The Merthyr Express

u_. MERTHYR CORPORATION ACCOUNTS. AUDITOR'S REPORT. COSTS OF INCORPORATION. EXPENSES OF WITNESSES. SUMS WHICH THE AUDITOR SUGGESTS SHOULD BE REFUNDED. 'Ai: a special meeting of the General Purposes j Comu.tteo pf tho Merthyr Town Council on j Lioucuy, tij»-fallowing reportAnd?taj^ {Mr. M.„L). Propfert! c-ii .the aocCfuntf of tho.-CorjjT poration for the year ended Match 31st, 19C3, i was read:— J 'Tc tho Worshipful the Mayor, tho Aldermen, anu Councillors of the County Borough j of Merthyr Tydfil. s -f beg to report that I complet- j eJ the audit of the account's of the Town Coun- cii, and of their accounting officers, for the year ended the- 31st March, 1908, on the 26th Febru. j arv last. EXPENDITURE. The «xpendii.ure aurmg iije. year, including. Ii37.0<33 3s. 2d. out of loailsf and excluding. £ 8,133 6s. 6d. transfers to various accounts of ■the Corporation, amounted to £ 163.373 12:. lld., pa rticulars. of which, under appropriate heads, w.il be found in your duplicate of -fhe fiuanciJ.: i tatenient signed hv me. The receipts I and expenditure under the -sarious departments j during the two years ended 1908. are ".et out hereunder for the purposes of com- parison. | Receipt (excluding ;■transfers). Borough j Fund: 1907.. £ 14,269'"7.s. M-i 1908, £ 17,365 8i,.i 4d. Elementary' Education '1907 £ £ 52,632 8s. I 00.; 1968, ;651.15,5 10" Id. v^Eighcr. Education f 1907, L223 12s. 8d. Other ..hail Borbiish Fund 1907, £ 59,^45 2s. 5id. 1903, £ 59,552 [;.c. 11.21 d. í Accounts of the Corporation acting in the exe- cution of the Buna' Act..?: 1907, L2,293 6s. 7d. 1908, £ 2 226 17s. 6d. Loansi 1907, £ 22 230; I 1908 .B2.801 16s. 5d. Total receipt- 1907, €151.098 18s. 9id. 1908. -0154,103 Is. 3 £ d. Expenditure (excIuding'tranftVr^). Borough Puna: 1907. £ 15,241 13s. 8 £ d. 1903, £ 16.175 4.. Elementary Education: 1907, £ 49.332 7s. %d 1908, £ 51,335 15s. 4d. Higher Education |907, £ 112 1C-. 1908, £ 116 6s. 8d. Other than Borough Fund: 1907, £ 57.532 2s. 2d.; 1908 5^56,929 14s. 6d. Accounts of the Corporation acting in the execution of the Burial Acts: 1907. £ 2,270 5s. 2d 1903. £ 2 223 8, 6d Loans: £ 57.050 9s. 4d. 1903, £ 37.008 3s. 2d. J'otà.J Expenditure: 1.907, £ 181,547 Û. Ojd. W, B163673 12s. Ilid. From the tor"goinp, it will be seen that thf- ^crease in expenditure on revenue account Waring the year was £ 2,296 lis. Id. and the do tremee on the loan expenditure during the same foriod was £ 19.970 6s. 2d., the net total decrease lor the year being E17,,673 15s. Id. The re- ceipts during the year .show an increase of '51.432 6s. Id. on revenue accounts, and £ 1,571 t6s. 5d. on loan account, making a total in- crease for the vear of J63004 2s. 6d. The Amount of loans outstanding, at the commence- ment of the year was 34 ZR5 18s. lid., and ilt the close of the year £ 444.658 8s. Id.. show- ing an increase of £ 10.372 9s. 2d. on the vear. Ùt liability at the 31st, March, 1908, under the various departments is cet out hf"rellnder ;-Ac- soimts other than Borough Fund accounts, 5339,671 6*. 9d.. elementary education, £ 90.772 ts. Id.; purpose.,t of the Corporation acting -in I the execution of the Burial Acts, £ 14,214 19s. *d. total, PA44,658 8a. Id. OBJECTORS AT THE ATIDIIF. The President of the Merthyr Ratepayers' Association (Mr. John Mann) appeared on be- half of the Association to object to sundry J items in the accounts, and some point,; of con- siderable public interest were raised. A de- mand also was made that surcharges should be made upon certain officers of the Council to the extent of the fees and emoluments earned and received by them from employers, etc.. other than the Council, for 'outside' work done by such officers, when thev were whole-time officers of the Council. It was alleged that this prac- tice had prevailed for years. As a considerable amount of confusion and misapprehension ap. pears to exist on the various points raised, it may be well to deal with "some of the salient features of the cases, and to point out some of the matters which appear to call for immed- iate amendment and reform. TOWN CLERK. In the one oi the Town Clerk, it was alleged that whilst being paid an inclusive salary, he drew by way of expenses and emoluments in connection with registration work. the follow- ing sums: During the year 1906, gro&s £ 407, net £ 192; 19(17, gross £ 414, net £ 197; a.908, gross £ 4<5T net £ 207. It appears that the Town Clerk was appointed clerk to the Urban District Council in 1901, at a salary of JE400 per annum, rising by annual increments of £25. to ,54 and in 1904 he was appointed cloerkto the Local Education Authority, at an annual salary of P.W. When the Charter was obtained in It05, he became Town Clerk, there being no variation in the terms of appointment so far as salary was concerned. By a return as to salar- ies and duties of officers, dated the 1st March, 1906 the salary of the Town Clerk is set forth at 1;530 per annum, and amongst the specified duties are the following: 'To prepare and com- plete the burgeas roil and the roll of Parlia- mentary electors for the Municipal and Parlia- mantary Borough.' The objectors alleged that if the Town Clerk earned any outside fees, they were earned for the Council, that the Council did not know that any fees were earned, and that as the Parliamentary Borough comprised parishes and parts of parishes outside the Muni- cipal Borough, any fees received by the Town Clerk from these outeide areas in and about the registration of Parliamentary voters should be paid over to the Treasurer of the Council The Town Clerk, whdlst admitting that he was » whole-time officer, with an inclusive salary, Alleged that the terms of his appointment did not preclude him from receiving sums certified I to be due to him by the Revising Barrister, bad being charged to the overseers, and half to ] the Borough Fund in the case of the Municipal Borough, and in that portion of the Parliament- j ary Borough outside the limits of the Municipal Borough, bis fees were contributed by the over- sere of the several parishes. Prior to the urban iist.net being created a Municipal Borouj'lw the preparation of the Parliamentary lists foF^ {he Parliamentary Borough had been carried out by Mr. Maclure Ph ilips, for which he was allowed J61 Is. per 3.00 names registered. It should, perhaps, be pointed out that as far back as December. 1905. the Town Clerk inti- mated to the Council that his salary should be Ottled. and that he be paid an adequate inclusive salary in consequence of the- great increase in the responsibility and amount of work devolv- ing upon him by reason of the incorporation. j Express reference was then made to expenses for registration, and to avodd extra expense (caused by increasing number of voters annu- ally), it was suggested that a fixed amount to cover the fees should be included in his salary. On the 16th April, 1906, the Council confirmed a recommendation of the General Purposes Committee requesting the Town Clerk to post- pone his application until next November (1906) go as to afford the Committee an opportunity of ascertaining the amount of emoluments for jjeg'stration of Parliamentary electors received b7 him for one year to that date, and in the j meant;me it was decided that the scale of ex- penses was to remain the same as that allowed i to Mr. Maclure Phillips, viz., £ 1 1?. per 100 I uam-s on the Parliamentary lists, which amount f the Town Clerk was expressly entitled to re- f eerve This was not, in my opinion, an un- fML'w-.Qablo arrangement, and would appear to remove the object;o.D rai-,cci, o far as the costs 1 f the Parliamentary electors were concernr-.d. Th Council, however, did not refer to the costs of the. preparation of the municipal or y burgess li^ts. The preempts issued under the i of the Corporation to the Town Clerk, sho'j'd, however, I th; k, be considered as con- elusive. Further minutes of the Genera1 Pur- i ;>o«js Committee relating to the question -were referred to (dated 26th March, 1903, 25th May, i iS08, and 3rd June, 19(8). On the 25th May, g t90o. the Town Council reoeived a statement i from the Town Clerk of tho emoluments re- č?i", d by him for racist ration work for the jj .,ears 1906 and 1907 This- appears to be the i arST. when the exact amount of the etrcau- i TMnis eiraed for this work came to the know- ledge of the Couno l. The it--ion of the Coun- cil, in January. 190 £ fixing the inclusive salary >f' the Town Clerk at £ 600 (rising by annual .ncrem-'jits to £ 7C0) to a oertain extent confirms hf oi tontion of th* objectors, but having re- '3M to the fact that the Council might have the question in 1906, and especially to the minute of the 16th April. 1906, there ap- pe»T'd to be, under" all the circumstances, no ralid sTO'inis for making a surcharge upon tho Town Clerk. On t,ha 1st April, 1908, the, Bor- ough further developed into a. County Borough. ivh-sn the scope of the duties and the responsi- bilities devolving npon the Town Clerk were igairs very corcs-iderabiv increased, and at the .u;irvi time his capacity for earnin HtAtntory ee3 was widened. BOROUGH SURVEYOR. Objections were raised to the Borough 8ur- veyc retaining, for his own: use, considerable ;e;s reeeivad from the Merthyr and Aberdare 'i'pr^ris Management Joint Committee (for pre- paring pUXL5 and superintending the carrying wit of certain weeks) and the Maestag Urban District Council (for advising thorn on *if

I HORTON S I.X.L. PILLS™ Are Guaranteed to core Private Cases, Dis- charges and Complications of the Urinary and Sex- ual Organs, in either sex. whether acquired or con- stitutional, also Gravel 'ei!(Trains in the Back; ■warranted free from Mercury. Sold in boxes 4s. charges and Complications of the Urinary and Sex- ual Organs, in either sex. whether acquired or con- stitutional, also Gravel 'ei!(Trains in the Back; ■warranted free from Mercury. Sold in boxes 4s. 't.aclL Sent post free by the Proprietor, G. D. HOR- ITON (late Chief Dispenser from the Birmingham r 'General Hospital) (Dept. 29). Aston Road, North, Birminsrham. LETTERS ANSWERED. HAVE NEVER BEEN KNOWN TO FAIL. N.B.-Can- -ot be had from other Chemists. <AaT OR Wu -.ABwrg- M JBEST.

Discussion on the Report. It. was agreed that the report be printed and a copy scut to each member of the Council, and that the various matters dealt with be con- sidered by the committees concerned. Aid. D. W. Jones said the Council had never had any complaint about the 'Roman Catholic School.—Coun. SinioiiG: The inspector objected to the way in which the Dowlais Schools were ,taficd, and because we would not remedy it, he ducked us a shilling- per head on the grant. —The Mayor: That has been done in Webster- street School, Treharris.—Coun. I. Edwards: Two wrongs don't make a right- The Mayor said that his name appeared in the report., and-also that of Aid. Morrell, stat- ing that on the 17th of May, 1905, they were paid £5 Hs. 5J; They sent their bill in to the Council, and they were paid. When the bill was taxed, the taxing master, who had a Scale of charges, allowed solicitors about J614, en- igneers :89. and so on buc he laid it down that i he trade to which he (the Mayor) belonged to entitled him to £5 10s. 9d. In this case the Auditor asked that he should return 6s. 8d. He (the Mayor) never knew anything about a i cale of charges; if so, he would have refunded the money at the time. Aid. J. M. Berry was also allowed JB5 17,. 5d. by the Council, but the tax;tig master allowed him £9 18s. 9d., and he was paid the difference- The ex-Mayor was also paid by the Council, and he was allowed :814 2s. 9d.. and now he was asked to refund the difference between what the taxing master allowed and what he was entitled to from the Council.—Aid. Jones: I am not asked. He say-3 it will remove all further grounds of complaint. -The Mayor said he did not agree with the policy of the Auditor, because he allowed a lower scale than the Council for some of the members, and it was not fair.—Aid. D. W. Jones said the taxing master allowed not only the expenses of a person, but an amount per day. wher-a the Council only allowed the expenses. The Auditor said the solicitor was the person who ought to have paid, and not the Council; and yet he (the Auditor) made ihe weak suggestion that a person should repay the amount, which legally the taxing master authorised,—Aid. J. M. Berry said he received a letter from Coun. Simons on the 18th July, 1906. stating that he had been allowed £9 18s. 9d. in re/pect of his attendance in London. He had then received £5 17s. 5d. from the Council: iher-e was a balance due to him of £4 Is. 4d., which was enclosed in the letter. As long as he (Aid. Berrv) was allowed those fees by the taxing master, there was nothing for him to refund. If the Auditor said he should have re- funded the £4 Is. 4d., why did he not surcharge h:m. A-s the Auditor had failed to surcharge him, he proved that what ho (Mr. Berry) re- ceived was legally due to him, and he did not intend to refund anything (laughter!,

-+_ MERTHYR OVERSEERS SURCHARGED, THE PREPARATION OF THE NEW VALUATION LISTS. I I ALLOWANCE TO MR. GILBERT EVANS IRREGULAR. LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD ASK FOR VIEWS OF CORPORATION. A special meeting of the General Purposes Committee of the Merthyr Corporation was held at the Town Hall on Monday afternoon, for the purpose primarily of receiving the re- port of the Auditor, Mr. M. J. Propert, upon his In. t audit of the Council's accounts. The Town Clerk, at the outset, said he had received a letter from the Local Government Board enclosing a copy of an appeal from the Overseers of Merthyr, signed by Alderman J. Harpur, Councillor A. W. Houlson and Mr. Arthur Daniel, against the decision of the Audi, tor to surcharge £50 paid to the Assistant Overseer in connection with the prepara- tion of the new valuation lists in 1907, and stat- ing that before determining the appeal the Board would be glad to be furnished with tho observations of the Corporation. The letter asked why the Council authorised the expendi- ture of the sum. The Auditor's report stated that the sum of £102 12s. 7d. was paid by the Overseers, but he disallowed j350 of that sum on the ground that the salary received by the Assistant Overseer covered the work done by him. Of the £102 12s. 7d., £10 3s. 7d. was paid for books, and J642 9s. to the Assistant Over- seer's clerks for assistance. CUSTOM IN THE PAST. The Mayor said that Mr. Evans was appoint- ed in 1896. In 1901 he made his first valua- tion list at an expenditure of £138. The next list was made in 1905 and the amount paid was J5140. In 1908 the Board of Guardians asked for another list, and the matter came before the Council. Coun. F. S. Simons at that time moved that no more than £25 be allowed for the work, and it was agreed to. But the Overseers said that was insufficient, and another resolution was proposed and carried that the Overseers be granted a sum not exceeding £150. Notwithstanding that, the work cost £102 12s. 7d. Representatives from the Merthyr Ratepayers' Association appeared before the Auditor, and urged that Mr. Evans should not have been paid the £50. The Committee should remember, continued the Mayor, that the late Auditor, Mr. Cox, who audited the ac- counts for several years, and also the LooaJ Government Board, allowed these payments to Mr. Evans. — Aid. D. W. Jones: It shows what auditors will do.—The Mayor: There is a precedent, at any rate, for this payment to Mr. Evans. Besides, the work increased year after year. — Aid. J, M. Berry: And the expense as well. — Aid. D. W. Jones: What appears tc me to have taken place at the Coun. cil meeting was that the Overseers asked for a sum for expenses, and not to give gratuities to the Assistant Overseer or anybody else. The Overseers never told us they were going to give a gratuity to any official. — Ald. J. Har- pur: I distinctly said at that meeting that this money was to be voted for extra services. The officers had to work till 10 and 11 o'clock at night for months. I distinctly contradict Aid. Jones's assertion.—Coun. Dan Thomas: And I should like to ask Alderman Harpur a ques- tion.—Alderman Harpur: I shall decline to answer you. The Mayor said that the Overseers called for £150 because the Council asked the clerks to work considerable overtime, and they were paid on a scale, namely, lOd., 1s. and Is. 2d. per hour.—Councillor Dan Thomas: It seems to me a generous disposition because the Over- seers paid the clerks who did the work J642 9s., and the Assistant Overseer £50 for simply superintending. You have answered the ques- tion I wanted to ask Alderman Harpur.—Coun- cillor Isaac Edwards said the question to be discussed was whether or not Mr. Gilbert Evans was to retain £50. There was a feeling that the clerks should be paid, whereas the head offi- cial should not. It was ridiculous to think that Mr. Evans should not be paid an extra sum' for doing this work every five years, because if he were not entitled to it he was let off ridicu- lously cheap for the other four years. Every member would agreed that year was far too much for four years, if he had to do this large amount of work for the same money in the fifth year. Mr. Evans had been paid for extra services on two previous occasions. If the Council did not pay this money the Assessment Committee could pass it. and the Council would have to and it. If Mr. Evans j was not legally entitled to this money, he was • moraliy entitled to it. Alderman D. W. Jones said this was an im- portant matter which affected the ratepayers at large. The Auditor had said that the terms of Mr. Evans's appointment were that he had to do this work (Councillor Dan Thomas: Hear, hear). They were not told by the Overseers that Mr. Evans was receiving this money in years gone by. They could never get a report from the Overseers. WThat Mr. Edwards said about the Assessment Committee would not af- fect the Auditor's position. The Auditor said it was an illegal payment, and it was not for the Corporation to say whether it was or not. Tbe resolution passed by the Council should be sent to the Local Government Board and let them deal with it. TERMS OF APPOINTMENT. Councillor F. S. Simons said that although last year he strongly objected to more than £25 toeing paid, now that the money had been paid he thought the Local Government Board should be asked to remit the surcharge. When the Overseers asked last year for £150, he resisted as strongly as he could any grant being made at all, but he moved that £25 should be al- lowed for books and stationery. He said at that time that it was part of the Overseer's duty to do this work without extra remunera- tion. After considerable discussion the amend- ment was carried by a fair majority. At the next Council meeting a letter was read from Mr. Gilbert Evans saying that the work could not be done for that amount; pressure was brought to bear upon the Corporation by the Overseers to alter their resolution. Ultimate- ly he consented to alter his resolution, and J6150 .voted, aai s ?vU^g«mnwti§a wjg tc go into the question of the duties of the As- ) sistant Overseer to see whether these duties which he was called upon to do were covered by the terms of his appointment. Some months ) after the valuation list had been presented, the sub-committee brought forward their report, and they represented that the duties were clear- ly comprised in the terms of the appointment, and should be done without extra remuneration. When that report was presented, an attempt was made to reject it, but the report was car- ried. But lllt year no doubt this money was voted Mr. Evans on the understanding that the matter ha.d not been gone into properly, and the Overseers thought that the Assistant Over- and clerks should be properly remunerated for the work they did. — Alderman Harpur: I Hear, hear. — Councillor Simons: I think for this one time wo should do our best to get the ..<ttirch>|rgo remitted. I move that the Local '^jMfcr^meiit BMrdJbe.. askeel, to sanction it. — Aldqmign' j.v^IV,Berryj.'secpnded; as he ihoTigh't t Mr. ''C6:r: ,d%&r>th% 5ii&»irs, was .inclined to tTwik that- Mr. Cox was right. 1 It was hard to expect a. man to work from 6 to 12 o'clock at night for weeks and give him no- thing extra. — Councillor J. W. Lewis agreed with the resolution, as the payments had been authorised in previous years. PROTESTED FOR. TWENTY YEARS. Councillor Dan Thomas said he had protested against this sort of thing for twenty years; he remembered when was charged. He disagreed with what had been said about the work being done at night. The Overseers were asked early in (Hlú half-year 10 make the: list, but they left oves until February or March Trjay had to make a new rate, so all the extra work was to write a second copy of the valua- tion list for the AsdfesSment' Committee. There were calculations to be made, but he contended that the work was dorife by the boys in the ofEce. and not by the sisistant overseer. He hsd- prot0stcd over and over again for 20 year! The Mayor: And yet you voted for it.—Coun. Dan Thomas: I move wo do not wrilc io the J Local Government Board.Aid. D. W. Jones ( seconded. It was. he said, utterly wrong to pay a public offir¡a!£50 for. work included inTiis' ordinary salary. When the assistant oyerseer i applied two or three years ao for an ndvaftcc in salary he represented to the Council that he had to work a great deal of overtime, and i these matters were taken into consideration when they fixed his salary. lie did not think this j350 should bo paid to him, therefore, for work which was included in the terms of his appointment. Mr. Evans had been away from the office from timo to time, and he thought officials should give and take in these matters. —Aid. T. J. Evans supported the amendment. He did not know, he said, until now that a Committee reported that this work was included in Mr. Evans's salary, and that it was con- firmed by the Council.—The Mayor: This money was paid before that.—Aid. T, J. Evans: It is not a niggardly salary by any means— £280.-Coun. H. M. Lloyd supported the amendment, and observed that the Council could not get informa.tion from the overseers, so the Ratepayers' Association appeared before the Auditor, and it wss the duty of the Coun- cil to strengthen that official's hands. If they did not support, the amendment they would be wanting in their duty. PREVIOUS ALLOWANCES. The Mayor said that in 1901 the overseers pre- sent at the meeting were Coun. Dan Thomas (in the chair), Mr. Martin, Mr. T. Morgan, and Mr. Arthur Daniel. On that occasion the as- sessments amounted to 14,500, and the Coun- cil voted J3170, on the motion of Mr. Lewis, se- conded by Mr. Martin ("and Mr. Dan Tho- mas in the chair," the Mayor emphasised) that the sum of £138 be paid to the Clerk for doing the work.—Aid. D. W. Jones: Tho Mayor has been well coached by the overseers. —Coun. D. John He is an overseer.—The Mayor said that people who continually harped about these things were weak themselves sometimes. No objection was taken to that £ 138.—Aid. D. W. Jones: I objected at the Council meet- ing.—The Mayor said that in 1905 the assess- ments came to 16,000, the amount voted by the Council for doing the work was £200. and the amount paid by the overseers £14(). The members present were Messrs. Wilson, Harpur, Berry, Morrell, and Evans.—Coun. Dan Tho- mas: How many clerks?—The Mayor: In 1908 the assessment increased to .18,000. you voted £150. and the amount paid was £102.-Coun. Thomas: And the staff has been doubled.— Coun. Isaac Edwards said that from the first the assistant ovdrseer claimed that he was en- to an extra payment for this work, and the Council had assented to it by paying him. If there was a technical error let them pass this resolution, and get a clear understanding for the future. The Auditor only pointed out that the resolution did not authorise the pay- ment. The amendment was carried by seven to five votes.—Aid Harpur and the Mayor did not vote, being overseers.

MERTHYR TOWN COUNCIL. RENEWAL OF THE THEATRE LICENCE. | TWO BARS TO BE ALLOWEn. BOATING AT CYFARTHFA. The monthly meeting of the Merthyr Town Council was held on Monday night. The Mayor (Aid. Wilson) presided, and there were also pre- sent, Aldermen D. W. Jones, J. Harpur, Enoch Morrell, Ivor Abraham, T. J. Evane, J. M. Berry, Couns. J. Davies (Dowlais), R. P. Rees, Chas. Griffiths, Isaac Edwards, Wm. Lewis (Penydarren), J. W. Lewis, F. T. James, H. M. Lloyd, F Pedler, J. Davies (CyfarthfaJ, Dd. John F. S. Simons, Dan Thomas, pd. Phillips, L. M. Jones, D. J. Lewis, W. T. G. Marsh. Dd. Jones (Merthyr Vale), Thomas Wil- liams, Wm. Jones, Ed. Edwards, and W. Lewis (Treharris), with Mr. T. Aneuryn Rees (Town Clerk), Mr. J. E. Biddle (Deputy Town Clerk), Mr. T. F. Harvey (Surveyor), Mr. W. R. Har- ris (Borough Controller), and Chief Constable Wibon. SUNDRY MATTERS* Coun. L. M. Jones said he had been requested to invite Councillors to attend at the Abercan- aid Library on Thursday night to inspect the books which the Committee had purchased. The Finance Committee reoommended that the application of Nurse Thompson for an al- lowance of 6d. per day for luncheons when ab- sent on duty in outlying portions of the bor- ough be not granted.—Coun. F. S. Simons said it would be cheaper than calling upon the nurse to make two visits to, say, Treharris. He moved that the allowance be granted.—Coun. W. Lewis (Penydarren) seconded, and this was agreed to. The Council agreed to invite tenders for the right to provide alfresco concerts at Cyfarthfa Park durmg the summer. The tender of Mr. Jonathan Lewis, of Merthyr, at £ 40, for the right of providing boats on the water at Cy- farthfa, was accepted. Mr. John Jones, 7, Norman-terrace, Merthyr, was appointed out of 31 applicants as clerk of works for the new pavilion at the Mardy Iso- lation Hospital. On the motion of Coun. Dd. John, the ten- der of Messrs. Thomas Spittle, Ltd., Newport, at £265 3s. 6d., for supplying cast iron pipes and specials, was accepted. BATHS FOR DOWLAIS. Coun. Chas. Griffiths moved that the Sur- veyor be requested to present a report upon the possibility of providing baths at Dowlais. He argued that it was useless for people to shout about insobriety and other evils unless they provided counter attractions.—In seconding, Coun. Isaao Edwards said that the Geliifaelog School site might be economically utilised for such a purpose.—The resolution was carried. AN IMPROVEMENT DESIRED, The Health Committee recommended that in future the time of meeting be altered to 5.45, instead of 7 p.m.—Aid. T. J. Evans moved, as an amendment, that no alteration be made in the time of meeting.—Coun J. Davies (Cyfarth- fa) seconded.—Coun. F. S. Simons said the al- teration was reoommended upon his suggestion. There was generally an hour wasted between the time of the meeting of the Watch Com- mittee and the Health Committee, and the at- tendance at the Health Committee was not what it should be. He had gone through the list of attendances for six months, and the people who rnsiBted. this alteration were not the best attenders at the seven o'clock meet- ing. If seven o'clock were really a convenient time surely more than five members out of the whole Council could pUt in six attendances out of a possible seven. Only five members put in six attendances, three attended only once, and the greater number only three or four times.— Upon a division the report was adopted. THE THEATRE LICENCE, Mr. F. P. Charles (Messrs. G. C. James, Charles and Davies), with whom was Mr. Jack- son Withers, applied for the renewal of the licence of the Theatre Royal, Merthyr, carrying with it the right to sell intoxicating liquors. He pomted out that by law a person who was granted a licence was also entitled to supply intoxicating liquor in a theatre during such time as the place was open for theatrical per- formances. But he was not allowed to supply intoxicating drinks during the day time or after the performance. In March, 1908, a resolution was passed to grant Mr. Withers a licence on condition that only two bars were used at the theatre—there were five bars at that time. At a. later meeting when only 12 members of the Council were present, a. resolution was carried that the licence be granted only on condition that no intoxicating liquors should be sold. Mr. Withers had carried on the theatre since that time, but having regard vo the attendance he thought it was not possible for him to con- tinue to do 80 unless the Council modified the conditk>ns.<; It was not a question of the profit which Mr.- Withers was able to make out of the liquors sold. That was not a momentous ques- tion with him. There were a certain number of people who would not sit out the whole of a long play unless they were able to get reasonable reúeshmen could be abundantly proved by the attendance before the licence was taken away and after. The attendance bad fallen off tremendously. Mr. Withers was conducting the theatre upon high-class lines; the theatre was now an excellent institution from an educational point of view, and it also did good to the trade of the town, because people came in to see the same companies and the same plays as were. .Qaflifft I sad reflec- tion to Merthyr if the theatre were put an end to. He could not sea what body of persona was to be served by the refusal of the appli-' cation. There was not a single theatre in Lon- don or the provinces which had not the power given it by law to supply reasonable refresh- ment. Merthyr was not any worse, from a moral or a sober point of view. than Cardiff, Swansea, or Newport, and it would be a reflec- tion upon the town for the people to be tc!d that they were not to be trusted to have reas- onable refreshment at the theatre. During the time Mr. Withers had had the control of iiie Theatre Royal, since September, 1906, the standard of plays performed had been vastly improved. (There had not been a single ca.se of disorder there. The proprietors of the The- atre were heavy ratepayers; they paid rates upon the assumption that they supplied liquor, a.nd if they were to be kept permanently with- out the licence an a,pplal would have to be made to reduce the rating.—It was agreed bv,15 to 4 ^rotSR to grant the^ lieeqce, with provision for two bars. t*

The Whitsuntide Holidays. Many people at this time of the year are thinking of taking advantage of the opportunity to enjoy a few days rest and change in some spot away from their native surroundings prior to commencing their summer holidays. One difficult question however is, where to spend these two or three days. Whichever kind of holiday is selected, whether it be the country with its quiet surroundings, beautiful scenery .and farm living; the seaside with its bracing air; or the two combined, the GreaJ Western Railway, which is now universally known a* ''the holiday line," is the railway to transport the holiday maker to the very best resorts in England at express speed for the lowest possi- ble sum. Then there is London:- What a world of pleasure the name suggests. During Whit- suntide two riant exhibitions will be in full swing, viz., the Imperial International at Shejv herd's Bush, and the Colden" West at Earls" Court. A novelty that will no doubt be an additional inducement to. yijsit. the city of plea, sure is the running of a sight-seeing motor cat from Paddintrton Station on Bank Holiday, Tiies,Ja.y, NNTednesda.v, and Thursday in Whitsun week for a. tour round London, leaving at 10.30 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. each day, visiting all the principal places of interest, for the modest fare of 4s. The journey occupies 2 hours and a guide lecturer accompanies the car. For par. ticulars of holidays such as those mentioned, reference should be made to the rGeat Western Railway Company's list of special Whitsuntide excursions. The best help you could possibly desire foi washing everything is BORAX DRY SOAP. In packets everywhere.

MERTHYR POLICE COURT. TUESDAY.—Before Sir T. Marchant William* (Stipendiary), Mr. Rhys Davies, Ald. A. Wil- son (Mayor), Mr. S. Sandbrook, and Mr. Ar- thur Daniel. ATTACK ON THE POLICE.—Michael O'Neill was charged with being drunk and disorderly at Pant-road, Dowlais, and also with assaulting P.Q. Roberts. The man kicked the officer in the leg and ribs. He was fined 10s. and costs for drunkenness and £ 5 and costa for the as- sault. Thomas Davies was fined 20s. and costs for interfering with P.C. Hampton while in the execution of his duty. A NIGHT OUT.—Thomas Shean, Dd. Walters, and William Jones, for sleeping at the old Rhydycar boilers the previous night, were, on the evidence of P.S. Clinch, sent to prison, Walters for 21 days the other two for seven days. LET OFF.—Edward Morgan, Dowlais, was summoned for stealing coal, value one penny, the property of Messrs. Guest, Keen and Net- tlefolds, Ltd.—He was let off. DISMISSED.—Jeremiah Keefe was summoned for assaulting Dd. Bannor at Riverside, Mer- thyr.—Mr. W. J. Canton defended.—Com- plainant said he went to his brother-in-law'a house at Riverside, and had a row with an. other person. Defendant struck him several times.—In cross-examination, he admitted he had been fined for being drunk the same night, and that if the police had not interfered he would have fought Keefe.—The case was dis- missed. QUAREELS.—Catherine Evans was summoned for assaulting Margaret Caughlin, her cousin. —Defendant was bound over to keep the peace. -Elizabeth Davies, of Dowlais, was summon- ed for assaulting Gwen James. Defendant, who said she was tempted, was fined 40s. and costs, and bound over to keep tfee peace.—Mar- garet Shea was summoned by Mary Jones for using bad language in Park-street, Brecon-road, and a similar summons had been issued by Mrs. McCarthy, a neighbour.—Defendant was fined 5s. and costs in each case. Edward McCar- thy and Dennis Dwyer were then summoned by Margaret Shea, and the case was dismissed. -Robert White Williams, of Merthyr Vale, was summoned for using bad language towards Elizabeth Williams, of Bryntaf.—Mr. W. R. Edmunds was for complainant, who said they both came from Anglesey.—Mr. W J. Canton was for the defence.—The parties were neigh- bours,"and the *{*w took place in the garden.— Defendant was bound over. ALLEGED THEFT.—Mary McCarthy was charg- ed with stealing a suit of clothes and other ar. ticles, value 94 10a, from the house of Sarah Jones, at Penyd&rren.-She pleaded not guilty. and was sent for trial.. AFFILIATION.—Catherine Sullivan, married woman, of Pontlottyn, summoned Daniel Ho- gan, of Pontlottyn (defended by Mr. Elisworth) to show cause, etc.—Mr. F. P. Charles, for the complainant, said she married in 1902. hei husband wont to America soon afterwards, and had not been home since.—An order was made for 3s. 6d. a week and oosta.

A Heartburning Malady. Plight of a pretty little victim of SL Vitus' Dance. Every trace of the disorder dispelled by Of. Williams' Pink PiUs. For nearly two years, Mary, the little daughter of Mr. James Bum, who resides at 34, Glapton Road, Nottingham, was the unhappy victim of a moat distressing attack of St. Vitus' Dance. The obstinacy of the child's affliction, indeed, was eo well known that when Dr. Williams' Pink Pills effected her cure the event caused general astonishment in the locality. In conversation -with a reporter Mrs. Burn stated: For nearly two yeers my little daughter, Mary, was stricken helpless by one of the worst cases of St. Vitus' Dance ever known. She had been a sturdy child until seven years of age, but then a numbness began in her side, and this steadily extended to her hands and legs. Even- tually she was quite unable to walk. Later, we noticed a twitching of the muscles of her face and lips, and, one day, I discovered that she could speak only with the greatest difficulty. We summoned medical aid, but the poor child fell worse and in a few days the power of speech left her. The twitching of the limbs became so severe that, when dressing her, one had to hold Mary steady whilst another slipped her clothes on. Often she actually tore her clothes with the jerking movements of her limbs. Two doetors attended her for acute St. Vitus' Dance, and she took much medicine, but her sufferings became heartbreaking to witness, and many a night we sat up with Mary, fearing that she would not live until morning. lilt For nearly two years she remained. Para- lysed but one day a report of a remarkable cure of this malady by Dr. Williams' Pink Pille Led us to try this medicine for Mary. After Mary had taken a few boxes of Dr" Williams' Pink Pills, the twitchings steadily died down, and a little later, as we continued the treatment, she could speak again. We kept on giving her regular doses of Dc. Williams' Pink Pills, and gradually all the numbness disappeared her nervous system grew stronger and soon she could keep quite still. When the child at last was able to walk out, the astonish- ment of the neighbours was inexpressible they called it a miracle. i" Thanks alone to Dr. Williams' Pink Pills the St. Vitus' Dance was thoroughly conquered, and my daughter could walk and run' about. Her colour returned she gained weight, and became r_1 quite cheerful and well." The alarming increase on every side ol Nervous-Disorders in various forms arises from the failure of week, impure blood to nourish the system. The fact that Dr. Williams' Pinkpilis for Pale People actually create New, Good Blood accounts for the many cures by these pifla of Anaemia, Debility, Indigestion, Eczema, Rheumatism, St. Vitus' Dance, Paralysis, and the ills of the weaker sex. 2s. 9d. a box, or 13s. 9d. for six, post free, from Dr. Williams' Medicine Company, 46, Holbom Viaduct, London also of most dealers, but remember that substitutes are worthless, and that you need the genuine pills fcwYen wqcifc) to cure yQu. iv