The Aberdare Leader

An Imaginary Interview 1 WITH AN EDITOR. ARE BOARDING-HOUSE KEEPERS CHRISTIANS ? I was seated one day last week on Aberystwyth Promenade, weary and ill I at ease, and reflecting on the cause or causes thereof. Rightly or wrongly, justly or unjustly, I blamed the blazing sun and the hard, horrid,, heated, sun- reflecting, blinding pavement stones at my feet. While cursing the Town Coun- cil of Aberystwyth for inventing such a beastly nuisance (the stones, not the sun), a kindred soul placed his weight on the same seat, for he, too, had often cursed the Town Council, and had succeeded in making a jolly good thing out of it. He was a heavy and rather tall personage, and inclined to stoop. His arms hung awkwardly and listlessly. He wore spec- tacles, and a Carlylean snarl, and looked what he really was and is-a born fault- finder. .¡ T "'Good afternoon, Mr. Gibson," I said "Good afternoon" he replied indiffer- ently, with just a side glance. You will excuse me greeting you, I hope. I never did so before, though you are an old acquaintance of mine. 1 often come to Aberystwyth, and I always I see you when I come, though it is more than probable you never set eyes on me before this moment. I look upon you as an integral part of Aberystwyth, and 1 shouldn't dream of going back from my holidays without seeing yon. any more than I should leave without seeing the sea, or the Promena.de." "I am obliged to you. but you inter- fere with the trend of my thoughts. I was just evolving a few pars for my ç Up and Down the Coast' column."> Give me an interview. I, also, write to the papers, but here am I dried up, as I dry as the Aberdare Canal in warm weather. Answer a few questions." "No, I never give anything away. 'The Cambrian News' gets all that is in me. I write 6 or 7 columns of original matter for my paper every week, and have been doing so for 40 years." Yon are a resourceful writer.. How- do you manage it?" I "I manage it." I see. You are a great man. Yon are a son of John Gibson. the painter, and the father of the Gibson Girls, are you not?" "I am the Editor of 'The Cambrian News. "Was not the great painter your father?" I "No." And are not the Gibson Girls your daughters?" I should be sorry to say they were. I am not their dad any more than I am the father of the Town Council, and Heaven forbid that I should ever claim the parentage of such a body." "I should be sorry to wound your feel- ings, but I thought you were the Town Council now." How ?" "Your journal has been creating pub- lic opinion for 40 years, and public opin- ion elects the Town Council. If your paper is worth anything at all it ought to have the Town Council in the hollow of its hands." "But there are counter influences at work," replied Mr. Gibson. "There are the churches and chapels, and after all it takes more than 40 years' digging to get at the bottom of a Cardi. By the y, where do you come from?" "Aberdare." Aberdare is noted for its Stipendiary and its Town Council—no District Coun- cil, is it not." Quite so. Aberdare is only a little village with 5 times the population of Aberystwyth. This is why we cannot get a Charter of Incorporation." 1 Mr. Gibson smiled, and then with his I characteristic sneer said, Your Council has tried to emulate, more than one-, I' our Town Council." "No comparison, my dear sir. We have had a whiff or two from Trecynon, and Cwmdare hills, but nothing like the Atlantic breezes which you have exper- ienced here. I always maintain that a town gets the representation it deserves, That is rather hard on Aberystwyth, I admit, but there you are. What can you I expect from a collection of boarding- house,, keepers?" It is an honest means of earning one's I livelihood," retorted Mr. Gibson. I, Question. I shouldn't like to call it honest. Your lodging-house. keepers are worse than racing tipsters, who succeed I in making enough during the racing period to tide them over the non-racing seasons. Your resident population live on fleecing the 'Gentiles' who come from I Aberdare or Birmingham or Manchester, and a jolly good thing they make out of it. I should liked to have seen every boarding-house keeper in Aberystwyth paying a visit to the Coliseum last week to see "The Passing of the, Third Floor Back." After that there ought to be an importation of about 1000 "Paesere-By, the creation of Jerome K. Jerome, to oc- cupy rooms in each boarding-house and seek to Christianise the landlords and landladies, if, indeed, they are not past redemption." "What is the matter with them?" "They have no consciences, that is all. Perhaps you don't consider that very much. Why, one of your respectable townsmen allowed an apprentice who "lived in' to sleep on a couch, without having his clothes off, for 6 or 7 weeks, so that he might crowd in visitors-at a good price. This might be an extreme instance-let us hope it is-but by no means a solitary example of how" your local work-people—boys and girls—have to suffer while the heads of the house reap a good harvest. They are too buJY fleecing1 the visitors to attend divine ser- vice in summer. But they are extremely holy in winter, because they have noth- ing better, or worse, to do. Open your columns on that subject. You might do worse." I never take advice as to how to con- duct a paper," Mr. Gibson responded, "and I cannot grant you an interview/' I have had as much as I wanted, Toi-i. You are not so great as I thought you were. You are not the son of John Gibson, the painter. You aro not the father of the Gibson Girls, and in 40 years you have not succeeded in creat- ing' public opinion." But I write 7 columns weekly to the News. That's nothing. There goes a man along the Promenade who speaks seven columns every hour of the day, and good stuff, too, whenever he gets an audience, if it is only one person." "Who may he be P County Councillor and District Coun- cillor Thos. Walter Williams, barrister- f t-law, of AberdAre.- On what does he discourse ?" H Anything under the sun, or above the sun. Astronomy and geology, heaven and earth, and educational matters." Mr. Gibson rose and strode along m the same direction as our barrister, and keenly observed him until both passed from my view. 0-

Aberdare Press & Doan's. Important Step. The publication in the Aberdare press, of instances of local men and women having been cured of kidney and bladder disorders by Doan's backache kidney pills, has awakened such widespread interest that we have commissioned one of our representatives to investigate them, and to ascertain whether the cures have proved lasting.. To-day we give the evidence of an Aberdare man. Mr John Holding, of 14, Darren Court, Aberdare. savs:- For some time I was a sufferer from kidney complaint; my back was dreadfully painful, and the kidney secretions were unnatural, and had sediment in them, I got so bad at last that I could not do my work, and I became quite anxious, for I had taken medicine without success. "Reading of Doan's backache kidney pills, I got some to try, and in a short time I began to feel myself again. I went on with the pills then, and soon afterwards the pains left me, and I was completely cured of the kidney trouble. I am well now, and can do my work with ease. Doan's pills are the best medicine I have ever used. (Signed) John Holding." Over 9 years later, Mr. Holding said: "I still have the same good opinion of Doan's backache kidney pills. I have been in splendid health ever since they did me so much good over nine years ago." Doan's backache kidney pills are two shillings and ninepence per box, or six boxes for thirteen shillings and nine- pence. Of all chemists and stores, or post free direct from the Foster- McClellan Co., 8, Wells street, Oxford street, London, W. Be stfre you get the same kind of pills as Mr Holding had.

—- — Taith y Pererin yn yr 20fed Gan rife PROBLEMS FOR SOCIALISTS. (Continued.) Navvy Pat is a favourite here, and his remarks to the leader of the chapel de- tachment, if possible increased his popu- larity. He was just recovering from one of his periodical drunks, during whicn his whole time in the house was spent in uproarious fun. No one could quarrel with him, no one could get any sense out of him. Benches and tables were over- turned, and even the deputy, who had to tidy things after him, seemed to enjoy his escapades as much as one of us. Sun- day had seen him in quieter mood, and Monday found him in work again. In the evening I was sitting in a corner, having a quiet smoke, when he came in and sat down near me. Rain had Kept me indoors, and I was meditating a jour- ney through Monmouthshire, having worked the district round Pontypridd pretty thoroughly, and I welcomed the chance of a talk with Pat before I left. Several little slips he made now and then indicated education, and some momentary attitude or gesture indicated good breed- ing; and in spite of his rough manners and assumed Irish colloquialisms I had come to the conclusion that he might even be a university man. From the weather we drifted to politics, and then to my own disquisitions on the New Coal Agreement. On that subject Pat I had some strong views. "The curse that rests on everything that's got up for the benefit of the work- ers/' said Pat, "its the man on the make, an' bedad he's the divvil himself; an' you. miners are the most unlucky cra:ers alive, for ye seem to get the worst speshi- roens Ye make a good man yer agent, an' ye spoil him; ye make him a coun- cillor an' it turns his head; ye send him io Parliament an' he goes clean luny. He luks at ye as a mob of half savages cre- ated for the benefit ov them as has sense, an' to be-controlled an' advised an' kep quiet, but never to be enlightened. He drinks champagne with the colliery bosses an' has afternoon tea an' cigars on the balcony of the House of Commons. He signs away your wages an' percentages, an' he gets presentations from some of the big ones, an' the papers make a big fuss over him, an' if ye have a word to say agin him ye come under "the blas- phemy laws. It's yer own fault too; ye spoil the man by worshippin' him an' givin' him too many jobs, an' not watch- in' him well enough; ye'll need to alter yer own conduct an' get rid o' some o' yer leaders, an' trate the next lot as yer servants an' not yer masters, an' then ye may have a bit o' luck. Here an interruption occurred; the leader of the evangelists had called to see Pat to follow up the Sunday evening's affair, and I saw Pat did not like it. The leader suspected Pat of Atheism, and seemed determined to bring him to book, while Pat seemed as determined to avoid discussion, and it was an intellectu- al traat to watch the turns and twists with which Pat met the direct thrusts of his tormentor. At last Pat dropped his disguise. H I have shown you, sir. that I wish to avoid a religious discussion with you; is it nice on your part to force it on? You would have no chance in the discussion, for yow are not qualified to conduct it. I have studied your Bible in the original tongues, am familiar with the history of Christianity and with all the results of Biblical research; with the writings of the leading theologians as also with those of their critics; you have not acquired one iota of any of these. It would be folly for you to force an argument, it would be cruel on my part to allow it; go on with the work you have cut out for yourself. I will help you as far as I can. But while you are trying' to reform us, give some attention to the causes which drive us here; there, not here, you will find the field for effective reformation. And now, good evening: but remember, this discussion is closed." The smile with which Pafc accompanied -the offer of his hand was irresistible, and the visitor shook it warmly, and with a few friendly words and good wishes de- parted. Pat filled and lighted his pipe, and after a minute's silence turned to me with a short laugh, "You are not a bit surprised" he said, a you naust have guessed; yes, I am a sham, a fraud, a failure, and yet I am more truly living now than I was in my original state. Hypocrisy, smooth smiling, insincerity marked every word and action, and yet rendered life pleasant -and comfortable. You were expected to assist the poor in orthodox ways; but if you identified yourself with them you lost caste. My drinking bouts—well, I don't know that they are not a safety valve for emotions that might otherwise find vent in re- volutionary actions. Yes, I am ashamed —wasting time and opportunities-and you, old as you are, fairly floored when you came here, have got on your feet again, and are fighting as hard as ever for your fellow man -11 "Shut up, Pat," I interjected, "if you say another word I will expect you to be borrowing three ha'pence/' Pat flushed, looked rather angry for a second, then broke into a hearty laugh. UNately put me boy; faith I was com- in' it raither strong in Preacher Pat's line, bad luck to me, give us yer fist. Ye're goin' away, I hear, so'll I, an' when we meet again I'll be somebody else an' ye won't be ashamed o' me/' I wonder when and how we shall meet I again. PEBERIN. Pontypridd. (To be continued.)

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"r''m- Aberdare District Council A postponed meeting of the Council was held on Friday, Mr. T. Lewis, J.P., in the chair, and Mr. M, J. Harris in the vice-chair. There were also present. Councillors J. O. George, T. Bowen, Illtyd Hopkins, E. Stonelake, A. P. Jones, W. Rees, 0. Powell, W. Harper, H. H. Evans, and D. J. Thomas, with Col. T. Phillips, clerk; Mr. H. Beddoe, deputy clerk; and Mr. A. Watkins, assistant clerk. PRACTISING IN THE PARKS. TUGS OF WAR & CYCLE RACES. A Cwmaman man had written to the Clerk asking permission for his team to practise a tug of war in Cwmaman Park. Councillor W. Rees explained that he had referred the applicant to the Clerk of the Council because he thought Lhat the applicant wanted to hold sports m the Park. It was decided to grant athletic rehear- sals in the Park. This, it was explained, had no bearing on the rule which made the holding of sports illegal, for the lat- ter involved a charge for admission. Mr. Stonelake: Will you then permit, the practising of cycle races in the Aber- dare Park? Clerk: Oh, that is different to a ttig-of- war. It depends on the pace. A HIE WAIN FOOTPATH. Mr. J. 0. George asked if anything could be done towards repairing a cer- tain footpath in Hirwain. It was a very convenient footpath for workers. A few ashes would put it right. The matter was left to the Surveyor and Mr. George. A GRAVE-DIGGING ERROR. Mr. A. P. Jones called attention to what had occurred recently in the Aber- dare Cemetery. He had been informed that a fresh grave had been opened in- stead of re-opening an old one. There was a great deal of indignation owing to this error, and the people who attended the funeral were greatly upset. The corpse had to be deposited in the chapel till the following day. A letter which had been received from Mr. Gwynne, the sexton, was thereupon read. The writer expressed his regret that an error had been made with regard to the site of the grave. The body had, with the concurrence of the parents, been lodged in the Cemetery Chapel over- night, and was interred on the following day. Mr. D. J. Thomas said that it was a pure mistake, and such occurrences were not unknown elsewhere. There was no ill intention, and Mr. Gwynne had al- ways carried out his duties faultlessly. The Surveyor said that Mr Gwynne hal duly reported the matter to him. Mr. A. P. Jones said that th view of Mr. Gwynne's explanation, he did not wish to press the matter further. There was no further discussion. HOUSING REDIVIVUS. Mr. W. Harper asked what was the position of the Council with regard to the Housing Scheme? The Surveyor said that they could pro- ceed with the Cwmbach and Godreaman sites. Mr. Harper moved that a meeting cf the Housing Committee be held. Mr. D. J. Thomas agreed with the suggestion of the Surveyor that they proceed with the portion of the scheme which involved Cwmbach and Godre- aman. It was decided to act accordingly. WHAT ABOUT CWMBACH ROAD. SURVEYOR COUNSELS SILENCE. Mr. D. J. Thomas asked what about Cwmbach road now? The Surveyor said that it would be in- judicious to discuss this matter in public now. He would only say that all that that could have been done had been done. There had been no unnecessary delay. Mr. Stonelake said that he was in a poeition to affirm that the Surveyor was negotiating with the T.V.R. regarding the matter, It was agreed that the matter be not disturbed now.

Is Your Child Delicate. Nervous, Thin or Rickett p (1) Does your child thrive as he should ? (2) Does he walk with difficulty ? (3) Are the Jimbs crooked or thin ? (4) Is he wasting or badly developed ? (5) Is he ricketty Or suffering from muscular weakness ? (6) Is he nervous, irritable and sleep- ing badly ? (7) Has he any twitching of the limbs ? (8) Is his appetite poor or capricious ? If your cnua is in any way weak, nervous, debilitated or suffering from any form of nerve and physical exhaustion, a course of Dr. Cassell's Tablets will speedily put matters right. This great remedy of world-wide repute is pure, reliable, and safe for the youngest child, and contains just what is necessary to restore worn out or weakened tissues, and build up a healthy constitution. Dr, Cassell's Tablets are guaranteed to cure spinal and nerve paralysis, loss of flesh, nervous prostration, heart weak. ness, anaemia, children's weakness, rickets, and kidney and stomach troubles. Price IOid., lIlt, and 2/9, of all chemists. Send two stamps to Dr. Cassell's Co. Ltd., King St. W., Man- chester, for a free trial box.

Condemned Cwmbach I Houses. I APPEAL AGAINST CLOSING ORDER. HOUSING INQUIRY AT ABERDARE. An inquiry was conducted at the Aberdare Council Chamber on Friday by Mr. William Henry Collin, an inspector under the Local Government Board. The Aberdare Urban District Council had made an order under Section 17 of the Housing and Town Planning Act (1909) to close houses 7 to 17, Crown-row, Cwmbach, the same being alleged to be unfit for human habitation. Against this order Mr. Rees Morgan, Mackworth Villa, Aberdare, the owner of the houses, had appealed, and an inquiry was or- dered. This being the first inquiry locally under the new Act considerable interest was taken in it. Mr. C. Ken- shole represented Air. Rees Morgan, the appellant; and Col. T. Phillips, the clerk to the Aberdare District Council, represented the Council. CASE FOR THE OWNER. Mr. Kenshole said the houses were ereced in or about 1851, that being the date of the lease, and were purchased by Mr. Morgan in 1894 at a cost of .£650, Thev were let at 19s. per lunar month, Mr. v Morgan paying all rates and taxes. Until the closing order was made there had never been any complaint made to Mr. Morgan as to the condition of the houses, either by the Sanitary Authority or any one else. The first intimation the owner received was dated May 2nd, stat- ing that the report of the medical officer of health declaring these houses unfit for human habitation would be considered at a meeting of the Council on May 9th, and that Mr. Morgan might attend that I meeting if he thought fit. Mr. Morgan attended that meeting, at which there was a considerable amount of business to be done, and at seven o'clock, seeing a number of persons leaving, he also left, thinking the business was over. The next intimation he received was that a closing order had been made. He im- mediately sent to the Local Government Board appealing against the order, and at the same time he (Mr Kenshole) asked to be supplied with some particulars of the complaints or of the ,work that was required to be carried out. He had also seen the Clerk of the Council, who In- formed him that he was not in a position to give such information without the in- tructions of the Council. Thus, until they sent in the notice to the Local Government Board, Mr. Morgan had not the slightest intimation of the nature of the complaint. Some time afterwards they were supplied with the reports of the medical officer of health and the assistant surveyor. In the latter, par- ticulars of the repairs required were set out. That report intimated that the repairs should be made before the day of the blanks clearly indicat- ing that it was the intention to give Mr. Morgan some notice of the repairs re- quired. That was not done. It might be argued, said Mr. Kenshole, that there was no obligation under the Town Planning Act to give such notice. Even if that were so, in fairness and in equity, before a closing order of so dras- tic a nature was passed some notice should have been given to the owner. His contention was that the houses were not unfit for human habitation. He quite agreed that certain repairs were desir- able, and from the moment they received the notice, they admitted some work ought to be done, and they promised that they would, as far as it was possible to do so. Mr. Kenshole then dealt with the Medical Officer's report, which referred to certain deaths that had taken place in the houses, but Mr. Kenshole pointed out that where people had lived longest in the houses no deaths had taken place. Mr. Morgan was prepared to carry out the requirements of the Council as far as the provision of separate sanitary offices to each house was concerned, to have the roofs repaired where necessary, to provide means of ventilation in each room where there was no fireplace, and to repair the staircases. As to the taking up of the pavement in the rooms on the ground fjoor, they were prepared to take up all the defective stones, but they con- tended that it was not necessary to re- pave the whole of the rooms. New win- dows would be put in where necessary. With regard to having back doors put in and a paved back way, that was impossi- ble. The houses abutted on a field, and Mr. Morgan did not own that property. Neither could they raise the headroom to the extent asked, nor had the Council the right to demand it. He asked the in- spector, after he had seen the property, to give the owner an opportunity to carry out the work he was prepared to, and to say that such was sufficient. The owner, Mr. Rees Morgan, in evi- dence supported the statements of Mr. Kenahole. He said he had, in addition to the R650 given for the property, paid .£60 for repairs three years ago. He left the Council meeting on May 9th when he saw a crowd go out. It was about half-past 6. Cross-examined: When he bought the houses in 1894 they were rented at 16s. a lunar month. He obtained an additional 3s. a month. The gross rental now was < £ 135 17s. a year; deducting rates and taxes, etc., he got £ 100 a year on his capi- tal expenditure of £ 700. Mr. Collin: What bearing has that on the question? Mr. Phillips said Mr. Kenshole had submitted that Mr. Morgan had paid a large sum of money on these houses. Mr. Kenshole replied he had not said So. In further cross-examination Mr. Morgan said that some three years ago the inspector complained to him of the state of the houses, and be got the tenant to put the offices complained of right forthwith. Mr. Thomas Roderick, manager of Messrs. J. Morgan and Sons, Aberdare, Ltd., gave particulars of the repairs done three years ago, and said the repairs he now suggested could be carried on while the people were in residence. He con- sidered the houses as they were at pres- ent fit for human habitation. In reply to Mr. Collins he said he would be pre- pared to live in them if he was forced to. (Laughter.) Mr. Kenshole: That is my case. Mr. Collin: Have you no further evi- dence ? Mr. Kenshole: No. Mr. Collin: Have you none of the ten- ants? Mr. Kenshole: I thought you might see the tenants when you visited the houses. THE CASE FOR THE COUNCIL. Col. T. Phillips said that he did not think it necessary to call any evidence, especially in view of the fact that the in- spector purposed visiting the houses. Mr Roderick had admitted that all the im- provements suggested by the Council were very desirable ones, and he asked the Local Government Board, through the Inspector, to say that they should be car- ried out. It was said that it was im- possible to comply with the requirements in some cases. The question the Council had to consider was whether the houses were now fit for human, habitation. It was for the owner to find the way to carry things out. He did not think there could be any real difficulty. The free- hold was Lord Aberdare's, a landlord well known for his liberality, and there would not be any serious difficulty with the leaseholders. That, however, was not a question for the Council to consider. Dealing with the headroom, Mr. Phillips said that the Council could not interfere with old dwellings erected before the bye-laws were passed, so long as they were kept in repairs. If they were al- lowed, as in this case, to become unfit for human habitation, the Council had 'L perfect right to demand that the require- ments of the byelaws be complied with. On this point some legal discussion be- tween Mr. Kenshole and Mr. PhilHps took place, and the Inspector expressed a wish to hear the Medical Officer of Health. Dr. M. J. Rees said that his attention had been called to the houses fey a mem- ber of the Council, by some of the ten- ants, and by the sanitary inspector. He visited the houses in the company of the sanitary inspector, and submitted his re- port to the Health Committee. He de- tailed the steps taken prior to serving the closing order, and in reply to the Inspec- tor he said that if Mr. Morgan, at the Council meeting on May 9th had offered to carry out the alterations now sug- gested he would not be satisfied with that. He still considered that to make these houses habitable and safe the whole of the paving in the rooms downstairs should be taken up and relaid in cement. Cross-examined, he said that the mem- ber who complained was Councillor D. Davies, of Cwmbach. Mr. Kenshole: He is a Labour mem- ber? Dr. Rees said that he was the repre- sentative of Cwmbach on the Council. The Sanitary Inspector had also com- plained to him, and so had some of the tenants verbally. Mr. Kenshole: You did not send any intimation to Mr. Morgan of what you required ? Dr. Rees: No; I do not think they would be carried out. Mr. Kenshole; Why do you say that? The only complaint ever made to him was attended to. Dr. Rees: The requirements in this case were so great that I did not think he would carry them out. The Inspector asked him how long he 'knew these houses, and he said it was about two years. He had not reported. them before March last because there were so many old houses in a bad state of repairs in the district that it was use- less to try and deal with them all at once. If the requirements of the Coun- cil were carried out there would be no need to close the houses. There were no bye-laws demanding for inci eased win- dow area in old dwellings, nor for in- creased headroom. Some further questions as to the legal position were raised, and the Enquiry closed. The Inspector, accompanied by Dr. Rees, the Surveyor, Mr. R, Morgan, and Mr. T. Roderick visited the houses.

A WORTHY SUCCESS. So great has been the success of Cadum, the new medical discovery for eczema, psoriasis, ringworm, and other skin diseases, that the dispensers have been hard pressed to keep pace with the enormous demand. This may be readily understood when one reflects that Cadum never fails. It is a power- ful antiseptic that is applied externally, and immediately exerts a soothing and healing influence on the skin-tissues. The terrible itching accompanying eczema stops immediately, and the malady is effectually cured in two ta three weeks. Minor skin troubles, such as pimples, sores, blotches, eruptions, rash, blackheads, itch, scally skin, chafings, etc., are often cured by an overnight application. Cadum is sold at 7-id. and lilt a box by all chemists

The Welfare of the Nation. Depends on Individual Life. A Famous Preparation and its Marvellous Results. Strengthen—improve—beautify the individual life, and 37cra strengthen, ÙlJ Jrove and beautify the national life. We confidently assert that if there were a more general use of Dr. Tibbies' Vi-Cocoa great good would undoubtedly follow. This famous preparation is one of the most successful achievements of modern times. It is a Food-a Beverage-and a Medicine all in one. It feeds the Frame, quenches the Thirst and tones up the wearied and run-down System. It is every citizen's duty to promote the welfare of the national life, and this can be achieved in no small measure by the freer and more abundant use of Vi-Cocoa. Do not ask your grocer for cocoa Ask for it makes all the difference. Every grocer sells Vi-Cocoa in 6d. packets and 9d. and 1/6 tins.

< National Union of Life Assurance Agents. A lodge meeting of the Aberdare Branch of the above Union was held at the Memorial Hall, on Saturday last, Mr Ben Davies in the chair. The meeting proved a very interesting and beneficial one. A very delicate point raised by one of the members, was explained fully by Mr 1), Richards, late Executive Council Member. It is very encouraging to so young a Branch to have such an experienced and able adviser to deal with the pecularities and special circumstances of Insurance workers' vocation. Several other questions were asked, and satisfactorily answered. It is very gratifying to know that the Aberdare Branch is mak- ing such a sound progress. With such stalwarts of unionism as its members are it should continue to advance. Agents of all Offices that have not as yet become members, and are desirous of becoming so, are cordially invited to attend at the Club House, Memorial Hall, Seymour- street.-R. E. Smith, secretary, 39a, Cardiff-road.