Pioneer

I. Aberdare Notes. Chemist's Death. The death has occurred at the age of 49 years of Mr. Richard J. Smith, Aberdare, of the firm of Messrs. Smith Bros., chemists, Mill-streec, Trecynon. Gasworkers' Strike. II Numbering between 50 aud 60 men employed at the works of the Aberdare and Aberaman Gas Company came out on strike on Monday after- noon after a week's notice in support of a de- mand for 6,s. per week bonne all round. In July the men, through their agent, Mr. Victor Mor- gan, of Swansea, of the General Workers' Union, signified their willingness to the Chief Industrial (Commissioner to submit their demand to arbitration, and oil Saturday last official in- timation was received from the Government De- partment that an arbitrator had been appointed. During the week-end Mr. Charles Kenshole, Aberdare, in his dual capacity as high constable and a director of the company, waited upon the men at Aberaman and asked them to submit tneir demand to the arbitrator, but the men ad- hered to their decision to down tools." Pri- vate notice had been given of the expected failure of the, supply, and candles and oil lamps were requisitioned for use on the railway station premises and signal cabins. The streets are lighted electrically, so that no inconvenience was caused in this respect. On Tuesday the men decided to resume work pending the result. of the arbitration which will take pla.ce at Cardiff to-day (Saturday).

Aberaman Notes. I Mr. and Mrs, Hann Honoured. Mr. E. M. Hann, general manager of the Powell Duflfryn Steam Coal Company, and Mrs. E. M. Hann, on Saturday, at Aberaman, were presented with a number of gifts upon the oc- casion of their leaving the district, after 38 years' residence, for Llanishen, Cardiff, The former was presented by the directors of the company with a three-quarter size portrait of himself (executed by Mr. Solomon Solomon, R.A.), a replica in silver-gilt of the famous War- wick vase, with pedestal, two drinking cups, a pair of large candelabra of French design, seven fruit baskets, two bottle-holders (in silver-gilt), and silver fruit knives and forks. The presents handed to Mrs. Hann consisted of a silver salver and a diamond brooch, and represented the sub- scriptions of the 700 odd officials in the employ of the company.

I The Electric Theatre. Characteristically fine were the Film pro- grammes presented this week by the manage- ment of the Merthyr Electric Theatre. From Thursday onwards the star picture is a Gau- mont. masterpiece, "The Hidden Scar," with Holbrook Blinn and Ethel Clayton, actors with big American reputations in the leads. The well-known British revue comedian, Lupino Lane, is inimitably funny in a two-reel comedy, "The Dummy." Next Monday that captivat- ing little lady of the Fox Film players, June Caprice, will be at her best in "Caprioe of the Mountains." Amongst the many other releases shown is a Gaumont scream" Falring Fakirs." A Triangle drama, "The Last Act," a produc- tion of exceptional brilliancy heads the bill on the Thursday change, and Lupino Lane will be back again in a comedy, "The Missing Link." Each show includes in addition splendid instal- ments of the serials, "The Shielding Shadow" and "The Purple Domino," both of which have earned well deserved popularity with a critical clientele, news on the screen, travel and educa- tional pictures, all going to make film fare of a standard made by the Electric Theatre its own.

I Avan Valley Notes. I (By DiiiioCRITVJX), Having been laid up for & JQW days the events of the district have peixolated towards me in very minute doses; in fact, I have lived a week of semi-detache d existence, with no inter- est in anything save in the abolition of influenza. Still, burdened as I have been, with a raging, soul-destroying cold, my ears were occasionally penetrated by the echoes of passing events, the chief of which was the visit of Mr. R. C. Wall-' head. As was anticipated, this oratorical wizard of the I.L.P. fulfilled all expectations; indeed, judging from the glowing accounts of his meet- ings and the numerous converts to his eloquence and logic, Wallhead seems to attain a higher de- gree of excellence1 with every passing visit. Long may he live to continue the good work, and to reap the fruition thereof; and may all the good saints deliver him from the influenza. & Although wisdom is rapidly dispersing the cloud s of unreasoning hatred begotten of the war, there yet remain many misguided persons in the Avan Valley who need to be converted to the idea of a peace by negotiation. The elderly men who get more ferocious with every young man sacrificed are beneath contempt, but to those others who deplore the war but who are apprehensive lest Germany should rise in her might a second time were peaee without a mili- tary victory achieved, the I.L.P. must continue to send missionaries. How some of our super-patriots snarl at peace meetings, and yet, with what reluctance do they offer themselves as recruits. The holy men of the churches who believe the war to be holy, they will stoop to any despicable subterfuge, any dastardly lie in order to evade military service. Ah! save the stalwart, youthful minister, were it not for the clothes I wear, the profession I follow, [ would have offered myself long ago. Yet, he says we are fighting a holy war; that Britain is an instrument in God's hand to chastise the unspeakable Hun. Who was that noble-souled pulpiteer that at- tested at the commencement of the war, but who, when his turn came to join the colours, begged his deacons to appeal for his exemption? Yes, it is a holy war, but the men of God seem inor- dinately anxious to leave the fighting to some- body else. No wonder the churches are empty- ing; no wonder religion is gettting into dis- repute. To their credit be it said, there are a few re- ligious leaders in the Avon District who have remained faithful to the ethics of Christianity, but they are few, fewer than the number re- quired to have secured the safety of the cities of the Plain. Sir Auckland Geddes, the Minister for Na- tional Service, has formulated his new recruit- ing scheme, and in his scheme he emphasizes the necessity of retaining young men in industries. The army, he says, is in as much need of mid- dle-aged men, or men just over military age, as it is of young men. The older men give stability to the .Force; they can perform certain duties too irksome for the younger men, precisely as, in civil life, the elderly hold a restraining in- fluence on the more impetuous younger men. This appeal for the older men, will not, as- suredly fall on barren ground. There are so many men between the ages of 41 and 60 around here who have encouraged the young men to go, and who, themselves, have often declared that their age alone has prevented them joining the army. Now is their chance or for evor let them hold their peace. Last Monday was a gala day with the miners of the Avan Valley. Owing to numerous sum- monses issued for losing work the collters in the Cynnon, Oakwood, and surrounding collieries, preceded by a brass band, marched in procession from Owmagan, to Port Talbot, where the men were to be tried. if: I am informed that Casey attained heights of exceeding brilliancy at Cwmavon on Sunday night; and that he had to give an encore per- formance on the Monday night following. & A huge demonstration is being organised for Sunday, September 23rd, by the railwaymen of the district as a protest against the arbitrary action of the police against one of their local secretaries.

Pontypridd Notes. I I.L.P. Lectures. The attendance at the I.L.P. Hall last Sun- day evening week wag not up to the average when Josiah Jones took the chair. The speaker was our old comrade Morley Wright, who spoke on Chats on Salvation." Last Sunday even- ing there was a good attendance when .Comrade Owen Hughes lectured on Labour After the War." The branch chairman, Pryce Vaughan, presided. Questions and discussions prolonged the meeting until nearly ten o'clock, Comrades Baker, Ivor Morgan, Moses Severn, Humphreys, Andrews, and Rees Williams being prominent. Bob Williams at Penty. It is seldom that national speakers in the La- bour Movement visit Coalopolis, therefore Bob Williams, of the Transport Workers Union, made a welcome appearance at the Lesser Town Hall last Saturday evening, under the auspices of the local district of miners. His denunciation of the profiteers was well applauded.

Newport Notes. I Conditional. 11 The Executive Committed of th* West Mon- mouthshire Labout Partv at Newport on Satur- day decided to support the agitation for a Welsh Council of Education, conditional upon its representation being by popular election. Lord Rhondda's Pigs. Some of famous herd of Gloucester Old Spot pigs have been sold at New- port Cattle Market, the purchasers being from Cowbridge, London, Berkeley Vale, and Mon- mouthshire. Three gilts, farrowed in April, 1917, were sold for 8: and 9! guineas. A boar from the same litter went for 5! guineas. Two gilts, five months old, reached 10 and III guineas, while" Gills Lake Floss and "Judy made 17 and 23 guineas, and (( Oak]and. De,ch,ew and" Naaoy 30 guiaeas each.

I Swansea Notes. I A Trifle. I The Swansea City Council is suffering from an attack of economy, and the insignificant sum of £ 77 for deputations for the year has occa- sioned a diatribe against the waste of public money, or "useless deputations" on the part of Conn. W. W. Holmes, who was apparently so warm on his hobby-horse, that he was pacified by a promise by the Finance Committee that the matter shall be brought before the whole Council. I Some Housing Scheme. The Swansea Borough architect has prepared a report on housing providing for the erection of 5,000 cottages. He recommends the laying out of the whole of the Corporation Tewn Hall estate for building purposes. I Swansea's Share. The Swansea, Borough treasurer reports that he has been intimated that Swansea's share of the new education grants will be increased from £ 17,000 to £ 18,000 per year. He is preparing a report on the allocation of this --urn. Hospital Arrangements, The Pare Wern (Swansea) Red Cross Hospital is in future to be used exclusively for officers, and the patients hitherto housed there are to be transferred to the new hospital at Brynmill. Abandoned. I J he Swansea Schools Rugby League has de- cided to suspend matches during the period of the war. Of 31 members of the pre-war Com- mittee, 25 are withho colours. I Disabled Men's Training. A t a meeting of the escretai-ies of War Pen- sions Committees at Swansea last week-end local committees were advised to obtain in each area a register of trades in which employers and men were willing to co-operate with the com- mittees in formulating schemes for the train- ing of disabled men in branches of industry other than their pre-war occupations. It is proposed to hold similar meetings at frequent intervals. Smith of Swansea Again. Sergt. Smith, of Swansea, has again distin- guished himself at the Elysium. Not only will these Swansea patriots not tolerate Russian Re- volution conferences, but they are equally deter- mined that they will not have rival unions for the furtherance of the claims of disabled sol- diers. An attempt to establish a branch of the National Association of Discharged Soldiers and Sailors—backed by the local Labour Associa- tion, produced warnings to discharged men from the Swansea Branch Naval and Military Pen- sions and' Welfare League against "other asso- ciations run for political purposes," and at the inaugural meeting at the Elysium the Sergeant told Mr. Evan R. Rees, the organiser of the National Association, to get back to Black- burn, where he came from, and while he was safe." The meeting became hostile, mediation from the chair proved impossible, and the reso- lution to form a branch of the National Associa- tion was defeated—only two voting for it. I Down Tools 11 Postponsd. I The anthracite miners at Swansea on Monday I decided to postpone the taking of a mandate of I the collieries on the "down tools" policy. I Gift te Swansea. I £ 10,(XX) is being allocated by Mr. Roger Beek, I of Swansea, towards Meeting a. new orphanaz*I in the town. I Inspection of Mines. I The anthracite miners' meeting at Swansea parsed a resolution calling upon the Home Secretary to make the inspection of mines more efficient by relieving the Government inspectors of all administrative and other duties not con- nected with the work of inspection. Cabinet Makers' Strike. I For six weeks Swansea cabinet and furniture makers have been on strike, for 6s. gd. per week advance in wages, tbo ornployers' offer of 4s. gd. not being- accepted.

Theatre Royal. I Had drama been so uniformly well dene as it is at the Royal this week by the Arthur Hinton Company it is quite possible that vaudeville would still be in the stage of the harmonic room annex to the hotels, at all events it would have maintained its hold as the first favourite of the people, instead of dropping so far behind as it did a few years back. The Black Sheep of the .Family," which will be repeated on Saturday, has a, strong flavouring of the historic drama, without absurdly stretched pathos or maudlin rhetoric. It is extremely well handled and can be commended to all who desire a night's good entertainment. I am looking forward to the performance of "The Sorrows of Satan," to- night and tomorrow by this company, wiffr the zest of a youngster awaiting a juvenile concert. I am confident it will be memorable. Messrs. Macdonald and Youtig will introduce that delightful little personality Betty to patrons of the Theatre Royal, Merthyr, on Mon- day next, where for six nights and a matinee on the Thursday at 2.30 she will delight us with her artless graces. Musically" Betty" oar. Paul Rubenfi has bequeathed to us many beautiful musical lega- cies, but surely nothing to surpass the exquisite barcarolle which runs through the fmtire- story as a. motif, and which apart from its haunting quality is a welcome relief from the inevitable waltz which in so many cases is the modern musical comedy's one and only feature. The exeellent company which Messrs. Macdon- ald and Young are sending is headed by Miss Dorothy Her,see, who has played the part of Betty so often that she herself may be said to have become Betty." Then there is Leonard Edwards as the Earl of Beverley, Stephen Lang- ton as the Duke of Crowborough, E. W. Garden as Lord Plavne, and Dorothy Viggers, a clever young Cardiff actress, as his brother David, and .that old but not aged favourite Edward Lewis as Achille Jotte, while the remainder of a long cast includes names of beautiful ladies and clever men. The largely augmented orchestra and full chorus will be under the direction of Mr. B. J. Paterson. In a word Betty" is musically tuneful, scientifically beautiful, naturally, hu- morous, sartorically elegant, vocally brilliant, and altogether Macdonald and Youngish.

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