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MR. ASQUITH AND THE MINERS.

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- I i BRYNAMMAN NOTES.i i

WHY DON'T YOU DO SO?

From Labour's Stands point.

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From Labour's Stands point. NOTES OF THE WEEK. SOUTH AFRICAN DESPOTISM o have now become accustomed to the autocratic and high handed man- ner in which the South African Govern- ment quell industrial unrest in that country, and are almost prepared to take the calling out of the military, and the imprisonment of active strike leaders as a matter of course, hut their latest and more daring methods of breaking strikes are well nigh incon- ceivable. The deportation of ten re- sponsible Labour and Trade Union offi- cials on the trumped up charge that they induced men to remain out on strike is a piece of outrageous des- potism reminiscent of Czardom, and it is no surprise to learn that this un- warranted attack on individual liberty is arousing the keenest resentment both in South Africa. and in this country. The leaders were placed on board a steamship last week, and were further insulted by the presence of a strong military escort. It is stated that the boat will not touch land until England is reached, but already active prepara- tions are being made by Labour and Socialist organisations to give the exiled leaders a right hearty welcome to these shores. LABOUR CONFERENCE AND PLURAL VOTiNG I Undoubtedly, the most important matter coming before the Labour party conference at the closing session last week-end was a resolution on Plural Voting. Mr. W. Stephen Sanders, of the Fabian Society, moved a reso- lution requesting the Parliamentary Labour Party to vote against any Plural Voting Bill unless a Government measure enfranchising women had been previously introduced. Mr. Ramsay Maedonald opposed the resolution in a logical, well-reasoned, and effective speech, and urged that the Plural Vot- ing Bill was not realh* a franchise Bill at all; it was a registration Bill. Mr. Keir Hardie supported the reso- lution, but was not very convincing in his appeal to the audience to give it their approval, and Mr. Arthur Hen- derson replied with censiderahle effect to the orevious speaker's remarks. Eventually, the resolution was defeat- ed by 1,850,000 to 89,000. We are glad of this decision, lieliev- ing with Mr. Macdonald and Mr. Hen- derson that Plural Voting has not the remotest connection with women's suff- rage. Tho passing of such a measure would not enfranchise a single addition- al person, man or woman. On the other hand it would lessen the influence of those who now have more than their share of political power. Much as we desire to see adult suffrage, we also desire to see the abolition of plural voting, believing^bat even if the pass- ing of such a measure would strengthen the Liberal cause, it would also assist in the advancement of the Labour and Socialist cause. THE NEW PRESIDENT We have no doubt that the action of the Labour party executive in elect- ing Mr. W. C. Anderson as chairman for the ensuing year will meet with general approval from the rank and file. Mr. Anderson is yet a young man, but he has rendered almost in- valuable service to the movement dur- ing the past ten or fifteen years. En- tering as an official of the Shop Assis- tants' Union, he afterwards became identified with the Independent Labour Party, and as a Socialist propagandist, has played a no unimportant part in the recent development of the move- ment. Mr. Anderson's plucky fight in the Keighley bye-election two years ago will still be remembered by many of our readers. He is an ex-chairman of the I.L.P., and wa.s for some time asso- ciated with the "Labour Leader," the official organ of the party. Since the establishment of the "Dailv Citizen," however. Mr. Anderson has occupied the post of leader writer on that jour- nal. The new chairman of the party is married to Miss Mary MacArthur, the energetic secretary of the Women's Trade Union League, and herself (on- nected with practically every phase of tho Labour and Socialist movement. We trust that Mr. Anderson will have a very happy and successful term of office. YORKSHIRE MINERS AND PARLIAMENT It is gratifying to note that the Yorkshire Miners' Association has realised the imperative necessity of strengthening the Labour foroes at Westminster. It has been announced that in addition to the seats already held by officials of the Association, seven further constituencies are to be contested at the next election, includ- ing Doncaster, Rotherham, Wakefield, Morley, Osgoldcross, Holmfirth and Barnsley. The information is not ex- actly official, but Mr. J. Wadsworth, M.P., secretory, has stated that a ballot taken on the subject has favoured the proposal by a large ma- jority, and it now awaits the confirma- tion of the council. Possibly a countv vote will also have to be taken for con- firmation of the seats selected for at- tack, all of which are now held by Liberals. Everyone will hope that the pro- posed storming of these capitalist cita- dels will prove successful, but it is very earnestly to be hoped that the York- shire Miners' Association will speedily make preparation for the best means of assuring victory. As has been pointed out in this column time and again during the past six months, it is per- fectly useless to decide to contest a seat and to rest contented until the election arrives, believing that the fight can be won in two or three brief weeks. Education and organisation are im- perative if success is to be hoed for. In each of the seven constituencies named, the miners should take imme- diate steps for the formation of a strong local Labour party, which should I unite Trade Unionists and Socialists in I one strong fighting organisation. This done and a JLabour campaign carried I through each constituency, and victory is assured. I MR D. A. THOMAS EGOTIST lien, oh, when, will the chairman of the Cambrian Combine develop a little—just a little—common scilse. He continues to make supremely silly speeches which get fully reported, and excite general comment, thinking all the time that he is a very clever fellow, whilst all level-headed people are laugh- ing "up their sleeves" at his acro- batic eloquence. The other evening Mr. Thomas was speaking at Tonypan- dy, and in the course of a perfectly t unconvincing argument that Syndical- ism has been responsible for every con- ceivable ill in the South Wales coal- field, he made an extremely futile at- tempt to show that the workers at the Glamorgan Colliery have to thank the Cambrian Combine for permission to live! Mr. Thomas said that since 1907, the Combine had increased wages at the colliery 25 per cent., although the out- put was not more than 7 per cent. higher, but he failed to give the in- crease in profits, and never referred to the fact that if the 12,700 men had not been employed at the pits, the share- holders would have been minus every penny of their dividend. At the an- nual banquet of the Monmouthshire Officials' Association, this oracle of capitalism paraded his egotism by a repitition of previous intimations re- garding the violent agitator he would be were he a miner. As the ''Daily Citizen" indicates in an open letter published in another page were lie placed in such a position, Mr. Thomas would always be an "agitator in the minority of one," an Ishmael, an antagonist to everything in which D. A. Thomas did not predominate! A MATTER OF HISTORY A meeting of the Cabinet took place on Tuesday, and although the proceed- ings at these assemblies are not made public, it is understood that the prin- ciple business was the final examination and approval of the Navy Estimates for 1914-15. The new estimate provides for four new battleships, and the total figure it is believed is about £ 50,000,000 an increase of nearly £ 4,000,0c0 more than was expended last year. There is also the question of the exceeding of last year's estimates, as well as the increased cost of maintaining the new ships, to consider, so that altogether the increase to be provided for will be over £ 7,000,000. For this wicked and wanton waste of the people's money, we have to thank a First Lord of the Admiralty whose father (Lord Randolph Churchill) resigned his post as Chancellor of the Exchequer rather than undertake to find the wherewithal for increasing the Naval Estimates which, in 1886. totalled not more than £ 30,000,000. Mr. Winston Churchill's pet scheme has now received the formal sanction of members of a Cabinet representing the party labelling itself the upholders of "Peace, Retrenchment, and Re- form." It would be interesting to hear the frank and candid opinion of Lord Randolf on this latest madness of his son, meekly upheld by a crowd of ministers under the domination of the International Armaments Ring! LABOUR'S GREAT ACHIEVEMENT I .? I The result ot the poll in the iNorth West Durham bye-election was de- clared late on Saturday, and with its figures, Labour has every reason to be extremely gratified. Mr. G. H. Stuart, the people's candidate, polled no fewer than 5,026 votes as against 7,241 recorded in favour of Mr. Aneu- rin Williams, the Liberal, and 5,564 in favour of Mr. J. O. Hardic-ker, the < Conservative. Mr. Williams was, of 1 course, elected, and no thoughtful per- son will express surprise. The division has always been 'a Liberal stronghold, and this, together with the fact that Mr. Williams appeared before the elec- tion as a sort of progressive Radical (whatever that may be), were greatly in his favour. But having regard to the fact tha.t this was the first occa- sion on which the seat had been con- tested by a Labour candidate, and that Mr. Stuart had not spent a single day in "nursing" the constituency prior to the declaration of the vacancy, his poll was most satisfactory. The candidate himself, in addressing his supporters, declared that Labour had polled re- markably well, and had paved the way for a future victory. We heartily en- dorse these sentiments. The writing on the wall indicates that the division will be won for Labour at no very distant date. G. A. G.

GWAUNCAEGURWEN

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- -BOTHAISM.

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