Pioneer

Merthyr Notes Mr. Ablett and the Coal Commission. Add ressi ng mass meetings of the Merthyr miners on Thursday and Friday, Mr. Noah Ablett (the Agent) said that the miners had no need for regret at putting their men on the Goal Commission. A week previous publie opinion— always a ticklish and fickle tliing-Ni-as strongly hostile to the -colliers, who were pictured as ban- dits holding up the coiniiiiiii t-v for selfish gain, but to-day saw a complete change, and public opinion was as strongly in favour of the demands of the workmen as it was antagonistic before. The recent disclosures as to coal profits had re- sulted in the cursing, now, of the colliery owners and not the miners. Venereal Disease. I Dr. Rice is to lecture on Veneral Disease be- fore the Trades Council next Thursday night. The Council has decided that the meeting shall le an open one and every trades unionist who is interested in thejjrevalence, spread "and treat- ment of this social evil is cordially invittxl to attend. May Day. I I Merthyr Education Authoiity 011 Wednesday agreed to the proposal of the Trades Council and Labour Party to observe May '5th as a general holiday. Shot Misfiring Fatality. Accidental death was the verdict at an in- quest conducted at Merthyr Yale by Mr. Griffith Llewellyn (deputy-coroner), upon Alfred Han- cock (2-5), of Park-place, Troedyrhiw, who was! found dead at the Castle Level" Merthyr. Ac- cording to the evidence, Hancock, engaged in firing" underground, had bored the necessary hole, inserted the charge, and ignited the fuse, but the shot then, iaileq to explode. Deceased iii stated tv iiftre been told by a foreman, David T?&ma,!? to keep away from the nei?ibour?., of the unlired charge, and tii(- ,1" ? ;)Gd bered up Subs?u?ntly the mrin^ _e was tiiii- covered th*re, the i)lC0 1);ul,y disfiprur^d. How t'le siot .,too 1).idly disfigured. IFT 0 XN' F^ed. ( I )10t bE' eX- Five Soldier Boys. The Merthyr I. L.P. on Tuesday night waxed indignant Over the action of the military, author-1 ities in sentencing five soldier boys—ranging in age from IS years to 19 years and two mouths- to ten years, penal servitude for participation in a refusa I to parade in Franco" be- cause of the had food conditions of the camp. It was felt that such a sentence passed 011 mere hoys fo. an offence that in civil life would have passed almost unnoticed was savage in the ex- treme, and a resolution was passed for transmis- sion to the Minister of State for War. important I.L.P. Meeting. Xext Tuesday's meeting of the I.L.P., Mer- thyr, is to I){. the special meeting for the voting for the X.A.C. representative for the Welsh Di- vision. In vie-w of tlio stand made by the branch on the question of representation it is trusted that the members will turn up in force and exoici- their franchise. Unavoidable. Illness prevented Comrade Dick Jones read- ing his paper on lii(lio", before the Merthyr I.L.P. branch last Tuesday, when it was decided to ak liitil to„give it to the members on Tues- day next. In vu-w of the fact that this will be the special meeting for the voting for X.A.C. representative, Dick should have a big audience, and, it is to be hoped, a keen discussion wHJfo!- ?ind The scheme of papers on alternate Tues- day evenings should give a fillip to the branch1 meetings. Womer., Note! Mi's. H. Da vies" announced on Tuesday night that nice ing at Bent-ley's to-night (Friday) at 7.30 for liie purpose of discu.-sing their own affairs and working out a programme of activities. It is hoped that all women members will put in an appearance, share in the business and help shape a strong women's movement nurturing the spread of Socialism amongst the women of the tow 11, and thinking out their contributions to ill!' intellectual and social life of the branch. Unemployment. David Parry drew attention at Tuesday's meeting of the Merthyr Finance Committee to the fact that numbers of carpenters, painters and masons are unemployed in the town, and advocated their engagement by the Corporation, to do such work as is required from time to time in tlwi., trades instead of con- tracting jobs to private individuals. He was advised to bring the matter before the various committers concerned. r Allotment Holders and Tenure. The third annual meeting of the Merthyr and District Allotment Holders' Association, Ltd., was held at the Town Hall on Thursday, March (>th. the President, Mr. J. Mann, in the chair. ..1. .NAanti, in tli(, clilit-. !it, iiiid t-i %iei-(, tl)le to iiiake year, trade to the amount of nearly t600 having been done, and a balance of -tau on profits is now in the bank. Mr. Thus. Thomas, Queen's "Head was elected president; Mr. J. Mann, La il- ea ster Yill as. treasurer lr. W. H. Blunisdon, :10 Urban Street, Penydarre.n, secretary. Much discussion arose over the security of tenure for allotment holders, and the committee were in- structed to make every effort to secure the en- forcement of the Allotments Act by the Borough foi-c-k?iiietit i? f t l i(, A l li)ti  ieiit, A(-t 1)%. the l i ot-ott,, I

Upper Rhondda Notes. [The Workers as Employers. W e feel sure that the workers who are so- called owners" of local cinemas do not know the facts that govern the employment of atten- dants. The remuneration paid to some of these attendants is nothing short of a scandal, es- pecially when we take into consideration the fact that til(I are Trade-Cnionists, and as such claim for themselves trade union rates of wages. "ïth the dangers of unemploy- ment manifesting it-self in a more pronounced manner every day, it behoves the workers to realize the position. At one of these so-ca lled workmen's halls the princely sums of from 1 i- to 1 '6 per night of at least four hours' work is paid! This works out at about a penily to two- pence per hour pre-war standard. Xow then, minNs, try your hands at remedying this con- dition of affairs. If you have amongst you per- sons who are prepared to work for next to noth- ing. see to it that they do not get the oppor- J tunity. S.O. at Treherbert. A crowded meeting was held at the Gaiety Cinema, 1 reherbert, on Sunday evening last, under the auspices of the Treherbert Trades Council. The speaker on tins occasion being Mr. S. O. Davies, B.A., Dowlais. Mr. Da vies has become quite a favourite in the Fpper-Rhondda, and we are all looking forward to his next visit. I County Council Election-Treorchy Division. I Great excitement prevailed at Treorchy and Gwmpark on 1;;T,.á\. "arcTi Mr. Rhys Evans, the workers' candidate fought a J successful fight against Mr, Tom Jones, accoun- ] tant, who, of course -,lls representing the re- .st)(,etal)le iiiiddl- Tt was yory- "sigvhftMnt that oin opponents carried (ill their campaign lonnut holding even one public meeting, whilst Mr. Rhy> Evans held meetings at Cwmparc. Ynvswe.li, and Treorchy. After the declaration of the poll a great open-air meeting was held at the Post-Office Square, when speeches were de- livered by the successful candidate, Mr. Harry Woods and Mr. Fred Gill. The two last-men- tioned gentlemen are the respective candidates for the guardians and district council elections in the Labour interest. Treherbert Division. Congratulations to Mr. David Williams, checkweigher, Ynysfais, upon being returned un- opposed for the Treherbert Division. The re- tiring member, Mr. J. Cower, having graciously retired for the sule purpose of shirking a fight. "GORCHY."

I Briton Ferry Notes No Opposition. In reference to the anti-conscription meeting held under the auspices of the I.L.P. on Sunday, March 2nd, 1 omitted to mention that the reso- lnt-ion put to the meeting was unanimously fit ried. It was moved by Mr. Kvan Davies and seconded by Mr. Daniel Williams. Of Course. Despite the wild charges made against our candidate. Councillor Joseph Branch at the re- cent Connty Council Election he romped in with a neat majority of 76. Education and Housing. I .AttiK- L. P. meeting on Sunday, .March 9th, the speaker \\as Mr. Chas. Matth??s Port TalhotL He dealt ably with the question of Fxlueation and Housing. It was one of the finest lectures yet -given this winter. Councillor E. Hutchinson presided.

Llantrisant and District Notes. I Facts About Cas. I It may interest consumers of gas and workers at the Gas Works to know that in the half-year ending December Hist, 1914, the various factors which enter into the price of gas, expressed per 1,000 cubic feet of gas sold, were as follows: Xett cost of coal, rates, etc., 2 8 labour 7d. profits 2 M. In the corresponding hatf-year for JDl the figures are :-ett cost of coal, etc., 2 7; labour, I'2; profits, 2 4 per 1,000 cubic feet of gas sold. The Company's receipts from residuals during the half-year ending December 3?1. 1914, were equal to 9.9d. per 1,000 c. ft. of gas sold. For the hak-vear ending December ?fst. 191S, the receipts f t-()ni e(itial I to 1, 4 per 1,000 cu ft. of gas sold. The profits for the year 3914 are given as £ 832. For the year 19]K the profits are given as £ 974. Gas .'upplied to the District Council, 4'3 per 1,000 c. ft. gas supplied to quarterly consumers, (j 2 per 1,000 e. ft. gas supplied to slot meter con- sumers <) per 1.000 c. ft. Lieutenant T. A. Lewis, M.P., and Conscription.! On Thursday night of last week the Labour Party House of Commons forced a Divi- sion o;i the Government's new conscription mea- -ur According to a list of members published, as voting with the Government by the "Daily oil March 8th, Lieutenant T. Lewis. M.P., the member for this Division voted lor Conscription. We hope that those w ho voted for Lieutenont Lewis at the General Election now realise that a vote gli-en for the! Coalition was in fact, a vote for Conscription.

Pontypridd Notes. | Out With It! At the I.L.i'. Hall on Conscription Sunday night the speaker was Comrade Owen Hughes, who lectured on "The Peril of Conscription. An interesting discussion, followed. Among those taking part were Messrs. Hairy Lewis, Styles. Andrews. Maker, and Josiah Jones Comrade Major chaired, and Pioneers were sold out. A Clean Sweep. At the recent County Council elections here Labour won in the three contested Ben D avies. Dan Pees and May bcinu; returner! for the Graiti'. Cdtvnvdd and Treforest Ward.; I r-porMwIy. Congratulations. Congratula tions to K..J. Williams w ho lias- done sterling work for the cause here, having re- sided in this town for years, on his success at the ballot for the position of miners agent for the Garw Valley.

I Correspondents are requested to condense their letters as much as possible.

I Steelwofkers & Industrial- Unio-nism I TO THE EDITOR. Sir,-—" Ap Gwilym in his reply in your is- sue of the Stl, inst., seems to have very much annoyed tha.t any attempt should be made to analyse the misleading statements contained in his original letter on the above subject. Jielice, the reason why he rushes to the colunims of the Pioneer with his views on others, simply be- cause their opinion differ to his own. But, to weigh matters carefully, it is, after all, but a reflection upon his own capabilities. Ap Gwilym" wouldlw well advised in the future, not to seek space in these columns with matters of a controversial nature. To merely play with o mere l y pltv Ni-it l i words in attempting to prove or disprove any criticism which may be teveiled against his pri- mitive arguments is not to play the game, and is extremely unmanly. ft is quite evident, judg- ing from the tone of his letter, that it is not, to his way of thinking, hence lie indulges and at the same time fritters away his energies, in platitudes, which, to be candid, have no bearing upon the points that matter at all. Ap Gwilym will surely agree, that progress ceases when mankind becomes a slave to narrow ideas, In looking upon the broader side on all ques- tions whieii affect the working classes, it is a real pleasure to the writer to know that the views held by Ap Gwilym is held by a very small minority to-day. Mankind has ceased to peep through kinks in the heavy walls, and has come out into the open to look seriously upon life in its broader aspect. I i NO STATE AID. I Holding the view s that Ap Gwilym does, mankind would be more to be pitied than blamed. It is all very well to point out what the Miners have forced from a capitalist gov- ernment, but with all their statutory eight-hour day and minimum wage, is the miner the better paid class of worker ill this country to-day, and does his working conditums excel any others r Is he not as discontented as rziv class of worker in the country even to-day Witli a minimum wage for the miner upon the Statute book. In have evidence galore, that he is not paid up to that minimum wage. Quite apart from other parts of the coalfield, is it not a fact that it is a very sore grievance with the Dowlais miners at the present- moment Maybe "Ap Gwilym will explain why this should be. Does he want a repetition of this trouble with the steel workers. The steel workers will be well ad- vised to keep on negotiating directly with their employers to obtain tlw reforms needed in their particular industry, rather than to get em- broiled in so called reforms from a capitalist government. It may be news to your corres- pondent to kno". that the steelvvorkers have suc- cceded in obtaining an ei?ht-hour day by direct negotiation with the employers, ([,-(, ct other reforms are well on the way by the same sa.n(' met1lOds. No State aid has b(?en necessary nor even asked for in their case. State aid will only be welcomed when the workers have their own representatives in GENESIS OF THE ALLIANCE. I To talk of the Prime Minister begging permis- sion to address the Miners' Executive and im- plore them to refrain from using their undoubted power, is simply to quibble with the truth. Kvcry right-thinking man knows that it is not their power he fears ,but the very fact that the Triple Alliance stands ill the back-ground. Did the Prime Minister of this country implore them nott.onsctheirpower in 1912. XO Very little notice was taken of them for weeks at that time. The Triple Alliance was brought about as the result of that failure, and it is of no use for Ap Gwilym to talk of it as being a super- organisation, only in that sense. To talk of a lead from the Trade ( nion Con- gress regarding organisation by industry, is simply and solely, to talk of a lead without leaders. The president gave a lead, which can be brought about with far less friction than any autedeluvian scheme of organisation by indus- t rv. With all the boosting up' of die Iron and Steel Trades Confederation by I vll!. one would be inclined to think it is tlte one and only organisation catering for the steelworkers, outside of Primitive Dowlais," but will he be good enough to let your readers, Mr. Editor. know the total membership of that body, and compare it with the exact number of workers ''men and women) engaged in the iron and'steel industry of this country? Shontdheheiuthe nnhappy position of not bcinnahtc to do so. th? I)o?-l'tlon (?litot to (lo so, tj)o respect. Thanking you in anticipation, and for pa.st favours,— ( beg to rema i n, vours etc.. I Apron

t RUSSIA ACAIN. I I TO THE EIHTOH. S ir,— Watch Russia! It is the most important field of the class war" "The class war is the basis of Socialism," as William Liebnecht used to say.. Those people who censured the Bd" h i viks at Berne were ignorami. Henderson hould be much more careful. He should not talk of the violence and oppression _of Bolshe- vism- as he did at a thing. When he was there, Russia was under tlie "Kerensky Regime." He returned in July. Bolshevism came to Power in And even the violence he saw was the result of the "Czar's Regime." Also The Daily News (London) continues to talk of Bolshevism as if it were a pestilence. Under the Clock to- day (March 4th) says that "there is spread over Russia a network of Co-operative societies, serving no fewer than fifty million people so ninily established that the Bolsheviks would not venture to interfere with it." All this is noth- ing less than ignorant nonsense! Where is the proof that the Bolsheviks ever did or do inter- fere with anything that belongs to the people or the workmg-classes ? It is the oppressors of the people that the Bolsheviks are out to destroy, or rather, prevent from oppressing the people. And if ever I prayed for the success of any popular movement in my life, I have, and do, night and day pray for the Soviet or the first Socialist Re- public in the history of the world. For I be- lip,1> it to he the ve-ritable Gospel of Jesus in its original purity, unadulterated with any of the Church Councils' creeds of c lass-selfishness. But they are not allowed fair play. The "Christian" nations of the Allies continue their inhuman blockade around them. Their armies are there fighting them. And they will kill them off the face of the earth if they can, as did the snobs and idlers of his time kill the Christ. The people of Russia and Germany are being kdled by the million in these davs bv out, Christian Governmefits, and they will con- tinue to kill unless the working-classes of fiance and Britain put a stop to the whole busi- ness. Churchill yesterday was not ashamed to contests to the aim of our armies in Russia, though Sir Donald Maclean told him that we must be spending little less than ztlOO million a year in Russia alone. And John Ward is there helping on the business! There are verv curious hybrids among labour leaders, too ig- norant asses who have never understood the genesis of Socialism, viz., "The Class Struggle." Xo man should be appointed loader in tho La- bour Movement unless he is imbued with the spirit of the class war—always instinctively in- spired to fight the cause of the weak against-the against the oppressor. Ward in Russia does not idvntiiv himself with the people, hut against them, and he is there- fore in a fair w ay to get on. w hich is alwavs u ■ certain sign of selfish ambition. Who pays for these expeditions to Russia? Are they there by consent of our intelligent Parliament? Or are the working-classes compelled to pay to carry out the agreements <?f new "Secret Treaties "? If tli t, Russian affair is honourable, why all this secrecy? The blockade around Ger- many and Russia not only starves the women and children, but prevents 'hardly any knowledge of the details of their sufferings to come to lb. Cannot tite Triple Alliance add this to their list of demands?— Yours sincerely. D. D. WALTERS. \V oodlands, Xew-C'astle-Einlvn.

LABELS-AND THANKS. TO THE EDITOR. SIr;—We, who, as I.L.P.ers during the !a--t lour and a-half years, have had to bear the brunt of the persecution and vilification of n jingo-mad public, assuredly fe.4 very grateful (j Mr. Fred Sylvester, who in last week's Pioneer" showed such anxiety to disassociate himself from the I.L.P., for the generosity of heart which prompted him to address the Fditoi as Comrade."—Yours, f -n T.T.

Ttie 1 heatre Royal Walter Howard'.? reconstruction of Caiiim'?  k ;it beautiful rGmantw play "The Silver CnIcifh" i receiving a fine reception this week at the  i fol. J heat re Roy;il. And deservedly, for whilst..<t possesses the unmistakable touches of Howard's fine dramatic style, it is suffused with a delicacy of artistic feeling that differentiates it from his own individual work. rt is a colloboration of two of the finest masters of their art, and each has contributed of his best and strongest. The p hy i ng, too, is exce llent. Very few of the tour- ing players comes t) tis with the technical Pifi- ciencv, and real stag*' genius that liss Liilian Hallows is introducing into her diffipult pan. Her support from her sisters of the stage is ad- mirable and the male equally clear jxait and convincing—Terence Maxwell and Nor- ma nd Ley land in particular carry" ing stiff parts, with vigour and natural bearing. v But next week is to be the real big il-eek. Xot even Going rp" has scored so heavily as "The Luck of the X'avy," jvhich is playing to capacity ten houses per week at the Queen's Theatre, London, and which, like Cioing Up," is only lust released by arrangements with Sir Alfred Butt. Percy Hutchison is responsible for the company and that is as ^ood as was Dance's name on a I-Isit of musical comedy. Although "The Luck of the Navy" is a plav wit-li a purpose, the purpose has not smothered the play, and there is an accuracy to naval fact that has won the commendation of Admirals and Jack s ahke. and more important, there is an Il)ll)()i.tint, tlitl.(, is all nu'ed the applause of crowded houses. Thrills, action and incident are the ingredients of w- a play as ever was lighted hy limes. Pl.AVOOKlf. Printefl and Published by the Na^iona' Laboui- Press. Ltd, at the La bour Pioneer Pres>.s Williams' Square. Merthyr Tydfil.

I Dowlais Strike (Continued fi-oin tage 1). consultation with the workmen or their repre- sentatives, increased the price of house-coal to certain sections. Dissatisfaction amongst the miners was inevitable and aggravated was the resentment by steel workers and officials being supplied with relative regularity. Thus the workmen contend that the company have violated the previous house-coal agreement 'and insist upon their flight, in face of the atti- tude of the ow ners, to w ithdraw any obligations j that they incurred with the original scheme. j I A COUP THAT FAILED. On the eve of achieving their big coup—the paralysing of the Dowlais steelworks, owned and controlled by Messrs. Guest, Keen and Xettlc- fokls, as are the Dowlais collieries, by the with- drawal of the In hon r of the locomotive men and thus cutting off the lines of supplies to the works, together with the lulldiffg up of the in- ternal traffic, the miners were to use an expres- sive if inelegant term "let down." A meeting of the locomotive drivers and firemen at the works, who have approached the miners for admission into the federation and for the realisation of which desire the miners' agent ha.s exerted all his influence, decided to strike in sympathy last Friday failing unconditional surrender hy the employers to the miners. Yet on Thursday night a further meeting of the locomen, members of the Al'oi-kei- Union, repudiated that pledge as one given by a small minority with no offi- cial standing. And so the steelworks, doomed to idleness within two days had the sympathetic strike decision been upheld, still carry on. MERTHYR'S SUPPORT. I Thursday evening a deputation from the Dow-I lais miners addressed a mass meeting qf th Merthyr mine's on the situation and the latter undertook to support the iibwlais men in their demand of a South Wales Miners' Federation conference, to tender financial assistance when the occasion arose, and to hold themselves in rea diness for industrial action in case of neces- sity. An allegation heingmadt that coal was being railed from the Cyfarthfa colliery (con- trolled by the Guest-Keens) to the Dowlais steelworks a resolution was passed to take illl- mediate steps to stop that practice during'tbe period of the strike. I CHILDREN TO BE FED.. This is the second week of the.strike and the week-end with no wages to draw a large number of families will find themselves in need. Ac- cordingly a deputation from the miners waited upon the Merthyr Education Authority on Wed- nesday with a request for the establishment of soup-kitchens in the district so that provision may be made for school-children. The deputa- tion included Messrs..Jenkins and Edwards, I' whilst Mr. Morgan Morgan represented the en- ginemen, stokers and craftsmen. lu reply to Mr. David Davies (Pant) the Di- l ector of Education (Mr. Rhys E'ias) stated with legard to tlv committee's power that the law was one of practice. Whenever there had hoe?) distress children had been fed and no lav. in the land could prevent it. Mr. David Parry, seconded by Mr. L. M. Jones, moved the enforcement of the Necessitous School-children Feeding Act and the provision, under that, of a canteen at Dowlais. Mr. Jones regarded the position as disquieting and fore- casted that no negotiations having even yet been opened between the employers and the workmen there was scant promise of an early settlement of tlw di Spll tp and that, in consequence, there would be hundreds of children suffering from lack of yourishinent. A COLLIERY OWNERS' VIEW. Mr. Gonier Thomas, himself a colliery pro- prietor, designated the strike as illegal, and thoutrh lie was quite agreeable to (ceding the children of the 'strikers was insistent upon the parents on resumption of work defraying the cost of the meals. Mr. Henry Ohen asked how necessitous chil- dren would be discriminated. Mr. F. A. Phillips (chairman): Vour medical officer of health does that. The procedure is (xadh- tlw same as at the Brecon-road Canteen. After feeding the children you find out whether the parents have any means, and then \ou go for them.