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SENGHENYDD PITi DISASTER.

Swansea Valley Trade

German Coal for LondonI

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FROM LABOUR'S STANDPOINT.

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FROM LABOUR'S STANDPOINT. Events of the Week- I BARNET KENYON QUICK CHANGE I ARTIST Mr. Barnet Kenyon has excelled himself in the capacity of a quick change artist. After months of con- ferences, discussions and elaborate ne- gotiations, during the whole of which time the Member for Chesterfield had persisted in his determination to sit in Parliament as a Lib-Lab representa- tive, all differences were apparently settled a fortnight ago, when in his own words and the words of the secre- tarv of the Derbyshire Miners' Asso- ciation, he was prepared to accept un- I conditionally the constitution of the Labour party, and to assist in the for- I mation of a local Labour committee m his constituency. On the strength of this agreement, Mr. Kenyon was in- troduced to the annual meeting of the Parliamentary party and took his seat among the Labour members. This was only on Tuesday of last week. Then on Friday Mr. Kenyon announced that he had decided to secede from his pledge so recently given, and would in future sit on the Ministerial Benches as a "Labour and Liberal member." In the course of a long explanatory statement, we gather that the member for Chesterfield now objects to the pro- visions of the constitution, regarding speaking from Liberal platforms, a pri- vilege which he is desirous of retaining. and differences have arisen in regard to the establishment of a Labour party in the constituency, Mr. Kenyon not being prepared to carry out this stipu- lation. With these facts in mind we do not hesitate to say that we welcome Mr. Kenyon's departure. The Labour party will be stronger, more indepen- dent and more virile minus the support of one who would have been with them in name only, an alien in spirit. VLCTORIOUS WORKERS I Our hearty congratulations are due to the two sections of workers who, after a long and stubborn fight for justice, have had their egorts richly rewarded. At High Wycombe, where there has been a lock-out affecting 3,000 workers in the chair making in- dustry for the period of 12 weeks, ne- gotiations conducted by Sir George Askwith, the official peacemaker, has resulted in terms of settlement being agreed upon by each party, these in- cluding a general advance in wages, the establisment of minimum rates for every section and no victimization of the lock-out workers or strikers. The workers have agreed to accept the setting up of joint conferences for consideration of points of dispute which may arise, these to take the place of collective bargaining, which was for- merly recognised. The terms have been accepted as eminently satisfac- tory by a great mass meeting of the workers concerned. The second victory to record is that of the Herefordshire school teachers. After a sitting of over five hours the special strike committee of the County Education Committeo drafted a report containing an amended list of salaries acceptable to both sides, and this mere- ly needs the confirmation of the com- mittee as a while. The members will no doubt be only too ready to accept the report. They have not relished the strike which has already continued for a period of over three weeks, and they have moreover to face the discomfort- ing threat of the Board of Education to step in and settle the dispute over their heads unless the dispute is speedi- ly terminated. THE I.L.P. CHAIRMANSHIP In a letter to the Press last week Mr. J. Keir Hardie, M.P., conveyed his do- cision to retire from the chairmanship of the Independent Labour Party at the annual conference at Easter. He states that he had been asked to accept the position for a second term, in order to a&sist in the consummation of the Socialist Unity proposals which have been set agoing during the past year, and for a time the invitation appealed to him, but now Mr. Hardie says that ho definitely that the reason for his decision is purely physioal, and it may be pointed out that for some consider- able time past, Mr. Hardie has been working at great pressure, ntder cir- cumstances none too favourable so far as his general health is concerned. Whilst many members of the rank and file will regret Mr. Hardie's deci- sion the explanation advanced will, doubtless, be sympathetically received, and his long and distinguished services to the Labour and Socialist cause will be realised all the more forcibly as a result of his retirement from official association with the party. It is stated that eight nominations have been re- ceived for the chairmanship, among them being Mr. Philip Snowden, M.P., and Mr. W. C. AnderSon, both of whom have previously held the position. I ANOTHERI RETIREMENT I A further retirement during the past few days has also occasioned con- siderable regi-et, .,viz., Mr. G. H. Roberts' vacation of the post of chief whip to the party In Parliament. Here again the cause of the resignation is purely a suggestion of health, Mr. Roberts, whose duties are multifarious, having felt the strain on his constitu- tion too severe. It must be exceedingly difficult for a man endowed with merely average human strength to discharge the duties of an official of an important trade union, a member of Parliament, a jour- nalist, lecturer, etc., without seriously taxing his health, and we confess that we cannot possibly understand how Mr. Arthur Henderson, M.P., who has ac- cepted Mr. Roberts' position until the end of the present session, will carry out the work required of him. Are we not prone to expect far too much from our leaders? Would not their work be more effective and more valuable to the party, were they not expected to do the work of two ordinary men? HARTSHORN V. EDWARDS So that promised debate to which many of us have been looking forward with great eagerness, is not to take place after all! The correspondence which has been proceeding in this and other journals during the past week or two between Mr. Vernon Hartshorn and the Rev. J. Hugh Edwards, M.P., has culminated in the inglorious re- tirement of the latter, who apart from the fact that he is "busy with Mr. Lloyd George's biography," appears to be secretly relieved at being spared from what would doubtless have proved a very embarrasing position. The original proposition was that the de- bate should be purely on the question as to whether the Liberal party was responsible for the passing of the Minimum Wage Act, but Mr. Harts- horn pointed out that this would be utterly futile. The question of who was responsible for the actual passing of the Act is of little or no account, therefore Mr. Hartshorn submitted four points surrounding the general attitude adopted by the Liberal party towards the miners' demands during the general strike. It would have been exceedingly difficult for Mr. Edwards to have formulated a reply to these very pointed questions, consequently he now accuses Mr. Hartshorn of "eva- sion," and says it is useless to discuss matters further. Our readers can form their own opinions as to the conclu- sions to be drawn from this latest phase in the controversy. WELCOME FOR THE DEPORTED The nine deported "Labour leaders from South Africa, reached the mother land on Tuesday morning, and were accorded a welcome befitting this un- precedented occasion. The boat upon which they sailed, the Umgeni, reached the Thames early in the morning, and the members of the British Labour Reception Committee, Messrs. W. A. I Appleton, C. W. Bowerman, M.P., A. I Henderson, M.P., W. C. Anderson, I and J. A. Seddon, met the vessel in a specially chartered tug off Gravesend. By now the British public will have learned the true story of the South African imbroglio, and we venture to, predict that the story told by the de- ported nine will differ very materially from, and will sound far more feasible than, the hypocritical cant of Botha- Smuts and Co. Our own leaders have not been slow to realise the necessitv of impressing the British people of the entire sympathy existing between trade unionists here and in South Africa at this grave international crisis, and the manner in which the nine visitors are being entertained will no doubt serve as an adequate demonstration of the fact that the workers of the United Kingdom are determined to maintain their liberty at all costs. W G. A. G. II ————— 1 <  < —————

!Short Factory Hours. II

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I -LAND REFORMER'S DEATH.…

MINERS' WAGE DEMANDI

IDEA TH OF LORD WIMBORNE I

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