MR JAMES BROGDEN'S RETURN TO ENGLAND.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 89, 14 April 1873, Page 4

MR JAMES BROGDEN'S RETURN TO ENGL AND.

(From the Glamorgan Gazette.) Aberkenfig, usually a Tery dull place, was on Tuesday last the scene, of a most interesting event. The street from one end of tbe village to the other was adorned with evergreens, flags and bunting, and the inscriptions upon the different devices all breathed a welcome to a long absent and much respected member of the firm of John Brogden and Sons. Mr James Brogden was announced to arrive in Bridgend at a little past two o'clock in the afternoon, and preparations were made throughout Aberkenfig and Tondu to make his reception in those places a hearty one. All down the long and single street of which Aberkenfig can boast, the road was hung with all manner of gay decorations, beginning near tbe entrance of the village, and ending only at the gate of Mr Brogden's mansion, where an arch of evergreens httd been erected, surmounted by the words "Welcome Home." At Aberkenfig the devices were chiefly in the form of long rows of leaves, and "welcomes" worked upon bunting, and both Mr Brogden and his son were included in these sentiments. The railway bridge "which crosses the road between Aberkenfig and Tondu was set off in a very tasty and complete: manner with evergreens twined around the woodwork, and above, the ■words '? A. happy welcome to Tondu," and on the road to the house, "Good wishes and respects to, you- both." Mr Brogden [arrived ?at -the'; Bridgend station a little past two o'd^ the bells? rang • •me-rrilj-Y arid ; ■ were . ; - 7 ";&ed 'atf-juK^ Yy. y■. -jnedj^^iippn ; ''' Wightip -*j;!^o^.'th(3 YtrainY '

by Messrs. Gray and Morley, who exchanged with him most hearty congratulations. His carriage .being .in waiting, , he then stepped in and drove off with his. son, a boy about 11 years; Meßsrs. Gray and Morley .followed in a separate carriage. A motto was suspended above the road leading from the station, and in Dunraven Place Mr. Brogden was confronted by flags and mottoes, displayed in honor ot his arrival. Here also a crowd had met who raised cheers as the carriage drove past. The party then drove up to Tondu, and immediately upon their arrival at Penyfai the joyous news was announced to the inhabitants of Aberkenfig by the repeated firing of guns on tbe common, and this continued until after the bouse was reached. At Aberkenfig *all the inhabitants turned out, and Mr Brogden was cheered repeatedly as he passed through, and be and his son acknowledged the demonstrations of welcome by bowing to the people on all Bides. At the works gate the party was met by a number of workmen, and the band struck up " See the conquering hero comes," at the conclusion of which Mr Carrol Allen stepped forward and read the following address : — "We - the workmen and employes of these Works tender to you our sine ere congratulations on your safe return amongst us once more. We are sorry you should find on your return the dispute now pending, but we hope that you will use your influence for the good of' both. To your son, we would say that we are glad to see him so well after such a perilous journey, and hope that wben he shall be enabled to take your place, he will follow in his father's footsteps, and gain the sincere love and respect of his people. Hoping yon will remain amongst us now for several years to come, and ba blessed with long life and happiness. " We are, &c." Here follow the signatures. Mr. Brogden rose and said he must confess that he came back with some feeling of regret to find all so still there: not that the people were still, but that the works were so. He thought there might be some means of remedying tbis distressing circumstance, and that a little oil poured upon the water might prove of material service. (Hear, hear). If he could be of service he should feel most happy to exert his influence, but he had not the same voice in the matter now as he used to; as the works had changed hands, and bis brother now assumed the bead of affairs; but he should never lose his interest in the people working at Tondu — (cheers) — : and he had always looked forward to returning to tbe village with real pleasure. He thanked them very much for their kind address ; he felt too overcome with emotion to answer it then, but he would do so at a future occasion. Meanwhile if they thought he could be of service towards the satisfactory settlement of the present strike, he should be glad to exert himself in bringing it to a conclusion. It was not now as it used to be. He remembered of old it was not the outside us who told the men what they should do, but the affairs were settled amicably between master and man, and he thought during the eighteen years in which he was the manager of the Tondu Works, tbere had been very few disputes between them. (Cheers). The news of the strike had burst upon him very suddenly as he was coming up the Channel, and he then learnt, to his great regret, tbat no less than 60,000 people were out of employment; This entailed a loss to masters and men in the district amounting to about £500,000 per week. If the matter were carefully looked at, he thought the men would come to a speedy settlement, for the loss of money and consequent misery caused by the strike, was far more to be considered than the matter of dispute. He spoke to his old workmen and old friends, and if he could be the means of bringing the present state of things to a close, he should thank God for the opportunity; When Mr Brogden resumed his seat he seemed very much affected, and drove off amid the hearty cheering of the workmen. His carriage was now followed by a large crowd of people; and the workmen^ band, and the work boys' fife and drum hand played on the way. At the gate of his house Mr Brogden was heartily cheered by a very large concourse of workmen, and the band struck up " Home Sweet Home "as he entered. The crowd then dispersed to a neighbouring field where a liberal supply of beer was distributed amongst those who felt thirsty. In the evening a large bonfire was lighted onthe hill above Tondu Works; a tar barrel was burnt, and a brilliant display of fireworks was made, during the evening. Nothing focc tired 1 to ■■ mar the interest of the proceedings, and? the spontaneous outburst of welcome accorded to Mr Brogden by: his men, marked in a Yvery ; highsenße^ jthe Affection ' in Y whichYhe heldj by them, and which w the eighteenTyearSi i ■th'e s ;p)»iti(M