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[No title]
SLL ■ UM.TKK his fellow-Tory, Forward, our corres- pondent Unionist promises! to give tlic "pro- gramme of the Unionist Party nest week. Does be mean the programme of Imperial or local politics ? It was the latter we asked for. Unionist produces some figures showing the contracts given to foreign linns by Liberal and Conservative Governments respectively. Speaking at Penydarren on the 16th October last, Mr. D. A. Fiiomas dealt with this subject, and as a reply to the remarks of Unionist we quote the follow- ing words from his speech From 18S7 to 1891 the Tory Government obtained goods from abroad to the amount of £ ,">7,000 per annum on average, fjicre had been one complete year since the Liberals had been returned into power, and during 0 that year they spent £ 39,000 only on foreign Soods." At present it is a question between the •senior member and Unionist." We have not the Necessary data at hand to decide between them. It Tnay be that" Unionist is right and Mr. Thomas ^rong <,r that the former has the figures up to a more recent date than the latter. Our readers ^'ill no doubt suspend judgment udtil they get further information.
[No title]
directors of the London and North W ostein '^tilway Company have at last given ear to the V(>ice of public opinion. They are now humbly torry that it ever came to their minds to dismiss orktnen from their employ simply because they ^\d know the English language. It was a scurvy 'ck to play, and roused the heart of the nation to !la I'i'ofouiidest depths. Public indignation was Intense and general Tories vied wih Liberals, '.lChurchmen with Nonconformists, in denounc- the tyrannical action of the Company. But al; s well that ends well. On Monday the dis- I'Ussej men were back again at their posts. From ui.orination received from tbe scene of war we understand that the ollieials of the Company spared no trouble in finding out ail the men dismissed, lacing them from address like electioneers agents, reparation, when it comes, should bet) oioughand ^oniplete. What about the painters employed at the Bridge Welshmen engaged in this work Were paid only 18s. a week they were dismissed, and Englishmen taken on instead, whose weekly M'age 2oa. How is it that Welsh joiners employed *y t|10 Company al Bangor arc paid less than •ngligh oues ? The directors should investigate all these matters, and extend the same treatment.
[No title]
THE miners of the Merthyr Valley arc in a des- perate plight. Their attempt to form the valley a.district lodge, to be affiliated to the general tic^an,3a-tiou for South Wales, is met with difficul- aUaU°n sides. To begin with, there is the can f ^K' ',ow^a's men, or rather, if rumours ther C credited, of the Uowlais leaders. Then are,three agents who have to be reckoned Mop' ?'IC Valley becomes a district, Mr. D. PI SarVyill be cut adrift from Cvfarlhfa and rhi J101 I1' Price for Abercanaid andTroedv* NT<-m arQ i ^^J0U f°r Merthyr Vale and Treharris. e of tuese gentlemen, if they can help it, will fn their lodges in favour of the new district, thev C-'ii 'luve openly and emphatically declared VA[ 'l°t. Mabou held a meeting at Merthyr tliei-p01-1 hatlu',lay night to strengthen the men six;} m ^'ie Cambrian faith. The tone of his collin? i^as Vl 'iat might be expected from a collier- lca ;r .Rt this juncture. What are the stanef.° •- ihe alley to do under these circum- eleari3'! ^-re they to take the bull by the horns, "Kout of\r • Hgents bu-' avul baggage,' and get an ^'h- • \r.own and a lodge ot their own This ari!»ht M 'dtimately come to, if we interpret ou "jfo 8<r!lle °* ^lc re,na!'ks made at tho conference °f t'ie "r U'V" Avas cI,jarl.v sai<l that the progress vicln-ii-1 nhonltl n°t be obstructed by indi- j(,i '-ether they be agents or anything else. th« im, t,'1G conference seemed to be under the a *TS,°n ^'lat the local press is in tho pay of that oi • S" Spring for ourselves, we should say towards the agents constitutes a h'lvo' 1 I'eiut.ation to that fatuous illusion. We ''CL'art"0 cnn,v against the agents, whom we "liner-' g £ nerally 81'taking, as the friends of the follo-u-t' i !!uM e do say that the policv they have hi^lite 1 ° i c ^'1C ^'C1'tbyr Valley is short- t^rtlit''f aifi[ and iu no M ay conducive Thcv" U'i aucc °f the niincrs' best interests. aud d°U" 1^^os^u^all trivialpcrsonaljconsiderations, °f fo!-lr")^ themselves heart and soul to the work an.} a cc'itral organisation for South Wales ALONINOUTIISHIRE.
[No title]
b«nr A,;1 t'l-aud wonderful election has just been in")!- •ilt' ^t'"difl,^ manuiuvred by an hysterical C'-ii r'tt dail.v- (iuostion decided was whether public-houses should be opened for three Urs on Sundays. Consider how the Western Mail cut about this business. It floods the town with ?°usatioual allegations about shebeens and drink- chibs, with shrieking jciemiads about robV>ing "e son of toil of his Sunday beer. Violent articles 'th blood-curdling head-lines are published for ;-eral days in succession. The publicans are Jj?1", UP into a high pitch of euthosiasm, and wc know their mighty prowess on matters of <> nig. Patrons of the driuk traffic all over the Juntrv are interviewed, and the story told by ine 's l'iat ^'ie KuuJay Closing Act has ^creased Sunday drunkenucss. Then the question put to the vote. The other side are not given a T £ ncy° *-° ^'e allegations put forward. UncC .w'lolc affair is too palpably ridiculous and fid ?lr^° dcyorvc a- moment's notice. Nobody out* c .'■"c Mail office, and the drinking dens, will it the slightest attention- The figures made ,nu'J'' "f by our contemporary are not worth the N-per they are printed on. Public opinion, of ourSCj is nnal and decisive on a matter of this IIIIL But the opinion of the public must be Stained in a way that is fair and honourable, *l,d not snatched with a rush when only one side j, question has been laid before the voters. A xoyal Commission investigated the matter a few ago. Out of the live gentlemen who com- r°sed that commission four were strong Tories aUtl 'Pposed to the Act. But after hearing evidence ''),n all parts of the country, they Mere compelled u admit that the Act was a success, and to reconi- j!d that it should be strengthened. It was the extent .Vail tint got us that Commission. That Particular attempt "to serve the drink traffic was a 'strous failure, and now one contemporary has 'V another method, which is as silly as it is air. ^yc v,-ould adv ise the Mail to he less f ^terieal, and pay a little more respect to the O'lentary principles of justice. Mr. Allen ai'>Miai'1 says jn his Plain Politics," printed in :n'T i x Co'ulnn- that his vote Mas not asked for, l'1 very legitimately asks if other teetotallers e been treated in the same way.
[No title]
ui'V PtCv;d°ncc of poverty and distress in Merthyr pj1 0-Jtunately cannot be doubted, "Philanthro- draws a sombre picture of starving and ill- u.'i -bildren. The immortal n ordsof 1 >e\vi yn 111 oocur to many minds Eirvcli yn y drveh liwn dro >'r galon eraig I wylo. i^ |u done to alleviate this suffering"; r- B'tv.cn recalls the residue, of the relief fund j'11'51' in 1X77 ami 187^. About £ 1,000 Mas left jn^he bank, M'heie, at compound interest, it lias ilu,uiiitil,itiii;, en-er it, itot be ^°d to utilise this money, or part of it, to give (¡oJ and clothing to unfortunate wretches who arc • e understand also that the Union of nistiiui I'hideavour Societies are discussing the ||i"oblem, and thev Mould be doing humane work ,lt:il,til)" tt soup kitchen, or some such bene- o eut institution. It is a hard M'inter, and many on,:at workmen arc thrown out of employment. r "onld. respectfully appeal to the strong to help •jeMenk. and to tlioae who arc well oft to give of .lr'ir abundance to their less fort uuate brethren. u gratifying to understand that «n attempt is f-ing niade bv Mri. Beddoc and others to start a ^JUp kitchen, and we feel sure the public will be too glad to render the assistance necessary to "Uke the movement- a success. ME. (J. H. JAMES, J.P., in a letter published in another column, calls attention to a matter of the greatest importance connected with the School Board election. He compares the proportion between the rateable value and the number of school children in Merthyr, Aberdare. and Car- diff. These figures are very interesting, and should be considered by all critics of the Board's financial record. Ianto Goch" discusses the rate question in a very lucid manner, and his dialogue puts the subject in a form that will be under. standed of the people. The Sectarians' trump card is the cry of economy. But that is only a pretext to bamboozle the electors. The real point is the maintenance of the present standard of efficiency. The champions of the sectarian schools seek to diminish that efficiency, to bring the Board Schools down to the level of their schools. The Unsec- tarians should strain every nerve to defeat this policy, and to make a determined fight for the educational welfare of the children of the working classes.
[No title]
THE Merthyr Council, at Wednesday's meeting, resolved to investigate all matters affecting their officials. This is a wise and expedient course, as the new members of the Council should know exactly how matters stand. Changes are about to be introduced in the relative positions of the Coun- cil and the County Council as regards the main- tenance of roads, which is a subject that requires the closest attention of our local administrators. We hope the investigation will be thorough and com- plete, and that all re-arrangements resolved upon will lie for the benefit both of the public and the officials themselves.
METEOROLOGICAL REGISTER.
METEOROLOGICAL REGISTER. Recorded at Brynteg. Approximate height above sea level, 685 feet. Date. Direction of Rain- Thermometer Reading. Wind full. iUix. Min. Wet. Dry. Jan. 31 N "0 31 25 26 27 Fob 1 E < -0 30 24 27 27 .1 2 NE -0 24 28 28 28 3 E "0 31 19 26 26 4 K '0 33 27 31 31 ,,5 K '0 23 19 22 22 „ 6 E '0 24 11 16 17
SPARKS FROM THE ANVIL.
SPARKS FROM THE ANVIL. BY JOR HAMMERSMITH. "Dear Joe,—You may have heard of me, and of the daring little trick I played last week here at 8t. Asaph. 'Twas beautifully done. Hence- forth I shall be known as "The St. Asaph Bruiser." I feel proud of my performance. I want to tell you all about it, and you can give the story, if you like, to the readers of the Merthyr Timcs, only touch up the grammar and the spelling a little bit, as I am more used to Welsh than to English, and you are a pro- found English scholar (here I stop to blush). In fact I am not sure of the orthography of even my own name. Some call me "thrashing machine," while others say threshing machine." But that is only a detail. Shakespeare did not seem to know how to spell his name, and Artemus Ward used to say that Chaucer would have been a great poet had he only been able to spell. I had long had my eye on the Bishop of St. Asaph. Often had I said to myself that I would _give him beans if I had but "balf a chance. Like every intelligent Welsh thrashing machine, I am a strong and pronounced Radical in politics. I have lived amongst the farmers, and as I go from one farm to the otherlgettoknowtheirgrlevances. Their groans como to mino ears, and their bitter sighs, as they suffer from the oppression of their aristocratic and ecclesiastical tyrants, of landlord and gamekeeper and parson. More especially I sympathised with tho farmer son the question of Disestablishment. One out of every ten grains of wheat, barley, and oats that go through me finds its way to the established parson who on Sundays drones away to a mere handful of wor- shippers. Against this the farmers and the nation are in revolt, and they have my profoundest sym- pathy. No thinking thrashing machine can help being a Liberal. By profession I am a separatist." That is to say, I separate the wheat from the chaff, the good grain from the bad. This gives :me a philosophic turn of mind it sets mo thinking and pondering; I am habituated to the study of the problem of good and evil, of progress and stagnation. And the result is, as is invariably the case with tho-e who think for them- selves, that I am a Liberal. My fellow-machine down South of England way, immortalised by Hardy in his Test, was no politician. It was simply a mechanical drudge, content to be, as it were, a mere hewer of wood and drawer of water to all and sundry. But I reckon that one Welsh thrashing machine has more intelligence than ten English ones. But to cut. a long story short: Last week, as I said, MY opportunity arrived. I M'as being taken along the road past the palace of Bishop Edwards, the man who has reviled his fellow-country time and again, and who does all he can to postpone the advent of religious equality. Now is my chance,' I said to myself, 'and I shall never forgive myself if I allow it to pass.' I was being dragged along by a dirty, uncouth, puffing traction engine, and that, too, tended to set my back up, for I prefer the company of the kindly horses. As we were going up the steep hill in front of the palace entrance, 1 quietly undid the coupling, and down I started on my career before anyone could say Jack Robinson. "I steered myself straight asanarrow for the palace lodge. Nolxjdy could stop me, and almost in the twinkling of an eye. I had demolished the episcopal gate, and the massive stone pillars by which it was supported. Everything was smashed into a thousand smithereens. My idea was to raze the blooming palace itself to the ground, but I could not proceed further than the lodge. On the whole I think I did pretty well, and the Radicals of Wales must be satis- tied with my handiwork. At any rate, I did my level best. Which is what they are not always in the habit ufdoing. "There is one thing Ifeel disappointed about:never a sight of the bishop did I see. Not that I would have done him any harm, or inflicted on him what the police call grievous bodily injury.' Not a hair of his head would I have touched. But I should have liked to frighten him a bit, to give him a good sound shaking, to make him tremble for five minutes behind that funny apron of his. For I candidly believe that some such operation would have done him 3, world of good. He needs being taken down a peg or two. And now, Joe, I have come to the end of my story. To-day I am a happy thrashing machine. I have not lived entirely in vain. In the days to come I hope the vehemence of my Radicalism will not evaporate. It would be a. dreadful thing for a thrashing machine like me to become, in his old age, a Whig or a Liberal Unionist. Rather would I die than that such a calamity should happen. Tbe Welsh people ought to canonise me, or at least give me the first place in a triad. Thus Tri chedyrn ddyrnwyr mawr Prydaiu y dyrmvr a cliM'ilfriwiodd byrth a rlou palas Esgob Llanelwy, gelyn rhyddid ei gyd-grefyddwyr a chynydd ei gelledl." I hope some other machines will ere long perform deeds of valour, so that the triad may be completed. Give my love, Joe, to all the sturdy Radicals of Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare, and bid them be faithful to the good cause.- Yours thrashingly and triumphantly, The St. Asaph Bruiser, alias Dyrmvr Mawr Llanelwy." As you know, Mr. Editor, I am not particularly sweet on football. Not that I have anything against the game. But when thousands of people go to see a score of young men kicking a ball hither and thither, well, I say that is not a thing to be proud of. What I want is that the thousands should go and play themselves, instead of merely looking at others playing. Let that be as it may. I trust we shall go and see the match to be played at Cefn between the Butohers and the Policemen. Mrs. H. and I are going there in state, and we have hired the smartest cab in Merthyr for the occasion. We thought once of hiring a bus, one of the Dowlais busses. That idea, how- ever, M'as dropped. It will be fun seeing the "orticera" trying to run themselves in! Will the butchers draw any blood, I M'onder? It isn't every day we arc permitted to see the beef-purveyor? pitted against the beef-eaters. a.- And the gate money goes to the General Hospital, That's the grand .thing about this match, and that is why I want everybody to go there and see it, Hen Lane" has invited us to tea after the match is over. "The Chicago of Wales": that's what he calls Cefn now, by reason of the great multitudes of pigs dwelling therein., "The country of the Gadarenea" is his alternative title. He is going to show us the wonderful horses they have there, the one eating his head, and the other eating the manger. Supposing, of course, the latter has not giving up eating altogether before the time arrives, The pressmen had a rare time of it at the Llewelyn Williams "send-off" dinner at Cardiff last Saturday evening. Tom John Mas in great form, so was Cochfarf, M ho occupied the chair. Both of them can sing a decent song at a pinch. "Spinnaker Boom" can also sing a little bit; you should have heard him sing a song specially composed for the occasion by Eilir, the leafier-writer. It was the gem of the evening. Idriswyn spoke with righteous indignation like one of the holy prophets of old. His soul was full of bitterness because the talented journalists of Wales went away to England. We want them herr, at bom., he said every one of them. Llewelyu Williams him- self spoke with much feeling. Welsh journalists, ho :;tiid, M ill not remain in Wales unless they arc taken at their proper valiu'. What that, meant everybody will at once, perceiw:. He assured us ho M'ould not forget Wales. No, he won't. His patriotism is too genuine for that, There were four men from the .1 [nil present Eilir, Needle, Spinnaker Boom, and Idriswyn. There was only one man from the S. 1 Y,J>.N., and lie came in, like a kind of postscript, after the dinner Mas over, as if he had been whipped up by special messenger just to give tho office a representation. T am vcry sorry Mr. Williams is going away. Ilia departure will be a loss to Wales. At the same time, I wish him every prosperity and eyery happiness in the Metro- polis. May it not ho very long ere he comes back to the land he loves so well.
[No title]
K' riTRF. Cvked M'ithout operation. All who wish t. get. r-id of Rupture and Trusses should send to Mr. S, J. Sherman, Hernia Specialist., 04, Chancery- lane, London 1 and 26, King-street, Manchester, for his Book. Post free 7d.
jTHE FATAL DRIFT ACCIDENT…
THE FATAL DRIFT ACCIDENT AT DOWLAIS. SOMEONE HAD BLUNDERED: AN OPEN j VERDICT. Mr. R. J. Rhys, the district coroner, resumed the inquiry upon the body of David Henry Prosser at the Dowlais Inn, Dowlais, on Tuesday afternoon. Prosser, it will be remembered, was a boy Morking at the No. 2 Pit at Vochmv, and Mas killed on Friday morning, January 25, by a runaway train in the drift. The inquiry was in the first instance adjourned on the insufficiency of evidence on the most impor- tant question of the opening of the stop block on the lino, which, had it been closed, would have prevented the train from running wild. Mr. S. F. Adams, deputy-inspector of mines, was again in attendance. The coroner having read tho evidence given at the inquicy last week, Mr. Howell Jones, the deputy colliery manager, produced a model of a section of the line containing the part on which the block M'as fixed. The true nature of the block, which played such a prominent part in the sad tragedy, was by its means made clear to even those who had never looked upon a colliery incline. The block may be said to have the form of two sides of a square, the one running parallel with the tramway line on the outer side, and the other running at right angles to it and crossing the line. Both pieces of the block move on pivots fixed in the ground, and when the large piece is placed in posi- tion, that is parallel with the line, the unfastened end of the other piece rests upon it and cannot bo moved by any power acting from the upper side. The parallel piece can only be moved from the lower end, and when it is removed the cross piece, as a. matter of course, can offer no resistance to a tram or anything else coming down the line. The arrangement is exceedingly simple, but decidedly effective, and such as to lend colour to the sinister rumours to which we referred last week. The model, Mr. Jones explained, was about one half the siae of the block in the pit. Mr. Jones, in his evidence, said it Mas utterly im- possible for anyone going down the drift to kick the block open. Since the last inquiry he had made experiments, and found that it was equally impossible for anyone going up the drift to kick it open. On the last occasion ho said that it would be possible to do so, but at that time he had not made any experi- ments. George Williams said I am a collier at Yoohriw No. 2 Pit. My way to work lay down the Mest drift. When the tram ran wild it passed me. I was about twenty-five or thirty yards lower down than the part- ing when the wild run took place. W ith me there was my partner, who works with nw. I did not see the boy David John Thomas when I went ah. tig the parting, nor did I notice the stop-block. Some six or seven men were in the same bond as myself \0 were three together, aud I don't know who the remainder —three or four—of thfc party were. I have been working for four years in the pit, and of course have to pass down the drift. I generally keep between the two roads when I go down. There were no boys in our party, but I saw three or four sitting down below the blocks. I know them, but cannot give you their names. The boys were only a few yards lower down than the blocks, and the tram passed them. Inspector Cook said the boys were present to give evidence. Thomas Griffiths said he lived at No. 11 Plantation- street, Penydarren. He said lie did not know English, but in ansM'er to the question, How old are you ? he readily answered Seventeen, sir." "Have you ever been to school ?'' was the next question, and the ready reply was, Oh, yes, sir." "I oti can speak English right enough," said the coroner and examina- tion of the witness proceeded. He said I work at Vochriw. I remember the tram going M'ild. I was sitting by the pointers putting my lamp clean. Asked whether he saw the blocks as he pased down witness said he knew nothing at all about it andjcontinued there were with, me at the time Rees Price Da vies and Rees Price. I had not been there for any great length ot time.—Mr. Jones said the points were about twelve yards lower down than the blocks.—Iu reply to further questions Griffiths said he did not know v.'ho came down in the same carriage as himself. Rees Price Davies said I live at No. 1 Bowden's Court Penydarren. I am past fifteen years of age. When the tram ran M'ild, I was between the block and the pointer looking for a wedge, I had lost on the previous day. I did not notice the block, and cannot say whether it was open or not. I did not interfere M'ith the block, nor did I see anyone else do it. I did not see tho boy David John Thomas at all. I M as in the place only a few seconds. I know nothing at all of how the acci- dent occurred, and I have not heard of any boy who. interfered with the block.—A Juror: Are you in the habit of stopping in that place every morning—it is a. )o dangerous spot. you know ? The boy repeated that he M as looking for a wedge, and Griffiths, when asked the same question, repeated that lie was only cleaning his lamp. Rees Price said I was fourteen years of age last September. I am a collier. When the tram ran wild, I was between tho pointers and the blocks. I was looking for the wedge which my butty had lost. After passing the block, I did not go near it, and I did not notice whether it was open or shut. I did not see David John Thomas by the block, nor anybody else. No other boys had passed in when I was look- ing for the wedge (After a pause). I did not notice anyone.—By Mr. Adams: I was about two or three minutes on tho parting before the tram ran wild.- The Coroner remarked that if David John Thomas was telling the truth at the previous investigation, the block must have been closed when those toys came there. David Thomas Williams said I am going ou my sixteen years, and am a collier. I M'as a bit above the tram when it went off I did not see it, I only heard it. I did not see David John Thomas, either before or after the accident.—The Coroner: Well, if yon can't tell us more than that, I am sorry you have been brought from your work at all. David John Thomas, recalled, said I know the boys who have given evidence. I heard no noise at all proceeding from them about the time the acci- dent occurred.The witness' deposition at the pre- vious inquiry was read over to him, and ho said it was all correct. There weto pointers both above and below the blocks. Mr. Howell Jones said he had made every possible inquiry, but could find out nothing more he could not find out anybody else M ho had been near the place. In further examination the boy said he had never had any trouble with the blocks in the past.—Mr. Jones, in reply to a juror, said nobody would walk over the blocks because there was not sufficient head- room on that side of the line, and there M'as no path there. People coining down the drift either walked in the middle of the road, or on the aide farthest from the blocks. The Coroner, in summing up, said that the evidence adduced that day had not carried them very much farther. They were still in the dark as to how the fatality occurred, but they had been shown a mo lei of the block and its surroundings, which made the thing much more plain to the jury than any amount of description would have done. Personally ho was much obliged to Mr. Jones for having taken the trouble to have that model made, and he believed the jury shared his opinion. The result of all the evidence that had been given was to leave three alter- natives for the jury to decide. Either someone had shifted the block, knowing what he was doing, and so allowed the tram to run wild or the boy, David John Thomas was making a very great mistake in saying that he had closed the block or again, he was telling them a most wilful story. If they believed the first cf these alternatives, they must come to theconchuion that somebody had mischievously, but none the less criminally, opened the block, and allowed the poor boy Prosser to walk into a trap which ended in bis losing his life. It might be, too, that Thomas was sincere in saying that lie shut the block he might think he had done so, whereas he had not. Or it might be that he knew perfectly well he had not shut the block, and bad come there to tell them that he had done so, hoping, by telling a deliberate lie. to escape the punishment due to his culpable and fatal negligence. Those M'ere the questions which the evidence that had been brought forward left tho jury to decide, and it did not seem to him that he could simplify the matter for them if be were to talk for an hour. Unfortunately there did not appear to be any chance of getting further evidence, for Mr. Jones had told them that every possible enquiry had been made, and he (the coroner) hoped that the best endeavours had really been made to find out how the block came to be opened. Speaking for himself he should not like to say he disbelieved the story of the boy .Thomas. As he had stated last week, the boy had given his evidence very clearly and intelligently, and M'ith every indication of sincerity. His evidence that and he (the coroner) hoped that the best endeavours had really been made to find out how the block came to be opened. Speaking for himself he should not like to say he disbelieved the story of the boy .Thomas. As he had stated last week, the boy had given his evidence very clearly aud intelligently, and M'ith every indication of sincerity. His evidence that day had been given in the same v.ay, and BO far as he (the speaker) could judge, the boy was speaking the truth, HoM ever, the matter was one for the jury and not for himself to decide, and he left the issue entirely in their bands. entirely in their bands. One of the jurors put further questions to Mr. Jones, which, however, had been answered before, and the replies having been repeated, the coroner, the press representatives, and others left tho room. The jury deliberated for what seemed an extraordinary length of time, and eventually, those who had left the room were recalled. In answer to the Coroner, Mr. David Davies. the foreman of the jury, said they had agreed upon their verdict. They found that the boy Prosser had been killed by a runaway tram that the block had been closed by the boy Thomas, but that it had been opened afterwards by some person or persons unknown, They added to their verdict a recommendation to the Dowlais Iron Company to have a man and 1Dt a boy in charge of the block when traffic passed up and down the line in future. The Coroner said that in all probability the jury were right in exonerating the boy Thomas, and also in find- ing that the block had been interfered with after ha had closed it. The enquiry, which had been of a most protracted nature, then terminated. -+ THE MOUNTAIN ASH POSTAL OFFICIALS. The first annual dinner of the Mountain Ash postal officials was held at the Institute, on Friday evening last. Postmen from Pontypridd, Aberdare, and Aberdare Junction, were present, together with a few friends from Mountain Ash, making in all 23. A capital menu had been provided by Mr. W. Dally. After the inner man had been satisfied, the Rev. J. Howell Was voted to the chair, aud tho vico M'as occupied by Mr. C. (5 alii van. A very pleating letter was read from Mrs. Owens, the postmistress, wishing them an enjoyable evening. The toast of the evening "The Postal Staff," Mas splendidly given by tlie Chairman, who, by the way, was a very intimate friend of the late postmaster.—Mr. C. Gallivan ably responded, —"The Visitors" was then given by Mr. Gallivan, and suitably acknowledged by Mr. Austre, of Pontypridd. An excellent musical programme was gone through by the following, Mr. D. Dally, accompanying on the piano :—Messrs. W. Longman, A. Rowles, — Austre, M. Mynctt, W. Cole, and D. l>aviv.s. The Hist fraternal gathering M'as brought to a close about 11 p.m., all baviug enjoyed themselves thoroughly. The duties of lion. sec. were ably carricd out by Mr. Niinrod Bartlett.
PLAIN POLITICS.
PLAIN POLITICS. tBr MAESIIBI.] lNote.Mftenhir" alone to responsible for what appears in this eclumn.-Bd ]. I have not yet had an opportunity of publicly con- gratulating the collieis of Merthyr and the district on the formation of the new Amalgamated Society. Both the Miners' Federation and the members of the old Association have done wisely in agreeing to waive the claims of their particular organizations, in order to unite for the common good. It is in one sense a pity that there should still be any dissentients in the South Wales coalfield but on the other hand, a false friend is worse than an open enemy. It ia a poor thing, for instance, to have the workmen represented, in negotiations with the employers, by any man whom his own colleagues have to watch, as one of them once put it to me, "like a cat watching a mouse." If there Ira one body of working-men in the kingdom of whom ? may truly be said that strife has been forced upon them, it is the miners of South Wales. The history of tho Sliding-scale for some yoatre past has been tho history of the encroachments of the masters upon the men. The Associated Coalowner" have been represented by one of the ableet men in South Wales, in Sir William Lewis. But Sir William is one of those men whose tendency to grasp some- times leads to his over-reaching himself. If the scale is broken, the blame for the event must rest in the main upon Sir William's shoulders. The one-sidedness of the whole of the arrangements between employera and employed is strongly shown by two events which have occurred within the last few days. I refer to the closing of two collieries, one of them in the Aberdare Valley. The pretext for closing them is, of course, ttij old one, the depressed state of the market. When the market is inflated, and a colliery is earning at the fabulous rates of 20 or even 40 per cent., the men employed in the particular colliery reap no especial benefit, a.nd their earnings are governed by the general rate throughout the district. But when the bad time follows, a colliery here or a colliery there is shut up, and the poor fellows turned adrift. The colliery owner has been able, by bis gigantic profits, to look forward with an easy mind to a period of idleness; but how many colliers are there whose wages admit of their putting by any large sum? And who is responsible for this depression in trade, which is made the excuse for throwing a thousand men out of work? It is an instructive contrast to turn to the reports of the trade done at the Cardiff Docks. There, wo are told, the value of exports for the year 1894 is the largest on record, and a new dock is already in course of preparation. The amount of coal and coke actually shipped appears to have been 7,668,606 tons. If to this we add the tonnage of Barry and Xewpo) t, there can be no doubt that the amount of coal got rid of has been immensely greater than ever before. Vet trade is depressed, and wages are steadily going down. What does this mean? If it does not mean under- selling carried to the point of folly if it does not mean that the colliers are being ruined by the sheer stupidity and want of business capacity on the part of a few dozen clerks and merchants on the Cardiff Exchange, one would be glad to receive some honest and intelligible explanation of what it does mean. We are sometimes told that it is impossible to keep up prices at Cardiff when they are falling elsewhere, and that rates are governed by the combined influence of all the markets of the world. But on the other hand, when, as the result of the present severe weather, the prices of coal are everywhere going up with a rush, then the note is changed, and we are told, All this does not affect our trade. The prices of steam coal are not touched by all this. We deal in a special article, whose price is independent of outside fluctuations." Thus the pretty comedy is kept up, and wages are kept down. I see from Mr. Abraham's speech at Merthyr Vale that a collier has been complaining to him because the last reduction was not so heavy as he had expected. I can only say that no collier ever murmured in my hearing against the unaccountably good wages he received. But Mr. Abraham has not a cynical mind. Among the petty illegalities which are constantly j being practised by colliery managers, almost without a check, is the one of closing collieries for a day, or a couple of days, at a time, in order to reduce the out- put and avoid a glut In the market. In other word", if the colliery owner think? it will pay him to hold on to his commodity for a short time, rather than incur the cost of warehousing it on tho ton, he pre- fers to keep it uncut, and to turn his hands idle. This is, of course, entirely contrary to the agreeement by which a month's notice is required on cither side for the termination of service. The collier who takes a couple of days' leave without permission is fre- quently discharged on the spot, if he is not summoned and made to pay damages. But I never hear of the colliery owners being compelled to pay their men for these days of enforced idleness. Perhaps some of my friends among the men's officials will look into this. I presume that a. month's notice to the men was duly given in the cases of the collieries which have just been closed. But it would not surprise me in the least to learn that this was not the case. Law, in the opinion of most colliery owners and managers, is au invention for compelling the men to do their! will. They have no idea of the men having any rights a" against them. I am writing before the meeting of thu Cardiff Liberal Thousand, and can only say here that a strong resistance will be made to the proposal of Mr. Bird that the choice of a candidate should be entrusted to the small Executive Committee of which he is the chairman. As I anticipated, the letter of resignation as originally written by Sir Edward Heed has not been made public. Tbt) composition read at the executive meeting was a wonderful document, written upon all manuer of various sized pieces of paper, on fceveral of which the scissor-marks were plain to view. Its contents were little less remarkable, and" while the epistle as a whole M'as no doubt Reedite, there were passages in which I thought I could detect the literary style of Mr. R. N. Hall. I am looking forward to the result of the Western Mail plebiscite without excitement. No voting-card was lefc upon me, and if a similai policy was pursued towards all the other teetotallers in Cardiff, it is easy to foresee a triumphant majority against the Sunday Closing Act.
THE CHRONICLES OF DOWLAIS.
THE CHRONICLES OF DOWLAIS. FROM THE "BOOK OF DAYS' OF IOAN AB IORWERTH. OF THE LOVER'S STRATAGEM. It came to pass in the 58th year of Queen Victoria, the same in which the men of Japan took Wei-Hai- Wei, and the men of China said Why-ay why do these men for ever prevail against us ?" that the minds of some of the men of Dowdais, yea, and of the women also, were fixed upon the doings of Everton and Sunderland, the mighty leaders in the wars of the Football League. And the supporters of Everton numbered as many men and women as they that awore by Sunderland numbered. And M'hensoever they met they disputed. And the men of Everton gave half-pennies unto the small bays who cry out, Football edition," to the end that they would cry Great defeat of Sunderland," outside the tents of Sunderland. Aud the small boys did it, and vexed not themselves because the thing they cried was not in the papers they sold. Now one of the young men who cast in his lot with the men of Everton, loved the daughter of a man of many letters, and the lady knew that the small boys had received halfpennies to cry in the manner of which this history telleth. And it came to pass after darkness had come down upon the earth that tho young man was possessed of the spirit to go and seek out the lady of his heart, but lie cared not to enter the house of her father, and the lady knew not that he would come that night, nor was there any sign by which she might know that he was waiting. And the breath of the air was exceeding cold, and the teeth ot tho young man struck against one another with a sound like unto that of dice when they are shaken in a box. But a bright thought came unto the young man in the darkness, and ho said The lady will not come out on such a night if I do not let her know that I am waiting." And lifting up his voice hI.) criod l:ho and. Evcninj Express; football edition. Great defeat of Sunderland. "Now," said ho to himself, The lady will know my voice, and will come unto me." But there camo not a souud from the house, and the young man lifted up his voice and cried the same wordi again. And iu the darkness he heard a sound as of a door that was being opened, and his heart leaped up with joy, and he said unto hiuiuclf, All, she cometh, my beloved one." And the door was opened, and the I-oviiig man made as though he would go toward;: it. Lut from the door there came a voice unto him, saying "Here, boy, let's have both." 0, it is her father," spake the young man unto himself, and he fled upon the wings of the Mind and paused not till he M'as a Sabbath Day's journey trom the house of tho favre ladve.
OF THE CARRIED CASK.
OF THE CARRIED CASK. As man journeyeth from the land of the children of Tydtil, the daughter of Brychan Brychciniog, to the mountains of Pengarnddu M-hich are beyond I'enyweru, hs passeth a part of the laud of Guest which is called by the Jews, Peuydarreu, and by the Greeks Gellifaelog, And in this land there dwelt utrange people who feared not the magis- trates, uor trembled at the sight of men with blue coats who are called "The Law" by the boys that are small. For this people livclh in tents out of the gaze of went and they Mt not on fchs Sabbath Day, but have with them round wooden vessels encompassed with banda of iron from which they draw strong (7!!) drink, and aell it unto such as find the tents wherein they dwell. And the "Law" was angered that it could not aeize these people while yet they sold strong drink. And the atrange people kept a watch upon the Law," and came not within its grasp. But it came to pass one night, when darkness was upon the earth, that a man of Law journeyed into the land of the strange people, and eeeing a light in one of the tents he went therein. And angry words passed between the Law and the people in the strange tent. But the eyes of the Law were keen, and he saw one e the round wooden vessels encompassed with iron bands, and he said, I will take it, and woe unto you if ye stand in my way," And the strange people said, We will not stand in thy May. Go." And tho Law said, It is well," and took his departure. And the face of the earth was as smooth as glass, and the Law thought that he would not let the wooden vessel fall upon the earth. And the pace of the snail was greater than that of the Law. And the night was far spent when the Law came to th8 great castle where dwelt the other men, and he said, "1..0, while ye -lept I went into the strange country and behold, here is one of the wooden vessels of strong drink." And the other men lifted up their voices in praise of the Law. And he went to bed and dre.rot that he bad been made an inspector. And nest morning they opened the wooden vessel, and behold water came out; of it; of strong drink there was none in the vessel. And the Law said, "Jawl."
BY THE WAY.
BY THE WAY. The February number of Wales publishes another short story from the pen of the Rev. R. David, Tre- harris. The title is, The Story of a Piano." The two newspaper offices of Merthyr this severe winter are well off in one respect both have Coles always near hand. Last week we said a certain police officer had not cleared off tho snow in front of his house. That bit of pavement is now the cleanest in the whole street. Great is the power of the press "A History of the Welsh Church to the Dissolution of the Monasteries," by E. J. Newell, M.A., author of The Life and Teachings of St. Patrick," is announced for immediate publication by Mr. Elliot Stock. The following is a note received by a Merthyr schoolmaster from Willie's mother: "Sir,—-Please you will kindly to let Willie to leave school this evening till 3A clock past and I M'ant him, fur fetch anything* The world, after all, is very smalL Last week Lady Lewis, the Mardy, and the Misses Lewis were visiting the Pyramids, and at a hutel near, they met Mrs. Hutcheson, of .GlasynY8, Aberdare, who is a well- known novelist, and a widow of the late Dr. Hutcheson. One of the new Guardians for Merthyr, who is extra anxious to do work, went to the Industrial School Committee at Aberdare last Thursday at 10.30 &.m., exactly a week tou early, the meetings being held on the first and third Friday each month, and not fortnightly as that guardian thought. The Lord President of the Council has approved the appointment of Lord Aberdare as the first chan- cellor of the Welsh University. No one has deserved better at the hands of his countrymen than Lord Aberdare, the pioneer with Sir Hugh Owen of our present educational system. Hwfa Mon's lecturc at Ynysgau on Tuesday night lasted for three hours. Only an archdruid can indulge in freaks of that sort. His story of the recep- tion given to Hiraethog by the Aubreys of Llanercli- medd will never be believed by those who have experienced Anglesey hospitality. It is a libel on the mother-country. Yesterday a well-known Merthyr minister Mis walking along the street, accompanied by a young lady member of his congregation. They were conver- sing sweetly about the sewing affairs of the church, when, 10 and behold the minister found himself sud- denly alone. Looking back he found the lady cosily sitting down on the pavement. Like a true Christian he at once went to the rescue. A man named Thomas was singing the solo, The trumpet shall sound," at Dowlais the other evening, and in the usual way he came to the passage, We shall be changed." At this point a wag Wh0 was present passed to a young lady who sat near a note on which was written, We shall be changed—fancy him changed into a Thomas-cat." It was very profane, of course, but then the poor fellow couldn't help it. Brother Howell Howells has evidently been initiat- ing the Rector of Dowlais into the mysteries of the Honourable Society of Man, |xxjr man. At the close of the recent English Church soiree the rev. gentle- man not only helped to remove the tables out of the way, but took up a etveeping brush and did a good share of the brushing up. To be sure it was only a small brush, but the will was as good as if the clean- ing-lip instrument had been a full-grown besom. The small audience which attended tho Dowlais Excelsior Minstrels' entertainment at Mountain Ash last week could not damp the spirits of Mr. Dan Kennedy, the irrepressible Prince Bismarck of the troupe. "Say, Massa Johnson, kin ye tole me why sve niggahs to-night am so many paupers," was one of his questions. "No, really, I can not," said the interlocutor to whom the question was quite new. Well, den, it's 'cos we is in a poor house, d' ye see," was the explanation. There is a dog in Dowlais who has been educated in sound commercial principles. His master, before starting on a journey, asks the dog whele his hat or I overcoat is, and the bow-wow goes straight to the place where the required article is huugup. If tho master says Trust," the dog will slink away, but if he says raid for," down comes the hat or coat in less than no time. That dog will never find his way into tho Bankruptcy Court. He is the chap to tackle Jabez. Tho members of a local debating tociely aro up in arms against a certain young man who is alleged to have remarked that the said society possesses a large number of "cantankerous" young men desirous of making themselves conspicuous. The air is gotting very thick, aud as the accuser has half promised to turn up at the next meeting, the members are sharpening their tomahaM-ks in readiness. The gentleman's cause is championed, it is rumoured, by a lady vice-president. We suggest that an under- taker should be present. The Taff Vale Railway was opened to Aberdare Junction—then known as Navigation—in 1839, and was continued to Merthyr in 1841, the first passenger train from Merthyr to Cardiff being run on April 19th, 1841. At that time the train from Navigation to Quaker's Yard was drawn up the incline by a rope, and it was many years before the ascent was made by means of the engine, as at present. The same date (April 19th, 1841) is also noted for being the date of a fight between John Davies fShoni 'Sguborfawr) and John Nash. Shoni was subsequently transported, but Nash still lives in the neighbourhood, keeping a greengrocer's shop at Troedyrhiw. The commercial traveller had a bad cold, and the landlord (of a Merthyr hotel) prescribed rum for interior application, and hot water with mustard for the pedal extremities. The advice jumped with the commercial's inclination only too well, especially the rum business. He started pouring down the rum in the bar about nine o'clock, and soon alter eleven he retired to his bedroom, and put his feet in the mustard- water. He was a happy man just then, so supremely and unspeakably bappy that he dropped off to sleep. It was half-past three next morning when he awuke, and his poor feet were fiozen quite hard in the water. A porter, armed with a hatchet, was summoned to break up the ice, and a doctor to prescribe for the cold. It is as ridiculous for the local Conservative agent to blow a full-fledged Taff Yale railway train out of Merthyr Station as it is for him to attempt to blow sound Radical opinions out of tried and conscientious Liberals. Our Man About Town was seated in a Taff train on Tuesday morning. A few moments before the guard blew his whistle this busy Tory gentleman mustered wind enough to make a noise in imitation of that valuable little instrument. Tho driver, however, heeded it not; he acted from experience; he knew the true call to duty too well. It is the same inference that can be drawn to Toryism in the Merthyr Boroughs. He may blow, and blow, and blow at true Radicalism as long as he lives but, like the Taff Yale train, Vwont budge. "Good old Watson "—beg pardon, we didn'c intend to divulgo his name. It's the printer's fault. Our office boy has been "Ricked:" It has long been a mystery to us why in the world lie was to be found so often out iu the front leaniug up against the wall overlooking the station. At lirst wo thought that he was deep in the wiles of some sweet little lady, but one day, hearing the strains of Two little girls in blue," the chief rushed out from his sanctum, and going to the aforesaid wall, saw the local "jebus," all massed together, and bellowing out tho refrain. Entranced by the scene, he could not tear himself away, and by-and-by saM- the cabhies" separate and begin a game of football with (tell it not in Gath) a piece of rag tied up into a ball. Of course Swift foot was there all the time looking on, and at intervals applauding tarious meritorious acts. He leaves on Saturday, and the "cabbies" arc. engaged in getting up a complimentary dinner to him. We wish him everlasting prosperity. Truth, has the following par about Tory smoking twucerts. Instead of "Mr. Elliott Lees, M.l' we give our readers leave to substitute the name of another gentleman who io not an M.P., who wants to be one, but who is not likely tohave his wish gratified for uome time :—"A hiut for Mr. Elliott Lees, M.F. A smoking concert was giveu tbe other day iu the par- l lour of a public house at Fillougley, Warwickshire. Mr. NeM'digat-e, the member for the division, attended, and not only addressed the meeting on the iniquities of Radicalism, but enlivened the proceed- ings with a song. The Hon. Arden Adderley, ehairo man of a. neighbouring bench, presided, but does not appear to have sung. Whatever progress Toryism may er may not have made in other directions, there can be no doubt about its having captured the tap- room." For consummate blundering it would be hard to heat the following paragraph, taken from a Cardiff daily :—" Andronicua' is the now dc phone of a bed- ridden Carnarvon journalist, who never misses con- tributing his two columns weekly to the Welsh papeta. He has lately brought out a volume of Reminiscences," which the Archdeacon of Carnarvon has pronounced to be excellent. He even regrets the fact that all the Archdeacons of Wales have not followed his example and subscribed for the book. In reading of an archdeacon possessed by this fine zeal for Welsh literature one is inclined to think we live in the days of good old Archdeacon Prys." There is no such dignitary as Archdeacon of Carnarvon." The gentleman who goes by that title is a Methodist deacon at Llandegai, near Bangor, who is archdeacon pretty much in the same way as Morien is archdruid. There are some people at. Cardiff who know every- thing about Wales and a great deal more.
MERTHYR.
MERTHYR. ^UNITARIAN CHAPEL.—Rev. D. J. Williams, of Newark, will preach next Sunday morning and even- i; f. All seats free, 2852 To PARTIES FURNISHING.Messrs. J. G. Maddox and Son, auctioneers, will sell by public auction at the Auction Mart, 25, Duke-street, Cardiff, on Tuesday and Thursday, February 5til and 7th, an immense ■assemblage of very superior household furniture. The fialø will commence at 'two o'clock precisely each day. Further particular* will be found iu our adver- tising column or may be obtained by writing to the auctioneers at the above address. 72849 J. JEREMIAH, the only agent for Samuel Mason's Prize Bar Fittings and Bar Engines, for Merthyr, Alierdate. Pontypridd, Mountain Ash, Rhondda YaBey. Rhymnev, Tredegar, Ebbw Vale, Brynmawr, Blackwood, &c., <fce.—Address, J. Jere- minh, Bar Fitter, Plumber, and Decorator, 36, High- street, Merthyr. and 2, North-street, Doivlais. Estimates free distance no object. Fresh fish daily from all parts of the coast. D. Price, of Dowlais, begs to inform his numerous friends and patrons that be has commenced business at No. 54, Glebeland-street, Merthyr, and he hopes to be favoured w ith a share of their patronage. Fresh oysters daily. All kinds of fish in season. Families waited upon, with bill of fare, every morning. Note the address 54, Glebeland-street, Merthyr. 2575 J. F. DOCTON, Sanitary Plumber, Hot-water Engineer, Bar-fitter, Gas-fitter, Bell-fitter, and General House Decorator, has just received a choice and M't il-assortcd stock of Paperhangings—sale price from d. per piece. Hundreds of job lots of paper- hangings must be cleared out regardless of price to make room for our new stock of paperhangings. Our gold paperhangings, from 9d. per piece, is a marvel of cheapness. A staff of experienced workmen regularly employed. [ADTT. Loan ROSRBEHT AT CARDIFF.—Our readers will be glad to know that in view of the above visit a large stock of Rosebery Collars ready for Disestablishment have just arrived, and are now selling at J. W. MORRIS'S, 10, Pontmorlais, Merthyr. Special lines in winter suitings and overcoatings are being offered at great reduction? in order to effect a clearance for our new Spring Goods. Specialities, 39s. 6d. Overcoats and suits, 38s. 6d. All orders executed on the premises by experienced workmen. Don't forget the Rosebery Collars in 4 fold linen, and the address, J. W. MORRIS, 10, Pontmorlais. THE JAPs.-On Thursday evening last, Mr. C. Russell James delivered his excellent lecture on the Japs, at a meeting of the Cardiff Naturalists Society. At the close he was accorded a hearty vote of thanke. THE GENERAL HoapnAL.—The annual meeting of governors, i.e., subscribers of one guinea and upwards annually, will be held at the Hospital on Thursday evening, the 14th inst., at 7.30. See our advertising columns for further particulars. CUEUlT DRAPERS. — The annual banquet of the Bristol, West of England, and South Wales Credit C, DrRpers IABBociation was held at Cardiff on Friday evening last, and the following Merthyr gentlemen Mere present :—Messrs. T. Jenkins, J.P. (High Constable), J. Forrester, R. Benjamin, J. S. Stowe, and Alfred Edmonds. BAMKRCPTCT.—A meeting of the creditors of John Parry and John Davies, trading as Parry and Davies, grocers, Bargoed, wae held on Monday at the offices of the Official Receiver at Merthyr. The statement of affairs showed liabilities amounting to JE407 7s. The assets were put down at £ 10110s. 7d., there being thus a deficiency of J3305 16s. 5d. MUSICAL SUCCESSES.—At the recent examination of the London College of Music, held at the Town Hall, Cardiff, before the examiner, Mr. G. A. Holmcs, Miss Alice M. Jones (daughter of Mr. William Jones, grocer, Bethesda-street), was successful in passing the elementary division in pianoforte playing also Miss Annie Walters, daughter of Mr. Walters, tailor, Georgetown, was successful in passing the same examination. We congratulate both teacher (Miss Maud Hayward) and pupils upon the success thus achieved. CORRECTION.- In our report of the District Council banquet last week there crept in a regrettable slip of the pen. Of Mr. Bentley's catering we said it was "everything that could be expected." Instead of "expected" the word" desired" should be substi- tuted, as j? clearly seen from the context. This banquet was, by consent of all, one of the most elegant ever served in the district, and Mr. Bentlev fully deserved the compliment paid him by the president, vice-president, and several other speakers. Hallo'. What's this Genuine sale of hats, caps, shirts, ties, collars, gloves, mufflers, umbrellas, etc., etc., at EDMUNDS', 35, High-street, Merthyr. On Saturday next and to continue for 14 dayfc'. Every article reduced. The stock of Gents' Mercery—of the best manufacture—which is comparatively new, must be decreased to make room for the latest production of the British loom". Sale quotation being oftentimes misleading, no enumerations of the various bargains will be made, but customers will find a genuine and honest reduction all round. No job lots bought for sale purposes. J. EDMUNDS, The Hattery and Hosiery, 35, High-street, Merthyr. COLLIERY MANAGERS' EXAMINATION.—Sixteen of the successful candidates in the tirst-elass examination, and nine of those in the second-class examination, held at Manchester in December last; and two success- ful in the first-class, and six in the second-class, held at Glasgow in November last, are students of the Universal Mining School, Derby, conducted by Mr. T. A. Southern, late H.M. 1 nspectorof Mines. Three candidates passed the first-class examination for the Bristol district held at Newport in September last. The announcement in one case was delayed until recently, pending the decision of the Home Secretary. Two of" them are students of the Universal Mining School. POLICE COURT.—Monday, before Mr. W. M. North, and Mr. W. Morgan, Pant. DON'T INDULGE. —Thomas Brown, Catherine Evans, Brecon-road, Merthyr; Thomas Jenkins, Treharris; Robert L. Jones, Aberfan; B. Morgan, Troedyrhiw; aud Harriet Hamlet, were fined the usual sum for drunkenness. Thomas Gallicau and Jas. Shearn were similarly treated for a like offence at the General Picton inn, Merthyr, on January 19th. BKTHKSDA BEAUTIES.—Eliza Douglas Mas summoned for assaulting Mary Ann Thomas, and she was further summoned for assaulting Catherine Powell. The parties hail from Bethesda-street, and there appeared to have been a general row, in which a large amount of bad language was used. The second summons was dismissed, and in the other case Douglas M-as fined 5s. and costs or 7 days. POACHERS BEWARE.—Henry Davies ivas fined 15s. and costs or 14 days for chasing a hare with two dogs, on land belonging to Messrs. Crawshay Bros., near the Cwm Pit, on Sunday, Jan. 27th. SUNDAY NIGHT MISSION SERVICE.—The usual ser- vice was held on Sunday, when the Temperance Hall was crowded. Mr. J. Bowen took the chair, and the Market-square Sunday School, under the leadership of Mr. W. Price, took the musical portion of the ser- vice. Mr. I vor M. WoottUK accompanied. The following is the programmeHymn, Shall we gather at the river reading and prayer pianoforte solo, Mr. Ivor M. Wotton solo, "How sweet the name of Jesus," Miss Cassie Davies hymn, Peace be still," School solo, "No tears in Heaven," Miss M. A. Harris; hymn, "Yn y dyfroedd mawr a'r tonau;" address, Rev. David Price (Tabernacle).; solo, "Jesus bids us shine," Miss Maggie Reee; hymn, They that wait upon the Lord," School; solo Where is my wandering boy," Mrs. W. Price; hymn, He will hide me." The meeting was closed with the Benediction. I THE CRAFTSMAN.—Wc have received, for review the February number of The i'rxfUntau, the monthly journal devoted to the interests of Freemasonry in 1 Wales and the Border Counties. It is equal to any of its predecessors to say the least, and that is baying a good deal. The first article deals with the long masonic career of Bro. Samuel Cooper, P.M., Glamorganshire, 36, P.P.S.G.W. (Craft), and P.Z., St. John's 36 P.G.ll. (Royal Arch) followed by an ) interesting diary of Bro. Cooper dealing with the chief events connected with his masonic work since 1865. The notes of the month which fill a couple of pages M'ill be found both interesting aud readable, for they are M ritten in that racy style so characteristic for they are written in that racy style so characteristic of the editor. A number of Mcll-writtcu articles I' dealing exelurixely with masonry folluw, and contain a mats of useful information, M'hilst the half-a-dozen pages arc devoted to detailed reports of meetings held m Wales during January. The February number coulains several i>ortraits capitally executed, of gentlemen who hold high p-jsitioct) iu the different lodge". The 'rajtsma:i deserves all the support which masons can give it, and appears to be making good headway. It has a M'ide field, aud, undoubtedly, can be made a mo.-t imaluable. organ. Intending subscribers can obtain copies from "the Tylers of Lodge. N.S.P.C.C.—The provisional committer, formed for the purpose pf establishing a branch of thejibove society in the district, met at Courtland House, the residence of Mr. W. Edwards, H.M.I.S., on Thursday afternoon. Mr. Beetham attended as a deputation from the Central Society, London, and lucidly explained the aims and object of the movement. It has decided to form a branch to include the parish of Merthyr, and tlie upper end of the Rhymney Valley. Lord W iiuboi ne M~as elected president, aud it was decided to ask the folioM'ing gentlemen to act as v iee pic-idents The Marquis of Bute, Lord Windsor, Lord Aberdare, tho High Constable of Merthyr (Mr. Thomas Jenkins. J.P.), the Chairman I of the District Council (Mr. T. H. Bailey, J.P.), Messrs. D. A. Thomas, M.P., W. Pritehard-Morgan, M P.. W. Edwards, H.M.I.S., E. P. Martiu, .LP,, and U. P. D. Phillips..J.P., Gclligaer. It has also [ been decided to communicate with a number of well- known and influential gentlemen in the district 7 I, asking them to serve on the general committee, and Mr. Edwards was appointed secretary to organize a ladies' committee. Mr. Warr, the director of the Central Society, having sent a letter to the effect that it would be advisable to ask a solicitor to accept the position of general secretary to the branch, it was I resolved to ask Mr. D. W. Jones, of Merthyr and DowlaÜ" to act in tlJat capacit.y. {Continued on Atr' I'a'jc.)
THE DOWLAIS MECHANICS.
THE DOWLAIS MECHANICS. THE MASTERS' COUNTERBLAST. As events in connection with the agitation among the Dowlais mechanics succeed one another, they con. tinue to corroborate in the moat striking manner the information already published in the columns of this journal. Last week, after the usual preliminaries in- cidental to matters of this kind had been got rid of, the men handed to tlie masters the notice to terminate the Sliding-ecale on the first day of July next. We have not been able to ascertain the number of men have not been able to ascertain the number of men who took this extreme course, but we understand they were anything but unanimous. In some of the departments a substantial majority of the men gave notice, thereby sealing their determination to put an end to what they consider an intolerable situation but in other shops the proportion has been quite as great on the other "ide. One of the men affected by the decision of the recently-formed lodge told our reporter, in the course of an interview the other day, that he had not handed in his notice, nor would he do ao under any circumstances. But if the men have lacked unanimity in the course they have taken the masters have shown no indecision, for on Friday last all the men received notice notifying the masters' in- tention to terminate the Sliding-ecale in six months' time. It is understood that on Monday last the over- men were engaged in looking over the notices Bent in by the men. Except that the notices have thus been given, and the masters have cried Mate to the Check of the men, the situation has provided no I fresh incidents but in the opinion of those best quali- fied to judge, those, in fact, whose previous informa- tiou to us has been proved to be so singularly accu- rate, the outlook is of the gloomiest nature, and cannot be regarded M'ithout the gravest apprehension by all classes of the inhabi- tants for although the nine-hours day mechanics number only some 600, so many branches of the works depend upon them that anything in the way of a strike or lock-out cannot but be disastrous to the common welfare. Since it has been more than once stated that the mechanics' departments are over- crowed it is pretty certain, in the opinion of our informants, that several of those at present employed will be weeded out before another Sliding-scale arrangement is arrived at. Of course everybody hopes that the dispute will be settled amicably and on a fair bases, but our informants hold out no such hopes. They claim that Borne of the younger and more irresponsible among the men have precipitated I the crisis, and say that only drastic measures need be I expected.
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Llewellyn Williams leaves Cardiff for London. nu Wales loses the services of ene of her ablest •journalists and most faithful patriots. He started "a career on the South 1 Voles Star, and now lie diff8 °* t'ie London Star. Nne star "raf1"?111, *roni another star iu glory. We con- Sin U Williams on his promotion, and wish the1 everi success in his new sphere of labour. At nii time, we cannot but deplore the constant nilgratioll Welsh journalists to England. It I nielL /or SOU3 an J daughters of Wales to Kntri^if ^eir lJluck and their abilities against the thercK aiK^ Scotch on their own ground, for Hutth f rC AVe to o''iu strength and self-confidence. 0{ we have to consider is that the press tan w* now noec^8 the best talent the nation Journalism plays an increasingly tjjg r,au^ Part in the life of the nation, and tor of th C intellectual and moral development iourJi PeoP^c it is imperative that our great public Yf-rv t Oul(I be guided and controlled by the U,V ie?)'111011 available. This is especially true of Paiper f V press. ^"orth Wales has not a daily on I ? lls OWII, and has to depend in that respect w0 ;VerPool and Manchester. In South Wales s°lie if rmrc ^avoui'abliy situated, having in all ducted .a'^OZcn dailies. Some of them are con- 9yinnatl>V^^ ,nuch enterprise, and are in close the t'lc sentiments and aspirations of n,HedkWales. Others appear to be ani- ig,10 • .Va spirit which is almost anti-Welsh, to 'lJV»^'olsh susceptibilities, and doing nothing *oUr:i,U«late Welsh patriotism. A great HouuV', %v.ca^ueS:j to the Liberal Party in- i-eg | i"esi is the absence of a daily paper that aspi,.af- fully and truly the characteristics and taiue 1t"'le pe°ple. Hopes have been enter- abo tune and again tliat a brighter era was seem dawn. But now the day of emancipation n)ea 8 tar off as ever. Our best men, the very com „0 ni'gbt- be our journalistic saviours, are lj Pellcd to bid adieu to their native land. We Here tl!h?m doinS well in London and elsewhere. fn"r- they were counted as mere dross by the rognerswho, for our sins, have the control of 111 daily press. Will this deplorable state of ungfj long continue ? Is the period far distant When ales will have a daily pre.ss which will I'lit,rc)r the life of Wales, give voice to the hopes of Wales, stimulate the development of all that is host in WaJes ?
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All kinds of printing can Ve rlojr n«R»1r, t-beaph- and ex- peditiously at the Ttmtg Printing Mertt»,vr. Evert' attention is paid to tbe smallest as well a the largest jol>. — Apply to the Manager.
I" MERTHYR .S WANTS."
I MERTHYR .S WANTS." On Monday evening, at the Market-square Mutual Improvement Class, the list of Merthyr'e Wants, waf I raised by Mr. Harry Nobes. This gentleman w&< followed by Mr. Richard Martin and Mr. Batty. A large number of those present subsequently aired their eloquence on the question. Amongst the "wants" mentioned were of course, the old chest- nuts," viz., free library, peal of bells, recreation ground, public baths, &c. One speaker M anted dead dogs kept out of the canal, and suggested that sentries should be placed at interval* of ^0 yards along the banks, and volunteered to become oue. Auother banks, and volunteered to become oue. Another I reformer wanted n new Rector, and denounced in I vehement terms the present methods of conducting divine service in some of our Established Churches. It goe# M-ithout saying that the late Local Board" received a good slating for the state of the roads, and hopes were expressed that the Urban District Council would not follow in its predecessor's footsteps. ¡ Another orator declared to his attentive audience that he wanted peaceful Sabbath evenings, and I another popular evening concerts. Several speakers expressed their thankfulness for the Inter- mediate School. At last the members wanted rest, and adjourned accordingly.
TEMPERANCE WORK AT ABERAMAN.
TEMPERANCE WORK AT ABERAMAN. The new English lodge of Good Templars, the Father Mathew Lifeboat," are nothing if not pro- gressive. They have taken the Wesleyan Vestry, and are utilising it to suit their convenience and to make it comfortable and suitable as a place for public entertainment. The Welsh lodge also hold their meetings here, and it is expected that the Rechabite Tent will be held there also. It is suggested to re- christen it and call it "Temperance" or Templar Hall, and make it a centre of attraction for the edifi* cation of the young people of the place, who parade the streets in an idle fashion.