Rhondda Leader Maesteg Garw and Ogmore Telegraph

The Royal Visit. .I Special Committee's Report. < I Criticism of New Scheme. V The monthly meeting of the Rhondda, District Council was held on Friday at the Council Chamber,. Pentre. Those present included Councillors Thos. Thomas (chairman) Ben Davies (vice-chairman), Thos. Davies, W. D. Wight, W. H. Mathias, Thos. Griffiths, W. H. Morgan, Dd. Williams, Dr. W. E. Thomas, Lewis Hopkins, Dd. Smith, Ed. Jones, W. P. | Thomas, W. T. Jones, Dr. A. G. Tribe, J Danl. Evans, Walter Williams, Griffith Evans, Tom Evans, Tom George, D. R. Jones, R. S. Griffiths and Wm. Thomas, together with the Clerk (Mr. W. P. Nicholas) and all the heads of the various departments. I SUNDAY CONCERTS. A letter was received from Mr. R. O. Evans, Neath, secretary to the Glamorgan Observance Society, congratulating the Council on their action in regard to Sunday concerts. î ROYAL VISIT. í A letter was received from Mr. W. J. Thomas, J.P., Brynawel, Ynysliir, asking permission to erect poles at Ynvshir for the decorations in connection with the visit of H.R.H. Pi-iiicess Louise. A similar application was received from Messrs. Morgan and Richardson, Cardiff. The applications were granted. A letter was also received from the Local Government Board .sanctioning the defrayal of the cost of the address to be presented to Princess; Louise from the rates, although it appeared to the Board that £100 was an unnecessarily large sum for the purpose. The Chairman said that the thing was done generally throughout the country ofi similar occasions. Councillor Tom Evans remarked that he thought the Clerk had advised them that tin money could be used out of the rates for this purpose and that an appeal was to be made to the public towards cele- brating the visit. He understood that the Council itself came out very generously with a total sum of £ 5 13s. Dr. Thomas said that as a member of the Council he had never been asked by the Clerk to contribute anything. Councillor Tom Evans I was under the impression that the Clerk had sent out circulars to each of us. Councillor Thos. Griffiths: I know that several members of this Council have con- tributed sums of ten guineas to local com mitteee for this purpose. The Clerk said that he considered the statement made in the Press that only £5 13s. had been received in response to a, public appeal was a reflection upon the people of the Rhondda, and was not just. He reported at the previous meeting: of the Council that he had made -an appeal to the landlords of the district, and in lrspomse to that appeal he had received the sum of £ 5 13s. He pointed out that local committees had been at work attack- ing the same (sources, and it was thus useless for him to go on. He also pointed out that decorations would cost a con- siderable sum of money to local commit- tees, and that the members of the Council would, no doubt, contribute to those bodies. The Council then resolved to make an application to the Local Govern- ment Board for sanction to defray the cost of the address out of the rates, and the Board's sanction had now been obtained..To say that R;5 13s. represented the loyalty of the Rhondda was a deliberate untruth, having regard to the clear statement he had made to be Council. Councillor Wight said that lie would like to know whether, in making this application to the Local Government Board, the ratable value of the district was put before them in order that they might see what a trifling proportion £100 would be upon his heavily rated district He was surei that, if the Board knew that the ratable value was something like £ 600,000 per annum, they would not quibble about a small sum like that. In his opinion, the sum suggested was reason- able in the extreme. The Clerk: It is only fair to say that the Tonypandy decorations alone will cost between C300 and E400. HOUSING CONDITIONS. The, Secretary of the Pentre and Dis- trict Trades and Labour Council wrote in reply to the Clerk's letter for more infor- mation on the "remarkable disclosures" alleged to exist in housing conditions in the Rhondda, stating that the question was to be taken up by the Trades and Labour Councils generally in the Valley, and that in due course the Council would be asked to receive a deputation on the matter. Dr. Thomas But what about those poor people who are dying in hovels? I thought that the matter was one of great urgency (laughter). NO SUPPORT FOR FUSION BILL. A letter was received from Messrs. Ingledew and Sons, Cardiff, asking the Council to support the Taff-Bute-Rhymney Fusion Bill now before Parliament. Alderman Mathias was of the opinion that the Council should support the amalgamation. The Cardiff Corporation, said the Alderman, thought they were doing right in supporting the Bill, "nul he saw no harm in the Rhondda, who-se interests were so much bound with the Taff, supporting it. He moved that the Council support the Bill. Councillor D. C. Evans seconded. Dr. Thomas moved that the letter lie on the table. They had had nothing,, he said, but the worse kind of treatment at the hands of the Taff Vale Railway Company. They had not even taken their defeat in a sportsmanlike manner, but had behaved most spitefully. The fact that Cardiff supported the Bill did not appeal to him at all, as' Cardiff was mostly in the hands of the Marquis of Bute, who would benefit by the Bill. Councillor Tom Evans seconded, remark- ing that lie did not believe in large mono- polies. There was more freedom for working men where there were j wo or three large companies than under one huge concern. COUNCIL'S FINANCES. SPECIAL COMMITTEE'S REPORT. The Council then proceeded to discuss the report of the Special Committee ap- pointed to consider the report of the District Auditor upon the audit of accounts for the year ending March 31st, 1907. The report was partly discussed at a special meeting the previous week, but no decision was arrived at owing to the sparse attendance of members. Councillor Dd. Smith, Chairman of the Special Committee, in moving the adop- tion of the report, said that lie was not sorry that it bad been partly discussed at the previous meeting, as that discus- sion had served to clear up many difficult points which members felt at the time. The more they discussed this report the more they would see the value of the recommendations it contained. He felt, personally, that it was one of the best reports ever submitted to the Council, and he hoped it would be carried unani- mously. It would be the means of putting the finances in a far better and healthier position, and would mean a considerable reduction in expenditure in a few yeans to come. Councillor Walter Williams seconded. Councillor Thos. Griffiths said that the Committee were entitled to any con- sideration they could give them for the time and labour spent in getting details for the Council's information. No doubt, if the recommendations of the Committee were carried, they would have a closer supervision over the accounts but he had his doubts as to whether they could adopt all the suggestions enumerated in the report. What he was afraid of was that the heads of the various departments would be relieved of certain responsibilities which, in his opinion, they should retain. Looking at the matter as a whole, it was not so easy to manage a scattered area like the Rhondda as it would be that of a more compact area. The supervision could not be what they desired it to be under one person. What he (Mr. Griffiths) would like to know was the cost of the present administration, and the approximate cost of the scheme now recommended by the Committee. They, in other spheres of activity, when recom- mending certain schemes, had to submit also the estimated cost and the advan- tages which would accrue to the owners if the schemes were adopted. He, for one, would like the Committee to have done that. Councillor Wight said that he had to thank the Council for the indulgence granted him at the previous meeting of deferring this matter, and thus enable him to give it the consideration which he had not been able to give up to that time. He was not going to condemn the report in toto. There was a great deal of it with which lie entirely agreed, but it was capable of amendments in some directions. Proceeding to discuss the recommendation with regard to the unifi- cation of rates, Mr. Wight said that he was entirely at -one, with the Committee when they recommended that the District and Poor Rates should be collected together. He saw no difficulty in doing that, as both rates were collected at the same time and in the same manner. But the same thing did not apply to the col- lection of the Gas and Water Rates. These were collected quarterly, and to have them collected by the side of other rates would place the management of that concern in a very unfair management. The leakages were a part and parcel of the gas bills issued quarterly, and without them being immediately under the Gas Manager's control, they would soon find that it would lead to an increased cost in the working of the Gas Works. The Committee re- commended that the. keeping and enter- ing; of books of accounts relating to the Gas and Water Department should be performed in the Accountant's Depart- ment. It was this taking away of the accounts of the Gas and Water Depart- ment as a trading concern that placed that department at a disadvantage. Those of them who were in close touch with other concerns, would appreciate what it was not to be in close contact with the various matters connected with those con- cerns. In the Midlands, things were different. There, all the business of the collieries was done on the spot, and this was of the greatest advantage in the checking of work, besides enabling: the management to carry on the work better than it could be done if the various branches were separate. In dealing with the report, continued the speaker, he would like to call the Council's attention to the observations of the heads of the departments. He was of the opinion that if members divested their minds of any personal element, and take the objections raised by the Gas and Water Manager, they would find there was considerable weight in them. He (Mr. Wight) thought that the Gas Manager had made out a very good case for the retention of the! present system. The Gas and Water Department was totally different from the other depart- ments as a, trading concern, and ought to be treated in a different manner on that account. He would, therefore, like to move the deletion of the words as a trading concern in the paragraph which recommended that the keeping and entering of the books of accounts in which any of the financial transactions: of the Council are recorded, whether relating to dealings by the Council as a trading con- cern, or as the Urban, Sanitary, Educa- tion or Burial Authority for the district, should be performed in the Accountant's Department." &c. Councillor R. S. Griffiths said that if Councillor Wight's amendment was car- ried, it would wipe away the whole thing if it was. to be of any value. He (Mr. Griffiths) did not think there was any- thing very Aveighty in the observations of the Gas Manager. When they analysed the observations of the heads of depart- ments, they resolved themselves, more or less, into a question of status. He did not complain that some of the heads of the departments were vieAving "it as such, when it was realised that they were men who had giv/wn with the system during the enormous growth of the district, and had served the district in a way that nothing in the whole history of public service in Wales could surpass. They deserved the greatest consideration that any Authority could extend to them, sub- ject to the best system that that Autho- rity could devise. It was a matter for congratulation that even the present Auditor had not. been able to suggest that a single being had gone astray in the transaction of the Council's business. But was that due to a perfect system, or due to the men who had been handling the money? He maintained that it was a result obtained in spite, of, and not as the result of, a perfect system. He failed to see anything very serious in the three paragraphs of the Gas Manager's obser- vations selected by Mr. Wight. It was not intended in the report, said Mr. Griffiths, to be hard on anv official. They were dealing with a system and not with men, and a change of system should not be regarded as a slap in the face for any old official. Councillor T. Griffiths said that there was an element in the work of the ad- ministration of the Council which was quite as important as the: keeping of accounts. He did not care how clever the Accountant might be; unless he had good heads to superA-ise under him, the result could not be very satisfactory. He felt they were tying; the heads of depart- ments too much. The accuracy and minuteness of the! keeping; of the accounts was one thing, but the supervision of the administration of the various works that had to be executed was as important, if not more so than account keeping. Councillor Tom Evans said that he did not believe for one moment it was the intention of the Committee to make the Accountant Manager. The' Manager of the Gas and Water Department would still remain Manager, and he ventured to assert that the difficulties were more imaginary than real. He honestly believed that, as soon as the scheme was put into working order, they would melt away like smoke before the Siiil. Councillor D. R. Jones said that the Gas and Water Manager, whoever lie might be, should be absolute authority on all matters in his own department. Councillor W. P. Thomas remarked that the system recommended by the Com- mittee was the very system adopted at the Ocean Collieries, viz., the centralising of everything. He did not know that they would suffer anything' by having everything under one head, and that was what they recommended here—one head for the Avhole of the accounts. He was positive in his own mind that this system, from being an increased expenditure to the ratepayers, would result in saving them money. On a division, Mr. Wight's amendment was lost. Councillor Wight moved to omit the collection of Gas and Water Rates in the proposed unification of collection of rates. The' rates, said Mr. Wight, were collected by measurement of meters, whilst the others were collected on ratable value. Councillor T. Griffiths seconded. The amendment was lost. It was agreed to add the words, For the fulfilment of such duties he shall be directly responsible to the Council," to the definition of the duties of the General Rate Collector, Avho, under the suggested scheme, Avill superintend the due° per- formance b- the collectors of their several duties, and to receive from them the amounts of their respective collectionis and to bank same, and to generally ensure the due and diligent collection of the Coun- cil's revenues. REQUISITIONS FOR REQUISITES. In connection with this recommen- dation, Dr. Thomas said there were about 100 requisite books already in use, and if this paragraph were passed, these books would have to be re-Avritten and presented to the Committee, and would mean con- siderable overlapping. Councillor Wight said that this was one of the points he most strongly approved of. A book could be kept in the school and a. copy sent to the Director. It was done in all large concerns, and was a very proper thiiigl Councillor Wight asked what would be the cost of keeping a system of stocks and stores accounts as recommended by the Committee. The amount of their stocks and stores was very small, and he was afraid they we.re going: to spend more money on it than it was worth. Councillor Smith said it would only mean a small amount, but it would he a far more businesslike method than the present. Councillor Smith thanked the Council for the manner in which they had treated the report, and moved its adoption as amended. Councillor Tom Evans seconded, and the motion was agreed to. APPOINTMENT OF CLERK OF WORKS Mr. Joseph Vevers, Waterford. Ireland, was appointed Clerk of Works for the new reservoir at LlynfaAvr, out of five applicants.

A Serious Matter. The bane of life in every section of the community is that of being occasionally "hard up." Just at the moment when it is least expected a sudden call upon the purse is made,, and whilst one could get in a week or two or a month or so, the thing won't Avait, and then is heard tLe tragi-comic cry, I'm awfully hard uip stoney, in fact." It seems very strange, yet gentlemen occupying really good posi- tions often find themselves in this plight, and they would not dare to approach their friends to beg the favour of a. loan. What, then, is one to do under these try- ing circumstance's P The manager or the confidential assistant, or clerk, must not allow his position to be known to the world. The plodding, earnest tradesman must keep his credit up at all costs, whilst P I'otessional man's dignity would suffer should it become knoAvn he is short of money. All these matters have been very care- ,fully considered by a gentleman of means who has devised a scheme whereby any- one who occupies a responsible position, and who is financially embarrassed, may be immediately relieved by means of a private advance, quietly arranged. The terms upon which the loan can be made will vary according to circumstances. There is no security required, nor bonds- men or sureties requested. You sign a simple Promissory Note, and the cash is handed over to you. If one has any standing: at all in any walk of life, there is no difficulty Avhatever in completing the advance in a few hours. Anyone desirous of any further particulars -should write, a note, in confidence, to Mr. Win. Lloyd, 4, Church Street, Cardiff, who will at once reply, giying full information free without any charge whatever. 4740

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