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GLAMORGAN COUNTY COUNCIL.

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CORRESPONDENCE

THE CONTEST IN THE PORTH WARD.…

MR. IDRIS WILLIAMS AND MR.…

THE CLAIMS OF LOCAL CANDIDATES.

PONTYPLilDD AND THti COUNTY…

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PONTYPLilDD AND THti COUNTY COUNCIL. „ REPLY TO "TRADESMAN'S" pETTER. To the Edito* of the "Chronicle." SIR,-Having read "Tradesman's" letter in your issue of the 21st ult., I should be glad if you would favour me with a short space in your valuable xl paper to reply thereto. Liberals are as anxious as Conservatives that the pros and cons in the present contest should be properly laid before the electors, and are equally sanguine that when the electors thoroughly understand the nature of the contest tlfere will be no fear as to the result. In the first place, I very much doubt whether your correspondent is a tradesman, and it is quite evident he is not a Welsh tradesman, otherwise he would be more conversant with the sentiment and aspirations of the Welsh;people. Thequaliiications of the two candidates being equal, is it not prefer- I able, and more natural, that the electors should return a. gentleman able to converse and address his constituents in the vernacular, and who there- I by is better able to appreciate the wants and sym- pathies of the electors than a Saxon. Your correspondent attempts to be very eloquent upon the fact of Mr Lenox being one of the owners of the Chainworks, and seems to think that the prosperity of Pontypridd depends entirely upon that. Let any unbiassed person recall the follow- ing facts -.—Very many years ago it is true Messrs Brown, Lenox, and Co. engaged a far larger num- p e ber of men than they do at present, but in conse- quence of the Conservative and non-progressive policy which the owners adopt in business, as well as in politics, the works, with its various advan- tages and good position, are getting year by year of less importance, and orders which naturally should come to Pontypridd (and which necessarily would give employment to a much larger number) are taken elsewhere, and men who have for years been engaged at the Chainworks are compelled to seek "fresh fields and pastures new in order to obtain a decent livelihood. It is well known that some of the men who have left for Chester and Staffordshire are far better Off than those who remained. Other employers appreciate the world- wide known skill of the Welsh Chain and Anchor men, and pay them far higher wages than are paid at the Newbridge Works. If the chainworks had been the only industry in Pontypridd, what would have been the present condition of the town ? Why, it would have been the poorest town in the county. ¡ Thanks to the energy and progressive policy of the other employers of labour, such as the pro- I prietors of the Great Western Colliery, the Albion j Colliery, &c., the town is one of the most progres- sile in the county, and the tradesmen of Ponty- pridd owe a deeper debt of gratitude to such com- panies than they do to the chainworks authori- ties. It is evident from the tone of the letter tliait your c respondent is a rank Tory, for he harps upon the old Conservative cry that working men owe th jir bread and cheese to their employers, and in o:der to get it should sell not only their labour, but their principle as well, but the working men of to- day are not as easily gulled by such worn-out ideas. They are able to appreciate the great re- fjrms passed in their favour by the several Liberal administrations, whereby the county has become prosperous, and thus greater demand for labour created. If working men believe that Liberal principles should govern the administration of im- perial matters, why not equally so county affairs ? Now, as to the liberality of the two candidates. Mr Morgan is not in the habit of announcing from the housetops the charitable gifts he makes during each year, and I regret the introduction of this matter, but when challenged by your correspon- dent that Mr Morgan is "not half so universally liberal" as Mr Lenox, it is only fair your readers should know that to my knowledge the gifts of Mr Morgan to chapels and charities, and other institutions, without distinction, are very much larger than Mr Lenox's gifts. It is quite true that Mr Lenox has at all times most generously placed his plants and flowers at the disposal of those wishful to decorate their chapels temporarily, but are we to understand that by the receipt of such favours our principles to be sacrificed upon that altar ? I cannot, and will not, believe that Mr Lenox sanctions such pretensions, and when can t I' be said that Mr Morgan has ever refused any fa- vour in his power towards any good object in the town. I will not follow the further puerile remarks in I your correspondent's letter, but I can satisfactorily answer his three questions:— 1. Who has done the most for Pontypridd?- I Liberals and progressive men. 2. Who will do more for Pontypridd ?-Liberals, and not hereditary Conservatives. Who can (and will) do most for Pontypridd ?— The Liberal candidate, the champion of Welsh Liberalism, and future county councillor for Pontypridd, Walter Morgan. The charge against Nonconformist ministers by Mr Lenox.—Since writing the above, it is with as- tonishment I have read the remarks made by Mr Lenox in reference to the highly esteemed minis- ters of the town. Mr Lenox has had ample oppor- tunity of gauging the characters of these gentlemen for many years, and I have simply to remind him of his many public expressions prior to the present contest of his own admiration and esteem for such a body of noble-minded men as the ministers of Pontypridd, and very much regret that a gentle- man of Mr Lenox's position should not ascertain the views of the ministers upon such a question before making such grave charges against them, and sneering at the Nonconformist religion. I don't believe the charge brought against Mr Morgan has the slightest foundation, but he is quite capable of holding his own against any of his po- litical opponents who are displaying evident signs of fighting a losing battle. Mr Lenox rightly states that this contest should be fought on grounds of honesty, uprightness and straightforwardness. It would be well if this ser- mon was preached to some of his supporters who make use of their positions to influenceltheir work- men and tenants to vote contrary to their prin- ciples and convictions. I quite agree with Mr Lenox as to the advisa- bility of dispensing with canvassing, and if the practice had not been adopted by him and his sup- porters in the present contest, I am perfectly certain his chances would be much smaller than they are even at present. I do not think I need ask consistent Liberals not to be led away by the high-flown but meaningless language of Mr Lenox, nor the milk and water arguments of the alleged Tradesman,but that they will return our Liberal champion with such a tri- umphant majority as the present respected Parlia- mentary representative secured over his Tory opponent. I am, dear sir, Yours, &c., A CONSISTENT LIBERAL.

THE DEPARTURE OF THE REV.…

MR. H. HOPKINS AND MR. LENOX'S\…

THE JUBILEE YEARI

wttsisri'Aitoii ro MH. R.…

CYNGHOU SIUOL MONDDA: RHANliARTH…

COUNTY COUNCIL CONTEST.

SCALDED TO DEATH IN A BOILER.

MEASLES AT MOUNTAIN ASH.

IMR IDRIS WILLIAMS' CANDIDATURE.

THE PUBLIC HEALTH