The Aberdare Leader

BIRTHS, MARRIAGES and DEATHS. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. THOMAS.—Mr John Thomas and son, 35 Jenkin Street, Abercwmboi, desire to thank all friends and relatives for kindness shown and messages of sym- pathy sent to them in their recent sad bereavement; also for floral tributes. PUGH.-Mrs. Pugh, Prince of Wales, Abercwmboi, and relatives, desire to express their heartfelt gratitude for the kind messages of sympathy and the goodwill shown by their numerous friends and neighbours in their recent sad bereavement; also for floral tri- butes received. HARRIES. Mrs. Hannah Harries, mother of the late Mr. David John Harries, 5 Belmont Terrace Aber- aman, and family, beg to tender their sincere thanks for the kind expres- sions of sympathy extended to them in their sad bereavement, and also for the beautiful wreaths received. JONES.—Mrs. John Jones, 23 Tany- bryn Street, Aberdare, desires to thank the numerous friends who sent messages of sympathy to her in her recent sad bereavement, also for floral tributes received. IN MEMORIAM. LEWIS.—In loving memory of Richard Lewis, late of Fairfield, Aberdare, who died May 4, 1909. Fondly re- membered by his daughters and family.

Aberdare Chamber of Trade. The monthly meeting of the Aber- dare and District Chamber of Trade was held on Tuesday evening. Mr A. E. Harmston (president) was in the chair, and he was supported by Messrs. T. W. Griffiths and J. A. Lloyd (vice-presi- dents), and Mr E. Ho wells Evans (hon sec.) Point Duty. The Chamber having passed a resolution, on the initiation of Mr D. Morris Powell, asking the Police Authorities to place a constable on point duty on the junction of Commercial St. and Duke Street, Superintendent Rees replied that he was aware that the ve- hicular traffic was very dangerous in that part, especially to children, and he would give the matter his attention. Scholarshlp.-The report of the Exe- cutive Council regarding the second scholarship granted by the Chamber of Trade, was read, and it was stated that Mr W. Charlton Cox, M.A., headmaster of Aberdare County School, had been asked to prepare the examination papers and fix a date for the examination to take place. Annual Picnic.-There were reports from the committee which had the ar- rangements of the picnic in hand. They recommended June 18th, and one of the following places: Minehead, Bourne- ville, Torquay, and Porthcawl and Mar- gam. It was pointed out that no boats ran to Minehead on June 18th, and it was resolved to change the date to June 25th, and make arrangements to go to Minehead, with a trip inland in charabancs. The following sub-com- mittee were deputed to carry out the ar- rangements Messrs. Tom Evans, W. R. Jones, Morgan Watkins, W. Haggar, P. N. Pugh, J. W. Hurt. W. Caunt, and D. E. Davies. Failing Minehead, it was decided to organise a trip by road bo Porthcawl and Margam. y Increased Council Representation.— The Secretary and Mr R. L. Berry gave reports of what transpired at the In- quiry held on the previous day, re the proposed increase in the number of local District Councillors. (A report of the Inquiry will be found in another column). Mr. Berry said he had con- tended at the Inquiry that 20 members were sufficient to carry out the work of the District Council. A larger number of Councillors would only tend to more talk and less work. There had been far more work in planning and'organis- ing the acquisition of Trams and Elec- tric Light, etc., than there was now, after these things had become accom- plished facts. On behalf of the Cham- ber he had also condemned the anomaly of an elector in No. 5 Ward having 7 votes and an elector in one of the other wards only 5 votes. In conclusion, Mr Berry said he had been cross-examined as to the status of the Chamber of Trade. It would be well to point out that their organisation was composed of the leading tradesmen in the whole of the district, and that they were a force to be considered. (Hear, hear.) The action of the Executive Committee in sending members to the Inquiry was confirmed, and Mr Tom Evans moved a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Berry for the able manner he had placed the views of the Chamber before the County Councillors.—Mr J. Vincent seconded, and Mr T. Lloyd and Mr Illtyd Williams supported. Conference.—Messrs. R. L. Berry, Illtyd Williams, W. R. Jones and M. Watkins were appointed to attend the half-yearly conference of the Federated Chambers of Trade to be held at Glyn- neath on May 21st. Council's High-handed Action.-The next item was to decide what further steps should be taken with regard to the petition sent to the District Council for the suspension of the closing order for three days immediately prior to Bank Holidays.—The Secretary report- ed that the petition contained the neces- sary majority, and the District Coun- cil had refused to proceed. The only thing to do now was to write direct to the Home Secretary. Mr Illtyd Wil- liams moved that they petition the Home Secretary direct. They had more than a two-thirds majority, and the secretary, in writing, should point out that the omission in the first place was not due to any negligence on the part of the Chamber of Trade, but was caused owing to the change from one District Council Clerk to another. Sure- ly the tradesmen of Aberdare should not suffer because of a misunderstand- ing like that.—Mr. R. H. Miles: Does the Council say there is anything wrong with the petition ?—Secretary I have heard no complaints. What they say is that the shopkeepers and shop assist- ants should come to an arrangement between themselves.—Several members remarked that there was a tendency on the part of some members of the District Council to belittle the Chamber of Trade in every possible manner. Mr. Illtyd Williams' motion was carried. Incorporation of Aberdare. Mr T. W. Griffiths read a paper on the question of the Incorporation of Aberdare, in the course of which he said:- Disadvantages of Incorporation. The greater state and ceremony usu- ally attendant upon meetings of, and functions in connection with, a town council than an urban district council are considered by some people to be disadvantages. The mayor of a bor- ough being entitled to precedence, socially and otherwise, in all matters appertaining to the borough, has, con- sequently, more calls upon his time (and possibly his purse also) than has the chairman of an urban district council, and his attendance at many functions, not strictly municipal, is also claimed by the inhabitants of the borough. The appointment of alder- men is regarded by many persons in an unfavourable light; many claim that such appointments are not in keeping with the democratic spirit of the age, and that aldermen should be directly elected by the burgesses, i.e., the in- habitants. It should, however, be ob- served that the appointment of alder- men is made by the burgesses' elected representatives (i.e., the Councillors), ana ^hat the necessary qualifications tor the position are that the persons elected should be eithei- councillors or qualified to be councillors. The coun- cillors must be either burgesses or per- sons who, living more than seven miles from, but within 15 miles of, the bor- ough, would be entitled to be enrolled as burgesses but for their non-resi- dence. The councillors must also pos- sess the necessary property qualifica- tion, now abolished in the case of urban district council lors-nainely, in the case of a borough having four or more wards, be posessed of real or personal property, or both, to the value of £ 1,000 or be rated to the poor rate on an annual value of £ 30; in the case of a borough having less than four wards the "property" value is 500, and the rating" value R15. At present we have 5 wards. Every person, however, is qualified to be elected and to be a councillor, who is, at the time of elec- tion, qualified to elect to the office of councillor, and this last mentioned qualification for being elected is alter- native for and does not reneal or take away any other qualification. Incor-1 poration would mean the disenfran- chisement of the following classes of electors—namely: (a) Those whose only claim is ownership; (b) lodgers (without any other claim); (c) the persons en- titled to vote by reason of service fran- chise. Other Points.-The L.G.B. Audit would be abolished and the accounts audited by a Councillor appointed by the Mayor, and by two persons elected annually by the burgesses. Instead of one rate (general district) there would also be a borough rate, but this did not necessarily mean an increased rate. A Town Council had power to pay the Mayor a salary, but there was no com- pulsion. Advantages of Incorporation.-Muni- cipal Boroughs acquire a greatly im- proved status and an increased dignity, to which an Urban District Council can never attain. This would prove invaluable in all transactions with Par- liamentary Government Departments. Far more |importance and dignity are attached to the office of Mayor than to that of Chairman of a District Council. A Mayor is always acknowledged as the "local leader," and is entitled to precedence over all the local justices of the peace. The number of Aldermen to be elected is one-third of the number of Councillors. The qualification is that the persons must be either Councillors or qualified to be Councillors, and the term of office is six years. The influ- ence of a Borough would be greatly en- hanced as a member of the Association of Municipal Corporations. Greatly ex- tended powers for making bye-laws are given to a Borough, and its higher posi- tion gives a better status re finance. The powers of a Town Council for the purchase and acquisition of lands are wider than those of a District Council. A Town Council could obtain control of the police. It is the general opinion that under the control of a municipal corporation the administration of a borough is more efficiently and more economically carried out than by any other system of local government. The Town Council can become the local authority under and administer the Weights and Measures Acts, and under them make bye-laws. It can also be- come the authority under the Con- tagious Diseases (Animals) Act and other Acts. The work of registration in connection with the burgess roll would have to be undertaken by the Town Clerk, and not by an official who might have no local knowledge, such as the Clerk of the Peace for the County. The returning officers at elections would be the ward aldermen, and not the Clerk of the Council. At a Parliamentary Election the returning officer would be the Mayor. The date for the ordinary election of Councillors is November 1st and candidates have to make a return of their election expenses. Incorpor- ation would necessarily mean a larger Council, and consequently an increased representation. This is what the Dis- for unc^ *s present clamouring How to Proceed. The decision to present a petition may be come to by the governing body of a district or by the inhabitant householders themselves, but in this respect it must be noted that the costs of an unsuccessful appli- cation for a charter can not be paid out of the rates or public funds of a district. It is, therefore, the usual and wisest course to form an Incorporation Com- mittee of the most influential inhabitant householders who are in favour of an application being made for the grant of a charter and to raise a guarantee fund for payment of the expenses incurred in the event of the application proving unsuccessful. If, however, the appli- cation prove successful, the expenses of and relating to the charter and all elec- tions, act and proceedings under the Charter, are payable by the new Cor- poration out of the borough fund. The petition should state shortly the history of the district showing its growth and development, the population and rate- able value of thesame, and the increase which has taken place therein within recent years, and the details of the several undertakings of the local authority; and should also show the general condition of the district from a sanitary and administrative standpoint and otherwise, and conclude with a prayer that "His Majesty may be gra- ciously pleased, in the exercise of his Royal Prerogative, to grant a Charter of Incorporation creating the Parish and Urban District of 'So and So' a Municipal Borough, and to extend to such Borough and the inhabitants there- of, all the powers, privileges and pro- visions of the Municipal Corporations Acts." A brief discussion followed, in which Mr W. U. Lewis, Illtyd Williams, and others took part—Mr J. C. Harmston moved that the matter be placed on the agenda for the next meeting.—Carried.

Primroses. -Nishtor Iditol- Oi shuppose Oi musht thry an' kape the promise Oi misilf made lasht week to yer honur, an' let yer know of the mating in the Mount on Monday even- ing lasht. It was grate. Oh, bedad, W divil is all the row about? Shure, an' yer Highness don't know what Oi have to put up wid; it's mosht awful. Biddy, Charlottee, Spud Mur- phy, an' Con Regan are all goin' to the Empire; an' begorra if they kape up the row thire that they are here, Mishtor Perry will have a toime of it. Chariot- tee is admiring Biddy's new blue sports coat; it's a trate. Begorra, an' Oi shall be putting all the rude remarks they are passing on it in mi letter to yersilf if Oi am not mosht careful. So j 1 r&- misht-ake, Oi hope yer will loike the foine gmtleman yer honur is, pardon mi offences. An' now that Oi have the pen in mi fisht Oi will now hi 1 d° sometbing. Shure, an' what do ye want now, an' how do ye think Oi wroite to the gintleman whin ye are all spaking at one an' the viry same toime? Be iabers, an' Oi will nang out the latch door key. Good- night Spud; bye-bye, Charlottee; so Jong long; give mi lov to Mistor Perry. „ Begorra, an' they have gone, so now for "Perfect peace." Oh no, it's not altogether, sor. Oi musht not forget the spuds on the foire; mi throubles niver cease at all, at all. Niver moind, ere s off at lasht. The matings was wid the Primrose League, an' Oi had made up mi moind to be thire; so whin Oi got home from the building Biddy dressed mesilf in mi viry besht, an' thin Oi had a shave, an' shure the spuds are boiling over, sor, an' thire is a divil of a mess. Oi shall dhrop in for it whin Biddy returns; the water has gone all over the fender. Let mi think whne did Oi sthop. Oi know, Oi was shaving, an' Oi cut misilf roight on the sphot, so what did Oi in honur of the mating Oi was goin' to honour wid mi prisince, an' did ye see that. Sor. ::I s^d »efore honur of the mating, Ox sthuck a piece of that swate little paper well known, so Oi understand, to Primrose League, which is called 'The ,aS- 'The llag had found another shupporter. Down the strate Oi wint an up the steps to the Hall, an' into a big foine room. Thire was a grate crowd prisint. A short gintleman came on an" shook hands wid misilf an' said he was deloighted to see misilf pnsint Has the Major turned up?" «ays Oi. "No, sayS he. An balave 8°r> u'hin Oi say he tried hard to git misilf to take the chair; but Oi towld him thire was no room in our house for another chair, an' another thing, Mishtor Arthur was on top of the steps watehing, so Oi decided to laye it thire. Oi sat nixt to a young swate colleen wid a large picture hat, smS rW' gl°rS' an' 0i had a Wltl! her about the weather, t! price an quality of butter an eggs, an several other important items, thin Oi offered her a swate, but she refused. Pat rejected no flowers." The people stharted to dap an misilf included, an' Mishtor Notton called upon the spaker of the evening to address the mating. Up he jumped an' stharted loike this: Ladies an Gintlenien-whin Oi got up an' wanted to ixplane whire Biddy an' Co. while, but the chairman ruled misilf wid a rod of iron, an' shot his eves at mi. an asked what was the matter Nothing, says Oi, Oi jist want to ix- plaine whire Biddy is. Oh says he,. an who are ye? Rafferty, says Oi. So the spaker made another sthart, an' said he was plased that Pat was prisint, an the lady who refused a swate kindly oonsinted to take one, but, begorra man, Oi had finished the lot. Whin Oi was sitting listening to the spaker a thought sthruck mi roight in the neck of mi back, of what Oi had seen at \Veston-super-Mare. some toime ago. Oi was walking down Wadham Strate whin Oi noticed a shop wid a sign, "Dealers in Antiques," Primrose League first floor. Sthrange, says Oi to misilf. By what Oi understhand it is not antique in any way. but shure man it is unique in one. What is it? It was a foine mating, sor, an' the spaker was a trate, an' whin he sat down a lady got up on her fate an' said how plased she was at the spache, an' said she thanked Mishtor Llewellyn for coming, an' whin she finished another swate colleen said she quite agreed to say thank you, an' Oi misilf said Oi was ready to shupport the colleen. Thin the Chairman put it to the mating, an' shure man, thire was a row, we all clapped until we were tired. Arf a mo, sor, the foire has gone clane up the chimney, an' here is Biddy knocking to come in. Oi musht have forgotten to hang out the latch door key. It's alroight, Biddy, be aisy, an' what's the matter wid yersilf?" All she is doing, sor, is laughing. Shure, an' Oi balave her face has slipped. Now for a divil of a row, the spuds are burnt an' the foire out, the kettle cold. Begorra, now, Home Rule will sthart. Biddy, answer the phone this minute." Oh' bedad, an' its Bolger, an' thire is Bid- dy saying "Yes luv, no luv, so glad you PW,8" C"P ,ho,me- Good old • L ^V' .an w'hat are ye spak- "nS a; + '•+ ^^oight, sit down, an' say all about it." What! when, an' whire, raith an here we are, sor. Sir Ed- ward Carson is coming to the Mount on^ May 28, an' Bolger invites misilf an company to form oursilves into a Reception Committee to mate at Brae- chi's on Monday noight next. So took out next week. Press invited. Oi am. sor, Your obadiant servant, PATRICK RAFFERTY.

Nodion a NewyddiolL Bydd y Parch. Peter Price, M.A., D.D., vn traddodi darlith yn Soar. Aberdar, nos Fawrth nesaf, ar v tes- tyn, "Y Farn Gyhoeddus." v80 Tywysog a gwr mawr yn Israel ein gwlad oedd y Parch. Job Miles, Aber- ystwyth, a fu farw yn Nghaerdydd y dydd o'r blaen. Pregethai yn fynyoht yn uchel-wyliau yr enwad Annibynol, a bu hefyd yn olygydd y "Tyst." Mae graddedigion y pwlpud Cymreig yn amlhau. Mewn cwrdd mawr yn Aberdar y Sul diweddaf gweinyddid gan dri B.A. Mewn uchelwvl yn Aber- aman yr un pryd, modd bvnnag, yr oedd dau M.A. Ddydd Gwener diweddaf dodwyd gweddillion y diweddar Barch. Richard Morgan, Tonyrefail, i huno yn Nghladd- fa Capel y Methodistiaid yn y lie. Yr oedd yn ei arwvl amryw o wvr buchedd- ol o Aberdar a;r cylch. Hvsbvs i lawer yn y gymydogaeth oedd efe. Bu yma yn masnachu ac yn efengylu, a gwasan- aethodd y ddau fyd gydag arddeliad a llwydd. Bu y pregethwr dall enwog, y Parch. J. Puleston Jones, ar ymweliad aer Aberdar yr wythnos ddiweddaf, a chaf- odd amser lied brysur. Nos Fawrth darlithiodd yn Nazareth ar Glymau Cymdeithas a dydd Gwener cymer- odd ran yn angladd y Parch. R. Mor- gan, Tonyrefail, gynt o Aberdar. Y Sul a r tiun yr oedd Puleston vn pre- gethu yn nghyrddau mawr Hebron, Aberaman Dengys yni anarferol y gwr talentog hwn gymaint ellir wnevd gan ddosbarth o ddynion y danodwyd iddynt eu bod yn ddiwerth i gymdeithas. Vfynpjrolwg faterol medd v gweledydd athrylithgar hwn graffder meddyliol ar-

little Talks about CIolIws M Sunshine # and the a shabby suit m win never m together— m Yet you hesitate— ■ # Possibly that follows ■ # the exorbitant pr-ices 1 f y°u have paid and econ- ft f °™Y forbids the pur- I m chase of another at the ft m moment- ft f «?ut Y°u need not let the I ^unshine make war against ■ tne suit you wear— I Our prices are really reason- able and to-day you can come N to us and buy SUITS From 35/- And mind you the lie will be made up only from the latest and most up-to-date materials t made to measure—cut by t expert cutters-tailored in t the finest style—smart in f N every detail and particular. m t Greys. Browns and all m ft the newest shades in M ft Tweeds, Worsteds and # ft Diagonals- m ft They're all waiting m ft your inspeetion- B ft So now the Sunny # ft days are here be m ft smart and-at m m the same time t economical. m J (RJEDBIJENI ] 57 Queen St., CARDIFF 29 High St., NEWPORT