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11 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

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----------------------__-------SATURDAY,…

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

SATURDAY, MARCH 11, M9. THE RHONDDA ELECTIONS. THE District Council elections in the Rhoadda this year merit more than ordinary consideration at our hands. The re-arrangemont of the wards and the increase in the number of Councillors necessitating the retirement of the sitting 15 members it follows that at least one half of the new Council will be without experience in their work. This being so it behoves the electors to think seriously before deciding as to who shall represent their interests in this local parliament. We have in a previous issue laid before our readers our views as to the qualities which in our opinion are requisite for the success- ful carrying out of the duties of a District Councillor, and were it not for its grave importance we would hesitate to return to the subject. We desire in the first place to emphasize ,ate the great advantage which we anticipate will accrue from the increase of member- ship, and we trust that the new. councillors will be fully alive to their I responsibilities, and will not forget that the district whose affairs they are called upon to administer is the second in point of population in the whole princi- pality that there is no Urban District in the whole kingdom anywhere app- roaching it .in size, and that in the whole of England and Wales there are only 22 towns, exclusive .of London, containing a greater number of inhabi- tants. Those who have followed the deliberations of the Rhondda Council in the past must have noticed that there has been an uncertainty of purpose and a tendancy to embark upon new projects illustrated far too often by the rescind- ing of fully debated resolutions—which can lead only to the conclusion that some of the members have not yet grasped these facts, and have yet to learn how rapid lias been the increase in the number of inhabitants, and that they have now to control the well-being and cooifort of over 120,000 persons. There must be returned to the Council men who realise that a place of this size is iiot a Little Pedlington governed by a Parish Council they must have aspirations befitting the importance of the district, and they must be of sufficient experience to understand, and to make their colleagues understand that in order to save money we must oftentimes spend money, and that a. parsimonious cheese-paring policy is frequently the most costly, not only in treasure, but in life. We have, at times, heard a boasting of the low rates which were levied by the Local Board in its earlier days—a shilling in the pound. One L year actually a sixpenny rate was deemed suihcient, but what this means is well shewn by the Medical Officer of Health in his annual xeport, where lie state-; that HS long as the district rate was kept down, so long did the death-rate remain up, and that an increase in the district rate was the precursor of a f;i1! in the death-rate. Put br:elhr, in the last II 20 years the district rate has risen from 1/- to 2/6 in the pound, while during the same period the death-rate has fallen from 22 per 1,000 to i6 per LOGO. A saving last year of 000 lives. We are no advocates of municipal extrava- gance, hut the truest economy is surely- to be found in a wise expenditure of money for a proper purpose and without undue delay. If we were asked to define the most important duty a District Councillor has to perform, we should unhesitatingly say it is in the selection of the permanent officials. When one of these has to be appointed no trouble should be considered too great to ascertain the particular quali- fications of these before the Council, and no personal considerations should be allowed to outweigh the public good in giving effect to a decision. The size and importance of the Rhondda are such that the chief officials should be experts in their special departments and their advice should he loyally accented by the Council. To secure this desider- atum, however, the salaries paid must be sufficient, and we would mention I incidentally that it is not particularly creditable tc the expiring Council that during the past few months one of its most important departments has lost three of its officials who have taken up more lucrative posts elsewhere, and are now giving to other districts the ex- perience gained in the Rhondda.

-m THE PRUDENTIAL ASSURANCE…

NOMINATIONS.

ICAERPHILLY.

RHON-DDA.

----------*----ELECTION NOTES-I

------.*----Rhondda District…

. Tonypandy and Trealaw Election.

----+-------Aber Ward Election