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THEATRE ROYAL & EMPIRE PAUSE, Merthyr I j RESIDENT MANAGERESS—MRS. G. D. REA. § 7,630 ONCE NIGHTLY. 7.30 g ? Week commencing MONDAY, FEB. 25th, 1918. I I ?L?TINEE THURSDAY AT ?) P.M. I 1 W* GREAT AfU?ICAL ATTH ACTION. j 2 THE GEORGE EDWARDES COMPANY and Produci.? fr(?w Daly's Th?tr?, London 2 (under the DJreetlon of Rob<?l. Evtt) present- I h e HAPPY DAY j  A MUSICAL PLAY IN TWO ACTS, BY SEYMOUR HICKS.  2 I If you ?BJ?ed BETTY do not miss this. I| Cbnveya.n-c*,? run dawn th? VaJIf<? af-wr the evening performance by arrangement. 1 I Seats may now be booked. Telephons No. 2. Free List entirely suWendW. S PW Circle, 2/6. Stalls, 2/ Pit, Gallery, 6d. j miamiMHatiaBi PLUS NEW TAX. laMHaaHMHanHBiiM re' j Merthyr Electric Theatre j J Week commencing Monday, February 25th. 5 I CONTINUOUS PERFORMANCE FROM 2.30 TILL 10.30 P.M. DAILY. I I Monday Tuesday, and Wednesday- I THE PROFLIGATE I 5 An Excellent Picture of Wilklnsom. t THE GAZETTE This week our patrons will be delighted by an extra joo feet of this picture. j GLORIA'S ROMANCE-Part Six. I w Bairnsfather's Cartoons. Shanghaied Jonah-Triangle Keystone. I M Thursday, Friday, and Saturday- I I JOAN OF ARC OF LOOS I I Walterdaw Drama. 1- I THE IMMIGRANT-Chaplin Comedy. I = THE GREY GHOST—Part 7. COMEDY. PATHE S OAZ&TE. | 1 ADMISSION 3d—Tax, Id.; 6d.—Tax, 2d.; 1/ Tax, 3d. I W Children? Matinee on Saturday at 10.15-1d. only. • Late II .i r ABERAVON'S NEW CANDIDATE: BOB WILLIAMS SECRETARY TRANSPORT WORKERS, ON 11 I may say that for a light, palatable, and easily smoked cigarette, I know of none that that are better" TRADE UNION SMOKES THE WORKERS' CONCERN ¡.- MAKE IT YOUR CONCERN to demand EVERYWHERE the Hand-Made Cigarette with the T R A D E UNION Guarantee. PARTICULARS: CIGARETTE MAKERS TRADE UNION CIGAQETTwoNA!DE UNION I 11 CHURCH LANE, LONDON, E.1. HOPE CHAPEL, MERTHYR, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24th, 1917. Rev. J. Morgan Jones, M.A. SUBJECT-" TOLSTOY." A CORDIAL WELCOME EXTENDED TO ALL OTHER SOCIETIES PLEASE NOTE that the ANNUAL SHOW "W in connection with the MERTHYR AND DISTRICT ALLOTMENTS HOLDERS' ASSOCIATION 1 will be held at Merthyr on August 29th, 1918. Don't Clash with this Date. WANTED. NEW LAID EGGS wanted..Full market price given. State quantity and if boxes found. Prompt payments; banker's references. —Write Williams, Creameries, Ltd., 116, High- road, Streatham, London, S.W. 16. MISCELLANEOUS. CLOTHING, Boots, Bedding, Drapery, Hosiery, Jewellery, etc., new or second- hand, try Harris's. Value assured or money returned within three days. All goods delivered free, distance no object.—Note Address, 5 OastJe Street, Merthyr. LITERARY. UNITARIAN PAMPHLETS on The Bible," Heaven," and "Hell," given post free. —Miss B-VRIIBY, Mount Pleasant, Sidmouth. or HELP THOSE WHO HELP I" TOUR PAPER J

PLEASE MENTION THE PIONEER WHEN ANSWERING ADVERTS. BOOKS FOR LOVERS OF LIBERTY Special Discount to Readers of the PIONEER." It ha, bot-n decided to allow the following dis- count to 'Pioneer readers ordering by pOM. or purchasing at our promises the undermentioned Books, the discount to be applied as part pay- ment on other books selected from this list. All books are priced post free, and customers call- ing personally will be allowød"" d i,oou nt, off the actual sale price. Purchasers of Books value tl 3d. per 1 Do. value 10 1- and under £ 1 2d. Do. value ;-) i and under 10 Do. under oj- Labour in Ireland 1/3 Re-Conquest of Ireland 1/3 By James Connolly. Economics for Irishmen 1/4 My Little Farm. By Pat. 1/4 These books are the- results of an experi- ment of a. British workman who became a prosperous Irish farmer. • Memories of Mount joy 1/3 The inner hist-ory of Easter Week, with an interesting account of Leader's prison experi-! ♦ ■nee. By Sean Milroy. The Gaelic State. By Darrel Figgis 1/3 The Economics of Sinn Fein. A for (vast of the new Party's programme. BIOGRAPHY, HISTOKV, kVD ECONOMICS. New Books. The Commonweal. A. P. Hillier. 4/6 for 1¡3 A study of the Federal system of Political Economy. A most instructive book. Modern Sociali-.m 6 11 for 2 An excellent a-r-eouni of its Hisrt/orieal devel- opment, by the great Russian writer Baron- owsky. British Industries Under Free Trade. 7/6 for 2 f. A famous book. By Harold Cox. Bamford's Passages in the Lrfe of a Radical. In two Volumes 10 i for 4/- Essays on Evolution and Design. 7/6 for 2/3 By Prof. Young (late Glasgow University) Edited (with Analysis and Introduction) by W. Boyd. M.A., B.Se. This is a. remarkable work dealing with Darwinism, Natural Selec- tion, etc-. The Foundations cf Liberty. Fell. 6 for 2!- Socialism, Individual Right,s. etc. i a l lSTn I I a The Nation as a Business Firm. 3,6 for 1/6 By W. H. Malloek. Wealth and its distri- bution, National Income, etc. Science in Public Affairs I 1. 5 for 2/- J. E. Hand. Preface by Lord Haldane. MtHCKr.i.wvors. Jesuitland. By W. H. Koebel 12 6 for 4/- Introduction by Cunningham Graham. A study of the working of the famous Jesuit missions in South America. A very valuable book for students. The Reporters' Gallery By Michael MacDonagh. History of Par- liamentary Reporting, with interesting and amusing sidelights on what goes on behind the scenes in the BaubloSh<)i)." Life of Labouchere IS for 61 History of Irish Party 25 i-tor 8!- By F. H. O'Donnell. (Two volumes). Gladstone and Ireland 10/6 for 3/6 Dai Nippon 12/6 for 5/- Japan in World Potitics 12/6 for 5 Two remarkable books on Japan by Dr. Henry Dyer. This Rialm 6/- for 21ii A s.tudv of country life. charming sketches of bird life, the ways of animals and nature, as seen by G. A. B. Dewar, aurthor of "The Glamour of the Earth. n Illustrated. Side-Lights of Nature 6/- tor 2,1- Delightful studies of wild life. By E. T. Edwards. Illustrated. The Art of John MacWhirter, R.A. 6/- for 2/- With five full-page illustrations of his best work, suit-able for framing. Numerous text illustrations. I P. J. O'CALLAGHAN Whotesale Bookseller. 132 & 134 WEST NILE STREET, GLASGOW. I (2 Doors North of Bath Street). Hours [> a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays. ■' p.m.

Ca Ira I ALTHOUGH Parliament has onoe more passed tiirough a spasm of excitement, scarcely dignified enough to be termed a crisis, and has come out whole, the credit of the executive must have been undermined. Flare after flare follow in g each other, as they have been doing for the past two or three months, mii&t ultimately lead to a position from which the only escape will be an appeal to the electorate. Given an iota of fair play in the direction of a lifting' of the innumer- able restrictions on frtve-oxpression, we would welcome such an appeal, confident in the immu- table logic of the Socialist case against war. and confident in the programme of progressive re- form and reconstruction which the Socialist Party alone can ()ffl- I" as a cure for the many humours that the body politic. is bound to suffer from. in the debilitated state in whioh the peaCt", of to- morrow will leave it. Even on the old register, and in despite of the calculated repression, and even more calculated misrepresentation of our case we would be content to face the country on the clear cut issue of Socialism's direüt challQllg-e to its antagonistic theories and parties. And the day is rapidly approaching When that programme will have to be pronounced upon by the franchise of Britain. Perhaps it'is oven now ready to burst upon us. Indications s how that it is not so far distant. That election ahead will be the bitterest thait we have engaged in. Calumny, lies and slanders will be our portion. In place of the embittering puerilities of the "Atheistic- Free-love school that we have come to expect to emerge from the contemptible nobodies of the irresponsible propaganda societies and bodies that so mysteriously appear with press funds during elections, we shall be called upon to meet and answer a bigger and' better organised thing. The flank attacks we may still have, but they will be unnoticed in the election that finds us faced with an united press and platform opposi- tion, such as we have never known. Against all the dangers of a syndicated daily press, such as no other country has got, we have very little with which to offer resistance except the leader- ship of brave and capable men; and the enthu- siasm of an educated and inspired rank and file. Of the leadership we are already assured by the actual experiences of the past three and a half years. The men who have been able not alone to steer the barque of the T.L.P. among the rock s and shoals of the stormy waters of the times out actually to attract to that barque the refugees from the sinking ships of Liberalism and Toryism, are capable of meeting successfully the opposition that we perceive. No less sure is the enthusiasm that inspires the rank-and-file, but since it is upon this last section that we must, perforce depend most upon it is opportune now to appeal to The whole membership of the I.L.P. in South Wales to discipline itself ediu-a- tionallv for the task that must ere long be la.id upon it. Not. only the issue of war or no war; knock-out blow peace or a negotiated end of the strife, must he known from A to Z and bad, again, but. our proposals for the future of Bri- tain must bo equally well founded upon solid theory, and the practical experience of the past. Wo have heard it said by good Socialists, at least reputed good Socialists, that rather than the muddle- of the post-war years as an active party in the Government of the land, they would prefer a political inactivity in the House of Commons, and a critical activity on the plat- forms of Britain. Such an expediency is not even counsel of perfection. It. is the. expression of moral cowardice. Our Socialism is not fair- weather Socialism is not. an opportunist doctrine practicable only under normal conditions, and guaranteed smooth running times. If we as the most active section of the greater Labour Party arc not prepared to face the rough work ahead with a workers'* programme making for the Social state; our opponents will not be so weak a.,7 to refuse an opportunity of governing for the benefit of themselves and the foundation of the Servile state. Most Socialists have always felt that it was out of a time of wrath and wrack that the consciousness of out programme would orme to the people at large: that the vast ma- jority of untrained men and women in the nation would only turn to a party that, spoke to them in terms of ideals which they never paused to comprehend, because the pressure of the econ- omic situation had ojiened their eyes through hunger and suffering. That rime i, upon us. and none but the faint-hear red will in-si rate to buckle on the helmet, and take up the Cru- sader's mace. But. if the Crusade is to lead to sanity and advancement it must h. a crusade based not upon the enthusiasm of a transcen- | dental moment, out the enthusiasm of a great cause that was fOllDtkd in The far back days of history, and that has blazed continuously as the beacon light to Ctopin from the days of and Plato, through the times of More and Bruno to the day- of Marto and Morris: that has at last emerged from the sphere of Utopian dreams-—the philosophic jjerfection of classic economy, and the perfect sociological reflex or scientific methods and experience in the organic world of the laboratory. Chily the neophyte would be, a.fra.id of trusting the future to a system that, assimilates all true experience: that com pro fiends all knowledge within its sphere, and that is as true in Japan as in Britain, in Germany as in Russia.. It is because without Socialism the muddle can only h-ad to chaos, and anarchy arid heart-break, and revolution, t,nat the Socialist dared not shirk his task: that Socialism is called upon to face the work of clearing the litter. To work then. The time is all too short, the task herculean. He who is worthy the cause must be prepared at any mo- ment. There is no room for the sluggard. It is not sbouters that Socialism calls for to-day. but for men conscious of their manhood and alive to responsibilities; and women to en- courage by their endeavour, to he inspired bv the future life of the nation—the childhood that that it- to t)c,. Let us then even now start, out on the sphere or propaganda for the next election; make sure of your vote to-day, your neighbour to-morrow, and his vote the day after. Your lives are sanctified ,ci an ideal, realise your worth in the results of the ideal.

I Dick Wallhead at Large i On he-artiest, congratulations are accorded to Dick Walihead on his release from durance, vile at wee ks' 01 in- vci?nmry hibernation in the }?n<?? house of Hi< N f.-L .'V ]?,a.i-'ii tha,t. w"tli I l?l' exception of ?h? disfiguration ( ?) of a moustache and a-n accentuation of the hatchet keenness of his face and eye, Dick is looking fit. enousrh to take the platform in his own grand style*: and capable enough to chair the Party through the most strenuous year of its lite as he certainly has a. likelihood of ha,villg to do after our Easter Conference at Leicester. So far as we have able gather the conditions of Dick's release, they are ronfined to an undertaking on his part not to repeat the statement that resulted in his imprisonment.. Such an undertaking was. of course, unnecessary, since Did, is far too careful of his reputation. and of the reputation of the i Party, to repeat a statement which he was not in a position to absolutely substantiate should j circumstance's require. When we saw him last I in the p<)ice office at Neath awaiting transpor- tation to Swansea. Prison, our heart, quaked bo- j cause of our fear that lie wou ld Lot' unable to stand the strain of confinement. It is with de- light that, we learn that so far as can he j gathered our fear was groundless. Dick's impri- I senmer.t. has endeared him more than ever in the hearts of his admirers in South Wales, and we must insist that immediately Coventry has satis- fied itself by drinking in his oratory, he is drafted back to South Wales to finish the work he was doing when the heavy hand of the ungentle D.O.R.A. snatched him from F.

i Mr. Hyndman Annoyed I SECRET DIPLOMACY OF A PEACE MISSION I h <' v(?"- .T.n ?cia?ist Mr. H. M. Hyndman. tine veteran Socialist l<uk'r, I??u-m? before The Polish Society at the Ho>bc»rn Re?ta.urAUt on Saturday said that General ??nuT?, who had no authority from the .people of this country to represent them, had "oeen sent to Switzerland to carry on negotia- tions for a separate peace with Austria-Hungary. It. was quite impossible for her to make a separ- ate peace at the present time, and every word which passed between General Smuts and Count Mensdorff. whom he met in Switzerland, was sent, daily to Berlin to 'strengthen the hands of H?tUn? in the Hrp?t-Ljt?vsk negotiations. General Smuts utterly failed in hi? negotiations, bnt not ?'tM?nt. with one fa.Hu!'? he was ?pnt ont a.?ain. For the War Cabinet and the "'orejn OfHr? t? act in this manner, witho:? any rcffr- ence to the British people or communication to the House of Commons, is direct treachery, not. only to Great Britain, but. to the democracies of Europe engaged in the war. We common Eng- lishmen are the paymasters of these men. We pay Smuts, Balfour, Robert Cecil, and Lloyd George not to betray ns, but to tell lli the truth and stick to it. Territorial propositions were made to Mensdorff, I am informed, which were directly contrary to Polish interests. If this is untrue, let it be stated to be untrue. Let us have 'Smuts in court and hear what he has to say. It is of the very greatest moment to know that we are not going-to lose at the council table what we all hope and believe we shall win in the field. 'I

50,000 Allotment Holders Want Security of Tenure I IMPORTANT MERTHYR MEETING. I At Merthyr Town Hall on Thursday night ^February 16) a meeting of the. Merthyr Allot- ments' Association was held under the presi- dency of Mr. John Mann. Mr. Walter Williams, Brecon, an organiser of the Agricultural Organisation Society—with which the Allotments' Association is affiliated- gave a comprehensive address, in which he mainly dealt with questions of organisation, treatment of soil, selection of manures, etc. He said there were now .50,000 members in the Al- lotments' Association, and he explained that as a body they were not capitalistic or of any party complexion, but democratic, and they were engaged on a work of national importance. (Hear, hear. > Incidentally, he. mentioned that the most suitable of basic slag for manuring purposes (was that which was obtainable at the Cw mi el in Works, near Swansea. He detailed and commented upon various forms of organic and artificial manures, and recognised that some of the hitter were difficult to obtain just now. He advised the holders of new ground not to bury their turf too deep, and, in passing, gave the Merthyr cultivators—many of whom were now to the work—credit for their perseverance. THE PLOUGH. He dwelt upon the importance of the old-time plough. whieh was again being brought into requisition. Ploughs which had I",it for ma.ny yca.rs discarded in his native county of Carmar- then were now being set to work agail" and for the sake of the country he thought this method should ne adopted as far as possible. He was the -on or a farmer, and had worked on tho farm until lie was 22 years of age. and he was surprised at the long distances sea-birds came to follow the plough." He had seen gulls at Llandovery, picking up everything in the nature ot worms, etc., that had been upturned. At the same time, he said, cultivators should not be afraid of the ordinary earth worms, which were splendid fertilisers of the soil. ORGANISATIONS TO BE LINKED UP. It was the wish of the A.O.S. and of the Gov- ernment that their organ i sati on should be linked up. and that they should have a voice in electing the. irovcrnors of the A.O.S. The culti- vator of allotments had been of great service to the country, and lie believed that with ex- tended attention to waste and other lands the time would come when there would lie no diffi- culty as to our food supply. You," said he, have1 tl,077i(I toO the rescue There nl ust be more^ producers and less consumers, and he was certain that the movement in which they were engaged would lead to better conditions a.nd r-enn" for the cultivators of the land. (Ap- plause.) QUESTIONS. Mr. Bert Brobyn ra ised several points con- cerning organisation and supplies. The Merthvr Association (he s-iid) had ordered 42 tons of seed potatoes, and sent money with the order, but in response to this their Secretary. Mr. Starr, had merely received a ^post-card of acknowledgement. Mr. Waiter iiliams, in reply, agreed that tne con t'ereuee- of f|i(> Associations should be fixed for the convenience of group ecintres, and explained that the Bridgend conference had not (-.died by the Association, but by the Brid- I f-tend-' Br*TTTST-tVR—<.— F-FR- -further allowed that, a prompt supply of seed potatoes was de- s;rabk«. especially in view of tho anticipated in- crease at Merthyr of about 200 or '100 allotment holders. they were out for the security of tenure. (Applause.) A BETTER ENGLAND WANTED. J tc Chairman said the Borough Council had undertaken tha.t there should be land for every applicant, but they were only in a position to ve tenure. It was felt by the Association that the period should be lo yca.is. and they had already approached the Council and »n,skod them TO put the Allotments' into force. He recognised the necessity of improved housing, but he objected to giving up allotn^its for building purpose*. He1 wanted to "f (' different England, and he thought !:ouM*s should be built on quarter-acre plots, and that attached to each house there should be a suitable place for the storage of vegetables, which, in the absence of the aecommoda.tion on the a llotments, had, in many cases, to be stacked in the >>edrooms or other chambers of house-. A number ot questions as to methods of fer- tilising various descriptions of soil were put bv Alderman diaries Griffith* (Dow la is). Mr. Wal- ker (Celn). and odxrs. and rephed to bv the ?!r. Walker pt-opo?ed a vo? of thanks to Mr. lecturer. b an h- .,i t,o Wil]in')? to/ his able addmss, and Mr. Bert Brobyn. in seconding, said security of rennre was: their dominating not?. and a matter which tJey e\pctc-d the A.O.S. to see to. t, (,?xpE,(-t,(,d thc- A.0.?Y. to (,(, to, Th-f?

The Freedom of the Press RAID ON NATIONAL LABOUR PRESS AND OFFICES OF THE" TRIBUNAL" On Friday afternoon, February 15th, detec- tives visited the Publishing Office of the" Tri- bunal at 5, York Buildings, Adelphi, W.C., and took away all the copies of the cTUTpnt Ksue of the '? Tribunal" which were still on the premises, together with lists of names and addresses of subscribers and distributors. On being asked for their warrant they said they had no warrant but were acting upon instruc- tions from the Home Secretary. A visit was also paid the same evening to the! London Offices of the National Labour Press, the printers of the "Tribunal. After seizing all copies of the Tribunal the detectives pro- ceeded to dismantle the machines. On being asked on what authority they did this they said they had no warrant, and subsequently ad- mitted t-hat they had no written instructions but were acting upon a telephone message from Sir George Gave. News has arrived that several of those who distribute copies of the Tribunal received subsequent visits from the police and had their stocks seized. So great was the anxiety of the authorities that no copy should escape that the police told one lady that they had orders not to take her word that she had no more copies but to turn the premises upside down to look for them. In the ease of at least one an indi- vidual subscriber, the police waited at her house until the post arrived in order to secure her oopy.