Rhondda Leader Maesteg Garw and Ogmore Telegraph

What Happened During the Year. A Retrospect. The year 1908 has drawn to a, close, and with it closes another chapter in the life of the Khondda. It has, on the whole, been a fairly auspicious year in our his- tory. Trade has been generally good, except at its closing stages, while uniform progress has been recorded in all the other departments of a great industrial com- munity such as ours. -+-o-+- Municipally, the year has been one of general advance. True, no great schemes of development have been initiated, but nevertheless much solid work has been done in pushing forward various improve- ments, such as the Private Street Im- provements, the adoption of the Feeding of School Children's Act, Shop Hours Act, &c. First importance naturally falls to the opening of the Rhondda tramway service, a service, although earned on by private enterprise, which is nevertheless under the wing of the District Council, anl. will revert to the-Council at the end of 42 years. The system was partially opened in June last, when the Rhondda Fach service was commenced. Later, the service was extended to Pontrhondda, in the Rhonckla, Fawr, followed some time later to Pentre and Treherbert, and finally the Tonypandy section was opened in the first week in November. The oars became .an instantaneous success. At the end of a few weeks they had carried more than a million passengers; while it is anticipated that by the end of one whole year's working they will have carried no less than ten million passengers. -+-0'- Another municipal achievement was the obtaining of i a, Head Post Office for the Irhondda. True, this is a matter which has occupied the attention of the Local Authority for some years, and voluminous correspondence passed on the matter between the Council and H.M. Postmaster- General. The announcement that the Postmaster-General had acceded to the wishes of the Council was received at a Council meeting on January 10th, and much gratification was expressed thereat. Then commenced a. fight for the locale of the offioePorth, Pentre and Tonypandy viemg for the honour. Keen rivalry existed between these places, and much bitterness was at times imported into the discussions on the matter. Porth, how- ever, triuimphed in the end and the honour will be reaftsed ere long. At the annual meeting of the Council, Councillor Edward Jones was elected Chairman, a. post which he has held with credit to himself and Labour, which he represents. .-o-+- Educationally, the great question of the year was the proposed sale of the Porth Higher Grade School to the County for Secondary purposes. The sale was voted upon by a considerable majority at a meeting of the Education Committee, but Porth people were up in arms against the proposal, and eventually negotiations fell through, the County Council deciding to build a school of their own. -0- The year has been a remarkable one industrially. Early in the year, the Cambrian Colliery Company, Limited, acquired control of the Glamorgan Col- lieries, which was followed later in the year by the purchasing of the controlling interest in the Naval Collieries, Limited. The latest bargain of the Combine is the acquirement of the control of the Albion Colliery, Cilfynydd, while rumour speaks of still another undertaking in the Rhondda, which is to be taken over by Mr. D. A. Thomas and his henchmen. In the first week of November, the sod of the new Anthony Pit at Pandy was cut by Mrs. D. A. Thomas, which will provide employment for hundreds of men. The depression in the coal trade has had its resultant effect upon the col- lieries in the Valley. Early in the sum- mer, the Blaenclydach Colliery was closed down, while notices were tendered to scores of workmen at Treherbert. The collieries at the latter place have been working with fitful regularity "for some tinp past, and the same is also true of Abergprchy Colliery, Treorchy. Notices were also served during the latter end of the year to the workmen employed at the Old Oymmer Pit, Porth. The closing days of November and the beginning of December witnessed a strike at the Gla- morgan Collieries, where 3,500 people were affected. The strike lasted three weeks, the men resuming work on the promise that their grievances would be inquired into and redressed. The district has been totally free from disasters such as pit explosions during the year. -0'- The new Tonypandy and Trealaw Station was opened on March 9th, and the fact that over 500 people made use of it on the opening day is in itself proof how much the boon was appreciated. '-0- The new Fire Station of the Mid- Rhondda Fire Brigade was opened on April 9th, followed in the evening bv a presentation to Mr. J. B. Thomas, late secretary of the Mid-Rhondda Chamber of Trade. -+-o-+- During the past few weeks, operations have been in progress for the erection of the Gwilym Williams Memorial Hall at Tonypandy, and it is to be hoped that it will be opened to the public ere the summer comes in. ""O-+- Politically, matters have run much the same course as in previous years. Visits have been paid to the Vallev by the Right Hon. Winston Churchill, President of the Board of Trade; Mr. Arthur Henderson, M.P. (Chairman of the Labour Party in the House of Commons); Mr. William Jones, M.P. Mr. Wm. Brace, M.P. Sir Alfred Thomas, and Mr. W. Rooh. Lord Balcarres addressed a .Conservative gathering at Tonypandy in November; whilst several Socialist leaders have addressed meetings at Tonypandy and elsewhere. During the summer, a Young Wales Liberal League was formed at Pentre, which is calculated to. be a con- siderable factor in local Liberal politics. A few weeks before the close of the year, Mr. Edgar Jones, M.A., one of the masters at Porth Pupil Teachers' Centre, as appointed Liberal lecturer for Wales. Musically, the Rhondda, has more than held its previous records. During the year, several oratorios of high standard were rendered by well-trained choirs, culminating in the usual musical feasts of Christmastide at Treorchy and Porth, which have surpassed previous perform- ances. ♦ Q The hand of death has removed more than one loved one from our midst. Early in the year, the Rev. John Rees, for 38 years pastor of Carmel (W.C.) Chapel, Treherbert, was removed from the scene of his labours. The same locality suffered severe losses later in the year in the deaths of Mr. M. 0. Jones, a name well known and honoured throughout Wales for his sterling services to the land of his birth; and Mr. Wm. Jeffreys, who served his generation well as a, dutiful member of the Pontypridd Board of Guardians. Others removed included young Arthur Rees, the talented boy musician of Trealaw, who died ere the world had seen his genius; Mr. Lewis Lewis, the famous herbalist of Ystrad; Mrs. Jenkyn, Salem, Llwynypia,; Mr. John Richards, draper, PenygTaig, &c. Mr. T. MORGAN, Cwmparc, who retired from the headship of the local Council School, after 38 years' service. Mr. ABEL J. JONES, B.Sc., Ph.D., Tonypandy, who secured First Class Honours in the Moral Sciences Tripos at Cambridge University in June last. Miss S. E. MATTHEWS, I top girl, College of Preceptors' Exami- nations. Miss T'ILLY THOMAS, who scored in the yiolin competition al tho" National." Mrs, JENKYN, Salem, Llwynypia.. IVOR LESTER, young musical prodigy. young musical prodigy. I FIRST CAR IN TONYPANDY. I THE REDOUBTABLE KANGAROOS, who beat Mid-Rhondda by 20 points to 6 points on October 3rd. -1 THE MID-RHONDDA TEAM d -fP;r.#t:i< who met the Kangaroos. THE FAMOUS WALLABIES, who beat the Penygraig Team by 11 points to 3 points on October 10th. | THE PENYGRAIG TEAM < which met the Wallabies. Inspector WM. HOYLE, who retired this year after 40 years' faithful service. Inspector WILLIAMS, who, after 81 years' duty in the Pentre Sub-Division of the Glamorgan County Constabulary, was prpmoted to act as Superintendent at Neath. The Rev. J. J. WILLIAMS, pastor of Siloh (W.C.) Chapel. Pentre, and winner of the chair at the National." The Rev. R. J. BOWEN, who succeeded Dr. Maurice Phillips as missioner at Madras, India, under the London Missionary Society. ♦ The Rev. E. W. THOMAS, who was installed to the pastorate o The Rev. E. W. THOMAS, who was installed to the pastorate o Tonypandy English Congregational Churcl on September 17th, Mr. ERNEST DAVIDSON, the new Police Court Missioner for Pentre, Porth, Pontypridd, and Aber- cynon Police Courts. Mi-. J. B. THOMAS (late Secretary of the Chamber of Trade) was the recipient this year of an illu- minated address and gold wat.ch; and chain, as an acknowledgment of his many services in the cause of the Chamber, the Fire Brigade and Horse Show. Mrs. RACHEL JONlfflS (Trealaw), one of a number of claimants to a fortune of £ 28,000 left by a wealthy farmer of Oregon, U.S.A. The Late Mr. WM. JEFFREYS, Guardian, Treherbert. who died in July last, after having served the community for a long period on the Pontypridd Board of Guardians. j- Tlie Late Master ARTHUR REES, i the talented boy composer and musician, who died in April last.