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~—I .Trade Union Notes I ,-I
— Trade Union Notes I I By Trade Unionist. A.U.C.E. I The Editor has handed me a very long letter (six foolscap sheets) which he received from Mr. R. J. Davies, one of the officials of the A.U.C.E. The letter deals with certain paragraphs in these notes of December 15th ult., and endeavours to justify the position and activities of the above organisation. It will be remembered that I ex- pressed the opinion that it was unfair to Co- operative Societies to single them out and com- pel them to pay higher wages and generally ap- ply better conditions of labour than the private employer, with whom the Co-operative Societies have to compete. I said, and it cannot be gain- said, that, with the co-operative employees well organised apart from their fellows in the same occupation all over the country, to impose such terms upon the Societies was to completely throttle them, and make them ineffective as competitors of private trading. I suggested also that what was required was a national or- ganisation wherein all engaged in the distribu- tive trades were organised, so that the conditions of employment could be improved all round; all employers having to observe same, and thus avoiding the possibility of some being more ad- vantageously placed than others. SOUTH WALES CONDITIONS. With regard to South Wales, to which special reference is made, I learn from Mr. Davies' letter, that the A.U.C.E. members and various Oo-operative Societies employing them agreed to submit the matters in dispute to the National Co-operative Conciliation Board, and to abide by its decisions. When the decision was given Mr. Davies informs us that several societies refused to accept it, and on this point I am in thorough agreement with Mr. Davies when he describes their refusal as discreditable. Having agreed to Imbmit the question at issue to a mutually ap- proved body for arbitration thereon, they cer- tainly ought to be loyal to the findings of that body. I understand that by now. all, or almost all, the Societies concerned have accepted. V DISLOYALTY OF AWARD. 1h. Davies, however, pursues this question of disloyalty to the inward to a much further length than the facts justify. He says: "The award in question laid it down very clearly that the employees of the societies concerned shall have I 7' free choice of a Trade Union." I have the Award before me, and this is what it says in this connection "This Conciliation Board sug- gests that all employees should be trade union- ists. and shall have the right to choose the union to which they shall belong." or i'J' MERTHYR CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY. I It will be observed that it is only a suggestion, and not intended to be enforced upon the Socie- ties concerned. Mr. Davies makes special re- ference to the Troedyrhiw and Merthyr Co-ope r- eative Society, who were parties to the agree- ment, as having flagrantly violated the above quoted clause, by demanding that all their employees shall within a given time, join the national union catering for their particular class of work. Well, quite apart from all other con- siderations, it is clear that this Society is not guilty of any breach of the agreement, because, as I have pointed out the Board only "SUGGEST" a certain course of action. W SB FOR THEIR DEFENCE. Indeed, I should say that the action of the Troedyrhiw and Merthyr Society is a praise- worthy, and not a blame-worthy, action, inas- much as it is in accord with the deliberate reso- lution of both the Trade Union Congress, the authoritative body of trade unionists, and the Co-operative Congress, the authoritive body for Oo-operators. Here is Clause 1 of the general statement of objects of the United Advisory Oouncil of T.U. and Co-opera.tors:- "That having regard to the mutual inter- ests of the Trade Union and Co-operative Movements, the need for promoting a better understanding and closer working agreement, the carrying on of a joint programme for edu- cational and practical purposes, and to the de- cision of the Co-operative Movement to recog- nise the TVide Union rates of wages and con- ditions of labour as laid down bv the Unions affiliated to the Trades Union Congress, it is incumbent upon all Trade Unionists to be- come active members of their local Go-apera- tire Societies. "As those employed in the Co-operative. Movement will be guaranteed Trade Union rates of wages, etc., it is equally incumbent upon Co-operative Societies to encourage all their employees to become members of their respective trade organisations." It will be seen that the Troedyrhiw Society is loyal both to Co-operation and Trade Unionism, BONA-FIDES OF A.U.C.E. But, after all, the important consideration is the question as to whether the A.U.C.E. is a bona fide trade union. The Trade Union Con- gross says that it not, but Mr. Davies asks, Since when is affiliation to the Trade Union Congress been a hall-mark of trade unionism." He mentions the fact that of about 1,000 Trade Unions in the country, only about 250 are affi- liated. No one has ever contended that affilia- tion is the hall-mark but assuredly eligibility -for affiliation is. The Trade Union Congress is the recognised authority in these matters, and its declaration is emphatic that the A-1?.r?.E. is mot a genuine Trade Union. Mr. Davies con- tends that the A.U.C.E. is a genuine Trade Union, and further, that it is a Trade Union of the most recent and efficient type, because," lie says, "it is ibuilt upon the principle of union by industry. It is an Industrial Union, like the M.F.G.B." With all respect to Mr. Davies' opinion, the claim can only be described as ab- surd. The M.F.G.B. caters for all miners of •every description all over the country, quite ir- respective of the employer who emtilovs them. The A.U.C.E. admits to membership only those employed by Co-operative Societies, while tens of thousands of persons similarly engaged by other employers are debarred. If the employees of, say, Lipton's were organised in an exclusive organisation of their own, or the employees of any other of the many • multiple firms in the. country, w ho are engaged in exactly the same work as Co-operative Societies, they also, I sup- pose, would be entitled to claim that their union or unions were "Industrial Unions." The whole contention is ridiculous, and really does not de- serve serious consideration. WORKERS' WAR AIMS. It is gratifying to learn that the declaration I of War Aims submitted by the Joint Committee I III to the great Labour Conference on December 27 last, were carried with practical unanimity. Such unanimity upon the part of organised La- bour is, in my opinion, bound to influence the Government. In the past the Government has received the approval or the acquiescence of La- bour in all its actions, otherwise it would not have dared to go the length it has. Now it is reasonable to anticipate that the policy which the Government will adopt in the future will conform to the wishes of the Labour forcet. » DEALING WITH PROFITEERING. I One can also expect much good to result from the Food Conference of the 28th. There was an evident determination to deal with the profiteer and to secure a more equal distribution of the food available.
Labour's Peace Proposals.…
Labour's Peace Proposals. I MESSAGE FROM HENDERSON TO RUSSIA. There was almost complete agreement in the I final voting at Friday's Labour Conference at Westminster on the peace policy, which waa sum- marised by MT. Arthur Henderson as followis: l (1) The essential importance of securing a settlement as speedily as possible founded on the principles of democracy and security. (2) That all territorial adjustments must not be dictated by annexationist, or Imperialistic designs, or for reasons of military strategy, but in the interests of progressive civilisation and of world peace. (3) That trade policy after the war must not be founded on the economic oppression or the commercial isolation of the German people. Before the discussion opened, a letter was re-ad from the Prime Minister, in which he said that to his mind the ideals for which we were fighting to-day were precisely the same as those for which the British Empire entered the war, and that the purposes for which the Alliee were continuing the war were not militaristic or vin dictive, but essential to the future freedom and peace of mankind I At the conclusion of the Conference the Exe- cutive Committee of the Labour party and the Parliamentary Committee of the Trade Union Congress met and, after considering the situa- tion in the light of the endorsement of the Com- mittees' memorandum by the Conference, de- cided to telegraph M. Camille IIuymaws, secre- tary of the International Socialists' Bureau at Stockholm in the following terms: — Conference of British Labour and Socialist movement carried to-day the war aims memo- randum, as published in the Times on De- cember 19th. Endeavouring to influence the Government accordingly. Please communicate the terms and decision to the chairman of the Soviet, Petrograd, conveying the strong de- sire of Trade Unions Congress and Labour Party Executive against a separate peace. Also inform Branting.—HENDERSON.
Colliery Assessments.
Colliery Assessments. MERTHYR GUARDIANS OUT FOR IN- CREASED RATABLE VALUES. On the motion of Mr. Harry Evans, it was de- cided at Saturday's meeting of the Merthyr Board of Guardians to recommend the Assess- ment Committee to request colliery owners to agree to an increase in the ratable values of col-1 liery properties consistent with the amounts paid to adjoining unions, and failing a mutual agreement that steps should be taken to re-value all the collieries in the area. Mr. Evans said that since the war the union had only received an increase of 5 per cent. in the ratable values of collieries. In Pontypridd a revalua.tion of mining concerns had brought in! an additional L56,000. Mr. Sam Morgan, seconding, said there was a. I feeling abroad that coal magnates were not pay- ing their full share towards the revenue of local bodies, and this question was being taken up seriously by Labour, who had produced a pam- phlet which revealed a great disparity in assess- ments in South Wales. The extraordinary pro- fits now being made by colliery proprietors war- ranted action as suggested being taken by the Assessment Committee. Mr. John Prowle thought it would be an in- justice to the ratepayers not to proceed with re- assessment. Some of the coalowners were pay- ing increased profits tax. Mr. Dd. Evans, after mentioning that coal was better assessed 40 years ago than to-day was referring to a conference of South Wales Boards of Guardians on colliery assessments four years ago, when he was ruled out of order bv the chairm- (Mr. R. Abraham) who said: You are going back to ancient history. Mr. Evans: Yes and you don't like it. (Laughter.) Chairman: I will put the motion. ill". Evans: How dare you? I am on my feet. (Laughter.) The motion was then put and carried. Mr. Evans: The tyranny of the Chairman is getting abominable. (Laughter.)
Maesteg Notes.
Maesteg Notes. Democracy and Peace Terms. Deputising for his brother, Mi'. T. Evans (Owm), Councillor John' Evans (Nantyffyllon), taking the platform for the Progressive Free Church, Maesteg, said that the year 1917 had been very barren to thinking men, and he thought that as we now stood upon the thres- hold of a new year we could profitably make a resolution as to our wants and our actions for: the new year. The one great need of the people for 1918 was Peace, and he was of opinion that the only way to obtain it was by negotiation. He paid a high tribute to the courage of our boys on land and sea, and that was all the more reason why we should preserve their lives and not blast them afay with shrapnel. He referred 'to the Miners' Conference on the following day (to which he was a delegate) and pointed out that the miners were beginning to realise the power of Labour, in that they proposed to call the Industrial Triple Alliance* into play to com- pel the Government to grant what we were ask- ing for. He stated that there was such a thing as premature peace, and if the Democracy did not arouse themselves and demand to be present at the settlement, but left it to the professional diplomatists to settle, then it would be prema- ture. The times called for brave men to act re- solutely, not only on the 'battlefields, but in bringing about peace in other ways, and Labour could do it. He thought the workers through their Trades Unioiis should tell their Govern- ments: "These are our peace terms, they must be yours also."
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I ___New Miners' Agent.
I New Miners' Agent. MR. ABLETT WELCOMED TO MERTHYR. Merthyr miners on Sunday at the Olympia Rink gave a rousing reception to their new agent, Mr. Ablett: An appeal for loyalty and sympathetic support amongst the rank and file of the workers towards their new leader was made by Mr. B. J. Williams: whilst Mr. D. Lloyd Davies, an official in the Mardy district of the S.W.M.F., described Mr. Ablett as tern- peramently a fighter in the industrial war, and an acquisition! to Merthyr, with its great reputa- tion in the working-class movement. In a brief and incisive address, Mr. Ablett asked for fair-play in his new sphere of activity. He invited just criticism, but would not tolerate carping criticism—criticism which warped a man and stunted his initiative. He believed the Trades Union Movement the most important in the world because it stood for the whole of humanity. It was the organised working class that was going to achieve social emancipation. And so it was that he claimed it the highest and biggest movement in the universe; and La- bour in its everyday work should keep in mind that achievement. They, the Democracy, were laying down the framework for a society free from the grip of Capitalism and private owner- ship—the ideal to the realisation of which he was devoting his life-work. (Applause.) A resolution, moved from the body of the hall, was passed emphatically protesting against the action of the police in raiding the meeting of the Unofficial Reform Committee at Cardiff.
"In The Melting Pot."
"In The Melting Pot." AUDITOR AND GUARDIANS. Mr. M. D. Propert (district auditor) an- nouncing the adjournment of the audit of the accounts of the Merthyr Guardians until Janu- ary 18, states that the only work remaining to be completed in the audit is to insert certificate of disallowances and surcharge. "I am never quite sure." he writes, "whet]-ier it is fun or anger on the part of some few of the Guardians who seem to think that any steps taken at the audit are intended as personal affronts, etc. Per- sonally I am anxious to have no outstanding audit question with the Guardians at this junc- ture, when their very existence appears to be in the melting pot."
FOUR MONTHS FOR.DICK W ALLHEAD..
Four Months for Dick Wallhaad (Continued from page 1). There is no doubt about it, he said they would be the regular army when the others had been returned to civil lile. STAFF CAPTAIN'S EVIDENCE. I Hamilton Kerby Shaw, Staff Captain in the Adjutant-General B Department at the War Office, said he had been ordered to attend court to give evidence relative to matters raised by Mr. Wallhead m his speech. The statement that boys of 18 joining the army would be kept for the regular army of the future was absolutely falfce. He had been in numerous barrack-rooms and camps throughout the country and he had never seen this notice posted anywnere. His department was concerned with administration and would have full knowledge of a notice had it been issued; and since the speech was made he had visited many commands and made numerous enquiries among the men, and he could say the statement was absolutely false. He produced copies of the old voluntary enlistment attesta- tion form, a Derby Scheme, and a Military Ser- vice Act attestation forms, and on each it was distinctly stated that enlistment was for the period of the*'war, after which the recruit would be discharged with all convenient speed. Prior to taking up his present post he had been Staff- Captain of a command near the coast, with a considerable body of men, and though he was frequently in and out of the barrack-room of the camp he had never seen any such notice as that referred to by Mr. Wallhead. Cross-examined, he eaidr, that a man could only leave the army on attaining his discharge, which meant that a soldier could not leave the army directly the war was over. IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY. Mr. Wallhead: His discharge may come in two, three or four years.P-It IS impossible to say. It depends upon what service they have enlisted in, but they will be discharged with all convenient speed. That means at the convenience of the War 0,ffice. It may be decided that it would be con- venient to hold them for five yearn ?—I cannot say. Mr. Wallhead was then proceeding to ask whether in any' scheme of demobilisation it would be only fair that the older married men should be the first discharged, when Mr. Powell objected on the ground that any opinions were inadmissible, since they were not facts relative to the case. Even assuming that the statement was true, there was stall an offence against the RegulatiollB Mr. Wallhead There is the question arising that boys who are joining now at 18 years of age will be retained after .peace is declared until the War Office decides that they will be discharged. That is, they will be kept in the army after the war, and will be the regular army of the future. It must be so. NOT IN EVERY BARRACKS. You did not go in every barrack-room, Cap- tain Shaw?—Every barrack-room in England, you mean? Yes !-Oerto.inly not. Have you been connected with the Adjutant- General's Department since the coming of the Military Service Acts?—No, I joined the office in June this year. So there may have been notices posted up be- fore June which you may not have seen ?—I should be likely to see any notice issued, since I was in and out of barracks very much then. Have you been to Henhxm Park Camp, South wall, Suffolk ?-No. So that if such a notice was posted there you would not know?—No. Could a commanding officer put up a notice? Has he discretionary powers?—Yes. He could put up a notice effecting his troops. Commanding officers do not make statements on parade, do they?—No, they don't. I served five years in the Volunteers, and they did not do it then. The Chairman pointed out that this was not a question and requested Mr. Wallhead to con- fine himself to questions and not to make state- ments. This concluded the evidence for the prosecu- tion, and Mr. Wallhead was then asked whether he would give evidence on oath or preferred to make a statement from the solicitors' table, where he had been seated, with Mr. E. Roberts (Dowlais) as legal advisor. Mr. Wailhead pre- ferred the latter course. I WHAT IS FORTHWITH? The first thing I want to submit to your wor- ships, said Dick, is that these proceedings are entirely irregular. No proceedings can be taken in the police-court under Regulation 27, with- out the authority of Regulation 56. And I say that these proceedings are irregular, first, on the ground that the authority of the Competent Military Authority does not give the particulars of the alleged offence, it does not refer to any time or place where the alleged offence was com- mitted; secondly, I say that they are irregular on the ground that Regulation 56, sub-section 3, says that where a person is alleged to be guilty of an offence, other than those declared by these regulations to be a summary offence, the parti- culars shall be given to the competent military or naval authorities who shall FORTHWITH inves- tigate the offence. This alleged offence took place on the 12th September, and the constables have given evidence that they reported within a very short time after the alleged commission of an offence, but the Competent Military Authority must have come to the decision at the time these reports were made that he would not proceed with the case. The Chairman Why ? Mr. Wallhead: Because it says here he must proceed forthwith. The Chairman: That may be. But forthwith may not be five minutes. Mr. Wallhead: No; but here nine weeks elapse. The Chairman: But have you any evidence to show that nine weeks is not a reasonable time in this case. Mr. Powell: Regulation 58 C. says that every document purporting to oe an order of the Com- petent Authority shall be received in evidence, and deemed to be such until the contrary is shown. Mr. Wallhead: I am simply saying that nine weeks has elapsed, and that cannot be deemed to be forthwith. The Chairman: Does the Regulation say that if the proceedings are not taken forthwith the Authority is bad. Mr. Powell: No; under the Defence of the Realm Act there is no time limit. I can bring ?,-t case in five years. A CASE OF MEMORY. Mr. Wallhead Here, I submit your worships. I that we have to deal with a case of memory, and a remarkable case of memory at that. I am a responsible man; I am an expert platform speaker; I have spoken for the last three years in all parts of the country, and with all kinds 1 of people reporting me, yet this is the first charge I have had against me of a breach of the Defence of the Realm Act. I submit to you that the statement with which I am charged with uttering is not a statement which I should make, that there is no written record, either in longhand or shorthand, of the speech, and that the whole thing rests upon the memory of men who have listened to a particular statement; and have then listened to the continuation of a lengthy speech, and retained in their memories not only the arguments of the preceding and succeeding statements, but the actual words. Sergeant Williams' memory seems to be parti- cularly defective apart from the particular 112 words with the use of which I am char god. THE ARGUMENT OF THE SPEECH. I I maintain thai, under those conditions the evi- dence is not good. My argument in the whole of that speech was to deal with the growth of militarism, and the dangers of militarism and its effects upon the democratic institutions of this country, should it develop a. permanent characted. In my speech I developed' an argu- ment against the .Foreign Policy of the Govern- ment as exhibited in the treaty with regard to Constantinople; I then went on to develop the argument, basing my case on the Dardanelles Commission Report; tracing the growth of mili- tarism through the Derby Scheme to the Con- scription Acts, and thence proceeded to deal with demobilisation. I told the audience that in so far as demobilisation must take place slowly, the young boys would necessarily be re- tained as the Regular Army after the war was over. I maintain that my statement was abso- lutely correct so far as one can base an argu- ment on facts at one's disposal, or from the evi- dence that one can obtain. My argument was based on the fact that I was told by a man who had seen the document that.had been posted up in Henham Park Camp, Southwall. MUST BE PROVED. Mr. Powell: That must be proved. The Chairman: You cannot make a statement as to a fact in your speech which you are not going to prove. Mr. Wallhead: I say that Captain Shaw sub- mitted that the notice may have been posted in that particular barracks. The Chairman: That is not the point. The point is that you have no right to say that it is there unless you are prepared to prove it. That is the general law governing evidence. You can- not say that certain things have been done un- less you prove them. Mr. Wallhead: I could have produced a wit- ness who had seen this notice, but he is a sol- dier. The Chairman: Then you must produce him before you are allowed to make this statement as a matter of fact. Mr. Wallhead: Can I make a statement why* I do not produce him ? My witness is a soldier-, The Chairman: No; we do not wish to know why you do not produce him. That is not the point. You may argue that the notice may be somewhere, but you have no right to state that it is somewhere unless you produce a witness who saw it. That is our ruling. Mr. Wallhead: My argument then is that on the evidence a notice may have been posted up. The Chairman: That you are entitled to argue. NO EVIDENCE. Mr. Wallhead: And that there has been no evidence produced here to show that that is not the case. So far as I am concerned this state- ment is no fabrication of mine. I did not use the form of words attributed to me a.t all, and so far as the effects of my words are concerned the only argument we had had is that of Mr. Powell that mothers may have appealed to Tri- bunals. But that is a perfectly legal thing for them to do. If they did appeal for their exemp- tion for their sons it is then left to the Tribunals to decide whether they should be granted exemp- tion or not. If that is the only argument that can be brought then I submit that the prosecu- tion has an exceedingly weak case, and I ask the Bench to give a verdict, in my favour. THE VERDICT. After a short, retirement the Chairman an- nounced that the Bench had decided that the two offenees had been proved but that they had not fixed the penalties. Was it intended to go on with the other two charges. Mr. Powell: Almost the same language was used in Maesteg as in this case. Precisely the same remarks are objected to in the Maesteg case. Nothing more, nothing less. If Mr. Wall- head will plead guilty I will not call any evi- dence. Mr. Wallhead: I have nothing further to i plead. After another brief adjournment the Chairman said that in the two Briton Ferry Oases the Bench had decided that the defendant would pay a fine of £ 25 in each case, includidng costs, in default of payment, two months in each case, to run consecutively. In the Maesteg cases he was ordered to pay the costs. Mr. Powell: I ask for witness's expenses. The Chairman: You will be allowed an advo- cate's fee of five guineas to cover all the cases, and witness's expenses will be allowed. AN IMPROMPTU CONFERENCE. At the close of the hearing an adjournment was made by several of the comrades to an ad- jacent cafe, where lunch was ordered, at which Dick Wallhead was present. Following the lunch an informal conference of ways and means was held to consider what would be the best course to adopt with reference to the payment of the ifne, or the serving of the term of impri- sonment. Dick himself refused to consider any proposals to raise the fine; and whilst all were in sympathy with Dick in the attitude he had taken up, the majority questioned his ability to submit to the rigour of imprisonment from a health standpoint. In this respect Dick himself was doubtful, and ultimately it was decided that Dick should go down and in the event of any signs of a breakdown in health supervening he should convey the information to the outside and the fine would be met. At the same time it was decided to at once institute a maintenance fund for Mr. Wallhead and family, and a circu- lar has been issued to all branches of the I.L.P. in South Wales in furtherance of this project. It is to be hoped that the response will be an adequate one, and will mark our appreciation of the yeoman work that Wallhead has put in for the Cause during the past 15 years in general, and the last three years in particular. Any unattached readers who care to subscribe should communicate at once with Mr. Ivor H. Thomas, 65, Rockingham Terrace, Briton Ferry.