The Aberdare Leader

To Readers and Correspon- dents. All contributions of local interest will be gratefully received at the offices of this paper. Clergymen and Ministers, Secre- taries, and organisers of social functions, political meetings, and all public events are respectfully asked to acquaint us of these events before hand, so that we may secure reports of the proceedings. When a reporter is required, notification should arrive at oui office punctually. Our correspondents will oblige us by for- warding their reports at the very earliest convenience. All communications to be addressed I- LEADER" Office, Aberdare.

RUSSIA is in the throes of a reaction, if not a revolution. No longer is the gaze of the whole civilised world focussed on Port Arthur, but on Petersburg. Russia is in a very perilous predicament indeed. No nation should wage war with a foe abroad while it has an enemy within its own gates. The Govern- ment that does that is doubly menaced. The foes within are encouraged and strengthened by the knowledge that the Government has external troubles to contend with, while the foes without know well that a nation weakened by internal dissensions falls an easy prey to external attacks. Many years have not rolled by since the Czar posed as the world's great peacemaker. Was his peace mission a sham, or was he in real earnest? Is the "great white Czar still the gentle, kindly monarch which his peace proposals indicated him to be, but that his power is nominal, and that he is a mere tool in the hands of a tyrannical bureaucracy ? If so, why did he not stand up for his people when such a favourable opportunity presented itself to him ? The snow has been the winding sheet" of many a brave Russian peasant. The oppressed work- ers came to the great white throne asking for bread, and they were given cold steel and lead. That was a deci- sive moment for the Czar. He had come to the parting of the ways. However, he had not the courage of Alfred the Great, nor even of his own predecessor, Peter the Great. The Czar of All the Russias has not the stufl that martyrs and heroes are made of.

SCRAPS. [BY THE SCRIBE.] American newspapers tell us that an Indiana farmer's wife has given birth to a boy, and thereby hangs a tail. The protu- berance is two inches long, and continues from the end of the spine. We are told fur- ther that the local medical authorities have been holding deliberations over this freak of Dame Nature, and to make a long tale short, have declared it to be a step back- ward toward the monkey kingdom, and a partial proof of the truth of the Darwinian theory. Henceforth then, the cry will be not Back to the land," but Back to the forest!" _.£1-- Mountain Ash ratepayers should have a ratepayers' association. The amount of out- standing loans is £ 174,224. This appears to be an enormous sum, and it would be advisable to get a few economists on the Council at next March election. -:0:- Is it not possible to arrange what Lord Rosebery would call a truce of God" be- tween the spirit of the age and the spirit that sweeps like a mighty tornado over the land of our fathers at the present time. Some friends at Aberdare are endeavouring to establish in the town a branch of the Y.M.C.A., or some institution on similar lines. We have had the harvest of the revival, and now they are preparing for the aftermath. The friends referred to are ap- pealing to the churches and the religious leaders of the town for support and en- couragement. Will there be a general response ? 0 In one sense such an appeal is opportune, in another sense it is inopportune. It is op- portune because it is felt that—as I have so often pointed out—some provision to safe- guard the many converts is necessary. It is inopportune because the revival in the main has declared war against every kind of recreation—rational and irrational. Unless a compromise between religion and recrea- tion can be obtained first of all, we cannot hope to run an institution of the nature of the Y.M.C.A. Their coalition and co-opera- tion is essential. Who will be peacemakers ? Honours seldom come singly. Sir W. T. Lewis is now to receive the freedom of the Borough of Cardiff, in addition to the com- plimentary banquet and other gracious tokens of recognition and honour. -:0:- The low ebb of crime at Aberdare con- tinues. Police and magistrates are prac- tically unemployed, and the streets ¡:£or the nonce have undergone a transfiguration. This result of the Revival movement is gratifying indeed. It shows that this great upheaval can be a great power for good if properly guided and utilised. Let us hope that this reign of goodness will long con- tinue. More than that, let us make personal efforts to make it abiding and permanent. -:0:- The Aberaman workmen are now trying to ring out the old system of doctors and ring in the new. But the bell is out of tune, and there is discord in the relations of the men with the masters.

Death of the Bishop of Llandaff. At five o'clock on Tuesday, Dr Lewis, the venerable Bishop of Llandaff, passed peace- fully into his rest. He had attained the mature age of 84 years. All day Wednesday the muffled bell of St. Elvafi's Church,. Aberdare, tolled mournfully in memory of the departed Bishop. ■" 1 —

Aberdare Fire Brigade Annual Social. The annual social, under the auspices of the Aberdare Fire Brigade, was held on Tuesday evening at their headquarters in Station-street. Councillor T. Walter Wil- liams, B.Sc., occupied the chair, and he was supported by Councillor E. Stonelake, Police Inspector David, Mr A. S. Morris, Capt. R. L. Berry, Aberdare, Capt. Brooks, Pontypridd Fire Brigade, Capt. Collier,, Pentre Fire Brigade, Lieut. Edwards.. hon. sec. of the National Fire Brigade Union for South Wales, Lieuts. Z. Andrews and J. Davies, Aberdare. The chairman called upon Mr W. H. Templeman to say grace. An excellent spread had been provided, which was partaken of with evident delight by a large number. The chairman opened the post prandial proceedings, with a brief address, in the course of which he said he was very pleased to be present and to see what a smart lot of men the Brigade was composed of. He had been informed of the excellent record of the Brigade, and what they had done during the past year. He guessed that all present were far happier that evening than the Czar of All the Russias. Manliness was a splendid virtue, and that was what each of them, unlike the Czar, possessed. A letter from Dr Rhys was then read,, apologising for not being able to attend. Lieut. Davies, secretary, then read the' balance sheet. On Jan. 1st, 1904, balance in hand, X5 19s 4d; receipts by subscrip- tions in 1904, X40 10s; sundry cheques, X17 Is 7d; District Council, X8 8s sum by man injured, C7 10s; Christmas box, £1 3s 7d; Fire Insurance, regarding ex- penses, X9 18s 6d; total, X73 9s 5s. Pay- ments Station duty, £ 8 8s 9d during half- year; by 11 fires, X21 Is; total £ 46 lis 3d; total funds in hand, 26 18s 2d. Property, value X3,428 had been lost; and property value zC20,957 had been involved. The year 1904 had been rather heavy. The Brigade was represented in London last June, when they entered in the National Horse Cart Competition, and out of a large number of competitors, came in 5th. Capt. R. L. Berry then read the number of attendances. The chairman presented Foreman Harris for: making the greatest number of attendances during the year. The prize was 5s, given by Capt. Berry. A prize of 5s, given by the Brigade, for the next best, was awarded to Fireman Harris. Speeches were delivered by Capt. Brooks, Capt. Collier, and Lieut. Edwards, all com- plimenting the Aberdare Fire Brigade upon their smart turn-out, and upon the very neat and pretty appearance of their head- quarters. Capt. Brooks complimented thfi secretary on the energy he had put forth in the Fire Brigade work. He was pleased to, see that public representatives were taking an interest in the work. A Fire Brigade was a very valuable asset in a district like this. Merthyr could not boast of such an asset (shame). Only recently a life was lost by a fire which occurred there. He was of opinion that .that life could have been saved had a well-equipped fire brigade been in existence. On the motion of Capt. Berry, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the visitors for attending. Lieut. Andrews proposed, and Lieut. Davies seconded, a motion of thanks to the artistes and the Press. The following musical programme was gone through during the evening :—Over- ture, Mr Handel Thomas; song, Eos Wenallt; comic song, Mr W' H. Temple- man (encored) musical farce, Mr John Morris (encored); song, Mr Llew Jones (en- cored) barbell exercise, Sergt. J. Strick- land; descriptive song, Mr Thomas Thomas ventriloquism, Mr Gus Bassett; Indian club exercise, Sergt. J. Strickland selections on the phonograph, Mr J. Harris. Mr Handel Thomas and Mr John Morris accompanied.

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