for a second consignment of 4Jewt. invoiced on November 26 defendant had overpaid £ 1 4s. D(1. Defendant on the 14th inst..showed hit)) a tele- gram received from the Lakelands Dairy Com- pany, Prices two lots 245s. 6d. Rolls invoice of 8th inst. contains double error. Correct ac- cordingly. We are first wholesalers." The but- ter on the 8th inst. was not rolls, but bulk, and should have1 been retailed at 2s. 5d., per lb., the price fixed by defendant. Mr. F. S. Simons, for the defence, submitted Evans acted as an innocent buyer from the Irish firm, upon whom he relied for the proper wholesale prices. Mr. Griffith said defendant could not have committed such a glaring infringement of the Order by inadvertence, but only by design and with an object, and the net result had been a very wicked fraud on the public. Fines of £ 35 for each offence were imposed. F?;, n e. of L*il.) ffij? offc-nee w(,i-e

Maesteg Notes. Co-operative Concert. On Monday evening last at the Co-operative Hall the Caerau and Maesteg Co-operative Society's Juvenile Choir gave a performance of The Wishing Cap," in -full under the able baton of Air. Hopkin Hopkins (Nanty- ffyllon). The children looked very pretty in their different costumes, and their singing was very good. Great credit is due to Mr. Hopkins for the work he has put into the building up of such an excellent choir, as it is no easy task to train upwards of GO children so young as many of them are. The adults who have assisted the conductor must not be forgotten either, also the mothers in sending the children to the prac- tices. The hall was crowded. Many were disap- pointed at the non-appearance of the advertised chairniaji, Rev. J, F. Williams (Glyncorrwg), who is an ideal chairman and has also had some very pleasant experiences as conductor, and brought- off sotne very successful performances, especially at Abercynon previous to his remav- ing to Glyncorrwg, but we understand that it was unavoidable. Mr. Stentiford, president of the society, filled the breach as chairman admir- ably. Mr. T. T. Millman, chairman of the Edu- cation committee, in moving a. vote of thanks to the chairman, conductor, and the choir, pub in a word for Co-operation, stating frhat it was more than a shop-keeping movement simply for selling butter and cheese; and that the perform- ance that evening proved that they took inter- est in the citizens of to-morrow as in the present generation. Mr. Will Betty (junr.), secretary of the Education Committee, seconded the vote of thanks, which was carried with enthusiasm, thus ended a very pleasant evening. The proceeds are to be used for educational and propaganda purposes, which is making good headway in the district. This is a, new venture in this district. Let us have more of it, as it is just what is wanted..

Theatre Royal. I I am beginning this paragraph with a benison that I would east in lyric form were it not that space is too precious. A fortnight ago I should have told anyone that I could find not one single sign that recalled the old Chrisitmasses of my youth—four years ago. Now there are two —the weather, and the Theatre Royal announce- ment for next week- I should have been con- tent with the last. I have no intention of thank- ing .anybody for cold feet and a red nose, but I do desire to word a grateful phrase to Mrs. Rea for her forethought in deciding to run panto in one of the only two weeks of the year to which panto really belongs. A panto seen in Christmas week, or on Shrove Tuesday possesses ten times the joyousness of the same .panto seen during- any of the intervening nights. Always the panto and Christmas are synoynmous, this year Christ- mas will he only recalled with its traditional as- pect through the medium of the Theatre Royal. I should have been grateful for even a mediocre panto next week, but Jr". Rea is generous— and businesslike—she wouldn't. Consequently, nothing short of a slap-bang affair with a stage full of buxom beauties, funny comedians, charm- ing fairies, bold bad barons, and sweet princesses would content her. In "Beauty and the Beast" she has secured all that an epicurean taste in these matters could have wanted, except perhaps the liors d'oeuvre of Harlequin. It is a (bang up-to-date production with a fine book, lilt- ing lyrics, catchy choruses, and specialities such as it has been difficult to gather from the de- nuded ranks of stage land to-day. Nor would Mrs. Rea lie content with an emaciated panto. One house a night and as many matinees as pos- sible were her stipulations, and they carried without dissentients. Consequently the fun will run fast and furious from seven till—, well, till the end every night, and the kiddies will laugh till they shake on Wednesday, Thurs- day and Saturday afternoons, and follow that by helping home their parents whose collapse will be more complete because of their weakened powers of recovery. I have used up all my space without saying what I would have liked of the present week's shows. From Monday to Wednesday we had an excellent performance of Mrs. Powell's A Girl's Temptation," whilst these last three nights Curate V. C." is proving the best play that the clever little repertory company has handled this visit. PLAYGOER. I

How they Starve in the Ritz. I The Herald gives another instance of war- time economy under the heading How They Starve at. the Rite." Its representative found it possible, a.t the said hotel, to have a dinner of some half-dozen courses, each one a good meal In itself, a.t £ 3 for two persons, of all sorts of dainties, on which the fool-controller puts no restriction. As we were bowed out of the door, we saw, under the arches at the front of the hotel, three old women huddled up in their rags for the night." I

Tonyrefail Notes. A Suggested Lodge. A general meeting of the Coed Ely workmen was held last Sunday, December 16th, at the Shrewsbury Hall, Llantrisant, to consider the advisability of forming a separate lodge for the Llantrisant section of the Coed Ely workmen. It has long been felt by a large number of work- men who live at Llantrisant, and who are inter- ested in Trade Union activities, that they have been deprived of all in the move- ment owing to the lack of facilities and the long distance from the seat of activity. After a lucid explanation by the Secretary and others, of the probable result of two separate lodges at 6ne colliery, and of the impracticability of. the suggestion, considerable discussion took place, which resulted in the meeting abandoning the suggestion of forming a separate lodge. The expression of the desire to participate in the Labour Movement is a good sign, and should be encouraged to the utmost. It was decided to request the Joint Labour Education Committee to extend their present activities to Llantrisant immediately. A resolution was passed to peti- tion and solicit the military authorities to re- lease from military duties a former miner who has been in the army from tlie commencement of the war, and who has been placed in .an un- fortunate position by the death of his wife, leaving four .children desti tute, without any re- latives to take care of them.. May It Be Repeated. Congratulations to the G walla Glee Society on their success in last Saturday's competition. They deserve success for the way they have, from time to time, been at the disposal of the needy and suffering for benefit concerts, etc. The benefit concert held last week for Mr. Thomas John was a huge success, both in the sale of tickets and in attendance at, the con- cert. Owing to the crowds of people who failed to find access to the building an overflow con- cert was held. The result is most satisfactory— the case being a most deserving one. Mr. John, it is sad to say, has almost lost his sight owing to an accident- some time ago. At present he is at the Infirmary, and has undergone an operation. It is to be hoped that the result will be greatly in his favour, and that his sight will be restored to him. Cilely Men Consider War Wages. There was a meeting held last Saturday night at Trebanog with the- Cilely workmen. Mr. Win. John, agent, addressed the workers on the war- wage and other matters of importance. The Vicar and Geo. Lansbury. In this month s Church Magazine the Vicar, Mr. Thomas, has an appreciative note, in his letter to his parishioners, 'on Mr. G. Lansbury's book, "Your Part in Poverty." Those of us who are Socialists have no cause at all to com- plaint about the expression, but rather feel pleased that such a response has come from the Vicar. All admirers of Lansbury are urged to support the Herald" in its great work to ad- just the ills of evils of soeielty There you will find Lansbury at work in fine, form. Fred Bramley on Co-operation, I On Friday night last Mr. Fred Bramley, of London, gave a lecture at the Primitive Metho- dist Chapel, Tonyrefail, where a fair crowd gathered. The gathering would undoubtedly have been much lai-gei, if the meeting had been better advertised. Those who did turn up are sincerely desirous of hearing him again. The subject of his lecture was e< Co-operation." He dealt very effectively with tlie theme in all its aspects. He showed how the capitalist class had learned the secret of co-operation, how instead of competing the one with the other, they had agreed to combine together, thus eliminating all waste due to competition; and how they were using the trusts thus formed to their advantage against the working-class. He very clearly il- lustrated how the present high prices were due to these trusts forcing the prices of commodities far above the cost necessary for the production of these commodities. He also pointed out that the only way in which the problem could be dealt with was by uniting the forces of the La- bour and, Co-operative bodies in one vast union. This could only be done when the working-class had learned the lesson of co-operation as well as their exploiters. He stated that although scarcity of food may account for a great deal of the present unrest, uneven distribution was by far the greatest factor. Where long queues are familiar sights in working-class areas, other people in better class areas never experience any trouble with their supplies. Questions were asked and answered, thus ending a very fine lec- ture. Mr. T. Young very ably presided.

Kenfig Hill Notes. I.L.P. I A large crowd turned up on Wednesday to hear R. C. Wallhead, but he was unavoidably detained in putting his private affairs in order, in the event of his having to accept the "hospi- tality of his Majesty's Government, through their Branch" at Neath. A most capable substitute was found in Comrade X., who spoke on "The economic war after the war." He congratulated the Kenfig Hill Branch in coming out to take up its part in the class-war and pointed out how essential it was at the present of all times to organise for this purpose. He made a strong appeal to those who could not at this stage see eye to eye with the I.L.P. to at- tend the lodge meetings of their various trade unions and co-operative societies, so that they should not be "gulled" by the plausible argu- o v, tl?e p?l -(i,,tisi b le ar ,,Il- ments of the reactionaries whose sole ambition was to inveigle Labour, as a consenting party, into the terrible morass that will ensue if econ- omic warfare is to be tllf order of the day after this war. We were told that this war would end a.11 wars, yet what the organised churches had failed to do in 1900 years, by preaching Christianity, we were now asked to believe that such a fiendish campaign aa this economic war will accomplish. At the Paris Conference it was laid down that after the war, a boycott of all Germa,n goods should he carried out by all t,he Allies, to form an economic union that would exploit the resources of the world and thereby prevent if possible even raw materials entering Germany. That "dying horse," tariff reform, I was to be whipped up, thus we should institute a policy of "closed doors." Those who offended this panacea were the "beauties" who consider themselves as the only capable ones to make the peace of the world. He was sure that the in- telligence of his audience would not be put to any great test to see through this fallacy of "economic war, and that it would only sow the seeds for a more terrible conflict'—if such a con- flict could be imagined. Neutral countries would be told that they must embrace this policy, if not then they would be placed on the black list," and this would but have the effect of driving these powers to the Central Powers, for the economic welfare of the former was, s bound up to a great extent by trading relations with the latter. Many other truths were given by Comrade X, -?-t al i,y -'t h er trut- l i?, each a sermon in themselves, and Kenfig Hill owes more to him than we can at the present anticipate, but we shall not forget his messages, some of which will remain ,as" strongholds when faced with the many obstacles that are built in the- way of those who do not float with the stream. Questions were asked and answered satisfactorily, and this ended one of the most en- joyable and instructive evenings we have yet spent in Kenfig Hill. Coun. J. Jones presided. The Way to Do It. The Literature Committee of the local branch has derided to canvass every member, and others, with a view of getting their order for Labour papers, then we shall purchase direct and de- liver to each member. We shall then, no doubt, be more sure of getting our favourites. Combine Chairman's Death, I A .?ad accident occurred at Aberkenfi? on wea-I nesday evening. Mr. W. J. Evans, Chairman of the Workmen's Combine Committee (Baldwins Collieries) was knocked down and terribly mu- tilat-ed by a passenger train. A cousin of W.R. Evans, vice-chairman of the I.L.P. branch, and nephew of Mr. Fred Evans, treasurer of Aber- baiden Lodge, lie was well-known and esteemed in the district. We deeply sympathise with his parents and also his ifance, to whom we under- stand he was to have been shortly married.

y Timnimiiinr:n T ionmuii. mi 1■■ nTHI*' § THE DIRECTORS OF rlJ-1 desire to call the attention of their I ( customers and others to the advisability of investing all available moneys m NATIONAL WAR BONDS 1 and of applying further savings in the same way. In the Savings Bank Department small sums caa I be accumulated at interest until they reach the t I min i mum required for purchasing WAR BONDS.

Avan Valley Notes. I (BY DBIIOCRITUS). A CHRISTMAS FANTASIA. I I hfcard the bells on Christmas Day Their old finilliax carols play, And wild and sweet The words repera,t Of peace on earth, goodwill to men. Then from each black accused mouth The cannon thundered in the South, And with sound The carols drowned Of peace on earth, goodwill to men. And in despair I bowed my head "There is no peace on earth," I said, For hate is strong And mocks the song Of peace on earth, goodwill to men! Then pealed the bells more loud and deep, Love is not dead, nor doth it sleep! The wrong shall fail The right prevail; With peace on earth, goodwill to men! LONGFELLOW. A Merry Christmas to the Editor and readers of the Pioneer." A happy—nay, to express this time-honoured Yuletide greeting this year is to expose oneself to the suspicion of indulging in cynical levity. Making merry will be so difficult with the whole civilized world a seething fer- ment of hate, rapine, and homicidal madness. And yet, occasional forgetfulness is essential. Prospect. This is the fourth Christmas of the war and there is no ray of light on the horizon. The clouds loom darker and more threatening than ever, for added to the ghastly slaughter, and the reckless expenditure of wealth, there is now stalking through the land the gnm spectre of want. Queues of hundreds of anxious women and shivering children stand for hours in the cold drizzling rain in the expectation of obtain- ing a few ounces of butter at 2s. 6d. a lb. And our well-clad, well-fed, ultra patriots talk about the necessity of eoonomising! The Premier. I The Prime Minister has delivered his eagerly awaited, speech, and it has turned out as the apples of Sodom: a cankered tumour plastered with rhetoric. Mr. I). Lloyd Geotrge is a pillar of the Baptist denomination. He is a professed follower ctf the Prince of Peace; he is the idol of Welsh Nonconformity and receives more homage in Wales than Christ himself, yet, with all these manifestations of godliness he cannot attain a higher spiritual plane than that set him by Lord Northcliffe. For a Christmas greeting he, gives us a re-affirmation of the "knock-out blow" in more diplomatic diction. ti A Fool's Hell. Many of us have, durin gtlie last few rnontiis, been hoping against hope of witnessing the end of hostilities before Christmas • alas, for the vanity of human wishes, we have all lived in a fool's paradise, or. preferably—hell. Our imperialists won't have a negotiated peace—a peace based on democratic lines. They are out for a military victory notwithstanding the insuperable barriers between them and that achievement, notwith- standing the travail which must be endured be- fore a sem blance of victory can be atcained. Incompatible. What do statesmen and rulers, Kaisers and sons of Kaisers ea,re about the hallowed associa- tions of Christmas, or about the sacred behests of the Prince of Peace? Religion to them is a nebulous theory, the observance of which is to. be honoured only when it comes not into con- tact with individual pride or military prestige and glory. The beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount, the inviolability of Christian conscience —these, and all the injunctions about love and forgiveness are thrown to the scrap-heap of use-I less incumbrances when the hell-hounds of w-arl a?e let loose. And the much vaunted Christian England! shall not Ichabod be indelibly in-I soribed upon hw House of Legisia.tur? and her Church after the infamous treatment meted to conscientious ohiec.tors The Climax of Hypocrisy. The first Sunday of the Xew year is to br i day -of prayer to Got!, and this proclamation ? made simultaneously with the infamous crime 0.1 disfranchising men for adhering to God's holy I The Power to' Happiness. But, a truce to such thoughts. If our rulers can deprive us of the usual attributes to Christ- mas cheer if they can shackle our actions aud I circumscribe our utterances: they cannot de- prive us of our power to think wlrich, were mer wise enough to realibe, constitutes a more potent factor towards happiness than anything within the power of rulers to confer. Good Will towards C.O.s and Soldiers. So thinking this war is a huge, ghastly blun-, der, and its prosecution, without any attempt at amicable negotiation, a. crime against God and man, I make bold to say that applications to I Heanm will be a waste of energy. If it is not a .breach of the D.O.H .A., to utter a wish, I hereby wish all conscientious objectors, "A Merry Christmas," In prison and out of prison,- may the benign spirit of Santa Claus (that's- German) hover near them, and may some. of his- Christmas munificence find its way into the' stockings of these dauntless fighters for liberty of conscience. To the. soldiers in the trenches- the same wish is heartily extended. Theirs is a hard, agonising lot, which the vainglorious plau- dits of old men and callous women will do little to alleviate. All I these old men who froth inki- who urge young men to fight, some of them have enough hatred in their hearts to fulfil the needs. of hell for a twelve-month. However, it's Christ- mas, the season of goodwill, and, assuredly, there still remains a spark of divine compassion; in the hearts of the most callous. So, let there oo a trace to ill-feeling, suspicion, hatred, and perhaps that spark of goodness will kindle into' a flame whieh will shed a. shimmering light o'er the gloom of the European Golgotha.

RHEUMATISM- KIDNEY TROUBLE. Rheumatism is due to uric acid crystals io1 the joints and muscles, the result of excessive uric acid in the system that the kidneys faIled to remove as nature intended, and this acid to a great extent the cause of backache, It bago, sciatica, gout, urinary trouble, sto gravel and dropsy. The success of Estora Tablets for the tre ment of rheumatism and other forms of kidi trouble is due to the fact that they restore 1 kidneys to healthy action, and thereby romt, the cause of the trouble, and have cured nuco berless cases after the failure of other remedies* which accounts for them superseding out-of-ctte- medicines that are sold at a price beyond all" but the wealthy. Women frequently suffer from ills, aches, anœi pains under the impression that they are victims of ailments common to their sex, but more often than not it is due to the kidneys, and in such ca&es Estora Tablets will set them right! The test is at least worth making, as woman's happi" ness and success in life depends on her health. Estora Tablets fully warrant their description" —an honest remedy at an honest price, 1/3 per box: of 40 tablets, or six for 6/9. All Chemists or, postage free, from Estora Co., 132, Charing Cross Road, London, W.C. Bargeed and Aberbargoed Agent- W. PARR* WILLIAMS, M.P.S. Printed and published by the National Labottf Press, Ltd., at the Labour Pioneer Press, j Williams Sqw*r», Merthyr Tydfil, 1 SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22nd, 1917. 1 i