Merthyr Times and Dowlais Times and Aberdare Echo

Merthyr Urban District Council Election. TO THE ELECTORS OF THE TOWN WARD. AND GENTLEMEN,— Having been requested by a large number of Rectors to offer my services to the Electors of this Vard to fill the vacancy caused by the deeply- ■Rented death of Mr. Henry Lewis, I have con- futed to comply with the request. To further the interests and prosperity of Merthyr, *°d to see its Local Administration carried out in an EFFICIENT and ECONOMICAL MANNER, have been my aim and desire; and my practical know- .edge, coupled with my long Business experience and acquaintance with the requirements of the own "and JDistrict, would enable me, if elected to your Council, to more fully achieve that object. In soliciting your VOTES and INTEREST, I pro- mise that my best efforts shall begiven to the interests "f the Electors FAITHFULLY and FEARLESSLY. I am, Ladies and Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, J. T. DOCTON. High-street, Merthyr.

Merthyr Urban District Council Election. ?'° THE ELECTORS OF THE TOWN WARD. SADIES AND GENTLEMEN,— Inconsequence of the untimely death of our esteemed townsman, the late Mr. Henry Lewis, a vacancy has furred in the representation of the Town Ward of the Merthyr Urban District Council. I have again been induced to offer my services to the tIectors. As I have had the honour of representing my fellow-townsmen on various Boards for a great Iltlluber of years, my qualifications and fitness are Well known, and should you do me the honour of again returning me, you may rest assured that nothing shall spared on my part to carry out most faithfully the duties imposed upon me. As a large amount of money is likely to be spent in the near future, I trust that my past experience will commend itself to you, and that my services, if (jlected, will be of assistance in carrying out the work Proposed to he taken in hand in the most efficient "latllle", having due regard to the strictest economy. Your ohedient Servant, _t. E. P. BIDDLE. High-street, Merthyr, March 12th, 1895.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. Tnp; tithe distraints in Cardiganshire are in one sense a comedy. Humorous incidents relieved the monotony of the police officers' unpleasant Work. One officer, a Dowlais man to boot, fell into a brook full of water. He has our sincerest \vmpatl v. But wc cannot help wishing he had suffered in a nobler and more useful cause. Of another officer it is said that, but a bare twelve- month ago, he was one of the crowd that threatened the bailiff lie was now sworn to protect. hich of the two occupations, we wonder, was the lnorc congenial to his sou) ? Life in Glamorganshire not have damped the stalwart Cardi's ardour religious equality, and we may well hazard the ^onjeeture that, when summoned to protect the "ftilifT, it was his uniform and not his will con- noted. What if, forgetting his uniform in a 'Momentary influx of religions enthusiasm, he had run away from his post and joined the ranks of the populace But the proceedings have their terribly ?eiiou8 as well as their humorous aspect. The fun 18 only on the surface. Deep down it is sheer tragedy we come across. What will be the effect of these distraints on the cause of spiritual religion ? ,,hcy will intensify a hundred-fold the hatred of he people towards the Established Church. This not confined to Penbryn or to Cardiganshire. I^he ugly story of the distraints has been told by daily press to all the land. The Cardiff papers ¡sIYe the matter almost as much space as they give [he noble game of football. The whole kingdom "as been gazing on the deplorable scenes with pain <lull amazement, and the effect cannot but tend towards religious philistinism. It is sometimes ^id that the Nonconformists have no quarrel with •^c Church as a religious body. That saying is trne, but what w ill be the thought of the ministers a scct who, at the point of half-a-hundred police batons, exact payment to which they have no "total right, from people who refuse their ministra- tjons ? That the professed followers of the Divine ^rpenter of Nazareth, and the self-styled Successors of the Apostles, should resort to such Illaterial tactics is surely one of the most amazing I'henonicna of our age. What will the man in the "trcet say to it all ? He will say If religion ^uns bum-bailiffs and police batons if the 'inistevs of religion are to be billited on usbv main toree if we are compelled willy-nilly to keep Prisons whom wc never go near if this is religion, then religion seems to me to be a fraud." Thus the cffects of these horrible distraints, primarily as r^gards the Church of England, and then as regards rcligion generally, cannot but be disastrous. They '\1 materialise and harden men's hearts against Religion. In one of his poems Swinburne says that t u US WcPt in Gethseniane because he could foresee the cruelties inflicted on the Jews by his followers. Hie Cardiganshire tithe distraints would no doubt Produce a similar result on the Man of Sorrows, hose teaching was the teaching of love and gentle- ness, and Who bade us turn the other check to the siniter.

h ,at; oulv in accordance with the fitness of ~lng8 that Mr. W. L. Daniel was clectcd to the air of the Merthyr School Board without opposi- J.011' Alderman David Davies could have put for- arc* vei\v strong claims to the honour, hut he ineroiisi v stepped aside in favour of Mr. Daniel. byC Boarù'l'I proceedings will be ruled and guided a hIrong man and an educationist of the very 5t rank. The selection is satisfactory to all j any other selection, under the circumstances, would have pleased nobody. There was a breezy squabble over the vice-chair, and a pitched battle was fought between the champions of Alderman D. Davies and Mr. Joseph Owen. We are glad to find that Mr. Willa is a. convert to the doctrine of one man one board," which we have endeavoured to expound in several recent issues; At the Licensed Victuallers' banquet, some weeks ago, Mr. Wills was still an unbeliever; since then, apparently, he has been convinced of the error of his ways, and he hardens his heart against the truth no longer. Howbeit we fail to see how this doctrine has any bearing on the case iu point. For is not Mr. Joseph Owen almost as bad a pluralist as the alderman from the Glebeland ? Besides, the doctrine toucheth appointments rather than dignities. Mr. Davies' elevation to the aldermanic bench, though a great honour, does not add to his public appointments; he is now virtually only what he was before, a member of the County Council. The same reasoning applies to the vice- chair of the School Board, and the principle of one man one board has no application whatever to such cases. It was also argued that Mr. Joseph Owen should be elected because he was a "down the valley" man. It would be interesting to find out whether he was returned on the Board exclusively, or even mainly, by down the valley votes". Mr. Owen is a veteran public servant, and he would have filled the vice-chair of the Board with credit and dignity. But his cause was championed in a poor and feeble manner on Fri- day. We are very glad that Mr. C. H. James, J.P., has been appointed chairman of the Science and Arts Committee but this means his services will not be altogether lost to the cause of education.

THE .clergy of the EsU'V' Church have a peculiar way of expressing luemselves. Take the following sentence from the Aberaman Parish Magazine The parish of Aberaman St. Margaret, lying bet\v» «n the Gwawr, the Boi, the Cvnon, and the Rhoudda Fach rivers, an area of 3,996 acres, has a population of over 11,000. This vast population is supposed to be ministered to by three clergymen giving an average of 3,666 per clergyman." One might have thought from the foregoing that the three clergymen were the only religious ministers in the parish. As a matter of fact, there are three Independent Churches and a large mission-room, four Baptist Churches, two Calvinistic Methodist Churches, two Wesleyan Churches, two Primitive Methodist Churches, two Christadelphian causes, and a Salvation Army corps. The number of Non- conformist ministers is ten, and there are several lay preachers. All these are severely ignored by the precious Parish Magazine. They are counted as naught, possibly excluded even from the 11,000 population supposed to be ministered to by the three clergymen." This is a case of Three Parsons in a Parish, to say nothing of the small army of Nonconformist Ministers." We have turned the pages of the dictionary to find a word fitting in with this sort of thing, and the only word we can discover is Snobbery." It is a harsh word to use, but 110 other suits the case.

MRS. EMMA WILLIAMS, of Merthyr, is a woman (we use the term advisedly, as the word "lady" is not acknowledged by the advanced section 3 of our emancipated sisters) of profound patriotism. She also has, what all women-patriots have not, the courage of her patriotism. Speaking at the Womb's Liberal Federation conference at Cardiff last week, she said she was proud of her sex, her nation, and her language. To prove which state- ment she straightway turned into Welsh, and addressed the conference in the vernacular. A furious scene ensued. At the back of the hall there was a inoiioglot Englishwoman who, like many of her brothers and sisters, thought that Wales has been made by a kind providence for the special delectation of the great English people. Jane Bull is every bit as hectoring as her brother John, and she cannot understand why a native of Wales, speaking at a meeting of her fellow- countrywomen on their own native heath, should have a fancy for using her own native language. "'Tis a mad world, my mistresses." What a pretty pass we have come to We are not to speak our own language in our own country But Mrs. Emma Williams was not to be browbeaten. Our plucky fellow-townswoman stuck to the old language, and she carried the meeting with her. The Welsh blood was up, and Jane Bull had a very bad time of it. Miss Kate Jenkins went for her with more vigour than ceremony, and be. laboured her in right royal fashion. Patriotic enthusiasm ran high, and the excitement was intense. Another woman from the hills-Mrs. R. G, Joluts, of Aberdare, wife of the Unitarian minister—also addressed the conference in Welsh, and Jane Bull did not dare to murmur disapproval. Later on somebody tendered an apology for poor June, who probably felt too flabbergasted to perform that ceremony herself. She is now, let us hope, a wiser as well as a sadder woman. Wc trust the castigation she had to endure on Thurs- day will be profitable to her soul. At any rate, we owe a debt of gratitude to our two brave sisters from the hills—Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Johns- for so pluckily standing up for their native lan- guage. Welsh Nationalism is not a matter that depends absolutely and entirely on mere language. If the Cymraeg ceased to exist as a spoken tongue to-morrow (which, let Jane Bull and her brother John clearly understand, it will not, nor the day after to-morrow, nor the century after to-morrow for that matter), Wales would still be a separate and distinct nation, with ideas aud aspirations of its own. But that is not the point at issue. As long as we have the language, it is nothing less than treachery to ignore it and heap insults on it in its own ancestral home. Welsh has flourished on these hills of ours for thousands of years, and will continue to flourish for thousands of years to come. Let us be true to ourselves as a nation, and duly honour and cherish one of our most valued treasures.

THE point at issue in the present struggle between the big companies and the general body of Merthyr householders, when stripped of the sophistical cob- webs woven around it, is a very simple one. It is this: What should be the basis on which the water charges should be laid on the community ? Should it be the individual consumers of the water, or the general liability of property? The companies argue, as we saw last week, that those who use the water should pay for it. The householders admit that consumers of water, like consumers of gas, should bear a shaie of the burden directly. But they argue further that a good deal of water is used for general.purposes, such, for example, as the flush- ing of drains, and that, therefore, a share of the expenditure should be paid from the General Dis- trict Rate. This seems to us to be thoroughly sound ecouomv. If so, the householders are backed up in their liglit for their interests by the force of logic. Let us put the matter in another way. It will scarcely be alleged by the companies that the benefit they derive from the Water Works is to be measured by the amount of water they actually consume. They benefit from the water system in a general way, just as they do from the sewage system, and the lighting of streets. They cannot take up a position of independence, or hold them- selves aloof from the rest of the parish. They are part and parcel of the community with reference to water as well as the other things mentioned. Therefore they should contribute towards the expense not as consumers, but as owners of pro- perty. In other words, a proportion of the burden should fall on the General District Rate, and the whole of it should not be laid on the Water Rents. The absolutely, ideally equitable adjustment of the proportion is a problem beyond the wit of man. But the provisions of the old scale may safely be regarded on the whole as fair and just. At any rate, the new scale violates the principles of; economic justice, and puts the liability on an entirely wrong basis. If the companies carry their point as regards the water charges, they will soon apply the same methods and the same reasoning to the gas and roads charges and their contributions to the General District Rate will melt away into thin air. That would be a serious thing for the people of Merthyr Parish. But the case is in good hands, and the general interests of the community will be courageously championed by men like Alderman David Davies and Messrs. Dan Thomas and W. Lewis (Treharris), who are doing such splendid work in the present crisis. Mr. Henry Lewis began the work nobly. He was a voice crying in the wilderness, and his efforts then were not fully appreciated. Had lie been alive to-day he would have been in the forefront of the battle, lighting with might and main for the rights of the working men. But the flag he, with no one at his side, so pluckily unfurled, has been taken up from his dying hands by others it has been nailed to the mast, no more to be taken down from that position. n

EXTRAORDINARY SUCCESS IN THE TREATMENT OF OBESITY. Our corpulent readers will be glad to learn how to positively lose two stone in about a month, with the greatest possible benefit in health, strength, and muscle, by a comparatively new system. It is a singular paradox that the patient, returning quickly to it healthy state, with increased activity of brain, digestive and other organs, naturally requires more food than hitherto, yet, notwithstanding this, he absolutely loses in weight one or two pounds daily, as the weighing machine will prove. Thus there is no suggestion of starvation. It is an undoubted success, and the author, who has devoted years of study to the subject, guarantees a noticeable reduction within twenty-four hours of commencing the treatment. This is different with other diseases, for the patient, in some cases, may go for weeks without being able to test whether the physician has rightly treated him, and may have derived no real or apparent improve- ment in health. Here, wc repeat, the author guarantees it in twenty four hours, the scale to be the unerring recorder. The treatment aims at the actual root of obesity, so that the superfluous fat does not. return when discontinuing the treatment. It is perfectly harmless. We advise our readers to call the attention of stout friends to this, because, sinceiely, we think they ought to know. For their information we may say that on sending cost of postage (fotirl)ence), a reprint of Press notices from some hundreds of mcdical and other journals—British and foreign—and other interesting particulars, including the book (250 pages), containing the "recipe," can be bad a Mr. F. C. Russell, Woburn House, Starts Street, Pedfovd Square,Loudon, W.C,

SPARKS FROM THE ANVIL. Ih JOK HAMMERSMITH. "I beg to propose that Mrs. H. take the chair." Those were the words, Mr. Editor, that saluted the ears of yours truly, t'other evening when, after the day's long task was o'er, he repaired to his humble abode to rest his weary bones. On going in, I found a merry company of four men assembled round the kitchen fire. Before I knew where I was, Mrs. H., looking as dignified and as solemn a8 the chairman of a parish council, was escorted to the arm-chair. Was I a-dreaming, I asked myself. "Was there visions flying about?" Xo, the scene was real enough, and no mistake. I modestly took my seat near the window, and looked on like one flabbergasted out of his five senses. Mrs. H. The first item on the agenda, gentlemen, is a song by Mr. Hampstead. The Bard Before we begin the proceedings, Mrs. Chairman, I have one or two questions to ask. In the first place, I wish to ask my friend, Mr. Hamp- stead, whether the mantle which graces his manly form is the identical mantle inherited by him from the late revered Henry Richard ? Mr. Gold King: I ask for your ruling, Mrs. Chairman. Is the question in order? Mrs. J-I. I rule the question out of order, for the reason that we cannot hear the two sides of the matter (hear, hear). The Bard; (bowing low to the chair): I obey the ruling of the chair. My second question is Does Mr. Hampstead really intend to contest the Merthyr Boroughs at the next election ? Mr. S. W. Fed.: Is that question in order, Mrs. Chairman ? Mrs. H. I should say it is not, as it toucheth a matter hidden in the womb of the future, concerning which no man hath knowledge, not even Mr. Hampstead himself. Mr. Hampstead (quivering with excitement): I am a man of peace, and also a man of war Chorus Order, order, chair, chair. Mrs. H. (majestically and firmly): Mr. Hampstead will please resume his seat (He does so, resignedly folding his mantle round about him). Has The Bard any more questions? The Bard Yes, two questions, if they are in order. Here they are Does Mr. Gold King mean to fight another battle in the Merthyr Boroughs? And, what are the chances of Mr. S. W. Fed. leaving Merthvr for Cardiff ? Voices: Rule hi.n out of order. Mrs. H. The questions are clearly out of order (thunders of applause). Mr. Gold King I think it is only fair that some- body should catechise the catechiser, and I would ask The Bard whether the subject of his lectures about the country is The origin, development, and smash- ing of caucuses"? The Bard; Come and listen to me. Mr. Gold Kinf; Not if I know it, my boy. The Bard With your permission, Mrs. Chairman, I don't mind informing Mr. Gold King that the subject of my favourite lecture is, Should Liberal senators congratulate Tory candidates on their victory at the polls?" Chorus: "Programme, programme." Mrs. H. Now we will proceed to business, if yon please, gentlemen. I call on Mr. Hampstead to give us his song. Mr. S. W. Fed. will accompany him on the concertina. Mr. Hampstead, with tragedy air, divests himself of his mantle, and sings, Mr. S, W. Fed obliging gracefully with the above-mentioned instrument, which I had the privilege of reaching down for him from the rafters:— I'm a chap from fair Carmarthen. And I went away to Llunden And I was, as you remember, Of the L.C.C. a member. Oh the L.C.C. Oh the L.C.C. Oh the L.C.C. was a very jolly thing. A big man in London city, (irew the lad from Bryniau Cymru But alas there were sad ructions, To disturb the last elections. Oh the L.C.C. Oh the L C.C. Was you ever see such a cruel, nasty lick Now once more I look to Merthyr. Am gynorthwy'r Ymneillduwyr, For to d me to St. Stephen Then again I shall be even, With the L.C.C. With the L.C.C. For to be M.i. is a tar better thing. The Bard Bravo, Hampstead, my boy Let me congratulate you both on your poetry and your music. As for the music, it would take an angel to beat your singing; while as for the poetry, no angel could touch it- Mr. Gold King: With a hay-fork (loud laughter). The Bard My friend Gold King may blaspheme, but I am in earnest. 1 say that Mr. Hampstead's poem is sublime. He's the coming poet, the New Poet. Swinburne and Watson ain't in it. Mr. S. W. Fed Nor Maenhir either ? The Bard Pray do not frivol, S. W. While Mr. Hampstead was trilling out his exquisite melody, I was struck by a sudden inspiration Mr. Gold King Were you hurt ? The Bard (taking no notice of the intoiruption, only scowling fiercely at the iuterruptor)—and it occurred to me that Mr. Hampstead would sometimes perhaps requite an encore verse. Nmv I have composed an encore verse for him, which I will endeavour to sing. Concertina please, Mr. Fed. Thank you. [The Bard sings]: In Cockneydoni my fate was evil: Will't be so in Merthyr Tydfil Can I beat D. A. and Morgan, Bertie and Maenhir in the Will I ever be, Will I ever be, Alfred D., M.P. for the dear old Cinder Hole "? Mr. Gold King Quoth the Caucus, nevermore Mrs. II.: Order, order. The next item on the agenda is a stump speech by Mr. Gold King. Mr. Gold King (advancing to the middle of the kitchen, gives a clog dance, Australian bush-ranger style, and then proceeds with his stump speech): Mrs. Chairman, dear friends, and fellow-working men. I smashed the Caucus. Alexander the Great, when he had conquered the whole world, wept bitter tears because there were no more worlds for him to con- quer. I weep because there is no other Caucus for me to smash. I wish there were, for that would give me something to do. I want to smash something again. But I can't smash if there is nothing to smash. Anyhow, 1 did smash what there was to smash, and if I haven't done anything since it isn't my fault. Give me work, and I'll do it. Get up another Caucus, and I'll go for it and smash it to smithereens. Every man ought to have a mission in this world. My mission is the smashing of caucuses that is my object in life, my message to the human race. That is what I came back from Australia for. I have spent a lot of money in the Merthyr Boroughs, all for to smash the Caucus. I would gladly devote a thousand fortunes, if I had them, to the same cause. Our watchward is, Down with the Caucus.' The Bard But there is no Caucus now. Mr. Gold King: Quite true. 0 venerable bard 1'0, there is no caucus now, and you've got to thank me for it, my boy. It's a case now of one man one caucus," or, every man his own caucus." But there is only one way to gain the ears of the Liberals of Merthyr Boroughs, and that is by singing out, as loud as everyou can, Down with the Caucus.' That's the way to feteli 'eiii, my brave lad. I. know it, for I've tried the game. I speak from experience. Ifyou doubt me, go and ask John Vaughan, Andy Wills, Joe Owen, the Great and Only Evan, and many other leaders of thought I could name. Aye, my lad, Down with the Caucus'; that's the cheese. I'm not the only one who has found it pay. There are many men in the Merthyr Valley who have climbed up to political fame simply by shouting Down with the Caucus.' Like myself, they are regular Phccnixes risen uphom theashesof the Caucus, and now flying about The Bard: Hold on, you arc now going into poetry, and, therefore, poaching on my preserves. Mr. Gold King Write a poem about the Caucus, my boy, and achieve immortality at one stroke. I tell you, I've smashed the Caucus, and am now boss of the blooming shanty. Mr. Hampstead Is that Parliamentary language, Mrs. Chairman? Mrs. H. Order, order. The next item is a song by The Bard. The Bard Concertina please, Mr. Fed. [sings]. Just before the battle, Alfred, Often do I think of thee Pride of Hampstead and Carmarthui, Of soft words and cheques so free Sterner stuff, my boy, I'm made of, Thinker, novel-writer, bard Ebenezer Lobb" and Maenhir," You'll find printed on my card. "Merthyr Times "and South Wales Echo" I" Know the products of my pen Pearson's Weekly tells my stories To ten hundred thousand men Queen v. Owen," my great novel, Has been read throughout the land And for cross-examination Head of bigwigs all I stand. You have, Alfred dear, the money, And I have the eloquence Cash ?,. Genius that's the ticket, Brains and wisdom verms pence You give cheques, and I give lectures, So the strife goes on amain Your politics are golden, And my politics are p.ain. When the applause had suosiaea, Mr. Hampstead Pure doggerel, pure doggerel I If I know auything of poetry- Mr. Gold King Which, I beg leave to say, you don't. What will rhyme with Caucus ? The Bard Try cockles." Mrs. H. Order, order. I now call upon Mr. S. W. Fed to deliver a stump speech. Mr. S. W. Fed (after some athletic displays, reminiscent of his University days, and after exhibit- ing a couple of Royal Humane Society medals): Dear fellow-countrymen, we have heard a lot about the Caucus this evening. But what 1 want to know is, where do the Cymru Fydd League funds conic from ? [Gold King yawns the yawn of the bored» 1 am all in favour of the League, and I approve of its spirit, But why should it interfere with the I ederation I am the president of the Federation, R. N. Hall is the secretary, and we are doing very useful work. We have returned 21 members of Parliament out of 23. The League men wanted me to become their trea- surer. Not if I know it. There is Beriah Gwynfe Evans, a most estimable man he is the factotum of the League, and he wants to capture the r ederation. [Gold King sleeps the sleep of the just]. But he s not going to do it, gentlemen. What I want to know is, where do the League funds come from ? NVhere do they g^t the mouey from to earrv on their work? Where do they get the cash to pay their organising secretary and thing:-? [Gold King wakes IIp. muttering, "Down with the Caucus."] Ewdcntly chequf s have been flying about Mr. Hampstead None from inc. Mr. Gutd King: Perhaps The Bard lias been lecture- ? rXho Bard As a Welsh Bard, I ain strongly iu favour of having national aspirations, and I want to seethe Cymru Fvdd League eating up the Federa- tion and the Cardiff Liberal Thousand. Something to make a good old rousing transmogrification of things in general that's my size. Mrs. H. Order, order. Gentlemen, the hour is getting late. Let us part good friends. Let us harbour 110 evil or jealous thoughts towards one another. I am sure you are all, in your various walks of life, animated by the highest motives. Mr. S. W. Fed goes against the Cymru Fydd League, and he does what is best in his opinion (hear, hear). Mr. Gold King smashed the Caucus, and that was done solely f-r the good of his country (loud applause). Mr. Hampstead has been twitted for his giving of cheques, but I think you will agree that generosity towards philanthropic and charitable causes is to be highly commended. [The Bard Hear, hear]. Mr. Gold King I would respectfully invite^ The Bard and Mr. Hampstead to Berry the hatchet j(loud laughter). Mrs. H. Of course, The Bard will have his little joke now and then. He is a man of whom we are all proud. The Bard What I want to know is, who will be the Liberal candidates for Cardiff and Merthyr Boroughs at the next election ? Mrs. H. Order, order. We cannot re-open that subject now. At our next meeting it will again come forward for discussion. And I beg to give notice that at that meeting I shall move the following resolu- tion That all the present prospective candidates for the Merthyr Boroughs be asked to retire from the field, that we begin the business over again with a clean slate, that my husband, Joe Hammersmith, be selected as one of the new candidates, and that the second candidate be chosen from among you four by the casting of lots (sensation). The Bard assisted Mr. Hampstead to don his mantle, and Mr. Gold King danced another Australian rigadoon to Mr. S. W. Yed's accompani- ment on the concertina. Shortly after the company dispersed, Mr. S. W. Fed departing arm-in-arm with The Bard, and Mr. Gold King with Mr. Hampstead. Next week, with your kind permission, Mr. Editor, I shall relate to your readers a conversation I have had with a railway engine-driver, who has handled the lever for close upon half a century. He told me many remarkable and noteworthy things, which Avill, I believe, be found interesting by all railway men,and your readers in general.

BY THE WAY. There is a portrait of ex-County Councillor Thomas Thomas in this month's Wales. At Barry the Liberals think there are traitors in the camp. There arc none in the Merthyr Boroughs. Here there is no camp. Colonel Wood, the Conservative candidate for the county of Brecon, says, he never shirks the question of Disestablishment on the platform. We could name some Conservative candidates who do. A young man in Brynmawr adviced another younf man to eat a quarter of a pound of lard every morn- ing, and he would then be capable of ventriloquism. The advice was acted upon. Guess the result. The Liberal women of Cefn do not seem to favour women's suffrage. The quiet little village was repre- sented by only one lady in the Welsh Liberal Women's Federation at Cardiff last week. All the local tailors are doing well just now. Well, this cannot be wondered at, for 'twas a bit off to see so many overcoats worn last Sunday in such beautifully fine weather. Mr. Arthur Morrison has written a book about the Mean Streets of London. If he wants further material for another book in the same strain we know where lie can lay his hands on plenty of it. Alderman David Davies must be a mighty man, 01 Mr. V. A. Wills has a funny way of expressing him- self, for the latter said on Friday that Mr. Davies "had embraced the aldermanic chair." What a pity two rivals cannot embrace each other A week or so back a poor family down the valley were about to migrate to Cardiff. The goods and chattels were all loaded, and everything ready for a sail, when lo and behold a Son of Israel appeared on the scene, and reduced the cargo to at least one half. The Ci/nro hears that the Tories are gaining ground in the Merthyr Boroughs. They would be poor folk if they didn't, for nobodyj tries to stop them, and the good old cause of liberty and progress is left to take care of itself. The following is a definition of centre of gravity given by a Merthyr ex-P.T. last week :— The centre of gravity is such, that if the earth were to swerve in the slightest decree to the left or the right it would fall into the sun or the moon, as the case might be. A line from Milton's Ode on the Aattrtti/ is mis- quoted in this month's C/nuru, where it stands as follows — A voice of crying heard, and loud lament." Instead of "crying" the proper word is "weeping," Mr. Roberts-Jones, barrister-at-law, has been nominated by six different collieries as a candidate for a seat on the"!ward of management of the Miners' Permanent Provident Society. Mr. Jones is the coroner for South Monmouthshire, and the son of an old manager of the Bwllfa Colliery, Aberdare. The name given by a certain Tory wag to a Cardiff paper is The South Wales Daily Dulness." He calls it the apotheosis of mediocrity and humdrum respectability." A well-known Disestablishment lecturer always call the other paper "Western Mule," by reason, he says, of its being a mongrel. Papur P(lirb has a portrait af Mr. William Davies, Mr. Lascelles Can's second in command and right- hand ma.n in the Wextern Mail office, better known to the man in the street as "Spinnaker Boom." A sym- pathic biographical sketch traces his career from the Guardian office at Llanellv to his present high posi- tion, which he fills so admirably. Drunkenness in a priest was not considered a very serious thing by our ancestors thirteen centuries ago. If anyone from drunkenness cannot sing through being unable tc speak," says the rule of Gildas, he is to lose his supper." Mr. Newell, in his excellent Hi dor 11 of the Welsh Church, says this rule implies that drunkenness was a common failing among the clergy of those days. The British Museum benefits by the will of the late Lady Schreiber in an uncommon way. She leaves to the institution her curious collection of cards and games she had already enriched it with a unique collection of fans and fan mounts. Moreover, the residue of her property is,left in trust to defray the cost of publishing a book on cards and games, the work of a lifetime. Sir Augustus Franks has under- taken to see this through the press. Mr. Caspar Whitney is an American who has been amongst UB taking notes and has had the hardihood and audacity to print them. He speaks of the noble game of football in a strain that is singularly wanting in reverence. He was disappointed in the game." Isn't that awful He goes 011 Our own American University game [is that the D.D.-granting business?] is superior to it in point of scientific preparation and skilful play." Fancy the cheek of the man Rugby Union he describes as an elementary game." That isdownright, sheer, Yankee blasphemy. Oh, Caspar, Caspar, thou art a lost man Our Man about Town says that green (small" g," please, Mr. Printer) was very popular last Sunday. 'Twas St. Patrick's Day, and everybody having a connection with the "ould counthry" wore green ribbon or green dresses. One man ordered a pair of green trousers, so enthusiastically did he cherish the memory of St. Patrick, but the tailor didn't get them out in time. The order has since been cancelled, and the trousers are now the property of the Dowlais Minstrels. The man who came out with a cabbage in his button hole was buried yesterday. An inquest was not considered necessary. In a very interesting article in Cyiuru for March Glaslyn tells many interesting things about Froude, Kingsley, Tom Hughes, and Tom Taylor, and the pleasant days they spent near Beddgelert, one of the most romantic spots in the Principality. Froude always walked to church, where he was a rather in- different listener, except when Kingsley happened to occupy the pulpit. The historian was anxious to return to his old haunts of 1848 and 1854, there to spend the remainder of his days. It was there he began to write his great history. Our Man about Town is in the next room swearing vengeance against some evil-disposed person. A man told him that he read the Times in the bar room of the Iron Bridge Hotel, Aberdare, in the year 1865. Being a bit of a liar himself, our Man stood his informant drinks for what he considered to be "taking the bun." Our Man declares that he will charge the drinks in his" expenses" bill. He isn't a teetotaller, and the item will be a heavy one. A football match was played at Cardiff on Saturday. The South Wales Dail>/ Ifcies manages to squeeze its report of the mighty event into eight columns and a quarter, and the Western Mail into five columns, inclusive of a big block which, by the way, is a perfect artistic gem, a kind of a prc-Raphaelite mourning card. Now this match was an inter- national one, and the interest in it, therefore, was not confined to the locality of Cardiff. Having regard to that fact, we turned the pages of some other papers just to see how much space they devoted to the event. The London Daily Newt, gives it 12 Hues Birhiinj'ham Daily Pott, 25 lines Birmingham Daily Ua:clt(, 25 lines Bristol Times and Mirror, 25 lines; Western Daily Prett, 41 lines Bristol Mercury, 26 lines. Not a single line it devoted to-literature in the Cardiff papers oil while the London Daily Next:t gives three columns and a half, Tim(15 and Mirror, one column, Western Daily Treat, two columns aud a half of musical and educational notes, and the Bristol Mercury one column of reviews and another of sermons. Is it not odd that the daily press of South Wales should be more materialistic than that of any other part of the country

A.S.R.S. MEETING AT MOUNTAIN ASH. The usual monthly meeting of the Mountain Ash branch of the above society, was held at tht: Coffee- tavern on Sunday erening, with a splendid attendance. It transpired that considerable interest had been taken by the members in the matter of getting up a tea and entertainment on next Good Friday. The enthusiasm shown can be understood by the fact that the whole 11 In of the 200 tickets ordered were disposed of within four days. The commendable support and sympathy given by the public in aid of the Orphan Fund, will, it is thought, necessitate the committee securing a larger room for the entertainment. The railway men's wives have very kindly consented to .-tttend at the tables, thus making the proceedings quite a railway affair. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded L. the chairman for his able report of the District Coi ncii meeting which took place at Merthyr on Sunday w > k. The cessation of work at the various c-ollierier t, Good Friday was discussed, and an endeavour will made to influence the miners' organisation in t. district to support the railway men's appeal for a Lot- cessation of work on that day. INTERVIEW WITH THE MINERS. A deputation from the Mountain Ash Branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants had an interview with the miners of the Cwm Cynon Colliery on Friday evening last. The deputation briefly pointed out that the practice prevailing in many districts of miners working on Good Friday was much to the detriment of railway men, while it was at the same time of little or no benefit to the miners themselves; and as Good Friday was termed by a large number of railway men as their "Orphan Day," and being one of the two recognised holidays they claimed in the year, they sincerely hoped the miners would respond to their appeal and assist them to obtain the object they had in view. The meeting very cordially received the deputation, and assured them they had their entire sympathy in the matter for so worthy an object; and although their colliery was free from that reproach, yet they would use their influence to assist them. Ultimately the following resolution was unanimously passed and will be for- warded to the joint committee of masters and men "That we fully sympathise with the railway men in their endeavour to obtain a total cessation of work on Good Friday, and will use every legitimate means to assist them to attain the object they have in view." TREH ARRIS. The ordinary meeting of the Quakers' Yard Branch of the A.S.RS. was held at the Co-operative Stores Committee-room on Sunday last. Mr. Henry Davies, mining lecturer, was enrolled an honorary member amidst applause. The meeting was made interesting by the presence of Mr. Bradshaw, of Newport, a member of the Executive Committee, who attended by invitation. Mr. Bradshaw, upon rising to address the meeting, was loudly applauded. In an able speech he explained his absence from the Executive Committee, and read copies of correspondence lie had had with the G.W.R. and the Board of Trade..Four times in succession he has been refused leave of absence to attend the meetings. The following re- solution was unanimously adopted That the South Wales Council be called together to consider the matter, and to decide what course of action to take." Mr. W. Lewis and Mr. W. M. Evans, Tre- harris. honorary members, favoured the meeting with their presence.

UNSANITARY MERTHYR. DREADF L 1. OYERC ROW DI N < Twenty-two people in one House. There are many places in Merthyr and Dowlais which, from a sanitary point of view, are every whit as bad as any slum in the large towns of England. Columns and columns could be written descriptive of these miserable ho\els, to which the attention of the municipal and sanitary authorities should be called forthwith. To-day we shall merely give some facts concerning a particular spot which should lie imme- diately seen to, and which cannot but lie souree of danger to the health of the town. Here, then, there is a house in which dwell twenty- two people. A l'im, man made enquiries on the spot. One near neighbour assured him the number of inmates was as stated. Two other neighbours could not be sure about the precise figure. Are there ten people there? they were asked. Yes, more than that." "Are there fifteen' ".More than that." Are there twenty?" Yes, mo>e than that, too." They were questioned closely on the point, but they adhered to the statement that then' were more than twenty people living in the house. In all piobabilitv the number given by the other neighbour, namely, twenty-two. is correct. The Time, man went to the house itself to make enquiries. He found there several women and children. S: range to say, the women pretended they did not know the number of dwellers. As to this curious reticence, let the reader form hi- own con- clusions. The house is not a large one. It consists of a cellar and two floors. There are two rooms in the cellar, and three 011 each of the floors. According to the neighbours, the cellar is occupied by a family of eight. Evidence at first hand on the point could not be obtained. At the back of the house there is a court consisting of six houses. In these houses there live twenty- eight people. They are smail, very small houses for families so numerous. But the most notable fact about the matter is that there areonly two water closets at the service of these six houses with their twenty- eight inhabitants, as well as that other house, or barrack, with its twenty-two inhabitants. This gives two closets for half-a-hundred people. As m ght be expected, these closets are choked up, according to the statements of- the people themselves, for more than half the time, and the stench arising therefrom is often overpowering. When the Times man was there on Tuesday they were being put to rights by a District Council servant. He has to be there pretty often. These are the facts. Comment is needless. Should anyone doubt the foregoing statements, he can easily satisfy himself by personally visiting the spot, which, to indicate it in a way which will be readily understood, is right at the back of Market-square Chapel. Some time ago the chapel trustees had under their consideration the question of buying this block of property, and building a schoolroom on the spot Had they done so they would have served the interests of the town generally as well as their own.

THE MUSICAL CRISIS IN DOWLAIS. ATTITUDE OF THE PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY. As was only natural, the report published in last week's issue of the Merthyr Tihtes concerning the determination of the Dowlais Temperance Choir to exclude all members of the Philharmonic Society created something like a sensation in musical circles. The copies of the paper were eagerly bought up, and for the rest of the week it is not too much to say that the subject formed the principal theme of conversation among the members of both choirs and their friends. Of course there was the usual speculation as to how the Times got the information, which in the main was admitted to be correct. We regret, however, that we did Mr. Daniel George an injustice. Ht,. we now learn, spoke not in favour of excluding the Philhar- monic Society members, but counselled a continuance of the statu quo. On Sunday afternoon there was :1 very large attendance at the rehearsal of the Philhar- monic Society, notwithstanding that, as Mr. Harry Evans pointed out, several of the members were down with the pestiferous plague from which nobody seems quite able to escape. During a pause in the rehearsal Mr. Evans referred to the incident which must have been uppermost in the thoughts of all. He said that doubtlebs they had all heard or read of the latest development of musical matters in the t, iwn. He wished to tell them once and for all that he did not consider the attack which had been made upon the Philharmonic Society worth noticing. He knew whence it came, and that was sufficient. The Philhar- monic Society was pre-eminently the Dowlais Choir, and it was in the interest of Dowlais that he was there to conduct it. It was not a sectional choir, nor was it one that was kept alive in the interest of a little clique. Such being the case lie had a right to ask them to remain faithful to the choir. Nobody was admitted to the Philharmonic Society without passing an examination, and the examination was held with- out prejudice to any, and he should never dream of dictating to the members what they should do when away from the rehearsals of the Philharmonic Society. He would not dare tell them, Voli shall join this choir, or shall not join that." So long as they did the work which he required of them he would not ask them whether they belonged to another choir or not. They were perfectly at liberty to join whatever choir they liked so long as their action was not inimical to the JJowIais Ltioir. That was his attitude, and he repeated that the people who had taken a step against the Philharmonic Society were not in his opinion worthy of their notice. He meant to ignore their little doings altogether, aid be hoped that every other member of the society would do the same thing. One thing only in regard to them he would say, and it was this their state- ment that from its very inception the Philharmonic Society had opposed the other choir was absolutely untrue the Philharmonic Society had in no way interfered with them. Mr. Thomas Evans, Gwent House, said he was glad to hear the conductor speak as he had done. For himself he must say he was greatly surprised when he learned of what the other people had done. He did not think any singer would lie the wome for having received training at the hands of Mr. Harry Evans. Like that gentleman, he would tell them to join whatever choir they chose, only let the Philharmonic Society, which was the only representative Dowlais choir, be their first consideration. It should he stated that some eight or ten former members of the Temperance Choir were present at the rehearsal, they having, as ought to have been known to those who carried the "eviction" resolu- tion, preferred the Philharmonic Society to the other choir. In connection with this matter it is worth mentioning that on the Sunday before the Temper- ance Choir passed the extraordinary resolution, Mr. Thomas Evans addressed the members of the Phil- harmonic Society. He said lie was very glad to see so many of the old friends who were wont to be con- spicuous in Dowlais choirs in the past, but who had not hitherto thrown in their lot with the Philhar- monic Society. That sight was very gratifying to all those who, like himself, had striven to get all the best singers of the town thoroughly united under one capable conductor. He trusled that now there was an indication of that general re union, everyone would dohis.orUcr level best for the couimou good,aud tor the maintenance of the reputation of the Dowlais Choir. He wanted them befoie all else to be patriotic to Dowlais and this they could do by rendering assis- tance to those who were endeavouring to sustain the good name of the old town. They knew that Mr. J. T. Jones, G.T.S.C., was taking a choir from Moriah Chapel to compete at Barry. He wished Mr. Jones every success, and he hoped that if that gentle- man asked any of them for assistance they would cheerfully give it him, so that he might come back victorious. He would say precisely the same thing in regard to Mr. John Da\ies' male voices choir let them. if asked, not begrudge the assistance which might carry both Mr. Jones and Mr. Davies to \ictory.

ABERDARE SCHOOL BOAUn. EIGHTH TRIENNIAL REPORT. The eighth trienmal report of the Aberdare School 'I I( Board has just been completed by the Clerk, Mr. John Morris, and some very interesting figures are to he found in its pages. There have been some changes in the constitution of the Board since the election on March 24th, 1892. On the 14th April the Rev. R. B. Jenkins, M.A., resigned, and on July 15th Mr. John Davies was elected to fill the vacancy. On December 28th, 1894, Mr. T. Jbaithwaite was disqualified for non-attendance, and the seat is still vacant. The following talJle shows the attendance of mem- bers :— :I: t fIll] II] LZ Possible attendance* 69 41 25 34 37 206 R. H. Rhvs, chairman 65 7 22 26 1 121 I). P. Davies. vice 62 33 24 20 24 163 Gwilym Jones 48 11 19 78 David Morgan 42 13 55 Rev. R. B. Jenkins 13 12 3 28 P. D. Rees 50, 17 67 Rev. Benjamin Evans 58 33 18 109 Thomas Walters 55 55 James Harrison 55 15 70 Rev. W. James 44 28 16 12 8 108 Rev. Thomas Jones ,6ó 27 93 Thomas Braithwait-e 21 21 Wilham Charles 65 18 15 93 John Dav ies 24 9 33 In the matter of school accommodation the report shows that in 1892 there were 15 schools v, ah 34 departments, having an aggregate accommodation for 7,088 scholars, with an average attendance of 4,565. The number of children upon the books was 6,165. In 1892 the Aberaman British School was transferred to the Board, involving the care of 660 children, since that time £ 1,985 has been spent in renovating the building, and this amount has been obtained for 30 years from the Pubic Works Loan Board, at 3^ per cent. In 1892 a new infants' school was erected at Aberaman, and called the Aman Infants' School. Additional class-room accommodation has been pro- vided for 44 girls and 40 boys at Abernant School, at Capeoch for 20 infants, and liobi-rtstown for 37. At Blaengwawr the space has been increased for 40 boys and 45 girls. There are two new schools in the course of erection. F01 the Cwmdare Schools (Mixed) a loan of £ 2.905 has been obtained. The ground is leased for 99 years from March, 1894. The Park School is built 111)011 freehold property at an expensu of £ 3,784. Cloak-rooms for Lhvydcoed Schools have been contracted for. Dm in..r the past three years the accommodation in the Board Schools has been increased from 7,088 to 8,157, and the number of children run up from 6,165 to 7,153. The average attendance has risen from 4,565 to 5,843. The. following table gives the accommodation, number 011 books, and the number in average atten- dance of all the schools under the Board and v olun- tary schools, for the year ended 31st January, 1895. 0- .J z = '= ;'] ( Boys 233 196 Aberaman Girls 600 212 184 [ Infants 210 178 [ Infants 2]0 178 ( Boys 86 3] Abernant Girls 392 101 94 I. Infants 147 109 Aman Infants 164 89 62 I Boys 192 196 Blaengwawr Girls 758 235 204 1 Infants 308 229 f Mixed 167 150 'w'I "» i r r\«7 i 1 1 1 I. Infants out !:h; lil ( Hoys 171 156 Cwmaman Girls 6,11 1 Infants 257 181 Mixed 182 159 -uulW,! Infants 495 177 151 r, Mixed 117 114 Cwmdare 940 ;;0 53 Cwmpennar Mixed 175 121 102 j Bovs 253 245 Duffryn Giiis 1190 259 191 1 Infants 342 220 I Boys 171 152 Hirwain Girls 705 203 167 ( Infants 2.'53 157 T, 1 Mixed 87 85 Llv.vdcoed lnfamo 300 95 66 I Boys 291 261 Park "l Girls 837 317 261 ( Infants 412 313 Penywain Mixed 100 77 62 T, • -1- Mixed SO 86 Roberts lown Infants 244 69 56 f Boys ].9o 130 Town Girls 816 189 168 1 Infants 326 233 T,■ t' 1 Bovs 01 61 Higher Grade m 45 5Q Total 8157 7153 5843 Voluntary Schools. 1641 1599 1300 Total Board & Voluntary Schools 9798 8752 7143 The attendance officers have been busily employed during the three years. They report having served 5,002 warnings, and issued 1,090 summonses, resulting in 1,040 convictions, which shows a slight decrease upon the returns of three years ago. The Truant School at Quakers' Yard was ojiened on January 8th, 1894. by the late lamented Lord Al-erdare. The Aberdare Board contributed JE872 13s. 4d. towards the erection and furnishing of these schools. Since the opening of the school the Board have sent 24 boys there for retention. There can be no doubt as to the beneficial effects which the establishment of this school ha' upon the attendance- in the district. There have been only tvvj cases in which the same boy has been re-committed to this school, thus showing that as well as being a grest deterrent of truancy, it is al.-o a curative and preventative in its operation. The amounts received from the overseers of the poor for the parish of Aberdare during the last three years arc = — 1892. £ 3.500 being at the rate of 5'12d. in the £ 1893. £ 5,000 7-9d. 1894. je6,000 „ 8-99d. The rateable value for those three years were respec- tively £ 174,282 5s., £ 162,257 15s., £ 174.375. The repayments of principle and interest of loans raised for the purpose of school buildings amounted to £ 4,910 17s. 9d., or equal to a rate of 7id. in the £ on the above ba",j" for three years, or2 £ d. annually. The 2 outstanding liabilities of the Board on the 29th of September were Loans from Public Works Loan Commisioners, £ 38.989 5s. 3d. At the end of 1891 the iuans were J328,196 17s. 7d., so that durinc the past three years there has been an increase in this respect of £10,792 7s. 8d. The scale of teachers' salaries is as under :— Head masters receive from £ 85 to £ 140 Hea-d mistresses recei ve from £ 60 to £ 100 Trained and untrained certificated assist- ant masters £ 65 to JE70 Teacher on supply JB75 Trained and untrained certificated assist- ant mistresses £ 50 Teacher on supply £ 70 Ex-p.t.'s—Male 1 art £ 40 to £ 45 2 arts. £ 45 to JB50 -Female 1 art £ 30 to J355 2 arts £ 35 to JS40 Art. 68— Females over 18 years of age rc- commended by H.M. Inspector £ 25 to £ 30 The cost of education per child is £ 1 13s. lid., while in Wales the average is £2 2s. 62(1. England (exclu- ding London) J32 2s. 9,|d. England and Wales, L2 8s. 4]<1. 1

FOOTBALL NEWS. 17. EBIIW VALK "A" TKAM V. ABERCARN "A."—On Saturday, the above teams met at the Bridgend Field in the presence of a fair number of spectators. The homesters were the best team on the day's form, and were leading by a try, scored by I). Morgan, until the last few rnoments of the game, when Abercarn equalised. Final score Ebbw Vale 1 try, Abercarn 1 try. The Ebbw Yale 2nd string have had a splen- did record this season, and are one (,f the smartest second teams on the hills.

Errs'S COCOA.—GII ATKM 1, ANPCOMI ENNXO.—" By a thorough knowledge of the natural laws which govern the opemtioTis of digestion and nutrition, and b\ a careful application of the fine properties of well-selected COCOA, Mr. Kpps has prov ided for our breakfast and supper a delicately flavoured beverage which may save us 111 a 11\- hean- doctors' hilb, It is bv the judicious use of sneh arikks of diet that a constitution may be irradually built up until strong enough to resist even to We may escape many a fatal shaft bv keeping ourselves well fort ifled with pure blood and a propcrfv nourished frame."—Cnil Service Gazette. Made simply with boiling water or milk. Sold only iu packets, bv Grocers, labelled -IAMI;S Errs & I.e., Ltd.. llouia-oi-iitliic Chemists, Loudou," Also makers of Epps% Cocoaine or Coeoa-Nib Extract A thin leverage of full flavour, now with IlIanl beneficially taking the place of ka. Its active pnm ip:< being a gentle nerve stimulant, supplies the needed entvn without unduly exciting the system. T.ir.OAT IRRITATION AND COIGII.— Soreness and drvness, tickling and irritation, inducing cough and affecting the voice. For these symptoms use Kpps's Glycerine Jujubes, In contact with Ihe glands at the moment thev are excited i'.v ihe act of suekiii?, the Glycerine in these agreeable COM- fcctions bc oiues a'-ti* eh healing. S-ld only in boxes, 7id. tins. Is lJd.. labelled ".IAVI'.S Errs & ( o., 1 ,td., lionvcoopathic Chemists. London." !>r. Moore, in bis work on Nose ami Throai Diseases," says "The Glycernu- Jujube* prepared 1m James Epps nod < o, are of undoubted service as a curative or palliativeau-rui." while t'r. Gordon Holmes. Senior Pinsician to the Municipal Threat and Ear Infirmary writes "After au extended trial, I have found yourClyceriu'e Jujubes'olconsider- able Oci'vUl in almost all rOHlF, of ll'roa* disease AdH. The "Mj;nnm: Timi s" is delivered to Sufccribcrs at aud address 111 MerMiyr and Dowlais. Country subscribers eau luve tiieir eopiei posted on Thursday mcruiliif ill tinit for the first delivery 011 Frid-iy mcruing,

MERTHYR CHAMBER OF TRADE. On Tuesday evening hisf. meeting of the Council of the Chamber of Tuv.lc, v. held at the Bush Hotel, when there v.cr; present — Messrs. D. J. Evans, president, W. Meivdiilj, W. W. Meredith, Francis Davies, E. I'. Bidule, A E, Harris, D. D. Williams, Henry Bailey, D, S. T;somas, and E. W. Harris, together with Mr. (.. lTph:4m (secretary). THE LATE LOKJI ABIINIIAU:—The Chairman, at the outset, rose to move a vote of condolence with Lady Aberdare and the iamlly, ;l. t ho loss sustained by them in the death "f ,>erdare. Since the last meeting of the Council, h said, a great many of their fellow-men had (weed a u ay, but perhaps none greater or as great as Lu: Aberdare. He had been associated with this town since it was a mere village. He was one of the first magistrates appointed for the town, and during the time he filled the magisterial bench he won the esteem of all his townsmen, and, as a result, was elected to represent the borough in Parliament for a great number of years. To lose such a noble man was a loss not only to the immediate district in which he resided, but to South Wales at large, for he had taken an active part in various n)atterfi connected with South Wales, and he would be missed for many years to come. It would be a difficult matter to get anyone to fill the gap he had left.—Mr. E. P. Biddle seconded, and dwelt upon the educational advantages which Wales had pained through the instrumentality of the departed noble- man.—Mr. W. Meredith supported, and spoke of the groat respect always paid to Lord Aberdare by the district at large.—The vote was carried unanimously, and all the members of the Council stood up as a mark of respect to the departed nobleman. THB FREE LIBRARY QUESTION.—A long discussion took place relative to the question of sending a depu- tation to the District Council, urging upon them the necessity of taking steps to establish a free library and branches for the town and district.—It was explained by Mr. Edmonds that the Free Library Committee could not, under present circum- stances, send a deputation to the Council, and it was agreed that the deputation appointed by the Chamber should meet in committee that evening for the pur- pose of drawing up a draft scheme to lay before the District Council. POSTAL FACILITIES.—The Secretary read the following telegram which he had received that day from Mr. D. A. Thomas:—"Postmaster General informs me he has arranged for re-establishment of a p supplementary night mail despatch from Merthyr by 10.45 p.m. train."—The Chairman said he had laid before Mr. Wilkins, the postmaster at Merthyr, the fact that the outlying districts, in order to catch the mails. were obliged to poet their letters early, and Mr. Wilkins had informed him that if a representa- tion was made by the districts affected that their petition would be forwarded to the proper quarter.— Mr. Arthur Daniel said this had been done, but no reply had been received.—The Secretary was in-, structed to communicate further with the postal authorities with respect to this question, and also the question of an earlier delivery of the North Mail at Troedyihiw and the lower part of the valley. THE COU-NCII. AND THE CHAMBR.—Mr. D. J. Evans the president, called attention to the incon- venience caused by holding independent meetings of the Council and the Chamber, and moved that in future the minutes of lie Council be read at the Chamber meeting:. He considered the Council to be nothing more or less than a committee appointed by the Chamber, but he found that many questions arose and were discussed by the Council which the Chamber knew nothing at all about. They could not very well do away with the Council except by a resolution passed at the annual meeting. He would therefore move that the minutes be read at the Chamber and passed in the ordinary way.—Mr. Alfred Edmonds seconded, but at the suggestion of Mr. Arthur Daniel it was agreed that the Council report its proceedings to the Chamber when it met.

nFPTCRE TRUSSES.-Referring to the inquiry made by a correspondent recently in our columns, the following extract from the Lancet, August 4. 1894, will be interestingThe Link Shell Truss Co., 171, Wardour-street, London, WT., have anew truss. It is claimed that by this method of manufacture a truss is provided which will be more comfortable than the one in ordinary use, and better able to adapt tself to the various movements of the oody, especially if those are of a sudden character. The truss is fitted with a hip-joint regulator, by means of which the pressure is increased or diminished as required, and with a soft shell pad perforated for ventilation. The truss as thus completed is an efficient one. Full par- ticulars are sent free by the Link Shell Truss Co.— (Jlersj'ov: Ereniwj Xeics, August 7. 1894.' 173-224

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Glamorgan County Council. TO THE ELECTORS OF THE GELLY- FAELOG DIVISION. LADIES AND GKNTI.KMEN,— Your representative, Mr. Evan Lewis, having been honoured with a seat on the Aldermanic bench of the Council, a vacancy has been created in the Division and in lesponse to the earnest wishes of a large number of Electors, I most respectfully offer myself as a Candidate for your suffrages. I am, as you are aware, a native of the Division and a life-long resident among you. Our interests in Hatters pertaining to this Division are identical, and being acquainted with the needs of the neighbour- hood, I confidently assert that I would be able to serve you with efficiency and faithfulness. Since I have had the honour of a seat on our Dis- trict Council, I have endeavoured in all things to carry out the pledges which I made to the Electors, and I am not without hope that my services have been appreciated. I think the County Council in the past has been ^ordering on extravagance, and my utmost endea- voure will be brought to bear with a view to greater economy. A subject which requires the attention of the Council is the rating of property, a large proportion °f which is rated far too low, thus placing an unfair burden upon the working classes. Here I think my very large experience as a valuer will be of some ser- vice to the Council. I am also strongly in favour of the taxation of ground rents and royalties, and I tfost the matter will very soon receive the attention Of Parliament. I seek your support as a Liberal and Progressive Candidate, and, if elected, you may rely upon my "ipporting every true measure of reform brought before the Council. I am, Ladies and Gentlemen, Your faithful Servant, JOHN LLOYD ATKINS, Gellyfaelog Cottage, Dowlais, March 18th, 1895.