Pioneer

Merthyr Notes I Colliery Fatality. Whilst working in the No. 2 Merthyr Vale Colliery on Saturday morning Evan John Hughes, aged 15, of Cardiff-road, Edwardsville, Treharris, was injured by a fall. and later in the day died at the Merthyr General Hospital. 'Inquest verdict: "Accidental Death." Colliery Fireman"s Recklessness. I William Harris, assistant-fireman at the Graig Colliery, Merthyr, was fined £4 (or 42 days' im- prisonment) by the local magistrates on Friday for offences under the Explosives Order of the Coal Mines Act. Defendant was alleged to have taken two cases of explosives—instead of one at a time as stipulated in the Order—into the mine, and not to have taken the necessary precautions of enclosing the powder in a safety canister. Mr. R. A. Griffith (stipendiary), in fining Harris, said: "You have been guilty of gross reckless- ness. Ex-Soldier's Love Affairs. I Thomas John Edwards, or Day, a shipyard worker, of Barrow-in-Furness, was charged at Merthyr on Friday by his wife, who resides at Twynyrodyn, Merthyr, with desertion. Mrs. Ed- wards said that her husband, to whom she was married twelve years ago, was a discharged sol- dier, and after he had been home a week from the Army a woman from Barrow-in-Furness, where he had been stationed, came to Merthyr to ask his mother for her consent to their mar- riage. On her arrival she found that he was al- ready married (to witness), and had four chil- dren. The woman stated tha.t the man had posed as a widower, and told her that his mother kept a large public-house in Twynyrodyn. Later defendant went to work in the shipyords in Bar- row-in-Furness, and until a month ago had been remitting his wif(- ;Cl 14s. a week and El a- week since. Witness alleged that her husband was now living with another woman. The case was adjourned for a month. Y.M.C.A. The final meeting of the committee that or- ganised the Dowlais Y.M.C.A. Fund was held under the chairmanship of Alderman R. P. Rees, and Mr. Lucas and Mr. R. G. Price were present as secretaries. Among the receipts were the pro- ceeds of a jumble sale, £ 51 17s. 7d. concerts, £43 4s. 6d.; flag day, t26 3s. and house-to- house collection, £ 253 14s. Ilid., the total amounting to £ 374 18s. 6.}d. The Committee were complimented upon so excellent a result. Butchers' Petition. I Merthyr Food Control Committee had "before them on Tuesday a request from the local but- chers for a revision in the scheduled prices of meat, as the existing rates often resulted in a loss to the retailer. A resolution was passed to ask the Food Con- troller to take steps that the retailer purchasin g under similar conditions to the wholesaler should be reimbursed to the extent of any loss sustained by buying at the scheduled prices and selling at the fixed retail rates. It was also agreed to write to Lord Rhondda requesting him to for- mulate an order making it compulsory for the -weighing of all sheep instead of weight being judged" by appearance. Further considera- tion of the meat prices revision proposal was ad- journed until Friday. Landlord and Tenant. Merthyr Stipendiary (Mr. H. A. Griffith) gavo an important ruling on Tuesday, when, he held that a notice to quit to a tenant sent by the landlord's solicitor (Mr. F. S. Simons, Merthyr) did not conform with the requirements of the Act. inasmuch as it was not signed by the land- lord or agent authorised in the matter in writing. The case was an application by Mr. M. Hughes, Pant-road, Dowlais, for an ejectment order against his tenant, Mr. B. Thomas, Bryn- jglas, Penydarren, so that he might himself move into the house. Mr. Simons said that the notice was signed by his firm (Messrs. Simons, Smyth, and Daniel), as solicitors for the landlord. Mr. Griffith: You are not agents within trie meaning of the Act. Mr. Simons: Of course, if you hold that, it will be the end of my application to-day. His Worship explained that he had ruled over and over again that a solicitor, as such, was not an agent for the purposes of the Act. Air. Simons That will be an interesting point to be decided. I have always understood that the Solicitors' Act g-ive the power. The Stipendiary: It gives general authority, but the Act requires in this ease a particular authority. I think you will find a ease on it. Mr. Simons I think the Solicitors' Act over- rides it. we can get the matter decided for the purposes of the future. W. oider was made. British Workers' League. Merthyr was visited on Sunday by doughty champions of the British Workers' League, the occasion being the initiation of a local branch of the Comrades of the Great War Association. Ad- dressing this meeting a.t the Drill Hall, Mr. Lawrence Derrick, London, assured his hearers that the country after the war would belong more than ever to the workers. Mr. W. Brownrigg (organising secretary of the T e;iyue) had also a few words to say. lVior t i the meeting a contingent of the discharged soldiers of the town oaraded the streets headed by the Oyfarthfa and Merthyr Municipal Band Miners and War Aims. Dowlais miners at a mass meeting on Mon.lav passed a resolution expressing agreement with the Labour Party's waV aims. Merthyr's 5,000 Queue. I Monday saw Merthyr's biggest queue—one amongst which 5,000 half-pound s of margarine v ere distributed from a multiple shop. Children were barred from the queue, and each of the 5,000 persons in its was given his or her half- pound portion. Nerves. A Merthyr grocer say he has been living in terror of the queues outside his shop daily, and that the past fortnight has added ten years to his life. Building Trades. A meeting of the Merthyr Branch of the South Wales and Monmouthshire Building Trades' Federation on Wednesday decided to support the Federation in fighting the wage* ad- vance question to a successful issue.

Revolution in Bookselling. We produce this week a portrait of P. J. O'Callaghan, the great Irish and Bconomic Bookseller of Glasgow, whose advertisement w i 1 appear in our ool- limns every week in future. When the history of his busi- ness comes to be written it will read more like a romance than an ordinary matter of business progress. Striking out on entirely new lines he has, by purchasing hupe quantities of books be- fore publication, been able to regulate the price so as to bring these within reach of every worker. His enterprise in this respect has met with such success mainly through his advertise- ments in the Labour Press that a Mail Order Department has had to be established, and now scarcely a day passed that book s in large quan- tities are not sent to all parts of Britain and abroad. We trust our readers will made a point of looking out for his bargains as advertised from week to week.

Theatre Royal. When I left the Theatre Royal last night an acquaintance asked me what I thought of the show. Not dasiring a protracted conversation in the lain, l replied, "superlatively sumptuous and the most hilariously humorous comedy touring." He did not know whether the verdict was for or against, and I wasn't proud of the sugary mouthful of doubtful grammar. But this morn- ing I find thet despite the quack medicine ad- vert tinge oi that reply, despite its thick syrupy taste it contains a fairly fair statement of mv I appreciation of Some Treasure." I mean it does not overstate what I should like to state with more restraint, and more emphasis. The fault of touring companies these days is that the comedy parts have had to be cut because the fuji-iiv men whom vCe used to cheer are amsing themselves in dug-outs." Comedy is flat without a really live comedian, though its chorus may be smart, and its principal ladies stairs of the first firmament. But this week there is a comedian—one who will "star" any- where any-when. one whose peer has not since where any-when. The misfortune is that this gentleman remains aionymous because the programme is so badly compounded as to refuse enlightenment. The same is paralleled in the ladies' section. The principal girl has a most charming voice of wonderful range and purity, allied to a figure that would send a sculptor into rhapsodies, and a histrionic art that should give her a lead in London comedy. The comedienne is such as one only me-et,6 in Leeds, Liverpool and Birmingham panto., and the chorus is as bright and pleasing as a peace declaration would I be. The whole of the male caste is strong and effective. It is a comedy of radiant mirth and melody, and the playgoer who misses the theatre this week is to be commiserated with. Mr. and MTs. Ernest Vaughan's Company will be seen on Monday next at the Theatre RovaL in The Little Grey Home in the West," by Mrs. F. G. Kimberley. This lady is well known as a successful playwright, but in this, one of her latest plays, she has far exceeded herself. The story deals with the never-failing mother- love. Not mother-love for a wee helpless baby, but for a grown-up son. Two mothers fight in their different ways for their son's happiness. The story is simply, but most interestingly, un- folded. The company is a strong one, headed by Mr. Ernest Vaughan as "Dick Brya.nt," and Miss Madge Douglas as Peggy." 11 pegg- ,?

Mr. Hartshorn's Bereavement. Mr. Treophitus Hartshorn, father of Mr. Ver- non Hartshorn. J.P., the well-known Maesteg miners' leader, died on Friday at Rogerstone at the age of 70 years.

To the I.L.P. in the Avan Valley. Comrades,—Instead of my usual casual refer- ences to passing events in the District I would fain, this week, address you upon a subject that for us, has eclipsed for the time, even the great tragedy of the war. Our esteemed and faithful comrade, Harry Davies, has fallen under a cloud. The shock has left us all stunned. Grief for his great misfor- tune has rendered us iiiipotent-liati benumbed our senses, and made coherent thought a great difficulty. But despite the sinister shadow which has enveloped our fallen comrade—has isolated him from the scenes of his multifarious activities—I feel assured that lie still occupies the same place in our estimation, and that whatever penalty 1; in store for him, lie will remain our cherished comrade and friend. We, who were honoured by his friendship, who appreciated his greatness, and recognised his limitations, can tell our comrade not to despair. In his fall he is yet greater than any thousand mean-souled backbiters, who may rejoice in his sorrow. The innumerable acts of kindness lie has done to the poor in his own locality cannot easily be effaced. The impression uppermost in most minds is that whatever the crime committed it cannot balance the good he has done. His great misfortune was to have a heart too big for his salary. He gave help when his own need was greater. He could not resist the temptation to alleviate the wants of others, though by so doing he was involving himself in monetary difficulties. In this sense he was like the highwayman who robbed the rich and gave "the proceeds to the poor. Had he thought more of his own personal interests and less of the interest of others?,' he might still be a free man. Oh, God! it has been heartbreaking to see him leaving us like this—he who gave of his time and abilities to the uplifting of others, who gave freely of his abundant store of knowledge to those less gifted, yes, and who led many an erring soul into the paths of rectitude. Now that his own footsteps have. strayed, we who have benefited by his counsel are powerless to save him. We can only express our sympathy and assure him of our unabated legard. The work before us in the immediate future will not be easy. Maybe, there are those who believe that now, our guide, philosopher, and friend has been made powerless, the I.L.P. in > Avon Valley will die out. If there are any who believe that it must be our duty to convince them to the contrary. A movement is always bigger than any man, and were a set-back to happen to the I.L.P. in our District, especially at Cwmavon, it will certainly intensify the un- happiness of our already afflicted comrade. If we have lost a faithful leader, then a dozen must rise in his place. Hundreds have been con- verted to Socialism through the instrumentality of Harry Davies, but it is to be hoped that few are Socialists because of Harry Davies. Any man who would leave a movement because of the de- fection of a particular member never under- stood the purport of what he professed. Harry loved the I.L.P. with his whole heart and soul, and in his great tribulation he worries more about his family and the I.L.P. than about any punishment awaiting himself. There will be a vacant chair in the Cwmavon Branch—a chair which no one will adequately fill, but, as one privileged to see Harry in durance, his message was: "Tell the comrades to continue the good work." We had anticipated seeing his name with the magic initials M.P., alas, our hopes have been destroyed, but I hope that no one regrets having championed his can- didature. I have advocated his candidature in these columns, and do not regret nor withdraw any- thing I have said. I still believe that he would have made an ideal Labour representative, and his work in the Avon District entitled him to tfhe first option of the Aberavon Parliamentary Division. I am asked to thank the numerous friends who have shown him and his family such kindness in their misfortune. Men whom lie expeoted would have scorned him, have stood nobly by his side, and offered their help and sympathy. It is in the hour of affliction one realizes that human nature is good at bottom. Well, comrades, the I.L.P. must continue its work in the Avon Val- ley. Immense progress has been achieved lately, more remains to be done. Let not any temporary obstacle cause inertia or allow mortification to set in. As Christianity is judged by its ethics rather than by the con- duct of its followers, so must Socialism stand or fall by the soundness of its principles rather than by any failings discovered in the lives of its ad- ,oc-,ttes.-Youi-s, Ot.(.. DBMOCHITUS. I

Rhymney Valley Notes. Bargoed and Rationing. -1 At a eonterene ot the various Khymney r ood Control Committees at Bargoed on Monday a protest was passed againfet the action of the South Wales Food Commissioner in calling a meeting of executive officei-s and clerks at Car- diff on Friday last and deciding on a uniformi rationmg scheme for South Wales and Mon- mouthshire, which (sa Id the Chairman, Mr. T. James) meant that the scheme decided upon for the valley had to be scrapped. Members pointed out that it had been publicly stated that their scheme would come into force early in February. The committee also decided to send a tele- gram to Lord Rhondda expressing the intentions of the Bargoed Conference to carry on their own scheme. Riding on the Workers." I Bedwellty Council considered on Tftesday, at New Tredegar, the charges proposed by the Tre- degar Estate for land needed for allotments at New Tredegar. The estate asked f;4 12s. per acre, whereas the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, who were part owners of the land, offered the site (through the vicar, the Rev. H. Jones) at the rate of £2 10s. Mr. J. Tillett thought the council were taking things lying down, having regard to the powers vested in them. He said that landlords were riding on the backs of the workers, who were waiting to till the land, and whilst the council were doing their best to pro- vide land, their action was being impeded by a system of rack-renting by the owners. Several members protested against the charge, and eventually it was decided to wait upon the vicar with a view to getting a reduction in his rate, and in the meantime to write a letter of protest to the Tredegar Estate. Stipendiary Wanted. Bedwellty Urban Council decided, at the meet- ing on Tuesday, to join Ebbw Vale in a confer- ence for the purpose of again promoting a bill authorising the appointment of a stipendiary for the Bedwellty Petty Sessional Division.

Or HELP THOSE WHO HELP -I YOUR PAPER! T R U T H is eternal: it always prevails; and in ■ the few months that E. D. MOREL has B been confined to Pentonville the ideas I contained in his writings have been M discussed AND accepted by great numbers of the people, I not only in great Britain, but through- 8■ out the World. In a few weeks E. D. MOREL will be released 1 and the Third Edition of "Truth and the I War," the most powerful work on the ■ diplomatic relations existing between the ■ belligerent and other nations prior to ■ I THE WAR I will be published on ■ FEBRUARY FIRST. I {T[ Have you had your copy ? If not, will you buy one S -? and learn the cause of the War, and hearten the B Author in his great self-sacrificing work for humanity ? H  384 pp. and Portrait of the Author. B S. Post free 2/4.. To be obtained from the National Labour Press Ltd., 30 Blackfriars B Street, Manchester and 8 and 9 Johnson's Court, Fleet Street, E.C. 4 H the Union of Democratic Control, ^-7 Red Lion Court, Fleet Street B E-IC. 4, and I.L.P. Literature Secretaries.

Avan Valley Sensation I.L.P. READER CHARGED WITH I EMBEZZLEMENT. ACCUSED REMANDED: BAIL REFUSED. Mr. Henry Davies, a well-known I.L.P. leader in the Avon Valley, and assistant overseer and collector of rates for the parish of Michaelsiton Lower, and clerk of the Owmavon Parish Coun- cil, was before the Aberavon magistrates on Monday charged with embezzlement of ztl,000 of th. rate-payers' money. Mr. Edward Powell (Neath) proseeuted; Mr. L. M. Thomas represented the overseers, and Mr. Gibson-Davies was for the defence. Mr. Powell, in his opening statement, said that as assistant overseer and collector of rates Mr. Davies received £100, and for collecting the special sanitary rate £ 60. His books were audited up to the half-year ended September 30. 1916, and then appeared to be in order. Owing to pressure of work the auditor was unable to hold the audit for the following March half-year, and the audits for March and September were held together. Mr. Davies was given notice to attend the audit, but did not do so, but after notice given to the overseers he appeared on Friday last. Aocused had written to the auditor regretting his non-attendanre, and added that he had been guilty of grave irregularities. Davies afterwards attended in the presence of Mr. Powell and the overseers. He told the auditor that before Sep- tember, 1915, he had been borrowing very heavily, that people were pressing him, and that he then commenced to take parish money in small sums. He had passed the audit for March, 1916, and September, 1916, and his bank book then tallied with the collections. This he ex- plained by saying that in September, 1915, he had written to the bank saying that he had lost his cash-book. He securod a duplicate, and wrote up the old pass-book and presented it to the auditor. Accused (went on Mr. Powell) said that he had appropriated over £1,ooe, but how much he did not know. No entry had been made in the books since January, 1917, and the overseers had placed themselves in the hands of Mr. Lewis M. Thomas. Until these were made up he (Mr. Powell) could not go into details. It was con- sidered necessary in the public interest that de- fendant should oe arrested immediately on his own confession. Evidence of Mr. Davies' arrest on Saturday night was given by Superintendent B. Davies, who stated that when he arrived at accused's home and announced the object of his visit a number of friends who were there left the room. His son remained, and suddenly witness saw ac- cused pass something from his pocket to the son's hand. Witness asked him what it was, and the son handed him £ 46 in Treasury notes. Davies explained to witness that Mr. Wnvdham E dwards handed him the notes, which he had collected from friends, and had just given him them that night. Witness, however, was of the opinion that it was a farewell meeting, and this money was for the purpose of enabling the de- fendant to evade arrest. Mr. Ed. Powell having applied for a remand, Mr. Gibson Davies asked for bail. Mr. Davies, he said, was anxious to assist the overseers as much as possible. Accused was remanded for eight days, bail being refused.

—— Tredegar Co-op. Summoned £109 FINES FOR FOOD WASTAGE. PECULIAR CASE OF. TEA" HOARDING." Fines of £50 were imposed by the Blackwood County Magistrates on Friday on the Tredegar Co-operative Society, and their Owmfelinfach Branch manager, Mr. Ashton, for breaches of the Flour and Rice Restriction Order, 1917. The prosecution was undertaken on behalf of the local .Food Control Committee by its Executive Officer, 3fr. Trevor C. Grith, solicitor. I he ^ei \f. acts of the case were that in November of ia?t year the Cwmfelinfac.h Branch of th& Society, temporarily employed a man named Jas.. Stubbs, one of whose tasks was to assist in the removal of the Branch from one shop to another. During that removal he found in the cellar of the old stores a box containing loaves (estimated at about 30 in number) which had turned blue and which were totally unfit for human consump- tion; and further he had on the orders of the- Branch manager removed from a loft three- quarters of a sack of white wheaten lfour, that had gone caked and had deposited this in a bin at the new stores, from which it was sold as "feeding for animals and poultry." Stubbs afterwards reported these facts to the Food Control Committee, with the result that pro- oeedings were instituted, for wastage. The defence put forward was that the bread had been in the cellar for some considerable time—since 1916-and that the lfour was spoiled in transit. What was fit for food was extracted and the rest used as animal feed in accordance with the wishes of the Food Controller. A credit note was, it was said, held for the three-quarter sack spoiled. HOARDING TEA. Another charge arising out of the latter was brought against Wm. Evans, a member of the, Board of Directors, for hoarding tea. Stubbs,, here stated that on the orders of the manager Ashton, he had taken two large chests of tea to Evans' house. One of these had been re- turned, but the other had not been sent back on the date of his discharge from the Society's employ on New Year's Eve. He calculated that the smaller of the chests contained 60 lbs. of tea. The defence in this cswse was that the Society's manager had heard that a raa wa." going to be made by the public on the stores, and he hastily summoned a Committee meoting at which it was. determinedd to acquaint the police with the ru- mour; and to remove the chests of tea for safe- keeping and storage to Evans' house—the near- est committeeman's residence, from which they were to be brought as required for dis-tributidn to the Society's members. Evidence was called of the return of the second chest in an intact condition early in January, Evans told the Bench that only after the tea had been returned to the store did he hear it stated that his house was in danger of a raid. The Magistrates, in giving judgment, ex- pressed the opinion that the Society had been very imprudent in removing the tea. from the stores, but they were not going to convict in this case, which would be dismissed on payment of £3 and costs. Printed and published by the National Labour Press, Ltd., at the Labour Pioneer Preøs. Williams Square, Merthyr Tydfil, SATURDAY, JANUARY 26th, 1918.